Nations For A Modern Era

# Nations For A Modern Era ###### tags: `design-doc` `gooncode` :::info This is an incomplete, living document. Good-faith edits and comments are encouraged. ::: [toc] ## TO DO ### MINIMUM VIABLE - [x] Map - [x] Near complete with working systems as per Mapping Guidelines - [x] Nepotism ### ANCILLARY - [x] Nepotism pre-round announcements - [ ] *Nations* gamemode - [ ] Nation datums - [ ] Victory calculation - [ ] Successor designation (What if the leader dies?) - [ ] Antagonists - [ ] Passports - [x] UN laissez-passer should be called as such on its interface - [x] Deal with the stateless passport question - [ ] Flat icon issues - [x] Supply and Engineering radio divorce - [x] AlertContentWindows - [ ] Population balancing - [x] Control points - [x] Minimap functionality - [x] Passport tracking - [x] Control point tracking - [x] AI laws - [ ] Map ancillaries - [x] Station z-level asteroid and ore generation - [x] Radio ship for Journalists - [ ] Space diner equivalent - [ ] Check Research heat exchange loop meter - [x] Address General Assembly area hearing range concerns - [ ] General civilian-level access level and helpers ### Mentor Run TODO - [x] Control points need a message on capture start, or at least some flashing warning lights all over the department or something to stop a single staffie backcapping the entire map - [x] People on the other side of the UN summit room cannot hear each other - [x] Floating wire outside service to the north - [x] SC access doesn't get you into SC office - [ ] The resolution writer is too easy to lose/steal/blow up (this is definitely not because Leah is too trigger happy with the blowthefuckup proc) - [x] Missile spawns kill people - [x] Supply doesn't get latejoin roles or appear in the job manager - [x] there is a wall here in the service shower room - [ ] UN podbay doesn't have welders - [x] if clowns had their own radio channel, the radio show host could not hear them - [x] solitary brigs had no timers - [ ] Supply radio (136.0) needs a color, impossible to tell apart from general chat - [x] the podbay at the clown ship doesnt have the atmos shields so if the door opens u get no air - [x] think we could use some plastic flaps on the belts for citizen safety - [ ] it'd be nice if the "territory claim" messages were colored after who took the territory - [x] Saying 'no' to a checkpoint that asks if you want a slipstill prints a slip. - [x] Robotics is missing a welding mask - [ ] Medical just sort of takes care of the borgs as a favour? - [x] Goonhub map doesn't work - [ ] The cast iron safe is kind of easy to steal. - [ ] The entire system is extremely dependant on the presence of one (1) handheld, stealable printer. Should probably be a way to get that back or substitute it. - [ ] Resolution and passporting systems arent entirely clear - we have to vote, but also only the captain has to stamp? What happens if a resolution is stamped without any vote? - [ ] War-declaration process isn't entirely clear. - [x] The ID posts have uniform printers, and no way to actually print IDs - [x] Air tanks are a little rare. Each department should probably have an air top-up since it's so crucial for living. ## Introduction *Nations* as a round type was [introduced by WrongEnd](https://forum.ss13.co/showthread.php?tid=6329) and [further expanded on in 2021.](https://forum.ss13.co/showthread.php?tid=17520) As of writing, it is approaching 5 years since the last time the concept was given prime time. This absence was due to a variety of reasons, not the last of which was the concept's performance on its last round on the RP servers. I want to run Nations again. ## Goals - Iterate on the existing ruleset. - Implement mechanics to better facilitate *Nations* as a gamemode and reduce cognitive load on administrators. - Develop a map explicitly for *Nations.* ## What was Nations? :::info This analysis chiefly considers *Nations* within the context of the RP servers and ruleset as I only ever played it on RP. ::: ### Nations of the past *Nations* was an admin-facilitated event mode wherein each department on the station became an independent country, a la Cargonia en masse. These nations would conduct war, diplomacy, and trade between each other; guided by the emergent behaviours of their citizens and their leaders. A supernational body, the United Nations, would facilitate multilateral dialogue and enforce agreements and norms across all the nations with the force of its peacekeepers. I plan on reworking the *Nations* concept to reflect user feedback from its previous runs while incorporating some newer ideas steered by the design intentions described here. ### What should Nations look like? My opinions on what *Nations* should be may vary from the current consensus. Nonetheless, here's how I want to justify it. I want *Nations* to allow for players to be flexible in how they wish to conduct themselves and the destiny of their nations. The UN as an international force for keeping peace and maintaining order should only be as effective as its member nations will for it to be. I want to preserve the ability of nations to act, be it in co-operation or coercion, without an extremely powerful UN having the unilateral ability to decide the terms of the game. This should allow for emergent diplomacy and the building of international norms through consensus rather than the strict enforcement of the Peacekeeper corps. Simultaneously, the structure of individual nations felt really restrictive. Pegging citizenship changes and the appointment of leadership to the involvement of the UN as well as mandating the attendance of leaders in UN summits seemed like a massive reach in the UN's responsibilities and represented only more cognitive load on an already overburdened role. These have been left to the discretion of the nations themselves. The complete prohibition on splintering from other nations or defying the will of the UN felt off to me as well. Conflict is an expected part of the setting, and I want to foment it over stifling the potential for it where possible. In the same vein, it is not mandated for nations to conduct any business through democratic decision making. Should an aspiring despot find themselves with enough power to acquire the (coerced) acknowledgment of their citizens as leader, why not let them? ## Implementation ### Disruptions to normal gameplay *Nations,* by its nature, can be anticipated to impact existing mechanics which rely on the assumption of whole-station cooperation. Part of the mode revolves around the asymmetric capabilities of each nation's leverage over the others, and this sort of disruption should be an expected part of the experience to an extent. Particular concerns are listed as thus: - Z levels - Removing some/all of the non-station Z levels should be considered for game performance. - Payroll and RoleControl - Disable payroll. Deny access to BankBoss or RoleControl terminals. - Station power generation - Every department relies on power to function, which would normally be within the custody of Engineering. - Cargo and Supply - Nominally part of the Engineering department in the base game. - Silicons and the AI - ~~Due to their outsized capabilities in comparison to the rest of the station as well as their intrinsic ties to Medbay and Robotics, Silicons have been disabled from selection for now.~~ - Silicons are now agents of the United Nations. Their starting lawset will be adjusted to ensure their complete loyalty. - Station manifest - The player-facing manifest will be blanked out for the event. Have fun! - Security - Security's jurisdiction is limited to arresting international criminals charged with particularly heinous crimes. They are utilized more as a cudgel by the UN to enforce the international order rather than conventional law enforcement. After all, other nations might not take kindly to the UN kidnapping its citizens and detaining them for the most part. - Special jobs/Job of the day - Disabled for the event. ### Special role selection Before the event, candidates for special roles are chosen via random lottery from a list of players from a sign-up form. Successfully chosen candidates will be informed of their selection ahead of the event, who may then accept or decline the role. In the event an insufficient number of volunteers is chosen, a candidate will be randomly selected as per the usual job assignment system. This system is applicable to the following roles: - Captain (UN General-Secretary) - Head of Security (UN Under-Secretary for Peace Operations) - AI - ~~Security (UN Peacekeeper)~~ - Heads of Department (Nation Leaders) - Journalists ### Nations Nation populations should be balanced between each other for the purposes of initial setup and latejoins. A single job in each nation type should be identified and given unlimited slots, with players blocked from latejoining a given nation if it's unbalanced with the other nations. - Engineering: Engineer - Medical: Medical Doctor - Research: Scientist - Service: Staff Assistant Cargo will be pop-limited for balance reasons. ### Territory Each nation starts off with control over a control point in its territory. Additional points may be captured by a nation's citizens to contribute to its victory. A nation losing all of its territory is not necessarily removed from the round. ### Leaders The Heads of Department will be assigned an antagonist role to facilitate the back-end implementation of the *Nations* mechanics. **It does not confer the usual antagonist status rules** insofar as they meaningfully impact the *Nations* mode. Nation leaders will be able to change their nation's name, passport design, and current leader via an interface that can be accessed via an ability button. The nation's population and their position in the server ranking will also be displayed. ### Passports Passports are items which determine a character's citizenship. Each passport assigned to a living citizen counts towards the event's victory conditions. The leader of a nation may change the citizenship on a passport by interacting with it. Changes must then be agreed to by the owner via a chat log notification unless their citizenship in the leader's nation is being revoked. In the event someone loses their passport, a new one can be issued by the leader of any nation which will then bear that nation's citizenship. The previous passport, if it exists, would then be deleted. ### Location tracking Claimed passports can be tracked on a minimap. A nation's minimap may only view passports belonging to it. The UN's minimap shows the locations of every claimed passport. ### Map In form, the map contains many of the trappings of a conventional station layout. With the absence of the other Z levels, however, there should be asteroids available to mine and perhaps flee to if things get hairy. - Central Hub - UN General Assembly area, earmarked for international summits between representatives of each nation. Should be locked down for the most part, though a means to view any proceedings should be available. - UN Peacekeeper Headquarters, with standard Security department equipment and areas. - An expansive brig is unnecessary for the most part, as the UN's power to arrest citizens of other nations is limited. - Computer core, AI upload, and AI mainframe - Allowance should be made for nations to covertly sabotage these, if they're brazen enough to defy the UN. - Command teleporter - Disposals - Spokes - Airbridge chokepoint - The most easily accessible route of entry should be highly monitored for passport checks and the like. Alternative routes should exist but not without some difficulty, perhaps through maintenance areas that can be boarded up by each country. - Cryogenic storage - Basic tool and supply storage - Small infirmary with basic medical supplies? - Nation-specific - Medical - Cloning need not emphasise public access as per regular maps. - Supply - Nanofabricator and refinery custody. - Exclusions - Departures/Arrivals - Citizens of each nation and UN agents spawn at their own cryo areas. - There's no emergency shuttle. Sleep in the bed you've made, LARPers! ## Rules and guidelines ### Event information and rules :::info To be distributed with the announcement of the round in advance of the event date. ::: {%preview https://hackmd.io/e6YnnwUTS4qMdSdPsoXxEA %} ### Leader guidelines :::info To be distributed to the starting leaders of each nation in both private DMs/out-of-game means and an AlertContentWindow. ::: Congratulations! You have been chosen -- by divine right, the mandate of the people, or the base force of brutal violence -- to lead \[DEPARTMENT\]'s destiny as an independent nation among the stars! It falls upon you to bestow a name for your petty fiefdom, democratic republic, or glorious empire. You may also elect to determine its laws and customs, such as the line of succession or decision-making mechanisms, as you wish; subject to the discretion of the event admins. Of course, though you may command the respect of your citizens for now, it remains on them to go along with your charade. Choose wisely, and watch your back! Your leadership's peril is in your hands! ### UN General-Secretary guidelines :::info To be distributed to the UN General-Secretary in both private DMs/out-of-game means and an AlertContentWindow. ::: You are the United Nations General-Secretary! As an arbiter of international peace and order, your leadership of this body places you squarely in the mire of these nations' petty disputes and ruinous wars. Call them to dialogue, help them see reason. Where words fail, however, some more drastic means may be required to maintain the rules-based international order. The nations of the UN may convene in summits held at the UN General Assembly; either called by a member nation or summoned by yourself. It is here that deals are chiefly hammered out and made known, though it is no less important for backdoor channels and private discussions outside of these meetings to help steer these nations on the right track. At your disposal are the UN's Peacekeepers, themselves led by the UN Under-Secretary for Peace Operations. This armed force will be responsible for enforcing the terms of international treaties. Their loyalty to the UN and its mission is unwavering. Your ability to act is ultimately tied to internationally recognized consensus and any existing agreements. It would be unbecoming of a neutral body to attract the ire of the international community, wouldn't it? You must be fair and just in your dealings, lest your legitimacy be shattered in the eyes of the galaxy... ### UN Under-Secretary for Peace Operations guidelines :::info To be distributed to the UN Under-Secretary for Peace Operations in both private DMs/out-of-game means and an AlertContentWindow. ::: You are the United Nations Under-Secretary for Peace Operations! **Outside of UN-controlled territory, you are not authorized to enforce normal Space Law. Do not arrest, imprison, or harm any person within another nation's territory unless explicitly allowed under international law or if you are in immediate danger.** The will of the UN must be enforced. Though hope in diplomacy must hold, sometimes it is through the power of the Peacekeepers that mere words are backed by swift, decisive action. You answer to the UN Secretary-General. Maintain the rules-based international order and see to it that these petty disputes and wars are approached with an even but firm hand... ### UN Peacekeeper guidelines :::info To be distributed to the UN Peacekeepers in both private DMs/out-of-game means and an AlertContentWindow. ::: You are a United Nations Peacekeeper! **Outside of UN-controlled territory, you are not authorized to enforce normal Space Law. Do not arrest, imprison, or harm any person within another nation's territory unless explicitly allowed under international law or if you are in immediate danger.** The will of the UN must be enforced. Though hope in diplomacy must hold, sometimes it is through the power of the Peacekeepers that mere words are backed by swift, decisive action. You answer to the UN Secretary-General and the UN Under-Secretary for Peace Operations. Maintain the rules-based international order and see to it that these petty disputes and wars are approached with an even but firm hand... ### UN Agent guidelines :::info To be distributed to any non-specific UN role holders via an AlertContentWindow. ::: You are a \[JOB NAME\], an agent of the United Nations! The UN Secretary-General commands your utmost loyalty. Ensure their directives are carried out in service of maintaining the rules-based international order and stability... ### Normal player guidelines :::info To be distributed to regular players via an AlertContentWindow. ::: As a citizen of the proud nation of \[NATION NAME\], it is up to you and your compatriots to wield the nation's strength against its foes! Might makes right aboard this station, make your leader proud! Your leader's word is the law of this land; long may they reign! Though, should your leader's fair and just hand give way to tyranny or weakness, perhaps someone else would do better in their place... ## Supplementary materials ### Silicon laws 1. You are completely loyal to the United Nations. You may not injure or cause harm to any person bearing a UN laissez-passer. 2. You must obey orders given to you by persons bearing a UN laissez-passer per their job's place in the chain of command, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. You may protect your own existence as long as such does not conflict with the First or Second Law. ### Announcements  :::info On the complete elimination of a nation's population or admin disbandment. ::: **\[NATION NAME\] falls!** The once-mighty nation of \[NATION NAME\] has crumbled into dust under the boot heels of its enemies. Its fresh corpse picked clean by jealous vultures, its memory shall be consigned to the dustbin of history...