First Order vs FTL - Round One

Meanwhile at First Order’s offices in 4 Holes, a few representatives from the Free Trade League are invited over for a sensitive discussion, more because one of the FTLer’s Eeod happens to be the brother of First Order’s director, Edliner.

(log editing for spelling)

Dabblez: One chair?
Dabblez: Cutbacks?
Edliner: I wish we had budget for more furniture
Edliner: Our R&D has taken eaten a lot
Dabblez: Well Eeod of course you know. This here is Senobyte, you probably met at the Omni Board of Director meetings
Senobyte: nods at Edliner
Edliner: yes
Dabblez: And Dr Waggery you probably also know. She is representing Devil Advocate who also are part of the FTL movement
Edliner: and you have brought a lawyer
Edliner: Welcome Lady Callantha
Dabblez: Hello
Callantha: Good evening boss
Edliner: Lady Surfs is my assistant in administrative matters
Dabblez: Pleased to meet you
Waggery: I think I've met all of you.
Edliner: Lady Callantha is our event manager
Waggery: Nice to see you all here.
Surfs: Hello al, nice to meet you
Dabblez: Of course I know Callantha from The Bench
Callantha: Likewise, I'm looking forward to the talk
Eeod: looks nervous
Senobyte: glances su****iously at the giant floating rollerrat
Edliner: I invited Eeod to talk about the FTL because I am worried
Waggery: They say it's filled with helium and notum
Dabblez: He does not like rollerrats
Dabblez: deep-seated fear
Dabblez: I am sure we can lay to rest any worry you have
Edliner: can you explain to me what the FTL wants?
Surfs: offers everyone some coffee. Let's keep the mind fresh :)
Waggery: Thank you, Surfs!
Edliner: thank you surfs
Senobyte: thanks surfs!
Eeod: hmm coffee
Waggery: spikes her coffee with a small stim from her pocket
Senobyte: I'll answer that one.
Senobyte: The FTL basically wants the trade restrictions placed on neutrals in certain OT shops lifted.
Edliner: can you explain to me why you want that?
Senobyte: It seems unfair that we can go into any one of their stores and buy goods, yet they can't do the same in ours.
Edliner: You are aware that our shops sell at a discount for Omni personnel?
Senobyte: Yes, that doesn't mean the same has to apply to Neutral customers were the situation to change though.
Senobyte: After all we are ultimately a business, and cutting off a portion of the population that could be spending credits with us makes no business sense.
Edliner: May I explain the sense in that?
Senobyte: please do.
Surfs: burns her lip on the hot coffee
Waggery: sips her "coffee"
Edliner: In reform academy we learned about the different motivations that people can have: curiosity, greed, lust, to name a few.
Surfs: nods
Edliner: Omn-Tek uses those motivations to keep her employees and to attract new ones
Edliner: one of the means to do that is shop availability
Edliner: you are proposing to give that advantage of being Omni employee away
Eeod: ehmm
Surfs: would like to add something to that
Edliner: even though the strategy has worked on all planets we work on.
Edliner: Surfs?
Surfs: I would like to point out another matter
Surfs: There are several Omni-Tek weapons. They can be VERY dangerous in the wrong hands. Think about the Omni-Tek Kerans weapon for example
Surfs: These are specific weapons and we wouldn't want those to land into the wrong hands!
Edliner: yes.
Eeod: raises his hand
Edliner: yes, brother?
Eeod: you said something about discount. We could still give OT personnel discounts
Edliner: our shops would have to be completely reprogrammed to do that
Dabblez: I would like to address Surfs point
Edliner: yes
Edliner: please do
Dabblez: It may be that a few years ago Omni shops held weapons which could be seen as dangerous to allow other factions access to
Dabblez: But the recent deregulation of Omni departmental shops makes a mockery of that
Dabblez: I am sure First Order’s own shop has many powerful guns for sale
Dabblez: And there is nothing to prevent Neutral from shopping there
Dabblez: That is inconsistent
Edliner: I agree with that point, maybe we should apply the same rules to privately owned shops
Surfs: nods
Waggery: But that'd be bad for business!
Dabblez: Or maybe its time to move forward
Dabblez: Like Doctor Waggery says, we are a business
Edliner: I still am not convinced that giving away a good thing of being Omni is tactically sound
Dabblez: First and foremost Omni-Tek is about making and selling things
Dabblez: Fair wages keep employees happy, not mind games!
Edliner: there are things more important than profit lady Dabblez
Dabblez: Not for a business.
Edliner: Continuity for one thing, we want to be here for a long time
Surfs: Let's not forget the chance of Neutrals reselling Omni-Tek equipment to the Clans
Surfs: Would profit be worth seeing a Clanner walk in Omni-Armed Forces Armor some day???!
Edliner: I would think RUR would understand the importance of continuity over profit
Senobyte: A clanner in that armour would be impossible.
Senobyte: It has tech built in to prevent anyone that isn't Omni wearing it.
Surfs: It was merely an example :)
Dabblez: Good profits, a solid business plan...that is the way forward. Turning away customers.. not a good business plan.
Dabblez: Anyone can see that
Eeod: I see it
Edliner: ah, but the planet is, excluding the notum profits, and our gains from the aliens, a closed economy
Edliner: we get their money anyway
Eeod: or the clans
Edliner: yes, their money too, if it is not transferred illegally off planet
Senobyte: Ok, how about looking at the situation like this...
Edliner: listens
Senobyte: Neutral and Clan relations are at an all time low at the moment. By pushing for the dropping of trade restrictions Omni can prove it's the "bigger man".
Edliner: there is a quicker way of doing that, by buying in neutral shops. No need for change of policy there
Waggery: Us buying in neutral shops?
Edliner: yes, if you feel so generous towards neutrals, why not?
Waggery: But there is no bonus buying from there!
Waggery: Or selling
Surfs: Please excuse me, I have some urgent business to take care off. Will be right back
Dabblez: Exactly. We want to be generous to Omni shopkeepers and smaller businesses
Waggery: sips her cold, spiked black drink
Dabblez: It is a rare thing when doing the right thing is also the profitable thing
Edliner: let's do that by recruiting more omni personnel and not by squandering the rights of Omni-Tek
Dabblez: We are not touching the rights of Omni employees
Dabblez: We just saying that if the Neutral give us full access to their shops, we should return the courtesy
Edliner: you are devaluating them by giving them to a larger group of people
Dabblez: That is fair
Dabblez: You don’t have hold Omni employees in high esteem, do you?
Edliner: Omni employees are the ultimate
Edliner: we should improve the world by getting more of them
Dabblez: You would recruit people who changed sides just to get access to Miir?
Edliner: smiles
Edliner: I wish people were that easily convinced
Edliner: Convincing people to change sides is hard work
Edliner: Your proposal makes it even harder
Callantha: I would like to add a comment
Dabblez: If Omni needs more people, I am sure it can always hire more. In the mean time small Omni shops and business lose out, we look petty in how we deal with the Neutral community
Edliner: Hiring more personnel is hard in a competitive market
Edliner: lets keep that competitive edge
Edliner: the Neutral community is free to join Omni-Tek at any time
Dabblez: waits for Callantha's comment
Edliner: yes Callantha?
Callantha: The idea we in Omni-Reform will follow is the same as the ancient Romans on Old Earth. Like them we believe in treating the ene... ehm, possible employees with some courtesy. And Omni_Tek already provides this courtesy by allowing Neutrals to travel in our cities. And these visitors will see the benefits of a citizen of Omni-Tek, and they will know that these luxuries are out of reach unless you leave the northern deserts behind. Yes it may sound a bit unfair for the average Jane and Joe shopkeepers, but what they have to understand is that there is a reason to why they are not allowed to sell goods directly to anyone else but loyal Omni-Tek citizens. It is all part of the long-term strategy.
Senobyte: wonders where they put the hose to inflate the rollerrat
Dabblez: But we do sell good directly to Neutral. Implants, tradeskills, map.. all sorts of things. First Order's shop, Omni-Pol’s shop, any departmental shop will sell anything o Neutrals
Edliner: As I said before, good point, we should do something about that
Dabblez: Its only a few vendors which are subject to this obsolete law
Dabblez: Prove you are serious; close your shop in protest!
Waggery: stares at Dabz in shock
Dabblez: But if you say First Order can sell to Neutral but Miir can't, that is double standards
Edliner: We will follow the Omni directives in this regard, but we will work on closing them all
Dabblez: shakes her head
Edliner: to make an end to the double standards
Senobyte: And how will Reform cope with the extra workload that will entail?
Edliner: can you explain that to me?
Senobyte: You prevent the smaller shops in organisations from selling to the neutrals, they lose a source of income, they become disgruntled unhappy employees, some may even consider leaving omni, this increases the workload for Reform as you are forced to "re-educate" a large number of employees.
Dabblez: Now there's a point!
Callantha: grinds her teeth
Surfs: offers some chewing gum to Calla
Edliner: You are right, there should be some compensation for that loss
Surfs: raises hand
Edliner: yes surfs?
Eeod's pet, FTL rocks: here we go here we go here we go!
Surfs: Sir. I just want to state that most Omni-Tek employees do not need or want personal profit over the greater good
Edliner: nods
Surfs: I see no real issue here
Waggery: Good grief! There are those of us who are legitimate business-owners, with responsibilities!
Edliner: not all employees are as loyal in thought as you are Surfs
Waggery: Such as making a profit
Surfs: Thank you Sir Edliner
Edliner: to wrap this up: I see we will not agree on this issue
Edliner: brother Eeod I ask you not to be on the forefront of this movement.
Senobyte: May I make one final point?
Edliner: If Omni-Prime finds it contra-productive in the long run there may be consequences we cannot oversee at this moment.
Edliner: yes Seno?
Senobyte: So you're saying that by offering aid, as it were, to the neutrals we are being Anti-Omni?
Surfs: chuckles
Edliner: I am not saying that. I am saying that Omni Prime might view it like that
Edliner: I am convinced your motives are pure pro omni
Edliner: but the road to hell is paved with good intentions
Senobyte: Well it's just that you're sat under that big ol' picture of Boss Ross.
Edliner: looks up
Senobyte: and i can't help remembering that he helped out the Neutrals in the past.
Edliner: yes, we haven’t received a new picture yet
Dabblez: Yeah, he cost RUR a big fat contract with Newland City but offering his own money to pay the new guards
Dabblez: you know, the Militia that replaced the Mercs
Dabblez: Not that I am bitter
Edliner: Brother Eeod can I count on you to make the right decision?
Dabblez: The point being Ross policies were always Neutral-friendly
Eeod: I think I’ll stick with the FTL brother, even if it means you’ll withhold my allowance
Dabblez: You could think of FTL as a tribute to the great man
Edliner: I would not go that far my brother, but remember I warned you
Edliner: To quote a big man Plautus:
Eeod: oh, ill remember :)
Edliner: What has been said was enough for any sensible person.
Eeod: To quote the grate singer Lee Towers...
Eeod: I can see clearly now the rain has gone
Edliner: nods
Eeod's pet, FTL rocks: i can see all obstacles in my way!
Dabblez: rocks gently to the tune
Edliner: I thank you all, and I'm sorry I have failed to convince you. I fell like I have failed you all.
Dabblez: Likewise

Can anyone truly believe that the removal of these trade restrictions would change anything?

Here mr. neutral you can use my trade terminal now, that way i can make even more profit off of you, while we continue to ship the notum off planet until there is nothing left here to profit from. Then with the nanomage race exterminated from NDS, the Clans crushed economically into submission, and therefore no reason to create more atrox slaves to power our war machine, we'll move on to the next world to plunder.

Gee thanks Mr. Omni, I'll take a med suit please.

Sorry, i'll make due without the Omni products not available to me and mine. I'll make that tiny sacrifice in the hopes of someday seeing a world without onmi, with the notum field intact, and young nanomage children playing in the streets.

As far as I can see, there are 3 reasons why some Omni-Tek employees object to the Free Trade idea:

1. Why give Neutrals the benefits of being an OT employee without having to do anything in return?

As has been said before, Neutral shops welcome all citizens, regardless of faction. The Borealis shops are some of the most visited on RK, numerous OT employees and Clan members buy their supplies in Neutral shops, day in, day out.
Those who say that nothing is done in return, are blind to reality. Which OT employee or Clan member never had a drink in the peaceful surroundings of Reets Retreat? Why is the beautiful setting of the Newland Bronto Burger such an attraction to factioned people? They do, because people know they are welcome there, without the risk of being bullied around by some factioned guards.
All citizens are welcome in Neutral towns and shops. To return the hospitality is a mere proof of civility. As far as that part is concerned, OT most certainly still has a lot to prove.

2. Why give Neutral citizens the same benefits as OT employees, especially since those benefits might attract new employees?

A true Neutral will not abandon his or her believes for the sake of easy access to goods. If that’s what they make you think, it’s about time that Omni Reform starts to reconsider its methods.
Those people who let themselves be bribed with luxuries, well, you can have them. The first occasion they will most probably bite the hand that feeds them anyway.
Nobody by the way is talking about the same benefits for OT employees and Neutrals. There are those who work for OT and there are those who don’t. Does that make the latter second-rate citizens? As all large companies do, OT employees get some benefits, like discounts at shops, armor, weapons, and not to forget your merit boards. Well, we do not need those. All we ask is access to some basic goods.

3. Why sell weapons and armor to Neutrals, which they could resell to the Clans or even use against OT employees?

Armor and weapons, even weapons like the OT Kerans Automatic Grinner and even much better qualities then those sold in OT shops, are widely available on the black market.
As I have said in my speech at the first Free Trade League meeting, it is a choice between feeding the obscure elements in our society, or to favour the honest trader.
On the other hand, some armor, like the Omni-Internops Armor, the Omni-Pol Trooper Armor, the Omni-Pol Elite armor etc. can not be used by anyone who is not affiliated with OT. In this case, there’s no danger of misuse at all.
Let us also not forget we are not only talking about weapons and armor, but also about goods like high quality medical equipment and clothing. To deny a part of the population these goods is an infringement of basic rights. To say that people won’t be able to acquire goods, if they are denied access to the proper shops and traders, is the same as to support illegality and criminality. I somehow doubt that’s how OT wants to be seen.

I think some valid point were brought up....
biggest one being that all new shop's in the "player"run city are somehow able to sell to to neutrals (some new bussness bylaw?)...

while older more established shops we have all grown to love get left behind(new bylaw didn;t apply to older bussnessis?)....

My shop...est this year can sell advanced weaponry to neutrals(if i so chose)..mirr est along time ago can't sell them nicer boots...whats wrong with this picture.....