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[The City-State of Knossos]

A Busload Of Worry Issue 365
"This is disgusting, and I shouldn't have to see it," pines prominent homosexual, Tim de Groot, for once abandoning stereotype to be seen without feather boa, "The City-State of Knossos should be a nation intolerant of intolerance, and what could be more intolerant than this?"
After boa, there should be a period instead of comma.

[Have Fun With It]

Thousands of business men and women have taken to the streets in protest of their working conditions and pay. "It's not fair that we can't have a union," says Clint Utopia, VP of Sales at SlothCorp. "Just because we make six figures doesn't mean we don't deserve overtime too! It's high time that the lower classes come to appreciate our hard efforts."

Everything beyond the first sentence seems like it was intended to be an option, but it is listed as part of the issue itself.

[Frisbeeteria]

Everything beyond the first sentence seems like it was intended to be an option, but it is listed as part of the issue itself.

No, it really doesn't. I assure you that it's exactly as it was intended.

[Australian rePublic]

Issue 366, Prosecute Stolen Valour
Option 3 says "above every else", when it should say "above everyone else" or "above everybody else"

[Luna Amore]

Issue 366, Prosecute Stolen Valour
Option 3 says "above every else", when it should say "above everyone else" or "above everybody else"

Fixed, thanks!

[Sanctaria]

Issue 366, Prosecute Stolen Valour
Option 3 says "above every else", when it should say "above everyone else" or "above everybody else"

The amount of times I looked at that issue, knew something was off, and couldn't put my finger on it.

Thanks!

[Lamebrainia]

Am I the only one having trouble understanding it?
Usually, the options aren't that vague and obscure as to what's going to happen (nevermind the easter eggs).

[Lons]

Just got issue 167 (Fluoride Controversy A Toothy Problem). Shouldn't there be a colon or a semicolon in that title somewhere?

[Sanctaria]

Just got issue 167 (Fluoride Controversy A Toothy Problem). Shouldn't there be a colon or a semicolon in that title somewhere?

I can see where you're coming from, but I believe that it's not mandatory to have a : or ;

Thanks.

[Christian Democrats]

Issue #420: Option 1


"Isn't this typical?" scoffs columnist John Han, "Once again these crooked politicians are getting away with things that would put us regular folk in jail. The government is sending a very mixed message by not acting on this. They decry drugs; yet several of their own are known users. If the government has any sense of credibility they would send these criminals to jail with the rest of the druggies."

Like "and," "or," or "but," the word "yet" is a coordinating conjunction, so a comma could be used instead of a semicolon. In this instance, I'd suggest a comma because the semicolon disjoints the thoughts "they decry drugs" and "several of their own are known users."

I've received this issue a couple of times but just noticed this semicolon.

[Trotterdam]

Just got issue 167 (Fluoride Controversy A Toothy Problem). Shouldn't there be a colon or a semicolon in that title somewhere?

I understood it as newspaper-headline-speak for "fluoride controversy is a toothy problem". Newspapers often drop "is" like that. It's clear that with the "is" you wouldn't be using a colon.

[Luna Amore]

Issue #420: Option 1


"Isn't this typical?" scoffs columnist John Han, "Once again these crooked politicians are getting away with things that would put us regular folk in jail. The government is sending a very mixed message by not acting on this. They decry drugs; yet several of their own are known users. If the government has any sense of credibility they would send these criminals to jail with the rest of the druggies."

Like "and," "or," or "but," the word "yet" is a coordinating conjunction, so a comma could be used instead of a semicolon. In this instance, I'd suggest a comma because the semicolon disjoints the thoughts "they decry drugs" and "several of their own are known users."

I've received this issue a couple of times but just noticed this semicolon.

Fixed. You don't like the issue number?

[Phydios]

Like "and," "or," or "but," the word "yet" is a coordinating conjunction, so a comma could be used instead of a semicolon. In this instance, I'd suggest a comma because the semicolon disjoints the thoughts "they decry drugs" and "several of their own are known users."

I've received this issue a couple of times but just noticed this semicolon.

Fixed. You don't like the issue number?

It's either an incredible coincidence or a rather witty joke.

[Gnejs]

I got #196 today, and I spotted a missing "d" in the 4th option:

"His Holiness, the Grand High Poobah of Violet, has the right idea, but the wrong religion," says Megan Longfellow, the Prelate of Primary Public Relations for the fanatical organization Gnejs's Concerned Citizens for Our God. "This nation needs an official religion, and not support the Godless heathens who worship the idolatrous Violet. Appoint me as your spiritual adviser an I'll ensure that all people worship God in the correct way."

[Luna Amore]

Fixed.

[Mewlandia]

This isn't a typo or grammatical error, but a question of intent.
-------
In Issue 329, Military Uniforms Under Scrutiny, the final option reads:

""Why make them wear anything?" asks nudist Megan Plath, standing to attention in your office. "Without clothes to impede them, your soldiers can move faster in battle - and we don't have to waste any more money on uniforms. Besides, all you need is a gun to kill someone, right?""
-------
Given the context, I would assume "standing to attention..." is intended as a double entendre - which doesn't wholly come across if it's RANDOMNAME, not RANDOMMALENAME. Unless it's an unintentional pun that's somehow ended up in there, which given the amount of effort that goes into these issues I find hard to believe

[Ballotonia]

Issue 415, "Brain Pain On The Sports Plain"
Option one "an eighth back". If this is intended as a take on a quarterback, shouldn't eighthback be one word? I had trouble reading this sentence as I initially did not even recognize it as a noun.

Ballotonia

[Annihilators of Chan Island]

So I got Issue 122- ''Pensioners in Protest'' just now, but my horrifically despotic dictatorship has involuntary euthanasia for those who (somehow) reach pension age.

I shouldn't be valid to receive it.

[Luna Amore]

Issue 415, "Brain Pain On The Sports Plain"
Option one "an eighth back". If this is intended as a take on a quarterback, shouldn't eighthback be one word? I had trouble reading this sentence as I initially did not even recognize it as a noun.

Ballotonia

So I got Issue 122- ''Pensioners in Protest'' just now, but my horrifically despotic dictatorship has involuntary euthanasia for those who (somehow) reach pension age.

I shouldn't be valid to receive it.

Fixed.

[Aculea]

The first option of #062 Oh, The Angst! gave me a point of corruption. I think this is a mistake.

1. "Although it is often dismissed as an irrelevant complaint, depression is a real disease; it isn't just 'all in your head'," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, depression sufferer. "Depression has significant effects on groups and individuals, especially amongst teenagers. Every day, more and more people commit suicide because of this disease, but this could all be stopped if this country had a decent level of funding for support and public awareness programs."

Result:

citizens are encouraged to report friends, family members or co-workers who seem depressed to the government for "counselling"

It also increases public healthcare by one, for the record.

Corruption is unusual for mental health issues. Here is option 3 on the same issue:

3. "Actually, a lot of depression cases in teens are related to school and all the stress and pressure young people are under to succeed. A greater effort to correct the problem of depression should start there, with more funding so that schools can provide better counseling programs." Comments Dr. @@RANDOMNAME@@, author of the book "Tomato Soup for the Soul". "That way teens who are depressed can get help even if their parents can't or won't take them to see a psychologist."

It gives:

schools have extensive counseling programs for troubled students

It changes Education's slice of the government pie, but did not change corruption.

This is the third option of issue #276 Circus Clowns Cause Chaos!

3. "It's not always about the kids", mumbles a red-nosed man in the corner. "Think of us clowns! We have to put up with the kids screaming, and shouting and hurling things at us. How would you feel if you were dressed up like a fool and paraded in front of 8 year olds! The Government needs to create a program to treat us clowns for depression – you don't know what it's like, man. You weren't there!"

With the result:

clowns are being rounded up and admitted to mental institutions

It raised public healthcare and health, but dropped happiness. It did not change corruption.

Finally #352 Going Off The Rails, option 3:

3. "People who try to kill themselves shouldn't be punished for being ill, and neither should the families of victims of suicide", your Minister of Health, @@RANDOMNAME@@, entreats passionately. "Being suicidal is often a sign of mental illness or depression, and our government mustn't stoop to punishing families for having sick relatives. We ought to focus on suicide prevention rather than hounding these families for money, and we would save a lot of lives through education and extending a helping hand to those who need our support."

result:

anyone who so much as frowns is referred to a mental health unit

It increased public healthcare, increased compassion, and reduced stupidity. It did not change corruption.

Whether or not I understand how the game works, I urge you to reconsider the tastefulness of linking mental healthcare with corruption. If the increase in corruption is driven by a hidden stat and not on the issue itself, I urge you to reconsider that connection as well. If you cannot remove the point of corruption from this issue, I beg you to include a clue that can be seen before the option is chosen indicating this depression sufferer does not have the nation's mental health first in their mind. The scare quotes around counselling are a little too late.

[Trotterdam]

It did not change corruption.

Actually, I think this is the part that needs fixing.

Anyway, since Aculea won't, I'll post that he's discovered that banning sex (#364 option 3) does not prevent your nation from receiving issues related to adultery, sex education, etc. Of course, there can still be people having sex even if it's illegal, but you'd expect the government to be taking a rather different perspective to it.

Also speaking of #364 option 3, I find myself wondering if it (note the text: "That way, we can preview everyone who signs up to have kids, and if we don't like it, tough beans for them.") actually sets the same "parental licencing" flag that's used by #164 - the one that makes you eligible for #300.

[Aculea]

We've softened them up, but that doesn't mean that an invasion will be easy for us", you military adviser says,

Should be you your military adviser.

Anyway, since Aculea won't, I'll post that he's discovered that banning sex (#364 option 3) does not prevent your nation from receiving issues related to adultery, sex education, etc. Of course, there can still be people having sex even if it's illegal, but you'd expect the government to be taking a rather different perspective to it.

If this is fixed, can I request that banning sex and parental licensing be different flags? And neutering everybody, if it's a flag, should also be distinct.

[Trotterdam]

can I request that banning sex and parental licensing be different flags? And neutering everybody, if it's a flag, should also be distinct.

And then #123 mentions sterilizing everybody, which is not quite the same as neutering, though at least we already have a reversal issue (#279) for that choice, even if it's focussing on a different aspect (but one that sort of has to be taken in concert).

So we have:
- Neutering: can't conceive children, can't even try.
- Sterilizing: can't conceive children, but can still have sex for fun.
- Banning sex: can conceive children through artificial insemination, and are still physically capable of having sex, it's just illegal.

And these might be applied either to everyone or only to people who fail their parenting licenses (though currently, I think "sterilizing" can be applied only to everyone at once, and "neutering" can only be applied to everyone at once, and "banning sex" is applied to everyone at once but you still have parenting licenses for artificial insemination).

Yeah, I can see why the issue editors have some trouble keeping all this straight. (Oh yeah, "straight". Homosexual sex won't result in children anyway...)

[Aculea]

I'm happy with how this sequence works out but I'm a little confused by a plot detail:

We should be able to airlift our best commandos into the capital without too much difficulty.

elite teams of assassins have been sent into Brasilistan

its remnants are continuing to attack your troops present in the country

First they're airlifted commandos, then they're assassins, then they're units large enough that they can dig in and hold off against insurgents continuing to attack them. What insurgents? The country isn't conquered yet, they've just assassinated the leaders. And where are they holed up that they can maintain a long term presence when they were airlifted in just big enough to take out the leadership and specifically not any of the grunts?

Segue!

And then #123 mentions sterilizing everybody, which is not quite the same as neutering.

Actually, 358:3 and 358:4 treat neuter and sterilize as synonyms.

3. "I have a better idea", says @@RANDOMNAME@@, CEO of 'Children 4 U' Inc. "How about we ban all forms of sexual conduct and have all newborns neutered? I know it's radical, but people will calm down once they learn that we can create their perfect child. This is the way of the future - Design Your Own Baby! And if the government gets involved, think of the money you'll make back off it. That's a great deal @@LEADER@@, trust me."

4. "I think sterilising the population is a little extreme", your civil service's Chief Medical Officer states candidly. "But we do need to stop these teenage pregnancies and, let's face it, sex education just isn't going to cut it. These are teenagers, their hormones are all over the place, and regardless of what we preach about abstinence, they're going to have sex. I would suggest offering a monetary incentive to encourage pregnant teenage girls to attend our termination clinics. Sounds distasteful, but the only thing these girls care about is the money to spend on the next big fad. Girls don't like babies, girls like cars and money." [Available only for nations which have legalised abortion]

How about a flag for sterilizing but sex is okay, then people can pretend sex is illegal+sterilizing = neutering?

[Mewlandia]

Since I posted this nearly 4 days ago and Luna didn't acknowledge, I humbly re-present:

This isn't a typo or grammatical error, but a question of intent.
-------
In Issue 329, Military Uniforms Under Scrutiny, the final option reads:

""Why make them wear anything?" asks nudist Megan Plath, standing to attention in your office. "Without clothes to impede them, your soldiers can move faster in battle - and we don't have to waste any more money on uniforms. Besides, all you need is a gun to kill someone, right?""
-------
Given the context, I would assume "standing to attention..." is intended as a double entendre - which doesn't wholly come across if it's RANDOMNAME, not RANDOMMALENAME. Unless it's an unintentional pun that's somehow ended up in there, which given the amount of effort that goes into these issues I find hard to believe