[CONTEST DRAFT] Some Miner Inconveniences

[Sateru]

Hi there! While I do have another issue draft on the forums, I did want to write something for the contest, and since the latter is time-gated, I've chosen to put that one on the backburner (for now) while I focus on this one.

This is an issue based on the Sino-Soviet split, though I've tried to put in a Generic Socialist Nation in the text of the issue. Maybe East Lebatuck would fit the issue better? I don't know if I'd describe them as somewhat friendly, though.

It no longer is that. Option 4a is roughly based on China getting rare earth minerals from post-coup Myanmar (hence why the NPC nation is Bamar), but the rest is an issue based on production quotas.

[title] Some Miner Inconveniences

[desc] While arriving at your office for the day, you are briefed that a transparency report released today shows your state-owned mines have only been meeting their production quotas by mining extremely common ores, while their output of precious metals, needed by other sectors, has been portrayed as sorely lacking.

[validity] Have Socialism

[option] Wanting to deal with that as quickly as possible, your Minister for Mining calls you. Somewhat shakily, @@HE_1@@ utters: "@@LEADER@@, there is a pretty simple solution, I think. We could just add a new quota, encouraging the mining of the metals we actually need, and it all should be fine! We might require a little more funding to realize that, though."
[effect] half of the national budget is dedicated to paying mining quotas

[option] Still before noon, a call comes through. You note it's from your Finance Minister when @@HE_2@@ calmly articulates: "@@LEADER@@, I've heard the Mining Ministry's proposal, but I think you need to consider this before taking it. Nearly all of the allocated budget of the quotas have been spent, we can't afford to finance more. Instead of starting to cut costs elsewhere, I suggest we pay the remaining dues, then carve the quotas away from the budget outright. It'll still cost you your popularity with the miners, but it’s better than starting to put every other sector into disrepair."
[effect] miners either strike gold or strike their labor

[option] When the clock strikes midday, you get another call, this time from the @@DEMONYM@@ Miners' Union President, angrily muttering: "What is this I'm hearing about cutting our quotas!? Let me remind you, we already worked hard for those! I've heard that we might be misusing them, sure, but then go make a quota that benefits both of us! Otherwise, you betcha we're gonna strike, and you know damn well you don't want that."
[effect] @@LEADER@@ is often bossed around by the populace

[option] [Must Not Have Autarky] And then, in the afternoon, your phone rings yet again. As you pick it up, you hear the rough voice of the silver-haired President of Bamar, a resource-rich iron-fist dictatorship: "@@LEADER@@! Hopefully I didn't call at a bad time. You know, I've heard you need some metals? We actually have a surplus of them lying around here, we could give them to you! All we ask in return is that you kindly look the other way with how we run ourselves. Let's just each take care of our own businesses there… shall we?"
[effect] @@NATION@@'s latest knives come bloodied by default

[option] [Must Have Autarky] And then, in the afternoon, your phone rings yet again. As you pick it up, you hear the rough voice of the silver-haired Chair of @@RANDOM_NAME@@ County, a resource-rich, tightly controlled province of your nation: "@@LEADER@@! Hopefully I didn't call at a bad time. You know, I've heard you need some metals? We actually have some really promising ore veins lying around here, we wouldn’t mind mining them for you! All we ask in return is that you kindly look the other way with how we run ourselves. Let's just each take care of our own businesses there… shall we?"
[effect] @@NATION@@'s latest knives come bloodied by default

[option] After a long day, your secretary offers to take you to the beach to relax watching the sunset. There, you see an opulent mega yacht in the distance, already in foreign waters. The people onboard do seem to be having a great amount of fun. It's almost like they’re… calling you? They seem to collectively ring in your ear: “Hey, @@LEADER@@, listen… Aren't you tired of all these burdens and calls? Don't you want to blow off some steam, if you will, living this jubilant life we are? There's a solution here… embrace capitalism… make the private sector deal with those mines… and our lavishness and elation will be yours, too.” …As you snap back to reality, you're not really sure if the words or the yacht are real anymore, but you do mark their suggestion down as an option.
[effect] @@NATION@@'s economic system is subject to change via illusions

[title] What It Says On The Tin

[desc] The nation of Bamar has been one of your regime's major backers, and the only nation willing to sell you the tin used in your factories since your adoption of socialism. However, a new leader has taken control over the country with an iron fist, and @@HE_1@@ has sent you a letter requesting your silence on the subject, threatening to cut off the mineral trade.

[validity] Have Socialism, Have Democracy, Do Not Have Autarky

[option] Reading over your shoulder, your Foreign Affairs Minister groans: "This @@MAN_1@@ must be joking, I swear...", @@HE_2@@ sighs while flipping through extraneous pages of the letter. "How does @@HE_1@@ think it looks to our voters for us to simply ignore a whole coup?! To me, it's clear we need to just bite the bullet and condemn them, at this point... How much tin do we really need, anyway?"
[effect] @@NATION@@ kicks the bucket on its industrial production

[option] "You know, speaking of those voters...", your Finance Minister remarks, looking up from a Bamarese propaganda poster. "How about a coup? We could take some inspiration here, you know. We'd still get our minerals, of course, but we also wouldn't have a pesky electorate we need to appeal to, anymore. Might strike a few sparks here and there, but I think that's a small price to pay for not having the burden of pandering anymore."
[effect] democracy is deemed a weak link in the @@DEMONYM@@ chain

[option] "You want to follow some foreigners' examples? Ha!", scoffs your Interior Minister at the previous suggestion. "If ya ask me, the real problem here's that we try too dang hard to please all these external people. Had ya looked, I'm sure you'd find some tin in this country, but you're all too focused on those folks overseas to give us the resources for that. I reckon this is a golden opportunity to stop doing that overcomplicated diplomacy and get all yer stuff here."
[effect] @@NATION@@ dreams of the day it can build its locally sourced iron curtain

[option] Suddenly, the phone in your office starts to ring. When you pick it up, a grainy, filtered voice is heard: "@@LEADER@@, you don't happen to be needing some tin, are you?" You are unaware of how it managed to reach your office, yet something compels you to stay on the line. "You know, I hear those iron-hearted folks over at the Federation have a whole load of it... But they won't sell it to socialists. Is it really worth sticking to it, then? Will you bet on something else? Mm, I eagerly await your choice... @@LEADER@@." The line then goes silent.
[effect] a silver-tongued nobody with a sultry voice decides @@NATION@@’s economic system

[title] Fair-Weather Friends

[desc] Soyuz tentatively became one of the only major nations somewhat friendly to you since your adoption of socialism. However, your views on the ideology have been slowly drifting apart, and their government has called a bilateral conference to discuss your increasingly deteriorating relations.

[validity] Have Socialism

[option] From your right, your Minister of Foreign Affairs whispers to you: "@@LEADER@@, we don't really have many allies left..." @@HE_1@@ says in a somber tone. "We of course don't have to give in on everything, but why don't we just compromise with the Soyuzians on some things and still get someone who might help us out?"
[effect] @@NATION@@ follows socialism "with @@DEMONYM@@ characteristics"

[option] From your left, your Minister of Internal Affairs mutters back: "Are you really going to let those pesky foreign Soyuzians have a say on how our country is run?!" @@HE_2@@ passionately gestures. "Don't listen to that @@MAN_1@@! The complete political independence of @@NATION@@ should be our number one priority."
[effect] @@NATION@@ has no friends but the mountains

[option] From the center of the boardroom, Soyuz's Premier clears his throat, whilst pointing at a board with charts: "@@LEADER@@, from these statistics, it's clear the Soyuzian form of socialism is an improvement over yours!", @@HE_3@@ argues while staring directly at you. "Why don't you just adopt our ideology outright? I promise you, you'll see the growth right away... and of course, it guarantees we won't have to bring this up again."
[effect] @@NATION@@ will bend over backwards for friendship

[option] Suddenly, the doors to the meeting room burst open and a frantic @@MAN_4@@ jolts in: "@@LEADER, you have no idea how hard it was to get here...", @@HE_4@@ pants, out of breath. "But I've come here to tell you that socialism is only hurting our beautiful nation! Please, I beg of you, get rid o-" The @@MAN_4@@ is then interrupted by security, who drags @@HIM_4@@ away.
[effect] the rat race is back on in @@NATION@@

[The Workers United]

As with many others, this issue seems to assume socialism of the authoritarian variety. Perhaps add high authoritarianism as a requirement, or add options with an altered tone.

[Trotterdam]

Honestly, it doesn't seem to assume much of anything. It just says that this other nation has politics which are different from our own without saying how they differ. That's far too vague to make any decision about.

The one thing it does assume is that we have no friends other than this one nation we've never heard of before. That's probably not something we should assume.

[Sateru]

Alright, second draft!

Being completely honest, this is basically a new issue I used the old one's carcass to make. As I put in the OP, it now is (roughly) based on how China is sourcing rare earth minerals from Myanmar, though here it is replaced by tin (Myanmar is also a huge producer of tin)

I did kickstart it from the previous feedback so, here goes:

As with many others, this issue seems to assume socialism of the authoritarian variety. Perhaps add high authoritarianism as a requirement, or add options with an altered tone.

Since there's apparently a lot of auth socialism issues, I've tried to remedy this by making it a democratic socialist issue instead

HHonestly, it doesn't seem to assume much of anything. It just says that this other nation has politics which are different from our own without saying how they differ. That's far too vague to make any decision about.

The one thing it does assume is that we have no friends other than this one nation we've never heard of before. That's probably not something we should assume.

I've attempted to fix this by saying the NPC is getting a different government type than your own (authoritarianism to your democracy), and given something to make you potentially care about the NPC besides wanting friends (a resource you don't have)

[Trotterdam]

The new draft doesn't feel like it has much to do with socialism. The only way that your economic policy is relevant is that it's used as an excuse for why few nations are willing to trade with you, which is something I'm wary of assuming: NationStates generally aims to respect players' decisions and not just treat them with a condescending "your politics are obviously wrong and nobody else agrees with you" (at least barring policies that are much more obviously crazy than this one), at least one existing issue chain assumes that socialists and capitalists have a similar level of power on the world stage, and socialism is a fairly common choice among actual player nations¹. Aside from that, the basic issue (a potential trading partner that would be lucrative but that we have ethical problems with) and options (sever relations and stop buying from that nation, sponsor a coup to replace the offending nation's government with one that's more to our taste², sever relations and stop buying from that nation again but now with some more words on where we're going to get the stuff from instead) all look like they could work just as well in a capitalist nation.

¹ I just checked my database. It suggests that currently almost 30% of the nations I'm tracking have Socialism, which sound like a lot compared to the real world, but is actually slightly lower than the percentage for Slavery, Permanent Marriage, or Compulsory Organ Harvesting...

² Wait, I misread option 2. It's performing a coup in our own nation, not the trading partner. In which case... how does that even address the issue?

[Sateru]

The only way that your economic policy is relevant is that it's used as an excuse for why few nations are willing to trade with you, which is something I'm wary of assuming: NationStates generally aims to respect players' decisions and not just treat them with a condescending "your politics are obviously wrong and nobody else agrees with you" (at least barring policies that are much more obviously crazy than this one), at least one existing issue chain assumes that socialists and capitalists have a similar level of power on the world stage, and socialism is a fairly common choice among actual player nations¹.

So the way I intended to address that (since it was a problem in the original) is that the NPC is the only nation that's socialist friendly and actually has the resources in question (tin), though reading it again I don't think that's an assumption I'd make with only the issue text either. I'll ask then, is implying that the NPC is the only (or one of the only) socialist friendly nations with X resource a reasonable assumption to make?

² Wait, I misread option 2. It's performing a coup in our own nation, not the trading partner. In which case... how does that even address the issue?

The reason I made option 2 do that is to give a pro-NPC option that isn't a glorified dismiss (aka do nothing about the coup), though I'll admit maybe a self coup is too much here? I wanted it to be a we agree with the status quo (We'd still get our minerals) AND do something, though maybe just aiding the NPC's coup would be a better bet here?

For the other feedback, I'll be addressing it in the next draft o7

[Sateru]

Okay so, changelog for v3!

• Changed title to better reflect new issue, again. Hopefully for the last time
• Changed Autarky tag to only apply to a specific option
• Removed Democracy as a requirement, though this doesn't make Autocracy one either
• Attempted to address the not specifically socialist basics of the issue