The Writers' Block

[USS Monitor]

I actually have one, but it's another one of those I've pushed down in my immense list.

I imagine there are a lot of good ideas that are sitting around the bottom of someone's to-do list that they are too busy to actually write. You have them, I have them, I'm sure the editors all have them.

[Caracasus]

Potential directions for communist issues (that aren't just economic issues/what flavour communism you want/do you want capitalism back?)

- Support (or otherwise) of allies that may have done... questionable things.
- Cultural revolution. Those pesky bourgeoisie novels and movies are brainwashing your people. What are you gonna do about it leader?
- Tit-for-tat diplomacy. Always a favourite, and plays nicely off the cold war theme many communist issues have.
- A brave new world stuff - science has come on in leaps and bounds and you're in charge of a country that (by definition) is attempting to build a better world. What should you do?
- Brain Drain. - A bit of a cliche, but are the doctors in your country happy earning nearly the same as someone who whittles spoons? Added complication - the state would have housed, trained and educated said doctor at no cost to the doctor.
- Proxy wars and how you're gonna conduct them. Those capitalist pigs over in the United Federation are sending in troops to prop up a dictator. Are you gonna sit back and take it, or are you gonna ferment a revolution?
- Science and space - I'm sure this is workable. After all, the USSR is pretty famous for its space program.

EDIT: More stuff.

-Centralised govt. v.s localised. Do you retain a strong vanguard party or do you move more toward a federation of collectives? There is a similar issue, but a bit of digging/research into the theory could yield a uniquely communist issue here I feel.
- The "we want our stuff back" issue. Your nation (in spite of what you might think) is just one of many. THere are other powerful nations out there, who may use economic leverage after you nationalised a bunch of their businesses.
- Revisionists everywhere! Okay, so it's been a while since the revolution. Do we carry on with the ideology and theories that got us here, or should these cornerstones be adapted for the modern age?

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I think its not unexpected, as most people playing a web browser game are likely to live in capitalist nations, so the day-to-day real life issues we become aware of tend to be those of capitalist societies. Communist issues, on the other hand, require research.

Nah, it just means that communist nations are better than capitalist nations

I could think of some later on but I don't really feel comfortable writing them due to left-wing ideological bias, so I'll just post them here as I do and let anyone have a go at them.

Eh, I've got left wing ideological bias in real life, but I run a nation with strong libertarian and anti-environmental values, and have assembled a range of issues with a range of opinions, including Issue 720, which deals with the right wing fear of welfare funding terrorism. It's not hard to set conscious biases aside when writing, I think. Subconscious biases are tougher, but with enough reflective process and collaboration, you can often minimise those too.

[Jutsa]

^^^ Not just ideas; I actually have 40 rough drafts written up.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I actually have one, but it's another one of those I've pushed down in my immense list.

I imagine there are a lot of good ideas that are sitting around the bottom of someone's to-do list that they are too busy to actually write. You have them, I have them, I'm sure the editors all have them.

For me its not so much being too busy to write them, it's more that I'm consciously reining in my authoring to try to give more spotlight to others. Hard to resist penning the odd issue now and then, but mostly I'm nudging the community, as nobody objects to me having editing overactivity.

[Milintia]

Nah, it just means that communist nations are better than capitalist nations

I could think of some later on but I don't really feel comfortable writing them due to left-wing ideological bias, so I'll just post them here as I do and let anyone have a go at them.

Eh, I've got left wing ideological bias in real life, but I run a nation with strong libertarian and anti-environmental values, and have assembled a range of issues with a range of opinions, including Issue 720, which deals with the right wing fear of welfare funding terrorism. It's not hard to set conscious biases aside when writing, I think. Subconscious biases are tougher, but with enough reflective process and collaboration, you can often minimise those too.

Aye, I'm just new to the whole thing - the draft I posted earlier today is my first ever, so I think said bias would be easier to reduce as I gain more experience with issue writing. Maybe I'll have a go at them a few months down the line when I actually have sure footing, though.

[Trotterdam]

I could think of some later on but I don't really feel comfortable writing them due to left-wing ideological bias, so I'll just post them here as I do and let anyone have a go at them.

I think some left-wing ideological bias is probably okay in an issue that's specifically only assigned to left-wing nations to begin with.

Remember, issues are best when the choices they offer appear balanced from the point of view of the player who has to answer them.

[USS Monitor]

Are there any issues about people who are missing, probably dead, and their families want to collect death benefits like life insurance or pensions or whatever, but because they don't have the body they aren't able to collect? I was thinking about this in the context of climbers who don't make it back from Mt. Everest, but it could also work with something like a plane crash in a remote area.

[Trotterdam]

- Tit-for-tat diplomacy. Always a favourite, and plays nicely off the cold war theme many communist issues have.

We also have a bunch of cold war issues (particularly involving Blackacre) that aren't specifically about capitalism/communism, though. I don't think we should automatically conflate the two.

Granted, since capitalism is the global norm (both in issues' narrative assumptions and in the actual player nation demographics), a communist nation would invariably experience some alienation and diplomatic tension. However, we also shouldn't overdo it, which would give the impression that the only flaw with communism is evil outsiders who keep trying to tear it down, and that it'd work perfectly without them.

- Science and space - I'm sure this is workable. After all, the USSR is pretty famous for its space program.

Actually, the space program seems to be something that's heavily controlled by the government even in capitalist nations (see: NASA), with the concept of private space access only relatively recently becoming a discussion point (#574), so I don't think communist nations would do things very much differently.

As for why the USSR was so interested in space, that ties into cold war stuff.

-Centralised govt. v.s localised. Do you retain a strong vanguard party or do you move more toward a federation of collectives? There is a similar issue, but a bit of digging/research into the theory could yield a uniquely communist issue here I feel.

#339 addresses an alternative to central planning.

Are there any issues about people who are missing, probably dead, and their families want to collect death benefits like life insurance or pensions or whatever, but because they don't have the body they aren't able to collect? I was thinking about this in the context of climbers who don't make it back from Mt. Everest, but it could also work with something like a plane crash in a remote area.

This should absolutely come with a followup issue when someone who was declared legally dead turns up alive after all.

[USS Monitor]

Are there any issues about people who are missing, probably dead, and their families want to collect death benefits like life insurance or pensions or whatever, but because they don't have the body they aren't able to collect? I was thinking about this in the context of climbers who don't make it back from Mt. Everest, but it could also work with something like a plane crash in a remote area.

This should absolutely come with a followup issue when someone who was declared legally dead turns up alive after all.

That would make sense.

[Milintia]

Out of interest, I noticed this in the FAQ:

That said, there are a few things that an issue cannot affect:

• The World Assembly (we did this once, it did not go over well)

What issue was that, and what happened? It sounds like a total disaster.

[Singapore no2]

Out of interest, I noticed this in the FAQ:

That said, there are a few things that an issue cannot affect:

• The World Assembly (we did this once, it did not go over well)

What issue was that, and what happened? It sounds like a total disaster.

The issue gave you the option to resign from the WA.

Some players genuinely didn't understand the implications of picking the option, and actually resigned, losing endorsements and regional influence.

[Jutsa]

I think another option to leave the WA was actually added, as well, funnily enough.

[Trotterdam]

Yup. #132 1 and #837 4.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Man I really need to read and update that thread. It's got my name on it now, but I have no knowledge of what information it contains.

[Milintia]

Out of interest, I noticed this in the FAQ:



What issue was that, and what happened? It sounds like a total disaster.

The issue gave you the option to resign from the WA.

Some players genuinely didn't understand the implications of picking the option, and actually resigned, losing endorsements and regional influence.

But it clearly says about resigning from the WA?

What did they expect?

[Singapore no2]

The issue gave you the option to resign from the WA.

Some players genuinely didn't understand the implications of picking the option, and actually resigned, losing endorsements and regional influence.

What did they expect?

That it was another joke issue or some other nonsense.

[Milintia]

If I may make a late suggestion for an event that might be of interest, Jutsa:

Either the Vietnam speech which strained relations between him and LBJ, or Atlanta, where JFK got involved and released him.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

You get a warning if you are about to pick an option to leave the WA - violet put that in some time back to help stem the complaints. A few weeks ago, I also added a warning to the issues that abolish your government. Today I've updated the How To thread to clarify these things.

[Bears Armed]

What's the idea you had?

Basically, a Cabinet minister in your country is unveiled to have been conducting diplomacy with a foreign power behind your back while on "holiday". This coincided with behaviour after they came back that, in light of this new information, is directly in this other country's interests, causing a national scandal.

There was the case of the three anti-Brexit politicians who went to hold unauthorized talks with a member of the European Commission, too...

[Milintia]

Basically, a Cabinet minister in your country is unveiled to have been conducting diplomacy with a foreign power behind your back while on "holiday". This coincided with behaviour after they came back that, in light of this new information, is directly in this other country's interests, causing a national scandal.

There was the case of the three anti-Brexit politicians who went to hold unauthorized talks with a member of the European Commission, too...

True! I'm not sure anything came of that, though.

It's something to think about for an issue, I guess.

[Ransium]

Today is my (and I think Helaw's) 1-year anniversary of being an IE!

[Jutsa]

Happy... uh... idk what you'd call it, but congratulations! :3

[Helaw]

Today is my (and I think Helaw's) 1-year anniversary of being an IE!

Woo! I'll go get the balloons and party poppers.

[Milintia]

Today is my (and I think Helaw's) 1-year anniversary of being an IE!

Woo! I'll go get the balloons and party poppers.

Today is my (and I think Helaw's) 1-year anniversary of being an IE!

Happy IE-versary! (I think that's what it's called)

Should write an issue to celebrate