Daily Tip:A lot of players just assume that they cannot afford faction modules. This is a bunch of hooey. You would be surprised how cost-effective they can be, especially on mission-running ships that are unlikely to be destroyed.
Sins of a Solar Spymaster #10: Bastard's Bluff - Page 2
Updated Tue, May 05, 2009 by The Mittani
First, steal everything not nailed down. A long-term GIA agent named Gobblock masterminded a theft of a tremendous amount of assets held by the executor corporation of IRC. A titan's worth of capital components, an entire capital fleet, scads of blueprints and multiple jump freighters were looted, totalling hundreds of billions of isk. Now we had some influence, a card I could play. I sent word through Gobblock, our now-burned spy, to ask the IRC leadership to contact me about working out a deal. If they pulled out of Insmother and withdrew in good faith, I'd arrange to give them their stolen assets back. If not, I'd have to get cranky. Almost immediately after Gobblock passed my message along, I was contacted via email by Dibrle, one of the two primary leaders of IRC.
To The Honorable, The Mittani,
Greetings from AWE & IRC.
I was advised by Gobbloc (see convo below) that you wished to speak with me.
I understand you have access to some items that were ours until yesterday and, perhaps, a proposal. We desire to hear your proposal.
<Please be advised that I will be out of the office much of today and tomorrow so there might be a delay in responding. It will be no reflection on negotiations other than lack of time.>
Dib
Greetings from AWE & IRC.
I was advised by Gobbloc (see convo below) that you wished to speak with me.
I understand you have access to some items that were ours until yesterday and, perhaps, a proposal. We desire to hear your proposal.
<Please be advised that I will be out of the office much of today and tomorrow so there might be a delay in responding. It will be no reflection on negotiations other than lack of time.>
Dib
Oh, great, he's calling me 'Honorable'. This should be easy enough. I dash off a reply, blunt but not too threatening.
If IRC
hopes to have any of its assets back, you will immediately cease all
hostilities in the Insmother region and publicly pull out of your war
there. You'll need to announce your pullout on CAOD and back it up with
action. Yank all your towers down, get the [censored] out.
If your alliance does not inform me of its compliance within a reasonable time, I'll have to make some sort of additional demonstration of my displeasure. Surely though, GS is on the other side of the galaxy and the GIA is a myth, so you'll be just fine.
Right?
~mittens~
If your alliance does not inform me of its compliance within a reasonable time, I'll have to make some sort of additional demonstration of my displeasure. Surely though, GS is on the other side of the galaxy and the GIA is a myth, so you'll be just fine.
Right?
~mittens~
He replies.
IRC contacted GS at the request
of Gobbloc because we understood you had a proposal. So far, you have
not presented one, so we will.
We are willing to negotiate an end to the Insmother war, however, IRC (and ED) need more space and all of our stuff back. The return of our ships, ammo, mods, blueprints, etc. must come first. As for additional space, we need it to be near us, not 40 jumps away. Space in Insmother, Kalevala, Malpais, or any similar area would do.
IRC accorded GS due respect, and we expect the same. We paid GS 95B for Etherium Reach. We honored all our agreements. We await your response.
We are willing to negotiate an end to the Insmother war, however, IRC (and ED) need more space and all of our stuff back. The return of our ships, ammo, mods, blueprints, etc. must come first. As for additional space, we need it to be near us, not 40 jumps away. Space in Insmother, Kalevala, Malpais, or any similar area would do.
IRC accorded GS due respect, and we expect the same. We paid GS 95B for Etherium Reach. We honored all our agreements. We await your response.
This is one of the biggest problems of open diplomacy in EVE - no one takes threats seriously, and with good reason. Much of the game is populated with chestbeating e-bushido types who vomit forth an endless supply of empty threats and smacktalk without any ability to follow through. I realized that almost anything I said to Dibrle was going to be treated as mere bloviating unless I turned the screws on him a little. That's fine, though; I had a big screwdriver handy.
I offered you a proposal: "you
will immediately cease all hostilities in the Insmother region and
publicly pull out of your war there. You'll need to announce your
pullout on CAOD and back it up with action. Yank all your towers down,
get the [censored] out."
Despite this, you state that I have not actually offered a proposal. I interpret this to mean that you and Oldma are not taking this situation seriously. Your counter-proposal - suggesting that we return your assets BEFORE you retreat from Insmother - is not sensible, because your assets are the best way to ensure compliance in the Insmother retreat. Plus, you make a demand for more space.
Very well. Internet spaceship games are full of people making idle threats. I understand that you think that we in the GIA can do nothing more to IRC besides seizing your assets. Once I make good on my threat, perhaps you'll reevaluate the situation and we can have a more realistic discussion. Until then, I remain a fuzzy, harmless mitten.
~mittens~
Despite this, you state that I have not actually offered a proposal. I interpret this to mean that you and Oldma are not taking this situation seriously. Your counter-proposal - suggesting that we return your assets BEFORE you retreat from Insmother - is not sensible, because your assets are the best way to ensure compliance in the Insmother retreat. Plus, you make a demand for more space.
Very well. Internet spaceship games are full of people making idle threats. I understand that you think that we in the GIA can do nothing more to IRC besides seizing your assets. Once I make good on my threat, perhaps you'll reevaluate the situation and we can have a more realistic discussion. Until then, I remain a fuzzy, harmless mitten.
~mittens~
I begin to twist, calling in a few favors from some friends. Meanwhile, Dibrle dashes off a reply before he's aware of what I'm up to. I don't think he likes me anymore.
A
demand without a quid pro quo is not a proposal. We do not even know if
you have the ability to make a proposal.
At this point, we have no proof that you were behind the theft or even that you know how the traitor accomplished it (we do). We also have no proof that you have access, much less the power to deliver, any of the stolen property.
As for trust, IRC has always acted honorably and lived up to its agreements. When GS sold 2 constellations to us for 30BH on time, we paid fully. When GS sold the rest of Etherium Reach to us for 60B, we paid fully. When GS asked if GS could maintain JB in Etherium Reach, we agreed and honored that agreement. There is no reason that GS would need to “ensure compliance in the Insmother retreat.”
Unfortunately, there have been numerous posts about GS scamming “buyers” out of Outposts and systems. Also, GS took credit for the BoB theft. Now, you are, apparently, claiming that you have something to do with the theft of AWE assets. Under these circumstances, it is not IRC’s credibility that is at issue.
However, IRC would be willing to make a simultaneous transfer. You deliver everything at the same time we post the withdrawal order.
Simply threatening us will not further these negotiations.
We await your reply.
Dib
At this point, we have no proof that you were behind the theft or even that you know how the traitor accomplished it (we do). We also have no proof that you have access, much less the power to deliver, any of the stolen property.
As for trust, IRC has always acted honorably and lived up to its agreements. When GS sold 2 constellations to us for 30BH on time, we paid fully. When GS sold the rest of Etherium Reach to us for 60B, we paid fully. When GS asked if GS could maintain JB in Etherium Reach, we agreed and honored that agreement. There is no reason that GS would need to “ensure compliance in the Insmother retreat.”
Unfortunately, there have been numerous posts about GS scamming “buyers” out of Outposts and systems. Also, GS took credit for the BoB theft. Now, you are, apparently, claiming that you have something to do with the theft of AWE assets. Under these circumstances, it is not IRC’s credibility that is at issue.
However, IRC would be willing to make a simultaneous transfer. You deliver everything at the same time we post the withdrawal order.
Simply threatening us will not further these negotiations.
We await your reply.
Dib
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