Diplomacy Master Thread- Helping Your Opponents Beat Themselves

[SevenSpirits]

they are still 13 worker turns away. are you worried they'll send 13 workers to get it done this turn, then suddenly not need happy 10 turns from now?

No, he was just answering my question.

[scooter]

How about this.

GWT,

A straight gems for marble trade would work really well for us, so if the terms are still good with you then we accept. We prefer that over a spice + chop deal because we are stretched a little thin on worker turns right now.

What turn do you think you can have the marble hooked? We will send you the gems as soon as you can get it hooked and ready to trade.

Thanks,
scooter - Team RB

[Azoth]

Should we mention when we might like to have the Marble by? Say T130?
Only because, if the Germans are slow to respond, and then two turns later come up with a vague "We'll have it soon" or an even worse "We're confident we'll have it hooked by T140," we have two fewer turns to convince them to speed it along.
If we give them a date, they can say "Sure thing" or "That's not possible," and we can go from there.

[Bigger]

I disagree with the subtle 7 is suggesting. diplomacy is slow here and i'd rather not beat around the bush - "if you can connected it by x turn, we'll give you gems and spices".. or "spices and gems until you can get your gems hooked up," even better.

but the important thing is just to send something.

[Yell0w]

I think this draft is good., and we should send one soon.
We can't know how they'll react I think. Or were there some tendencies?
So I'd go with the subtle route, don't even get them started on thinking too much.

[SevenSpirits]

I disagree with the subtle 7 is suggesting. diplomacy is slow here and i'd rather not beat around the bush - "if you can connected it by x turn, we'll give you gems and spices".. or "spices and gems until you can get your gems hooked up," even better.

but the important thing is just to send something.

I would be OK with going not subtle (I like scooter's draft though). (That would entail saying in a single message that we will trade gems for marble, and could consider adding spices if the marble hookup is prompt enough.) However I am, as usual, against opening up diplomacy by offering everything and asking for nothing.

[scooter]

Sent to German team:

GWT,

A straight gems for marble trade would work really well for us, so if the terms are still good with you then we accept. We prefer that over a spice + chop deal because we are stretched a little thin on worker turns right now.

What turn do you think you can have the marble hooked? We will send you the gems as soon as you can get it hooked and ready to trade.

Thanks,
scooter - Team RB

[dazedroyalty]

I like offering both but am swayed by holding the second happiness to be dependent on having marble by a certain time. Since scooter sent the draft lets find out when they could have it hooked up and then offer spices if they can get it to is by X turns faster (3?).

[kjn]

Yeah, having some extra incentives for hooking marble quickly could be useful, that isn't another resource.

Some possibilities:

Another missionary (to be gifted between T130 and T135, say)
Perhaps clearing jungle on the pig SE of Worms (much easier to do than doing that gems tile)

But I think I agree with Seven that it's best to simply offer gems up-front, and ask if they can provide it by T130 (a nice round number).

[MWIN]

Germans would be thinking, WHAT? We asked for happy + some extra and they came back offering samething. Are these guys stalling, if so who cares...