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[Arx]

Perfectly valid stance!

[hops]

http://imgur.com/vptHfV3

I'm due to start drawing ellipses now, but I can't be assed so here some more planes.

Debt: 1

[hops]

http://imgur.com/GbiHLY6

Debt: 1

[hops]

Debt: 2

[WillowLuman]

Draw a penguin or other birb looking in a mirror, that counts as two cuz of the reflection right?

[hops]

I tried birb but birb is hard

http://imgur.com/0hQjVMn
http://imgur.com/ibYJtBL

How the hell does one make all the circles fit in the rows? It's? dependent? on the height? do I look like a graphic card??

And my ellipses are so fat goddammit.

Debt: 1

[hops]

I don't know if development musing counts as writing but it does now.

Preface - What is Nation States?

NationStates is a browser game concerning the management of a country/political entity based on one's own political ideals. The game is more of a CYOA rather than an actual strategy game when interaction with other states and roleplaying is ignored, as there is no way to actually lose it. The main gameplay of the game is to choose how you respond to issues, which are written by the community. You are given responses which reflect your ideal, or you are able to dismiss the issue if none of the responses fit your ideal.

Complexity in the game comes mainly from predicting the effect of these responses on the state of your nation. Your nation has three main stats, Civil Rights, Economy, and Political Freedom. There are also other "sub-stats" that can be seen on one's nation profile, such as Leading Causes of Death, and Economy (Ownership). These stats are most likely simply cosmetic, caused by choices you pick in issues.

There are more to go on with the game, but this is not the aim of this thread. However, the last thing that should be mentioned is the World Assembly. The World Assembly is a place where nations within a region vote on an issue, and allies can endorse each other to presumably increase the influence of the nation's on the decision. This political power play is perhaps one of the few strategic aspect of the game, but most of the repercussions of the World Assembly are still roleplaying.


That's nice, but you just ranted about a browser game

To go back to the purpose of this thread, that is, a forum game, we must first note what the goals are:

• To provide a GM-guided interactive narrative where the players lead a nation: As this is a forum game, and all content ultimately come from the GM (me), it is impossible to keep gameplay objective. Thus, it is not possible to make the forum game strategic in nature. Instead, it should be the format of Nation States' issue but in which the GM will make up all the issues, with perhaps suggestions in PM for issue ideas. Players may also suggest unique responses, just like in a Suggestion Game. However, there will still be premade responses so as to keep options open and not require players to spend too much time exploring options. The options may also evolve to suit the nation's unique state, and its relations with foreign powers.
• To provide a dynamic suggestion game: As most suggestions games get bogged down by voting, and as picking options depending on the GM's whims is not possible in this particular forum game, there must be a system that allow the game to move quickly without being too taxing on the GM, or limit the interaction of less active players.
• To allow the player to roleplay: While the players' roles within the game are yet undecided, the aim of the game is to allow them to roleplay, whether as ministers, priests, conspiracy theorists, journalists, individually. Or allow them to play as foreign states with coordination from the GM, or other form of roleplaying.

So what is this thread for?

While I have stated my goals, I have yet to work out the mechanics. Then there is also the intricacies of stats that should be adapted from NationStates to suit my needs. (Something that shouldn't be worried upon too much by the players, however)

Thus, this thread will be my discussion of the mechanics, with, hopefully, inputs.

Debt: 1

[hops]

http://imgur.com/lfa7nYp

ELLIPSES WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME

Debt: 1

[hops]

Debt: 2

[hops]

http://imgur.com/OxVXT2T

Honestly, I'm starting to get frustrated. Should I move on or should I keep doing the ellipses? They just don't look good.

Debt: 2

[Nirur Torir]

There's no sense in repeating the same exercise once it gets frustrating. Just try the funnel thing and move onto boxes, maybe draw a small handful of ellipses every few days.

[hops]

https://imgur.com/a/q3Vzo

Debt: 2

[hops]

Debt: 3

[hops]

http://imgur.com/acW4Ahd

Debt: 3

[hops]

Log 3 - Parallel to god games, winning/losing conditions, and NPCs

These logs have been hilariously short lately so I'm going to start discussing related topics together.

First off, Nation States is a sandbox. A good example of sandbox in FGRP are god games. Which inevitably dies off because there's no goal or winning condition.

Urist McScoopbeard asked about what the point of the game is. In god games, there are many players and they come up with their own missions and then step all over everyone else to complete them. In this game, the players collectively run a single state, so things are different. I already mentioned that the winning state can't really be solidified at this point. I mean, really. Let's say we wanted world domination... but what if the playerbase actually just wanted to embezzle loads of money and then escape the country? What if they want to just get their pet policies through? What if they want to just run a country really well?

Maybe there can be multiple pre-set win conditions, but that would have to be very broad to cover al lsituation, something which seems a bit of an overkill since I wouldn't know yet if anyone else would want to copy the system I will build here.

Thus, in conclusion, the win conditions will have to be ascertained in the game.

As we have discussed winning conditions, we should also discuss losing conditions. This is easier. You simply lose if the government is overthrown, or your country is under foreign control for too long. The main "enemies" are NPCs, by which I don't mean just a person, but also an entity. An NPC in this game can range from a single celebrity, an official under your employ, a very good assassin, a political organization, another country, or the World Council. The NPCs can occasionally be your allies, but most of the time they're threats that you have to keep suppressed or appeased to not lose. Most of them act within a (hidden) set of behaviors, but since I'm not a computer i reserve the rights to make the NPCs do whatever I want, as long as it tells a good story and challenge the players to consider their choices.

Debt: 3