[IAAR] Realpolitik: 2017

[Lighthearter]

Once, there was Realpolitik. It was good.

Yay! said the people. Realpolitik!

Then there were sequels. They were not so good.

Boo! said the people. Bring back real Realpolitik!

And some listened, and some did. I cannot name all those who made the effort and put in the work here, for I was adrift in the sea of my own uncertainties, banished of my own volition from this genre I had forged, driving myself higher in my pursuit of off-forum dreams and ice cream.

Yay! said the people. Ice cream is good! Why don't we have ice cream?

But now I have returned, and though I do not bear ice cream-

Boo! said the people! Ice cream!

-I do bear something not seen in a long time. In my exile, I was gifted a vision, and in that vision I was naked on a ferris wheel, screaming my hate while llamas danced around me. This has nothing whatsoever to do with this thread, I just thought I'd share. But I won't share my ice cream. Get your own.

I have quite forgotten how I was moving from A to B to Q to '17, but '17 is where we have arrived, by the circuitous circumlocutions of fate and ferris wheels.

Realpolitik '17.

Hold on to your knickers.

***

Game: Civilization 6
Country and Leader: Arabia and Saladin
Difficulty: King
Map Type: Continents
Mods: None

I possess Poland.

RULE NUMBER ZERO: The will of the GM is absolute. If I ever post in BOLD RED, this is your cue to straighten up. I have full and absolute rights to cancel elections, ban players, void the results of elections, leak political secrets, and a whole lot of other stuff. I sound pretty stern there, but that'll only come up if you drive me to it. Play nice, respect your other players, be kind even to people who don't deserve it, and LISTEN when I nudge, so that I don't have to slam the BOLD RED down in your face.

RULE NUMBER ONE: Democracy is absolute. Even if your party is a nazi party, or a crazy religious party, or crazy technologists, or communists or imperialists...you MUST hold elections as mandated. Refusing to step down is not an option.

RULE NUMBER TWO: No use of a complaint generator. This is just a personal grievance of mine - spam is terrible, and if you have a beef with another player over in-game policies, articulate it in your own words. And if you don't know what a complaint generator is, well, you won't use it so we all win.

Terminology:
A "Turnset" is 25 turns, and then a thread update showing what has happened in those turns.
A "Term" is a full 50-turn Presidency.
The "Inaugural" Turnset is the period immediately after the election, but before I play the Turnset Plan. This is a period for thread actions.
The "Midterm" Turnset is the period immediately after the mid-term update and during the Council Elections, where the Opposition, President and old Council can make new thread actions.

Who the hell are YOU?

Spoiler :

My name's Lighthearter. You can call me LH. Everyone does, except my mother and my wife. I've been GMing for seven straight years now, whether RPs, IOTs, ACs, DND games, or other ill-fated projects. I'm as close as you can come to an authority on the Realpolitik genre, since I was there when it was first invented on the Paradox forums, and without tooting my own horn too badly, I've run a lot more of them than the original creators did.

My resume includes six Realpolitiks, that many IOTs at least, countless ACs, and a bunch of one-shot ideas I never managed to make full game concepts. I am your GM for this ride, and also the "Election Moderator", who will arbitrate rules and declare a formal winner in every election.

I spend my free time from GMing teaching martial arts and writing books. My sig contains a link to my online serial projects, in case you have no taste and a lot of free time.

My steam username is Lighthearter, and feel free to add me if you would like. I can also be found in this chatroom of mine on a semi-regular basis.

What is Realpolitik?

Spoiler :

Realpolitik is a game genre that originated on the Paradox Forums(all credit to TRP!). Originally created for Hearts of Iron II, I was the one who converted the concept for Civilization 4 in early 2010. In it, one player is the President, in full command of the nation we are playing in game. However, this is not a Succession Game, and the President must operate THROUGH me, by sending me a PM with turnset orders contained within. The opposition can take actions to interfere with the President's plans if they disagree, the Vice President has agency of his/her own, and new to this installment of the series, the NATIONAL COUNCIL has their own options for exerting their will on the nation.

In essence, our goal is to win - but we must work together to find the best path forward. In addition to the bland in-game number crunching a president must do, there will be random curveball events flung his/her way, right from my demented imagination.

Okay, so how do I join? How do we play?

Spoiler :

Just state you're joining! If you want to, create a Political Party as well. There can be Ten Parties. Or you can join a party someone else has made...or you can remain an independent voter, though only a member of a party can be President or Vice President.

I highly discourage founding a party virtually identical in stance to one that already exists. I will allow it if there are no different parties wishing to be founded, but if space becomes an issue, some parties might find themselves merged or disbanded by the Election Moderator. Ye have been warned.

If you are joining at game start, place a vote for what country and map type we are playing on. I am currently THINKING I will play on Standard Size, because my computer struggles to handle that size but CAN do it. I cannot be talked into anything larger because of my spec limitations, but I could be talked DOWN to Small if that was the will of the playerbase. My GM Vote is worth 2 player votes and counts as a tiebreaker as well, but I will respect the will of the playerbase if I am out-voted.

In an election, you have two votes. You may not vote twice for the same Party(For details, see next section). You may not change your vote after it has been cast. To vote, you must post in the thread that you have voted, in bold. You can officially state your votes there, or you can send your votes to me in PM, each Party bolded. You may not outright lie about who you voted for if you send PM votes, but you may imply what is not true or refuse to answer.

If you're a Party member or independent, that's all that's necessary. However, if you're a party leader, you've got more to do, and if you're not, you need to understand what the dummies in charge are doing, so saddle up for the next section!

Becoming President For Dummies: (Electoral rules)

Spoiler :

Okay! It's election season! Pull out the bumper stickers and the arsenal of politically-motivated uncalled-for insults that degrade the humanity of the opposition while ignoring the issues and reducing complicated realities to simple buzzwords!

The first election will be held on Turn 25, after I've had a chance to get our civ set up in basic form. Until I play that far into the game and post the update for it, you'll all have the chance to settle your positions and engage in spirited debate about what to do next and what our focus should be. As always, keep it civil and kind.

If you are the sitting President, you may not run for President or be Vice President. However, you may run for non-consecutive terms.

Every player, regardless of whether they are in a party, possesses two votes in an election. You may not vote for a person, but for rather a party. As stated above, you cannot double-vote for the same party. You might be asking "but LH, doesn't that mean we have to vote for two different Presidential candidates?" Ah, you hypothetical player, here is the meat of the game: Coalitions. Two or more parties may join hands in a Coalition, and this is the platform that puts up a candidate for the presidency. All votes for all component parties in the Coalition will be counted together for the final tally...but there are some details that must be considered. We'll get to those in a minute.

Let's say you've formed a coalition. Congratulations! You and your newfound allies have your eyes on the presidency, and you want to take it. First, you pick someone to be President from your little gang. Let's say it's you. You're handsome and smart enough. I believe in you! Now you've fulfilled the basic requirements to run: a coalition of 2+ parties backing a single candidate, who is a member of one of the member parties. Formally announce your candidacy, and the name of your backing coalition, in bold print. The leaders of your coalition-mate parties will need to confirm their support in bold as well, just to be safe.

Your next task is to pick a Vice President. For details on what this person does, check their section below. The short of it here is that they are your Number Two, your second-in-command in case the worst happens while you are in office. It's a prestigious position. Offer it wisely, as you might be able to swing some additional votes from giving it to an independent party...or solidify your base by giving it to a friend. This does not have to be done at the same time as you announce your candidacy, but must be done before you can assume office.

Now, your goal is to win votes. Invoke a politician's arsenal! Make promises you don't intend to keep, unleash buzzword offensives, muddy the waters and avoid clarifying your plans. Run your campaign however you see fit, and exert as much control as you wish and your allies will permit over operations. Don't forget you have votes too! Use them! Hope for Endorsement from the sitting President or Opposition Leader, or Endorse yourself if applicable!

At some point in the week-long election process, you will be presented with either a request for an interview or a summons to a debate, either one hosted by myself. You may choose not to participate, but I will be armed with questions from voters of all affiliations, and it might be your chance to win some votes and show up your opponent. All questioners will remain anonymous.

Over the election, I will post periodic updates that tally all votes so far cast. Votes cannot be changed once cast, but parties may withdraw from coalitions mid-election and join up with new ones. Secret votes will be listed to the side as a number, but not assigned until the final update, where I calculate the results.

The winner must fit my criteria three:

• They have the most votes, even if only by 1
• They have at least 40% of the total cast vote behind them
• They have formally announced their candidacy and picked a Vice President

Electoral Tie Rules:

Spoiler :

If any candidate fits all three of those categories, they become President. If no candidate fits all three, for any reason, we enter a condition known as an Electoral Tie(Opposition Strength increases by +1[More on this in the Opposition section]). I will call both Presidential candidates together into chat or a PM thread, and we will attempt to negotiate a solution. If this reaches an impasse, the election will be resolved either by myself or the National Council. This also increases OS by an additional +1, regardless of the result.

The National Council will vote if they are chosen, whereas I will use a 50-50 RNG. If the candidates cannot agree on whether the election resolution goes to the NC or myself, I will RNG that, but it will be weighted in favor of the NC. 60-40 is the number in my head, but I may increase that slightly as I consider balance ramifications.

If the winner has less than 60% of the overall vote, it is considered a Close Victory, and Opposition Strength increases by +1 under the new Opposition Leader. Details are in the Opposition section.

The candidate that comes through this process the winner, however it happens, is the President of the Nation! Congratulations! Break out the beer and cake! Call your girls/guys! Celebrate!

If you lost...well, you're the Opposition Leader now, most likely. Stay strong, and start planning your opposition to the President's moves.

Skip ahead to the Administration, Vice President, or Opposition section now, whichever one you have fallen into.

BEING President For Dummies: (The ADMINISTRATION)

Spoiler :

You won! Congratulations!

Now what?

Well, here is your first and greatest responsibility: creating the Turnset Plan. This is a plan for the next 25 turns of gameplay, assembled based on screenshots I have posted and conversations with me via Steam or chat or thread or PM. I will be happy to provide any information I have access to in-game if you request it. You are in full command of the nation's resources for this timeframe, however you must remember you rule indirectly.

When you have completed your Turnset Plan, you must send it to the three members of the National Council(and me, of course) via PM. They will then deliberate on the plan, and are not required to keep you in the conversation(though they MUST keep me in the loop). Finally, they will vote, and if they are in favor of your plan, it will be put into action as soon as I am ready to play it. If they are not in favor, you must assemble a new plan. See the National Council section for details.

If it's approved, woo! I can either simply rely on your PM and make my best guess as to your intention if curveballs appear over the 25 turns of your plan, or we can stay in touch over Steam as I play, if our schedules mesh. That's entirely up to you, but if scheduling proves difficult, I will not hold up the game for very long just to keep us in touch. You can also detail your Vice President to oversee the turn-by-turn through Steam if that works better.

That's the in-game portion of your duties. However, the Opposition can take actions too, and so can the National Council. You have your own arsenal of actions you can perform in the thread game for your own benefit. Actions must be announced in thread, in Bold.

Each action can be performed only once in your Presidency, and you may only perform one action per turnset barring special circumstances.
EXCEPTION: Either the President or Vice President may Endorse a National Council candidate without it costing their Midterm Action. The President has priority if both attempt to claim this free use.

The Pride Medal: This is our country's highest honor, and it provides an additional vote in the next Presidential election to whomever you award it to - though it does not eliminate the restriction on voting twice for a single party.
Early Elections: You may, in the Midterm(NOT immediately after being elected), choose to step down and hold new elections immediately, to be resolved at the same time as the Council Midterms. You may run in this early election if you so desire, but you run the risk of...losing.
Endorsement(President) : This power may ONLY be used during a Presidential Election. You declare one formally-announced, qualified candidate your pick to be the next leader of the nation. This awards them one extra vote in the election, and if they lose, they automatically become Opposition Leader.
Endorsement(Council) : This power may ONLY be used during a Midterm Election. You declare a candidate your pick to sit on the National Council, which is worth two votes in their favor.
Lean On National Council: You can exert pressure on the National Council and force them to perform one of their thread actions, though it will not cost one of their actions. The Vice President gains a seat on the Council and a vote for this action only.
Judicial Legislation: By sponsoring and passing legislation related to the National Council, you may take away one of their actions for this turnset, or provide them with an additional one, at your discretion.
Council Shakeup: You may use this power to immediately remove one member of the National Council from their seat, on the Inaugural Turnset only, and then appoint a willing replacement to fill the rest of their term. If the new Council rules this action illegal, it is overturned and you may not vote in the next Midterm election.
Delegitimize Opposition: You may use this power to immediately drop Opposition Strength by 1.
Opposition Legislation: By sponsoring and passing legislation related to the Opposition, you may take away their action for this turnset, or provide them with an additional one, at your discretion.
Imprison Opposition Leader: If you so desire, you may order the Opposition Leader imprisoned. This takes one vote from them in the next Presidential Election and prevents them from performing any Opposition Actions as long as you are President(However, the Opposition may elect a new Leader who may take actions on the Midterm, if you use this power on the Inaugural Turnset). If the National Council votes on this action and comes down in your favor, the OL loses both votes in the next election. If the NC votes against you, you lose one vote next election in penance, and the Leader walks free, suffering no penalties.
Fire Vice President: You may immediately fire your Vice President and appoint a replacement. Useful if someone else forces their man into his job, for you to eject the newcomer and reappoint the old guy.

#2 Is More Than Plumbing, For Dummies: (The VICE PRESIDENT)

Spoiler :

Right, you were chosen to be Vice President, and in spite of himself, that guy actually won! Wow! Clearly you did it for him, right? You were the power behind the run.

Well, now you're IN power, and you better sharpen up your "power-behind-the-throne" skills. Your role is that of a support and a reserve: your #1 job is to exercise the duties of the President if he is impeached or if he winds up unable to supply a turnset plan in time. Have ideas in mind just in case, but hope you're never needed.

However, you do have a secondary role: an extremely powerful fourth political wing. Sure, on first glance, you can do very little, but your powers make for an excellent bargaining chip with the Opposition or the Council. However, that makes your job pretty inviting to both those groups, who can take actions to replace you, so make nice with your boss: the one man who can prevent you from being forced out by his enemies.

Actions must be announced in thread, in Bold.

Each action can be performed only once in your Vice-Presidency, and you may only perform one action per turnset barring special circumstances.
EXCEPTION: Either the President or Vice President may Endorse a National Council candidate without it costing their Midterm Action. The President has priority if both attempt to claim this free use.

Legislative Support: This action provides the President one additional action of his own, either in the Inaugural or Midterm Turnset.
Opposition Support: This action provides the Opposition Leader one additional action of his own, either in the Inaugural or Midterm Turnset.
Judicial Support: This action provides the National Council one additional action of their own, either in the Inaugural or Midterm Turnset.
Endorsement(Council) : This power may ONLY be used during a Midterm Election. You declare a candidate your pick to sit on the National Council, which is worth one vote in their favor. I know, it's not as powerful as the President's, but neither are you.

If you're unsatisfied with how your boss treats you, or how he is fulfilling/reneging on his promises to certain people and parties...remember that you can join the Opposition or team up with the Council at any time, and the same logic that lets the President protect you from them allows them to protect you from him.

Next 2 Posts reserved.

 

[Lighthearter]

So You Lost The Vote For President And Are Still A Dummy: (The OPPOSITION)

Spoiler :

Well...you almost had it. If only a few things had been different, you'd be putting your feet up on the Executive Desk right now, doing all kinds of unspeakable things to the portrait of that other President on the wall. Yeah, you know who I'm talking about. THAT guy. Oh well! Certainly it wasn't your fault you lost, but it's time to move forward.

If any losing candidate was Endorsed in the presidential election, they automatically become Opposition Leader. If no such chain of succession presents itself, then the Opposition must quickly vote on who their leader shall be. They will also have the chance to challenge your leadership when the Midterm starts, so be wary of betrayal.

Here is your first consideration: Opposition Strength. This is a table that affects what you can do, and what you can't do. Your options are more limited than the President's, but at the same time, you have more freedom, since you merely must REACT and set the stage for next time, rather than create and execute an agenda.

Opposition Strength starts at None(0). If the election was a Close Victory or Tie, it starts at Low(1). If the election was a tie resolved by the Council or RNG, it starts at Moderate(2).

Opposition Strength requires a certain percentage of the playerbase to have joined the Opposition to rise. The table is below. If you do not have enough of the playerbase formally declared in bold as members, you cannot raise the Opposition Strength to the next level. If you have enough players, an additional +1/+2 will be added to your starting OS without asking, enough to put you at Moderate but no higher.

Spoiler :

0 - None: There is no Opposition. Hail the President. 0-10% Playerbase.
1 - Low: The Opposition is weak, and must be grown. 11-25% Playerbase
2 - Moderate: The Opposition is healthy, but in the end, this is the President's country. 26-35% Playerbase
3 - High: The Opposition is strong, and growing. The President should be careful. 36-50% Playerbase.
4 - Severe: The Opposition is extremely strong - perhaps stronger than the President. It's time for appeasement or change. 51%+ Playerbase.

Here are the actions you can perform, each one listed under what OS level is required to perform it. Actions must be announced in thread, in Bold.

Every action may only be performed once during the administration of a president, and you may only perform one action per turn. EXCEPTION: The Adjust Opposition Strength action may be performed once for free each Turnset.

None:
Adjust Opposition Strength: You may raise or lower Opposition Strength by one, if you have the playerbase to support it.
Lay Opposition Groundwork: This action does nothing immediately, but it allows the Opposition Leader, regardless of who it is, to perform two additional actions on top of their normal ones on the next turnset. You may take your free use of Adjust Opposition Strength as well.
Low:
Endorsement(President) : This power may ONLY be used during a Presidential Election. You declare one formally-announced, qualified candidate your pick to be the next leader of the nation. This awards them one extra vote in the election, and if they lose, they automatically become Opposition Leader.
Endorsement(Council) : This power may ONLY be used during a Midterm Election. You declare a candidate your pick to sit on the National Council, which is worth two votes in their favor.
Moderate:
Legislative Voice: By leveraging the Opposition's power in government, you may lock the Administration off from using one of their abilities for this entire term, or you may use this power for rapprochment and provide the President an additional action.
Lean On National Council: You can exert pressure on the National Council and force them to perform one of their thread actions, though it will not cost one of their actions. Unlike the Presidential power, you do not gain a seat on the action to be deliberated.
Appoint Negotiator: With this power, however, you can appoint a declared Opposition member your Negotiator on the National Council, who must be included in all their discussions and votes, even if he may only vote on whether to approve or deny the President's turnset plan.
High:
Impeach Vice President: You must choose whether to put this one before the playerbase or the National Council. Whichever one you choose must pass a majority vote in favor. If successful, you may appoint a new Vice President to take the place of the old one.
Council Shakeup: You may use this power to immediately remove one member of the National Council from their seat, on the Inaugural Turnset only, and then appoint a willing replacement to fill the rest of their term. If the new Council rules this action illegal, it is overturned and you may not vote in the next Midterm election.
Recall Election: You may call for a Recall Election, which, if carried by at least 50% of the playerbase, immediately triggers an election. May only be performed on the Midterm.
Severe:
Impeach President: Things are bad, man. Like, bad. This requires either 50%+ of the playerbase to vote in favor, or the National Council to rule on your behalf(NC takes precedence if the two groups come to different conclusions), but if it is approved by a majority vote, you immediately take the place of the President. May only be performed on the Midterm.

Oh You're A Dummy That Doesn't Want To Be President?(The NATIONAL COUNCIL)

Spoiler :

Okay, that president and opposition stuff looks intense, doesn't it? Let's take it down a notch. Whether because you're a true independent who wants a voice, or because you're a sycophantic lackey to either the President or the Opposition who wants to help them pass their agenda, you've decided the world of lower-level politics and the National Council is for you. Remember, just because you're not President, doesn't mean you aren't making a difference!

First and foremost...what the heck is the National Council? Well, there are three members, elected in the midterm. They deliberate privately or publicly, in threads or PMs or chats, on what actions to take and whether to vote Yea or Nay on them. Every session of the Council, the single longest-serving Council member holds the title of Speaker of the Council, and thus decides what actions the Council will take. In the event of a Yea-Nay-Abstain tie or a 2-2 tie for a Negotiator or Lean On National Council decision, the Speaker serves as the tiebreaker. If there is no single longest-serving member, the President and Opposition Leader may each forward a Councilman for the Speakership, and if one does not allow the other to make the appointment, an RNG will be used.

So, now, what does the National Council do? It has two actions per turnset, to do...a wide array of things, actually. Its primary duty is to review the turnset plan proposed by the President and either accept it or send it back for alterations, but the Council has three other functions.

• In the event of a tied election, the Council is most likely the body that will decide the next President.
• The Council may rule on the legality of any thread action performed by the Administration or the Opposition, but ONLY if a player not on the NC challenges the action. Imprisonment and Impeachment actions may be ruled on without a challenge, as can a VP Impeachment placed before the Council by the Opposition Leader. The latter of these will not take a Council action to rule on, but the former two will.
  
• The Council has a list of actions below that it can perform.

So, with that in mind - here's how you get ON the Council:

Members of the National Council are elected in the Midterm, via preferential voting. For the Americans on this thread, that means you make a list of who you want on the Council, ranked from your most likely pick on down. All first-pick votes are added, and the candidate with the least is eliminated. Everyone who voted for them is now counted as voting for their second pick, and so on and so forth until we have 3 electoral winners.

So, for example, if Bob and Alice and Steve are running, you post your vote as:

1 - Bob
2 - Alice
3 - Steve

If overall, Bob has the least votes, he is disqualified from the election. At that point, you are counted as having voted for Alice, since she is your second pick. Repeat until only 3 candidates are left.

So if you want to be on the National Council, announce your candidacy in bold, just like the presidency. However, you do not require the support of a coalition or even a party. Whether you wish to run in support of the Administration or Opposition or just as an Independent is your own choice. Judge the ground and the mood of the voters. You may run for consecutive terms on the Council, and the only term limit is how long the voters are willing to put up with you. Unless, of course, the President or Opposition Leader uses Shakeup to force you out...but that could be useful political ammunition in the next election. Silver linings, huh? You could also make nice with the other of the two, so that if you do wind up forced out, your friend will immediately force your replacement out and put you back in.

Now, let's say you've won. Now what? If you're not the Speaker, you can express your preferences to him, but he's ultimately the one who picks what the Council's doing next...with the exception of the turnset plan review. The President will PM that to you and your colleagues, and you may deliberate on whether it is acceptable for a short period before voting and either approving it or sending it back for revisions. However, sending it back takes one of the Council's actions. Approving it does not.

Below is the list of National Council actions. The Speaker chooses what actions are performed. Actions must be announced in thread, in Bold.

Remember that all National Council actions require the Council to vote in favor of performing them before they take effect. The Council cannot perform the same action twice on the same Turnset.

Council Term Limits: The Council may issue a verdict that members of the Council may only serve two consecutive terms, or repeal a previous ruling of such.
Presidential Term Limits: The National Council may rule that Presidents may run for consecutive terms, or repeal a previous ruling of such. LIMIT - 2 terms in a row.
Secret Ballot Laws: The National Council may rule that Secret Voting is illegal and prohibit use of that mechanic, requiring all votes to be posted publicly. This action may also be used to repeal said ruling.
Campaign Review: The National Council may only perform this action during an ongoing Presidential election(it will cost one of their actions for the Inaugural Turnset). The Council will vote on which of the running candidates to support with a Council Endorsement, worth 1 additional vote.
Ban Endorsements: The Council may rule that Endorsements are unfair manipulation of elections, and in a blanket move, ban all Endorsement actions from Presidential and Midterm elections. Or...they can repeal said move.
Legislative Reform: The Council can take it upon themselves to provide an additional thread action to the Opposition, National Council, AND the Administration in either the Inaugural or Midterm turnset. Both variants may be performed. It may also be repealed. It does not effect the current turnset or the immediate next one.
Opposition Review: Through use of this action, the National Council may immediately lower Opposition Strength by one.
Rule on Imprisonment: Without a challenge, the National Council may rule on the legality of the President imprisoning the Opposition Leader. For details, see the Administration section and the Imprisonment action.
Rule on Impeachment: Without a challenge, the National Council may rule on whether to Impeach the President or not if the Opposition Leader has brought a case forward. For details, see the Opposition section and the Impeachment action.
State of Emergency: The National Council may declare the country in a state of emergency, which cancels the next Presidential election and extends the President's mandate to effectively encompass 2 full terms. It may also be repealed.
Replace Vice President: The Council may vote to replace the Vice President with a player of their own choosing. This action may only be performed once per Presidential term.

Doing None Of The Above But Still Playing Because You're Not A Dummy(Being Independent)

Spoiler :

Well, that sounds like a lot of work. What if you want to play the game but don't want to deal with any of that crap? TOTALLY DOABLE! Join the cool kids' club. You can be an independent voter, or just a simple party member with no higher aspirations, for as long as you want. No one will judge you, and in fact everyone running for office will kiss your feet if you'll vote for them. Don't let that go to your head, though!

Just vote in any election, and on any measure of impeachment or recall vote that comes up. Be informed about what various people want and what the in-game situation is. Or, don't, and just vote randomly. I'm not your mother.

All The Little Details I Didn't Mention Above, And Some Ice Cream To Enjoy With Them...Dummy:

Spoiler :

In general, I expect each Turnset to last roughly a week, with me playing the plan either on the weekend or Monday morning, and then the rest of the week for debate and thread actions until I play the next one. This means that our cycle will look like:

Week 1: Presidential Election. Begins with the posting of the final turnset of the last administration, and carries on for about a week. Winner announced on the next weekend. President and OL may Endorse, and National Council may use Campaign Review.
Week 2: Inaugural Turnset. Begins with the announcement of the formal winner of the election, and carries on until the next weekend as thread actions and plans are performed. Opposition and Administration may take one action, as may the Vice President. National Council may take two.
Week 3: Midterm Election. Begins with the posting of the first turnset update. Midterms run from that moment until the next weekend, while the old National Council may take two actions as normal. The President and Opposition Leader and Vice President may each take a single action barring outside factors.
Week 4: Presidential Election again. See Week 1.

Next post reserved for information lists.

 

[Lighthearter]

Nation: Arabia
Turn: 25

President: Celticfury
Vice President: Patchy

Opposition Leader: Muhabir
Opposition Strength: Low

National Council:
-Speaker N/A
-N/A
-N/A

Parties:

The Common Man's Party(CMP) - National Ummah:

Spoiler :

The CMP shall act as a voice for the common man and ensure that they are able to provide for their family, that [Nation Adjective Here]'s values are protected, and that the government does not waste [Nation Adjective Here] lives and treasure on foreign adventures.

Leader: Patchy
Members: None Yet

The Party for Planned Prosperity(PPP) - National Ummah:

Spoiler :

For the nation to thrive, a strong dedication to trade and urban development must be of priority. The PPP will also advocate for a strong hand in international affairs, for the nation's benefit.

Leader: Celticfury
Members: None Yet

The Anti-Socialism Party(ASP) - National Ummah:

Spoiler :

[The ASP believes] that most people are uneducated pi- (clears throat) sorry, proletarians who are confounded by the workings of upper government and are thus not fit to force an alteration in their works. Our nation must remain strong, and therefore be the guiding hand of our people, leading them to our glory.

Leader: Wyverncraft
Members: Dem Taqat

The Hashashin(HA) - National Ummah:

Spoiler :

The Hashashin believe that our freedoms, faith and unique form of government must be defended at all costs. And that the best defence is a good offence. That is why we advocate for an aggressive expansionist policy, conquering those who are a threat and bringing their people liberty. We must also be on guard from tyranny brewing within Arabia, which is why we will never support moves towards authoritarianism.

Leader: Ninjacow
Members: None Yet

The Mu'tazilite Party(TMP) :

Spoiler :

We are the Mu'tazilites, who have vowed to defend the power of reason in the age of faith and to uphold faith and humanity even where total adherence to reason reigns. For any society which strays away from The Right's path and becomes trapped in worldly excesses is doomed to be struck down, just as any society which rejects the potential of its own mind in search of false piety or adherence to scripture is bound to perish!

Leader: Muhabir
Members: Alperoot

The Good Faith Party(GFP) :

Spoiler :

[The Good Faith Party] is not a traditional political party, in that rather than a party platform espousing a cause, it has a mission statement: to ensure that the sitting Administration doesn't run from their promises! As such, we will seek influence through the National Council, so that we may keep an eye on the Administration and keep them honest.

Leader: Magnive
Members: Dot80, West India Man

The Jewish Party of Arabia(JPA) :

Spoiler :

Our great country is chosen by God to amass wealth, and will do everything to fill our coffers. Our party supports trade, settling near luxuries that give gold and pillaging. We will aim to get Judaism accepted as the state religion of Arabia and take beliefs that give gold.

Leader: TheLegend27
Members: None Yet

Coalitions:
The National Ummah(PPP/CMP/ASP/HA)

Update History:
The Lighthearter Administration, '1-'25
Election '25!(Winner: Celticfury)
The Celticfury Administration('26-'50) (Midterms '50) ('51-'75)
Election '75!


You are free to post. Let's do this thing.

 

[NinjaCow64]

Sub post. I vote for France. Will make a party when we determine which nation we are doing.

 

[Celticfury]

Joining initially as an independent. Voting for France.

 

[Magnive]

Naturally signing up as well! I'll join the bandwagon and cast a vote for France.

Additionally, I'll be founding the Good Faith Party. It is not a traditional political party, in that rather than a party platform espousing a cause, it has a mission statement: to ensure that the sitting Administration doesn't run from their promises! As such, we will seek influence through the National Council, so that we may keep an eye on the Administration and keep them honest.

 

[JohannaK]

Another Realpolitik! It's been so long... I'll check again after my last exam Thursday and decide for good whether I'm in or not.

 

[Terran Empress]

oooh Realpolitik, subbing, I don't really have a prefrence on country, tho it looks like France is Popular, i'll create a party later

 

[NinjaCow64]

I'm bored so I will make my party right now. I'll change it if we don't end up doing France.

Name: La Gironde
Ideology: We must conquer the whole world to ensure freedom and liberty for all people of Earth. However, we must not compromise our democratic ideals while spreading our glorious revolution.

 

[Lighthearter]

La Gironde and the Good Faith Party added to the rolls. Welcome, everyone!

If you aren't sure whether to join...give it a shot! It'll be fun

Votes:
Nation:
France: 3 Votes
Arabia: GM(2)
Egypt: 0

Map Type:
Continents: GM(2)

 

[Patchy]

Joining, will vote for Arabia as our civ since French bonuses seem a bit lackluster, Continents preferably.

Furthermore I will create the Common Man's Party (CMP). The CMP shall act as a voice for the common man and ensure that they are able to provide for their family, that [Nation Adjective Here]'s values are protected, and that the government does not waste [Nation Adjective Here] lives and treasure on foreign adventures.

 

[dot80]

Joining as independent for the time being. I will vote for France and Continents.

 

[Celticfury]

After some consideration, I will be changing my vote for civ to Arabia, and placing a vote for Continents map type.

I would also like to establish the Party for Planned Prosperity (PPP). For the nation to thrive, a strong dedication to trade and urban development must be of priority. The PPP will also advocate for a strong hand in international affairs, for the nation's benefit.

 

[Lighthearter]

CMP and PPP added. Welcome all!

Votes:
Nation:
Arabia: GM(2)+2=4
France: 3 Votes
Egypt: 0

Map Type:
Continents: GM(2)+3=5

Voting ends Sunday.

 

[Wyverncraft]

Hey, there's still time!

I vote for France.

And just for the hell of it, I'll be making a party too.
The Anti-Socialism Party

We believe that most people are uneducated pi- (clears throat) sorry, proletarians who are confounded by the workings of upper government and are thus not fit to force an alteration in their works. Our nation must remain strong, and therefore be the guiding hand of our people, leading them to our glory.

 

[Lighthearter]

Welcome all! Arabia currently leads in a 4-4 tie with France, due to the GM vote serving as a tiebreaker. If no one has voted for Egypt by tonight, I'm going to formally remove them from the running. Kudos to Wyverncraft as well, for being the sixth player to formally join(Johanna and TE I didn't want to take for certain just yet), putting us at my minimum player count. Next goal is 10.

If I've liked your post, it's an indicator that I have seen and noted either your joining the game or establishment of a party, or both. I will be using the like feature as the game proceeds to notify players that I have seen any major developments in thread.

I suggest taking the weekend to start political rhetoric and establishing coalitions and alliances with people. Negotiations via PM or chat are perfectly acceptable. However, make sure to let me know if you found coalitions or secret groups, just so that I can be aware and add them to the spreadsheets where they need to be. I know we haven't formally chosen a country yet, but that shouldn't stop you from making some noise and settling out the electoral battle lines a bit. We'll be picking up on Turn 25, and whereas I can make no promises until I play it, I imagine we'll have a settler and a modest military at that point, simply due to my playstyle.

Voting continues until Sunday morning. At this point I feel safe calling it for a Continents map.

 

[dot80]

I have decided to formally join the Good Faith Party.

I will seek to ensure accountability from government through a post on the national council and general impartiality.

 

[Muhabir]

Well then, looks like I'll be joining in as well! My votes will be Arabia for the Civ and Continents for the map type.

Also, I have formally decided to found the Mu'tazilite Party with the following statement of purpose:

We are the Mu'tazilites, who have vowed to defend the power of reason in the age of faith and to uphold faith and humanity even where total adherence to reason reigns. For any society which strays away from The Right's path and becomes trapped in worldly excesses is doomed to be struck down, just as any society which rejects the potential of its own mind in search of false piety or adherence to scripture is bound to perish!

OOC considerations on the party: To be honest, Arabia is perfectly suited for this sort of science-faith hybrid. While chances are, we won't get to develop it nearly as much as I'd like to, it should still be a refreshing break from the traditional economically and/or ideologically motivated parties. Besides, it would only be fair for us to have a party which assumes Arabia will get the vote, after the founding of La Gironde. And seeing as how there's only room for one of us around here... May the best civ win!

By the way, just a quick suggestion: It would probably be better if the vote count in the OP counted the GM vote as well. "(GM Vote) + 2" makes it look like Arabia's losing 2-4 at first glance while the opposite is actually true.

 

[NinjaCow64]

OOC: How are we electing the National Council for the first Presidency? Will there just not be one until the midterms?

 

[Lighthearter]

There will be no NC for the first turnset, so the first presidency has a loooooot of power compared to later ones.

I'll add more to the sheet and change the vote tracking in the morning. On phone about to go to bed now. Welcome Muhabir!