PAIN attacking SOL (the alliance)

[Sol]

A friend from [SOL] just messaged me asking if I could aid him because it seems that PAIN has launched war on his alliance. I told him I could not get involved without my alliance's approval. I do realize that I can aid him, but I would have to act on my own if the alliance wishes not to get involved. And, well, personally, I don't think it would benefit me alone if I get involved because SOL seems like a weak alliance and I cannot conquer PAIN on my own.

Anyway, I thought maybe FoM would be interested, seeing as one of the players attacking owns many isles on O33.

I asked conkeror (friend from SOL) to mail me the details. So here they are:

So far, Zapster took islands. The whole conflict started because w00tfest99 overcolonising an isle i just took.

The way we see it, he really showed no ethic or respect whatsoever. My coloship was a 18hrs hour ride, in between he cleared the island. So he claimed he deserved it and overcoloed without first negotiating or w-e, just sent me an email saying, im taking the island.

So i brought it up to the admins, asked for compensation. They took it as a demand from me (big egos) and one of them launched attacks on one of us without declaring war, taking 3 isles.

So that's where we are. We foresee being wiped out, they dont respond to mails anymore. We think about merging with a big alliance to not get turned to dust. Some of us (like me) vote to launch attack against them, cause max damage, and die with honor.

Currently, PAIN is still launching attacks at all the other SOL members.

So...what have you guys to say?

Personally, I feel kind of bad for them, so I'm inclined to help them. And...they do happen to have a cool alliance name.

[ashimar]

I don't think there's much you or we can do, except advice them in whatever course of action they want to take.

As you say there is nothing in it to benefit us, except being declared Saints or something. I would like to bring to mind that part of the New Testament (oh dear....) where Jesus'fame has spread of being able to help/heal needy or afflicted people, but they just eep coming, there's no end to them and at one point he despairs while shouting "there's to many of you" (paraphrased). The analogy obviously is that neither of our three groups here can salvage the (IK) world or all of it
s inhabitants. Even when on moral grounds we would like to do that with all of our heart(s).

I've had some dealings with Pain, not so very long ago. H|F had made a deathlist of IRR / V|W players and one youngish friend was on it. I felt I owed him something and I decided to at least try and save him by ideally having him exempted. To this end I had him put a reference on his profile to that of mine where I promised to "reverse" everything that would be done to him by E|S or H|F. I then informed Pain and DBK and while I never heard a thing from the apparent teadrinker, Pain had issues with this, being a N. American. He said I was demanding, instead of asking. Told me I should have started talking to him by doing the verbal equivalent of 'the secret handshake' (tm), or something. I told him where I come from (I'm Dutch) it was a request, not a demand, irregardless of perceived style or lack of meaningless superfluous use of the words or phrases "please", "hey how are you, how yer doing, I'm great, I'm cool, I'm Bush" and "like I was like, ye know, thinking like, I have this friend..." and separate from what I would actually do. The idea that I was merely informing him of the causality of it all, eluded him completely. We ended up bickering on cultural divides. Which clearly exist, but most people either are aware of this or choose to ignore it. But like you hinted at already: big egos apparently.

In the end nothing happened to my friend, but interestingly enough a bored and quitting MX player suicided several fleets into the main island of my friend just after the war of H|F against former IRR had ended. Very coincidental if you ask me because Pain is the IK equivalent of an honourary MX member for life and it would not be beyond him to whisper a target into peoples ears.

I felt forced by this to completely raze two islands of said quitting MX player down to score 5. Never heard a word from anyone, except my grateful friend.

So to sum it up, Pain is "a pain" and we'll remember it well, for the future, but what you have to do now is up to how you feel about it. It's outside the scope of the alliances though as we can't save everyone and it's probably more sensible for them to find a protective group or to alter their strategies because in the end only a proper defense can deter bullies, but if you feel better having helped them with a stoner or catapult injection than know you are in good albeit shady company. ;D

[Sol]

Ahhh. IK politics, I love them.

Well, I think this matter has been solved. The player attacking SOL is Cortese77 and he has already been kicked out of PAIN and now has only one island but continues to attack. I'm being told he is a multi, but they haven't given me any evidence. I've already given them some help and advice. And you're right, I suppose we can't be the saviors of the world...

They are using my name for their alliance...maybe I should make them my personal army! ;D Mwahahahaha

[ashimar]

You know, it didn't occur to me you were talking of the alliance PAIN, not the player Pain. I need to stop drinking Grimbergen Optimo Bruno after midnight....

[Sol]

LOL!

Yeah I was a bit confused there.

Keep drinkin' it keeps the soul merry.

[Timberwolf]

Whew, I went the same direction as Ashimar and was all fired to yell at PAIN the player

[Sol]

Haha Maybe I should have made the title of this topic more clearer or maybe all of you are drunk tonight.

[Cesium]

Nah, we got a nice little theology/Inselkampf tie-in, and that was cool.