Worldbuilding Realism Consultation Thread Mk. 4

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

I present to you RN's glorious truck militarization kit:





you've got the following:

• 1.
  • 4x heavy duty wheels w/ run-flat tires
• 2.
  • 2.1 2x headlight wire mesh screen
  • 2.2 2x taillight wire mesh screen
  • 2.3 1x lightbar
  • 2.4 2x side window wire mesh screen
  • 2.5 1x snorkel
• 3.
  • 3.1 6x vertical rollcage tube
  • 3.2 1x weapon ringmount
  • 3.3 2x transversal rollcage tube
  • 3.4 6x horizontal rollcage tube
  • 3.5 2x diagonal rollcage tube
• 4.
  • 4.1 bullbar
  • 4.2 roof weapon pintle mount
  • 4.3 roof side-open hatch
• 5.
  • 5.1 2x side front ⅓ 'rd ballistic blanket
  • 5.2 2x side middle ⅓ 'rd ballistic blanket
  • 5.3 2x side back ⅓ 'rd ballistic blanket
  • 5.4 1x rear ballistic blanket

and here it is mounted:

going from front to back, you have the following mods:

bullbar - this would be preferably bolted/welded to the chassis itself
headlight mesh screen
snorkel
window mesh screen
light bar
hatch (side-opening)
pintle mount
rollcage
ballistic blankets
ringmount (rollcage-integrated)
folding bench seats (not visible, mounted along the sides of the bed)
taillight mesh screen

The point behind the bullbar is obviously to be able to smash through light barricades. The ballistic blankets would be secured to the rollcage through straps and/or loops. they would feature zippers to allow ingress/egress and operating the pintle- and ringmounted machineguns. The ringmounted machinegun would ideally be a HMG on a high elevation mount, which would allow for comfortable true 360 transverse and engaging aerial or high targets in urban/mountainous environments. the pintle mount would ideally be telescopic or collapsible/foldable (to allow for a completely free field of fire for the HMG if desired) and mount a GPMG/MMG. mounting the hatch would involve cutting out a portion of the roof and welding/bolting it on (possibly topped off with some sealant like silicon to keep rain out or w/e). it would be used for observation purposes or to fire small arms.

i'm currently looking at ways to lightly bulletproof a car that is on a budget and (semi-)diy . one thing i had in mind was to line the floor of the vehicle with ballistic blankets and also drape them over the doors (on the inside). the only significantly bulky/costly/complicated bulletproofing left to be done would be to do something with the windows but hey something is better than nothing. even frag/spall-only protection would be a huge improvement over stock.

i actually once calculated the payload required to armor an F-150 with mild steel plates completely (w/o windows) and it was well under the listed maximum payload iirc. however, i only took into account the weight of the plates themselves, and the problem with this is that the panels themselves are not designed to carry that kind of weight and would probably require sub-structures, also welding could prove problematic if you go that route

for arming rebels you want to go as simple as possible so i'd reckon bolts should do the job. then if you want to be really anal about it you could e.g. supply each "hatch kit" with a small, single-use silicon bottle and applicator for waterproofing the thing. if you want to be really really anal you could also have sound and thermal deadening integrated into the hatch to maintain the stock feel but that's a lot of anal

i'm thinking how much of this requires actually supplying them with kits and what could be taught to them e.g. supply them with technical sheets and have them weld their own rollcages with their own metal or w/e (this would require them to be semi-competent however)

Obviously this kit is for a Ford F-150 regular cab with a regular bed, you could have different kits for different trucks and/or just a kit that will fit most trucks used as technicals (read: hilux/toyo landcruiser). Even with different kits you'll still have intercompatibility with most parts.

note: the roof hatch has a double door so it can open on the driver side only, passenger side only or both.

note2: also, what do you think would be best to use to close and open the ballistic blankets - zippers or velcro? i'm tending towards zipper as it can be easily closed and open and it could have a pull tab on both sides of the zipper slide thus allowing for it to be closed or open from both the inside and outside. if you have a ballistic blanket on the top of the rollcage as well or even just a tarp you could essentially turn the bed area into a waterproof compartment and i think zippers are better at holding back water than velcro fastening.

note 3: the truck can additionally be fitted with modular armor to protect the cab, engine, fuel tank and/or other vital areas. one example of simple diy armoring would be to sandbag the bottom and/or sides of the bed.

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

I have sperg'd the fuck out







Here you can see spall liner / frag / ballistic protection in the form of flexible sheets and blankets (maybe have some peel-on?) for interior application (except for 4 and 5) :

1. right door (w/ flap covering door handle)
2. rear bulkhead, separate section for the rear window which can be closed and opened
3. roof, separate sections for hatches
4. over bed "roof" section, front gunner's
5. over bed "roof" sections: front half, gunner's, rear half (cutout for ringmount)
6. left door (w/ flap covering door handle)
7. firewall (with cutouts for transmission, cables, steering wheel)
8. cab bottom sections
9. bed bottom section (optional drain hole cutout)

These along with the original "armor" would only leave the windshield and side windows unprotected (well save for wire mesh screens for the side windows) , as well as maybe the fuel tank and engine as vital components (transmission maybe?) .

[Prosorusiya]

https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=400399&p=30975941#p30975941

Some more updates to my WIP Airline Storefront, which is coming along, albeit slowly. I've decided to concentrate on flights to nearby Central Asia (which I know a little about thanks to a course I took on the Silk Road), since this will give me some connection to China as well as Russia, albeit indirectly. My hope is a combination of low fares and belly cargo will help make my airline more profitable. I based the ticket prices off this of Peboda,Aeroflot's low cost subsidiary.

Any comments? Does anybody know how to fix that thing where tables and headers get spaced way far apart?

Also, does anybody have a route map from Aeroflot from pre-1990 showing routes into Central Asia? And how many flights per-day\week should I have? I am certain the Moscow route will be the busiest, and shortest at about an hours' flight time. The other routes are 2-3 hrs flight time. I intend to operate each route with a single plane, turning it around not long after it arrives... partly because I am low on equipment at only five planes, only three of which I intend on using on longer routes.

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

Ford Police Interceptor Utility factory armoring 1 2

[Taihei Tengoku]

Some sperg about banks:

Taihei Tengoku's banking system occupies a middle ground of sorts between central and free banking. Private banks are allowed to print and issue new money, and work with clearing houses to regulate the money supply. The largest of these is the Bank of Nara, which is not a bank but a clearing house. The money is backed by bank capital and liquid assets approximating a basket of goods. I am almost inclined to just say that each tael (the national currency) is really just a share in a huge index fund of sorts but I'm not sure how that'd work out.

Currently the BON is a quasi-private, quasi-public entity like the Fed. Would it be possible for a first-among-equals clearinghouse to perform targeting (specifically NGDP targeting) by interfering with the asset pool backing the currency?

[The Macabees]

For a clearinghouse or central bank to manipulate the supply of money it needs to control the monetary base, and so whatever your outside money (base money; high powered money — it all refers to essentially the same thing) is it needs to be issued by this central bank. Then all said bank needs to do to target NGDP is foster some kind of NGDP futures market and adjust interest rates/their balance sheet in accordance with this market.

[The Macabees]

Btw, a free banking system can achieve what NGDP targeting seeks to achieve on its own, as long as depositors discriminate between brands of inside money. It's the broader money supply, or inside money, that the levers behind a central bank seek to influence. In a free banking system, if the demand for inside money increases, people are holding their privately issued notes rather than redeeming them for outside money. This means that the probability attached to a withdrawal falls, and the bank can issue more liabilities and thus increase the supply of money in response to an increase in demand. When the demand for money falls, notes are redeemed for outside money and the probability of a withdrawal increases, thus the bank reduces its outstanding liabilites (does not issue new notes as they come in).

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

french police has Crown Victorias WAT

also I think there are a few countries in Europe and not only where stuff like Ford E-Series are used as ambulances or police vans where I don't think American-style vans were even sold commercially? What's up with that? Is it something like murrikan grants, or "yea we'll buy your cars for our public services because they look cool and it makes us look like we stand by you uncle sam" ??

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

Brazilian police executing a minor and attempting to execute another one

who in their right mind would do this with vehicle cameras and GPS ??

[Chinese Peoples]

That's hardly news given what their colleagues in the Philippines are doing.

[Kazarogkai]

Some sperg about banks:

Taihei Tengoku's banking system occupies a middle ground of sorts between central and free banking. Private banks are allowed to print and issue new money, and work with clearing houses to regulate the money supply. The largest of these is the Bank of Nara, which is not a bank but a clearing house. The money is backed by bank capital and liquid assets approximating a basket of goods. I am almost inclined to just say that each tael (the national currency) is really just a share in a huge index fund of sorts but I'm not sure how that'd work out.

Currently the BON is a quasi-private, quasi-public entity like the Fed. Would it be possible for a first-among-equals clearinghouse to perform targeting (specifically NGDP targeting) by interfering with the asset pool backing the currency?

Within Kazarogokai things are a bit more simpler. All banks, better classified as credit unions, are divided into two types: Community and National. Regardless of their classification they are all state owned the difference derives from which level of government controls them and their responsibilities.

Community Banks are controlled by local governments at the Hold level though are administered at the District level. These serve as the general lending banks from which common people may make use of with each bank usually being further differentiated by their focus ranging from agriculture, Merchants, and Personal savings/loans. They as a whole practice a system of Full Reserve Banking and especially in the case of personal banks have strict restrictions on things like interest.

In contrast National Banks are controlled at the National level and technically serve as a regulatory authority and have control over the mines from which are currency, shells, are gathered from.

[Taihei Tengoku]

If you have full reserve banking why even have banks

[Kazarogkai]

If you have full reserve banking why even have banks

?
Banks still perform the same role as they do in a full as they would in a fractional reserve system. They just do it a little differently. For example Lending: rather than taking it out of on demand accounts The way a bank would get money to fund loans would be from revenue they generate from fees on said on demand accounts but also money they get from timed deposits which they can loan out at will until the time runs out. Look at the video I linked it more or less shows the way it would function. The big thing you need to understand though is that contrary to a fractional system in a full reserve system the bank cannot artificially create money(M2,M3,etc) technically as such the only way for the money supply to grow is via government action(printing, minting, etc).

[The Macabees]

I don't want to involve myself too much in this discussion, but the problem is with the over-issue of money, not with fractional reserve banking. That being said, there's also problems with under-issue of money (which central planners are just as bad at handling as monetary over-issuing).

Here are some links you may be interested in: Fractional reserve banking made simple

Also, a more general resource:

The Theory of Free Banking

[Kazarogkai]

I don't want to involve myself too much in this discussion, but the problem is with the over-issue of money, not with fractional reserve banking. That being said, there's also problems with under-issue of money (which central planners are just as bad at handling as monetary over-issuing).

Here are some links you may be interested in: Fractional reserve banking made simple

Also, a more general resource:

The Theory of Free Banking

That wouldn' be a great issue in my circumstance considering the fact that the Kaza have a commodity currency.

Also i'm not speaking of the artificial creation of money as an advantage or disadvantage only that it is what differentiates a fractional from a full reserve system in terms of the nature of lending. Yes I did take my economics class in Highschool and passed with atleast a B I can assure you of that.

[The Macabees]

Yes I did take my economics class in Highschool and passed with atleast a B I can assure you of that.

Impressive.

[Kazarogkai]

Yes I did take my economics class in Highschool and passed with atleast a B I can assure you of that.

Impressive.

I'm stupid, but not that stupid.

[Taihei Tengoku]

If you have full reserve banking why even have banks

?
Banks still perform the same role as they do in a full as they would in a fractional reserve system. They just do it a little differently. For example Lending: rather than taking it out of on demand accounts The way a bank would get money to fund loans would be from revenue they generate from fees on said on demand accounts but also money they get from timed deposits which they can loan out at will until the time runs out. Look at the video I linked it more or less shows the way it would function. The big thing you need to understand though is that contrary to a fractional system in a full reserve system the bank cannot artificially create money(M2,M3,etc) technically as such the only way for the money supply to grow is via government action(printing, minting, etc).

No they don't. M2 and M3 are important because they can dynamically adjust to demand. In full reserve banking there is no way to create money besides the state physically creating banknotes and no way to contract the money supply without physically destroying them (and demonetizing some of the bullion).

[Kazarogkai]

?
Banks still perform the same role as they do in a full as they would in a fractional reserve system. They just do it a little differently. For example Lending: rather than taking it out of on demand accounts The way a bank would get money to fund loans would be from revenue they generate from fees on said on demand accounts but also money they get from timed deposits which they can loan out at will until the time runs out. Look at the video I linked it more or less shows the way it would function. The big thing you need to understand though is that contrary to a fractional system in a full reserve system the bank cannot artificially create money(M2,M3,etc) technically as such the only way for the money supply to grow is via government action(printing, minting, etc).

No they don't. M2 and M3 are important because they can dynamically adjust to demand. In full reserve banking there is no way to create money besides the state physically creating banknotes and no way to contract the money supply without physically destroying them (and demonetizing some of the bullion).

That is exactly what I said. The major difference between Full and fractional reserve banking when it comes down to it is the fact that Lending does not create money in a full reserve banking system. Even despite that banks are still capable of making loans, they just have to draw the capital for said loans from their own personal supply derived from revenues made from on demand accounts and from deposits within timed deposit accounts(CD). You watched the video did you not? It explains this quite eloquently. This is how banking worked before the venetians invented fractional reserves in the 14th century with many banks keeping it up until the 19th century.

[Taihei Tengoku]

Yes, the ability to create money by lending is an important innovation, and the more important clause in that sentence was about contracting the money supply. Physical creation/destruction of banknotes is much too slow and imprecise of a process to respond to the business cycle and would force people out of the actual banking system and into a more responsive OTC/shadow finance alternative that operated on fractional reserves.

[Costa Fierro]

french police has Crown Victorias WAT

French municipal police, and I'd say they're the exception, not the rule. A small number of countries have them, although they're mostly found in the Arab states like Saudi Arabia or Kuwait. The new Ford Taurus Police Interceptor has found a much greater export audience.

[Costa Fierro]

Would it actually be possible to run a state financed primarily with the sale of illegal drugs, specially in the manor in which Kyrat is run?

North Korea seems to manage.

[Allanea]

It's probably much harder in NS with all the countries where drugs are legal.

[Minroz]

I've been thinking of this for a while, is there any way to stop black market? At least minimize it?

I know Black Markets proliferates during chaotic periods or like Great Depressions. Thus, makes it difficult to crack down on them.

Nevertheless, what would you do if you want to stop the Black Market?

[Austrasien]

Arrest people.

Black markets always exist because there is no such thing as perfect enforcement. You may as well ask how to stop crime.