Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Man of Paper]

Music To Get In The Mood

Discord Link

TEAM THREADS (only use the one you are joining)
UNSA Thread
SFS Thread

In the year 1911 A.C. (After Colonization) the first Great War between New World powers took place. Two large continents found themselves embroiled in a massive multifront war thanks to a convoluted series of alliances, but ultimately the fate of nations rested upon a single set of islands an a massive Fortress-City known as Harren. Unique materials could be found in the earth of these islands, and everybody desired a piece. Six years of war left their mark on the islands and the mainland continents to the north and south, ending in a ceasefire and peace treaty that largely allowed continental powers to consolidate their strength and recover while the Fortress-City and the islands it sat between gained or retained their independence, in effect becoming a buffer zone between the Continental Powers and preventing either side from gaining free access to their special resources.

To the south the Selicate Empire underwent a Communist revolution. The new government sought to secure their borders with haste, "pacifying" and eliminating perceived threats to regional security. Within a decade their influence had spread throughout their continent in some form or another, leading to the formation of a Selicate-led "alliance" of nations known as the Selicate Federation of States. While only the northern portion of the continent was considered Selicate territory, the influence they held over their satellite states and puppets was immense enough that there was hardly a difference between them.

In the north a number of like-minded nations came together to form an alliance to guarantee protection against outside aggression and increase cooperation across borders. Headed by Endicar, the military, industrial, and economic powehouse of the northern continent, the United National Security Alliance offered plenty of incentive to the various independent states to centralize their international policies (decided by a council of elected officials representing each nation). Unfortunately for a few small states that didn't subscribe to the ideas of democracy, the UNSA believed adherence to other ideals was a potentially cancerous threat that required excision. While each nation in the UNSA maintains their own identities, they are all required to adhere to the same ideals. Or else.

The year 1938 A.C. saw an unexpected arrival: a massive fleet from the Old World, a singular continent constantly embroiled in warfare that the New World had not contacted since leaving to colonize all those years ago. Led by an unlikely alliance of nations, this invasion fleet assaulted the Harren Islands in force, striking the main cities of the Abberan northern island, the Salviosi south, and the Fortress-City itself. This blitz conquered the islands before the two Continental Powers could come to an agreement on how to handle the invasion, and unfortunately these invaders proved extremely capable in the ways of warfare on land, at sea, and in the air (a side effect of the cycle of endless wars). Attempts to counterinvade the Harren Islands proved fruitless and extremely costly for the aligned Continental Powers. By the Spring of 1941 the Old World invaders had managed to grab solid footholds on the continents, so the decision was made to disregard the lives of noncombatants and engage in "total war". The occupied cities of Abbera and Salvios were pummeled by a massed flight of bombers that the largely navy-centric invaders couldn't quite respond to or replicate in kind. The invaders were weakened and their expeditionary forces on the continents withdrew to the Harren Islands. Still, the invaders proved impossible to dislodge thanks to the local Special Resources as well as their own unique materials transported from overseas (even if interdiction impacted their supply lines somewhat - the Invader fleets were still superior to the Continental Powers, just suffering from the distance to any safe ports during their travels). Another decision to disregard innocent lives was made, and a new superweapon developed by the UNSA was used on the city of Abbera.

On December 7th, 1941 at 8:15 AM a bomber referred to as the Paul Tibbets released and detonated the first nuclear device over Abbera. The city erupted in a massive blast of fire and ice as stockpiles of the invader's own superweapon-in-progress cooked off. Still, the invaders refused to surrender and so a second device was outfitted to a UNSA bomber that'd transferred to a Selicate airbase near the coast. At 11:02 AM on December 10th the bomber named SnakeAyes dropped a second nuclear bomb on Salvios, which also erupted (although with a lot more fire and an absence of frozen materials) in a devastating manner. Invader leadership refused to surrender, but those lower on the ladder weren't too keen on being erased from existence in such a manner and quickly lost faith in their leaders. The tentative alliance of war-scarred nations was falling apart and soon a general withdrawal was ordered. Some forces stayed behind, intent on completing whatever their mission was, but (finally) successful invasions from the north and south pinched the invaders until they were forced to fight and die in the city of Harren itself.

Almost immediately after the invaders were purged from the islands the ideological differences between the two Powers now sharing a border reared their heads once more. The SFS, in order to prevent an immediate outbreak of war now that they'd declared Salvios as an integrated state, withdrew from the northern half of the Fortress-City and allowed the UNSA a "fair share" of the Harren Islands. In order to solidify their border, in a very literal sense, a wall was constructed along the center of an arterial road running through the city east to west.

And now we get to today.

The last few years have been focused on recovery efforts for both Continental Powers, who have been very keen on integrating Harren's unique materials for themselves. The UNSA has been experimenting with Caelium, a material that can influence, use, affect, or otherwise interact with the forces of gravity in strange and unique ways, while the SFS has been at work with Gavrillium, a resource that acts as a potent source of energy in its many forms. Now, with most of the recovery work complete, the alliances are paying more attention to their one land border, The Wall, and what is happening beyond it. You are a member of either the Selicate Federation of States or the United National Security Alliance, and it is your responsibility to oversee and direct the actions that will affirm and cement your alliance's place as the dominant world power.

Once you read, gloss over, or ignore the rules, declare which team you are joining and head over to their thread to begin plotting. Remember to be a good sport and not to peek into the other team's thread. Below are the spoilers that will go over rules, guidelines, and what you can expect.

Spoiler: The Setting (click to show/hide)

CWAR takes place in an alternate universe on a planet of humans around the equivalent era of our Cold War. The AR is contained in a Science Fiction setting: as long as you can give a reason why something should work (more than "because it can") then it should be possible. If you're not sure about the viability of a proposal, you can always ask and I'll let you know if it's at least within the scope of the game, with a little more advice given for the first couple turns. While the game loosely follows the timeline of its predecessors, Industrialized and Mechanized Warfares, no experience with the setting is required to get involved. They do make for some good reading though, if I say so myself.

Spoiler: Caelium, Gavrillium, Special Resources, and You (click to show/hide)

Most easily defined as gravity and energy manipulating materials respectively, Caelium and Gavrillium are otherwise relatively unknown to your people and will require experimentation in order to figure out how they work. By proposing different interaction alongside desired results you can define how to use these special resources. Note that on low rolls your interaction will not go as expected, and depending on how low the roll is, the interaction could be wholly unexpected. New interactions can be paired with designs and will have negligible impact on difficulty. Unless the effect is drastic, chances are that including a new material reaction as an integral part of a design will only tip difficulty higher if it's already on the fence.

Later in the game you may gain access to two other Special Resources; Refocyte and Wellmats. Refocyte is a material that absorbs, projects, or otherwise makes use of mechanical force, while Wellmats (short for wellmaterials) can be used to manipulate sound itself (and not manipulate things using sound to do things that aren't at all sound-related). Note that any prior knowledge players have of these resources and how they work will probably be wrong, as they've been heavily rebalanced since their introduction in MWAR (octuply so in the case of Wellmats).

Spoiler: Designs/Revisions and Voting (click to show/hide)

The first phase of every turn is the "Design" phase. This is where you introduce new ideas and creations. Results of a design are based off of 2d6, with rolls of 6, 7, and 8 being equivalent. Design results are also modified by difficulty. Generally the results of a Normal Design scale as below:

Utter Failure (2): Nothing is gained but the knowledge of how not to do it next time.
Buggy Mess (3): The design functions, just not too well at all. At least some experience is gained.
Poor (4): The design can be used without being a threat to anyone handling it. Still, it is far from reliable.
Below Average (5): It works, but there is clear room for improvement.
Average (6,7,8): The design generally functions as intended.
Above Average (9): The design works, and something about it works out better than expected.
Superior (10): It works much better than intended, and a lot is learned in related fields of research.
Masterwork (11): This is the perfect design.
Unexpected Boon (12): Development of this design goes so well that some sort of extra benefit is provided to the side building it.

The difficulty of the design modifies the roll for +4 (Simple), +3 (Trivial), +2 (Very Easy), +1 (Easy), 0 (Normal), -1 (Hard), -2 (Very Hard), -3 (Theoretical), -4 (Ludicrous), or -x (Impossible). Difficulty is based off of the ambition of the design as well as how experienced you are with similar concepts. Impossible designs will always fail, but they may still result in some sort of progress on a higher roll.

Each player is allowed to vote for up to two proposed designs per phase, with the designs with the largest number of votes being rolled for. On account of an unbreakable deadlock a coin will be flipped or proper-sided die rolled depending on the number of ties in order to randomly select an option. This will only happen as a last resort, and it is preferred that players attempt to persuade one another instead.

The second phase is the "Revision" phase. Revisions use the same 2d6 and rules as designs, but are restricted to altering preexisting designs. Results on either end of the spectrum of rolls are also generally less extreme. As with Designs, each player is allotted up to two votes for favored Revisions, with the most popular Revisions being rolled for. The same rule for ties also applies.

For clarity, you produce two designs and two revisions per each of their respective phases.

Spoiler: Strategy Phase (click to show/hide)

The Strategy Phase comes after the Design and Revision Phases. The focus of this Phase changes depending on the State of the World. During the first few turns the focus of the game will be solely on the Fortress-City of Harren as intrigue and subterfuge are utilized to leverage ones own capabilities while diminishing their opponent's. When one thinks of classic Cold War Spy vs. Spy thrillers that is what the early game will represent. More details for this and the other two states will be included below. After hidden triggers are activated, the midgame begins and adds international relations and (mostly) proxy warfare in the Old World to the strategy phase alongside the Fortress-City intrigue. As time goes on and Global Tension (a mechanic you can be aware of but will not know the status of outside of hints in After-Action Reports) rises the Cold War will go hot and both sides will finally engage one another for control of the Fortress-City and the Harren Islands with all the strength they can bring to bear.

Early Game Strategy: You will have a list of locations, organizations, facilities, and people that you can take over or otherwise make to work to benefit your alliance (with direct bonuses of varying types). All points of interest start neutral. You will be able to choose to take over, purge, or secure up to two PoIs during this phase. It is VERY IMPORTANT to note that you can ONLY take over and secure PoIs on your side of The Wall, while Purges are used to remove enemy control of a PoI on their side of the border. Securing will make it more difficult, but not necessarily impossible, for a Purge to be successful. After some time passes and actions are taken we will shift to the Midgame. I'll cover all the changes that happen again when it happens, so don't worry about needing to memorize everything.

Midgame Strategy: When the midgame begins the Old World's problems will become available for you to "solve" in order to push them toward your alliance's ideology. Anything from poor infrastructure to drought-induced famine to border wars could be problems that pop up for your consideration. Each After-Action Report during this period will include a list of Old World Blues issues for you to take into consideration for the following turn's actions. Most of the work here will be positioning and preparing on a global scale for the next practically inevitable conflict, but some nations will be able to provide the Refocyte and Wellmats resources if aligned to your faction. Any issue that could result in acquiring these resources will be clearly marked. You can also choose to take a more direct approach regarding conflict resolution in the Old World - you are able to "design" military formations (special forces units, notable divisions, regiments, or armies) that can be deployed directly into conflict zones during this time. This will dramatically increase your likelihood of success if deployed to conflict zones (barring other external influences) at the cost of a greater increase in Global Tension. You will have One Action to use in the fortress-city and Two for dealing with the Old World.

Endgame Strategy: When Global Tension hits a certain limit, the team responsible for breaking that barrier will be on the receiving end of a first strike by their opponents as focus switches back from the Old World to the Harren Islands. The Endgame is your standard Arms Race, where both sides fight one another for territory along a (hopefully) shifting front line. The Fortress-City will become a flashpoint for conflict and any bonuses received from PoIs will no longer be available, but external aid may come from Old World nations depending on your actions. The Fortress-City will be fought over automatically until one side takes it completely, which means it will not take up one of the two attacks you can order on enemy territory bordering your own. Although you will initially only be able to attack North/South across the channel on the left and right sides of the islands, you will be able to declare attacks in any of the four cardinal directions so long as you border an enemy-controlled territory. You cannot "double attack" the same region.

Spoiler: World Tension (click to show/hide)

World Tension is the primary driving mechanic behind the advancement of the State of the World. While this will likely see the most significant rise during the Midgame, unsuccessful actions across The Wall in the Early Game can see it increase, and developing "strategic weaponry", superweapons, or top-of-the-line military equipment will have an impact from the start of the game until the Endgame. If players take it upon themselves to make treaties regarding arms development, breaking these treaties will also raise World Tension. It is important to remember that World Tension does not reflect your perception of the world. There are a lot of other folks in your alliance capable and, maybe eventually, willing to slap that big red button, even if you don't want to. World Tension can cool off, but does so extraordinarily slower than it increases.

Spoiler: Resources and Resource Nodes (click to show/hide)

Each sector on the Islands Map has up to three resource "nodes" that can be developed (minus the Fortress City and the Northernmost and Southernmost zones). Once during each Strategy phase a team may choose to fill a resource node in territory they control with a resource of their selection. This can be done until all nodes in occupied territory are in use. Individual nodes cannot grant more than one of the assigned resource, but multiple nodes can be assigned the same resource in a sector. Each alliance gets two of each primary resource "Off-Map" and two of their Special Resource at their furthest end of the Islands (Caelium in the Abberan Rimefields and Gavrillium in the Salviosi Scorched Cities).

There are four Primary Resources:
Ore represents the cost of an item in metals and other basic resources extracted from the earth.
Wood represents the cost of an item in lumber.
Oil represents the chemical fuel and lubricant required to run vehicles and machinery.
Fissiles are required for the construction of nuclear-based weapons and infrastructure. Adding Fissiles to a node increases World Tension.

Any design requiring a Unique Resource that is not available (if your only source of Wellmats or Refocyte is taken away) will become [Complex] or [Very Complex] if already complex. Each level of complexity increases the Expense Level of the design by one, which is as follows:

Cheap: All Resource needs are met, and the design can be used wherever desired.
Expensive: If a design lacks 2-3 Resources then it is considered Expensive and will not be fielded in large numbers.
Very Expensive: A Very Expensive design is missing 4-5 Resources, and is rarely seen in use.
National Effort: A 6-9 Resource deficit is a National Effort, allowing only one to be fielded at a time.
Theoretical: Any Resource deficit 10+ is considered theoretical and will not be built until that changes.

Note: There is no Transport Capacity to worry about. If you or your pals control it you can use it.

Spoiler: Fighting in the Land, Sea, and Air (click to show/hide)

 The six territories bordering the channel are known collectively as The Scar, and have been absolutely battered over the course of two Great Wars. The sheer damage to the environment makes it very difficult to plan and coordinate effective defenses. A single victory in these areas will result in a successful capture of the zone. The second line of territories is less damaged and somewhat more developed, requiring two victories to take/maintain control of the area and push the frontline onward. The third row on both islands is considered the final barrier between the enemy and the Theater HQ. These well-defended areas require three victories to take, but defenders will be able to push out their foes if they achieve two victories before the enemy. Once the last territory is attacked we enter the Final Stage of the game, where each player will get to create their own project in order to achieve their own personal goals.

Air Power and Naval Power are represented by various levels of control in the zones you are fighting in. Having an aerial or naval advantage increases the capabilities of your troops on the ground and will increase your chances of success. There are no "air lanes" or "sea lanes" to order attacks on.

Spoiler: The Combat Phase (click to show/hide)

The Combat Phase is where the magic happens! All you need to do is wait to see how things turn out in the AARs I write up. Note that each side will be receiving reports in their respective threads - this thread's purpose is for information, event submissions, and trash talking between the teams.

Spoiler: Strategic Weapons (click to show/hide)

Every now and then you may develop a weapon so powerful that the only means of balancing it within the context of the game is having a clearly identified limit on how many you possess and can utilize. Each team starts out with two Enriched Uranium Bombs. Strategic Weapons can be used to target enemy areas during the Endgame to devastating effect, but may also be used against Old World targets during the Midgame with a massive increase in Global Tension. This also goes for any other Strategic weapon or otherwise limited nonrenewable superweapon developed by your forces.

Spoiler: Credits (click to show/hide)

Credits are what you get for controlling various Points of Interest in the Fortress-City of Harren. Credits are used during Design and Revision Phases and must be stated clearly in the proposal for them or otherwise decided upon in a votebox. Credits you can receive are:

Expense Credit: Reduces the resource cost of a proposal.
Advantage Credit: Allows an extra 2d6 roll on a design or revision, with the highest one used for the result.
Research Credit: Drops proposal difficulty by 1 level (including Impossible proposals).
Sabotage Credit: Increases difficulty of a randomly selected enemy proposal made during the same phase by 1. The other team will be informed of this and World Tension will receive a bump based on how much the proposal fails.

Below are the Armory Spoilers for each team. They are far from what you'd expect from a global power's entire military complex. It's up to you to fill in the many gaps in manners you see fit. It's a game built around making these things yourself, after all. Note that while the armories are not carbon copies, they should be considered equal to one another. And in case it looks like some things are the same under a different name, well, that's Lend-Lease for you.

Spoiler: SFS Armory (click to show/hide)

Land
"Temnaya Vintovka" Semiautomatic Rifle: A 110 cm, 4 kg dark wood rifle. 7.7mm rounds are fed via 15-round box magazine, and can also be loaded with rounds individually through an open bolt. It has an adjustable rear sight with 100 meter increments. Effective out to 800m. It also has a bayonet lug and comes with a bayonet. Padded for operator comfort. Costs 2 Ore and 2 Wood. (CHEAP)
No.3 Fragmentation Grenade: A fragmentation grenade with a lethal radius of 5m and debilitating within 15m, but can cause injury out much further if you're (un)lucky. Has a cap that can be pulled off for a 7 second fuse or twisted and pulled for impact. Shaped like an egg, but can have a stick screwed into the bottom if desired. Costs 2 Ore. (CHEAP)

Pulemet No.4: An 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for an effective range of 1200m. Costs 4 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
Bol'shoy 108mm: A 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage and easily towable with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE and smoke rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. Costs 6 Ore. (VERY EXPENSIVE)

Salviosi Jacks: Steel beams welded together to provide obstacles for vehicles. Only usable during defense. Costs 2 Ore. CHEAP


Sea
Okhotnik-Class Destroyer: A 115m long ship with 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere. Travels at 35 knots. Armed with a triple torpedo mount and 3x2 120mm rapid firing guns capable of firing AP and APHE. Costs 5 Ore and 3 Oil. (VERY EXPENSIVE)


Air
Sakonet Fighter: A three-bladed propeller aircraft capable of reaching speeds of 690km/h. Has a high rate of climb, but suffers when it comes to horizontal maneuverability. Armed with four 23mm cannons. Costs 3 Ore and 3 Oil. (EXPENSIVE)

Lizing Li-4 Strategic Bomber: A large high-altitude bomber powered by four propellers for a maximum speed of 558 km/h. Can protect itself with 10 23mm cannons paired in four turrets and the tail barbette to provide almost total coverage. Can haul up to 6000kg of bombs or a nuclear device. Costs 4 Ore and 5 Oil. (VERY EXPENSIVE)


Other
Fabricated Papers: False identification papers that should allow relatively easy access to enemy territory across The Wall. Costs 2 Wood. (CHEAP)

Enriched Uranium Bomb: A fission bomb utilizing 64kg of Uranium-235 in order to achieve an explosive blast equivalent to 15 kilotons of TNT. Can be deployed via Strategic Bomber. Two Available [Availability based on available Fissile resources].

Spoiler: UNSA Armory (click to show/hide)

Land
UNSA Model 1936A "Median" Self-Loading Rifle: A 4.5 kg, meter long semiautomatic rifle. It fires 7.92x57mm rounds fed into the weapon by a 20-round box magazine. It has variable sights and is effective to 600 meters. Costs 2 Ore and 2 Wood. (CHEAP)
M1 Hand Grenade: A baseball-shaped hand grenade. Causes a lethal blast within 5m, and injures those within 15m. The shape allows for improved accuracy and distance with throwing, but is prone to rolling around until it detonates. Costs 2 Ore. (CHEAP)

UNSA Model 1941 "Combine" Machine Gun: Utilizes 7.92x57mm rounds on 60-round belts that can be linked together for sustained fire. The barrel rarely overheats even at it's 650 rpm fire rate, but effectiveness drops past 1000m. Costs 4 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
M2 Lawless 120mm: A 120mm artillery piece capable of HE shells. Requires significant maintenance for the uncommon-but-not-uncommon-enough event of a jam, but otherwise works well enough. Can fire shells out to 15km. Costs 6 Ore. (VERY EXPENSIVE)


Sea
Herring-Class Destroyer: A 115m long ship with 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere. Travels at 35 knots. Armed with a triple torpedo mount and 3x2 120mm rapid firing guns capable of firing AP and APHE. Costs 5 Ore and 3 Oil. (VERY EXPENSIVE)


Air
F-42 "Daedalus" Fighter: A three-bladed propeller aircraft capable of reaching speeds of 600km/h. Has a low rate of climb, but is incredibly agile. Armed with four 23mm cannons. Costs 3 Ore and 3 Oil. (EXPENSIVE)

B-43 "Barragan" Strategic Bomber: A large high-altitude bomber powered by four propellers for a maximum speed of 558 km/h. Can protect itself with 10 23mm cannons paired in four turrets and the tail barbette to provide almost total coverage. Can haul up to 6000kg of bombs or a nuclear device. Costs 4 Ore and 5 Oil. (VERY EXPENSIVE)


Other
Fabricated Papers: False identification papers that should allow relatively easy access to enemy territory across The Wall. Costs 2 Wood. (CHEAP)

Enriched Uranium Bomb: A fission bomb utilizing 64kg of Uranium-235 in order to achieve an explosive blast equivalent to 15 kilotons of TNT. Can be deployed via Strategic Bomber. Two Available [Availability based on available Fissile resources].

And finally, MAPS!

Spoiler: World Map (click to show/hide)

Key:
Red=SFS Territory
Green=UNSA Territory
Grey=Neutral Nations
Orange=Old World

Spoiler: Islands Map (click to show/hide)

Key:
Red=SFS Territory
Green=UNSA Territory
Dark Grey=The Wall
Blue=Ocean

[Maxim_inc]

Glory to the SFS!

[NUKE9.13]

I definitely remembered to declare my allegiance to SFS here, and did not need to be reminded to do so.

[Quarque]

Team casually gloss over / ignore the rules here.

I mean UNSA.

[TricMagic]

SFS reporting in.

[Powder Miner]

Also UNSA yeet

[m1895]

By the power of UNSA Prime!

[Taricus]

For the SFS!

[Funk]

Glory to United National Security Alliance!

[Kashyyk]

I have been Team Balanced to UNSA.

[ConscriptFive]

Better dead than red.  In as UNSA.

[Man of Paper]

Turn 1 Public Record

Border To Close Indefinitely

Tension between the SFS and UNSA has begun to increase in part due to ideological differences and border friction. Both the SFS and UNSA have closed their shared border to all but validated political entities and diplomatic missions until "all parties can ensure honest and above-board interaction" - something both alliances claim the other is currently incapable of. The impact on the local economy will be felt immediately, but the problems experienced by natural-born Harrenites will be felt much more deeply. The wall already split families and made travel within the city problematic, but now it will be impossible for relatives on either side of the wall to meet. Protests are being organized by Harren City citizens on both sides of the wall, and will be held on...

It's Cheap, But Is It Worth It?

By the time you read this article you will probably have already seen or heard of the new "Dallas" Carbine. Marketed as the perfect hunter's rifle, it was only a matter of time before it got into someones hands here at AHQ. At first glance it doesn't seem too different from your average rifle, but the length and weight of the "Dallas" make it fairly comfortable to lug around on an extended day out. The provided 2x scope is nice for getting a close eye on game. Accuracy is great for typical hunting ranges, but you'll have to be aware of cycling issues if any dirt or mud finds a way into the gun.

[There is a picture of the author posing knelt down and smiling next to a ten-point buck with a "Dallas" Carbine in his hands.]

Overall I'd say this is a solid rifle for hunting from covered stands or blinds, and makes a nice addition to a gun locker at its low price point. Just be a little more vigilant with cleaning than usual.

...and expect your commutes to get longer in the coming days. An increased presence of international peacekeepers and the new regulations regarding identification papers are sure to choke the flow of these already congested ancient streets. Speaking of IDs, remember to report to the nearest police station or your appropriate embassy to refile your permits with the new required information...

Vehicles and relics of wars past are rolling down a major thoroughfare in the Selicate capital. Endless lines of soldiers stretch out and fill the space between vehicles as far as the eye can see while wings of Sakonets continuously pass overhead. On display in particular are the new "Nebolshoy" 8.8mm Pistols in every holster and the Pulemet No.6 machine guns mounted on a wide spread of vehicles. While nothing in particular can be picked up about them, they certainly seem intimidating in this military parade setting.

NEW INDUSTRIAL FACILITY IN THE LOWLANDS
Recruiting manual laborers for work in mines.
Competitive benefits and on-site housing provided.
No experience necessary. Apply in person.

EXPANSION OF LOGGING OPERATIONS IN NEED OF HANDS
Seeking employees with a background in logging or transportation.
Competitive pay with Union support.
Applicants must be willing to stay on-site in the Coniferous Forest for extended lengths of time.
Exciting and high paced work environment!

[NUKE9.13]

A proposal, discussed on Discord, for a UN-esque body. This is a first draft, which I have written alone. I expect to make changes based on feedback. Once (/if) everyone is satisfied with it, we can make it official by... I guess a vote in each team thread?

Spoiler: The Perpetual Conference (click to show/hide)

The Perpetual Conference
In light of the incalculable damage that the World War has inflicted on humanity, in recognition that international disputes are inevitable yet lack a structured venue for resolution, and in defense of the basic human rights to security and prosperity, the mandate of the Provisional Conference is hereby extended in perpetuity. The United National Security Alliance and Selicate Federation of States jointly guarantee the existence and authority of the Perpetual Conference, and each accept the role as leading members thereof.

All nations are invited and encouraged to join the Perpetual Conference. Nations who refuse to do so may be subjected to sanctions by the Conference as a whole, will not be protected by the Conference, and yet will still be judged should they break any rules the Conference creates. 

All nations recognised by the Perpetual Conference shall send one delegate to the Perpetual Assembly (individual nation-members of larger national alliances or federations included), where each delegate has one vote in matters before the Assembly.
The Assembly shall be chaired by the delegate from a single nation, with the position rotating yearly. It shall be the responsibility of the Chairperson to present matters to the Assembly, to oversee discussion and voting, and to refer the conclusions to relevant Committees.
The United National Security Alliance and Selicate Federation of States each have an Oversight Seat on the Assembly, elected internally from within their respective ranks (Endicar and Selicate are the current holders). The Chairperson also has an Oversight Seat. Oversight Seats may postpone the vote on any issue before the Assembly until the matter has been reviewed by the Oversight Committee, to prevent the unrestricted ability of a large collection of nations to out-vote the rest and make damaging or unfair decisions.

Committees may be empowered by the Perpetual Conference to manage various matters of international importance. The exact role and power of each Committee is determined by the Assembly, with the exception of the Oversight and Justice Committees, which may only be altered by a unanimous vote in the Assembly.
The Perpetual Conference may collect membership dues from member nations (proportional to their GDP) to finance its regular operation. Additional funding may be sourced on a case-by-case basis for the operation of various Committees.


The Oversight Committee
The Oversight Committee consists of representatives from seven nations. Two each from UNSA and SFS, and three from nations not directly aligned with either. Its task is to ensure that the broader goals of the Perpetual Conference are not eroded- that the Conference continues to represent all nations and humanity as a whole in a fair manner, and does not empower any one nation or international block above the rest. To this end, it may review and make changes to any proposal or motion brought to the Perpetual Assembly (when referred by an Oversight Seat). Four out of the seven members must approve of any changes made before the matter can be returned to the Perpetual Assembly.
The structure of the Oversight Committee is intended to be a temporary measure. Once the Perpetual Conference has established itself, and all nations can find common ground in supporting its mission, the Oversight Committee representatives should be chosen from seven randomly-selected nations. At present, the leading roles of UNSA and SFS are necessary to secure world peace; a role they have proven their worth in through their effective resolution of the World War.


The Justice Committee
In order to enforce the resolutions of the Perpetual Conference, the Justice Committee has the ability to hold trials and penalise any nation, organisation, or individual whose actions go against the rules set out by the Perpetual Conference.
The Justice Committee is a completely neutral and impartial body, with no ties to any nation, alliance, or federation. Each nation sends one prospective judge to the Committee, who will be inducted into the laws and processes of the Justice Committee, freed from any responsibilities to their home nation, and paid generously by the Perpetual Conference. Judges are expected to police their own ranks, and expel (through a majority vote amongst all judges) any judge who abuses their position (to be replaced by a new candidate from their home nation).
Trials are overseen by a panel of 5 judges, chosen by blind lottery for each case. A majority of judges must agree on a verdict for it to be binding. If the judges cannot reach consensus, two additional judges may be added (again by lottery).
The Justice Committee is broadly free to issue whatever verdict it considers appropriate, ranging from fines, through international sanctions, to the death penalty (for individuals whose crimes against humanity are completely unforgivable).
Cases may be referred to the Justice Committee by the Perpetual Assembly, or by other Committees empowered to do so.

You might notice that this gives the player nations a lot of power to decide what the Conference does. Yes, that's the point. It gives a veneer of power to all nations, yet reserves the most important roles for a select few who won the World War. Totally unlike the UN, in other words.
The idea is that the Oversight Committee is the mechanism through which we pass the treaties we want, since it requires both teams to approve for anything to get through it.
The Justice Committee is not under our control, but is what MoP can use to dole out punishments to us if we break the rules.

Edit: Made some changes to give NPC nations more influence. The Chairperson of the Assembly can also refer things to the Oversight Committee, and the Oversight Committee has seven members- 2 UNSA, 2 SFS, 3 neutral- and requires 4/7 votes to proceed. So if UNSA and SFS agree, we can still get anything blocked or approved, but if we disagree, the NPC nations decide.

The above is actually mainly intended as a framework for this treaty, based on a suggestion by Kashyyk on Discord.

Spoiler: The Medical Committee (click to show/hide)

The Perpetual Conference agrees to the formation of a Medical Committee that will support and oversee the International Blue Heart Foundation, to ensure it remains neutral and unmolested.

The Medical Committee:
-will provide the IBHF financial backing, with both UNSA and SFS paying an equal amount into the fund.
-will have partial control of the leadership of the IBHF, with the goal of ensuring the IBHF remains politically neutral. Those considered to have ties to the governments of UNSA, SFS, or any other nation or collection of nations will be disqualified from leadership positions.
-may investigate members of the IBHF at will to ensure their non-partisan status. Infiltrators, or notable partisan-leaning members, may be removed, and possibly referred to the Justice Committee for prosecution (for the crime of jeopardising the neutral status of the IBHF).

-will give the IBHF license to operate worldwide, without regard for borders. Any nation, organisation, or individual that obstructs the IBHF in their humanitarian missions will be referred to the Justice Committee.
-will keep track of IBHF operations, and may dispatch monitors to ensure the compliance of local forces.
-may request the deployment of IBHF resources to specific regions, though the IBHF may exercise discretion as to how urgent a situation is, and allocate resources accordingly.

Any concerted effort to breach the letter or spirit of this agreement by UNSA, SFS, or any other nation or group of nations will be penalised through international condemnation, and an egregious financial penalty.

[Man of Paper]

Turn 2 Public Record

Culture and Diplomacy Ease International Tensions

On June 24th The Perpetual Conference met for the first time, and with their official formation comes the hope that diplomacy will dominate the debates between nations that so often lead to excessive bloodshed. Nations belonging to UNSA and the SFS, as well as Iava and Bryor, neutral island nations to the west of Harren, all have a seat at the table, and in the future could offer invitations (and stability) to the chaotic Old World states. In a world where nuclear war could wipe out entire cities with no hope of defending against utter annihilation, having perpetually available lines of communication regardless of the diplomatic situation outside of the Conference is an important, and some would say necessary, step to preserving the future of the human race.

But not all is done solely in the name of preventing doom! The traveling troupe known as Tsirk Neznakomtsa in their native Selicate (Circus of the Stranger to others), has been permitted the opportunity to extend their tours and performances to UNSA nations! After their last scheduled performance in Sahay Stadium in North Harren was cancelled days before their arrival thanks to the border closing, representatives for the performers were able to argue the importance of the arts, no matter their nation of origin, to members of UNSA who near-unanimously voted to permit them across the border as an "ongoing diplomatic mission". With a new performance date set for...

Busy Skies! Looking Up Has Never Been Better!

Wow! And can we say again: Wow!

Harren is truly at the center of the next great step forward in aviation! To the north we see the PC-46 Private Aircraft 'Firefly' - an amazing innovation made available to the public through UNSA and their caelium! Even the most earthbound stiff will note the plane's ability to fly and glide like no other plane before it, and this is largely thanks to the patented Levisteel airframe. Graceful, smooth, silky, all words to describe this wonderful new aircraft available to purchase now in North Harren!

But looking South sees something just as impressive! Wow! Aircraft once used to drop bombs have been modified to carry cargo. This is good news obviously, but nothing special. No, that'd be the engines! These practically silent aircraft are powered by four "Gasified Gavrilium Perpetual Revolution Output Engines". What are GGPRO Engines? How do they work? Some suspect magnets, but nobody is telling. Either way, this secret of the SFS gives these aircraft unprecedented flight time. Some rumors speculate that they may even be able to reach the Old World!

"Crisis in the Channel! A seaplane that took off from somewhere in North Harren crash-landed off the shore to the south. Although the aircraft and crew were down in clearly defined SFS territory, the UNSA Coast Guard responded to their S.O.S. with no regard to border integrity. The Coast Guard claims they picked up the call for aid on a frequency the SFS were unlikely to be scanning, but the SFS maintains that they were en route and would have been able to provide a rescue before the situation deteriorated.

Police are asking for help in identifying a body found in an empty lot on 8th and Aren. Firefighters made the grisly discovery after responding to a call about a burning vehicle. No other details have been provided.

The Federation Calls More Miners

Aid your glorious nations step forward arm in arm with Gavrilium!
Mine the material fated to change the world!
You can contribute to the future - today!

Pick Your Destiny

Ore Miners needed in the Frosty Mountains!
Fresh mountain air!
The Abberan Sun is not liable for injuries sustained or financial losses incurred while working on a job received in any way though the classified advertisements within the newspaper.

THE CONTEST!

Spoiler: The SFS Entry by Nuke (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: The UNSA Entry by andrea (click to show/hide)

The following is the speech of the new chairman of UNSA to the council for the inauguration of the new term on the 5th anniversary of the nuclear bombings that ended the invasion war.
The speech was widely disseminated to the popolation through radio, newspapers and movie theaters, since involving the electorate into the actions of the political bodies is a core value.

Councilmen, elected representatives of our great countries and citizens all.

This assembly holds the best of the greatest people in the world. You make decisions that affect millions of people who entrusted you to lead them and you hold the hopes and dreams of all liberty loving people in the world. Never in history has existed a democratic congress such as this.

But there are people elsewhere who fear and envy our freedom and our wealth and would seek to see our way of life destroyed. To the south only a wall of mere brick and concrete separates us from the Selicate Empire to the south who would love nothing more to take away the fruits of labour from the most deserving, to strip people of their freedom and enslave all nations under the preposterous façade of equality. And how could we forget the terrible war and the advent of nuclear fire just 5 years ago, the power of which our enemies wield with impunity and the scars of which are ever present in our very soil? This new era of history may be one of the most challenging and perilous in the history of our nations.

And yet it is in the face of this peril that we must strengthen our resolve and push onward, for times of great change and challenge can also be times of opportunity. If we fail to lead our united nations to success we may face death for us all and perhaps the entire world. Despotism, savagery, and theft could rule or worst of all only irradiated ashes might live on. But if on the other hand we succeed, then we can lead humanity to an age of prosperity and liberty the likes of which were never dreamed before.

And in the face of this danger, we can succeed. We have, in fact, already started to succeed. For when has before now existed such an assembly of free, independent and democratic nations coming together to form a greater whole? And haven’t we already withstood catastrophe, with war on our very soil, and while we came out battered we survived and rebuilt holding fast together rather than scattering to the wind as many likely hoped? And who could doubt that a fully enfranchised citizen, whose interests are freely and fully aligned with those of the people governing him, will fight, work, study thrice harder for its nation than a serf whose life is spent taking orders by distant masters?

And it is with these words of past tragedies, present challenges and future hopes that I mark the beginning of this new legislature. It is a hard task that awaits us for the next 5 years, but one we will face with valour and righteousness, for our cause and our means are just.

This was a tough choice, which is good because there wasn't going to be separate prizes anyway, I just wanted to breed a little extra competition. Both sides get Secret Project Credits as detailed further in the team threads.

Thankfully, what isn't a tough choice is what gets used for the discord channel's new image.

I'll also give a consolation cookie to

Spoiler: A Day In The Life by C5 (click to show/hide)

Hearing his mother's wake-up call, Johnny Jr Murphy changes out of his cowboy pajamas and comes downstairs for breakfast.  Doris Murphy had hoped to have some bacon for her son this morning, breakfast being the most important meal of the day and all, but the butcher again didn't have any in stock.  (Probably something to do with politics, a world far beyond comprehension of women.)  Instead, she poured out a bowl of iron-fortified Wheat-ums for her little Johnny.  The cereal box is decorated by a muscular gold medalist swimmer with the UNSA flag flying in the background.  With a glass of citrus juice, rich in victory vitamin c, she knows her son will grow up strong.

Aboard the school bus, little Johnny trades comic books with his seatmate.  He happily skims the newest issue of Captain Endicar.  At the very last minute, Captain Endicar thwarts a craven Red plot to kidnap the President.  On the final page, the President awards Captain Endicar the Medal of Honor for his heroism against the Reds.

After reciting the UNSA Pledge of Allegiance to begin the day, the class discusses the upcoming Pilgrim Day holiday.  They learn that the Pilgrims were a group of settlers who came to the New World to escape religious persecution from the Old World.  When a child asks if the Pilgrims were the first settlers, the teacher begrudgingly clarifies that they weren't, but "we celebrate them for what they've overcome and accomplished."  The teacher explains that Freedom of Religion is a foremost principal of the UNSA, and not all countries in the world enjoy that freedom.  The children are gently prodded to think of countries that don't have Freedom of Religion, and many of the children eagerly raise their hand with the answer.

At lunch, Johnny turns up his nose at his tuna salad sandwich.  "Why does mom feed me so much canned fish?" he thinks to himself.  His teacher notices his lack of appetite and admonishes him, "There are kids starving in Salvios you know."

After school, he joins his Boy Scout troop.  After finally reciting the Boy Scout Code of Ethics from memory, he is promoted to Leopard Scout.  Code of Ethics lays out how a Scout is loyal to "God, Country, and Family" and of course finishes with the Boy Scout Motto: "Always be Self-Reliant."  His troop leader reminds his Scouts that a Scout does what is right, because they know it is right.  That's why freedom works so well in the UNSA.  But "some people" in "other countries" need an "iron fist" to make them do the right thing.

Once home, little Johnny Jr. can't wait to tell his parents that he's now a Leopard Scout.  John Murphy Sr. claps his son on the shoulder in congratulations, and tell him they'll spend some time together once he finishes his homework.  Sitting in his easy chair, he savors the lit cigarette in his hand, "Tastes good like a cigarette should."

As Doris works on dinner and Johnny does his homework, John Sr. finishes his cigarette and turns on the afternoon news on the television.  He idly watches the local crime blotter, then a feel good piece a 9-year-old collecting scrap metal to build his disabled veteran father a new wheelchair.  The entire second half of the news is sports, and John Sr. leans in.  The Abberan Aces beat the Plainfield Pipers in extra innings 3-2.  Hank Forester, with his .220 batting average, is on track for a season high of RBI's.  In a press conference, he expressed his hopes to take the Aces to the World Series again.  John makes a note to get some tickets for the next Aces game.  Johnny needs to learn to appreciate Endicar's National Pastime before he gets hooked on some foreign garbage like soccer.

Having finished his homework, John Sr. begrudgingly lets Johnny change the channel.  Naturally, he puts on a cartoon.  Cartoon criminals in black and white striped shirts are trying to rob a bank.  With thick Southern accents, they decry hard work and claim the bank should just give them money.  When everyone in the bank lobby laughs at them, they draw a pistol to fire into the air.  When the pistol clicks, the sidekick robber apologizes to the other that he needed vodka, and planned to buy bullets with the money from the bank afterwards.  A laughing police officer claps the two Red imbeciles into handcuffs.

Up next, a lantern-jawed cowboy hip fires a lever-action shotgun on the intro to "The Shotgunner."  A heroic good-guy with a gun, the Shotgunner traverses the Old West on his horse, making the New World safe for honest hard-working folk.  The first scene alludes to the over-arching plot of the season.  Indians are horseback whoop and hollar as the titular Shotgunner narrates, "The tribes of the red people are unifying to drive us from this land.  These backwards savages only understand war.  They must be stopped to make the New World safe again."

After dinner, father and son tune in to a featured sci-fi movie, "They Came From the Sea."  A reckless mad scientist with a thick Southern accent exposes salamanders to atomic radiation.  To his bewilderment, they grow to epic proportions and escape from the lab.  Special effects show the giant salamanders crossing the Scar and stomping down Northern streets.  But UNSA troops rally, and after a spectacular battle sequence UNSA men & material triumph.  To international dismay, the mad scientist escapes justice by fleeing in a submarine.  The last shot of a movie is a traumatized damsel pleading to a UNSA Captain, "But he's still out there!?!  What about next time!?!"  The UNSA Captain winks, "Ma'am, don't worry.  We whooped them last time, and we'll whoop them again."

As Doris puts Johnny to bed, John lights himself another cigarette and switches to a late night variety show.  It's edgier content with comedians mugging for the camera with timeless catchphrases like "What a dish!" as they gawk at girls in short skirts.  Between musical numbers is a sketch about Endicar POW's in a Red prison camp.  A short red-faced Red Army guard barks at the prisoners to snap to attention, as the Commisar had come to speak to them.  (The guard then takes a long swig from a hip flask while eying the camera).  Wire thin with a monocle and a pencil mustache, the Commisar over-enthusiastically extols the virtues of Communism.  "I own nothing, because the Party gives me everything I need!  Defect to the South, and you too can own nothing!"  The brave Endicar soldiers laugh at him, and the Commisar erupts into a comedic temper tauntrum.  As punishment, the Commisar declares the the propaganda speakers will now play 24 hours a day.  The prisoners groan in response and the Commisar storms out of the room slamming the door behind them.  Left to their own devices, the soldiers form a football huddle and mutter secret plans.  The lights cut out, and in the next scene, the room is empty.  The guards walks into the room and panics.  He takes out his hip flask and drains it down his throat before summoning the wherewithal to call for help.  The Commisar arrives and yells in impotent rage.  The guard sheepish reveals that over the sound of the propaganda speakers, they couldn't hear the escape tunnel being dug.  The sketch ends with a sad trombone as the Commisar looks into the camera.

John Sr. wakes up in his easy chair.  It's late at night, and national anthem is playing on the television as they sign off from broadcasting.  He must've fallen asleep watching television ...again.  After shutting off the television, he goes to brush his teeth for the night.  In idle thought, he smiles as he remembers the Commisar sketch from earlier.  To think, those poor Red bastards to the South had Commisars in their face constantly.  John was glad he raised his family in a free country without propaganda.

It's cool, A+ for effort and style, but it misses the point of the assignment a little bit. (It also makes some wild assumptions and assertions about the setting that are incorrect (natives? wow, I never!), but at least he knows he's in the north now, eheheh) And hey, it's not like it mattered, second eheheh.

[Carefulrogue]

PTW.