The LWB-ALG issue is a bit thorny. They're both our biggest allies except the Hessians, and our worst enemies except for Synth. I have absolutely no idea how to play it if I meet one of you guys.
From the info that I managed to get about LWB/ALG, if ALG haul terraforming materials to Stuttgart, LWB will blow em up, but, most of the rest of the time, they are treated no worse than anyone else. The CEO (or some high ranking member) of ALG is funneling funds to the LWB...but, obviously, this is not an open agreement (the Chancellor might get a bit suspicious if it was...)
Figured I might as well contribute this to the discussion.
Quote:"Much of the money that we earn from selling Terraforming Gases to Synth Foods will be secretly funneled to the LWB. ALG's chairman is a large supporter of the displaced farmers of Stuttgart. Her own plantation has been growing blue jillies for centuries. "
As a prospective ALG member, I'd suggest to the LWB that they could make loud noises at ALG and threaten dreadful things in the presence of the law, but make no actual actions against the transporters/salvagers of the ALG. Perhaps pass around some anti-terraforming gas pamphlets.
ALG operate in/travel through areas of the Sigmas and Omegas, so we'll be seeing a lot of the Corsairs, Wild and Hessians. I would expect any and all of those three to attack or tax us. Now while the LWB may be friendly with the Hessians, they are not Hessians themselves, and can operate under different reputation sheets.
One potential advantage of terraforming gases is the production, under Planetform, of new areas for farming under the old methods (luxury, rather than synth foods). There's a planet in Hudson called Atka which is in the preliminary stages of terraforming by Planetform under contract from the Liberty government. The Rheinland Military are against this, because if Liberty manage to terraform and populate the planet they'll have a stronger claim to the system as Liberty territory. However, if Rheinland Military pushed Liberty back away from Atka it could be turned into a new Rheinland breadbasket to mollify the LWB and answer their complaints (the complaints of Rheinland citizens).
Anyways, that's just me blowing smoke. But remember that terraforming gas is a vague term, they could potentially be used to return Stuttgart to the state it was in before the planet was made more suitable for the Synth weed.
EDIT: This doesn't mean I'll kick and scream and throw my toys out of the pram if I am pirated/stopped etc. by LWB. I'd always pay their request, rather than force them to blow me up. Direct funding with plausible deniability of intent.
We should probably officialize something, but my thoughts are that the LWB would primarily dislike fertilizer shipments that ALG is supposed to provide. Otherwise, there could be a wink wink nod nod type agreement. Even if the particular LWB was unfamiliar with the possible funding (and I imagine, rp-wise, most are), I don't think they'd object to getting rid of things like toxic waste. I'm pretty sure the best way to describe that is "ewww" after all.
I had a look at the Landwirtrechtsbewegung within the official factions thread. ALG is listed as 'At war' there.:P
If I'm confronted with some LWB pilots, I wouldn't hesitate to pay them. They demand cargo? No problem, as long as it's no dangerous cargo. (Toxic Waste, Plutonium, etc.)
I'm also thinking about spending some money to the faction leadership.:)
what is your recruitment campaign?
what in-RP routes have you got that would entice people to join ALG and not RepEx or one of the other trading factions?
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