Tani Coyote
Son of Huehuecoyotl
- Joined
- May 28, 2007
- Messages
- 15,191
Happy 10th Anniversary, IOT! My university is closed for several weeks due to the looming apocalypse, so let's see how this one goes!
It has been some time since the Great Cataclysm shattered the old order. Some say it was coronabolika. Some suggest an ecological crisis. Or perhaps, the source of the catcalysm was the same as it always is, man.
The past is irrelevant, however. The peoples of the world have been given a chance at a fresh start. Whether that start will meet the same end as prior Earths, or forge a brighter future, only time will tell.
SIGNING UP
Please consult latest Update for the most up to date map and stats!
Pick one of the currently-existing states. You may choose to either continue playing the country as is (including power status), or roll a D20 to change it to your vision.
GAMEPLAY
(An example of what the stats sheet will look like)
Gameplay is straightforward. Every turn, you have 2 Policy Rolls, and 1 Covert Roll, alternatively called "Actions." Actions, and the rolls that determine them, can be just about anything, with GM fiat used to determine if every part of an Action is germane to the central action (e.g. a roll can be used to establish a very detailed treaty organization with lots of clauses).
All rolls are made 1 to 20; the formula is the usual, with 1 being a horrible backfire, 2-4 being a major penalty, 5-7 being a minor/circumstantial penalty, 8-10 being a failure with no penalty, 11-13 a regular success, 14-16 a minor/circumstantial bonus, 17-19 a large bonus, and 20 an extreme success and bonus. Your 2 policy rolls can be essentially whatever you want, and are public; the penalties for failure and rewards for success are proportional to what your goal is.
To incentivize risk vs reward, Natural 20s carry even higher benefits than a modifier-based 20.
Your covert roll is your secret roll, ideally submitted via PM. It can be used to target another state for assassination, coups, theft of orders, planting an intelligence cell, anything you would want to do secretly. Alternatively, you can use the roll for an instantly-successful counterespionage effort that provides +2 to all espionage defense rolls. You are free to use a Covert roll for internal purposes that you simply want to conceal from others.
Generally, any roll that would harm a player grants a free defense roll.
You can also place and move your units on each turn; units must be placed in a Supply Center at turn start, so it is advised to always keep moving units out of your supply centers. Unit movements do not have to be public.
Other than these features, gameplay is freeform. Engage in whatever diplomacy you please, but be aware only actual Policy Rolls will take effect. For your convenience, policy rolls that are used for diplomacy can be directed at more than one state, e.g. Britain, France and Germany can use a Policy Roll to create NATO between all three of them, rather than needing two rolls each. The drawback on multilateral rolls is that some bonuses no longer apply, like your domestic Approval.
A word on roll modifiers: Where it makes sense, feel free to invoke your Education, Health, Leisure or Security investment for a Policy Roll; assuming I agree the use of that investment (e.g. a high Leisure score being used to host the Olympics), any relevant modifier will be used for that roll. I will sometimes apply your modifiers on my own if I feel they are relevant.
There are also standard modifiers to your rolls, derived from your ratings on Autocracy vs Democracy and levels of corruption, as well as your Approval Rating, which is based on where your state ranks compared to others in its domestic investment per capita.
ECONOMICS
DIPLOMACY, NPCs AND MINOR STATES
MILITARY AND CONFLICT
STANDARD MODIFIERS
THE POWERS SYSTEM
FAQ
What sort of tone is the game looking for?
Semi-realistic. I don't mind getting somewhat outlandish so long as it's still relatively bound to being politically feasible. Something like the rise of mutant orcs is one thing (okay), being the Republic of Spammers (no) is another.
What about islands?
As a general rule, larger islands will count as their own provinces, provided they are reasonably inhabited. Island chains can also count as provinces. GM fiat will be used as necessary. A general rule is islands/island chains of 250,000 people or more in the present day will be granted province status.
On Espionage
Covert/Espionage rolls are conducted prior to military moves in terms of priority. With regards to chance of discovery, this will only happen if the mission's roll is fairly low (1-4).
NPCs do not get defense rolls against a successful espionage action.
Update List
I - Fall 2150 / 2150
II - Spring 2151 / 2151
III - Fall 2151 / 2152
IV - Spring 2152 / 2153
V - Fall 2152 / 2154
VI - Spring 2153 / 2155
VII - 2156
VIII - 2157
IX - 2158
X - 2159
XI - 2160
XII - 2161
XIII - 2162
XIV - 2163
XV - 2164
Cut Parts (No longer relevant, will be revisited if necessary)
It has been some time since the Great Cataclysm shattered the old order. Some say it was coronabolika. Some suggest an ecological crisis. Or perhaps, the source of the catcalysm was the same as it always is, man.
The past is irrelevant, however. The peoples of the world have been given a chance at a fresh start. Whether that start will meet the same end as prior Earths, or forge a brighter future, only time will tell.
SIGNING UP
Please consult latest Update for the most up to date map and stats!
Pick one of the currently-existing states. You may choose to either continue playing the country as is (including power status), or roll a D20 to change it to your vision.
GAMEPLAY
Spoiler :
(An example of what the stats sheet will look like)
Gameplay is straightforward. Every turn, you have 2 Policy Rolls, and 1 Covert Roll, alternatively called "Actions." Actions, and the rolls that determine them, can be just about anything, with GM fiat used to determine if every part of an Action is germane to the central action (e.g. a roll can be used to establish a very detailed treaty organization with lots of clauses).
All rolls are made 1 to 20; the formula is the usual, with 1 being a horrible backfire, 2-4 being a major penalty, 5-7 being a minor/circumstantial penalty, 8-10 being a failure with no penalty, 11-13 a regular success, 14-16 a minor/circumstantial bonus, 17-19 a large bonus, and 20 an extreme success and bonus. Your 2 policy rolls can be essentially whatever you want, and are public; the penalties for failure and rewards for success are proportional to what your goal is.
To incentivize risk vs reward, Natural 20s carry even higher benefits than a modifier-based 20.
Your covert roll is your secret roll, ideally submitted via PM. It can be used to target another state for assassination, coups, theft of orders, planting an intelligence cell, anything you would want to do secretly. Alternatively, you can use the roll for an instantly-successful counterespionage effort that provides +2 to all espionage defense rolls. You are free to use a Covert roll for internal purposes that you simply want to conceal from others.
Generally, any roll that would harm a player grants a free defense roll.
You can also place and move your units on each turn; units must be placed in a Supply Center at turn start, so it is advised to always keep moving units out of your supply centers. Unit movements do not have to be public.
Other than these features, gameplay is freeform. Engage in whatever diplomacy you please, but be aware only actual Policy Rolls will take effect. For your convenience, policy rolls that are used for diplomacy can be directed at more than one state, e.g. Britain, France and Germany can use a Policy Roll to create NATO between all three of them, rather than needing two rolls each. The drawback on multilateral rolls is that some bonuses no longer apply, like your domestic Approval.
A word on roll modifiers: Where it makes sense, feel free to invoke your Education, Health, Leisure or Security investment for a Policy Roll; assuming I agree the use of that investment (e.g. a high Leisure score being used to host the Olympics), any relevant modifier will be used for that roll. I will sometimes apply your modifiers on my own if I feel they are relevant.
There are also standard modifiers to your rolls, derived from your ratings on Autocracy vs Democracy and levels of corruption, as well as your Approval Rating, which is based on where your state ranks compared to others in its domestic investment per capita.
ECONOMICS
Spoiler :
The game’s primary areas of spending are EP, Education, Health, Leisure, and Security. All of them are increased by 1 for every 5 EP invested in them, and the size of your investment relative to other states (and to your population) can yield bonuses or penalties on associated rolls. For example: if you have a really good education program, you could invoke your Education to assist in your development of nuclear technology or the like.
EP, or Economic Power, is a basic representation of your commerce and infrastructure. 5 EP can be invested to increase EP by 1 point. The benefit of more EP is it supports a larger military and expands your capabilities.
Education represents everything from your pre-K schools to your most prestigious universities.
Health represents not only medical care, but also access to things such as food and water. A higher health score leads to higher population growth, but more population can put more demand on you services. More population also allows you to field more military forces.
Leisure represents the ways your citizens can blow off steam, from parks to stadiums and movie theaters. Leisure is weighted more heavily in your Approval rating than other fields, and so can be used for a “bread and circuses” approach.
Security represents your military, police, and intelligence apparatus. A higher security score helps to raise additional armed forces or foil foreign espionage attempts… or increase the chance of success for your own.
Your EP and Population grow naturally each turn.
You also have an Urbanization score, representing how much of your population and economy is concentrated in your cities. With higher Urbanization, your economy grows faster, but you also will lose more of your EP and Population if a city falls. You will also be able to build more cities as you Urbanize more. Urbanization is changed primarily through Policy Rolls.
tl;dr economics is largely in the background, providing structure to your dice, diplomacy, and overall strategy. Your D20 is ultimately your supreme investment, and you generally always have 3 rolls per turn.
EP, or Economic Power, is a basic representation of your commerce and infrastructure. 5 EP can be invested to increase EP by 1 point. The benefit of more EP is it supports a larger military and expands your capabilities.
Education represents everything from your pre-K schools to your most prestigious universities.
Health represents not only medical care, but also access to things such as food and water. A higher health score leads to higher population growth, but more population can put more demand on you services. More population also allows you to field more military forces.
Leisure represents the ways your citizens can blow off steam, from parks to stadiums and movie theaters. Leisure is weighted more heavily in your Approval rating than other fields, and so can be used for a “bread and circuses” approach.
Security represents your military, police, and intelligence apparatus. A higher security score helps to raise additional armed forces or foil foreign espionage attempts… or increase the chance of success for your own.
Your EP and Population grow naturally each turn.
You also have an Urbanization score, representing how much of your population and economy is concentrated in your cities. With higher Urbanization, your economy grows faster, but you also will lose more of your EP and Population if a city falls. You will also be able to build more cities as you Urbanize more. Urbanization is changed primarily through Policy Rolls.
tl;dr economics is largely in the background, providing structure to your dice, diplomacy, and overall strategy. Your D20 is ultimately your supreme investment, and you generally always have 3 rolls per turn.
DIPLOMACY, NPCs AND MINOR STATES
Spoiler :
Between players, diplomacy is freeform. However, players must ratify treaties via a Policy Roll if they are to have any mechanical effect. You most definitely want all those non-aggression pacts in writing before claiming another state violated them!
Player to player/great power to great power diplomacy requires both states ratify a treaty for it to take effect. All other diplomacy merely requires one party propose and pass it, UNLESS it is a multilateral treaty, in which case every participant rolls to join on. This is for balance purposes.
While the human players take the role of the great powers (and perhaps superpowers) of the world, there are also NPC states.
Before you feel any alarm at the idea, NPCs are generally lacking in autonomy. They roll a D20 for any action they make, though there may be modifiers in their behavior. On any given turn, several of the NPCs (equal to the number of players who got orders in the previous turn plus one) will receive “Initiative,” where they can pursue one free action that is in their interests. Otherwise, they are purely reactive (other than placing/moving units around their territory).
Here are some standard modifiers of NPC behavior; in game they will specify which nation the modifier is towards:
EP Grants. If you gift or loan EP to other states, that money will be deducted from your total EP for that turn, and then your standard spending percentages will be applied.
Gifting: 5% of a target's Net EP can be spent to increase the chance of any diplomatic action by 1, with a maximum of 10% to increase by 2. Note that your gift is taken even if you fail; HOWEVER, you will receive a permanent relations boost of +1 (short of a bad roll removing the modifier later on).
Incentives: You can also apply increments of their Net EP all the way up to 20 for extra chances, but the permanent boost is only a one-time benefit. For every 5% of their Net EP, rounded, that you use as an incentive, it raises their likelihood of cooperation by +1.
Gift and incentive benefits do not apply to diplomatic annexation.
Calls to Arms: Calling your allies to arms for defensive purposes is a free action. Calling allies into an offensive war is not; for balance purposes, the call action itself is automatically successful, but the allies acquiescing is not. You may call clients into an offensive war as a free action, but they still roll to determine whether they acquiesce and give their forces to you.
Player to player/great power to great power diplomacy requires both states ratify a treaty for it to take effect. All other diplomacy merely requires one party propose and pass it, UNLESS it is a multilateral treaty, in which case every participant rolls to join on. This is for balance purposes.
While the human players take the role of the great powers (and perhaps superpowers) of the world, there are also NPC states.
Before you feel any alarm at the idea, NPCs are generally lacking in autonomy. They roll a D20 for any action they make, though there may be modifiers in their behavior. On any given turn, several of the NPCs (equal to the number of players who got orders in the previous turn plus one) will receive “Initiative,” where they can pursue one free action that is in their interests. Otherwise, they are purely reactive (other than placing/moving units around their territory).
Here are some standard modifiers of NPC behavior; in game they will specify which nation the modifier is towards:
- Ally: +2 to diplomacy. This state values your relationship and so will give your interests some more consideration. You will gain a bonus of 10% of their EP to yours every turn, though this does not contribute to your military support.
- Client: +4 to diplomacy. This state is dependent on you to a degree and so is fairly deferential to your requests. They may switch to Ally if you are in a position of weakness (you are considered weak if your "Power" z-score is less than 3x your client's) . You will gain 25% of their EP as a bonus. Clients grant automatic military access and follow your lead in most matters, but they do roll on whether or not to grant you their troops in war; they will always come to your aid in defensive matters.
- Puppet: This state will do whatever you want. These are only formed through war. They are likely to break off relations (or even go to war with you!) if you are in a serious position of vulnerability (your "Power" z-score is less than 5x your client's or your client's z-score plus your enemy's). You gain 50% of their EP as a bonus.
EP Grants. If you gift or loan EP to other states, that money will be deducted from your total EP for that turn, and then your standard spending percentages will be applied.
Gifting: 5% of a target's Net EP can be spent to increase the chance of any diplomatic action by 1, with a maximum of 10% to increase by 2. Note that your gift is taken even if you fail; HOWEVER, you will receive a permanent relations boost of +1 (short of a bad roll removing the modifier later on).
Incentives: You can also apply increments of their Net EP all the way up to 20 for extra chances, but the permanent boost is only a one-time benefit. For every 5% of their Net EP, rounded, that you use as an incentive, it raises their likelihood of cooperation by +1.
Gift and incentive benefits do not apply to diplomatic annexation.
Calls to Arms: Calling your allies to arms for defensive purposes is a free action. Calling allies into an offensive war is not; for balance purposes, the call action itself is automatically successful, but the allies acquiescing is not. You may call clients into an offensive war as a free action, but they still roll to determine whether they acquiesce and give their forces to you.
MILITARY AND CONFLICT
Spoiler :
There is a limit of 250 Units in the game.
You receive 1 Unit for every 100 EP or Population you have, and also can receive them for controlling Supply Centers, major areas of production of military-applicable goods. All units must initially be created in a province with a supply center; navies can only be built on coastal supply centers.
Units are split between Armies, Navies, and Air Wings. Every player will begin with 3 Armies, 1 Navy, and 1 Air Wing; if landlocked, the Navy will be replaced with an Air Wing.
To determine a victor, each Unit can call on Support from allied units, which are any unit in range of movement. Units can support as many other Units as they like on a turn, provided they are also not under attack. To limit surprise attacks, a Unit’s position at turn start is used to determine which Units it supports, with any movement being cancelled.
In order to claim victory and occupy a province, an attacker must have 3x as much as the defender. So, if one Army is defending, the attacker must use some combination of 3 units to win. If the defender has two Armies, then 6 Units are necessary, and so on. Defeated units are not destroyed, but retreat into the nearest friendly territory. If no retreat is possible, they are captured; captured units count against their nation's Support but cannot be used by them. Military access treaties to use a state's territory are a free action; NPC allies and clients automatically grant military access to you.
Being in a city adds +0.5 to Support for the defender. An attacker's margin of victory is rounded, so to defeat 1 Unit with 0.5 Support, they need 1.5x3, 4.5, or 5.
It is possible to attack a single Unit with another Unit to "tie down" the Unit and keep it from Supporting. The penalty for doing this is the defender loses population and EP while the attacker loses a percent of their national security; this represents the destruction of a fruitless human wave offensive. The attacker also receives a +1 to Annexation rolls for all territory captured in that war, making it harder to absorb conquests.
Overall, war on major powers is something to be pursued only after great consideration, because it is very difficult to have sufficient firepower to win.
Gaining/Losing Units
Everyone’s level of Unit support is re-calculated every 2 turns, with new Units being created or disbanded according to that players’ population, economy, and number of Supply Centers. Units can be used the turn they are placed.
Units can be disbanded to replace them with different units, but you must wait until the next turn to place the new unit. To clarify: you don't need to wait 2 turns as with entirely brand new units.
Units must be placed at a Supply Center. However, the province does not need to be empty; one of the Units must simply leave the province during the turn.
Annexation
Land cannot be mechanically annexed into your territory until the conflict is over, either by one state being destroyed or by a peace agreement. Every annexed province rolls a D20 to determine how many turns it will be until it is fully productive (you will only receive a portion of the province’s economic value until it is). A general recommendation: if the resistance roll is high, it is worth it to release the nation as a puppet state rather than try and keep it.
You will still receive the benefits of an occupied or annexed Supply Center.
Peace Treaties
No action is required to bring about peace per se; you can both order your soldiers to stop fighting. However, a formal peace treaty must be signed via a successful policy roll if you are trying to change the status quo: creating client or puppet states, annexing territory, extracting reparations, etc.
Note you can continue to occupy territory without annexing it, but it will remain in permanent resistance until a Policy Roll-based peace agreement cedes it.
You receive 1 Unit for every 100 EP or Population you have, and also can receive them for controlling Supply Centers, major areas of production of military-applicable goods. All units must initially be created in a province with a supply center; navies can only be built on coastal supply centers.
Units are split between Armies, Navies, and Air Wings. Every player will begin with 3 Armies, 1 Navy, and 1 Air Wing; if landlocked, the Navy will be replaced with an Air Wing.
- Armies move one province per turn. When an allied Navy is present in a one tile body of water, they can cross the water same turn (for example, an Army can cross from France into England if there is a Navy in the English Channel). They can support any battle directly neighboring them on land. Armies have the lowest movement and support capabilities, but they are also crucial to securing land.
- Navies move two sea provinces per turn, but they can also move into coastal land territories. Navies can also ferry one Army across the ocean. They can support any battle in an adjacent sea province, or any coastal provinces bordering their current position. Convoys: Armies can cross bodies of water if there is a fleet between the coasts. The Navy can still offer Support to the attacking Army. OTHER MOVES: Navies can move one ocean tile and then offer Support to a battle or occupy a land square. They can also ferry an Army one square away, then continue moving.
- Air Wings can move two land provinces or one sea province per turn, but cannot occupy provinces. They can support any land province two provinces away, OR any coastal province in the same sea province as their main base; they can also Support a battle taking place off the coast of their home province. When it comes to relocation, they can move two sea tiles away but must rebase there and cannot engage or Support. Air Wings can base themselves on a Navy and use that as a base, but are limited to attacking one sea square away, not including coasts.
To determine a victor, each Unit can call on Support from allied units, which are any unit in range of movement. Units can support as many other Units as they like on a turn, provided they are also not under attack. To limit surprise attacks, a Unit’s position at turn start is used to determine which Units it supports, with any movement being cancelled.
In order to claim victory and occupy a province, an attacker must have 3x as much as the defender. So, if one Army is defending, the attacker must use some combination of 3 units to win. If the defender has two Armies, then 6 Units are necessary, and so on. Defeated units are not destroyed, but retreat into the nearest friendly territory. If no retreat is possible, they are captured; captured units count against their nation's Support but cannot be used by them. Military access treaties to use a state's territory are a free action; NPC allies and clients automatically grant military access to you.
Being in a city adds +0.5 to Support for the defender. An attacker's margin of victory is rounded, so to defeat 1 Unit with 0.5 Support, they need 1.5x3, 4.5, or 5.
It is possible to attack a single Unit with another Unit to "tie down" the Unit and keep it from Supporting. The penalty for doing this is the defender loses population and EP while the attacker loses a percent of their national security; this represents the destruction of a fruitless human wave offensive. The attacker also receives a +1 to Annexation rolls for all territory captured in that war, making it harder to absorb conquests.
Overall, war on major powers is something to be pursued only after great consideration, because it is very difficult to have sufficient firepower to win.
Gaining/Losing Units
Everyone’s level of Unit support is re-calculated every 2 turns, with new Units being created or disbanded according to that players’ population, economy, and number of Supply Centers. Units can be used the turn they are placed.
Units can be disbanded to replace them with different units, but you must wait until the next turn to place the new unit. To clarify: you don't need to wait 2 turns as with entirely brand new units.
Units must be placed at a Supply Center. However, the province does not need to be empty; one of the Units must simply leave the province during the turn.
Annexation
Land cannot be mechanically annexed into your territory until the conflict is over, either by one state being destroyed or by a peace agreement. Every annexed province rolls a D20 to determine how many turns it will be until it is fully productive (you will only receive a portion of the province’s economic value until it is). A general recommendation: if the resistance roll is high, it is worth it to release the nation as a puppet state rather than try and keep it.
You will still receive the benefits of an occupied or annexed Supply Center.
Peace Treaties
No action is required to bring about peace per se; you can both order your soldiers to stop fighting. However, a formal peace treaty must be signed via a successful policy roll if you are trying to change the status quo: creating client or puppet states, annexing territory, extracting reparations, etc.
Note you can continue to occupy territory without annexing it, but it will remain in permanent resistance until a Policy Roll-based peace agreement cedes it.
STANDARD MODIFIERS
Spoiler :
Government Scale. A measure of how accountable your government is to its people and how easily they can participate in it. For simplicity, democracies’ openness encourages economic growth, while autocracies’ coercion improves military and espionage capacity. Policy Rolls are used to change this.
Consolidated Democracy. +1% to Economic Growth, +1 to diplomacy with all democracies, +2 to diplomacy with consolidated democracies.
Weak Democracy. +0.5% to Economic Growth
Weak Autocracy. +1 to Security Rolls
Consolidated Autocracy. +2 to Security Rolls, +1 to all diplomacy, +1 to Covert Ops.
(The diplomacy benefits DO NOT apply to diplomatic annexation attempts)
Corruption Scale. A measure of how much your politicians’ bank accounts correlate with the public debt. Policy Rolls are used to change this. However, all players begin as Very Clean states.
Very Corrupt. -2% to Econ Growth. -2 to all rolls.
Corrupt. -0.5% to Econ Growth. -1 to all rolls.
Neutral
Clean. +0.5% to Econ Growth
Very Clean. +1% to Econ Growth.
Diplomacy
Diplomatic Annexation: -10. Diplomatic annexation will always fail without good relationships.
Aggression. Ranging from -3 to 3, this determines an NPC's interest in joining aggressive behavior.
White Peace: -1 for every occupied province the other has over the other.
Consolidated Democracy. +1% to Economic Growth, +1 to diplomacy with all democracies, +2 to diplomacy with consolidated democracies.
Weak Democracy. +0.5% to Economic Growth
Weak Autocracy. +1 to Security Rolls
Consolidated Autocracy. +2 to Security Rolls, +1 to all diplomacy, +1 to Covert Ops.
(The diplomacy benefits DO NOT apply to diplomatic annexation attempts)
Corruption Scale. A measure of how much your politicians’ bank accounts correlate with the public debt. Policy Rolls are used to change this. However, all players begin as Very Clean states.
Very Corrupt. -2% to Econ Growth. -2 to all rolls.
Corrupt. -0.5% to Econ Growth. -1 to all rolls.
Neutral
Clean. +0.5% to Econ Growth
Very Clean. +1% to Econ Growth.
Diplomacy
Diplomatic Annexation: -10. Diplomatic annexation will always fail without good relationships.
Aggression. Ranging from -3 to 3, this determines an NPC's interest in joining aggressive behavior.
White Peace: -1 for every occupied province the other has over the other.
THE POWERS SYSTEM
Spoiler :
Power status is determined by a state's z-score in the Power rankings, which is basically an aggregate of economic factors and current Units, with Navies and Air wings being weighed more heavily. Superpowers are 3+, Great Powers are 1.5-3, Regional Powers 0 to 1.49, and Minor Powers everyone else.
For humans, the status does not really matter too much; you will always have three actions per turn (short of a penalty). The exception is being a superpower; this grants a fourth action each turn that can be used for public or covert purposes.
For NPCs, it drastically alters their fortunes. Every turn, when Initiative is allocated, the Regional Powers are guaranteed to get at least one of the rolls. Regional Powers also have a +2 defense against all covert actions towards them while Minor Powers have none. In the off chance an NPC becomes a Great Power, they will have Initiative every turn, but only retain one action; NPC superpowers receive 2 actions.
For humans, the status does not really matter too much; you will always have three actions per turn (short of a penalty). The exception is being a superpower; this grants a fourth action each turn that can be used for public or covert purposes.
For NPCs, it drastically alters their fortunes. Every turn, when Initiative is allocated, the Regional Powers are guaranteed to get at least one of the rolls. Regional Powers also have a +2 defense against all covert actions towards them while Minor Powers have none. In the off chance an NPC becomes a Great Power, they will have Initiative every turn, but only retain one action; NPC superpowers receive 2 actions.
FAQ
What sort of tone is the game looking for?
Semi-realistic. I don't mind getting somewhat outlandish so long as it's still relatively bound to being politically feasible. Something like the rise of mutant orcs is one thing (okay), being the Republic of Spammers (no) is another.
What about islands?
As a general rule, larger islands will count as their own provinces, provided they are reasonably inhabited. Island chains can also count as provinces. GM fiat will be used as necessary. A general rule is islands/island chains of 250,000 people or more in the present day will be granted province status.
On Espionage
Covert/Espionage rolls are conducted prior to military moves in terms of priority. With regards to chance of discovery, this will only happen if the mission's roll is fairly low (1-4).
NPCs do not get defense rolls against a successful espionage action.
Update List
I - Fall 2150 / 2150
II - Spring 2151 / 2151
III - Fall 2151 / 2152
IV - Spring 2152 / 2153
V - Fall 2152 / 2154
VI - Spring 2153 / 2155
VII - 2156
VIII - 2157
IX - 2158
X - 2159
XI - 2160
XII - 2161
XIII - 2162
XIV - 2163
XV - 2164
Cut Parts (No longer relevant, will be revisited if necessary)
Spoiler :
A note: Some players have a small bonus from having played in a previous TanIOT, and will receive a slight boost to their starting stats should they join. These players are: Tobiisagoodboy, Lord Argon, Ailedhoo, Kinich Ahau, and Gen Marshall. Each will receive +5 to the initial D20 rolls that determine starting relative power position. There are moderately unequal starts in general, though every player will be a major power.
If playing as an NGO:
Give your organization's name and a basic overall idea of what it's about. Then, pick 5 provinces on the map to host your starting branches. These can be publicly posted, or sent via PM, depending on your goals. Technically, you can post a deceptive map, but be warned that other players can try to investigate your deception and possibly ruin your reputation for honesty.
After signups are locked, NGOs will have a random roll to determine bonus branches, thus stratifying them as well.
If playing as a state:
Pick a color and 7 provinces. Designate one of those provinces your capital. Designate a second one as your second major city.
Give some detail on your nation: name, history, culture, etc. Most importantly, make sure you detail:
-Whether your government style is autocratic or democratic in nature. Your exact level of this will be determined by a D20 roll (1 to 10 giving you the weak version, 11 to 20 the strong).
-As a percentage of your standard budget (so all these must add up to 100%), how much your nation spends on: EP, Education, Health, Leisure, and Security. These will be your default budget expenses every turn and can only be changed through a policy roll, so choose them carefully! In order to have an idea what each one does, I suggest reading the ruleset first.
Example:
EP - 25%
Education - 15%
Health - 20%
Leisure - 20%
Security - 20%
There will be some moderate inequality between players’ starting stats, but any player will be capable of holding their own against a minor power. This will hopefully make for some more interesting strategic calculations as opposed to everyone being equal. This inequality will be determined by D20 roll, so everyone has a chance of being one of the uppermost powers.
Be aware that national bonus modifiers may be possible depending on what you provide.
ALTERNATIVE GAMEPLAY – NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
Some players have expressed interest in playing as a non-governmental organizational, or NGO. NGOs cover everything from charities and corporations to multinational organizations and terrorist groups. NGOs do not have to deal with the complexities of national management, but they also have only 1 roll to begin with, which can be used for both public and covert purposes.
NGOs may place branches provinces around the world; these branches may be public or private. These generate 1 EP per turn. New branches can be built for 5 EP. NGOs are limited to 1 branch per province.
NGOs can gain additional rolls when a major power has a successful covert roll to become their sponsor. Sponsorship can be withdrawn at any time, but a word of warning: a clever NGO could garner multiple sponsors all at once, granting it extreme power. This is without factoring in their capacity to possibly infiltrate governments and siphon resources from them.
While states are focused on acquiring allies and/or building up their economic and military bases, NGOs are focused on maintaining goodwill with enough powers for a long enough time to build their own independent power base. They start off weaker than states, but can in theory become much stronger than them... provided they can prevent a unified effort against them.
If playing as an NGO:
Give your organization's name and a basic overall idea of what it's about. Then, pick 5 provinces on the map to host your starting branches. These can be publicly posted, or sent via PM, depending on your goals. Technically, you can post a deceptive map, but be warned that other players can try to investigate your deception and possibly ruin your reputation for honesty.
After signups are locked, NGOs will have a random roll to determine bonus branches, thus stratifying them as well.
If playing as a state:
Pick a color and 7 provinces. Designate one of those provinces your capital. Designate a second one as your second major city.
Give some detail on your nation: name, history, culture, etc. Most importantly, make sure you detail:
-Whether your government style is autocratic or democratic in nature. Your exact level of this will be determined by a D20 roll (1 to 10 giving you the weak version, 11 to 20 the strong).
-As a percentage of your standard budget (so all these must add up to 100%), how much your nation spends on: EP, Education, Health, Leisure, and Security. These will be your default budget expenses every turn and can only be changed through a policy roll, so choose them carefully! In order to have an idea what each one does, I suggest reading the ruleset first.
Example:
EP - 25%
Education - 15%
Health - 20%
Leisure - 20%
Security - 20%
There will be some moderate inequality between players’ starting stats, but any player will be capable of holding their own against a minor power. This will hopefully make for some more interesting strategic calculations as opposed to everyone being equal. This inequality will be determined by D20 roll, so everyone has a chance of being one of the uppermost powers.
Be aware that national bonus modifiers may be possible depending on what you provide.
ALTERNATIVE GAMEPLAY – NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
Some players have expressed interest in playing as a non-governmental organizational, or NGO. NGOs cover everything from charities and corporations to multinational organizations and terrorist groups. NGOs do not have to deal with the complexities of national management, but they also have only 1 roll to begin with, which can be used for both public and covert purposes.
NGOs may place branches provinces around the world; these branches may be public or private. These generate 1 EP per turn. New branches can be built for 5 EP. NGOs are limited to 1 branch per province.
NGOs can gain additional rolls when a major power has a successful covert roll to become their sponsor. Sponsorship can be withdrawn at any time, but a word of warning: a clever NGO could garner multiple sponsors all at once, granting it extreme power. This is without factoring in their capacity to possibly infiltrate governments and siphon resources from them.
While states are focused on acquiring allies and/or building up their economic and military bases, NGOs are focused on maintaining goodwill with enough powers for a long enough time to build their own independent power base. They start off weaker than states, but can in theory become much stronger than them... provided they can prevent a unified effort against them.
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