[Mzyxptlk]

Ascendancy has always tended to value long-term goals more than short-term ones. That's why, back in the day, we had no qualms kicking people if they were bad at Planetarion (which isn't the same as being inactive, mind you). It costs score in the short run, but it makes your alliance stronger in the future, because there's fewer idiots to **** things up, while yet others might think twice before engaging in idiotic behaviour.

Along the same lines, we were fully commited to sticking to the agreement with xVx in round 31(?) which stipulated that we would grant them the win in exchange for support in taking down the BGs. This cost us in the short run, because we would be unable to win that round, but in the long run it meant convincing people we're trustworthy. In the end xVx refused to accept that part of the agreement, because they felt it would be a hollow victory, but the will was certainly there.

NewDawn would be another example of an alliance that I think everyone knows can trusted, to the point that I can think of few things that would surprise me more this round than an ND-initiated cancellation of the ND/NFI nap.

On the other hand, Apprime never qualified, partly due to their political actions and partly with how bad Cardinal is at diplomacy. Let me put it like this: calling female HCs prostitutes and demanding they show pics of their tits? Not a good first step towards cooperation with other alliances.

However, when we stabbed Dimentus, it was in the full knowledge that Ascendancy's day as superpower are over. We no longer have the will to play as actively as we did in round 30. In that light, making investments that might pay out in rounds to come makes little sense. All we want to do now is have a bit of fun while we wallow in incompetence. This round is surely the best effort so far, at least at that last bit.