IOT Developmental Thread

[JohannaK]

Yesssssss

 

[NinjaCow64]

Chief kink being if I want to run this as a traditional IOT on the forum go for a full four or eight hour live game in Discord on a weekend.

I am really excited about this but I have a strong preference for a traditional IOT. I would likely not be able to participate otherwise.

 

[Shadowbound]

Pale Blue Dot

Pale Blue Dot is a forum game that focuses on the colonization of the solar system. Beginning in the 22nd century, players will take control of an interplanetary polity struggling for survival or dominance in the near future. They will discover that, despite the idealism and wonder of the early era of space exploration, humanity will bring into space the same sins that were on Earth: avarice, bloodlust, and pride.

The game will be divided into two phases: in the first phase, updates will span a century and focus on the initial settlement of the solar system. Each polity's stats will be simple and the game will be largely conceptual. In the second phase, updates will be considerably shorter and focus on the central conflict of the game. Stats will become more complex and the rules far more detailed to fit the narrower scope.

Phase One

There will be ~four updates in phase one. Each update will introduce several new polities, created by players, to gradually populate the setting until hitting a desired playerbase of 12 to 14 players.

Update Zero (2020 to 2100) will focus on the Earth itself and the selection of the terrestrial powers. It’s the great powers of Earth that will spearhead the first proper settlement of the solar system, but not all of the potential candidates will survive the rigors of the 21st century with a functioning space program.



For Update Zero, I am looking for one of two things:

Either an application as a Terrestrial Power, or an expression of interest in joining for Update Two or Three. Expressions of interest will help determine the number of players selected at each interval, as I’ll select fewer players in the initial phase if I’m not expecting more later.

For Terrestrial Powers, I am looking for 3 or 4 nations based on existing polities (ideally some combination of the United States, China, India, Russia, and European Union, but I’ll accept a great wildcard). I am also looking for all the selections to simultaneously exist together (the “One China” policy). If you’re not selected you’re encouraged to pitch something again for Updates One and Two.

Distribute 8 Points between the following four categories to determine how your nation has managed the various crises of the 21st century and provide a brief description of what they represent:

• Government - How has your nation navigated the conflict between liberal democracy and authoritarian regimes?
• Climate Change - How has your nation dealt with shifting climate, including changes in arable land, natural disasters, and refugees?
• Technology - How has your nation managed the runaway growth of technological progress, including surveillance, artificial intelligence, and genetic modification?
• Society - How has the society of your nation, the basic relationship of your citizens between each other, held up against increasing atomization imposed by capitalism?

The Future:

Spoiler Phase One :

Update One (2100 to 2200) will focus on the inner colonies. As humanity enters its third century in space, the first proper settlements will be formed across the inner solar system. The Terrestrial Powers dominate this era, sponsoring colonization, exploitation, and exploration.

Update Two (2100 to 2200) will introduce the outer colonies. Driven by necessity and technological advances, space colonization will become more accessible. The terrestrial powers will be increasingly challenged by the inner colonies, who will be less and less tied to the Earth as multiple generations have now been born in space. The outer solar system will be settled, not just by the major powers but by a bevy of minor polities and movements unrecognizable to the 21st century.

Update Three and onwards (2200 to 2300) is a mystery.

Players, divided into terrestrial powers, inner colonies, and outer colonies, will divide action points between four categories:

• Orbital Manufacturing - The construction of shipyards and heavy industry in space makes it secure from natural disasters
• Space Colonization - The movement of significant population into orbital or planetary habitats.
• Interplanetary Exploitation - The extraction of raw resources from planetary bodies to fuel industry and development.
• Domestic Investment - Space Exploration is an expensive endeavor: it is politically popular and economically sound to focus resources on Earth or existing habitats.

The number of action points each polity gets in each update will be affected by investments the previous round and by system-wide trends.

Different investments will later translate into hard stats for Phase Two: more colonization means more population, and more exploitation means more raw resources, for example.

Spoiler Phase Two :

Introducing more complex economic and political systems, as well as military rules (with a ship designer!).

Politics is a mix of government type and factions.

• Government Type remains unsettled, letting players determine dominant trends in the 24th century. They will provide boosts to certain resource production or discounts on types of spending.
• Factions are political groups with vested interests. They want things from you, the player. They have strength and confidence. Strength is how much of the population supports them. Confidence is how much they support the government. The combination of the two creates stability: strong factions with high confidence will provide bonuses, while the inverse will provide penalties and possibly cause revolts.

Economics is the interaction between habitats, base resources, and advanced resources.

• Habitats hold population and structures. Some habitats will be larger than others and hold more population, but each habitat will only have one structure.
  • There can be multiple habitats on a single planet, and multiple factions sharing planets.
  • Different planets will have different costs for building/upgrading habitats: it's easier to expand living space on Earth than on Ganymede.
• Structures produce resources: some structures scale with more population, others do not.
• Base resources are raw materials extracted: minerals and volatiles/water
  • Different planets and habitats will have different values for base resource production.
• Advanced Resources are things like manufacturing, research, biomass, used for more complex constructions.
  • Biomass is needed for life support.
  • Research handles technological development and designs.
  • Manufacturing produces structures, habitats, and ships.
• The goal is to have a mix of large habitats focusing on advanced resources and smaller habitats focused on resource extraction. Some factions will have more of the former or the latter, or specialize in one resource type, and need to trade with others for the resources they need.
• There will also be the concept of freight: shipping resources from one habitat to another. Essentially intra-polity trade.

Military focuses on ship design, with some basic units.

• Ground forces will be Garrison Brigades, focused on defense and security, Assault Brigades, focused on attacking and landing, and Armored Brigades, focused on pitched battles on larger planets.
• Ships will consist of different "classes", with larger classes becoming more expensive and requiring more manufacturing, but holding more modules (which may work more efficiently in a larger craft).
• Modules will be things like engines, armor, transport holds, weapon systems.

Also there will be research, which can unlock bonuses to resource production, discounts, new ship modules, and structures.

 

[Crezth]

I also feel inclined to submit for China. But after all, we can work something out. The world is big.

 

[Terran Empress]

This is fascinating, I'm inclined to submit something of an idea for some sort of successor to the USA/NAFTA personally. Though I'm open to submitting elsewhere.

 

[Omega124]

Since people are claiming on thread here, I'd like to express possible interest in Brazil

 

[Shadowbound]

Your claims mean nothing.

 

[Ahigin]

So, my last game Icerust ended after 13 turns (a solid run) because of hemorrhaging too many players. Some got turned off by a slow start, some disliked it being more math-heavy, some wanted more player interaction. But it allowed me to test my final set of game design ideas that I can now start putting to practice in more manageable games. So let me run this past you, folks, and gauge your interest.

1. Global strategy set around 0 AD in a hyper-Oikumene world, where Hellenism got even more wanked than in real history. The map would be divided into regions (like in DW), the regions would have population slots (like South Pole), which different nations would try to fill, conquer, destroy, etc. Only 4 unit types: army, fleet, missions, ventures (respectively for land warfare, naval warfare, cultural influence/espionage, and colonization/trade/development; all like DW). Instead of a tech tree, each nation has 16 attributes that define efficiency of certain unit actions, 4 per each unit type. Again, like South Pole - if you're Epirus, your armies may be very good at symmetrical warfare and not so good at depredation of enemy territory; if you're Xongnu, you're very good at depredation, but you don't hold the land well; if you're one of the Han successor states, you're really great at military policing, but struggle with conquest, etc. This defines certain play styles, with an opportunity to improve, of course. I'll treat each region as a hub, like in Icerust; attacking from region to region (or within the region) will be limited by the "max width" of the attack you can bring to bear (again, like in Icerust). So, Cultural Influence from Asia Minor into Levant is capped at 15 success points per turn (assuming you get those successes in the first place), while cultural influence from Iberia into Levant is capped at 3 success points, for example. This means that players will have to plan bridgeheads/colonization, rather than roflstomping the world after achieving super-strong legions or something like that.

2. Pure wargame capped at 10 turns, with 6 or 8 players. Set in the DW world, picking up from where we stopped. (For those who don't know, DW (December World) was a global game set in a steampunk late 19th century setting, where information revolution goes hand in hand with the industrial revolution). Regional war with multiple sides. I'd use the unit designer similar to Icerust (only here it'd be steampunk army units instead of post-apocalyptic vehicles). Again, map divided into hubs (cities), connected into a graph (think AGEOD games, for comparison). The economy is minimal: each hub/city provides x amount of 4 resources, your job is to design efficient units and devise a good war strategy. All conflict sides vie for leverage points in the war (think Victory Points from the Hearts of Iron series), while also trying to keep their infamy low (again, think any Paradox game), so war isn't just about roflstomping enemies and painting the map in your color. These leverage points and infamy points could get you reinforcements, weapon imports, new research, etc., if you want/need immediate gratification. But after the 10th turn, I'll kick in the peace conference, where they'll be tradeable for the actual diplomatic gains. Hopefully, after the first wargame, if the format is manageable, we could proceed to the second one in the same setting, pushing the December World history forward. Maybe with some interlude mini-games, without all the clunky global strategy mechanics.

My question to the potential players: which one would you want to play?

 

[Kyzarc Fotjage]

I vote 1 but would also be happy revisiting the Pacific Directory

 

[JohannaK]

2. Pure wargame capped at 10 turns, with 6 or 8 players. Set in the DW world, picking up from where we stopped. (For those who don't know, DW (December World) was a global game set in a steampunk late 19th century setting, where information revolution goes hand in hand with the industrial revolution). Regional war with multiple sides. I'd use the unit designer similar to Icerust (only here it'd be steampunk army units instead of post-apocalyptic vehicles). Again, map divided into hubs (cities), connected into a graph (think AGEOD games, for comparison). The economy is minimal: each hub/city provides x amount of 4 resources, your job is to design efficient units and devise a good war strategy. All conflict sides vie for leverage points in the war (think Victory Points from the Hearts of Iron series), while also trying to keep their infamy low (again, think any Paradox game), so war isn't just about roflstomping enemies and painting the map in your color. These leverage points and infamy points could get you reinforcements, weapon imports, new research, etc., if you want/need immediate gratification. But after the 10th turn, I'll kick in the peace conference, where they'll be tradeable for the actual diplomatic gains. Hopefully, after the first wargame, if the format is manageable, we could proceed to the second one in the same setting, pushing the December World history forward. Maybe with some interlude mini-games, without all the clunky global strategy mechanics.

Time to pull out the OOBs and developing 12 or 13 new ones.

Spoiler Divisions :

Spoiler Org :

What do you mean I prepared for this, I'm always prepared.

 

[J.A.M.]

My question to the potential players: which one would you want to play?

I'm new to IOT, but I'd love to play either one if you'll let me at it. For 1, would there be a list of suggested nations, or general sources? Thinking of Androphagi but I dunno if they fit. For the wargame, #2, would what victory points mean vary between nations, or would there be a global standard of behaviour and future?

 

[Ahigin]

Yeah, I'd certainly let anyone play the games (the list is limited to only 8 players in game #2, but #1 will definitely include pretty much anyone).

1. I don't have a completed list of nations for #1 yet. I plan to set it around 1 AD (or a bit into the first century AD), and it's Hellenism on steroids, so the Hellenistic world and the Mediterranean would be various kurioi/diadochi states (not only the historical ones, like the Antigonid Asia and Ptolemaeic Egypt, but also the what-ifs like the Pyrric Epirus/Italia) and occassional upstart satrapies (like the suddenly resurgent Elam, among others) and colonial republics that could-into-space (like Messalia that competes with Carthage for the Western Mediterranean). Rome is no more, but other Latin and Etruscan leagues grew on its cinders after Pyrrhus finally destroyed it. Carthage is split between the Barkid military aristocratic elective monarchy in Hispania (facing powerful Celtiberian and Illergetan leagues), and the Old Republic of Carthage itself, still locked in conflicts with the Cretans, Siracusans, and the upstart Tripolitanian league. Deep inside West Africa, the Meninke are creating a syncretic HelLeno-African culture (but mostly African one), battling with the Niger River Delta city-states for the first historical hegemony over the region. Macrobia, Arabia, and some parts of coastal India would be heavily hellenized, with India split culturally and politically. In the Pontic Steppes, you have some syncretic kingdoms and republics like the Bosphoran Kingdom, and some new polities calcify around the Greek lines of governing, since the steppe migrations go west-to-east, not the other way around. In China, you have the historical collapse of the middle Han, with a various factions and prefectures establishing themselves and battling for the Mandate of the Heaven. In the steppes, the Parthians migrated in an alternative direction after being beaten by the stronger Greco-Bactrians, so you have a reverse migration putting pressure on the Xiongnu domination of the Tungusic regions, bringing Zoroastrianism to the Sinosphere. In OTL Korea, the Great Hans (not the Han Chinese, but the "Han" great leagues of proto-Korean city-states) fight for the hegemony similarly how the Greeks fought in the Peloponnesian War some five centuries prior. That's the rough overview of the Oikumene.

2. I think each of the 8 nations would have unique perks to call in with victory points. I'm trying to capitalize on the depth of the December World setting, plus I want to compensate the limited game set with more detailed and unique factions. But it's still far from being finalized, so no sneak peeks yet.

 

[Shadowbound]

I've been playing with ideas for a democratic game for some time and I have some rough draft to present. Everyone knows I like to burrow down into smaller and smaller regional details in my games, so I'm trying to cut myself off by focusing on just a single country.

The New Regime​

​

In the New Regime, players are politicians in the Ebron Republic, a fragile democratic state in a fictional world going through the industrial revolution. The Revolution of 1839, which abolished the monarchy, ended in a military coup that dissolved the democratic government. Now in 1850 the military regime has been toppled by mass protests against high taxation, political repression, and military conscription. But the Second Republic faces even greater challenges than the first a decade before: religious and ethnic tensions, a financial crisis, and tense foreign relations with all their neighbors are the result of decades of mismanagement and corruption. It's up to the players to guide Ebronland through the long 19th Century.

For Turn 0, players should answer the questions put forward under Character Generation and Constitutional Convention. This will allow me to produce statistics for each faction and pin down many of the basic rules that the Second Republic will operate under. The Constitutional Convention will close on August 28th, 2021.

Then, players will elect a government responsible for solving immediate issues and organizing elections. Players participating in the government will deal with these. Players without control of government nonetheless can work on legislation in Congress and prepare for elections, where they can try to transition from opposition to government. Players can also choose to begin in exile, as part of the royalist Old Guard: these three different player types (Government, Opposition, Exiles) can expect to shift roles through the course of the game.

Spoiler Local History :

Ebronland (or the Ebronrike) is one of the larger and more populated states in Eastern Charia. The Ebron were auxiliaries for the late Parsian Empire and established a feudal state at its easternmost extreme, absorbing the nearby client states and provinces during its long decline until they eventually stretched from the Berent Ocean to the Somersea. Despite several dynastic and religious conflicts the Ebron managed to create a unified kingdom. The Ebronrike continued to expand with a maritime empire that took control of significant territories on two neighboring continents and created a golden age at the intersection of an intercontinental trade system.

Not all empires go unchallenged: while the largest single kingdom in the East (and rivaled only by various successor states in the former Parsian heartland), two of Ebronland's northern neighbors united in the early 18th century. The tyrannical king of Slenesland was overthrown by the local nobility, who offered the crown to their close allies in Fite, and over the decades the two states would merge into the United Kingdom of Somer. Somer's combined population and wealth allowed it to dominate the Somersea and contest Ebron supremacy locally and abroad. Several wars were fought between the two powers, with the balance of power drifting towards the United Kingdom.

Checked in their geopolitical ambitions, Ebron's rulers were nonetheless great patrons of the arts and sciences. Philosophy flourished in the capital Breisbach and it remained the clear cultural capital of the East even as its military and commercial dominance slipped away. Humanist and rationalist thought created an absolutist monarchy imitated throughout the civilized world, ruled by enlightened monarchs with wise and brilliant advisors. But there was a double edge to this sword: the enlightenment was a horse that could not be dismounted and dreamers began to see a world where justice was independent of any single king, or even a monarchy.

A failed harvest followed serious military losses to Somer and a subsequent rebellion in the colonies pushed the empire to its fiscal limit, unable to quell unrest through bread or circuses. An attempt to turn the army against the citizenry saw mass defections and mutinies, with revolutionaries storming the Winter Palace and seizing control of the apparatus of state. The armed mobs were hijacked by students and bourgeoisie who proclaimed a Republic, the First Republic (not the first republic in the world, let's not be Ebron-centric). But one revolution begets others, and nearly two years of conspiracies and political strife gripped Ebronland as the government thoroughly failed to stabilize.

Eventually the military under the leadership of the war hero Christian Hauge stepped in. With no principles other than ruthlessness and personal lust for power, Hauge executed the royal family, imprisoned rival factions, defaulted on the debt, conscripted the unemployed mob, and established a secret police to restore order. For seven years the Hauge Regime maintained power, a government founded on repression and terror that antagonized its neighbors and cultivated a culture of corruption. That it lasted as long as it did is a stunning indictment of the Ebron people.

The initial stability provided by Hauge could not last long in the face of disastrous foreign and economic policies, prioritizing the military and preparing for a vague war with some combination of the Cedi, Calantrans, and Somer eventually pushed the population to a fresh breaking point. Riots in the capital once again saw the military take over and depose Hauge, under the committed Republican general Klaus van Weilbach who had been Hauge's moderate counterpart in the military, albeit far less charismatic. Van Weilbach has called a constitutional convention to redeem the Republican experiment, enlisting a mix of politicians, political dissidents, and prominent figures in society to craft a new plan for the state.

Spoiler Character Generation :

Players are politicians with sizeable factions in the democratic system behind them, but no one emerges from a vacuum. Players are asked to answer some basic questions, with suggested answers, to provide opening stats. These will affect your starting relationships with different interest groups. Some combinations will be stronger than others. Unorthodox responses are allowed. Players are encouraged to expand on their biography.

Players can also choose to be part of the Old Guard, representing the royalists who fled abroad during the revolution. They lack the opportunity to participate in the constitutional convention but begin with resources and Ebronland's remnant colonies to barter for their return to the political system.

Spoiler Social Class :

Ebronland is far from a classless society. Your birth is the most important factor in establishing your position in life.

Nobility - A member of the minor nobility, affording you a good education and essentially the opportunity to do whatever you wanted.
Bougeoisie - A wealthy member of the commonfolk, with access to education albeit limited political opportunities under the ancien regime.
Peasant - A poor inhabitant of the countryside, bound to the land since time immemorial.
Urban Prole - The working class in the developing urban centers.
Astellian - A distinct, ethnic minority group in the north.
Heterodox - A religious dissenter from the mainstream Redeemer faith.

Spoiler Profession :

A man of talents and ambition has many ways to make their way in the world, though some may be harder than others.

Lawyer - Involved in government and administration
Merchant - Involved in commerce and business
Academic - Unemployed with extra steps
Military - Fighting for the pride of the empire
Aristocracy - A gentleman of leisure
Tradesman - An honest working man
Clergy - A priest in the Vicolanist faith

Spoiler The First Republic :

The Revolution and the subsequent Hauge Regime was a difficult time to do, well, anything. What did you do?
-Stayed out of politics
-Fled into exile abroad
-Dissented and were lucky to just be thrown in prison
-Worked within the government

Spoiler Constitutional Convention :

When van Weilford overthrew Hauge, he sought to pass off control of the government into a new democratic assembly. You were one of the prominent figures asked to attend, even if it involved being released from prison or returning from exile.

Before the reins of power can be turned over from the transitional government, some basic questions of the constitution need to be resolved. A proposal, or series of proposals, that secure support from a majority of players will be confirmed as the constitution.

-The Executive
The Second Republic is meant to be a parliamentary republic with final power resting in Congress. An executive is elected from among Congress who serves as the head of the government. But what will the executive be called? How can they be removed from office? How long are their terms?

-Elections
How often are elections held? Are they on a regular schedule or are they called individually by Congress?

-Ministerial Approval
The government is divided into several ministries that control different functions. Ministers serve as heads of different government departments. Are ministers directly appointed by the executive or are they nominated by the executive and approved by Congress?

-Centralized vs Decentralized
How important is control of regions vs control of the central government? The absolute monarchy and the First Republic did much to centralize the government and a relaxation of control will do a lot for stability in the short-term, at the cost of diluting the government's power.

-Redeemer vs Secular
Ebronland is a majority Redeemer Vicolanist nation, but it has substantial minorities practicing heterodoxy. Enshrining the Redeemer faith as the official religion of the state will greatly weaken their influence in government and please conservatives, but antagonize the minorities and liberals.

-Judicial Independence
Will you allow the existence of a separate judiciary that can block laws and restrict the actions of elected officials?

-Rights of Man
What rights and privileges are accorded to every citizen?

-Constitutional Amendment
How can the constitution be modified going forward?

-Other
Include other elements you may want enshrined as the highest law of the land.

Spoiler Mechanics :

Players control factions, which represent a group of politicians. They draw support from interest groups, which provide money and support, to participate in elections. Elections provide them control of regional governments and clout in Congress, which passes legislation that influence the country and appoints a Government that administers the country. Decisions made in Congress and Government circle back to affect the support of interest groups and the outcome of elections.

-Factions
Faction/Player
Clout - Represents your ability to marshal votes and support in Congress
Wealth - Financial reserves used for campaigning, lobbying, and personal use
Regional Control - Any provincial governments you control, and the benefits.
Supporters - How interest groups feel about your faction. Groups in the positive will contribute resources every turn, drawing from their common pool and distributed among the factions they support.
Summary - Your character in a nutshell

Spoiler Interest Groups :

Choices in politics will draw support from one or more interest groups, who will contribute resources to your cause. Too many players drawing from the same group will split the pie. Resources available to the interest groups will shift as decisions are made on a national level. Interest groups closely watch public debates in Congress, votes, and government decisions.

The Old Guard - The royalists have largely fled abroad or been purged over the last decade, but there are still a remnant within the country looking to restore as much as they can.
The New Guard - The nationalist supporters of the regime are burrowed into the military and administration, though their ability to maintain popular support is questionable.
The Magnates - The magnates are major rural landowners who used to wield great influence, but have fallen on hard times.
The Plutocrats - The plutocrats control major business interests in developing industrial centers and have greatly prospered.
The Bougeoisie - The middle class has suffered under the regime, tolerating it despite their ideals in order to defend their privileges against anarchy.
The Redeemed Church - The clergy has been a grudging collaborator, looking to temper the revolution before it sweeps away the old social order completely.

Regional Factions
The Astellians - Prospering despite the regime, mostly because it needed their region's industry.
The Heterodox - Avoided persecution under the Hauge Regime.
The Guilds - Highly organized, skilled workers in the urban centers.

Spoiler Elections :

Elections redistribute control of regional governments and clout within Congress among players. Resources can be spent campaigning to improve your vote share, divided among different potential groups and provinces. The allocation of seats can shift after elections from lobbying and persuasion, but elections are the main game changers. Congress has 100 clout to distribute between provinces prior to elections.

Failing to hold regular elections will reduce the government's stability, especially if the government is unpopular. Seats are distributed between provinces and allocated by legislation passed by Congress.

Spoiler Regions :

Ebronland is divided into ten traditional provinces, each with slightly different characteristics. Provincial data, including population and tax base, is updated whenever a census is conducted. The last census was conducted thirty years ago, but conducting a census costs money.

These provinces hold elections at the same time as the main government. Control of provincial governments strengthens your organization and allows different benefits, depending on your degree of control. The faction that controls a provincial government will have an advantage in elections, and depending on other factors may be able to gain additional resources.

Spoiler Regional Map :

Breisbach - The Capital and surrounding territories on the Lower Breis. The most urban province in the country, prospered heavily off trade and commerce. Breisbach is the long-time capital but has fallen on hard times with the collapse of the Ebronrike.
Durwihdenia - A rural province that connects Breisbach overland to the rest of the country through the Middle Breis. The least populated province.
Bortadland - A rural province in the south, dominated by Iconoclasts. The second least populated province.
Zaberland - A rural province in the south, dominated by Iconoclasts. Has a developing sea port in Dukengen. The third least populated province. Borders Oberland but has no good overland connections to it.
Marbach - A large rural province in the center of the country along the Upper Breis. There have been proposals to move the capital to the city of Hocheden here, much closer to the north.
Walland - An urban province in the west, bordering Calantra. Carved out of the Empire in past wars. The regional center of Walfeld is equivalent in size to Breisbach.
Steilerbach - A very rural province in the center of the country with poor connections to the rest.
Balgoldia - The largest province, comprising a third of the country. There have been proposals to split it up in the past. Once ruled by a cadet branch of the royal family, dynastic conflicts between them and the Breisbach branch nearly destroyed the kingdom. Relatively rural, but large enough that it has several large urban centers.
Wilinland - A rural province in the northwest, once an independent kingdom in its own right. Borders both the Calantran Empire and the United Kingdom.
Charmonria - The northwesternmost province, dominated by the Astellians. Strong commercial ties to Somer and borders the UK. A disproportionate chunk of the country's industry is here, chiefly importing mineral resources from just across the Calantran border.

Spoiler Congress :

Passes laws. Congress is where the thrust of player activity will take place, as players put forward bills that will affect the government. For a bill to pass, more clout must vote for it than against it. Players that don't vote abstain.

Lobbying in Congress is possible and can redistribute clout (until the next election). Wealth is particularly important here, especially when used to peel away clout from a player with a weaker ideological foundation.

Spoiler Active Laws :

Conscription Act - Reduces replacement cost for armies, reduces stability.
State Press Act - Bans unapproved newspapers, effectively allowing only the Breisbach Standard, boosts stability.
Economic Protection Act - Raises taxes, reduces economic growth, weakens commerce, strengthens industry.
Loyalty Act - Bans support for the monarchy, requires a oath of loyalty to the republic for government and military officials.

Spoiler Major Issues :

Status of the Old Guard
The Royalists controlled the fleet and the colonial administration, decimated as it was. When the Revolution occurred they refused to pledge themselves to the government. They're based out of the colony of Sinopheim in Satakunda but control some territories in Cedi. They could be reincorporated through shrewd diplomacy.

Debt and Taxation
Hauge defaulted on the kingdom's debt, which has frozen Ebron out of taking on additional loans. Instead the military build-up was fueled by high taxes, particularly tariffs, and these are unpopular.

Military Tensions and Conscription
Hauge always planned to solve the nation's problems with a short, victorious war but never settled on a single target. His lack of naval power forced him to abandon his plans to reconquer Cedi. He pivoted to Somer, signing an alliance with Hareham that was clearly directed at them, and was then distracted with rising tensions between Witerland and Oberland, signing another alliance with the former. This has also antagonized the Calantran Empire and Ebron has a potential war with any three of its neighbors brewing. The conscription and high spending necessary to prepare for this is deeply unpopular.

Political Justice
Hauge is imprisoned and waits to stand trial, but his crimes and punishment need to be determined by Congress. His supporters throughout the administration also need to be considered, but moving against them could threaten the Republic's stability, as they comprise much of the military.

Spoiler Government :

A dimension of the game focused on the nation and its neighbors, divided into ministries (Defense, Treasury, Interior, and Foreign as the major ones). Elected either directly or by Congress.

Ebron Republic
Schwarzen Despotic Republic
Stability: Very Low (-2)
Population: 39.9 million, 20% Urban (1805)
Area: 488k sqm
Economy: $400 (1805), Major Recession (-2)
Budget: $60 (Very High Taxation, +2) -$38 (Defense) -$6 (Treasury) -$6 (Interior) -$4 (Foreign) = $6
Ethnic Groups: Schwarzen 85%, Astellian 13%, Lauri 2%
Religions: Redeemed Vicolanism 89%, Agaian Iconoclasm 8%, Asterramian Dissent 2%, Other 1%

Spoiler Armies :

Republican Guard
Cohesion: 8/10
Strength: 4
Traits: Loyalist
Upkeep: $8/$2

1st Army
Cohesion: 4/10
Strength: 8
Traits:
Upkeep: $8/$1

2nd Army
Cohesion: 4/10
Strength: 8
Traits:
Upkeep: $8/$1

3rd Army
Cohesion: 2/10
Strength: 6
Traits:
Upkeep: $6/$1

New Fleet
Cohesion: 3/10
Strength 4
Traits: Maritime
Upkeep: $8/$4

Spoiler Defense :

Army Name
Cohesion
Strength
Traits
Upkeep/Replacement

The Defense Ministry raises and commands armies of the state. Armies have three important stats: cohesion is its willingness and ability to fight, strength is the number of troops and equipment, and traits are any unique features for that particular army. All armies need money to operate, and depending on traits have a cost to increase their strength.

Potential Traits
Loyalist - Receiving extra pay and benefits to ensure loyalty. Increases upkeep and cohesion.
Reserve - Part-time soldiers able to be called up during war. Decreased cohesion but reduced upkeep.
Royalist - Strongly committed to the memory of the Monarchy.
Maritime - A naval force, capable of contesting control of the sea near or far. Increased upkeep and replacement costs.

Spoiler Treasury :

The Treasury controls taxation, collecting money from provinces, managing debt, and dispersing money to the rest of the government. It sets the tax rate across the country: higher taxes mean more money, but reduce economic growth and hurt the government's popularity. Lower taxes do the opposite. Exactly who and what gets taxed can also be tweaked.

The Treasury needs approximately 10% of the total budget in order to perform its operations. Money beyond that can be used to service debt. Ebronland has $200 of foreign debt that it has defaulted on, freezing it out of regional financial markets.

Spoiler Interior :

The Interior Ministry controls local police forces and administration, an essential role in governance.

The Interior Ministry needs approximately 1% of the national economy to perform basic administrative functions. Money beyond that can be used to combat corruption and crack down on crime.

Additionally, the Interior Ministry maintains a secret police force for $2.

Spoiler Foreign :

The Foreign Ministry controls foreign relations and diplomacy.

The Foreign Ministry can maintain embassies, consulates, and spy networks across the world. This provides information and contacts for the government.

Embassies cost $2 and allow a large amount of information about the country, along with supporting expansive negotiations with the government, while consulates cost $1 and can provide local knowledge and facilitate general relations. Embassies and consulates can both exist in the same country: it may be useful to have multiple consulates in a large nation. Spy networks don't have a set cost, but will provide many of the information benefits of consulates and a wider range of potential actions.

The Foreign Ministry currently maintains embassies in Witerland and Hareham.

-The Old Guard

Royalists who fled abroad, a unique player type that can negotiate for the return of some of their privileges in return for committing Ebronland's remaining colonies and former navy to the new regime. The Old Guard controls Sinophiem, alongside the colonial government.

Spoiler Sinophiem :

Sinophiem
Angshire Administrative Dominion
Stability: Low (-1)
Population: ~6 Million, ~10% Urban
Area: ~300k sqm
Economy: $50, Mild Growth (+1)
Budget: $20 (Extremely High Taxation, +3) -$14 (Defense) - $1 (Interior) - $2 (Treasury) -$2 (Foreign) = $1
Ethnic Groups: Angshire ~40%, Schwarzen ~10%, Native ~50%
Religions: Colonial Heterodoxy ~55%, Pagan ~30%, Redeemed Vicolanism ~15%

Spoiler Armies :

Colonial Militia
Cohesion: 4/10
Strength: 4
Traits: Reserve
Upkeep: $4/$2

Royalist Fleet
Cohesion: 6/10
Strength: 5
Traits: Maritime, Royalist
Upkeep: $10/$4

Spoiler The World :

A land of thought and starry heaven, drunk deep from the well of memory

Spoiler Religions :

Vicolanism is a evangelical, monotheist faith focused on Vicolan, May He Rest in Power, a prophet in the Parsian Empire. Their holy books are the Precepts, written by His early disciples and later influential figures in the faith. It is divided into several denominations who all have beef with each other.

Orthodox Vicolanism is centered in the Parsis Sea, led by the Katechon as the head of a centralized church. The Orthodox Precepts include a large number of later figures in the faith, curated by the Katechons.

Redeemed Vicolanism is a decentralized offshoot that makes up the vast majority of the Vicolanist world. The Redeemed Precepts have a narrow focus on the immediate disciples of Vicolan, May He Rest in Power. National religious authorities, called Archprelates, have great temporal power and influence.

Agaian Iconoclasm is an edition of the Precepts assembled by the influential philosopher Agaius. The Asterramian and Lymterian Dissents are similar endeavors. They are responses to corruption within the Redeemed Church and see heavy persecution.

Insular Vicolanism formally uses the same Redeemed Precepts, but includes a number of cultural traditions that affect the clergy. Self-mutilation, including castration, is not unheard of among holy men.

The Whitle Faith is a dualist religion in the north. It emphasizes seeking personal balance and enlightenment through reconciling the conflicting natures within man. Its political power was essentially destroyed by the Crusades, but it has seen a resurgence after converting many crusaders in Sambia. Its revival demonstrates the validity of the faith as the universe seeks a return to balance.

In the Far West, Vologovism has emerged out of the drug-induced seances of the local holy figures. It teaches that ultimate peace is achievable through submission to a perfect and benevolent God. The Keshians are an offshoot in Parsis lead by the Kesh, a Vicolan-like, May He Rest in Power, figure.

Various pagan religions survive in Angshire and the Far West.

Spoiler The Berent Ocean :

The eastern edge of Charia, the Berent Ocean connects to distant continents. It's dominated by Markian-descended peoples, specifically a first wave that predate the Parsian Empire and largely settled on the subcontinent of Angshire and a second wave (the Schwarzen) who achieved local dominance in the late Empire.

The Northern Kingdoms are divided into three: Fite, which is the dominant partner in the United Kingdom, is a major naval power in both the Somersea and Berent. Feld is its smaller neighbor and runner up compared to the big players to its south and west. Hareham is the largest, northernmost, kingdom, with a large pre-Markian minority and foreboding forests and mountains. Feld and Hareham conduct an Insular form of Vicolanism with strong ties to pagan practices, including ecclesiastical celibacy (castration is optional). Ebron has an alliance with Hareham directed at Somer.

The Southern Kingdoms are the ancient Markian heartland, a rainforest. Witerland is the westernmost of the two, with strong commercial ties to the Parsis Sea. Oberland is its oceanic equivalent and dominated by Agaian Iconoclasm, which atomizes the church hierarchy of Redeemed Vicolanism even further. Both kingdoms are on the verge of war and Ebron is allied to Witerland.

Spoiler Somersea :

A large, salt water sea that divides the Charian mainland from Angshire, the Somersea was the edge of the Parsian Empire's reach but the Vicolanist faith had far more success in expansion. The Loker peoples, who resisted the empire, embraced the religion and launched crusades against the Whitle kingdoms on the western shore for centuries, ultimately subjugating them. But subjugation does not imply mastery: civil wars in Sambia saw the triumph of Whitle converts to the land's old faith, kicking off a fresh round of warfare.

Slynesland is the southernmost Loker kingdom and part of the United Kingdom, with a developing industrial base in its western region. It has large Whitle minorities, both ethnically and religiously, and is the weaker partner in the union. Stordia is a poor kingdom on the northern edge of the Somersea with a history of internal dynastic conflict. Sambia is a noble republic dominated by powerful land-owners. It has poor control of its hinterland. Osengeland and Stamsund are nominally part of it, but effectively independent states in their own right: Osengeland remains devoutly Vicolanist while religious toleration is a necessity in the rest of the diverse Commonwealth.

Spoiler Parsis Sea :

The heart of civilization, deep into its senescence. It was on the shores of the Parsis that the titular empire arose, subjugating much of what is traditionally considered the civilized world. A prophet and reformer, Vicolan, May He Rest in Power, preached of a monotheist god, a renewal of public morality, and was persecuted by the empire for it. His followers eventually succeeded in converting the entire empire after aligning their zealots with the right claimant in a civil war.

It is dominated by the Calantran Empire, a Redeemed Vicolanist state with its military heartland in the east near Witerland, though the administrative capital is closer to the immense wealth of the Parsis. Formally they're known as the Parsian Empire, claiming dubious descent from them, and they're also known as the Jentinescan Empire, after their former capital. The Calantrans are a far flung state and they've suffered recently, facing rebellions in the west and military defeat several decades ago to Ebron. It rules over a large Orthodox Vicolanist population, adhering to the authority of the Katechon in Larosoia, and a Whitle group in the west. It is equivalent in size and power to Ebronland, and more competently managed, though it has large structural problems.

Larosoia is a proper republic, albeit one with a heavy emphasis on public morality and the Orthodox faith. The only other Orthodox state is Svilia, the remnant of a barbarian steppe empire that conquered the southern shore of the ocean before fracturing and converting. It is home to the largest city in the world, Starovetk, and the second largest, Sluts, and is possibly the wealthiest provinces in Charia. Finally there is the Vyanian Tsardom. The same steppe tradition that created the Svilians spawned a new empire that has conquered the Far West. Worse than pagan, much of the empire's leadership is taken with a new, monotheistic faith discovered there.

-The Far West

The Vyanian Tsardom rules over nearly all of western Charia, emerging from the Sarkel principalities among the western Parsis Sea. A diverse and multicultural empire with several economic centers, the leadership of the empire is very infatuated with the worship of Vologovo, who created and preserves the world through his benevolence and oneness with all of creation.

-Satakunda

Centuries ago, Angshire fishermen following the coast of the High North came upon a new habitable continent to the east. Settlers and adventurers founded colonies, the largest of was Sinophiem, and spread Vicolanism to the natives. All of this predated Ebron's imperialism. Vicolanist preachers followed their usual strategy of targeting the most aggressive, warlike peoples: these converts founded the Huanian Confederacy, a powerful native state that began conquering the neighboring kingdoms. Soon they turned towards Sinophiem itself, which joined the Ebronrike for protection. Unfortunately for the Ebron, the last war could be generously described as a draw, and the Huanians have only waxed in power since then. Sinophiem now is the home of the royalist exiles.

-Cedi

Feldian traders made contact with Cedi at the start of the Age of Exploration, kicking off a demand in Charia for spices and luxuries from the continent. Divided between competing local polities, the commercial interest of the Charians eventually turned towards political control. But cultural conflict between colonizers and colonized eventually erupted in a grand Cedi Mutiny among the Ebronrike's local auxiliaries, expelling them from the continent and crippling the empire.

-Entarika

Beyond Satakunda, on the far side of the world, is Entarika. It is rich, savage, and decadent with only limited trade outposts allowed by the paranoid rulers.

-High North

A frozen, glacial land inhabited mostly by flightless birds and hunter-gatherer tribes. Few Charians actually step foot on it, preferring to follow the coast to Satakunda.

Spoiler Map :

 

[JohannaK]

That's looking cool

 

[J.A.M.]

Looks very interesting! I do have a few questions. What's the generalization for how people are taking part in the construction of the new constitution, a dozen, dozens, a hundred or what? Do interest groups vote as one or are there separate voting blocs within each? Can you elaborate on what you mean by a majority, in relation to passing individual bills? What do the first and second value of the upkeep of the armies mean? I'm confused on who we play, we are politicians yes, but are we making the constitution and/or employing it and/or and/or building support for a faction and/or passing bills and/or fighting wars and/or dealing with foreign diplomacy and/or doing something else? What would a turn look like, is it freeform writing and/or are there certain points that have to be covered each turn either mechanically or otherwise? I think I have a lot more questions depending on how these turn out to be

 

[Shadowbound]

Looks very interesting! I do have a few questions. What's the generalization for how people are taking part in the construction of the new constitution, a dozen, dozens, a hundred or what? Do interest groups vote as one or are there separate voting blocs within each? Can you elaborate on what you mean by a majority, in relation to passing individual bills? What do the first and second value of the upkeep of the armies mean? I'm confused on who we play, we are politicians yes, but are we making the constitution and/or employing it and/or and/or building support for a faction and/or passing bills and/or fighting wars and/or dealing with foreign diplomacy and/or doing something else? What would a turn look like, is it freeform writing and/or are there certain points that have to be covered each turn either mechanically or otherwise? I think I have a lot more questions depending on how these turn out to be

1) Every player is assumed to lead a faction of like-minded politicians, represented by clout. Since clout is going to be equal among all players at the constitutional convention, representing the ad hoc and somewhat random nature of who shows up, it's just one player one vote.

2) Interest groups don't vote, interest groups back players. If an interest group has internal fissures it may split.

3) A majority is 50%+1. If there's a tie, have fun with a constitutional crisis until you sort out how that works. If you don't vote at all you just abstain.

4) The first value of the army is how much to keep it in the field, its upkeep. The second value is how much to increase its strength, its replacement.

4) You are politicians who are making the constitution as part of the faction. The actual fighting of the wars is in the hands of the army, who are mostly not politicians, though they may follow a strategy set by the Defense Ministry. Players write legislation and potentially conduct diplomacy internally and externally.

5) A turn will look like this: players with a government portfolio will have special briefings giving them different options/spending i.e. the foreign minister will be sat down and told what the diplomats are up to. Some players may get ad hoc versions of that. Everyone (except Exiles) gets to write and vote on legislation. When a deadline hits everything gets summed up and we move to the next turn. There will be an out of game deadline to wrap up legislation and send faction orders, though key input from government players will probably needed to progress.

 

[ZeletDude]

I'm just dropping in to say hi and see if there is anyone around who still remembers this old fool

 

[JohannaK]

hard to forget

 

[ZeletDude]

Hopefully that is a positive thing. Good to see you my old friend!

 

[Tee Kay]

bonsoir i remember 'cause I think we're still friends on facebook