Diplo with Gillette

[Mortius]

Better to say honestly that the people willing to give this information are out-numbered by those that aren't than feed them false information. I'd rather have them be honestly neutral than angry or even irritated with us.

So, let's do it

[Lord Parkin]

Or stalling is an option - e.g. some form of "our team is still debating whether to share information on our wonder plans... if you'd be willing to share your own plans then that would certainly make us more inclined to do likewise".

Though stalling too long leads to annoyance. Or alternatively, if they respond with genuine information and we don't reply back then that's probably worse. We can always feed them false information about wonder plans, though that will be detected eventually too. Hmm, tricky.

I don't think there's realistically much harm in telling them we're intending on going for Stonehenge. They'll be expecting it (based on past experience with me if nothing else), and are the only team that is even slightly likely to compete for it. If we further decrease the chance of them going for that wonder, there's really nothing lost - they'll see we've built it soon enough anyway.

Although... I suppose it might make them think the Oracle could be an easier grab. So that could be a downside.

[Mortius]

OK, so we have some downsides of telling them about wonders plan.
Do we have any upsides, besides being nice?

I think the Herandar's proposal of telling them straight that we don't want to share such information is the best. We are still nice and straightforward, revealing nothing. Of course they would probably suspect, we will build Stonehenge. But a speculation is never a certainty, and the less they know about our plans the better.

[Herandar]

It all depends on our long-term plans with Team Gillette. Do we want to ally with them against the (allegedly) scarier teams? (I'm new to RB, so I don't know the reputations beyond the little bit of banter that I've browsed, and frankly, I'm not interested.) If so, then we have to risk a little and give them some information (which, frankly, doesn't really hurt us too bad.) Or do we imagine that our territorial neighbors will become our fiercest rivals? How we interact with them will go a long way into determining that, but it will not override geopolitical circumstance. We could also tell them that we know where the Pirates are, though we haven't met them yet. That information was also asked for, and might go further with them than our plans.

Either way, we really need to have the entire team weigh in on this one. I can send a short stalling email, but it is not so urgent that three or four days before I send that is unreasonable. The whole point of the Democracy game is that the majority decides. I'm not going to respond based on a 2-1 vote, unless it truly comes down to a three man team.

Heh heh, Mortius called me "the Herandar".

[Mortius]

... risk a little and give them some information (which, frankly, doesn't really hurt us too bad.)..

Information is a weapon, and probably the deadliest one.

If someone had told me whether it intends to build the Great Lighthouses for example, that I would know if I invest 260 hammers in the Great Lighthouse myself, or in eight chariots that will get me the Great Lighthouse in the less civilized way.

[Elkad]

Or agree to let them have it, while collecting a pile of fail gold.

I think we need to withhold our wonder plans. Herandar's proposal works for me. We simply choose not to share that information at this time.

[Azza]

I feel like we're being a tad overcautious here. We do need to build relationships with our neighbours in this game, and avoiding one and not telling the other anything doesn't feel like the right approach to me.

[Mortius]

We do need to build relationships with our neighbours...

So, ... start building that relationship. You are in the diplo team, aren't you?

[HitAnyKey]

I also agree that we should not be telling anyone our wonder plans right now. For now, we can tell them that we can't tell them anything yet because we are having a big debate over how much we would be willing to share. Maybe even comment that there are still some internal debates going on regarding which direction we are actually going to take when the time comes, so we don't even have an exact path to tell them anyway.

[Mortius]

Did we send any answer?