Dear New Babbage Traffic Control

Lorddarthvik

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Feb 22, 2016
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Lorddarthvik
NB traffic control is such a bunch of jerks! My good friend, whom I introduced to universe at last years IAE, although only for a short spin in a Carrack, came down to Microtech to check out this years show on his own to take part in the free rental offerings. After a long struggle navigating the horrendously unintuitively laid out Spaceport hall, he managed to request a ship, went to the hangar and sat in it.
And been there for 10 minutes, because these maliciously dumb Traffic Controllers didn't answer his call for a liftoff!! So his ship got carried away from under him and he got fined by the Traffic Control!

I swear to god this game is getting way too real... It's like the f***ing parking maids here, you run the two blocks to the nearest parking meter to get your ticket and by the time you're back you have been already fined, and appealing the fine is only possible in person at an office building in a part of the city where it's impossible to find a parking space And you gottta pay for it there too, and carries an administrative cost as much as paying the fine... So basically it's free money for the parking maffia.
 

Vavrik

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Sep 19, 2017
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Vavrik
NB traffic control is such a bunch of jerks! My good friend, whom I introduced to universe at last years IAE, although only for a short spin in a Carrack, came down to Microtech to check out this years show on his own to take part in the free rental offerings. After a long struggle navigating the horrendously unintuitively laid out Spaceport hall, he managed to request a ship, went to the hangar and sat in it.
And been there for 10 minutes, because these maliciously dumb Traffic Controllers didn't answer his call for a liftoff!! So his ship got carried away from under him and he got fined by the Traffic Control!

I swear to god this game is getting way too real... It's like the f***ing parking maids here, you run the two blocks to the nearest parking meter to get your ticket and by the time you're back you have been already fined, and appealing the fine is only possible in person at an office building in a part of the city where it's impossible to find a parking space And you gottta pay for it there too, and carries an administrative cost as much as paying the fine... So basically it's free money for the parking maffia.
I really like this. There's literally no reason to fine people for looking at a ship, if there is no warning.
 

Bambooza

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Sep 25, 2017
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MrBambooza
I agree it's such a pain to find these spaceports, especially in weather. They really need beacons.

Airport+Beacons+White_Green+–+Civilian+Airport+White_Yellow+–+Seaport.jpg




As for the parking fines I've just chalked it up to the price of doing business with the ports because even attempting to store your ship bugs out and you still get fined. It used to be I just didn't bother returning in my ship and instead abused the insurance claims but now it seems that's not the best option either.
 

NaffNaffBobFace

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Jan 5, 2016
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NaffNaffBobFace
TO: New Babbage Traffic Control

RE: RE: RE: RE: Last IAE 2950's unfortunate events.

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To whom it may concern, New Babbage Traffic Control.

Twelve.

That's how many door knockers I had to drop on your miserable little office. I'm sure you already know how it went and are having a good old laugh about it even now, but just in case, here's how it went and how I am now left with no other choice than to escalate this matter even further. How can I escalate this further than an A2 and twelve MOABs? Read on and realise what you have done to the people of Microtech.

I found it delightful to rise from your very own space port with the cargo that would draw a sharp end to our communications - however the first thing that barred my progress was the Armistice Zone. Flying to 30k meters, I was weapons free, directly over you and ready to roll. The first was dropped, and nothing happened. The second too... Was the wind carrying them away? Were they being secretly intercepted? I had to know, number three I followed down and before my very eyes it vanished, vaporised...

And it dawned on me... The Invictus event... That much exotic civilian killware on display overseen by the UEE and they don't bring top spec point-defence systems to keep the crowds from destroying half the planet? My plan lay in tatters. But I had to find a way!

Number 4 I intended to follow again but in my enthusiasm to find a solution dipped the A2's nose too early and clipped the ordnance. I watched it tumble momentarily, those stabilising fins rotating wildly trying to get it to fall in a straight line, before mere moments after it left the bay, the gyrating forces caused it to detonate. The A2 was damaged beyond repair, I emerged from its grounded wreckage. Round one to New Babbage Space Port. The night air was cool through my suit and the lights of the city sparkled behind me. It was eerily calm. 8 chances left.

Strings had to be pulled, credits had to be spent, however I secured another A2. Again, raising from your installation, casting my shadow over your unsuspecting walls and roofs, it was a short trip to 30k meters... A windless sky, the sun over my shoulder, a perfect day for dropping a crater maker. It left the bay, but immediately detonated destroying the ship and the three other eggs in the bay. While falling I noticed another ship, too far off to be able to make out if it was a MicroTech vehicle, but with the tell-tale tracer smoke, a straight white line between my falling wreckage and that rapidly repeating ship... A MOAB will go off from rifle fire... Round two to New Babbage Space Port. 4 chances left.

At this point, as last year, when our tumultuous relationship began, my name was mud with those who had been willing to help me previously. I acquired a black-market ID which would allow me to fox the automated systems and rent an A2 from the IAE, loaded with my last 4 point makers... Gone was the thrill of approaching the space port. Gone was the flush of anticipation turning on the ship. Very much present was my disgust at activating the Comms to request clearance to take off...

... I am very much used to you not answering my written messages, it has been a year now... but as the Comm rang and rang, it slowly became clear to me...

...you were no longer picking up the Comm either. The hangar doors didn't open. I was - and the A2 still is - trapped in your 08 hangar. Round 3 to New Babbage Space Port. Through all of this you were just toying with me. You held the power, all along.

Defeated, I arranged with one of my few last remaining friends to be picked up from that barren, frozen lakeside and taken off planet. I can see there is no further point in trying direct action to persuade you.




So, you ask, how can I escalate action beyond taking a heavy bomber and dropping explosives on you from a great height?

I am in an industry which produces a consumable resource. I have a great many contacts and arrangements not only with production but also with logistics. Beyond that I am an expert in my field and know that to pull one single straw will bring the whole tottering stack tumbling down around you.

I work in the field of Bathroom paper production and delivery, my friends. I know that your planet has a heavy reliance on importing that vital resource, with 99.9% of supplies coming from off world.

Yes you have trees on MicroTech but they are slow growing, sinuous and rough - an exceedingly unsuitable grade of wood for making any grade of paper with let alone bathroom paper - it would not dissolve in water as normal paper does making it clog your sanitation pipes and it would be unbearably rough so your options are limited. I have my hand on the tap and am ready to close the valve.

As a display of my abilities and influence, I have already re-routed 10,000 SCU of paper from your monthly quota of 250,000 SCU. That doesn't sound like much of a dent, but you have an Intergalactic Expo on with tens upon tens of thousands of visitors, and you'll find that 10k SCU was the difference between comfortably stocked shelves and a number of some more the more premium brands vanishing, leaving gaps which will be noticed... I'm sure the good people of Lorville will enjoy the rerouted additional luxury supply this month - I hope it doesn't cause a worker revolution uprising.

I am done sending messages to you. Your planet is now under sanitation paper sanctions as prescribed by me. What was just between us is now effecting everyone on your world. It has started gently but will get worse if you do not reach out and contact me with how you plan to apologise not only for the original insult to me at last years IAE, but also for the resulting year of fruitless effort to expose you on my part.

Remember, you had the opportunity to avoid this. You have my Comm. I, as ever, look forward to hearing from you.

NaffNaffBobFace.
 
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