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MoOving In: A Detailed Preview of Master of Orion III
PART 4: SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR TALK (Page 2)
By Daniel Quick | Apolyton CS Co-Owner/Administrator

They swiftly turned down my offer to sign a Non-Aggression Pact (NAP). I tried again two turns later – out of a bit of desperation and the fact that our first contact had gone more or less smoothly – but was again rejected. Clearly they did not trust me. When I followed-up with a research proposal, they too were uninterested. It's clear that they don't like me either which was fine: I wouldn't like them either {grin}. However, again given their status this incident was going to make it ever more difficult to become the elected lead of the Orion Senate. Of course, I would have to be nominated onto the ballot in the first place…

It's Not What You Say But How You Say It
Speaking of the Senate, I am coming to it. First though, two additional points I would like to touch upon. The first is the 'Emphasis For This Action' option. I welcome its presence with open arms. In an era where we can conduct communication more easily (although not necessarily more efficiently) via written mediums such as faxes, emails and bulletin board posts, we eliminate body language and modulation of our voice inherent in verbalization. It is often not until a strictly textual message of ours becomes misinterpreted before we realize how important these physical gestures are in culture. Even smilies are sometimes not sufficient, and they certainly are not in a game especially when confronting an artificial intelligence.

When responding to a diplomatic message from another empire, consider that more than just accepting the proposed terms or suggesting a 'Counter-Offer' are options open to you. You can flat-out 'Refuse' a proposition while a 'Stall' is a more courteous delaying tactic than 'No Answer'. It is before you click on the 'Send Offer' button that you must decide upon the 'Emphasis For This Action'. I applaud Quicksilver for making the street two-way in how messages received reflect this setting. Being the naturally good-natured guy that I am, I decided to utilize only the pleasant and friendly emotions offered; after all, I was relying on a combination of NAPs and pity to keep my civilization out of any combat as I was ill prepared for it (watch in Part 5 for a discussion on my only and abysmally-performed skirmish).

Not everyone responds well to a Mr. Nice Guy. Some equate politeness with weakness and others still insincerity. The Sakkra, for example, “tend to respond best when your diplomatic [overtures] are relatively unemotional or even aggressive in tone” ( MoO3 Manual | Page 102 ). It's unquestionably a damn good thing I did not cross their path. For those of you like me that want to know just exactly what each stance possible under the 'Emphasis For This Action' button is, I have provided two listings below to satisfy the appetite. Each one contains seven items that go from 'green', through 'yellow' to 'red' in attitude to use a colourful allusion (and pardon the pun).

To cite a classic computer-inspired adage, what you see is what you get.

List 1
• Beg
• Plead
• Reason
• State
• Argue
• Declare
• Demand

List 2

• Humble
• Appreciative
• Polite
• Formal
• Cool
• Cold
• Insulting