The press, in front of the player

The board is the game being played now rather than a picture of the opening:
the loop runs, powers approach you before every set of orders, and what you
agree is judged when the orders come in.

Approaches arrive as sentences with Agree and Refuse under them, because a
proposal is a thing somebody said and should not look like a row in a form.
Asking is done from an order already written -- I am going there, help me --
which is the only shape this request has ever taken, and the answer comes
back immediately in the power's own words.

Those words are now written for a person. A power that turns you down saying
'austria is worth more to me than boh' is telling the truth in a voice
nobody uses; it says Austria, and Bohemia, and puts a full stop on the end.
The turn log too.

Nothing in the panel enforces anything. Agreeing writes no order and stops no
order being written, and the gap between what was agreed and what was ordered
is the whole game -- which is why the panel also shows, per power, how many
promises you have kept and broken and how far each of them now believes you.

Retreats and builds are still taken for the player automatically, the same
way a computer power's are. Choosing them is the next piece.

src/game/bot.ts

@@ -321,6 +321,15 @@ export interface Answer {
   why: string
 }
 
+/*
+ * These sentences are read by a person, so they are written for one: proper
+ * names, and the province called what it is called on the map. A power that
+ * turns you down saying "austria is worth more to me than boh" is telling
+ * you the truth in a voice nobody uses.
+ */
+const named = (power: Power): string => power[0]!.toUpperCase() + power.slice(1)
+const place = (id: string): string => PROVINCES[base(id)]!.name
+
 /**
  * Whether to accept an offer.
  *
@@ -338,30 +347,30 @@ export function consider(pos: Position, mind: Mind, proposal: Proposal, turn: nu
     if (deal.mover === mind.power) {
       const worth = desire(pos, mind.power, deal.to) * believe
       return worth > FRIEND
-        ? { reply: 'accept', why: `${base(deal.to)} is worth having and ${them} may mean it` }
-        : { reply: 'refuse', why: `${base(deal.to)} is not worth owing ${them} for` }
+        ? { reply: 'accept', why: `${place(deal.to)} is worth having, and ${named(them)} may mean it.` }
+        : { reply: 'refuse', why: `${place(deal.to)} is not worth owing ${named(them)} for.` }
     }
     // They want my support. It costs me a unit's turn, and buys goodwill.
     const cost = desire(pos, mind.power, deal.to)
     const worth = believe * (FRIEND + NEIGHBOUR)
     return worth > cost
-      ? { reply: 'accept', why: `${them} is worth more to me than ${base(deal.to)}` }
-      : { reply: 'refuse', why: `I want ${base(deal.to)} myself` }
+      ? { reply: 'accept', why: `${named(them)} is worth more to me than ${place(deal.to)}.` }
+      : { reply: 'refuse', why: `I want ${place(deal.to)} for myself.` }
   }
 
   if (deal.kind === 'dmz') {
     const mine = desire(pos, mind.power, deal.province)
     const relief = threatFrom(pos, them, mind.power) * NEIGHBOUR
     return relief * believe > mine
-      ? { reply: 'accept', why: `keeping ${base(deal.province)} empty suits me` }
-      : { reply: 'refuse', why: `I have plans for ${base(deal.province)}` }
+      ? { reply: 'accept', why: `Keeping ${place(deal.province)} empty suits me.` }
+      : { reply: 'refuse', why: `I have plans for ${place(deal.province)}.` }
     }
 
   const relief = threatFrom(pos, them, mind.power) * NEIGHBOUR * believe
   const behind = standing(pos, them) - standing(pos, mind.power)
   return relief > 0 && behind < 3 * 100
-    ? { reply: 'accept', why: `a quiet border with ${them} is worth more than the fight` }
-    : { reply: 'refuse', why: `${them} is either no threat or too far ahead to be trusted` }
+    ? { reply: 'accept', why: `A quiet border with ${named(them)} is worth more than the fight.` }
+    : { reply: 'refuse', why: `${named(them)} is either no threat, or too far ahead to trust.` }
 }
 
 /** How many of our centres this power is standing next to. */
@@ -451,7 +460,7 @@ export function propose(pos: Position, mind: Mind, turn: number): Overture[] {
           to: target.to,
         },
       },
-      says: `Support my ${base(target.from)} into ${target.id} and it is mine this turn.`,
+      says: `Support my ${place(target.from)} into ${place(target.id)}, and it is mine this turn.`,
     })
   }
 
@@ -471,7 +480,7 @@ export function propose(pos: Position, mind: Mind, turn: number): Overture[] {
         turn,
         deal: { kind: 'dmz', province: between },
       },
-      says: `Neither of us needs ${between}. Leave it empty and we both look elsewhere.`,
+      says: `Neither of us needs ${place(between)}. Leave it empty and we both look elsewhere.`,
     })
   }