Given the situation, there are really only two options: either try to avoid contact and hope that things work out, or try to be proactive and seek contact on your own terms. From a storytelling point of view, the choice is pretty straightforward: the story of humanity hiding in a hole doesn't make for a very compelling adventure tale. But here are some pros and cons to each option that come to mind:Grayhome wrote:I still do not understand why the Terrans would even consider sending out scout vessels instead of using all their available resources to research and develop new military technology. Someone break it down for me. Why is sending out scouts a good idea again? Seems like covering yourself in barbeque sauce, walking into a den of lions and ringing the dinner bell, considering their tech disadvantage, territorial desirability and lack of a real military experience.
If you try to avoid contact, you are basically giving up your options and hoping for the best. There is the possibility that the war may end before either side discovers humanity. However, if humanity is discovered before the war ends (and, with no end to the war in sight, this seems likely), then there are essentially no options for negotiation; humanity will most likely be forced to join whichever side finds us first, and with their ships already on our doorstep, we won't be in a very strong negotiating position. Research efforts will be intensified, regardless of whether we try to hide or make contact, but it's not as if humans weren't doing research before; there's a limit to how quickly you can drive advancement. Humanity is almost two full tech levels behind the major combatants; this isn't a gap that can be closed in 10 or 20 years, especially without outside help.
Sending out scouts reveals humanity's existence, but it allows us to gather information and offers the possibility of making a choice between the two sides and making a deal on our own terms, rather than having a choice forced on us. Proactive contact doesn't necessarily mean having to make an immediate deal; you still may have some time to gather information before one side makes a move in your direction. Making a deal sooner rather than later offers the possibility of both military and research assistance, and closing the technology gap faster than going it alone.