Independent CUO Association

Politics
1

**** For Immediate Release ***

You may have recently heard about a CUOP Cartel forming and implementing massive taxes on CUO production across the Prosperous Universe.

The Independent CUO Association has formed to counter the market destroying efforts that this cartel is attempting. We would like to address some frequently asked questions in this press release.

*** I don’t use Copper. Why do I care? ***

While you may be a new player who does not yet consume any copper based products, you will want to grow to use Technician and higher level workers in the near future. Thus a steady supply of CU based consumables is important for your continued growth.

Additionally, Copper is a key ingredient to Populous Infrastructure construction and consumables, including support of items used to support Pioneer population. Thus increased CUO costs will be reflected back into your taxes on exchange planets and others using CU based Populous materials.

Finally, the ICUOA expects Copper to be a critical ingredient in ship building when Ignition is released in the near future. We would like to ensure that the universe is well placed for ship building when it is released, thus we need a healthy supply of Copper available to users throughout the galaxy.

****** Prdgi said the cost increase is minimal. ******

The cartel set taxes to 9999 per day on Resource Extraction for planets with CUO. This translates to over 300 in taxes per unit of production (rate varies slightly per planet based on extraction rate).

Prior to the cartel forming, CUO retailed on 2 of the 3 exchanges for LESS THAN 300/u. Thus the tax exceeds 100% of the value of CUO. And this tax is collected as a production tax upfront. To offset this upfront tax, the retail price of CUO is likely to increase by 200-250% or more. And this price increase will ripple through to all CU based products.

We simply do not see how a 100% production tax collected prior to production will not radically impact this critical market.

******* What does the ICUOA want? *******

We would Iike the governors of CUO planets to lower resource extraction taxes to 100 or less. This will allow us to keep a reasonable supply of CUO on the markets.

****** How can I help? ******

We appreciate your desire to help us maintain a reasonable supply of copper. The best way you can help is by refusing to do business with the Cartel members. Most importantly, do not help them with shipping contracts.

By freezing these evil actors out of the shipping market, we will be able to cripple their operations across the universe. They will quickly find that the excess profits they are collecting from CUO taxes are not sufficient to keep their operations in progress.

Please refrain from accepting LM contracts from the following companies:

  • Echo Heavy Industries
  • CaptainLama Inc
  • KIWI Corp
  • Viggle
  • Gaia Trade Company LTD
  • Konvolux
  • WTERSYS
  • Woggles LTD
  • comrade
  • Strategem Group

Again, the ICUOA feels the best way to stop this cartel is to refuse to help them with shipping contracts, and we call on all members of the Prosperous Universe to join us in boycotting their shipping contracts.

****** What happens if this cartel succeeds? ******

If we allow this cartel to succeed, we will be showing future players that we will tolerate extortionate tax rates placed on key resource planets. Every governor election will be tense while we wait to see if that governor will increase OUR taxes at the end of the election.

It is critical that we make a clear example that harmful tax increases (to 9999 per day) will be met with a harsh reaction by the community by freezing these bad actors out of the Local Markets.

The ICUOA continues to work on further defensive actions to restore reasonable tax rates to the Universe. We will be in contact with further actions soon.

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2

Your public plan to defeat a cartel is to form a shipping blacklist?

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Is that a dick on your P?

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We will be in contact with further actions soon.

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The buying, selling, and shipping blacklist will last long after the cartel is defeated. It is a reflection of the permanent stain you have all chosen to put on your characters. Indeed, it is a reflection of your character, or lack thereof.

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6

So that the educated individual can understand the difference between CUOP an ICUOP from a moral standpoint.

Are you advocating STEALING the LM contracts from these individuals? Or avoiding accepting them in the first place?

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To even consider the idea of stealing freight is yet another reflection of your character.

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O.o nice one, I think you got him!

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Members of CUOP have several contracts currently outstanding and not fulfilled. Several of them are with I_am_Tex . So they are just seeking a clarification on what his public stance is, and requesting that he bring his public and private actions in sync by either fulfilling his contracts or advocating open piracy.

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And you too my dear. I am afraid that our cordial relationship has suffered a certain chill from being left out in the bitter cold winds of deceit and in the betrayal of all of us.

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11

Honest question, do you know of anyone who has paid any fees to us? Has anyone actually suffered any loss?

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Good players have left. Now tell me that is not a loss…

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13

Any player who leaves is a loss.

I’m aware of 2 well known players who has left for a variety of reasons at this time.

Do you have a list of names who have left only because of CUOP?

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14

You manage to make saganaki quit. Probably one the player who helped out the playerbase the most with outside tools with rain (who also thinks you are a tool btw). You should feel ashame of yourself, gaining a little pleasure, acting like everyone around you are toys and than even coming around like you are a white knight lol

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15

I am hoping that we can find a more suitable Promitor governor who better values the cooperative values that the universe is built on.

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Whoo this is a lot of hot air!

  • There has been virtually no exchange of CUO on the markets (the charts don’t lie), nor has their historically been a “reasonable” supply.
  • CUO outputs and especially SCN have been priced at ridiculously high levels by a small number of veteran players who could have easily increased their output, but have chosen to make higher profits instead.
  • Until now, CUO operators, and in particular SCN manufacturers have been very few in number.

We aim to fix all of these problems.

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You can check the PrUn discord to fact check that. Saganaki left for a variety of reasons. Regrettably, one of his newer corp-mates was impacted by CUOP and left.

This brings it to 3 players, only 1 of which was directly because of CUOP.

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Maybe madnewmy can do it, unless you don’t want a player who engages in frivolous slander and character assassination. He certainly values cooperation having built up a little empire selling overpriced goods to those he claims to represents.

Maybe tex can do it, unless you don’t want a player who demands others leave the game and promotes open piracy as a means to target individuals.

Maybe you could do it, unless you don’t think that character assassination and a gross mishandling of facts might get in the way.

Maybe carepanda could do it, unless you want someone willing to cooperating with people.

These players I’ve listed all appear to be bent on turning this into something personal. Now you tell me, how would that be good for the community?

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I’m just trying to test the game mechanics available to us. I’m not meaning for anyone to take it personally, what I’ve said and done is simply to better test the game mechanics. I’m not sure if this axis of evil are attempting to test the game mechanics, as has sometimes been bandied about, or really think they’re improving the universe, but all i know is I’m testing the game mechanics in targeting these players, yourself included.
I do understand some people resent people testing the game mechanics but i think it is important to remember this game is in development. After all what is wrong with testing the game mechanics?

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Goodness people…this is supposed to be a war of PRESS RELEASES! I don’t know what all that stuff is, but it is most definitely not PRESS RELEASES!!

There is some misinformation above that I do want to respond to however:

I am not currently in possession of any CUOP Cartel Member’s goods.
I have not breached a single contract in the last 6 months. I do not have any contracts currently in “Violated” status.

Anyone who claims otherwise above is a bald faced liar.

Now, with that said, am I willing to sacrifice my “A” reliability rating to defend the community against bad actors? Yes, yes I am. And frankly, I am PROUD of that willingness. I hope there are others who would do the same when the community is under attack.

The only thing that makes me hesitate is the question of whether the community is truly under attack here. Various members of the community seem to have differing opinions of that. And I can respect those opinions.

I would ask those who think the community is not under attack to go reread the Press Releases issued by CUOP. The ones where they announce that they are indeed attacking the community. The ones where they state that they are starting this in order to test our ability and willingness to respond to them.

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