The Writers' Block

[Candlewhisper Archive]

How touchy is suicide and depression in issues that are suppose to carry some form of humor? I guess I'm asking how do I write about those topics, or are those types of issues acceptable?

The idea I had was that a popular sad song leads to a sharp increase in depression and suicides and the nation has to address what to do about it.

It is an "adult" topic generally, but we do have a number of issues that touch on the question of suicide and depression. Issue 62 is directly about government response to rising depression-related suicides, and issue 496 is actually about suicide in the music world, with accusations about certain songs being "pro-suicide." There are also issues addressing suicide as it pertains to a number of other influences or factors.

If handled tactfully and with care, both depression and suicide are topics that can be written about within the NS Issues world. Finding a new or unique angle from which to approach the topic will require some research, but certainly can be done.

Also 576, which is one of my favourites of all the issues I've edited.

[Trotterdam]

Should I be getting #591 on my vegetarian nation?

[Verdant Haven]

Should I be getting #591 on my vegetarian nation?

It's possible to have a fishing industry even if you don't eat fish yourself, but I can certainly see why that would be a bit weird. I'll bring it up backstage for discussion.

[Terrabod]

Baloo Kingdom was at one point working on an issue about a sea monster sighting being used to boost tourism (à la the Loch Ness Monster). Does a similar issue exist already? At the time Baloo was told a similar draft was being edited, and I wanted to check this was the case (i.e. the draft was not ditched for no reason).

EDIT: Ok, so I found the issue in question (#1432) but while both introduce questionable cryptozoology the draft I mention differs in that the focus is on using the monster as a tool for boosting tourism to the area in question or even as a national mascot (again, like the Loch Ness Monster). #1432, on the other hand, deals with the issue of how Leader responds to cryptid sightings ("it's a hoax", "we should study it" etc).

So, what do we think? Is it maybe worth at least a redraft by Baloo to see if it goes anywhere?

[Naya Insaafistan]

the issue text reads, "In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of The @@TYPE@@ today ruled that an obscure clause of the Constitution invalidates a government bill reaffirming the ban on same-sex marriage. Two groups have gathered in @@CAPITAL@@, one to protest the decision, the other to applaud it."

so, i'd like to ask, reaffirming what ban? i'm pretty sure i didn't have the heterosexuality policy when i received the issue, and the fact that heterosexuality did not show up as a cancelled policy upon option 2 being selected and the marriage equality policy being instituted suggests that i'm right in thinking i didn't have the heterosexuality policy when i received the issue. so there was no ban on same-sex marriage to be reaffirmed. the issue should either be re-written or made available only to nations with the heterosexuality policy.

furthermore, i do not see why selecting option 2 should result in the marriage equality policy being instituted. correct me if my understanding is lacking but i understand "same-sex marriage is banned" to mean that same-sex couples can face jail-time or other punishments when the ban is enforced. if the ban is lifted, same-sex couples no longer have to fear these punishments, but that does not mean that same-sex marriage is legally recognised or that there are any laws referring to "individuals of the same-sex married to one another" or that laws referring to "married couples" are understood to refer not only to opposite-sex couples but to same-sex couples as well. instituting marriage equality should cancel heterosexuality, and instituting heterosexuality should cancel marriage equality, but cancelling heterosexuality should not institute marriage equality, and cancelling marriage equality should not institute heterosexuality.

in actuality, there are 4 possible situations:

same-sex marriage is illegal/banned
there are no specific laws regarding same-sex marriage
there are different laws for same-sex and opposite-sex couples
the exact same laws apply to same-sex and opposite-sex couples

the first of these should be covered by the heterosexuality policy, the fourth should be covered by the marriage equality policy, the third, although it in effect is just legal recognition of same-sex marriage, may also be covered by the marriage equality policy in-game as i'm pretty sure in-name-only marriage equality exists irl as well, and the second should mean neither policy is in effect.

any thoughhts? it's Issue #438, "Judicial Review on Trial".

[Trotterdam]

Should I be getting #591 on my vegetarian nation?

It's possible to have a fishing industry even if you don't eat fish yourself, but I can certainly see why that would be a bit weird. I'll bring it up backstage for discussion.

Speaking of which, just got #1179. Same thing.

[Nitaiyan]

Are there any issues addressing or impinging on the wearing of traditional clothing? I have an idea for an issue inspired by certain laws enacted by Reza Shah and Mustafa Kemal. Basically, the options would revolve around whether to prohibit the wearing of traditional clothing in public, fining violators, or whether to reject that course of action, instead encouraging the wearing of traditional clothing. A third option would instate full-scale sumptuary laws regulating dress on the basis of profession, social status, class, and possibly caste as well. Would this be a viable issue concept?

[Nova Catania]

Are there any issues about political satire/comedy being one-sided, or disrespectful?

[Bears Armed]

Are there any issues addressing or impinging on the wearing of traditional clothing? I have an idea for an issue inspired by certain laws enacted by Reza Shah and Mustafa Kemal. Basically, the options would revolve around whether to prohibit the wearing of traditional clothing in public, fining violators, or whether to reject that course of action, instead encouraging the wearing of traditional clothing. A third option would instate full-scale sumptuary laws regulating dress on the basis of profession, social status, class, and possibly caste as well. Would this be a viable issue concept?

There's a 'Ban the Burqa?'.

[Wormfodder Delivery]

Hmm... Is there an issue that is about suing your national religions god because of something not working correctly?
Like, applies in a cynical but very religious nation or so.

Another idea I have is "Democratic Election Systems" with first past the post single winner to direct democracy to demarchy, or is that one already taken?

[Outer Sparta]

Hmm... Is there an issue that is about suing your national religions god because of something not working correctly?
Like, applies in a cynical but very religious nation or so.

Another idea I have is "Democratic Election Systems" with first past the post single winner to direct democracy to demarchy, or is that one already taken?

How could one sue your religion's god? I'm not sure if the premise works, but I do like to see how you would incorporate that.

[Trotterdam]

How could one sue your religion's god?

More importantly, even if the judge finds God guilty, how would you enforce the sentence?

[Naya Insaafistan]

Receiving Issue #0 pretty soon after picking Option 2 on Issue #496 was pretty amusing...

Civil rights activist @@RANDOMNAME@@ from Option 1 of Issue #0 seemed to not know what nation he/she was residing in...

[Bears Armed]

How could one sue your religion's god?

More importantly, even if the judge finds God guilty, how would you enforce the sentence?

Impose a fine to be paid by their church?

[Random Country 453632]

Are there any issues about whether there should be a committee that helps you choose what to do with your nation, or you become some sort of dictator?

[Random Country 453632]

Receiving Issue #0 pretty soon after picking Option 2 on Issue #496 was pretty amusing...

Civil rights activist @@RANDOMNAME@@ from Option 1 of Issue #0 seemed to not know what nation he/she was residing in...

Issue 0 is supposed to be the first issue given to a nation though...

[Naya Insaafistan]

Receiving Issue #0 pretty soon after picking Option 2 on Issue #496 was pretty amusing...

Civil rights activist @@RANDOMNAME@@ from Option 1 of Issue #0 seemed to not know what nation he/she was residing in...

Issue 0 is supposed to be the first issue given to a nation though...

issue 0 was the 9th issue i addressed, and by "i" i mean Naya Paaglistan. so it definitely wasn't the first issue i was presented with. the first one was Harry Potter Censorship Row. as it turns out, according to the wiki "until 24 August 2017, every new nation would receive Issue #0 as one of their first four issues" but this is no longer the case.

[Bears Armed]

Please, would a editor answer the question raised in discussion of my draft for an issue called The Birdman of Pelicanz about numbering @@RANDOMNAME@@ occurrences & their related [MACRO] pronouns? I want to have the speaker in option 3 agree with the speaker in option 1 and refer to them appropriately as either "he" or "she" depending on their forename...

[Umbratellus]

So, question time. It's been a quite a few years since I earnestly last played NationStates, and in that time period well over 500 new issues have been added. Obviously I'm not quite familiar with all the new ones yet, but last night I was reflecting on the importance of rhetoric in ancient Greece and Rome, and it occurred to me that when I last played there weren't any issues that let you establish schools of rhetoric in your own nation.

I was thinking about attempting an issue draft where your leader has a teleprompter malfunction in the middle of a routine speech, with possible options being developing a high tech speech writing team that radios your leader his speeches, opening up schools of rhetoric across your nation, or just having your leader go low-tech and using little paper flash cards for their speeches.

I wanted to check before I actually commit to writing anything though, is this like any existing issues I haven't seen yet?

[Verdant Haven]

So, question time. It's been a quite a few years since I earnestly last played NationStates, and in that time period well over 500 new issues have been added. Obviously I'm not quite familiar with all the new ones yet, but last night I was reflecting on the importance of rhetoric in ancient Greece and Rome, and it occurred to me that when I last played there weren't any issues that let you establish schools of rhetoric in your own nation.

I was thinking about attempting an issue draft where your leader has a teleprompter malfunction in the middle of a routine speech, with possible options being developing a high tech speech writing team that radios your leader his speeches, opening up schools of rhetoric across your nation, or just having your leader go low-tech and using little paper flash cards for their speeches.

I wanted to check before I actually commit to writing anything though, is this like any existing issues I haven't seen yet?

Issue #852 "Brown Breeches Thanks to Speeches" isn't exactly about rhetoric schools in the classical tradition, but it is certainly based out of a similar concept to what you describe - a politician struggling to give a speech, with response options that include proposing special public speaking classes for them, a technological solution, and a few others. There may also be a slight brush with Issue #1447 option 1 (funding education to improve public comprehension of rhetorical devices in speech). Might be some other ways than a politician's speech you could approach the idea though, if you want to pursue it.

[Random Country 453632]

Please, would a editor answer the question raised in discussion of my draft for an issue called The Birdman of Pelicanz about numbering @@RANDOMNAME@@ occurrences & their related [MACRO] pronouns? I want to have the speaker in option 3 agree with the speaker in option 1 and refer to them appropriately as either "he" or "she" depending on their forename...

Not really an editor, but I think you can do that by labelling the macros?
like @@RANDOMNAME1@@ is a girl and speaker 3 uses @@HE1@@?

Im not really sure, just check the issues help

[Umbratellus]

Issue #852 "Brown Breeches Thanks to Speeches" isn't exactly about rhetoric schools in the classical tradition, but it is certainly based out of a similar concept to what you describe - a politician struggling to give a speech, with response options that include proposing special public speaking classes for them, a technological solution, and a few others. There may also be a slight brush with Issue #1447 option 1 (funding education to improve public comprehension of rhetorical devices in speech). Might be some other ways than a politician's speech you could approach the idea though, if you want to pursue it.

Alright, thanks for the nice breakdown. I’ll have to look into those issues and then head back to the drawing board.

[Bears Armed]

Please, would a editor answer the question raised in discussion of my draft for an issue called The Birdman of Pelicanz about numbering @@RANDOMNAME@@ occurrences & their related [MACRO] pronouns? I want to have the speaker in option 3 agree with the speaker in option 1 and refer to them appropriately as either "he" or "she" depending on their forename...

Not really an editor, but I think you can do that by labelling the macros?
like @@RANDOMNAME1@@ is a girl and speaker 3 uses @@HE1@@?

Im not really sure, just check the issues help

I'd already checked there, and as far as I could see the issues help doesn't say.

[Merni]

Issue 278:

A hurricane recently devastated island chains under the aegis of Merni [...]

Does this mean the island chains are Mernian territory, or some kind of semi-autonomous region or colony, or an independent state with strong dependent ties to the Mernian government?

[Verdant Haven]

Issue 278:

A hurricane recently devastated island chains under the aegis of Merni [...]

Does this mean the island chains are Mernian territory, or some kind of semi-autonomous region or colony, or an independent state with strong dependent ties to the Mernian government?

Take your pick! It's a deliberately ambiguous description that allows it to fit any number of head-canons without issue. Similar to the phrase "in your sphere of influence" that sometimes pops up, it can mean what you want in context - territory, protectorate, occupied state, weaker ally, trading partner, etc. In formal terms, it means that the island chain has your support or backing - the reason for that is left to the player.