[SUBMITTED] Ai Yai Yai, Calypso!

[Altmer Dominion]

This is the part where I shamelessly plug my favorite movie, Wag the Dog.

Draft 3:

[name] Ai Yai Yai, Calypso!

[description] West Calypso President Victor Sánchez, infamous for being hopelessly corrupt, has taken a new approach towards his falling approval ratings — faking an international incident. A team of intelligence agents have returned from the tiny tropical island in disbelief, detailing how Sánchez fabricated a hostage situation at a non-existant @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ embassy, going so far as to distribute doctored images and press releases. The smear campaign has been so effective that even @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ are beginning to grow alarmed at the constant 'news' updates.

[option] "Is this a joke?" grumbles @@RANDOMNAME@@, one of @@NAME@@'s top diplomats. "I get that @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ don't really follow the international news, but Sánchez's affair with his secretary made the '@@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ Examiner'. The man is a dangerous manipulator whose narrative needs to be squashed before any more damage occurs. It's worth trying to take advantage of his corruption by giving him a huge payout in exchange for ending this charade. My team of diplomats have a large case of @@CURRENCY@@ ready for transport."
[effect] tinpot dictators brag about @@NAME@@'s willingness to pay their ransom demands

[option] "Wait a darn second!" exlaims @@RANDOMNAME@@, your press secretary. "Are you telling me that we can just make things up? And it works? Why bother doing things diplomatically when you can just respond to West Calypso's lies with whatever you want? Next time their government makes a statement about the fake incident, just respond by claiming that Sánchez's government is about to release a biological weapon in retaliation or something. Baffle 'em with bull and you'll confuse them right out of the game."
[effect] government reports are structured like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure game

[option] "I would not give them any ideas," sternly warns General @@RANDOMNAME@@, consulting a topographical map of the West Calypsoan island. "I am concerned that Sánchez is using this false panic as a pretense to pursue military action against @@NAME@@. West Calypso is not a formidable power on their own, but I have sources that claim that Blackacre has been using the island as a proxy to pursue regional interests. Rather than risk a serious threat, my recommendation is to dispose of Victor Sánchez through a coup d'etat and install a more truthful leader willing to follow our lead."
[effect] the nation's primary export is the Banana Republic

Draft 2

[name] Ai Yai Yai, Calypso!

[description] West Calypso President Victor Sánchez, infamous for being hopelessly corrupt, has taken a new approach towards his falling approval ratings — faking an international incident. A team of intelligence agents have returned from the tiny tropical island in disbelief, detailing how Sánchez fabricated a hostage situation at a non-existant @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ embassy in order to manipulate the public. The West Calypsoan government has already gone so far to distribute doctored photographs and press releases of the 'catastrophe'. Though your aides initially dismissed this as the ravings of a tinpot dictator, @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ diplomats are warning that @@NAME@@ is beginning to lose credibility on the international stage.

[option] "We're losing crediblity?" grumbles @@RANDOMNAME@@, one of @@NAME@@'s top diplomats. "How do they not see this as the transparent ruse it is? Sánchez was caught in an affair with his secretary just last week, so I can't say I'm surprised to see him misdirect public opinion again. The surprising bit is just how brazen this lie is. Sánchez has a sheet of scandals a mile long: embezzlement, nepotism, pay-for-play, you name it. He can't run out the clock with diversions forever. My team of diplomats has come up with a plan: We meet with Sánchez and present his rap sheet. He backtracks the lie or we'll publicly broadcast the information to the World. It may be blackmail, but I guarantee we'll be effective."
[effect] foreign governments laugh at the moralizing naivety of @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ diplomats

[option] "Wait a darn second!" exlaims @@RANDOMNAME@@, your press secretary. "Are you telling me that we can just make things up? And it works? Why bother doing things diplomatically when you can just respond to West Calypso's lies with whatever you want? Next time their government makes a statement about the fake incident, just respond by claiming that President Sánchez smells funny or something. Baffle 'em with bull and you'll confuse them right out of the game."
[effect] government reports are structured like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure game

[option] "I would not be so cavalier," sternly warns General @@RANDOMNAME@@, consulting a topographical map of West Calypso. "I am concerned that Sánchez is using this false panic as a pretense to pursue military action against @@NAME@@. West Calypso is not a formidable power on their own, but I have sources that claim that Blackacre has been using the island as a proxy to pursue regional interests. Rather than risk a serious threat, my recommendation is to dispose of Victor Sánchez through a coup d'etat and install a more truthful leader willing to follow our lead."
[effect] the nation's primary export is the Banana Republic

[/box]

[name] Ai Yai Yai, Calypso!

[description] West Calypso President Victor Sánchez, infamous for being hopelessly corrupt, has taken a new approach towards his falling approval ratings — faking an international incident. A team of intelligence agents have returned from the tiny tropical island in disbelief, detailing how Sánchez fabricated a hostage situation at a non-existant @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ embassy in order to manipulate the public. This ruse having not been caught for a couple days, the West Calypsoan government has already gone so far to distribute doctored photographs and press releases of the 'catastrophe'.

[option] "What a transparent ruse," grumbles @@RANDOMNAME@@, one of @@NAME@@'s top diplomats. "Sánchez was caught in an affair with his secretary just last week, so I can't say I'm surprised to see him misdirect public opinion again. The surprising bit is just how brazen this lie is. Sánchez has a sheet of scandals a mile long: embezzlement, nepotism, pay-for-play, you name it. He can't run out the clock with diversions forever. My team of diplomats has come up with a plan: We meet with Sánchez and present his rap sheet. He backtracks the lie or we'll publicly broadcast the information to the West Calypsoan people. It may be blackmail, but I guarantee we'll be effective."
[effect] foreign governments laugh at the moralizing naivety of @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ diplomats

[option] "Wait a darn second!" exlaims @@RANDOMNAME@@, your press secretary. "Are you telling me that we can just make things up? And it works? Why bother doing things diplomatically when you can just respond to West Calypso's lies with whatever you want? Next time their government makes a statement about the fake incident, just respond by claiming that President Sánchez smells funny or something. Baffle 'em with bull and you'll confuse them right out of the game."
[effect] government reports are structured like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure game

[option] "I would not be so cavalier," sternly warns General @@RANDOMNAME@@, consulting a topographical map of West Calypso. "I am concerned that Sánchez is using this false panic as a pretense to pursue military action against @@NAME@@. West Calypso is not a formidable power on their own, but I have sources that claim that Blackacre has been using the island as a proxy to pursue regional interests. Rather than risk a serious threat, my recommendation is to dispose of Victor Sánchez through a coup d'etat and install a more truthful leader willing to follow our lead."
[effect] the primary export is Banana Republics

[Australian rePublic]

Option 1- how do you plan to inform the people of West Calypso?

[Altmer Dominion]

Option 1- how do you plan to inform the people of West Calypso?

Changed the wording slightly.

[Minoa]

Is option 1 the war option? Because the real West Calypso considers even the smallest act of transgression as an excuse to go to war.

[Altmer Dominion]

Is option 1 the war option? Because the real West Calypso considers even the smallest act of transgression as an excuse to go to war.

Could you briefly explain what you mean by the "real" West Calypso? In the NS Verse, the island is very much a blank slate vaguely referenced in #985.

[Minoa]

Is option 1 the war option? Because the real West Calypso considers even the smallest act of transgression as an excuse to go to war.

Could you briefly explain what you mean by the "real" West Calypso? In the NS Verse, the island is very much a blank slate vaguely referenced in #985.

Sorry, I incorrectly said "real", when I meant to refer to the gameplay nation that I run. I never meant to say that you must add a "war" option, but it is worth considering — usually through increased military spending or an increase in the percentage of deaths due to war.

[Altmer Dominion]

Could you briefly explain what you mean by the "real" West Calypso? In the NS Verse, the island is very much a blank slate vaguely referenced in #985.

Sorry, I incorrectly said "real", when I meant to refer to the gameplay nation that I run. I never meant to say that you must add a "war" option, but it is worth considering — usually through increased military spending or an increase in the percentage of deaths due to war.

I considered a bombing/invasion scenario just to round out the Cold War theme, but decided against it. Regime change could be considered a small-scale variant.

[Altmer Dominion]

Any other comments?

[Jutsa]

Nothing from me. I love it.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

[description] West Calypso President Victor Sánchez, infamous for being hopelessly corrupt, has taken a new approach towards his falling approval ratings — faking an international incident. A team of intelligence agents have returned from the tiny tropical island in disbelief, detailing how Sánchez fabricated a hostage situation at a non-existant @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ embassy in order to manipulate the public. This ruse having not been caught for a couple days, the West Calypsoan government has already gone so far to distribute doctored photographs and press releases of the 'catastrophe'.

Hmmm...

Sorry, to me it reads as this:

In a banana republic, the corrupt dictator did something corrupt. This event had no bearing on @@NAME@@.

So where's the issue?

[Altmer Dominion]

[description] West Calypso President Victor Sánchez, infamous for being hopelessly corrupt, has taken a new approach towards his falling approval ratings — faking an international incident. A team of intelligence agents have returned from the tiny tropical island in disbelief, detailing how Sánchez fabricated a hostage situation at a non-existant @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ embassy in order to manipulate the public. This ruse having not been caught for a couple days, the West Calypsoan government has already gone so far to distribute doctored photographs and press releases of the 'catastrophe'.

Hmmm...

Sorry, to me it reads as this:

In a banana republic, the corrupt dictator did something corrupt. This event had no bearing on @@NAME@@.

So where's the issue?

I've made my thoughts more explicit in the description. Seems to have pushed the paragraph to be a tad long, but that's the gist of it.

[Minoa]

Sorry, I incorrectly said "real", when I meant to refer to the gameplay nation that I run. I never meant to say that you must add a "war" option, but it is worth considering — usually through increased military spending or an increase in the percentage of deaths due to war.

I considered a bombing/invasion scenario just to round out the Cold War theme, but decided against it. Regime change could be considered a small-scale variant.

That’s okay. You could add more Chavismo to West Calypso’s government.

[Altmer Dominion]

Glad I returned to this. New description and first option illustrates the conflict better.

[Baggieland]

Option 2. NAME has been, falsely, accused of serious misconduct, kidnapping of a head of state. But your only response is to say "you smell"?

[Altmer Dominion]

Option 2. NAME has been, falsely, accused of serious misconduct, kidnapping of a head of state. But your only response is to say "you smell"?

That is a good point. Changed the line, along with the beginning of 3.

[Sresia]

Just a suggestion, but I'd slightly change the last option's effect line to "@@NAME@@'s primary export is..." or "The nation's primary export is..."

[Altmer Dominion]

Just a suggestion, but I'd slightly change the last option's effect line to "@@NAME@@'s primary export is..." or "The nation's primary export is..."

Due to the layout of the national happenings page, placing @@NAME@@ at the beginning of an effect line is redundant. That said, I've repurposed the effect line based on your feedback.

In any case, I'm planning on submitted soon. Last call for feedback.

[Altmer Dominion]

Submitted.

[Australian rePublic]

Good Luck!

[Bears Armed]

Good luck!