[DRAFT] Jet Lagged

[Eshialand]

There can never be enough issues about time!

Description: During a recent visit to the @@ANIMAL@@ Islands, a remote archipelago whose time is five hours behind that of @@CAPITAL@@, you found yourself sleeping through an important meeting on climate change, igniting a debate about @@NAME@@'s many time zones. Now, an odd group of advisors have gathered in your office to present their own solutions.

Option 1: "In glorious Dàguó, we have a simple solution to this problem," remarks @@RANDOMNAME_1@@, the Dàguó ambassador. "We use one time for the whole country, and it has done wonders for our national unity! If you truly wish for @@NAME@@ to prosper, everyone across the country must use the same time as @@CAPITAL@@!"

Result: "9 to 5" feels more like "4 to 12" in the @@ANIMAL@@ Islands

Option 2: "And go to work hours before sunrise? Are you nuts?!" questions @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of Health, whose family happens to be from the @@ANIMAL@@ Islands. "Our time is our time, so why should we have to change it? Not to mention all of the negative health impacts of ignoring our circadian rhythms and waking up so early! @@LEADER@@, if you care about our mental and physical health, don't make us change our time!"

Result: you can always tell who's moving across the country by who's buying coffee and sleeping pills

Option 3: "Remind me, why is this our problem?" wonders @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of Not Giving a Crap. "As far as I care, people can use whatever time they want! Do they want to use @@CAPITAL@@ Time? Fine! Do they want to be five hours behind? Great! For all I care, they can use 10-hour days, because it's not my problem, and it shouldn't be yours either! Just leave the government out of timekeeping!"

Results: time zone maps of @@NAME@@ tend to resemble ornamental quilts

Option 4 (valid for nations with free press): "Can you believe this?!" yells @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of Propaganda, slamming a copy of the @@CAPITAL@@ Enquirer down on the table in front of you. "They're calling your little snooze 'Napgate'. And all because you needed a little rest? We have to stop the news from printing these lies!" The Dàguó Ambassador can be seen nodding @@HIS_1@@ head in agreement.

Result: no matter when your night is, it doesn't involve the nightly news anymore

Repeals Policy "Free Press"

[Daarwyrth]

While I like the way this issue draft is written, as it creates very nice characterisation for the speakers and a nice scenario in the description, doesn’t it come a little close to #821: A Switch In Time Kills Nine? That one is also a about changes in time and what effect that has on the citizens of your nation.

Granted, you do approach it from a different perspective, in my opinion. As I see differences between issue 821 and your draft, I would have no problem with both being in the issue base. Yet sadly that's not up to me, so I do hope others will also comment on whether there are too many similarities in this draft with issue 821.

[Eshialand]

While I like the way this issue draft is written, as it creates very nice characterisation for the speakers and a nice scenario in the description, doesn’t it come a little close to #821: A Switch In Time Kills Nine? That one is also a about changes in time and what effect that has on the citizens of your nation.

Granted, you do approach it from a different perspective, in my opinion. As I see differences between issue 821 and your draft, I would have no problem with both being in the issue base. Yet sadly that's not up to me, so I do hope others will also comment on whether there are too many similarities in this draft with issue 821.

I posted in the Writers' Block about this exact concern, and Jutsa reassured me that it should be fine, and I'm inclined to agree with their assessment. Of course, things may change as I edit it and we may wind up with a situation similar to the recent draft of "Chief Executive Monarch", which strayed closer to existing issues with each passing change and suggestion until it was eventually scrapped.

Also, I'm aware of research into the negative health effects of living in the far west side of a time zone, and I'm currently thinking of how I can work that into option 2...

[Jim the Baptist]

I like the idea for the issue and I think it is different enough to the other one someone mentioned. The options also seem fine and sufficiently fleshed out, but I do think the premise needs some thought. There is a lot of information and upon reading it at first I wasn’t really sure what the issue was: that leader was embarrassed and has a PR problem having slept through the conference or that there is a debate on time zones in @@NAME@@.

I also think you shouldn’t restrict the issue to nations with free press only, it’s not really relevant to the crux of the issue, other than the “Napgate” caveat which is clever but again it means lots of nations now can’t get this issue just because of that one reference to the free media. The premise is also on the long side, so my advice might be to remove that Napgate reference (if you are attached to it you could incorporate it into an option somehow for nations with free press), and then at the end succinctly state the issue about some pointing out @@NAME@@ has too many different time zones. I think time zones is an important key word as well but you don’t actually use it in the premise.

[Daarwyrth]

While I like the way this issue draft is written, as it creates very nice characterisation for the speakers and a nice scenario in the description, doesn’t it come a little close to #821: A Switch In Time Kills Nine? That one is also a about changes in time and what effect that has on the citizens of your nation.

Granted, you do approach it from a different perspective, in my opinion. As I see differences between issue 821 and your draft, I would have no problem with both being in the issue base. Yet sadly that's not up to me, so I do hope others will also comment on whether there are too many similarities in this draft with issue 821.

I posted in the Writers' Block about this exact concern, and Jutsa reassured me that it should be fine, and I'm inclined to agree with their assessment. Of course, things may change as I edit it and we may wind up with a situation similar to the recent draft of "Chief Executive Monarch", which strayed closer to existing issues with each passing change and suggestion until it was eventually scrapped.

Also, I'm aware of research into the negative health effects of living in the far west side of a time zone, and I'm currently thinking of how I can work that into option 2...

In that case, my concerns about duplication are mitigated and you have a very nice basis for an interesting issue I would advise to try to stick to the basic idea that you have as much as possible, while working in feedback.

But I very much agree with the comments made by Jim the Baptist, the premise could he shortened a little bit, and if you'd remove the reference to "napgate" (granted I still chuckle at that reference), then more nations would be eligible to receive the issue. Which would be very nice, as the issue covers an interesting topic.

[Eshialand]

Thanks for your comments! I've removed the reference to Napgate in the description and added a new option with Napgate, which allows you to ban the free press if you have it. I also made sure to change the description so that it references @@NAME@@'s many time zones.

[The Sakhalinsk Empire]

There can never be enough issues about time!

Description: During a recent visit to the @@ANIMAL@@ Islands, a remote archipelago whose time is five hours behind that of @@CAPITAL@@, you found yourself sleeping through an important meeting on climate change, igniting a debate about @@NAME@@'s many time zones. Now, an odd group of advisors have gathered in your office to present their own solutions.

Option 1: "In glorious Dàguó, we have a simple solution to this problem," remarks @@RANDOMNAME_1@@, the Dàguó ambassador. "We use one time for the whole country, and it has done wonders for our national unity! If you truly wish for @@NAME@@ to prosper, the whole country must use the same time as @@CAPITAL@@!"

Result: "9 to 5" feels more like "4 to 12" in the @@ANIMAL@@ Islands

Option 2: "And go to work hours before sunrise? Are you nuts?!" questions @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of the Environment, whose family happens to be from the @@ANIMAL@@ Islands. "Our time is our time, so why should we have to change it? @@LEADER@@, if you care about our sanity, don't make us change our time!"

Result: you can always tell who's moving across the country by who's buying coffee and sleeping pills

Option 3: "Remind me, why is this our problem?" wonders @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of Not Giving a Crap. "As far as I care, people can use whatever time they want! Do they want to use @@CAPITAL@@ Time? Fine! Do they want to be five hours behind? Great! For all I care, they can use 10-hour days, because it's not my problem, and it shouldn't be yours either! Just leave the government out of timekeeping!"

Results: time zone maps of @@NAME@@ tend to resemble ornamental quilts

Option 4 (valid for nations with free press): "Can you believe this?!" yells @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of Propaganda, slamming a copy of the @@CAPITAL@@ Enquirer down on the table in front of you. "They're calling it 'Napgate'. And all because you needed a little rest? We have to stop the news from printing these lies!" The Dàguó Ambassador can be seen nodding @@HIS_1@@ head in agreement.

Result: no matter when your night is, it doesn't involve the nightly news anymore

Repeals Policy "Free Press"

This is so well-written and fitting for the game as Daarwyrth said, I don't think you need an editor for this one anymore. Bravo

[Chan Island]

I'm not exactly following what the relevance of the 4th option is. Yes, it's well written, but what does it address? It doesn't have any bearing on the leader falling asleep in a conference, it had no bearing on the timezones, and has no meaningful solution to anything else in the issue.

Besides, it misses out on a couple of potentially amusing choices for timezones, for example deliberately making a special timezone just for your nation (as Afghanistan, Nepal and Myanmar have done). Glancing around the world map, there's actually a surprising amount of 'timezone nationalism' out there. My favourite I can instantly find is that Thule Airforce base, an American airforce base in Greenland, is on a different timezone from the rest of Greenland- curiously, on the same timezone as the US East Coast to boot....

Did you know that continental Europe was originally meant to be in GMT? Looks kind of odd, doesn't it, that Galicia way to the west of Britain, is on a different timezone from them but in the same timezone as Berlin way to the east. Well, let's just say it's no accident that all of Britain's old enemies of France and Spain decided to move themselves into +1 out of spite, while Britain's ancient ally Portugal is on the same timezone. Do with that, what you will.

[Eshialand]

I'm not exactly following what the relevance of the 4th option is. Yes, it's well written, but what does it address? It doesn't have any bearing on the leader falling asleep in a conference, it had no bearing on the timezones, and has no meaningful solution to anything else in the issue.

Besides, it misses out on a couple of potentially amusing choices for timezones, for example deliberately making a special timezone just for your nation (as Afghanistan, Nepal and Myanmar have done). Glancing around the world map, there's actually a surprising amount of 'timezone nationalism' out there. My favourite I can instantly find is that Thule Airforce base, an American airforce base in Greenland, is on a different timezone from the rest of Greenland- curiously, on the same timezone as the US East Coast to boot....

Did you know that continental Europe was originally meant to be in GMT? Looks kind of odd, doesn't it, that Galicia way to the west of Britain, is on a different timezone from them but in the same timezone as Berlin way to the east. Well, let's just say it's no accident that all of Britain's old enemies of France and Spain decided to move themselves into +1 out of spite, while Britain's ancient ally Portugal is on the same timezone. Do with that, what you will.

Option 4 is really only there for the Napgate reference and nothing else. I was actually on the fence about including it at all, so I just included it for the sake of seeing what people thought of it. I might remove it if someone else agrees with you on this one.

I am indeed aware of all of the cases of time zone nationalism that you mentioned (though I thought that the reason why Spain is an hour ahead of Britain was so that Franco could be on the same time as his fascist allies Hitler and Mussolini), I'm just unsure of how to weave it in, especially since it seems pretty similar to Option 1. I'll try to think of something though.

[Eshialand]

/bump

[Daarwyrth]

"We use one time for the whole country, and it has done wonders for our national unity! If you truly wish for @@NAME@@ to prosper, the whole country must use the same time as @@CAPITAL@@!"

I would suggest to alter one of these two bolded bits, so as to avoid repetitiveness

Option 2: "And go to work hours before sunrise? Are you nuts?!" questions @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of the Environment, whose family happens to be from the @@ANIMAL@@ Islands. "Our time is our time, so why should we have to change it? @@LEADER@@, if you care about our sanity, don't make us change our time!"

Perhaps this could be just me, so feel free to ignore my remark, but this option feels a little like the dismiss button, namely that in essence it has the same effect: keep things the way they are. I suppose that's not a bad thing, but perhaps it might be an idea to add a little something to this option. Perhaps the speaker could say something about even West @@ANIMAL@@ Islands and East @@ANIMAL@@ Islands having differences in times, and so the nation should split up into even more timezones, so that every region truly feels represented.

"They're calling it 'Napgate'

I would advise to change it to the following "They're calling your little snooze 'Napgate'". This way there will be more of a textual connection to the premise I like what you did with the commentary and option 4 though, very nice!

[Eshialand]

"We use one time for the whole country, and it has done wonders for our national unity! If you truly wish for @@NAME@@ to prosper, the whole country must use the same time as @@CAPITAL@@!"

I would suggest to alter one of these two bolded bits, so as to avoid repetitiveness

Option 2: "And go to work hours before sunrise? Are you nuts?!" questions @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of the Environment, whose family happens to be from the @@ANIMAL@@ Islands. "Our time is our time, so why should we have to change it? @@LEADER@@, if you care about our sanity, don't make us change our time!"

Perhaps this could be just me, so feel free to ignore my remark, but this option feels a little like the dismiss button, namely that in essence it has the same effect: keep things the way they are. I suppose that's not a bad thing, but perhaps it might be an idea to add a little something to this option. Perhaps the speaker could say something about even West @@ANIMAL@@ Islands and East @@ANIMAL@@ Islands having differences in times, and so the nation should split up into even more timezones, so that every region truly feels represented.

"They're calling it 'Napgate'

I would advise to change it to the following "They're calling your little snooze 'Napgate'". This way there will be more of a textual connection to the premise I like what you did with the commentary and option 4 though, very nice!

I made you recommended changes to options 1 and 4, cut I'm unsure as to how option 2 could be changed without making it too much like option 3. I'll keep thinking though...

[Daarwyrth]

"We use one time for the whole country, and it has done wonders for our national unity! If you truly wish for @@NAME@@ to prosper, the whole country must use the same time as @@CAPITAL@@!"

I would suggest to alter one of these two bolded bits, so as to avoid repetitiveness

Option 2: "And go to work hours before sunrise? Are you nuts?!" questions @@RANDOMNAME@@, your Minister of the Environment, whose family happens to be from the @@ANIMAL@@ Islands. "Our time is our time, so why should we have to change it? @@LEADER@@, if you care about our sanity, don't make us change our time!"

Perhaps this could be just me, so feel free to ignore my remark, but this option feels a little like the dismiss button, namely that in essence it has the same effect: keep things the way they are. I suppose that's not a bad thing, but perhaps it might be an idea to add a little something to this option. Perhaps the speaker could say something about even West @@ANIMAL@@ Islands and East @@ANIMAL@@ Islands having differences in times, and so the nation should split up into even more timezones, so that every region truly feels represented.

"They're calling it 'Napgate'

I would advise to change it to the following "They're calling your little snooze 'Napgate'". This way there will be more of a textual connection to the premise I like what you did with the commentary and option 4 though, very nice!

I made you recommended changes to options 1 and 4, cut I'm unsure as to how option 2 could be changed without making it too much like option 3. I'll keep thinking though...

You could cut it out, and lower the amount of options to 3. That would be perfectly fine I think but if you prefer to keep it at a total of 4 options, that's fine too. But if you could add something to option 2 that would help its strength, I feel.

[Eshialand]

I made you recommended changes to options 1 and 4, cut I'm unsure as to how option 2 could be changed without making it too much like option 3. I'll keep thinking though...

You could cut it out, and lower the amount of options to 3. That would be perfectly fine I think but if you prefer to keep it at a total of 4 options, that's fine too. But if you could add something to option 2 that would help its strength, I feel.

I changed option 2 a bit, making your Minister of the Environment now your Minister of Health, which gave me the opportunity to mention that there are physical health impacts as well as mental ones.

I really don't want to have to cut out option 2 in the end, since I'm probably going to be scrapping option 4, and having only two options is sooo 2005.