This thread is no longer the active one for Capto Iugulum, please stay tuned for the arrival of the 1940-1969 thread.
The Wiki of the NES
For Updates 0-19 go to this thread: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=477173
For Updates 20-39 See Below:
For new players, welcome aboard! Send me a private message and I'll be happy to recommend any nation that fits your desires. For everyone else welcome back. The rules have not changed too much and the whole format is designed to be easy to learn, but challenging to master. There are subtleties to the rules, as well as tricks that will serve veteran players of my NESes well. You veterans will want to read the new rules, as there are some key differences that will only be readily apparent upon reading Otherwise, fear not! There are many updates ahead, and more than enough time to restart with a new nation. There are no permanent losers, and all are welcome to return if their nation falls.
The stated goal of this NES is to push forward with an update for every year between 1900 and 2100. This is two hundred updates, and by estimation, this will likely take place over the course of four years in real time. I've been looking for some consistency these days, and I feel that this NES will be key in preserving at least one stable thing in my life. So I'll be here for four more years, I hope most of you will be as well. Capto Iugulum may not start as the most historically plausible scenario, but the whole NES has been rather exhaustively researched by me, as it is the NES I've always wanted to moderate. NESes like The World Turned Upside Down and A Brave New World could be seen as prototypes of this very NES. Covering two hundred years of the most dramatic changes in human history isn't going to be easy, and holding onto your nation and empire for all that time is even less likely. Consider this a rodeo in which you're all riding bulls, while trying to push everyone else off of their own mounts.
A hurricane of change swept across the world, and in 1920, it seems that old barriers have crumbled in some places while being reinforced elsewhere. Despite hopes that the two great empires of Britain and Spain could patch up their ancient rivalry, instead they tore into each other with numerous others during the course of the devastating Great War. The beginning of this epic conflict lasting from 1905 to 1909 in some places, set the stage for the total reshaping of the global geopolitical system. Though the aftermath of the war itself seemed to lock in the same borders that had existed before the war for the most part, with the exception of colonial exchanges and the destruction of Poland, the conflict unleashed a series of aftershocks that would change everything. Some empires rode the waves and have soared to ever greater power and influence, while others have crumbled from their own lofty heights and positions.
In the New World, Brazil has surged to the forefront of politics in the Western Hemisphere, as the military regime of the United States of America crumbled into revolution. After nearly eight years of constant warfare, only recently has some stability been restored to North America, as the Second Union rises to power and varying other successor states jockey for economic power. In South America, a smoldering conflict exists between Peru and Brazil, once allies in the Great War and now increasingly bitter rivals. Some nations precariously remain on the fence between the two sides, while both Brazil and Peru can call upon powerful allies outside of the continent. Amidst this tension, however, the economy of South America flies high, advancing in great leaps and bounds as new advances and innovations begin to reshape consumer demand and economies around the world.
Europe, at the beginning of the century still an odd collection of disunited states, has changed dramatically. Britain stands triumphant as the world's leading economic power, though it faces military challenges from the growing might of the Franco-Burgundian Confederation and newly unified Germany. Indeed, for in the aftermath of the Great War, the Germans and Italians have at last forged their own sovereign nations, creating a new bloc of substantial power. Spain on the other hand has hit into rough times, as a recent civil war has left most of the nation struggling and in ruins, a shadow of its once great empire. Many possessions have been wrested away by war and conflict, with even its former colony of India beginning to outshine it. In frigid Scandinavia, a Glorious Revolution has occurred, as the masses have swept aside the old monarchy and established the world's first successful proletarist state. Protected by the massive strength of the Mannerheim Line, Scandinavia has clearly sought to expand the revolution and its influence abroad. As the nations of Central and Western Europe have squabbled, the Russian shadow continues to loom from the east, having come out immensely victorious in the Great War, even after its allies had abandoned it. With the Roman Empire exiting a period of reconstruction and other allies established in the Balkans, the mighty Russian army stands as an ominous reminder to the rest of Europe, that perhaps a new war could be on the horizon.
Throughout the rest of the world, it seems that European empires remain supreme, as Africa continues to be dominated by Britain, Spain, and the refugee Emperor of Scandinavia. Though some independent states have emerged on the Dark Continent, they have remained highly tied politically and economically to various imperial states. In the Middle East, new wars have grown as local powers strive to control the growing and significant amount of local resources and wealth. The Arabians have struggled to hold onto their gains of the Great War and now face a difficult new struggle with their southern neighbors, while Persia continues to deal with their own insurgent activities. In the Pacific, the Japanese Empire rules with an iron fist, even expanding its influence to the eastern edge of the ocean, placing a protectorate over Hawaii and gaining control of much of the formerly American islands. China remains in a standoff between three greatly opposed factions, the remnants of the Ascendant Kingdom in the west, the British Dominion of Guangxi in the south, and the Japanese Empire throughout the north. The entire region remains tense as all possess at least some claim and right to ruling the whole of the Chinese people.
Though tensions remain from the Great War and war itself has not been eliminated, overall the world has entered an era of growth and prosperity. New wealth and inventions have begun to make many lives easier, and trade across the world's oceans has never been greater in size and scale. Many argue that the wealth of the global trading economy is too much to allow for another major war, and for the first time in two decades, as the dust from the Great War finally settles, people are finally beginning to feel some optimism for a glorious shining future.
A Sample Nation
Nation Name (Player Name)
Formal Nation Name
Government Type: Monarch/Head of State (Ideology)
Legislature (If Applicable): Ruling Party (Ideology)
Head of Government (If Applicable)
Capital: City Name
Manpower: Bank (+Per turn)
Economic Points: Bank (+Per Turn)
Domestic Spending : -EP Per Turn
-Education: -EP Per Turn (Amount of EP required for basic nation-wide education)
-Policy #2: -EP Per Turn
Stability: #
Army: Brigades
Army Quality: #
Army Doctrine: Type
Navy: Ships
Navy Quality: #
Air Force: Squadrons
Air Force Quality: #
Colonies: Total Colonial Economic Value
Project Name: Spent/Total Cost
Your government is the style of regime your nation has. This can range from anywhere to the most free and open democracy to a brutal authoritarian theocratic monarchy and anything in between. Various types of governments can obviously get away with different actions, and you should always keep your government in mind. Democratic governments have elections every once in a while (determined by their constitution) and can therefore be subject to changing winds more than a monarchy. The type of ideology you follow will also alter the issues of concern of your people and bring different matters of stability to the forefront of your politics. Be aware however, that should you mistreat your people and disregard the formalities of your regime, you may be faced with revolution. Unless, of course, that's what you wanted to do in the first place.
Manpower and your Population
The manpower of your nation is representative (currently, may change with time) of a select part of your overall population. Namely, this is of standard age "warrior" males from your population. The people that are considered to be ideal soldier age by modern standards, namely men ages 16-50. The Manpower stat does not include anyone outside of this range. Regardless, you may consider these people linked to their unmarked families, and are the people who will create new families if left to their own devices. If you expend too much of your manpower in military service, your growth rate will suffer. Also, though it may be tempting for some nations, try to resist using ALL your manpower for military purposes. Doing so will be highly unpopular with your people, unless you are engaged in a total war. The amount of manpower you have is ALL feasibly suitable people of age, and there are no more to be had beyond those created each turn.
Colonial troops can be recruited from your colonies' manpower if you so choose. The number provided are those currently willing to join a colonial army. These troops are recruited in the colony mention and thus can be provided as a quick defense should you need to hold a colony. As a word of warning though, colonial troops that gain military experience may one day turn this experience back upon you. Use caution when building up your colonial defenses.
Your basic economy in this NES consists of Economic Points, which is the total portion of your economy which is currently useable to your goverment. Nations with a stronger economy have governments which can spend considerably more. The economy of your nation can be improved through trade agreements, technological advances, and the capture of new territories and establishment of colonies. You can use both the funds in your bank, and the incoming Economic Points in your spending orders for each turn. The amount of the funds per turn mentioned near the top of your stats includes any colonial income or income from territories currently occupied from an enemy. It is possible that during an occupation from any enemy invasion that you will lose some of the amount that you can spend. This will be notated in your stats to show how much you have lost from your total to the invading forces.
Policies and Projects
As in prior NESes of mine, you can spend portions of your economy into either policies or projects. Projects are one-time programs designed to have a set expense for completion. The speed of these solely depends on how much you're willing to commit at any one time. To establish a project, simply inform me of your methods in conducting it and the goal to which you aspire, and a cost will materialize in your stats following the update.
Policies are more in-depth long-term expenditures. These are included in your stats underneath the Economic Points section. The policies are deducted from your EP bank at the end of every turn. Policies include things which you will always have to fund, and eliminating these will frequently result in internal political turmoil. Larger (geographically) nations will always have at least some policies in place, in order to fund the bureaucracy which keeps their empires going. Keep an eye on your policy expenditures, as you may find yourself bankrupt if you don't. If you choose, you can reduce expenses however you choose, just be warned this could have ramifications upon your stability or economy. On the other hand, sometimes cutting back expenses is exactly what you need to do to increase or economy or stability. The situation can vary from nation to nation. Remember, the longer a policy is in place, the more difficult it will be to reduce or get rid of it.
Stability acts much has it has in my previous NESes. Stability is measured on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being a nation virtually in anarchy and in collapse, and 10 being a regime with very few internal problems. There are three major factors upon your stability that exist in your stats. The first of these is your manpower relative to your army. While you may desire an immense army, the process of recruiting for it is likely to destabilize your nation. Massive demobilizations of your army are likely to do the same. The other is your economy. Changes in the organization and strength of your economy likely to to destabilize or stabilize your nation. Finally, conducting too much change all at once will definitely result in instability. Typically, raising the level of control will destabilize your nation, and lowering it will stabilize your nation. There are exceptions to every rule, but this one holds fast in all cases at the start of the NES. Non-Western nations may also have to deal with other stability drops when attempting to introduce western ideals or military tactics into their nation.
Education and Special Research Projects
The education portion of your domestic spending is solely dictated by you, but it should be mentioned that the more you dedicate to education the more innovation and development, as dictated by the proportion of your manpower to the total amount of spending into education. Needless to say, a larger population will inherently require more spending on education to be truly effective. Having less than the recommended amount is ok, it's a recommendation, not a minimum. In the strictest sense, you may often be better served using the EP elsewhere, all nations will start with the full contribution, but you may reduce or increase it as you see fit. After all, Education provides a very intangible benefit, you may find the EP more useful elsewhere. When it comes to adjustments however, the less often you do it, the better for stability. Shifting back and forth too quickly only leads to pain and instability at home.
Now as it is, almost all research is out of the direct control of players. The independently researched stuff mostly includes civilian technologies and theoretical advancements. Therefore the broadest levels of research will not be under your control at any stage of the game, except for the speed at which they are achieved based on your education and portion of the economy dedicated to the private sector. There will on occasion be what is known as "Special Research Projects." When a certain selection of circumstances and factors collide, your government may receive a letter from individuals relating to various fields. They will present an idea, how much funding they need per year, and how much time they anticipate the project to take. This could be an expensive dead end or it could lead to a weapon that changes the world. The choice is yours, and often, the choice you make will completely alter the way war and the world works if successful.
One final note: if you have an idea for any specific secret technology research, feel free to ask me. Be warned, I will more likely than not shoot down your idea. Never hurts to ask though.
Army Doctrine is a distant cousin of Army Organization from Capto Iugulum: Empires and Nations. While they may look the same at a cursory glance, I assure you they most definitely are not. Army Doctrine has a much more direct effect upon the costs of various units, and will not be a set cost for all units as it was in the previous phase of the NES. The actual details of Doctrines and how to conduct this are discussed in the Army Doctrine Post below.
It might seem that the effort may be too expensive, and you may be right. A very large army has a very difficult time in converting to a more modern design for their forces. This however is completely realistic and some may find it easier to simply have a smaller, but modern, standing army. Unlike in previous NESes however, Army Doctrine is significantly more important than Army Quality when it comes to deciding battles. Therefore, while you may be able to let your upgrading slide for a time, you certainly cannot forever. Ideally, an army will attempt to modernize its organization and doctrines once every ten to twenty years. As stated in the economic section above however, the economies of all nations are inflated compared to past NESes, so this is not as daunting as it might sound.
The most important thing for all of you aggressive NESers, is that no matter how flimsy it may be, you need to have a reason for your wars. Your people will fight and die for you, but they'd like to know why. If it's a good reason, they'll fight all the harder. This may include to liberate an oppressed people, claim more land for exploitation, or to unify a national group. If it is a bad reason, they may rebel. Bad reasons may include totalitarian conquest of other nations, or no reason at all. Remember, if you want to fight a war, give the world a reason why.
I would give an explanation of war in the 20th century, but I have chosen not to. This is mostly due to the unpredictable nature of the possibilities of war in this period of time, and changing thoughts and ideologies. There is one very broad tip I can give however: Just because it's 1914, doesn't mean that all wars must be fought in the trenches; similarly, just because it's 1939 doesn't mean that setting the tanks to rolling is the same thing as a blitzkrieg. Know your wars, terrain, and army, as some armies, thanks to doctrine, may be better at certain things than others.
Unlike in army combat, where Doctrine is king, the key elements of naval and air battles are a much more equal combination of quality and tech. Better aircraft will outperform worse types, but it should be considered that a better quality air force may still outmatch a poorly trained one, no matter how good their planes are. This somewhat affects armor as well as the stats of armor are highly significant in modern battles of tanks. The right stats in the right places may turn the tide of a battle, regardless of what the enemies stats may be.
With the exception of Army Doctrines, ALL unit designs are solely created by EP. The more EP you invest in a type of unit, the better the unit that you create. All types will initially be fairly expensive to design, but as technology advances and changes, the design of varying types of units will become substantially cheaper. I should note one very important thing about this though. While you may be tempted to spend all your money on a uber-death tank, plane, or battleship, all units have weaknesses, and it should be noted that there is a definite correlation between the cost of a unit and the amount of stat points it has. The full details and costs are provided in the Army/Navy/Air Force Posts below this one.
Stories, Tales, and Culture
For a moment there, I bet some of you thought I had lost sight of the Story part of NESing. Not so! As in A Brave New World, I'll be bringing back a number of things which we haven't seen in a while. Among these will be movie reviews, as well as cultural tidbits for the update. This will include a section in the update for political cartoons, reviews of plays/movies/books, and perhaps any other little cultural pieces we'd like to add in there. If you'd like to contribute, simply post your idea on the thread or in your orders, and watch as your people make cultural history. I of course will be holding onto editorial rights to make sure that it remains consistent in style to the rest of the update and what can be included for space reasons.
An Order deadline will be at the top of this post every week, and we'll be attempting to manage an update a week to start us off. Each update will be a year of game time, so plan your wars and policies accordingly. Make sure to entitle the Private Message you send me with your nation's name and the correct year, otherwise your orders will be at risk of being lost. The following is an ideal setup for the delivery of your orders:
Nation Stats
Spending Summary (i.e., do not disperse your spending orders throughout the whole PM)
Domestic Orders (i.e., anything you want to do relating to internal affairs)
Foreign Orders (i.e., trade agreements, alliances, any agreement with another player or nation)
War Orders (If you're at war)
World Map
CAPTO IUGULUM
A List of Updates
The Wiki of the NES
For Updates 0-19 go to this thread: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=477173
For Updates 20-39 See Below:
Spoiler :
Introduction
For new players, welcome aboard! Send me a private message and I'll be happy to recommend any nation that fits your desires. For everyone else welcome back. The rules have not changed too much and the whole format is designed to be easy to learn, but challenging to master. There are subtleties to the rules, as well as tricks that will serve veteran players of my NESes well. You veterans will want to read the new rules, as there are some key differences that will only be readily apparent upon reading Otherwise, fear not! There are many updates ahead, and more than enough time to restart with a new nation. There are no permanent losers, and all are welcome to return if their nation falls.
The stated goal of this NES is to push forward with an update for every year between 1900 and 2100. This is two hundred updates, and by estimation, this will likely take place over the course of four years in real time. I've been looking for some consistency these days, and I feel that this NES will be key in preserving at least one stable thing in my life. So I'll be here for four more years, I hope most of you will be as well. Capto Iugulum may not start as the most historically plausible scenario, but the whole NES has been rather exhaustively researched by me, as it is the NES I've always wanted to moderate. NESes like The World Turned Upside Down and A Brave New World could be seen as prototypes of this very NES. Covering two hundred years of the most dramatic changes in human history isn't going to be easy, and holding onto your nation and empire for all that time is even less likely. Consider this a rodeo in which you're all riding bulls, while trying to push everyone else off of their own mounts.
Where We Are, The Old and the New
A hurricane of change swept across the world, and in 1920, it seems that old barriers have crumbled in some places while being reinforced elsewhere. Despite hopes that the two great empires of Britain and Spain could patch up their ancient rivalry, instead they tore into each other with numerous others during the course of the devastating Great War. The beginning of this epic conflict lasting from 1905 to 1909 in some places, set the stage for the total reshaping of the global geopolitical system. Though the aftermath of the war itself seemed to lock in the same borders that had existed before the war for the most part, with the exception of colonial exchanges and the destruction of Poland, the conflict unleashed a series of aftershocks that would change everything. Some empires rode the waves and have soared to ever greater power and influence, while others have crumbled from their own lofty heights and positions.
In the New World, Brazil has surged to the forefront of politics in the Western Hemisphere, as the military regime of the United States of America crumbled into revolution. After nearly eight years of constant warfare, only recently has some stability been restored to North America, as the Second Union rises to power and varying other successor states jockey for economic power. In South America, a smoldering conflict exists between Peru and Brazil, once allies in the Great War and now increasingly bitter rivals. Some nations precariously remain on the fence between the two sides, while both Brazil and Peru can call upon powerful allies outside of the continent. Amidst this tension, however, the economy of South America flies high, advancing in great leaps and bounds as new advances and innovations begin to reshape consumer demand and economies around the world.
Europe, at the beginning of the century still an odd collection of disunited states, has changed dramatically. Britain stands triumphant as the world's leading economic power, though it faces military challenges from the growing might of the Franco-Burgundian Confederation and newly unified Germany. Indeed, for in the aftermath of the Great War, the Germans and Italians have at last forged their own sovereign nations, creating a new bloc of substantial power. Spain on the other hand has hit into rough times, as a recent civil war has left most of the nation struggling and in ruins, a shadow of its once great empire. Many possessions have been wrested away by war and conflict, with even its former colony of India beginning to outshine it. In frigid Scandinavia, a Glorious Revolution has occurred, as the masses have swept aside the old monarchy and established the world's first successful proletarist state. Protected by the massive strength of the Mannerheim Line, Scandinavia has clearly sought to expand the revolution and its influence abroad. As the nations of Central and Western Europe have squabbled, the Russian shadow continues to loom from the east, having come out immensely victorious in the Great War, even after its allies had abandoned it. With the Roman Empire exiting a period of reconstruction and other allies established in the Balkans, the mighty Russian army stands as an ominous reminder to the rest of Europe, that perhaps a new war could be on the horizon.
Throughout the rest of the world, it seems that European empires remain supreme, as Africa continues to be dominated by Britain, Spain, and the refugee Emperor of Scandinavia. Though some independent states have emerged on the Dark Continent, they have remained highly tied politically and economically to various imperial states. In the Middle East, new wars have grown as local powers strive to control the growing and significant amount of local resources and wealth. The Arabians have struggled to hold onto their gains of the Great War and now face a difficult new struggle with their southern neighbors, while Persia continues to deal with their own insurgent activities. In the Pacific, the Japanese Empire rules with an iron fist, even expanding its influence to the eastern edge of the ocean, placing a protectorate over Hawaii and gaining control of much of the formerly American islands. China remains in a standoff between three greatly opposed factions, the remnants of the Ascendant Kingdom in the west, the British Dominion of Guangxi in the south, and the Japanese Empire throughout the north. The entire region remains tense as all possess at least some claim and right to ruling the whole of the Chinese people.
Though tensions remain from the Great War and war itself has not been eliminated, overall the world has entered an era of growth and prosperity. New wealth and inventions have begun to make many lives easier, and trade across the world's oceans has never been greater in size and scale. Many argue that the wealth of the global trading economy is too much to allow for another major war, and for the first time in two decades, as the dust from the Great War finally settles, people are finally beginning to feel some optimism for a glorious shining future.
A Sample Nation
Nation Name (Player Name)
Formal Nation Name
Government Type: Monarch/Head of State (Ideology)
Legislature (If Applicable): Ruling Party (Ideology)
Head of Government (If Applicable)
Capital: City Name
Manpower: Bank (+Per turn)
Economic Points: Bank (+Per Turn)
Domestic Spending : -EP Per Turn
-Education: -EP Per Turn (Amount of EP required for basic nation-wide education)
-Policy #2: -EP Per Turn
Stability: #
Army: Brigades
Army Quality: #
Army Doctrine: Type
Navy: Ships
Navy Quality: #
Air Force: Squadrons
Air Force Quality: #
Colonies: Total Colonial Economic Value
Spoiler :
Project Name: Spent/Total Cost
Governments
Your government is the style of regime your nation has. This can range from anywhere to the most free and open democracy to a brutal authoritarian theocratic monarchy and anything in between. Various types of governments can obviously get away with different actions, and you should always keep your government in mind. Democratic governments have elections every once in a while (determined by their constitution) and can therefore be subject to changing winds more than a monarchy. The type of ideology you follow will also alter the issues of concern of your people and bring different matters of stability to the forefront of your politics. Be aware however, that should you mistreat your people and disregard the formalities of your regime, you may be faced with revolution. Unless, of course, that's what you wanted to do in the first place.
Manpower and your Population
The manpower of your nation is representative (currently, may change with time) of a select part of your overall population. Namely, this is of standard age "warrior" males from your population. The people that are considered to be ideal soldier age by modern standards, namely men ages 16-50. The Manpower stat does not include anyone outside of this range. Regardless, you may consider these people linked to their unmarked families, and are the people who will create new families if left to their own devices. If you expend too much of your manpower in military service, your growth rate will suffer. Also, though it may be tempting for some nations, try to resist using ALL your manpower for military purposes. Doing so will be highly unpopular with your people, unless you are engaged in a total war. The amount of manpower you have is ALL feasibly suitable people of age, and there are no more to be had beyond those created each turn.
Colonial troops can be recruited from your colonies' manpower if you so choose. The number provided are those currently willing to join a colonial army. These troops are recruited in the colony mention and thus can be provided as a quick defense should you need to hold a colony. As a word of warning though, colonial troops that gain military experience may one day turn this experience back upon you. Use caution when building up your colonial defenses.
The Wealth of Nations: Your Economy
Your basic economy in this NES consists of Economic Points, which is the total portion of your economy which is currently useable to your goverment. Nations with a stronger economy have governments which can spend considerably more. The economy of your nation can be improved through trade agreements, technological advances, and the capture of new territories and establishment of colonies. You can use both the funds in your bank, and the incoming Economic Points in your spending orders for each turn. The amount of the funds per turn mentioned near the top of your stats includes any colonial income or income from territories currently occupied from an enemy. It is possible that during an occupation from any enemy invasion that you will lose some of the amount that you can spend. This will be notated in your stats to show how much you have lost from your total to the invading forces.
Policies and Projects
As in prior NESes of mine, you can spend portions of your economy into either policies or projects. Projects are one-time programs designed to have a set expense for completion. The speed of these solely depends on how much you're willing to commit at any one time. To establish a project, simply inform me of your methods in conducting it and the goal to which you aspire, and a cost will materialize in your stats following the update.
Policies are more in-depth long-term expenditures. These are included in your stats underneath the Economic Points section. The policies are deducted from your EP bank at the end of every turn. Policies include things which you will always have to fund, and eliminating these will frequently result in internal political turmoil. Larger (geographically) nations will always have at least some policies in place, in order to fund the bureaucracy which keeps their empires going. Keep an eye on your policy expenditures, as you may find yourself bankrupt if you don't. If you choose, you can reduce expenses however you choose, just be warned this could have ramifications upon your stability or economy. On the other hand, sometimes cutting back expenses is exactly what you need to do to increase or economy or stability. The situation can vary from nation to nation. Remember, the longer a policy is in place, the more difficult it will be to reduce or get rid of it.
Stability
Stability acts much has it has in my previous NESes. Stability is measured on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being a nation virtually in anarchy and in collapse, and 10 being a regime with very few internal problems. There are three major factors upon your stability that exist in your stats. The first of these is your manpower relative to your army. While you may desire an immense army, the process of recruiting for it is likely to destabilize your nation. Massive demobilizations of your army are likely to do the same. The other is your economy. Changes in the organization and strength of your economy likely to to destabilize or stabilize your nation. Finally, conducting too much change all at once will definitely result in instability. Typically, raising the level of control will destabilize your nation, and lowering it will stabilize your nation. There are exceptions to every rule, but this one holds fast in all cases at the start of the NES. Non-Western nations may also have to deal with other stability drops when attempting to introduce western ideals or military tactics into their nation.
Education and Special Research Projects
The education portion of your domestic spending is solely dictated by you, but it should be mentioned that the more you dedicate to education the more innovation and development, as dictated by the proportion of your manpower to the total amount of spending into education. Needless to say, a larger population will inherently require more spending on education to be truly effective. Having less than the recommended amount is ok, it's a recommendation, not a minimum. In the strictest sense, you may often be better served using the EP elsewhere, all nations will start with the full contribution, but you may reduce or increase it as you see fit. After all, Education provides a very intangible benefit, you may find the EP more useful elsewhere. When it comes to adjustments however, the less often you do it, the better for stability. Shifting back and forth too quickly only leads to pain and instability at home.
Now as it is, almost all research is out of the direct control of players. The independently researched stuff mostly includes civilian technologies and theoretical advancements. Therefore the broadest levels of research will not be under your control at any stage of the game, except for the speed at which they are achieved based on your education and portion of the economy dedicated to the private sector. There will on occasion be what is known as "Special Research Projects." When a certain selection of circumstances and factors collide, your government may receive a letter from individuals relating to various fields. They will present an idea, how much funding they need per year, and how much time they anticipate the project to take. This could be an expensive dead end or it could lead to a weapon that changes the world. The choice is yours, and often, the choice you make will completely alter the way war and the world works if successful.
One final note: if you have an idea for any specific secret technology research, feel free to ask me. Be warned, I will more likely than not shoot down your idea. Never hurts to ask though.
Army Doctrine
Army Doctrine is a distant cousin of Army Organization from Capto Iugulum: Empires and Nations. While they may look the same at a cursory glance, I assure you they most definitely are not. Army Doctrine has a much more direct effect upon the costs of various units, and will not be a set cost for all units as it was in the previous phase of the NES. The actual details of Doctrines and how to conduct this are discussed in the Army Doctrine Post below.
It might seem that the effort may be too expensive, and you may be right. A very large army has a very difficult time in converting to a more modern design for their forces. This however is completely realistic and some may find it easier to simply have a smaller, but modern, standing army. Unlike in previous NESes however, Army Doctrine is significantly more important than Army Quality when it comes to deciding battles. Therefore, while you may be able to let your upgrading slide for a time, you certainly cannot forever. Ideally, an army will attempt to modernize its organization and doctrines once every ten to twenty years. As stated in the economic section above however, the economies of all nations are inflated compared to past NESes, so this is not as daunting as it might sound.
Wars, Warfare, and Units
The most important thing for all of you aggressive NESers, is that no matter how flimsy it may be, you need to have a reason for your wars. Your people will fight and die for you, but they'd like to know why. If it's a good reason, they'll fight all the harder. This may include to liberate an oppressed people, claim more land for exploitation, or to unify a national group. If it is a bad reason, they may rebel. Bad reasons may include totalitarian conquest of other nations, or no reason at all. Remember, if you want to fight a war, give the world a reason why.
I would give an explanation of war in the 20th century, but I have chosen not to. This is mostly due to the unpredictable nature of the possibilities of war in this period of time, and changing thoughts and ideologies. There is one very broad tip I can give however: Just because it's 1914, doesn't mean that all wars must be fought in the trenches; similarly, just because it's 1939 doesn't mean that setting the tanks to rolling is the same thing as a blitzkrieg. Know your wars, terrain, and army, as some armies, thanks to doctrine, may be better at certain things than others.
Unlike in army combat, where Doctrine is king, the key elements of naval and air battles are a much more equal combination of quality and tech. Better aircraft will outperform worse types, but it should be considered that a better quality air force may still outmatch a poorly trained one, no matter how good their planes are. This somewhat affects armor as well as the stats of armor are highly significant in modern battles of tanks. The right stats in the right places may turn the tide of a battle, regardless of what the enemies stats may be.
With the exception of Army Doctrines, ALL unit designs are solely created by EP. The more EP you invest in a type of unit, the better the unit that you create. All types will initially be fairly expensive to design, but as technology advances and changes, the design of varying types of units will become substantially cheaper. I should note one very important thing about this though. While you may be tempted to spend all your money on a uber-death tank, plane, or battleship, all units have weaknesses, and it should be noted that there is a definite correlation between the cost of a unit and the amount of stat points it has. The full details and costs are provided in the Army/Navy/Air Force Posts below this one.
Stories, Tales, and Culture
For a moment there, I bet some of you thought I had lost sight of the Story part of NESing. Not so! As in A Brave New World, I'll be bringing back a number of things which we haven't seen in a while. Among these will be movie reviews, as well as cultural tidbits for the update. This will include a section in the update for political cartoons, reviews of plays/movies/books, and perhaps any other little cultural pieces we'd like to add in there. If you'd like to contribute, simply post your idea on the thread or in your orders, and watch as your people make cultural history. I of course will be holding onto editorial rights to make sure that it remains consistent in style to the rest of the update and what can be included for space reasons.
Orders and Updates
An Order deadline will be at the top of this post every week, and we'll be attempting to manage an update a week to start us off. Each update will be a year of game time, so plan your wars and policies accordingly. Make sure to entitle the Private Message you send me with your nation's name and the correct year, otherwise your orders will be at risk of being lost. The following is an ideal setup for the delivery of your orders:
Nation Stats
Spending Summary (i.e., do not disperse your spending orders throughout the whole PM)
Domestic Orders (i.e., anything you want to do relating to internal affairs)
Foreign Orders (i.e., trade agreements, alliances, any agreement with another player or nation)
War Orders (If you're at war)
World Map
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