NationStates Jolt Archive

Okay, firstly, apologies if this is not allowed.

I am new to NationStates and have never really roleplayed before. I am interested though, so had a look at the variety of stickies.

And now I am confused.

I calculated how much money and budget I have, since I want to "purchase" some military equipment. How I go about this though, I haven't a clue, nor how the units get transferred into the game, how the money is deducted from me, etc etc. I work out that I have about $52,800,000,000 per year to spend as my military budget.

Can anyone explain all this to me before my head explodes? :headbang:

Thanks!

Salty :) (King Liam I, Nova Speculum)

Had a look at your nation...

Ok, I'm not very good at this, so I'm sure more experienced types will fill in the blanks...

How militaries happen on NS is by... um... agreement. *cough* yeah, see the game as it stands doesn't actually have a formal military and war system. So... you seek out the store threads, where people offer military equipment for sale. Then you post saying "I'll have two of those and 1 of those and 8 of those..." and then... um... we imagine that you pay up, and you imagine you get the stuff you bought. To my knowledge no-one actually keeps track of your finances, BUT 'spend' realistically.

A nation of your standing... 5 million people, very strong economy... say a force of about... 100, 000 personnel? Saying 30, 000 of those would be active combat soldiers and the rest would be support and everything else that's needed to run an armed forces. Don't try for huge military might quickly or they'll be calling you a godmodder and other unpleasantries.

Since you're a young nation, try to start by build a decent Navy and a fair enough Army. Arm them with cheap but reliable weaponry (AKs, maybe, perhaps M16s.. that sort of deal). Don't start messing about with carriers or nukes or anything, just get some destroyers and cruisers and subs if possible... That seems to be a good idea for defence, usually. And maybe band together with other nations for mutual defence, or with an organisation.

There's no firm system in place to decide with the numbers, just go by a vague sense of realism and a healthy dose of bullshit :)


edit: if you want to start an easy (if slow) RP, give me a shout. I'm looking to fill in stress time between lectures :p And I'm not quite as pedantic as some of these peoples.

Chimaea essentially has it right. As a storefront owner (links to my storefronts in my signature), what I look for is an attempt at realism. I use ThirdGeek (http://nseconomy.thirdgeek.com/) to determine if you have enough money in your budget for what you've bought, but if you do something like offer a payment plan, I'll be more than willing to accomodate you.

I also created a thread called The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating A Military (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=419552) where I put in some tips for creating your army, navy, and air force. There are links to specific threads that go into greater detail (like the Joint Treatise on Naval Strategy (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=412713) I wrote with Praetonia and a Guide to Creatively and Effectively Using an Air Force (http://www.forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=415156) by Giesenfried). Those can give you some solid groundwork toward establishing your military.

If you have any need for additional help, please feel free to send me a telegram.

The basic three (My individual opinion, of course, I have the feelign that the majority disagrees):

1. Don't buy in storefronts. Either assume that you make stuff yourself or get stuff ICly from friendly nations, by way of actual fluff, rather than a 'Money Wired' declaration of RP skill bankruptcy .

2. Don't give a shit about calculators. They are player made, inherently biased, and, at the very best, a vague guideline one can toss overboard at any time. Actually, scratch that, you have to toss it overboard instantly, as they tend to coem up with ludicrous figures (0% spending on administration or public transport, to name just one example). If anything, one could use the game's XML feed as divergence from a standard norm (But then, what is the norm?).

3. Never care about guides. None whatsoever. They are inherently biased (Created by an individual with a fixed opinion. Incidentally, this should tell you something about the ones making them. Apparently their opinion > all?), and the stuff that gets linked in $Sticky nowadays is... Well... Not so good.

4+. Note that there are many more things than just milwank out there, and note that it is impossible to enforce anything. Everything is forcibly consensual, and as such, it is pointless to try something you wouldn't allow others to do with yourself. Well, your nation.

Hmm... actually, I started by just sort of... being vague about figures. Just have a very rough idea and bluff the rest--don't be too powerful at first is all. No-one complained about my stuff... but that was a long time ago.

Thanks for the help guys, but do these units actually appear in the game? I seem to recall being visited by a Cruiser called RMS Shamrock or something within minutes beginning.

Salty :)

I think all three of teh above suggestions are right. Not completely, but hey... like Der Angst said, they're just opinions.

I've never, ever known the size of my military, how many ships I have, the percent of my military that is support only, the amount of logistics it takes to invade someone, or any of the stuff any nation in real life would at least have a rouch estimate of.

I've never once had to do that math. Oh, I could cruch the numbers and come up with some really long numbers that no one will read but other number cruchers, but I'm not that bored.

The point to a war, for me at least, is not winning or losing. It is writing a story that you are pleased with. I've lost before and have never bitched. I've won before and never gloated. Well, In Character I have. Out Of Character I haven't.

My goal is to describe the action from the point of view of someone in the action. No 'the fifth armored division flanks the thrid marines and begins to open fire'. More like '(character) looks up from the road he was marching on and sees the tanks cresting the hill. A second before he can sout a warning, the tanks open fire, shells whistling through the air.'

The second is obviously more like a novel and less like an operations report. It's also more interesting to read than the first to me.

Well, thanks all. I worked out from my available manpower, including reserves, a smallish fleet, with a decent sized logistical support that *shouls* support the addition of more ships. It looks like this:

HRMS = His Royal Majesty's Ship

Royal Navy of Nova Speculum

HRM Scout Fleet

HRMS Crusader (Cruiser)
HRMS Dependable (Cruiser)
HRMS Indomiatble (Frigate)
HRMS Ursa (Frigate)
HRMS Hudson (Friagte)
HRMS Salt (Frigate)
HRM Recommissioned Merchant Fleet (10 RO/RO ships)
HRM Invasion Flotilla (5 Troop Ships, 15 Landing Craft)
HRM Logistical Support Fleet (20 Supply Ships, 20 Repair Ships, 40 Tankers)

This uses up 25,990 men, leaving me with 11,010 including reserves for creating an army.

Salty :)

Sounds like you'll fit in just fine ;) And to answer your question, they can appear in the game. If you like. It's really up to you :)