Help us fix old issues

[Asylheim]

In this issue I chose not to give any international aid and it had zero effect on taxes. Taxes should have gone down, even just a little. I am constantly trying to choose the options that will lower my taxes yet almost every option increases them. This 'International community' issue is just the tip of the ice berg. We need more sensibly options that lower our taxes. I held 10 - 15% tax rate for a long time and then got a string of bad issues that kept raising taxes and I am now around 40%, which is just outrageous. Please help!

[The Free Joy State]

In this issue I chose not to give any international aid and it had zero effect on taxes. Taxes should have gone down, even just a little. I am constantly trying to choose the options that will lower my taxes yet almost every option increases them. This 'International community' issue is just the tip of the ice berg. We need more sensibly options that lower our taxes. I held 10 - 15% tax rate for a long time and then got a string of bad issues that kept raising taxes and I am now around 40%, which is just outrageous. Please help!

When you report an issue, please give a name or issue number, as well as the approximate date you received it.

As it happened, in this instance, I was able to locate the issue you meant. The option you answered did not offer to lower taxes, and consquently did not. This is not a fault. We only code stats that are directly related to the option text.

It is working as intended.

[Republic of Ravens]

Issue 174, Option 2.

“I believe that passing this law will be a step in the right direction,” says Lauren Chew, the nation’s most outspoken feminist advocate. “These kids need their mothers’ love and attention during an important part of their growth development! I don’t see why mums should be forced to juggle with the stress of bringing up children and having a job! It’s simply too much! Six months maternity leave with full pay is what this country needs - even if it is at the expense of a few avaricious fat cats.”

"Growth development" sounds like a tautology to me. Wouldn't it be better to call it 'development?'

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Fair point.

Considered that it might be in-character ignorance, but it didn't seem to bear out with the rest of the option, so have changed to "during this important stage of their development".

[Moss on Trees]

#489, Option 1:

“Sick and twisted internet perverts, degrading our fine military traditions with their disgusting ways,” mutters retired officer Mario O'Hara, while absentmindedly polishing his pistol. “How could anyone view our training exercises that way? I’ve watched this video over a hundred times, and I am fit to burst! I demand that you take the video down and punish those whom have encouraged its misuse. Shut down the filthy websites that are disseminating the video for unhealthy purposes, and prosecute those responsible!”

I think it should be 'who' unless you wanna make fun of the officer's hypercorrect usage. But I don't think this is the case here, is it?

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Fixed, thanks.

[Anarchist Aztlan]

I encountered an issue a while back that allowed my to choose to implement sortition, which I this is a great democratic idea. However when this happened my political freedoms stat dropped dramatically and my nation was reclassified as an autocracy. I think this is completely wrong.

[The Free Joy State]

I encountered an issue a while back that allowed my to choose to implement sortition, which I this is a great democratic idea. However when this happened my political freedoms stat dropped dramatically and my nation was reclassified as an autocracy. I think this is completely wrong.

Unusual effects go on this thread.

In future, please do not leave it "a while", as it makes it hard to locate changes (and we're not going to go hunting). Please also give the name or number of issues.

A change is being discussed so that sortition would not trigger autocracy. However -- as always, depending on individual differences based on where individual players begin -- it will not make a difference to political freedom drops. When you have sortition, you deny your people the freedom to choose the canditates that they like and view as most suitable for the job.

When you deny your people a say in the selection of their candidates, it will almost always lower your political freedoms in NS.

[Trotterdam]

#527 1:

"Momma! Momma! Git the whiskey! No! The gud kind!"

Is it supposed to be possible to get this with Prohibition?

(I'm still trying to find what option 2 is...)

[Candlewhisper Archive]

#527 1:

"Momma! Momma! Git the whiskey! No! The gud kind!"

Is it supposed to be possible to get this with Prohibition?

I think its fine. The character doesn't seem one to mind if the whisky is illegal moonshine, and seems unaware enough to ask for that in front of Leader.

[Hediacrana]

I'm a little surprised to have gotten issue 505 ('Florists Blooming Mad'), which refers to business owners, despite this nation having the socialism policy.

[Cate Sole]

57 aka the electronic plague here seems to have a pretty bad selection of options

1. enforce computer licenses
2. infect the internet with an unstable beta ai that will probably fuck up your country's internet
3. ban computers entirely

maybe i'm just nitpicking but i feel this needs a 4th option that's less drastic than the others, when i had it i picked 1. not because i actually wanted to enforce some draconian computer license policy but because the other options were either totally screw up the internet or completely ban computers, doesn't seem like a good set of choices imo

[The Free Joy State]

I'm a little surprised to have gotten issue 505 ('Florists Blooming Mad'), which refers to business owners, despite this nation having the socialism policy.

I've flagged this backstage.

57 aka the electronic plague here seems to have a pretty bad selection of options

1. enforce computer licenses
2. infect the internet with an unstable beta ai that will probably fuck up your country's internet
3. ban computers entirely

maybe i'm just nitpicking but i feel this needs a 4th option that's less drastic than the others, when i had it i picked 1. not because i actually wanted to enforce some draconian computer license policy but because the other options were either totally screw up the internet or completely ban computers, doesn't seem like a good set of choices imo

This isn't the thread where you post subjective ideas that you would personally prefer to see implemented in issues.

This is the thread for objective problems with spelling, grammar, punctuation, macros, or suspected validity problems. If you think an issue might benefit from another option (story-wise, not for comprehensiveness), I suggest you take it to The Writer's Block and see if anyone of the other players agrees with you.

If you find support, then I suggest you make a thread, outlining -- in detail -- the option you would like to see added and the reasons (besides comprehensiveness) that you believe it would be beneficial to the game and other players. Then, the option you write, if it is found potentially suitable, might be taken backstage where the editors may or may not decide that it is needed. Sometimes options have been added later, often not.

And never for comprehensiveness. Always for storytelling.

[My little paranoid]

Today my nation got issue #479 (it's about clash between taxi drivers and Uber-like company) despite the fact that computers and the Internet are banned in my country. I decided to implement option 2 (i.e. leave the Uber-like company alone), it boosted my information technology like crazy (about 12 000%), yet I still have my bans of computers and the Internet.

[The Free Joy State]

Today my nation got issue #479 (it's about clash between taxi drivers and Uber-like company) despite the fact that computers and the Internet are banned in my country. I decided to implement option 2 (i.e. leave the Uber-like company alone), it boosted my information technology like crazy (about 12 000%), yet I still have my bans of computers and the Internet.

Yes, that's a fair point. I've altered the validity code.

[Republic of Ravens]

The effect line for Option 4 of Issue 912:

Foreign envoys that want to visit Republic of Ravens now have to navigate real minefields in additional to the political ones.

It should be "in additional to"

[The Free Joy State]

The effect line for Option 4 of Issue 912:

Foreign envoys that want to visit Republic of Ravens now have to navigate real minefields in additional to the political ones.

It should be "in additional to"

Fixed.

Thanks for spotting it.

[Republic of Ravens]

#988, Option 1

“Attention, General Crowbar!” shouts Raven physiology student Belinda Stephenson, who has a telescoped spine from carrying textbooks. “We - the oppressed, overstressed, and consistently underdressed - are tired of foregoing meals and basic comforts in order to afford the required tools for our education! We, the future of Republic of Ravens, have come to request that you force publishing companies to lower the price of our essential textbooks!”

Shouldn't it be "forgoing?"

[The Free Joy State]

#988, Option 1

“Attention, General Crowbar!” shouts Raven physiology student Belinda Stephenson, who has a telescoped spine from carrying textbooks. “We - the oppressed, overstressed, and consistently underdressed - are tired of foregoing meals and basic comforts in order to afford the required tools for our education! We, the future of Republic of Ravens, have come to request that you force publishing companies to lower the price of our essential textbooks!”

Shouldn't it be "forgoing?"

Thanks for spotting it. Fixed.

[It s That Bear Again]

Option 4, as I received it, was

“Military grade weaponry doesn’t kill people, ignorance kills people,” counters the chairperson of the Responsible Gun Owners Association. “If all Bears were taught how to responsibly shoot, drive a tank, and fire an anti-aircraft rocket launcher, there’d be none of these so-called accidents you hear about. I don’t have a problem with the average citizen driving a tank as long as they’ve completed proper education and safety training. Then all those gun-grabbers can stop trying to infringe on our right to self-defense, and let us own whatever weapons we like.”

Choosing this option gave me the effect line

International terrorists often get their weapons supply in It s That Bear Again

.It seems to me that there's a significant mis-match between "the average citizen" -- as mentioned in the option's text -- and "International terrorists".

(This nation is a puppet of Bears Armed.)

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Option 4, as I received it, was

“Military grade weaponry doesn’t kill people, ignorance kills people,” counters the chairperson of the Responsible Gun Owners Association. “If all Bears were taught how to responsibly shoot, drive a tank, and fire an anti-aircraft rocket launcher, there’d be none of these so-called accidents you hear about. I don’t have a problem with the average citizen driving a tank as long as they’ve completed proper education and safety training. Then all those gun-grabbers can stop trying to infringe on our right to self-defense, and let us own whatever weapons we like.”

Choosing this option gave me the effect line

International terrorists often get their weapons supply in It s That Bear Again

.It seems to me that there's a significant mis-match between "the average citizen" -- as mentioned in the option's text -- and "International terrorists".

(This nation is a puppet of Bears Armed.)

Sure, but if ursine civilians can acquire arms easily then so too can visiting terrorists.

It's a slight extension ad absurdiam, but effect lines are meant to do that kind of thing.

[Bears Armed]

Option 4, as I received it, was

“Military grade weaponry doesn’t kill people, ignorance kills people,” counters the chairperson of the Responsible Gun Owners Association. “If all Bears were taught how to responsibly shoot, drive a tank, and fire an anti-aircraft rocket launcher, there’d be none of these so-called accidents you hear about. I don’t have a problem with the average citizen driving a tank as long as they’ve completed proper education and safety training. Then all those gun-grabbers can stop trying to infringe on our right to self-defense, and let us own whatever weapons we like.”

Choosing this option gave me the effect line

International terrorists often get their weapons supply in It s That Bear Again

.It seems to me that there's a significant mis-match between "the average citizen" -- as mentioned in the option's text -- and "International terrorists".

(This nation is a puppet of Bears Armed.)

Sure, but if ursine civilians can acquire arms easily then so too can visiting terrorists.

But presumably still only visiting terrorists with "proper education and safety training"?

[Bears Armed]

#33: Genetics Brings New Life to Extinct Species [Badger Lozzate]

The Issue
Scientists have announced they are close to a breakthrough in their quest to revive the feather-bellied @@ANIMAL@@, a species related to @@NAME@@'s national animal that has been extinct for more than a century.

The Debate
1. "I, for one, applaud their work," says scientist @@RANDOMNAME@@. "And not just because I'm the project leader. This is an example of how @@NAME@@'s brains can mix it with the world's best. Can you imagine how wonderful it will be to have feather-bellied @@ANIMALPLURAL@@ frolicking in the meadows again? I say full steam ahead, and more government funding!"

2. "This is a sacrilege!", says religious leader @@RANDOMNAME@@. "These animals are extinct because God wants them dead. Cloning them would merely incur his wrath! If we proceed down this path, it'll be humans, not the feather-bellied @@ANIMAL@@, who will be extinct."

3. "Now, come on," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, well-known philosopher. "You don't need to be religious to be unnerved by the top of this particular slippery slope. Today it's @@ANIMALPLURAL@@, tomorrow it's dinosaurs, and we all know how that turns out. This research shouldn't be banned, but there must be strict government controls over its use."

Now that we have issues about re-creating dinosaurs, does this need modification?
I don't know offhand whether one can receive any of the dinosaur-based issues without already having had this issue and chosen option 3, but if not then maybe the validity for those other issues should tree from this decision?

[Trotterdam]

I don't know offhand whether one can receive any of the dinosaur-based issues without already having had this issue and chosen option 3, but if not then maybe the validity for those other issues should tree from this decision?

I'd expect the opposite - if you choose option 3, that means you've already taken an anti-dinosaur stance and so don't need to be asked about it again later. Though I wouldn't sweat it too much either way. Players can change their minds, and none of the options here make it outright impossible to consider bringing back the dinosaurs later.

More important is if a nation has already decided to bring back the dinosaurs, should that nation still be able to get #33? At the very least option 3 would need some text change then. Though if you brought back the dinosaurs, also bringing back a much more recent species would be less controversial and not really much of a dilemma anymore.

[Jutsa]

Alrighty, so I got issue 1026 on this nation (the one I'm posting from), and I got option 4 even though smoking is illegal.
I'd let it slide except, as Trotterdam pointed out, this guy seems oddly patriotic and probably law-abiding.