Please stop calling it "Protection Agreement"

[zgrssd]

One of the many thing that have been bugging me since DWU, just came to the forefront when a Streamer fell for it.

Please stop calling Pirate extortion Protection Agreements.

Now I admit, the definition for Protection Racket is not 100% clear. It can mean either:
1. "My people will not attack you."
or
2. "My people will not attack you, and I beat up everyone else trying attacking you."

But I would say the second one is clearly more common.
And even if you technically only have the 1st one, it makes economic sense to prevent other organisations from extorting or burning your business into ruin. "Tribute does not flow from a dead world." - Leviathan, Mass Effect 3.

The main issue is that I am not sure what else to call it. Some ideas:
* "'Protection' Agreements", to make it clear it is not meant literal?
* Extortion Payments?
* Tribute? It has the same mixed meaning, but I would say it tends toward the 1st case. So it would at least be better then the current
* Cease Fire? That is in the end all it realy is, paying for a cease fire.

[Galaxy227]

The agreement works to protect the assets of your empire from their fleets, hence protection agreement.

[Randall172]

with this payment, no one will beat you up ... except me

[zgrssd]

ORIGINAL: Galaxy227

The agreement works to protect the assets of your empire from their fleets, hence protection agreement.

Treaties that have the same impact:
Truce
Peace
Tribute
Vassalage
Surrender

Something is wrong when "Vassal" and "Surrender" give you more portection then "Protection Agreement".

ORIGINAL: Randall172

with this payment, no one will beat you up ... except me

Ironically it does exactly the opposite of that:
Everyone will continue to beat you up, just not me anymore.

[Erik Rutins]

Well, it's actually what the Pirates prefer to call it, so you'll have to take this up with them.

Seriously though, it's deliberately part of the flavor that they use a bit of a misnomer. You're paying them to protect you from themselves, in effect.

Regards,

- Erik

[Cauldyth]

Yeah, just a tongue-in-cheek reference to organized crime movies.

"Nice planet you have there, it'd be a shame if something happened to it..." [8D]

[Mightymaster]

Well, it's actually what the Pirates prefer to call it, so you'll have to take this up with them.

When I remember it correctly from some streams they even call it "gift" from pirates

[zgrssd]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Well, it's actually what the Pirates prefer to call it, so you'll have to take this up with them.

Seriously though, it's deliberately part of the flavor that they use a bit of a misnomer. You're paying them to protect you from themselves, in effect.

Regards,

- Erik

I just realized that in DW1, they actually called it "Protection" Agreement. They actually had the irony marking Air Quotes. But somewhere when copying it, it got lost or removed.

I do not mind what they call it in the fluff text. They could call it "Totally Rad Insurance Blocking Unintended Terminal Endings - or T.R.I.B.U.T.E for short" and I would not care.
In fact, that would be a bonus and there should be more Backronyms!

But calling it "Protection Agreement" in the actuall game mechanics, that is the issue. It is realy just a "noob trap", that adds nothing to the recurring player.

To put it into a historical context:
According to their own records the Roman/Byzantine Empire only ever did "Defensive Wars" (yes, even every action of Ceasar and Crassus) and never had to "Pay Tribute to Barbarian Neighbours".
But if you look at the history or made a game about those times, you would totally call those Diplomatic Statuses "Offensive War"/"Preemtive Strike" and "Tribute".

I can not keep you from keeping it. Also if those arguments fail, I have none left. Just please consider it.

[Erik Rutins]

We could certainly add the irony quotes back in, I didn't realize those had been lost along the way.

[arvcran2]

*chuckle*

Ire be the ways of the Pie-Rats. Ur jus R-goo-wing the Semi-thanks of or our off' rings ... may tea [:D]

[Staby_Mcstabman]

It's just flavor you are not supposed to take it literally. You don't have to take everything so literally especially when it involves space pirates.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Staby_Mcstabman
It's just flavor you are not supposed to take it literally. You don't have to take everything so literally especially when it involves space pirates.

Did you make that account with that name just to talk about Pirates? [:D]

[zgrssd]

ORIGINAL: arvcran2

*chuckle*

Ire be the ways of the Pie-Rats. Ur jus R-goo-wing the Semi-thanks of or our off' rings ... may tea [:D]

Okay, "Pi(e)-Rats" should totally be a thing for some of the pirate Factions made form smaler species. Or those species that realy like food.

There are so many options for Naming Puns with Pirates.

ORIGINAL: Staby_Mcstabman

It's just flavor you are not supposed to take it literally. You don't have to take everything so literally especially when it involves space pirates.

I do not take the pirates seriously.

I take my Diplomatic Corp explaining me what I am about to make interstellar agreements on seriously. Better to leave the jokes to the "Punsters of Ceti Alpha V".