NationStates Jolt Archive

Name: Pirates plunder @@NAME@@'s produce

Description: @@NAME@@'s merchant navy has seen increasing attacks from pirates in recent months, devastating @@NAME@@'s foreign trade. @@NAME@@ is in outcry, and the government is flooded with demands for something be done.

Validity:Not for nations that chose option 2 for issue 147, or those with high defence or law & order funding.

[option]"Let us get the bastards!" cries your First Admiral @@RANDOMNAME@@. "With our firepower we'll hit them so hard, they won't know what's hit them. Who cares if it's a violation of international law, we need action now!"
[effect] any non-government registered boat is used as target practice by the navy
[stats] defense spending up, commerce spending up, tax rate up, all export industries up, compassion down, economy up, personal freedoms down, civil rights down.

[option]"Hmmmm...I agree we need this stopped now", says your head economic adviser, @@RANDOMNAME@@, over steepled hands, "but maybe violence isn't the best way of doing this. The threat of force is far better - just send a convoy out with each trade vessel, and the pirates won't come anywhere near."
[effect] trade boats can barely move in the water because of their protective convoys
[stats] tax rate up, defense spending up, commerce spending up, government size/corruption level up.

[option]"Oh, who needs trade anyway?" chimes in @@RANDOMNAME@@, a vociferous member of the public. "Associating with all these foreign countries - it's eroding our culture! We must be self-sufficient in everything, from fuel to food! If we don't have it, we make it!"
[effect] trade is now only a historical concept as the government moves towards autarky
[stats] all export industries down, all mining up, personal + political freedoms down, economy down slightly, commerce down, environment down, happiness down, tax rate up.

[option]"Just ignore 'em!" cries @@RANDOMNAME@@, widely known for his love of guns and not much else. "It's not like the pirates can do that much damage. Then we'll use the extra money for a great big rifle range! It'll worsen our trade, yes, but we'll have a lot more fun!"
[effect]trade ships are dropping like flies while rich citizens are off shooting targets
[stats]economy down, trade down, apathy up, compassion down, arms manufacturing up, happiness up.


Ok, that's it. Any ideas - particularly how to make the first two options have more negative stats, and the last one more positive - would be most welcome.

Hmmm. Interesting idea. The last option should probably raise the tax rate. How about an option like:

[option]"Just ignore 'em!" cries @@RANDOMNAME@@, widely known for his love of guns and not much else. "It's not like the pirates can do that much damage. Then we'll use the extra money for a great big rifle range! It'll worsen our trade, yes, but we'll have a lot more fun!"
[effect]trade ships are dropping like flies while rich citizens are off shooting targets
[stats]economy down, trade down, apathy up, compassion down, arms manufacturing up

I really liked the issue but I would point out that for the validity you could possibly put 'not for nations that chose option 2 on issue 147 'Military Budgets up for Approval'. (though I suspect few nations did that)

I would say that this issue should not be valid for nations with high defence or law and order spendings.

Thanks for the feedback, especially Ceorana - I was trying to get in an 'Ignore 'em' option, but I couldn't work one out.

Hmm, what about this instead of an ignore 'em option

[option]"Arrgh those no good sea-dogs are pilfering anything they can get their filthy hands on!" shouts Marvin Mcbeard, a self proclaimed 'totally honest merchant sailor who occasionally goes through rough waters and has to keep a large number of, erm, guards'. he fiddles with his eyepatch, then continues. "I recon if our tax collectors were half as good as them buccaneers we'd be set. Rememebr not all problems ned be solved by violence. We can send undercover emmissaries on board merchant ships. when the ship gets boarded, the emissary proposes a deal with the pirates. The pirates attack other nations, and we'll give 'em guns and such to keep out of our waters!
[effect] The number of pirate attacks on @@NAME@@'s merchant fleet drop drastically. Although the number of atttacks on neighboring countries go up.
[stats] corruption up, arms manufacturing up, trade down, apathy up

I'm not sure how to do this, but if we could link this option to making a random country in the same region (which hasn't already been dealt this issue) get this issue. This would reflect the "shove 'em off on another poor S.O.B. nature of this solution."

Looks OK, but a little complicated, and you can't use punctuation or capital letters in the [effect].

I like Ceorana's better than Hofflenosh's.

Hofflenosh... it's still good, but it's a little confusing.

Ok...it's been submitted (in the form currently in the first post), but about 3 seconds after clicking 'Submit', I realised it probably shouldn't be valid for nations that have banned guns...

Crap.

Ok...it's been submitted (in the form currently in the first post), but about 3 seconds after clicking 'Submit', I realised it probably shouldn't be valid for nations that have banned guns...

Crap.
Well, the editors might still put it in, if they accept it.