Unusual behaviour

[tbontob]

I am in a new game and one of the player is exhibiting some unusual behaviour.

We have a T & R treaty.

The Last few turns his colony ships have been stopping over planets of mine. Usually, they are planets with the same atmosphere as his species.

They would stay a turn or two and then move on.

At first, I thought he must be on drugs.

Then I thought he must be a newbie player and couldn't distinguish a colonized planet from a uncolonized one.

But he isn't a newbie player. (EDIT: He has been around much longer than me.)

The only thing I could come up with is that his colony ships are fitted with minelayers. Ugggg!!!!

But some detective work has pretty much ruled that out.

And as far as I know, parking over a planet doesn't provide any intel when a treaty is in force.

So, do you guys have any ideas what he may be up to?

This is a real puzzle.

[ May 29, 2003, 23:12: Message edited by: tbontob ]

[Power Man]

Do your planets have resupply bases on them. I am always using my allies resupply bases. Maybe they are just stopping by for a little R&R.

[tbontob]

Originally posted by Power Man:
Do your planets have resupply bases on them. I am always using my allies resupply bases. Maybe they are just stopping by for a little R&R.

No they don't. But even if they did, I don't believe you can resupply on a T & R treaty.

[dogscoff]

A few possibilities, if it's definitely not mines:

-Launching cloaked satellites.
-Long range scanners to view any passing ships of yours.
-the colonisers are armed with planetary napalm, and he's waiting for the right moment to declare, glass and re-colonise.
-His ships are threatened by a mutual enemy, and he's hiding behind your planetary defences.

[primitive]

Or:
He is lazy and uses the colonization minister. Then you get all sorts of strange behavior

[tbontob]

Originally posted by dogscoff:
A few possibilities, if it's definitely not mines:

-Launching cloaked satellites.
-Long range scanners to view any passing ships of yours.
-the colonisers are armed with planetary napalm, and he's waiting for the right moment to declare, glass and re-colonise.
-His ships are threatened by a mutual enemy, and he's hiding behind your planetary defences.

Thanks dogscoff for you input.

Detective work more or less eliminates cloaked satelites with or without long range scanners.

After a turn or two he moves away from the planet. Never used planetary napalm myself, but as far as I know it cannot be left in orbit (must be fired from the ship).

Threatened by a mutual enemy is a definite possiblity. Only problem is the mutual enemies are not around and his colony ships go out of their way to park on my planets where there are no colonizable planets at all. In doing so, he is wasting valuable time and resources (maintenance and loss of potential earning power). And why stay the extra turn?

Maybe he is on drugs.

If so, he must be on a long trip as this has occurred over a number of turns.

[Fyron]

It is possible he is just trying to confuse the heck out of you, which seems to be working if that is his goal.

[Narrew]

I like Fyrons thought.

At first I thought you were talking about me, then I took my anti-paranoid medicine and realized you were not *whew*.

Sounds like a neat idea though. Bagdad Bob is in control of his Colony Ships.

[Nodachi]

It could just be that he sent the ships before you colonised the worlds and doesn't realise you got them until he gets the unable to colonise message.

[Fyron]

Hey Nod, stop never signing on IRC or MSN.