NationStates Issues **SPOILER ALERT**

[Nevertopia]

wait were u the one that wrote the Nuclear war chain?

If you're talking about MADness (the new chain), I did indeed write, edit, and publish that. Of course, the other editors made some valuable contributions/suggestions.

An International Incident (the first chain) can also involve nuclear war, but I didn't write that one.

dude that issue was a great learning experience for me. I've always wondered how international military conflicts could be better handled and going through the chain I now realize an unified international community and trade sanctions are the best ways to combat a tyrannical regime.

[Jutsa]

This makes me wonder though: What if you're the tyrranical regime?

What kind of issue chain could spawn from that, I wonder...

[Valentine Z]

This makes me wonder though: What if you're the tyrranical regime?

What kind of issue chain could spawn from that, I wonder...

I waited eagerly for the issue chain for Samantha-Higgs, but it never came to be.

[Fauxia]

What’s currently labeled as 1402.1 is actually option 2, unless they look identical.

[The Rhein States]

Socialist Chain:
1375 Option 3
1391 Option 3
1392 Option 1
1393 Option 1
1394 Option 2
1396 Option 2
1397 Option 2
1398 Option 1
1399 Option 1

Now I have received 1400, but which option could lead to 1401, Trotterdam?

[Trotterdam]

Now I have received 1400, but which option could lead to 1401, Trotterdam?

Option 1. The one where you agree to remove your own nuclear missiles without demanding any concessions in return.

[The Rhein States]

Socialist Chain:
1375 Option 3
1391 Option 3
1392 Option 1
1393 Option 1
1394 Option 2
1396 Option 2
1397 Option 2
1398 Option 1
1399 Option 1
1400 Option 1

#1401 Leave and Let Die

The Story So Far
You are currently participating in a diplomatic summit on San Vitenzo.

The Issue
During today’s negotiations, you told the enemy you were willing to withdraw your nuclear weapons from San Vitenzo without expecting anything in return. Your shocked advisors have confronted you to get clarification about that particular stance.

The Debate

“This was all some sort of negotiating strategy, right?” questions Defense Minister Rolan Malinovich, who looks like he’s on the verge of a panic attack. “We can’t just give in to their demands all of a sudden! Do you know how weak that makes us look? President Moreno has generously offered to negotiate with the United Federation to remove some of their nukes that are in range of @@NATION@@. If you’re determined to withdraw from this conflict, we really should take him up on his offer.”

“I thought we agreed to quit threatening other countries with violence and destruction?” admonishes Minister of International Diplomacy Andrea Gramyki, thrashing out an improvised version of ‘Paint It Violet’ on her guitar. “Send Agent Milanova home, and let’s get out of here. Who cares if we can’t hit them with nuclear weapons? Maybe if we started minding our own business and working to make Rhein Museum a better place instead of spending so much on the military, they wouldn’t feel so threatened by us.”

Issue by The Holy Empire of Pogaria
Edited by Pogaria

Internal Numbering 0,1
Going for option 1, perhaps the end of the chain.

[Kandorith]

#1407 New Tricks

The Issue

It’s Trickster Night, a global event made popular in the United Federation but with its roots in ancient religious practices, where children dress up as ghouls and ghosts and play pranks if not given a sweet treat. You are making your way to your front door, when a small child draped in a sheet stops you.

The Debate

1. “Twick or tweat, twick or tweat, gimme somefin good to eat,” she lisps, holding up a small bucket already half filled. “If you don’t, I declare, erm... it will be not fair. Wow! You’re that person wiv all the power. My pawents talk about you all the time. They say, ‘Can’t that dum-dum do anyfin wight?’ Listen, I love Twickster Night. It’s my favouwite holiday. Can you give all kids a day off school, so we can make weally good costumes? Then we can show evewyone how fun it is.”

2. “Shoo, you bothersome brat,” mutters your Uncle @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, putting one sour lemon drop into her bucket and dragging you inside. “This pranking is what I want to talk about. Children running around, creating mayhem, demanding rewards for no work. What happened to industriousness? To children being neither seen nor heard? Clamp down on this ridiculous imported holiday. It’s harassment to allow your child to demand sweets with menaces. Issue heavy fines to any parent who lets their wretched hellion out of the house on Trickster’s Night.”

3. “My child, I’m so glad you’re here,” says your mother, entering with a tray and opening the door to place six chocolate bars into the bucket of the little girl who is still crying outside. “I’m tired of putting up with Wei’s nonsense. But I do worry about all those children, wandering alone. Streets can be so unsafe. I say we encourage families and schools to hold Trickster Night costume parties with buffets, toffee apples, gift bags of sweets... dancing, if there’s time. Then, the little ones could safely enjoy their evening.”

4. “Be not one with the ghouls, lest ye become a ghoul!” howls your niece, stepping forward to deposit a graphically bloody religious tract into the little girl’s bucket. “This Night of Tricks is, itself, a trick. It softens our resistance to evil, encourages us to don the robes and face of the devil, and makes us forget that the mask we wear is what we are! We must ban this demonic day, and the sale of all costumes that let your citizens pretend to be devils, harlots or other evil people. Kandorith must stand unified, praying together against this evil.”

5. “Ah, my favourite night of the year, all screams and sweets,” comments your brother, menacing the little girl with a realistic toy axe as he snatches the bucket of candy from her, and slams the door shut in her face. “Delightful japes if someone doesn’t give you enough sweets, or gives you the wrong ones. Nothing makes someone feel more alive than a good scare. Except the lady who collapsed — ah well. Let’s make it a mandatory national holiday for all. No more pretending to be out. Get everyone’s adrenaline pumping with some larks, like neighbours jumping out with chainsaws. Everyone — especially me — would get so many sweets. Talking of which, I reckon you were a little light this year, so...” Grinning, he steps back to reveal your most important papers rendered unreadable by a dozen rotten eggs.

Issue by The Petrifying Procrastinations of The Free Joy State

Edited by Candlewhisper Archive

---

I like this one, fits with the month ^^

[Trotterdam]

Interesting. What's #1406, then?

Also, I suspect a hidden option on #1407. Or not. Not sure what's up with this effect line, really. Got the issue myself and hidden option numbering revealed no secrets. Guess this was from some other issue, though I can't tell which.

[Fauxia II]

1397.2

“Good morning. I regret to inform you that I will require some assistance,” declares Milanova, who doesn’t betray any sense of emotion. “While sabotaging the fuel lines on a Federation destroyer, I overheard a naval officer by the name of Captain Duffle who was planning some type of ‘counter-attack’ on @@NAME@@ I didn’t hear many of the details, but I think something big is being planned at base headquarters. The problem is that it is constantly guarded by a battalion of elite troops from the United Federation’s Violet Berets. No one gets in or out without the top admiral’s explicit approval. I need someone in HQ to hack into the enemy’s personnel files and make it look like I’m an auditor who was sent by President Finnedy to perform a surprise inspection. Can you make it happen?”

That seems to be identical to option 1, so I think what we’ve called option 1 is in fact option 2.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Interesting. What's #1406, then?

Well, only 3% of nations are eligible for it, so might take you a day or two to find.

[Trotterdam]

That seems to be identical to option 1, so I think what we’ve called option 1 is in fact option 2.

Could be a different followup... though my data doesn't point to that, actually.

Well, only 3% of nations are eligible for it, so might take you a day or two to find.

Yeah, I've spotted a few signs now. Something about law enforcement, though there obviously has to be more to it than that if it's so exclusive.

[TalAkMaChen]

You all missed 1348,6 - the "still has airplanes" option But do not fear, I paid attention, here it is:

1348,6: “This all seems rather foreboding,” stammers agoraphobic protester Harry Chapman. “If the Divine had wanted us to visit space, why is it so dark and inhospitable? There’s nothing up there but creepy spiders from Mars. We must forbid all flying machines from the @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ skies; only then will we be safe from the terrors of the air.”

Some further additions:

• 243,3 with italics: "president of The Secular, Humanist, and Atheist Society."
• 604,4: I didn't get it at War Dogs LXIII which would qualify for it by having Capitalism and no Vegetarism (only options 1-3 were shown)
• 1372, validity option 4? I sadly did not note at which nation I didn't get that one, but option 4 has some validity check. I just don't know which

[Disgraces]

Has anyone gotten the MADness chain while being socialist?

[SherpDaWerp]

Has anyone gotten the MADness chain while being socialist?

Well, half the point of the chain is that there's variants for socialism and capitalism, with different storylines for each. The Rhein States documented the path they took through the chain as a Socialist nation in this thread not too long ago, if you want to look back through it.

[Honeydewistania]

1,409

Happy Pranksgiving! [Verdant Haven; Ed:Noahs Second Country]

The Issue

The wildly popular HBC (@@NAMEINITIALS@@BC) television series Prankyard Wars has long depicted a lovable team of practical jokers attempting to out-do each other with harmless mischief. However, following a recent dip in ratings, their increasingly elaborate antics led to the accidental incineration of a public park, several houses, and most of the local fire station’s equipment.

Option 1

“It was just a prank, Prime Minister Marcel Fraser!” wails one of the jokers in question, Yuri “Sheep-Butt” Rogers. “You can’t hold us liable for it! We just thought ‘FOOF’ sounded like a funny chemical name... you know, like ‘You got FOOFed!’ How were we supposed to know it makes pretty much everything it touches burst into flames? People need to lighten up and consider our intentions before grabbing their pitchforks!”

Option 2

“Dioxygen difluoride is one of the most dangerous chemicals in existence. We cannot allow this kind of irresponsible behavior!” roars police chief Jane Cash (@@RANDOMNAME@@?), wildly flailing about with her (@@HIS@@?) baton. “They cannot possibly have acquired it without knowing exactly what it does! Let me bring them up on chemical weapons charges, and we’ll see who’s laughing when they get convicted as the terrorists they are. We must have zero tolerance for these so-called ‘pranksters.’”

Option 3

“We all know that the people making the decisions aren’t the screen talent, but the producers!” interjects four-time Golden Sheep (@@ANIMAL@@) winning actor Ming Fils-Aimé, head of the Performers’ Guild. “They control the purse strings, so they are responsible for the content! You should fine them for forcing these poor performers to endanger themselves like that, and maybe toss in some criminal charges to boot. Nobody should have to risk their safety just to get a paycheck.”

Option 4

“Now, let’s sit down and have a nice fireside chat together,” rolls the soothing sentiment of Stephanie May (@@RANDOMNAME@@?), the unusually charismatic head anchor for HBC (@@NAMEINITIALS@@BC) News. “I am certain we can negotiate a settlement that will make all parties happy. If you look the other way on any laws that may have been broken, we can ensure that everything will be rebuilt better than before, and I can toss in some positive coverage of your current legislative efforts.”

[Fauxia II]

1404.2

Malinovich ushers you over to a nearby phone, where a red light is blinking. He presses a few buttons to put the call on speakerphone. “@@LEADER@@? Is that you?” The static-obscured voice of Natasha Milanova is barely audible, causing Malinovich to frantically increase the volume. “I followed up on those enemy plans that I told you about. The officers were plotting to send an armada to bombard @@NAME@@ with the ships’ guns. Captain Duffle was assigned the advance patrol mission near our coastline. I managed to sneak aboard his submarine before it left. As the diplomatic conflict intensified, Duffle was constantly arguing with Commander Harrigut, his second in command. Captain Duffle kept shouting that @@NAME@@ was a threat that needed to be taken out preemptively. Even after some sort of ‘satellite incident,’ Commander Harrigut wouldn’t support any retaliation that would lead to mutually assured destruction. Captain Duffle accused his officer of treason, pulled out his sidearm, and shot him in the head, then took his nuclear launch key. Duffle and the remaining officers immediately launched all of the ballistic missiles straight at @@NAME@@. Fortunately... I had already disarmed each of the warheads.” Milanova’s closing words are obscured by a deafening cheer from the people surrounding you.

Is that identical to option 1? I don’t see the difference.

Fallout was the exact same. Weird.

[Jutsa]

Huh. I'm surprised there's no option banning FOOF

[Verdant Haven]

Huh. I'm surprised there's no option banning FOOF

Option 2 practically does, by categorizing it as a chemical weapon and criminalizing its irresponsible use. Given that there is no responsible use beyond certain rare applications in the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons, this is functionally a backdoor ban on FOOF. FOOF is actually a relatively simple chemical compound that can be synthesized in a very straightforward manner from two readily available gases: O2 + F2, add electricity under low pressure, done. The only reason it isn't found frequently is because any chemist worth their salt knows exactly how dangerous it is, and doesn't want to incinerate their own lab. I feel like criminalizing its irresponsible use is far more practical than trying to ban a straightforward chemical reaction from occurring.

Separately speaking, all names in 1409 are random, and both the nickname in Option 1 and the award name in Option 3 use @@ANIMAL@@.

[Fauxia II]

1405.2

“Reparations! We’re not paying any stinkin’ reparations!” blusters Defense Minister Rolan Malinovich, who has turned a rather alarming shade of red. “Have you forgotten how they almost annihilated us? Yes, we definitely killed a bunch of their solders. What did they think would happen when they invaded our ally? This treaty is just a slap in the face — and we’re definitely not disarming or letting in waves of immigrants. You need to walk away from the negotiating table, and hit them with sanctions for good measure. They’re our enemy forevermore.”

Obviously what happens when you choose 1403.2

[Fauxia II]

1389.1 is identical to 1389.3

[Nouveau Yathrib]

Huh. I'm surprised there's no option banning FOOF

Option 2 practically does, by categorizing it as a chemical weapon and criminalizing its irresponsible use. Given that there is no responsible use beyond certain rare applications in the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons, this is functionally a backdoor ban on FOOF. FOOF is actually a relatively simple chemical compound that can be synthesized in a very straightforward manner from two readily available gases: O2 + F2, add electricity under low pressure, done. The only reason it isn't found frequently is because any chemist worth their salt knows exactly how dangerous it is, and doesn't want to incinerate their own lab. I feel like criminalizing its irresponsible use is far more practical than trying to ban a straightforward chemical reaction from occurring.

Separately speaking, all names in 1409 are random, and both the nickname in Option 1 and the award name in Option 3 use @@ANIMAL@@.

Just got this issue, thought it was very well-written!

[Trotterdam]

1405.2

“Reparations! We’re not paying any stinkin’ reparations!” blusters Defense Minister Rolan Malinovich, who has turned a rather alarming shade of red. “Have you forgotten how they almost annihilated us? Yes, we definitely killed a bunch of their solders. What did they think would happen when they invaded our ally? This treaty is just a slap in the face — and we’re definitely not disarming or letting in waves of immigrants. You need to walk away from the negotiating table, and hit them with sanctions for good measure. They’re our enemy forevermore.”

Obviously what happens when you choose 1403.2

#1405 2 has already been reported, with internal numbering checking. Do you mean option 5, maybe? (It differs by the previously-reported option 4 by omitting the "Yes, we would have done the same thing to them if it weren’t for that phone call from our secret agent").

---

Anyway, a few minor option variants aside, we have most of the chain mapped, but we're still missing #1380 and #1382 (both part of the capitalist story branch). For those of you willing to test things, I recommend trying the following paths (if no option number is given, then it shouldn't matter which you pick):
#1375 1-3 -> #1376 1 -> #1377 -> #1378 -> #1379 3 (please report this effect line, I'm at a loss) -> #1380?
#1375 1-3 -> #1376 2 -> #1377 -> #1381 1 -> #1382?

I'm also still unclear on how #1377 can have either #1378 of #1381 as a followup depending on what you chose one issue earlier. Presumably, there are option variants and one set is actually 1-3 while the other is actually 4-6 or the like. Same goes for the socialist equivalents, #1394 and #1395.

EDIT: We do have #1384 already, my bad.

[Valentine Z]

For 1407:

Option 2: Got Uncle Pete instead of Wei (with reference to Kandorith's report). So... random male names, perhaps.

Option 5: would get so many sweets. Italics!

[Hechevstan]

#1410: Lives On-Line

The Issue

After a @@DEMONYMADJECTIVE@@ hospital quietly paid out in a recent ransomware attack, numerous other hospitals across @@NAME@@ have been targeted by criminals hoping to cash in. The unknown perpetrators behind these attacks have demanded large quantities of bytecoins to provide decryption keys, causing hospital administrators to desperately seek guidance from law enforcement.

The Debate

1. “We swore an oath to help people in their hour of need,” affirms Dr. Stefanie Carter, the chief physician of one affected hospital, while her colleagues nervously nod in agreement. “Lives are on the line, and if we don’t regain access to these files, there will be fatal consequences. Life-saving surgery will be delayed, medications will get mixed up, and there’s no telling what kind of vital records will be lost. We don’t have any choice but to pay, right?"

2. “You can’t possibly suggest giving in to terrorists!” cries out Barbie Howell, an adjuster for @@CAPITAL@@ Hospital’s insurance provider. “It’s a matter of principle not to reward bad behavior. We’ve already seen that if you pay, it will just happen again and again! It’s more important to refuse every claim than to pay out on the off chance it will save somebody. Did I say claim? I meant demand. Refuse the terrorists’ demands!”

3. “We may be able to crack this code,” murmurs Deputy Chief Filipe Peters, head of your electronic crimes unit. “I’m going to need a few dozen engineers, unfettered access to the network, and all the computing power you’ve got! In the meantime, you should force hospitals to set up better cyber-defenses, and fine the heck out of any that allow security breaches.”

4. “This would never have happened with pen and paper!” declares a bureaucrat who seems to have worked for the government longer than you’ve been alive. “Leave all the computers and the internet and the saggy pants and the hippity-hop to those young folks who don’t know better. When lives are on the line, you can’t be online. Tell vital services to stick to good, old-fashioned handwriting — then they’ll be safe from those nasty folks on the web."

Issue by The Federated Bailiwicks of Verdant Haven

Edited by Pogaria

Heheh. Bytecoin.