[SUBMITTED]@@LEADER@@ FC

[Outer Sparta]

Alright, this will be my first draft since my issues contest submission, and for no surprise whatsoever, it's another sporting issue! Yep, I am quite passionate of these, and I thought about doing this from an authoritarian perspective, which always seems fun. The best rl example is the Franco regime of Spain backing Real Madrid, although today's Beitar Jerusalem could be linked to the Likud Party, although Israel is not an authoritarian nation.

Description: Your reign as leader has been largely glorious, with your nation expressing vast approval for you. People everywhere are chanting in adulation of you, but surprisingly, the only setting without your supportive chants is during sporting matches. However, some of your ministers have an idea: harness the untapped power of sport to boost your approval ratings, party campaigns, and public image.

Validity: autocracies, must have sport

[option]"I have a great proposition for you, dear @@LEADER@@," says your Minister of Propaganda, who smells of smoke and flares after attending an intense football match. "While it's true that your nation loves you, we must go further. I just went to a football match and all the people there were chanting in support of their club, not your glorious leadership! The power of sports and politics is the pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. If you want to expand your reach further, then I suggest you use sport to your political advantage, such as buying the biggest football club in the country and fund it with billions of @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@ to promote your image and cement your reign of terr... I mean, your reign of glory!"
[effect]only plastic fans and glory hunters worship @@LEADER@@'s every move

[option]"Please, dear @@LEADER@@, do not politicize sports," pleads your rather dovish Minister of Sport. "I know the urge is rather... tempting to take advantage of this power, but that will only taint our sporting integrity. Don't you realize that what you're about to do will open a can of worms? You'll ruin the passion for the game, the dedicated fans, the fact that sports are for everyone, not just for the few! There are many ways to assert your power and image over your people, but politicizing sports and wasting billions of taxpayer @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@ on buying clubs is not one of them. You'd be better off having my department promote the grassroots game as part of our national culture instead of this political mumbo-jumbo."
[effect]portraits of @@LEADER@@ are hung in the national academy to promote national sporting culture

[option]"With all these tinpot regimes across the world trying to take down our glorious nation, we need to do something to strike back," says a sneaky voice hidden in your office, who you assume is your shady intelligence minister. "You might enjoy domestic support, but that doesn't mean others won't want to destroy you. Nations like Brancaland and Skandilund have accused you of "oppressing your people" and want you deposed. Let's harness the powers of sportswashing to infiltrate their proud clubs and turn them into pro-@@NAME@@ propaganda operations to undermine their current regimes and promote pro-@@LEADER@@ candidates. If Althaniq can buy Gallis Saint-Germain in Galliennes to push pro-Althaniq agendas or Daguo with West Maxtopia Albion, then we can do the same to our enemies! " Before you can ask any questions, your shady minister sneaks out of your office.
[effect]a small neighboring country has recently renamed its national stadium Almighty @@LEADER@@ Arena

Description: Your reign as leader has been largely glorious, with your nation experiencing vast approval for you. However, you seem to notice people chanting for you during football matches and other large sporting events in @@NAME@@. Your closest advisors have suggested you harness the power of sport to boost your approval ratings, party campaigns, and your public image.

Validity: autocracies, must have sport

[option]"I have a great proposition for you, dear @@LEADER@@," says your Minister of Propaganda, who has been smelling of smoke and flares after attending an intense football match. "Fans across @@NAME@@ have been making chants of you, proudly displaying pictures of yourself, and even chant your famous political slogans! We must not let this opportunity pass. The power of sports and politics is the pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. Let's buy the biggest football club in the country and fund it with billions of @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@ to promote your image and cement your reign of terr... I mean, your reign of glory!"
[effect]@@LEADER@@ is

[option]"Please, dear @@LEADER@@, do not politicize sports," pleads your rather dovish Minister of Sport. "I know the urge is rather... tempting to take advantage of this power, but that will only taint our sporting integrity. Don't you realize that politics are only for politics and not for sport? You don't even know who the biggest football club in our country is called! There are many ways to assert your power and image over your people, but politicizing sports is not one of them."
[effect]politicians stick to politics and athletes stick to sports

[option]"With all these tinpot regimes across the world trying to take down our glorious nation, we need to do something to strike back," says a sneaky voice hidden in your office, who you assume is your shady intelligence minister. "You might enjoy domestic support, but that doesn't mean others will want to destroy you. Those forest-hippies in Skaundilund, the liberals in Brancaland, the shady Blackacreans, they all hate your guts. Let's harness our powers of propaganda and sport to infiltrate their proud clubs and turn them into pro-@@NAME@@ operations outside of our country! If Althaniq can buy Gallis Saint-Germain in Galliennes to push pro-Althaniq agendas, then we can do the same to many others!" Before you can ask any questions, your shady minister sneaks out of your office.
[effect]it is said that @@LEADER@@ enjoys 115% support from Maxtopian football fans

[Verdant Haven]

This is an interesting idea - fun way to bring sports into the mix.

After reading through the issue, I had one primary thought. If the people are already chanting your name, displaying your picture, yelling your slogans, etc, I'm not convinced you actually need to do anything. You've already accomplished the goal presented! What more is there to gain by buying the team?

If, instead, your people chant, carry, yell etc everywhere except at sports games, because they're too busy cheering for their club, that would be a logical trigger for an advisor to suggest expanding your presence. After all, you can't have all your plebs cheering for somebody else... that just wouldn't do! If you buy a team, then you can give them a reason to support you in one of the last places they didn't, and you have something much more clear to gain. That also helps resolve the difficulty in the second option, wherein currently a minister is asking you not to politicize something that the fans have already politicized.

I would not suggest having the second speaker tell the player that they don't know who the biggest club in the country is. Plenty of players have a lore where that simply isn't the case, and there are other issues where the government throws its support behind all manners of sports and athletics. Leader can't be assumed to be ignorant, here. Instead, the opposite might work - an appeal to pure fandom, to passion for the game, to youthful innocence and the equality of the playing field, that sort of thing. Not "you don't know enough to do this" but rather "don't you know enough not to do this?"

In the final option, remember that just because a nation is authoritarian, doesn't mean it isn't liberal. Hippies and liberals might like leader more than their conservative counterparts, depending on the nation, so I'd look for other words to describe the potential foes. If you can, I'd also look at shortening the current text a bit, and drawing a more direct connection between buying a foreign club and how that will allow you undermine your rivals.

Final feedback for the moment - the current effect lines are extremely literal. Try to do more with them than just describe what the options already said - look for less expected consequences, for humor, for wordplay, or other points of interest.

[Outer Sparta]

This is an interesting idea - fun way to bring sports into the mix.

After reading through the issue, I had one primary thought. If the people are already chanting your name, displaying your picture, yelling your slogans, etc, I'm not convinced you actually need to do anything. You've already accomplished the goal presented! What more is there to gain by buying the team?

If, instead, your people chant, carry, yell etc everywhere except at sports games, because they're too busy cheering for their club, that would be a logical trigger for an advisor to suggest expanding your presence. After all, you can't have all your plebs cheering for somebody else... that just wouldn't do! If you buy a team, then you can give them a reason to support you in one of the last places they didn't, and you have something much more clear to gain. That also helps resolve the difficulty in the second option, wherein currently a minister is asking you not to politicize something that the fans have already politicized.

I would not suggest having the second speaker tell the player that they don't know who the biggest club in the country is. Plenty of players have a lore where that simply isn't the case, and there are other issues where the government throws its support behind all manners of sports and athletics. Leader can't be assumed to be ignorant, here. Instead, the opposite might work - an appeal to pure fandom, to passion for the game, to youthful innocence and the equality of the playing field, that sort of thing. Not "you don't know enough to do this" but rather "don't you know enough not to do this?"

In the final option, remember that just because a nation is authoritarian, doesn't mean it isn't liberal. Hippies and liberals might like leader more than their conservative counterparts, depending on the nation, so I'd look for other words to describe the potential foes. If you can, I'd also look at shortening the current text a bit, and drawing a more direct connection between buying a foreign club and how that will allow you undermine your rivals.

Final feedback for the moment - the current effect lines are extremely literal. Try to do more with them than just describe what the options already said - look for less expected consequences, for humor, for wordplay, or other points of interest.

Thank you for the feedback!

Reading your comments, I agree with what you are saying about people cheering at you everywhere except for sports clubs and that your minister in option 1 can say you should expand your reach by harnessing the power of sport (so instead of fans cheering on the team, they instead all cheer for you). That also plays in well with option 2's more hesitant minister making their case more clear. I thought just having people chant your name at sporting venues would be good, but having it be the last frontier is an even better idea.

I will look into other descriptors that describe the nation's more democratic foes than what I have and maybe have the minister in that frame them as the bad guys in a way. I do know that sports washing is done by foreign governments to teams like PSG, but obviously Qatar only does that to boost their international standing and not to undermine France. Obviously NS is a whole different world compared to irl, so I do have to make sure it works with that.

As for the effect lines, I'll also rework them. Thanks again for the detailed feedback!

[Outer Sparta]

Edits made:

1. I obviously used Verdant Haven's suggestion of having people chant you name everywhere except during sporting events, which sets the tone for the entire issue.
2. Option 2's minister now appeals for the love of the game and warns you of unforeseen consequences of politicizing sports.
3. Removed the adjectives for Brancaland and Skaundilund and mention that both countries have tried to go against your nation, which makes your minister paint them as antagonistic. Also clarified more about the implications of sportswashing in foreign countries.
4. Not sure if the effect lines satisfy VH's suggestions, but I did make them different.

[Daarwyrth]

People are chanting in adulation of you basically everywhere except during sporting matches.

Might be just me, but I think this line could be brought a little bit more dramatic. Perhaps try to work a little incredulity or indignation into the tone of this phrase

who has been smelling of smoke and flares

I think this can be shortened to "who smells of smoke and flares", considering the previous part of the sentence is in the present tense.

The power of sports and politics is the pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.

I love this.

but that doesn't mean others will want to destroy you.

I think you mean to say "but that doesn't mean others won't want to destroy you"?

Skaundilund

Is Skaundilund a new thing? If not, then I think this should be "Skandilund"

I love this draft! Really well-written and fun. Keep polishing it, because I'd love to see it in the issue base. I'll need to make an autocracy though, hmm...

[Outer Sparta]

People are chanting in adulation of you basically everywhere except during sporting matches.

Might be just me, but I think this line could be brought a little bit more dramatic. Perhaps try to work a little incredulity or indignation into the tone of this phrase

Yep, I made that edit expressing surprise that people aren't chanting for you during sporting matches (even though there definitely are political fans and they are the ones that seem the most enthusiastic.

who has been smelling of smoke and flares

I think this can be shortened to "who smells of smoke and flares", considering the previous part of the sentence is in the present tense.

Got it.

The power of sports and politics is the pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.

I love this.

Thanks! I thought of a good Emperor Palpatine quote to include in this one, and who better to say it than your Minister of Propaganda?

but that doesn't mean others will want to destroy you.

I think you mean to say "but that doesn't mean others won't want to destroy you"?

You're right, I must have confused the reader somewhat. It's been fixed.

Skaundilund

Is Skaundilund a new thing? If not, then I think this should be "Skandilund"

I love this draft! Really well-written and fun. Keep polishing it, because I'd love to see it in the issue base. I'll need to make an autocracy though, hmm...

You're also right, I thought Skandilund would be spelled with an extra u. Thanks for spotting that mistake I've overlooked. I'm glad you liked reading mine, and I will continue to work on it until it's ready for submission!

[Outer Sparta]

This fell out of the first page, so I'll bump it for more advice.

[Baggieland]

it's another sporting issue! Yep, I am quite passionate of these

Yep, I have to agree. There should be more sporting issues in this game!

My main problem with this issue at the moment is option 2. It basically just says "don't do it" which is pretty much the same thing as the dismiss button. Can option 2 suggest to do something?

One suggestion:

If Althaniq can buy Gallis Saint-Germain in Galliennes

Could this be changed to: If Daguo can buy West @@CAPITAL@@ Albion...
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/all-about/guochuan-lai

[Outer Sparta]

it's another sporting issue! Yep, I am quite passionate of these

Yep, I have to agree. There should be more sporting issues in this game!

My main problem with this issue at the moment is option 2. It basically just says "don't do it" which is pretty much the same thing as the dismiss button. Can option 2 suggest to do something?

One suggestion:

If Althaniq can buy Gallis Saint-Germain in Galliennes

Could this be changed to: If Daguo can buy West @@CAPITAL@@ Albion...
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/all-about/guochuan-lai

I could structure option 2 for the leader to promote the nation's sporting heritage but without exploiting it politically, that way the option can do something without them going into the political end. Besides, that's what your Minister of Sport would want.

For the West @@CAPITAL@@ Albion, you're suggesting that because you're a Baggies fan, hmm ? I wanted to show an example of a foreign nation buying a club outside your borders, and I thought that there's a France-like nation in the game so I did that with the Qatar-themed nation.

[Baggieland]

For the West @@CAPITAL@@ Albion, you're suggesting that because you're a Baggies fan, hmm ?

How did you know!!!

I could structure option 2 for the leader to promote the nation's sporting heritage but without exploiting it politically, that way the option can do something without them going into the political end. Besides, that's what your Minister of Sport would want.

That could work, give it a go.

[Outer Sparta]

I could structure option 2 for the leader to promote the nation's sporting heritage but without exploiting it politically, that way the option can do something without them going into the political end. Besides, that's what your Minister of Sport would want.

That could work, give it a go.

Added a tidbit of the Minister of Sports and the leader giving them the green light to promote the grassroots game for the national heritage.

For the West @@CAPITAL@@ Albion, you're suggesting that because you're a Baggies fan, hmm ?

How did you know!!!

Oh I had a hunch. I added that to the third option as another example but using Maxtopia.

[Baggieland]

or Daguo with West Maxtopia Albion

Well, I like it!

You'd be better off having my department promote the grassroots game as part of our national culture instead of this political mumbo-jumbo."

That's better. Perhaps in order to keep this connected to the original premise, you could have portraits of LEADER everywhere at these grassroots facilities (North Korea style).

Finally, your effect lines aren't that great. Try to think of a consequence of enacting each choice, preferably a funny one.

Option 1 is clearly based on Franco's bankrolling of Real Madrid. I've never been to Spain, but I'm pretty sure fans of other clubs weren't happy at what Franco was doing. So, for option 1's effect, how about something like: plastic glory boys send praises to LEADER whereas true fans send their curses

[Outer Sparta]

or Daguo with West Maxtopia Albion

Well, I like it!

You'd be better off having my department promote the grassroots game as part of our national culture instead of this political mumbo-jumbo."

That's better. Perhaps in order to keep this connected to the original premise, you could have portraits of LEADER everywhere at these grassroots facilities (North Korea style).

Finally, your effect lines aren't that great. Try to think of a consequence of enacting each choice, preferably a funny one.

Option 1 is clearly based on Franco's bankrolling of Real Madrid. I've never been to Spain, but I'm pretty sure fans of other clubs weren't happy at what Franco was doing. So, for option 1's effect, how about something like: plastic glory boys send praises to LEADER whereas true fans send their curses

I could incorporate the portraits of leader in the effect line (since that would be a notable and unintended consequence of grassroots backing for the Ministry of Sport without inserting leader's personal "politics"). Somehow promoting your picture is acceptable in developing the grassroots game because it's basically just under the guise of national culture.

I like the effect line for option 1, especially considering plastic fans and glory hunters are more willing to support those highly-successful clubs even if they corrupt the game or are bankrolled by shady interests.

[Baggieland]

Okey dokey. Looking good now. Finally, option 3 effect line is good, but you shouldn't have those speech marks in an effect line; it messes with the coding. Take them out, or you might like to consider:

the Foreign Office now sends footballers instead of aid

For option 1 effect maybe add the word only at the very beginning.

[Outer Sparta]

Okey dokey. Looking good now. Finally, option 3 effect line is good, but you shouldn't have those speech marks in an effect line; it messes with the coding. Take them out, or you might like to consider:

the Foreign Office now sends footballers instead of aid

For option 1 effect maybe add the word only at the very beginning.

Made all of those changes, took out the double quotations and used a single quotation mark in those areas (I think those would suffice in terms of coding an effect line).

[Baggieland]

Nope, get rid of all single quote marks as well!

[Outer Sparta]

Nope, get rid of all single quote marks as well!

Cool, just made those relevant changes. Thanks for all your feedback so far!

[Baggieland]

Thanks for all your feedback so far!

That's it, no more from me! It could probably do with a trim, it's a bit lengthy, but we'll let the editors do that. We can't do all the work in Got Issues!

[Nooooooooooooooo]

Suggestion - Why not create an option that bans sports all together? Like "How dare they not chant your name, force them by doing this" or something like that.

[Outer Sparta]

Suggestion - Why not create an option that bans sports all together? Like "How dare they not chant your name, force them by doing this" or something like that.

I feel that too many sports issues have that option of banning sports, so I wanted to have one that doesn't have such an option.

[Outer Sparta]

I guess I'll further bump this for more feedback and put it on last call.

[Outer Sparta]

I've been busy with irl stuff, but I'll have a final bump before I submit my draft.

[Outer Sparta]

Submitted! Thank you all for feedback.