NationStates Issues **SPOILER ALERT**

[Jutsa]

M8 - it's as up to date as Val has time for. (and it is.)

[Valentine Z]

Is This Still Up-To-Date? If No, Please Update It.

Up to date as of Saturday / 2022 - September - 10 / 23:20:58, GMT +08:00.

The updates are done in a somewhat regular manner, with next one coming soon. Please be patient.

[Chan Island]

Issue 1529 - Duel of the Fates

The Issue
Blade in hand — never mind how it got there — you have found yourself in a duel with a person proclaiming themself Count Mount Crystal, falsely charged with high treason. The Count is clearly an expert, one who prepared for this day, and their furious strikes only push you further and further back as you barely manage to parry the blows. It is obvious the longer the fight goes on, the more exhaustion sets in: you know you won’t be able to hold out much longer — until a particularly lucky side-step causes the Count to overreach, faltering, tripping, stumbling into your waiting defence...

The Debate

1. With weary arms, your sword seems almost to beg you: finish this. One good, swift strike and you can put this whole mess behind you. Off-balance and exposed, their right flank unarmoured, it would be almost easy to slip the blade up under their ribs and deal a mortal blow. It is not your responsibility to coddle this miscreant — the fight was the Count’s decision, after all. They will have only themself to blame as they feel your blade pierce their skin, when they draw their final breath and realise that this was all for nought. Do not pretend they would not do the same to you in a heartbeat; there is no alternative but to take the Count’s life.

2. And yet, the thought is unbearable. To see the light fade from another person’s eyes and know that their death is not only your fault, but your deliberate doing — how could you ever live with yourself? How could you go out and face the public tomorrow, haunted by the Count’s dying breath? How could you sleep at night, thinking of their face, the color slowly draining away even as your hands soak in their still-warm blood? No. Honour be damned; this is not worth anyone’s life. One good, hard shove. Throw them to the floor and let your guards deal with the rest. Take the Count away, exile them again — there will be no denying the treason charges this time — and they can languish, away from their family and friends like they deserve.

Issue by: The Hypercompact Stellar System of SherpDaWerp
Edited by: Gnejs

I know I'm late to the party here, but man is it so great to see a speakerless issue finally get added. Always felt like a missed chance for some interesting writing. Fortunately, this one delivers, and delivers well. A small part of my soul is now at peace.

[Pogaria]

I know I'm late to the party here, but man is it so great to see a speakerless issue finally get added. Always felt like a missed chance for some interesting writing. Fortunately, this one delivers, and delivers well. A small part of my soul is now at peace.

#1422 is basically speakerless too.

[TalAkMaChen]

Fresh out of the press, a new issue.

#1539 Save the Last Dance [Sedgistan; ed: Candlewhisper Archive]
The Issue
Salacious new dance craze “The Switch” is sweeping the music halls of @@NAME@@. To the soundtrack of this season’s smash novelty hit song of the same name, teenagers are stomping their shoes and gyrating their hips in dangerously close proximity to one another.

The Debate
1. “This is simply ghastly!” squawks pearl-clutching maiden aunt Sabina Webster. “First it’s dancing, then it’s holding hands, and before you know it, there’s unwed pregnant teens left, right and centre! This lewdness undermines the foundations of our decorous society — teenage girls should not be socialising with slippery young boys without a respectable adult chaperone keeping a suitable distance between them.”

2. “Oh, like, come on,” whines 17-year-old teenybopper Isabelle Deming, smoothing down the front of her ankle length dress. “The Switch isn’t, like, anything new; we had the Funky @@ANIMAL@@ last summer, and before that was the Mashed Turnip. It’s just a bit of harmless fun for kids to let off steam between homework, chores and Sunday School. What would be really great is if we could stay out until 10pm some time, y’know?”

These are the first two options. I got them at a nation wit curfew, hence the hint at the "until 10 pm". Perhaps there is a third option for nations without the curfew that doesn't focus on that last statement, too.

[Trotterdam]

I think you need to have Violetism as your national religion to get #1538.

[West Barack and East Obama]

Funny that they specified the age of the teenybopper, because in the biggest shithole dystopias that person would be ancient

[Rocain Founder]

The moment that so many have been waiting for has (mostly) arrived! Today, my puppet Cain M Z00 v0 received issue #1353. There is a hole in the HTML option numbers - my puppet received option 1, 3 and 4. So we do not have the full text of the issue yet. Here is what my puppet received. I have not attempted to macroize the proper names, and if there were any other macros in this issue, I didn't notice them.

#1353. The Birds and the Plan Bs

The ban on abortions is making the nation’s one-child policy difficult to abide by.

The Debate

1. “The one-child policy is doomed to fail,” declares eco-feminist Freida Kidds, ignoring the crying baby in a hessian sling on her back. “How do you expect us to have only one child when you don’t even give us the means to control our family sizes? It’s not like contraception is one hundred percent effective. We don’t want to have more babies, you know. One is already a huge hassle. Give Mother Earth a break from supporting more humans by legalising abortion.”

3. “Are you kidding me? This country has thrived with wholesome, anti-abortion values,” asserts Pedro Ripley, the leader of Blokes Against Reproductive Freedoms. “If we’re really going to respect the right to life, then it’s the one-child policy that must go! It will mean admitting a mistake, but is that so bad? I’ve made so many mistakes in my life that I can’t remember all of their names off the top of my head! Anyways, the point is that I should be able to sow my seed far and wide, and have it land on fertile ground.”

4. “Why don’t you simply make it mandatory for men to have a vasectomy after the first time they father a child?” asks your niece, her chef’s knife blurring with speed as she deftly slices a cucumber for her packed lunch. “That way, you can keep both the one-child policy and the ban on abortion. Everyone wins.”

Issue by The Gold and Silver Alloy of Electrum

Edited by Candlewhisper Archive

Because there has been much speculation about what the conditions required to receive this issue, here is the list of policies of my puppet. (Of course, it is pretty obvious that both a one-child policy and banning abortion are prerequisites, but there always could be something more.)

Autarky
Cannabis
Capital Punishment
Climate Treaty
Compulsory Organ Harvesting
Conscription
Corporal Punishment
DNA Harvesting
Devolution
Geronticide
Human Sacrifice
Maternity Leave
No Abortion
No Emigration
No Gambling
No Immigration
No Internet
No Prison
No Sports
No WMDs
Prohibition
Sex Education
Socialism
State Press
Universal Health Care

As to the missing option 2, I speculate that it is a doppelganger of option 1 for nations which also have No Contraception. This is pure speculation on my part, and might well be completely wrong.

For those who may be interested in attracting this issue to their own nation, my puppet established a one-child policy quite a long time ago via option 4 of issue #136, and about 60 issues ago, banned abortion via option 3 of issue #1142. And none of this was planned. The goal of this puppet was to maximize political apathy, and somehow, issue #1353 came out the other end.

[SherpDaWerp]

The moment that so many have been waiting for has (mostly) arrived! Today, my puppet Cain M Z00 v0 received issue #1353. There is a hole in the HTML option numbers - my puppet received option 1, 3 and 4. So we do not have the full text of the issue yet. Here is what my puppet received. I have not attempted to macroize the proper names, and if there were any other macros in this issue, I didn't notice them.

Wahey! Well done!

In theory, the validity shouldn't be more complex than what's listed on the draft. CWA confirmed a puppet of mine was eligible some time ago, and although I don't remember exactly what was on it at the time, it wasn't much beyond starting policies as I'd been dismissing the issues it received instead of answering them normally.

[Trotterdam]

I think you need to have Violetism as your national religion to get #1538.

Found it!

#1538 The Passion of Chris

The Issue

A construction worker named Chris, hailing from the south of @@NAME@@, has spent the last six months traveling around the country proclaiming himself to be the Chosen Guy long foretold by the prophets of Violet. Chris has now arrived outside your office at the head of a swarming throng of monks and laypeople, chanting both support and opposition to his claims.

The Debate

1. "Blasphemer!" shrieks Archbishop Ferris of the Church of Violet as she bursts into your office, smashing the handle off the door with a large tome on her way in. "Ferris calls it like Ferris sees it! That self-important construction worker should have stuck with carpentry and left interpretation of the holy scriptures to us. Hand over the heretic and let us punish him according to our sacred laws! Actually, if you really wanted to prove your dedication to the church, you might consider handing over a few construction workers every month for our... oblations."

2. "From a strictly political standpoint, the bishop might be onto something here," whispers Ponty Pithon, your Minister for Maintaining Order, leaning close to your ear. "There's a pretty rowdy crowd of lay-Violetists outside demanding Chris' head. Why let the church take all the credit when we could satisfy the mob ourselves? Think of the spectacle: we'll march Chris through the street and make a public festival of his execution! I'm sure it would do wonders for your approval ratings. Come to think of it, this could be the start of a great national holiday!"

3. "Look, he's really not a bad guy," interjects Chris' neighbor and doppelganger, Brian, who had to be provided an escort for his own safety. "Is he nuts? Absolutely! But he's harmless — only twelve guys even came to his meeting last week. If you ask me, you should just let everyone believe whatever they want. We're all individuals, we're all different! What would be the harm?"

4. "Blessed is my kind neighbor, Brian. Blessed are the guys who come to my weekly dinners. Are you blessed, @@LEADER@@?" Chris asks, giving you a wink as he fixes the wobbly leg of your chair. You could be. Why don't you just force the Church of Violet to officially recognize me as their Chosen Guy? I'll use my miraculous powers to help unite our people behind you!" There is a sudden cloud of smoke and Chris vanishes, leaving nothing but an open window to the fire escape.

Issue by Siornor
Edited by Verdant Haven

None of the names are random.

[Pennyslov]

I think you need to have Violetism as your national religion to get #1538.

Found it!

#1538 The Passion of Chris

The Issue

A construction worker named Chris, hailing from the south of @@NAME@@, has spent the last six months traveling around the country proclaiming himself to be the Chosen Guy long foretold by the prophets of Violet. Chris has now arrived outside your office at the head of a swarming throng of monks and laypeople, chanting both support and opposition to his claims.

The Debate

1. "Blasphemer!" shrieks Archbishop Ferris of the Church of Violet as she bursts into your office, smashing the handle off the door with a large tome on her way in. "Ferris calls it like Ferris sees it! That self-important construction worker should have stuck with carpentry and left interpretation of the holy scriptures to us. Hand over the heretic and let us punish him according to our sacred laws! Actually, if you really wanted to prove your dedication to the church, you might consider handing over a few construction workers every month for our... oblations."

2. "From a strictly political standpoint, the bishop might be onto something here," whispers Ponty Pithon, your Minister for Maintaining Order, leaning close to your ear. "There's a pretty rowdy crowd of lay-Violetists outside demanding Chris' head. Why let the church take all the credit when we could satisfy the mob ourselves? Think of the spectacle: we'll march Chris through the street and make a public festival of his execution! I'm sure it would do wonders for your approval ratings. Come to think of it, this could be the start of a great national holiday!"

3. "Look, he's really not a bad guy," interjects Chris' neighbor and doppelganger, Brian, who had to be provided an escort for his own safety. "Is he nuts? Absolutely! But he's harmless — only twelve guys even came to his meeting last week. If you ask me, you should just let everyone believe whatever they want. We're all individuals, we're all different! What would be the harm?"

4. "Blessed is my kind neighbor, Brian. Blessed are the guys who come to my weekly dinners. Are you blessed, @@LEADER@@?" Chris asks, giving you a wink as he fixes the wobbly leg of your chair. You could be. Why don't you just force the Church of Violet to officially recognize me as their Chosen Guy? I'll use my miraculous powers to help unite our people behind you!" There is a sudden cloud of smoke and Chris vanishes, leaving nothing but an open window to the fire escape.

Issue by Siornor
Edited by Verdant Haven

None of the names are random.

What Does Foretold Mean

[Bears Armed]

What Does Foretold Mean

Prophesied.

[TalAkMaChen]

Funny thing: In one of my puppies, War Dogs LXIII, issue #1005 didn't show the first option.
My only guess is: The nation outlaws computers so fighter jets with computers aboard might just also be illegal to operate. Perhaps the "CEO of Blackacre's Bounce Industries" was well aware of the ban and chose not to show up for the meeting at all.

[Tinhampton]

I got Issue #1508 on Themagicflute. Option 1's speaker is @@RANDOM_NAME@@, not Edward Bonaparte. (I got "...Buffy Zimmer, putting her vuvuzela down after blowing it...")

[Pennyslov]

Funny thing: In one of my puppies, War Dogs LXIII, issue #1005 didn't show the first option.
My only guess is: The nation outlaws computers so fighter jets with computers aboard might just also be illegal to operate. Perhaps the "CEO of Blackacre's Bounce Industries" was well aware of the ban and chose not to show up for the meeting at all.

How Is That Possible?

[TalAkMaChen]

What are you referring to? My nation didn't get that option, and now War Dogs III also failed to see option 1 of #1005. That nation also outlawed computers. You see other common policies that might trigger the visibility of that option? Be my guest to take a guess as to why that CEO didn't show up. It's not about Capitalism or banned aircraft.

[Rocain Founder]

Option 2 of issue #1353 has now been revealed. My puppet Cain B O-Au v0 received this issue including this option today. It is as I predicted - it is a doppelganger of option 1 for nations without Contraception. Here is the text of option 2, which is quite similar to that of option 1. Differences from the text of option 1 have been underlined.

2. “The one-child policy is doomed to fail,” declares eco-feminist Freida Kidds, ignoring the crying baby in a hessian sling on her back. “How do you expect us to have only one child when you don’t even give us the means to control our family sizes? It’s not like we’re even allowed to use contraception! We don’t want to have more babies, you know. One is already a huge hassle. Give Mother Earth a break from supporting more humans by legalising abortion. Oh, and contraception too, obviously.”

The talking point for option 2 is identical to that for option 1.

[Valentine Z]

Thank you for all of the input and contributions. ♥

New update is coming.. soon. This week! ^^

[Pennyslov]

I Think That My Newest Draft (Technology Shock) Will Succeed And Get Accepted

[Outer Sparta]

I Think That My Newest Draft (Technology Shock) Will Succeed And Get Accepted

Don't insert yourself in this thread. If you want to brag about how your recent issue draft is the best anyone has ever done, then I suggest you don't do that.

[TalAkMaChen]

Two unlisted option possibilities:

1309,3+4: opt 4 was found it at a nation with compulsory vegetarianism, opt 3 was hidden there, also confirming what was noticed before, so my best guess here is: opt 3: "must not have compulsory vegetarianism" as condition.
1310,3: not found at nation with "No Abortion" policy -> I guess because that option talks about them wanting to "eliminate all the serious health issues" with fetuses.

[Trotterdam]

Two unlisted option possibilities:

1309,3+4: opt 4 was found it at a nation with compulsory vegetarianism, opt 3 was hidden there, also confirming what was noticed before, so my best guess here is: opt 3: "must not have compulsory vegetarianism" as condition.
1310,3: not found at nation with "No Abortion" policy -> I guess because that option talks about them wanting to "eliminate all the serious health issues" with fetuses.

Confirmed. By my analysis:
#1309 3 is not available to nations with Vegetarianism.
#1309 4 is available to all nations regardless of whether or not they have Vegetarianism.
#1310 3 is not available to nations with No Abortion.
#1310 4 is not available to nations with No Computers or No Internet (the spoiler thread already records the former but not the latter).
#1310 6 is not available to nations with No Immigration, while #1310 5 is only available to nations with No Immigration (the spoiler thread already records this one too).
#1310 7 is only available to nations with No Automobiles.
My data also shows some options of #1310 not being reported for nations with Vat-Produced Infants or Parental Licensing, but I think this is probably a validity on the entire issue rather than individual options.

[Il Sonno della Ragione Genera Mostri]

Hello. I found a little mistake here in forum only, regarding the issue 449: A Big Fracking Problem
viewtopic.php?t=88&start=25#449

The first option triggers when "Must not have Autarky", the second one triggers when "Must have Autarky".
In game it's correct, I have Autarky and I see the second one.

It's just the description here in forum that has inverted.

[TalAkMaChen]

New, new, nEw, neW!

#1540 Clean Flavours [Candlewhisper Archive; ed: Frieden-und Freudenland and Candensia]
The Issue

Over the weekend, two dozen people were admitted to the hospital after ingesting the new liquid detergent Wonderoso, having mistaken it for a soft drink.

The Debate
1, “It’s irresponsible to package detergent in the same way as soft drinks,” observes Dr. @@RANDOM_NAME@@, a toxicologist. “It’s not just the liquids either. There’s brightly coloured detergent tablets that kids mistake for sweets, and manufacturers apply scents like cinnamon, mint and vanilla to toxic products. Cleaning products should be hard to open, look unappetising and be clearly noxious in appearance!” @@HE@@ pauses to take a swig from @@HIS@@ soft drink, and suddenly stiffens and keels over like a falling log.

2, “Our prime responsibility is to our shareholders, and that means maximising sales with consumer-preferred features and packaging,” explains a corporate marketing spokesperson, who is dressed in a lab coat to give the impression of being a scientist. “It’s not our duty nor the government’s duty to protect people from their own stupidity, like somehow mistaking licorice-flavoured brown oxy-power fizzy Wonderoso for Eckie-Ecola. Our all-purpose cleansers are not intended for ingestion despite — allegedly — tasting twice as good as the leading alternative.”

3, “The problem is not that detergents look like foods, it’s that food looks like detergents,” complains organic farmer @@RANDOM_NAME@@, waving a misshapen turnip at you. “We should ban food colourings and any food additives that are designed to change the appearance of edibles. Once people get used to natural-looking produce, there’ll be no chance of them mistaking a pastel-coloured soap product for food.”

Edit: I got it twice already and got male/female names, so I conclude they are random.

[Freedenea]

#1541 - Confusion of the Highest Order (The Dark Crusaders, edited by Sedgistan)

The Issue
----
Attending a passing out ceremony this morning, a stand-off ensues when two officers of different ranks in the nation’s sprawling military bureaucracy both insist the other salutes first. Twenty minutes of awkward posturing later, an aide suggests it might be time you intervened.

The Debate
----
1. “This is absolutely ridiculous!” exclaims Field Commander Four-and-a-Half Star Lieutenant-Colonel with fig leaf cluster Boyson Longfellow, arms held stiffly at his side as he stares down Grand Marshal Brigadier-Major first class Grace Shatner. “We officers should be afforded the respect our proud service warrants, through a plethora of ranks to tailor to every officer’s skill set and service to the army, and it’s every soldier’s duty to understand their place in the hierarchy.”

2. “Why should I be forced to remember every single rank?” pipes up pallid-faced orderly Luciano Beachcroft. “I got ten days of latrine scrubbing for not being able to distinguish between 162 varieties of epaulettes — how ridiculous is that? Military ranks must be made simpler if you want efficient battlefield decisions rather than generals squabbling like children.” He looks mournfully at a worn toothbrush as both the Field Commander and Grand Marshal turn to glower at him.

Unsure if names are random.