[DRAFT] Tanks for the Support! (working title)

[Caracasus]

A follow-up to the issue number 577 - Second World Problems. As requested - more communist issues needed.

[Issue] A fellow Socialist nation, East Lebatuck, has shocked the world by sending in a division of tanks to bring martial law to an outlying city after protesters took to the streets calling for governmental reforms. With the eyes of the world on @@NAME@@, your government has convened to discuss its reaction to the news.


[Validity]Must have selected option 1, 2 or 3 for issue 577. Must still have no private industry

[option] ''These so-called protesters are little more than criminals, @@LEADER@@,'' bellows General @@RANDOMNAME@@ as @@HE@@ slams @@HIS@@ fist down on the table, showering you with spittle. ''East Lebatuck has been a firm friend to socialist nations across the globe for decades - we must stand by our comrades, no matter what! Issue a statement of firm solidarity with East Lebatuck, apart from anything else it might make a few of our citizens think twice before taking to the streets!"
[effect] the nation's government supports any dictatorship flying the right colour flag

[option] "This is ludicrous!'' butts in Flora Lichtenstein, a prominent @@DENONYM@@ socialist author. ''East Lebatuck had no right to send tanks in to deal with a peaceful protest. These protesters weren't calling for the destruction of Communism - well most of them weren't anyway. They simply wanted to have their voices heard by the party. Communism is at its best when it is butting heads in self-criticism, not when it is stifling genuine debate under the guise of solidarity. Even if we stand to lose face with our friends, we must condemn East Lebatuck's actions immediately!''
[effect] the nation's socialist academics argue with each other more than their ideological rivals

[option]''I think we all know why our comrades in East Lebatuck are taking to the streets'' points out @@RANDOMNAME@@, your minister for the interior, whilst poring over blueprints of bunker complexes. ''Their country is riddled with filthy revisionists! Agrarian reforms, market socialism... creeping capitalism I call it! No wonder our comrades in arms are up in arms! Forget East Lebatuck @@LEADER@@, we need to focus on securing our own revolution from these elements that would send us back down the path to capitalism. I think it's time for a purge of the party'' Menacingly, @@HE@@ glares across the table at the others.
[effect] purged politicians flee the country as bunkers spring up like mushrooms

[Issue] A fellow Socialist nation, East Lebatuck, has shocked the world by sending in a division of tanks to bring martial law to an outlying city after protesters took to the streets calling for governmental reforms. With the eyes of the world on @@NAME@@, your government has convened to discuss its reaction to the news.


[Validity]Must have selected option 1, 2 or 3 for issue 577. Must still have no private industry

[option] ''These so-called protesters are little more than criminals, @@LEADER@@,'' bellows General @@RANDOMNAME@@ as @@HE@@ slams @@HIS@@ fist down on the table, showering you with spittle. ''East Lebatuck has been a firm friend to socialist nations across the globe for decades - we must stand by our comrades, no matter what! Issue a statement of firm solidarity with East Lebatuck, apart from anything else it might make a few of our citizens think twice before taking to the streets!"
[effect] the nation's government unconditionally supports dictatorships provided they fly the right colour flag

[option] "This is ludicrous!'' butts in Flora Lichtenstein. ''East Lebatuck had no right to send tanks in to deal with a peaceful protest. These protesters weren't calling for the destruction of Communism - well most of them weren't anyway. They simply wanted to have their voices heard by the party. Communism is at its best when it is butting heads in self-criticism, not when it is stifling genuine debate under the guise of solidarity. Even if we stand to lose face with our friends, we must condemn East Lebatuck's actions immediately!''
[effect] the nation's socialist academics spend more time arguing with each other than their ideological rivals

[option]''I think we all know why our comrades in East Lebatuck are taking to the streets'' points out @@RANDOMNAME@@ whilst poring over blueprints of bunker complexes. ''Their country is riddled with filthy revisionists! Agrarian reforms, market socialism... creeping capitalism I call it! No wonder our comrades in arms are up in arms! Forget East Lebatuck @@LEADER@@, we need to focus on securing our own revolution from these elements that would send us back down the path to capitalism. I think it's time for a purge of the party'' Menacingly, @@HE@@ glares across the table at the others.
[effect] discredited politicians flee the country as bunkers spring up like mushrooms

[option]''Perhaps its time we stepped in and lent our comrades a hand here?" questions @@RANDOMNAME@@, a sinister looking figure sporting dark glasses. ''Our... agents have traced the source of this recent discontent back to a popular East Lebatukian author currently living in exile in Marche Noir. Wouldn't it be a shame if he - oh, I don't know - fell over in the bath and landed on an ice pick or something?''
[effect] opposing the nation at home or abroad causes serious headaches

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Interesting premise. Looking forward to seeing the effect lines.

Could use more funniness, generally.

[Caracasus]

Interesting premise. Looking forward to seeing the effect lines.

Could use more funniness, generally.

Noted. Just firing it out of the old idea cannon to see if can go anywhere... I hate writing effect lines! I always wait until last to do those (usually).

Need jokes to do with tankies and probably bunkers need to go in there somewhere...

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I guess title-wise, the first thing that springs to mind is some sort of Tanks / Thanks pun. Like Tanks For The Support, that sort of thing.

[Australian rePublic]

Wait, why exactly does this effect @@NAME@@?

[Federated Kingdom]

@@RANDOMFIRSTNAME@@ Luxembourg

Maybe 'Flora Lichtenstein'?

[Caracasus]

Wait, why exactly does this effect @@NAME@@?

In this instance, the player will have answered an option for the Second World Problems issue, confirming in some way their commitment to working with other socialist/communist nations. I will expand on why it effects @@NAME@@ a little more, thanks for that AR.

@@RANDOMFIRSTNAME@@ Luxembourg

Maybe 'Flora Lichtenstein'?

That could work... fits with the quote and everything. I'll consider it. Got to iron out the other bugs first.

[Caracasus]

Alrighty. Made some changes.

[Australian rePublic]

Wait, why exactly does this effect @@NAME@@?

In this instance, the player will have answered an option for the Second World Problems issue, confirming in some way their commitment to working with other socialist/communist nations. I will expand on why it effects @@NAME@@ a little more, thanks for that AR.

Maybe 'Flora Lichtenstein'?

That could work... fits with the quote and everything. I'll consider it. Got to iron out the other bugs first.

No problem!

[Federated Kingdom]

Another suggestion: perhaps the second option could lead onto an issue (or maybe even an issue chain) based on the Sino-Soviet split?

[Caracasus]

Another suggestion: perhaps the second option could lead onto an issue (or maybe even an issue chain) based on the Sino-Soviet split?

That's a really good idea! If this gets accepted/goes anywhere that would certainly be an issue. Did you want to draft it?

[Federated Kingdom]

Another suggestion: perhaps the second option could lead onto an issue (or maybe even an issue chain) based on the Sino-Soviet split?

That's a really good idea! If this gets accepted/goes anywhere that would certainly be an issue. Did you want to draft it?

Would probably depend.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I'm liking the options here, but not feeling any of the effect lines.

Funny and unintended (but narratively logical) consequences should be what we aim for here, not just a description of the decision taken.

[Caracasus]

I'm liking the options here, but not feeling any of the effect lines.

Funny and unintended (but narratively logical) consequences should be what we aim for here, not just a description of the decision taken.

Tell me about it! I don't know why but I've really struggled with effect lines recently. I'll have a good think later.

[Caracasus]

I'm liking the options here, but not feeling any of the effect lines.

Funny and unintended (but narratively logical) consequences should be what we aim for here, not just a description of the decision taken.

Meh. A little better I think... but still needs something.

[Australian rePublic]

I don't get it. How do you declare martial law on a single city?

[Leutria]

I don't get it. How do you declare martial law on a single city?

My understanding is actually that when martial law is declared it often is over a limited area rather then a whole country, although there are historical examples of both I am quite sure.

[Australian rePublic]

I don't get it. How do you declare martial law on a single city?

My understanding is actually that when martial law is declared it often is over a limited area rather then a whole country, although there are historical examples of both I am quite sure.

How does tnat Even work?

[Caracasus]

My understanding is actually that when martial law is declared it often is over a limited area rather then a whole country, although there are historical examples of both I am quite sure.

How does tnat Even work?

Generally speaking an area (a city for example) suffers a breakdown of law and order to the extent that army, reserve or paramilitary units are sent in to restore order. Usually prompted by serious rioting, for example.

Often martial law comes with suspension of normal civil rights like freedom to gather in public spaces, enfirced curfews and occasionally use of lethal or less lethal weapons on civilians. Think of it as the army occupying a city, only in this case the city is a home city, not a foreign one.

EDIT- To clarify i am talking about martial law in this issue. Martial law can be imposed at other times, for example after a massive natural disaster or in recently conquered or occupied countries.

[Caracasus]

Any further thoughts or is it time to tidy and submit?

[The Grim Reaper]

Options 2 to 4 need to establish the characters better - why are Flora Liechtenstein, RANDOMNAME, and RANDOMNAME significant or interesting? The first one establishes the speaker as a general, for instance. While Liechtenstein's name is a fun reference, it's not quite enough to characterise them or to explain why they're important enough to speak on the issue, while you do characterise the speakers of 3 & 4 but still have the latter problem.

I'm not hugely fond of the fourth option, personally. I don't see what it adds - it could stand, narratively, to be rolled into option 1, or for one or the other to be cut. They both express a want to maintain 'proletarian dictatorship' in East Lebatuck, just with differing degrees of involvement.

The effects lines could use just a bit more tweaking, remembering that those are almost the capstone of an issue - the one sentence that encapsulates what you've just done, and what other people see of your issue choices. I like the gist of all four at the moment, but try and see if you can shorten them - that'll let you think of ways to give them more punch. They don't need to be shorter, it's just a good way of getting into the right headspace to edit.

[Caracasus]

Options 2 to 4 need to establish the characters better - why are Flora Liechtenstein, RANDOMNAME, and RANDOMNAME significant or interesting? The first one establishes the speaker as a general, for instance. While Liechtenstein's name is a fun reference, it's not quite enough to characterise them or to explain why they're important enough to speak on the issue, while you do characterise the speakers of 3 & 4 but still have the latter problem.

I'm not hugely fond of the fourth option, personally. I don't see what it adds - it could stand, narratively, to be rolled into option 1, or for one or the other to be cut. They both express a want to maintain 'proletarian dictatorship' in East Lebatuck, just with differing degrees of involvement.

The effects lines could use just a bit more tweaking, remembering that those are almost the capstone of an issue - the one sentence that encapsulates what you've just done, and what other people see of your issue choices. I like the gist of all four at the moment, but try and see if you can shorten them - that'll let you think of ways to give them more punch. They don't need to be shorter, it's just a good way of getting into the right headspace to edit.

I've lost the fourth option, made both the others clearer in terms of why they're speaking and so on. You were spot on about the fact that the only difference really between 1 and 4 is covert vs overt. Trimmed/altered effect lines.

Thanks for the feedback!