Imperium Offtopicum XIX

I like the budget system. The only problem I had with it was the Chinese economy, not the budget system itself, which is pretty good and interesting.

A more streamlined/simplified economic system for the game might make orders more efficient; the budget system is useful however.

I concur with our magical girl Australian ninja friend. Either way it's your game Robert(/Thor), do what you feel is best.

I already posted this bit to make sure it doesn't get lost in the thread:

Post expansion borders:
http://imgur.com/a/9V5BV

And I will not be making any changes to the budget.

please ignore this post, i re wrote the speech below

killing monarchists and taking names

The Russian Republic graciously and humbly accepts the vote to be part of the security council for this half term, we thank everyone for their support, and promise that Russia will work toward furthering human rights and global peace.

However Russia hereby has decided that it will sign the Rome Statue, however we will not ratify it. While the crimes of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity are heinous and must be fought against with all the might of the world, in this new day and age, of new nations and vast territories of unclaimed land and anarchy, we return to an older age. One where in some cases might is needed to protect the weak. In some cases the so called "crime of aggression" is needed to prevent the more heinous crimes of genocide, oppression, enslavement, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Russia, in order to protect the East Slavic people's, our brothers and sisters in language and history, cannot sit idly by as foreign invaders enslave, subjugate, and destroy their history and culture. We cannot sit idly by waiting for the UN to take action against the heinous crimes when we have the ability to stop it ourselves. Russia will not stand idly by as UN bureaucracy lets injustices happen. RUSSIA WILL ACT!

-A speech by Russian President Aleksandr Valentin on the subject of the United Nations

Forward:




Taeyangsi is well known for its casinos, and for good reason! Gamblers have their pick of locales to choose to play in, from a tiny hole in the wall like the Casablanca or the skyscraper Kaiba Hotel. Fortunes are won in a night, but for some if they’re not careful, they’ll lose far more than their money! Gambling is common in Egypt due to the low taxes and the high concentration of wealth in Taeyangsi and has since emerged as a mecca for those around the world who wish to try their luck at building a fortune. For some, it becomes where they enter the upper class and all of their dreams come true. For others, it's where they end up signing their body rights away to a pharmaceutical company for one last roll of the die.

Read on so you can be the first guy and not the second, eh?

When choosing where you’re going to gamble, you’re going to need to decide whether or not you’re going to be staying in Jaichiju, which is open to everyone, or in the Gangam Jogag, which requires a minimum bank balance to enter.

The Jaichiju is the locale of choice for younger tourists and locals. Cheap booze, cheap (and clean) prostitutes, and cheap hotels, aplenty, the Jaichiju neighborhood makes for a simple and fun vacation. The casinos supposedly have better odds here than in the Gangam Jogag, and the scene here is very trendy, if a bit rough around the edges. You will see street performers, magicians, and artists all clamoring for you to take a look at their shows, many of which are worth checking out. For attractions aside from the gambling and the occasional street performance, the raves can be quite entertaining and the hotel Marc Antony’s has an excellent pool, which makes it the best hotel in my opinion to be at if you’re here. If you are over the age of twenty-five, I recommend steering clear of here if you can afford it.


Gangam Jogag, unlike Jaichiju, is not its own separate neighborhood. It is a part of the larger Gangam neighborhood, which is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in all of Egypt. The Jogag is a boulevard that is disconnected from the rest of the neighborhood, and has since been transformed into the personal gambling center for the wealthy and their overseas friends. To gain admittance into the Gangam district, you must be able to display a significant balance in your account as an insurance that you will not be causing any trouble, a feat achieved by most upper middle class families. Aside from the casinos here, the shopping here is world class, the performers are polished, popular stars, the pools are expansive, and the fountains are tremendously decorated. If you can afford it, this is the place to be.

Once you’ve determined where you are staying and you’ve unpacked, its time to gamble! There are five main events to gamble on; pick one that suits you best!

Of course, any talk of games in Egypt must include Duel Monsters. Duel Monsters is considered a national treasure in Egypt, with the game rumored to go back all the way to Ancient Egypt itself before seeing a renaissance during the 21st century and on. Duel Monsters was so popular, that one Japanese Pharaoh, before the Tae-Yeons, validated his rule due to his skill at the game, and he abdicated the throne when he was defeated by the first Tae-Yeon.


Verified cards are distributed by the company “Industrial Illusions” to ensure that foreign made cards cannot make their way into the game. In the casinos, your skill level will be appraised by your deck, and you can then challenge others with an equivalent “skill level”. The casinos are very good at weeding out card sharks, which is why I recommend only playing for cash in the casinos; otherwise, you might end up losing hundreds to a pro posing as a newcomer! A wide swath of the population plays the game; students, maintenance workers, and CEO’s all play the game. In fact, Pharaoh Tae-Yeon IX is rumored to play, using the deck that the very first Tae-Yeon used herself, and with the legendary Egyptian God Cards. Interestingly, a rapidly growing Egyptian gaming company is rumored to soon introduce a virtual reality arena for Duel Monsters, and its founder, Seto Kaiba, is rumored to have showed the Pharaoh his system in a friendly duel.

Next up are the iconic slot machines. While they are flashy, easy, and fun to play, the smart gambler avoids these like the plague. The winning percentages are incredibly low, and while you may be excited when you see the face of your favorite KPop star or anime character on a machine, you should resist the temptation.


Next up is Western games, such as Craps, Roulette, Hold’em, Poker, and Blackjack. Roulette in particular is a fun game to play, as you can simply bet on red or black and have a 48% chance of victory. In Roulette, my father gave me the advice to stick with one color, and if I lost, go into debt if necessary to double my last bet and keep doing it until I won. While it might not work for everyone’s budget, the idea is that when you play Roulette, you have better odds than you would at other games. For those cardsharks thinking they’ll run the blackjack tables with card counting, I wish you the best of luck but I warn you that Egyptian casinos and the police are very unforgiving of cheaters.

Then comes the game played by usually the more elderly and the tourists from Asia, Mahjong. Mahjong still has an important place in Egyptian culture. If this is your first time playing Mahjong, avoid the casinos. Prize pots can be worth over 100,000 BFR and it is a game that is not particularly easy on newcomers. Try playing some online games before jumping into the fray, and be careful. Because Mahjong is player versus player, you may find yourself up against a veteran of the game with decades of experience. That being said, if you are a good player with a bit of experience, Mahjong can be an incredibly fun experience in Egypt, and I’ve personally seen Chinese tourists leave with briefcases full of cash.

Finally, one should look at sports betting, specifically fighting and horse racing. The Norazo racetrack is always packed as gamblers eagerly choose their horses of choice to place vast sums of money on. If you’re a tourist, you may enjoy placing a bet on a horse with a witty name, but if you’re looking for an investment and you will be in the country for a while, the real money is in owning the horse. Find a reputable agent (Parker & Sons or the Super Juniors are both solid options) to help identify a stable and negotiate a fair price for the horse. You will get a cut of all the money the horse makes per race, and a bonus from the horse’s winnings.

The other, more bloody sport (usually), is fighting. Boxing and mixed martial arts are the most popular, and will attract a large viewership online, as well as in the more cozy arena where seats can cost millions of Won. Though these regulated fights are incredibly popular, the Egyptian elite also enjoy more private affairs, where it can be two men fighting to the death. These fights are extremely illegal, and simply being present at one can be cause for a lengthy jail term. If you are invited to one, it may very well be a trap. I cannot recommend attending these fights, but if you must, you should only accepting an invitation to a private fight if you are invited by a longtime resident who you’ve known for sometime. Otherwise, the best case scenario you can hope for is a prison sentence at home rather than in Egypt.


If all this talk of gambling has you seeking alternate gaming entertainment, then I recommend steering clear of all the above and instead sticking with baseball.

Baseball is one of the major sports of Egypt, with a variety of different clubs that are supported. Don’t be surprised if an Egyptian business partner looks to bring you here to help seal a major deal.

Don’t be too afraid that you are not familiar with Baseball’s rules. If you’re there on business, the games is simply to serve as a backdrop as you discuss business over food and drink.


Aside from the game itself, major teams also bring in entertainment through the inning gaps, with singing and dancing from various pop idols, who even throw out the ceremonial first pitch. If you’re in Taeyangsi and you’re looking to impress a client or watch the best teams, head to a game with the Twins, the Chariots, or the Owls. Those three teams are routinely atop the standings, and have the strongest fan bases. Keep in mind though, they are fierce rivals, so be sure to not invite a Twins fan to a Chariots game!

If anyone who has been light on info so far (Bair, Tolni, Megs, ect.) I apologise in advance if you feel your nation is misrepresented in the stats but I don't have much to go on. Even just a couple of sentences during today would be nice.

I think that, considering my nation, ??? is more than appropriate for government.

I wonder how long it’s been since these people have seen electricity, Abilio wondered. He was marching down the center of a rural village - made of little more than adobe, truthfully - along with his platoon. They were the “tip of the spear,” the soldiers meant to tame the land that had been without a centralized government, infrastructure, or modern technology for over a decade. They were nearly forty miles out from their FOB now - him, thirty-nine soldiers, and a few trucks filled to the brim with modern conveniences and commodities. He, himself, was one of the “New Generation” of non commissioned officers, those promoted within the last couple of years during the restructuring of Angola’s military to cope with the reemergence of other sovereign nations, and was one of the precious few within his platoon - hell, within his company - with any sort of combat experience. He had been there, during the skirmishes with towns who weren’t so keen on the reunification, the ones who had managed to keep semi-functional, ancient Avtomat Kalashnokova rifles.

Ahead of him, one of his supply trucks was parked in front of the village elder’s house, with Sergeant Imani directing a handful of privates on where to unload a massive, ethanol fueled generator and a few boxes of prepackaged military rations. She was a tough soldier - for a woman, anyways, Abilio mused - and was one of the few females who had managed the cut in the Angolan military’s new, stricter physical training standards. Abilio considered her the best squad leader she had, and was the only other NCO in the platoon with any combat experience.

“Sergeant.” Imani acknowledged, nodding her head. “One of the one-tons is fully unloaded already, Sergeant, and this one is half unloaded. The elder said that most of their men are out on a hunting party, and that they’d lend a hand once they’re back. Sergeant Matos and Ezio have their squads pulling security around the village - the elder here says that one of the tribes nearby has a tendency to raid unarmed villages like this one.”

“Roger that, Sergeant,” Abilio said. Abilio had a bad feeling. They weren’t nearly equipped enough to handle any sort of serious attack - the damn government wanted them to win over the millions of tribesmen still living out in this wilderness, with equipment that was outdated a generation ago. It was completely foolish - and he had himself heard a few privates talking about the poor quality of the supplies they received compared to those given to these villages. Suddenly, a private bumped into him.

“My apologies, Sergeant,” he muttered quickly, before adding under his breath: “Check your pocket, sarge.” The private quickly ran off, balancing a crate of food on top of another crate in his arms. Abilio quickly thrust a hand into his pocket, which now contained a scrap of paper. “Meeting behind command post, 2330 hours.”

Crimea votes NO on Roman Empire

the provinces of Crimea has voted not to join the Roman Empire. because they want to join Russia instead, and would not want to be traded like a commodity.

the Emperor understands, and modifies the Roman Expansion plan, with Athens and Morea joining the Empire.



Ahmet Demir and about half of the senate are disappointed, but understands, because they all knew that Russia would just take it regardless of anything.

im back tbh

just so RC does not miss it:

Reus said:

I must concur with SamuraiBull46. Its your game, you should run it the way you want it.

Click to expand...

Bolded bit: reus being a brat

Although I agree and think the rules and UN mechanics are jolly good fun. I'm not sure how the system needs streamlining to be honest especially since you came out and said "If you don't want to worry about this budget stuff, we can keep the clock ticking for you." It seems already pretty streamlined in that sense. Maybe players are worried about doing the "right" things? I don't know how high the bar is, but I just put all my money into an international Ponzi scheme* + social welfare system. So I don't know.

*Just a joke, christos. Obviously we're going to get rich

I think people have been going ape because they see a debt level twenty times their gross income and think if they can't get it down fast they'll be screwed in the long run. But 1.2% of 400 is 4.8, AKA the default repayment rate, and since most players are running a deficit between 1–3 bil it wouldn't take much tweaking to balance the books, positively or negatively. Proportionately-speaking, it's not much different from real-world economies.

The two most common queries I've seen are a) How does tax percentage translate into the revenue stats, and b) What does gross expenditure on a sector represent in relative terms to the country? It might take a few turns to get a 'feel' for it all, but I think everything else is pretty straightforward.

Softlock

Those of you who have responded with thoughts on the Stats: I will take these thoughts into consideration

oh oops will send orders soon

Sometimes the hardest things in life are locks.

Hardlock

From now on only me and Thor may post until the next update appears

Unfortunately as of the other day I no longer have any internet. This should be remedied by Saturday. The update has been finished I'm just not able to do the uploading of it or anything like that so expect the Update to come on Saturday.

Also the other day I had a dream where we all lived in a swimming-pool-sports complex and Thorvald was trying to convince me to stop running the game because he feared the UN had become to powerful.

Now I must go and with my limited time on the internet o other important things such as paying my landlord and ensuring that the Indian Military Police haven't arrested the wrong prince in Blackened skies.