Chain Issue: An International Incident

[Excidium Planetis]

Two broad questions here:

Futuristic stuff - there's a limit to what we can realistically do. I know it'd be great if we could have issues for futuristic nations, historical ones, fantasy ones - but it'd require a complete re-write of the game code, and a whole new set of issues. We can touch on some areas (someone mentioned Moon bases, which is a good example) but not explore them in depth.

More chains - yes. Though they're a lot of work. If a player wants to author a full chain they can, but whether it gets accepted depends on whether you can find an Editor willing to take the lead on the editing process for it.

It's simple. Just have the first issue in a chain basically ask what tech level your nation is, and then have the further issues in the chain reflect that decision!

[Mefpan]

Two broad questions here:

Futuristic stuff - there's a limit to what we can realistically do. I know it'd be great if we could have issues for futuristic nations, historical ones, fantasy ones - but it'd require a complete re-write of the game code, and a whole new set of issues. We can touch on some areas (someone mentioned Moon bases, which is a good example) but not explore them in depth.

More chains - yes. Though they're a lot of work. If a player wants to author a full chain they can, but whether it gets accepted depends on whether you can find an Editor willing to take the lead on the editing process for it.

It's simple. Just have the first issue in a chain basically ask what tech level your nation is, and then have the further issues in the chain reflect that decision!

That's not simple. That's a lot of redundancy.

It'd be better to let a player set their tech level in their nation settings...and then you have nations like me who have all techs to RP in who are still getting the short end of the stick.

[Sanctaria]

Neither of those are simple. It took 3 years to do one chain with 19 issues for MT.

[Luna Amore]

Neither of those are simple. It took 3 years to do one chain with 19 issues for MT.

So now that you have a bit of practice, you should be able to get it done in under 2 years right? :p

[Sanctaria]

Neither of those are simple. It took 3 years to do one chain with 19 issues for MT.

So now that you have a bit of practice, you should be able to get it done in under 2 years right?

I was on sabbatical for 6/8 months of that! I'm doing at least 40 hours work a week now, and that's before I study in the evenings

[Excidium Planetis]

Neither of those are simple. It took 3 years to do one chain with 19 issues for MT.

Seems to me like we need more issues editors and people good at coding.

[Sanctaria]

Neither of those are simple. It took 3 years to do one chain with 19 issues for MT.

Seems to me like we need more issues editors and people good at coding.

Coding isn't an issue. And more editors would actually hinder rather than help the process.

It's a nice idea, and hopefully some time in the future we may be able to work something out, but in the immediate short term/future, I don't see it happening.

[Excidium Planetis]

Seems to me like we need more issues editors and people good at coding.

Coding isn't an issue. And more editors would actually hinder rather than help the process.

It's a nice idea, and hopefully some time in the future we may be able to work something out, but in the immediate short term/future, I don't see it happening.

Then what would speed up the process? Surely something can be done?

[Sanctaria]

Coding isn't an issue. And more editors would actually hinder rather than help the process.

It's a nice idea, and hopefully some time in the future we may be able to work something out, but in the immediate short term/future, I don't see it happening.

Then what would speed up the process? Surely something can be done?

These things just take time. We're only volunteers, we have lives outside of NationStates.

[Excidium Planetis]

Then what would speed up the process? Surely something can be done?

These things just take time. We're only volunteers, we have lives outside of NationStates.

So why not get more editors who have no lives outside of NS?

[Aenglaland]

Actually, creating more chains sounds really interesting. I would be available to help making them. I already have one or two raw ideas, so I really think I could devote some of my free time to this.

[Sanctaria]

These things just take time. We're only volunteers, we have lives outside of NationStates.

So why not get more editors who have no lives outside of NS?

We just had a contest. We're not looking for more editors.

Also see above where I said more editors would be a problem, not helpful to a chain. Death by committee would occur. Nothing would get done and it slows down the process.

[Eaischpnaeieacgkque Bhcieaghpodsttditf]

So why not get more editors who have no lives outside of NS?

We just had a contest. We're not looking for more editors.

Also see above where I said more editors would be a problem, not helpful to a chain. Death by committee would occur. Nothing would get done and it slows down the process.

So the more editors there are, the less gets done? To me, that seems odd.

[Sanctaria]

We just had a contest. We're not looking for more editors.

Also see above where I said more editors would be a problem, not helpful to a chain. Death by committee would occur. Nothing would get done and it slows down the process.

So the more editors there are, the less gets done? To me, that seems odd.

Well not usually, but in the case of something like a chain, yes, especially if it's a long one.

Please see above death by committee. If you're unsure as to what that means, Google is your friend.

[Imperializt Russia]

Seriously, have you people never heard the phrase "too many cooks spoil the broth"?

Just look at how competing your own ideas have been, now imagine if you were all trying to implement those to the same issue chain.

[Excidium Planetis]

Seriously, have you people never heard the phrase "too many cooks spoil the broth"?

Just look at how competing your own ideas have been, now imagine if you were all trying to implement those to the same issue chain.

I don't see why you can't assign only one or two editors to each issue.

To many cooks only spoil the broth if they're all working on the same broth. Give them all their own pot, and you'll cook up soup at four times the rate!

[Mefpan]

Seriously, have you people never heard the phrase "too many cooks spoil the broth"?

Just look at how competing your own ideas have been, now imagine if you were all trying to implement those to the same issue chain.

I don't see why you can't assign only one or two editors to each issue.

To many cooks only spoil the broth if they're all working on the same broth. Give them all their own pot, and you'll cook up soup at four times the rate!

I think the question here is also "do we need four soups"?

And you can't throw too many people at Issue chains because the individual issues in the chain need to connect to each other somewhat coherently, too. It's a small story, and while you can have people write individual chapters separately that will almost never lead to a good story.

[Luna Amore]

I don't see why you can't assign only one or two editors to each issue.

To many cooks only spoil the broth if they're all working on the same broth. Give them all their own pot, and you'll cook up soup at four times the rate!

I think the question here is also "do we need four soups"?

And you can't throw too many people at Issue chains because the individual issues in the chain need to connect to each other somewhat coherently, too. It's a small story, and while you can have people write individual chapters separately that will almost never lead to a good story.

Exactly. Originally we had it divided up between the editors and Reppy. It went absolutely nowhere. If Sanc hadn't taken the reins and spearheaded it, it wouldn't be in the game right now. That big of a project needs one lead to work it all together.

[Kesshite]

For those of you wondering about the non-hostile actions.

1) I decided to try to bribe them into letting our citizens free. (NH: nightly news reports prosaically on the government blindly throwing money at despotic kidnappers.) That worked. Then I was given the option to invade or impose sanctions.
2) I imposed sanction, and I was told many Brasilistan are starving or without essential goods. (NH: toilet paper is considered a non-essential item in the embargo against Brasilistan.)
3) I decided to loosen restrictions and send care packages. The despotic leadership intercepted them and kept the goods for themselves. (NH: the government is spending more on exports to Brasilistan than it's receiving from tariffs on the imports.)
4) I decided to send a peacekeeping force to supervise the distribution of goods. I also had the option of letting the savages all starve to death.(NH: soldiers are now trained how [sic] to make sandwiches properly.)

That seems to be the end of my chain. I always picked the most peaceful or compassionate option.

[New Aerios]

Also for those of you wondering, because I haven't seen this route posted yet:

1: Options were invasion or diplomacy. Diplomacy consisted of bribing Brasilistan to release the hostages. "Following new legislation in New Aerios, the nightly news reports prosaically on the government blindly throwing money at despotic kidnappers."

2: Options were impose sanctions, blockade, or invade. I chose to blockade them. "Following new legislation in New Aerios, the nation's coasts have been left unprotected while the entire navy sits in Brasilistani waters."

3: Problems with pirates. Options were divert the navy to catch the pirates, or attempt to put the pirates in charge of Brasilistan in return for favourable relations. I chose to put the pirates in charge. "Following new legislation in New Aerios, nations around the region are recognising Gingerbeard as the new leader of Brasilistan."

4: Received this issue this morning. The pirate I put in charge has been assassinated. Options are leave Brasilistan alone entirely, sell arms to desirable factions within Brasilistan, or invade. I chose to sell arms. Consequences as yet unknown, will update when I find out. EDIT: Looks like that's the end of the Chain for me, this evening's issue wasn't part of it. "Following new legislation in New Aerios, selling bombs to terrorists has become government policy."

[Diyel Grandiose]

How about if editors picked topics relevant to the chain that they will be working right then (in the future) from the pool of contributed issues, so they can less conceptualize about what will they add to the chain of issues?

Because if you have an issue about a certain reaction, ie. about invading a nation, you could pick a contributed issue from the pool of contributions that suits best what's on your mind. Well at first, it wouldn't be exactly what YOU HAVE IN YOUR MIND, but you can let the contributor edit the issue time by time until it suits the chain. Afterwards, you can do the finalization so it will be added to the chain.

In that way, you can make the chain of issues faster because you will not shoulder all the burden of creating all of the issues. And it won't be death by committee simply because it would still be you editors who would be personally in-charged, it's just that you have to communicate with all those issue contributors from time to time to see if they already edited it suit the chain. Which means you will have less time in editing because all you need to do is to guide them on what to write and add on the issue they will submit.

With that also, we can provide diversity among different tech levels of nations here in NS. Because I can see in here, most of the problems or complaints come from conflict between the chain of issues and tech level of certain nations. (I am an FT Nation as well.)

Say for example, with the case of Excidium Planetis. As what chain of issues that he picked, it would be obvious that he would end up with just nuking Brasilistan because he is considered as a Hard FT Nation. Well, it would be lame and boring on the first glance to just nuke some place out of some conflict, even for an FT Nation like me. But on the other hand, he seems to have a point because of the certain back story that his nation- or nomadic space fleet whatsoever- has. So if we have more choices coming from the pool of contributed issues, we FT Nations might as well have a bunch of choices which suits our roleplay, and we can even try to contribute one!

Anyway, this is just an opinion, and I do respect every feedback from you guys. Thank you very much for taking note and appreciating this if ever. Have a wonderful Easter!

[Maroza]

1. Throw money: the nightly news reports prosaically on the government blindly throwing money at despotic kidnappers.
2. Regretting not just invading: the nation's coasts have been left unprotected while the entire navy sits in Brasilistani waters.
3. Sent the navy to stop piracy: the might of the nation's air force has been deployed against people with sticks in boats.
4. Decided to let them stand trial in their home nation: awaiting results

[Dracolich]

1. Approach?
Declare war
the military is on a massive recruiting drive in advance of an invasion of Brasilistan.

2. How?
Tactical Bombing
carpet bombing has decimated Brasilistan's landscape and population

3. What targets?
Military targets only
the nation's air missiles have killed thousands of Brasilistan military personnel.

4. How to end war?
Send commandos to kill leaders
elite teams of assassins have been sent into Brasilistan.

5. How to deal with remaining pockets of resistance?
Colonise Brasilistan
'Coloniser-in-Chief' has become Emperor Alec the Almighty's new moniker.

6. Colony experiencing teething problems
Grant Brasilistanis full citizenship

Awaiting result of latest decision.

[Nephmir]

I only got four issues. I answered the first option for each one. Why did I not get the fifth?

[Mefpan]

I only got four issues. I answered the first option for each one. Why did I not get the fifth?

Some branches in the chain are shorter.

I'm sure the nuclear option would be by far the shortest.