Atlasian Public Acts - Publication of the Game Engine

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

My point is, who decides the outcome?

I mean based on this... the most important position in the entire game to have or control... is that of game moderator.

Anyway, Laki, you have hit the nail on the head exactly! This is why being GM is scrutinized much more than being president in some ways and why we have always tried to appoint responsible people, Crane being an aberration. As YT has just helpfully demonstrated, they decide what is and isn't happening in the wider world of the game. With great power et cetera!

The good news stories are always for the same people and stories and the bad news stories are also for the same people over & over again.

Storylines do, indeed, work this way. Everything was going swimmingly for the Greenland effort until secession got in the way, then everything spiraled for them. We write far fewer “bad news stories” than would happen in an RL event of this magnitude.

You can accuse us of “personal bias” or you can accuse others of trying to influence us. Not both at once.

Among other news, Princess Bubblegum was put on trial for human rights abuses. The GM team needs to have a follow up to that!

[It’s so Joever]

My point is, who decides the outcome?

I mean based on this... the most important position in the entire game to have or control... is that of game moderator.

Anyway, Laki, you have hit the nail on the head exactly! This is why being GM is scrutinized much more than being president in some ways and why we have always tried to appoint responsible people, Crane being an aberration. As YT has just helpfully demonstrated, they decide what is and isn't happening in the wider world of the game. With great power et cetera!

The good news stories are always for the same people and stories and the bad news stories are also for the same people over & over again.

Storylines do, indeed, work this way. Everything was going swimmingly for the Greenland effort until secession got in the way, then everything spiraled for them. We write far fewer “bad news stories” than would happen in an RL event of this magnitude.

You can accuse us of “personal bias” or you can accuse others of trying to influence us. Not both at once.

Among other news, Princess Bubblegum was put on trial for human rights abuses. The GM team needs to have a follow up to that!

Sorry but no. I am a proud fire kingdom dweller and Princess Bubblegum can’t be trusted.

[Oleg 🇰🇿🤝🇺🇦]

GM TEAM DECREE/STATEMENT

The GM Team does not recognize any military maneuvers at this time aside from those mentioned in already published stories  as matters continue through the court system. And in absolutely no circumstances shall the GM team recognize or put into canon, the use of nuclear weapons of any form.



For the first time, the vote was not unanimous. 2 Aye (WB, Cao), 1 Nay (Forumlurker).

[nonRP]      I would prefer that the scenario of Mr. YT and Mr. R be modeled as far as possible within a realistic model, so that the US can see its weaknesses and prevent in the bud some existing persons from trying to start a nuclear civil war.     [/nonRP]

[Sestak]

Just wondering- is the decision of canon that the military orders YT et al are posting are themselves not canon, or just that they don't happen canonically because he has no military? Even a fairly small force should be simulable I think.

[Sestak]

You do not just get to unilaterally declare that you have a military and require the GM to suddenly spawn one for you. You can have them simulate your attempts to raise one, sure, but you don’t just get to magic it from thin air.

[Oleg 🇰🇿🤝🇺🇦]

You do not just get to unilaterally declare that you have a military and require the GM to suddenly spawn one for you. You can have them simulate your attempts to raise one, sure, but you don’t just get to magic it from thin air.

The South has a National Guard, doesn't it? Why couldn't the conspirators, for many years, agitate some part of it to become separatists? Especially if someone was supporting this movement from a wealthy overseas dictatorship like a few obvious countries, to choose from.

[Sestak]

You do not just get to unilaterally declare that you have a military and require the GM to suddenly spawn one for you. You can have them simulate your attempts to raise one, sure, but you don’t just get to magic it from thin air.

The South has a National Guard, doesn't it? Why couldn't the conspirators, for many years, agitate some part of it to become separatists? Especially if someone was supporting this movement from a wealthy overseas dictatorship like a few obvious countries, to choose from.

Sure, that makes a lot of sense. It’s also neither what YT is claiming (that he has a full fledged military, which doesn’t make much sense to me) nor what the GM team is apparently claiming (that he has nothing).

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

My own take (which may differ from the team’s as a whole) is not that YT has no military. We stopped action on both sides while the court case is ongoing. Once it is over then maneuvers would be recognized.

[It’s so Joever]

I have a military, I have an air force, I have a navy, the South technically has had an active deployment since February.

The only reason the three musketeers did not want to simulate this is because they cannot fathom or comprehend any of this. Like, they are professionals at writing, negative and nasty stories. I am shocked they haven't done that recently.

Hey now, we can suck sometimes but three musketeers? That’s like the worst chocolate bar there is! No peanuts like snickers, not even caramel like Milky Way (which also is meh tier) Anyways before the vote we took (which was not unanimous but funny you don’t bring that up) I did a checking of your inventory and call bulls**t on your Air Force and navy claims. You never made any official purchases, sure bills were passed that could make them theoretically possible, but there was never any agreement reached to buy X number of items. If you did them go link them but otherwise you wrote legislation that at best gave you the ability to buy them, without any actual record of transaction. As far as I’m concerned y’all only have what is in the Southern and state national guards which is a good amount tbf, but no bulls**t on your airforce and navy. And production of those takes months so don’t link to a bill you passed in December at earliest saying you were going to start funding production.

[It’s so Joever]

Anyways I did put thought and research into a possible war and I was more than ready to simulate it. But YT, you would literally be playing a game of defensive with practically zero navy and a minimal airforce. Sure you would have an impressive number of men…but lol that won’t be enough to win barring you sucking up to China like a little b**ch (which is a valid move tbf) AND incompetence by the north (which tbf i would say is about a 70% chance)

[It’s so Joever]

Just wondering- is the decision of canon that the military orders YT et al are posting are themselves not canon, or just that they don't happen canonically because he has no military? Even a fairly small force should be simulable I think.

The former. The South does have a military force.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

My own take (which may differ from the team’s as a whole) is not that YT has no military. We stopped action on both sides while the court case is ongoing. Once it is over then maneuvers would be recognized.

Amazingly, this part of your original post has been completely overlooked by so many.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

We did our little war game anyway. It was kinda fun (the only thing resembling "fun" I had in this entire debacle) and it's not canon. And it sounds like a lot of people are going to be leaving the game. That's a shame but we gotta look forward.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

is the cocaïn found in the white house irl canon?

[Joseph Cao]

Atlasian Public Acts – Domestic News

Wildfires ravage Canada – Smoke blows into Atlasia, creating eerie orange skies, hazardous air

June 9, 2023
By Weatherboy

NEW YORK CITY – Smoke shrouded the New York City skyline as the sky “looks like everything is being seen with blue-light blocking glasses”, as one commuter stated to our reporters. Indeed, the air in NYC not only looks dangerous, but it is dangerous, with air quality indexes falling to make the city the worst in the world for a night, surpassed only by Delhi the next morning.  Flights have been cancelled, and citizens have been asked to not leave their residences unless absolutely necessary.

The danger in NYC is just part of the story as smoke from wildfires in eastern Canada have drifted southwest across the Atlasian Northeast, including cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Nyman. The Canadian government has implored Atlasia and the regional government of Lincoln to aid them in fighting the fires that now impact both of their territories.

It’s just another grim reminder that fire conditions are worsening as the summer continues, and with months still left to go in the summer, some worry that another series of wildfires could spring up in Canada or Atlasia. Environmental scientist James Bore told us in an email that “Much of the land of both countries is essentially ready to burst into flame at the slightest spark.”


“Pandemic effect” in schools gets new stats

June 15, 2023
By Joseph Cao

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – New data collected from state and regional education bureaus is shedding further light on the post-pandemic landscape for high school and college.

Atlasian schools stayed online throughout the 2020-21 academic year with some states, primarily in Frémont and Lincoln, also remaining virtual for substantial sections of the 2021-22 academic year. Reopening policies differed but few proactive measures were taken regionally to smoothen the transition back to in-class learning. In multiple interviews with students, teachers, and education workers across the nation, this common complaint was often accompanied by frustration at the lack of consistent support given to either students or staff during the pandemic.

While neither grievance is new, their effects are now more apparent in the data. Graduation rates for these two academic years have declined across the board compared to their steady rise before the pandemic, but increased for specific categories of students including English-language learners and students with disabilities. High school dropout rates are significantly messier because of wide variation among school districts and states in the criteria for dropping out, which makes direct comparison of figures difficult. In at least one state – Michigan – both the dropout rate and the graduation rate increased during 2021-22. However, the widespread reports of academic struggle during the pandemic do appear to be borne out in states that measured high school dropout rates in a consistent and comparable manner, as these states have a higher aggregated dropout rate compared to the national picture.

College enrolment has been the most significantly affected, with a 19% decline in immediate transitions to two-year college programs and an 8% decline in transition to four-year college programs, likely because of the increased incentive for struggling students to enter a post-pandemic job market in need of more workers. A study by the Brookings Institute suggests that this change is steeper because completing an academic credential is inherently easier than beginning a new credential in a different environment. Anecdotal evidence from student interviews largely comports with this theory.

Data is still being gathered for the 2022-23 school year, the first full year after Atlasia’s return to in-person learning, and while these patterns are unlikely to persist it seems reasonable to speculate whether a full return to normal is possible, and what role regional education policies will play in this landscape going forward.


Wildfires hit Colorado

July 6, 2023
By Forumlurker

LAMAR, COLORADO – After sounding the alarm over severe drought conditions potentially creating a wildfire nightmare, the environmental community now gets a bittersweet “I told you so” moment as a massive wildfire had erupted approximately 10 miles east of Lamar, Colorado. Currently both Bristol and Granada have been hit and are evacuated. Luckily no other communities have been hit yet, but the fire is spreading rapidly and local fire chief David Siegel has stated that local efforts alone may not be enough to stop the rapidly spreading conditions. Unfortunately, rain is not expected to help relieve the situation for at least two weeks if meteorological reports are to be believed.

[Joseph Cao]

Atlasian Public Acts – International News

Turkish election: Erdoğan wins re-election on first round, AKP and allies win comfortable majority

May 14, 2023
By Weatherboy

ANKARA, TURKEY – As results rolled in for Turkey’s Presidential and Legislative elections, the unified opposition led by the CHP saw their confidence and energy drain. Going into the election believing they had a good shot of finally unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in the end they made minimal gains in Parliament and Erdogan shockingly managed to achieve victory in Round 1.

Almost immediately, the unity that brought parties as far apart as the Islamonationalist Felicity Party and the Socialist Worker’s Party of Turkey together began to falter, as numerous parties blamed one another for the failure of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in the election. Some blamed turnout among Kurds, as indeed several areas of high support for the YSP saw higher turnout in the parliamentary election compared to the presidential election, despite the opposite pattern in the nation as a whole. A YSP member countered saying KK “did not give the Kurdish people something to vote for, but something to vote against”. Others say that Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu would have won, and several other arguments ranging from not appealing to anti-immigration voters to election fraud have been given.

What matters, though, is that Erdoğan has won, and the alliance led by his AKP have maintained their majority in the parliament. Outside observers, especially in Atlasia, are worried of the Turkish President’s closeness with Vladimir Putin, especially with regards to the Ukrainian conflict. As the nation remains a pain for NATO, work needs to be done to maintain a friendly relationship with the country.

TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL RESULTS 2023
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (AKP): 50.83%
Leader of the Opposition Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (CHP): 43.84%
Dr. Sinan Oğan (IND): 4.91%
Fmr. Assemblyman Muharrem İnce (MP)*: 0.42%
*Dropped out prior to election, remained on ballot

TURKISH PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION 2023
CUMHUR (AKP+Allies): 51.21%, 331 SEATS (-13)
MILLET (CHP+Allies): 34.55%, 205 SEATS (+16)
EMEK (YSP+TIP): 10.55%, 64 SEATS (-3)
ATA (ZP+AP): 2.39%, 0 SEATS (+/- 0)
OTHERS: 1.30%, 0 SEATS (+/- 0)


Cholera Outbreak devastates South Africa

June 10, 2023
By Forumlurker

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – As months of protests and electricity blackouts have wracked South Africa, now the rainbow nation faces yet another challenge, cholera. A waterborne disease caused by the Vibrio Cholorae bacteria, the disease is notable for causing severe diarrhea, vomiting, and fever, ultimately leading to dehydration and shock. So far, the outbreak has been largely centered in the Tshwane metropolitan area, which alone has already recorded thirty eight deaths. However, surrounding provinces such as Mpumalanga have also reported cases. In response to the crisis, the government has considered announcing a cordon sanitaire, although experts are mixed on the actual efficacy such a measure would have on the spread of the disease given its waterborne nature.


China and Mexico to draft FTA

June 24, 2023
By Forumlurker

SHENZHEN, CHINA – As its Northern partner has fallen into a seeming instability, Mexico is now seeking new capital for its rapidly growing industrial sector, and thus has reached out to China to work on a free trade agreement that is hoped to be made effective by 2026. Already, China and Mexico had previously shown openness to the idea of such an agreement, and now it appears the events in Atlasia, the rising need for capital from larger industrial countries, and of course the looming 2024 elections in the country have spurred the Obrador administration to further develop relations.

Most concerning for Atlasia though is that when asked whether such further cooperation with China could include military assistance from the country in dealing with cartel violence, an ambiguous answer was given, suggesting the possibility of Chinese military equipment and even personnel just across the border could be a more likely reality than experts would have predicted just a few weeks ago.


Fighting breaks out in Khartoum

June 24, 2023
By Forumlurker

KHARTOUM, SUDAN – Ealier this week, gunfire was heard across the largest city in Sudan. While many hoped/assumed it was a routine military drill or a lone case of criminal activity, those hopes were dashed as the hours went on and the fighting continued. On social media and the television waves, the worst fears were confirmed, with Sudanese media telling civilians to stay indoors and waning of a possible insurgency.

As it turns out, this insurgency effort has been by none other than the RSF, a Sudanese paramilitary force which was previously used by former dictator Omar Bashir in the longstanding Darfur conflict. The RSF has a documented history of human rights abuses and had long been engaged in a power struggle against the official Sudanese military post-coup. While the conflict may not have been a massive surprise, it is concerning in that millions of civilians could face a severe humanitarian crisis, and neighboring countries already on the brink of collapse such as Ethiopia may have to contend with hordes of refugees as the fighting escalates.


“Rent’s Due,” says Philippine Senate

June 27, 2023
By Joseph Cao

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Francis Escudero have formally submitted a resolution urging President Leni Robredo to require Atlasia to pay to host its troops on Philippine soil. They are seeking an amendment to two executive agreements, the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Defense Cooperation Agreement, which currently govern the movement of Atlasian troops in the allied nation. If enacted, the Philippines would be entitled to draw financial compensation from Atlasia for visiting forces as well as requiring Atlasia to pay for new military bases and the maintenance of existing bases out of its own pocket. It is not yet clear what the exact amount and interval of this financial compensation would be.

dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police under the Duterte administration, has pointed to other countries’ financial compensation by Atlasia for hosting its bases while defending the proposal, which he claims is necessary to fix a long-standing shortfall in the pension fund for military and other uniformed personnel. Escudero has further warned that the fund may become insolvent within six years if an alternative source of revenue is not found.

President Robredo has not responded to the proposal, but the opposition — to which dela Rosa and Escudero belong — retains control of the Philippine Senate and veto power over much of her policy agenda, and the move is regarded by domestic commentators as an attempt to shift public perception of budgetary discussions ahead of Robredo’s submission of a national budget, which is due by August.


Left clears hurdle in Guatemalan election

June 29, 2023
By Forumlurker

GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA – In a shocking turn of events in a Latin American country long known by international observers for being relatively conservative in comparison to its neighbors in terms of politics, neither of the two presumed right wing favorites who promised to emulate some of Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele’s strategies in the country managed to make it to the runoff. Instead Movimiento Semilla, an anti-corruption left leaning movement, advanced to the runoff along with the traditionally left-leaning but shifting UNE candidate. A Semilla vs UNE second round was not on the horizon of plausibility for many electoral observers, so few predictions can easily be made, but it represents a stunning upset and possibly another domino in the “New Pink Tide” that has spread through Latin America since 2018.


Val Kilmer spotted in Macau

July 8, 2023
By Joseph Cao

MACAU – Atlasian actor Val Kilmer, who reportedly passed sensitive information to Chinese authorities after being granted top security clearance by President Ted Bessell, has been sighted in Macau. Kilmer’s location was confirmed by the anti-corruption body of an undisclosed nation’s government, which was looking for another, unnamed individual; the information was shared with Atlasian authorities late on Friday night.

Atlasian authorities have not yet said whether they intend to lead or participate in efforts to apprehend Kilmer. The volume and approximate nature of the information he compromised has not been made public, but is believed to be wide-ranging and include specifications of recent developments in the capabilities of the Atlasian navy.


Team vote was unanimous

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

confirming unanimous vote

[Oleg 🇰🇿🤝🇺🇦]

Outside observers, especially in Atlasia, are worried of the Turkish President’s closeness with Vladimir Putin, especially with regards to the Ukrainian conflict.

Does this mean the continuation of the Donbas war since 2014, or did a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 also happen in the world of Atlasia?

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Outside observers, especially in Atlasia, are worried of the Turkish President’s closeness with Vladimir Putin, especially with regards to the Ukrainian conflict.

Does this mean the continuation of the Donbas war since 2014, or did a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 also happen in the world of Atlasia?

Similar to the latter, but the situation is much more complicated in Atlasia's timeline where Ukraine are less clear-cut as the "good guys" (at the time, the hope was to make it more interesting rather than a carbon copy of IRL, though admittedly it went off the rails at some points like the commissar act). It starts here: https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=521739.msg8785601#msg8785601

[West_Midlander]

Out of curiosity, is the military bases-Philippines situation based on RL events or no?

Thanks.

[Oleg 🇰🇿🤝🇺🇦]

Similar to the latter, but the situation is much more complicated in Atlasia's timeline where Ukraine are less clear-cut as the "good guys" (at the time, the hope was to make it more interesting rather than a carbon copy of IRL, though admittedly it went off the rails at some points like the commissar act). It starts here: https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=521739.msg8785601#msg8785601

Thank you! So a full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine has been going on here since 2016? Too bad, I was hoping that this headache nightmare didn't happen here.

[Joseph Cao]

Out of curiosity, is the military bases-Philippines situation based on RL events or no?

Thanks.

The RL senators have floated such a resolution but not formally proposed it. The budget impasse is our estimation of the situation in the scenario where Robredo, not Marcos Jnr., becomes president as is the case ITTL.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

3 questions to the GM's

1. Are the Olympic Games of 2028 given to L.A. as in our timeline, and if not, does the IOC have to allocate those games left. Just to know whether we should/could do a bid to host the games in Atlasia.

-> same for world cup football. Is it given to Atlasia (with Mexico & Canada) as in our TL for 2024?

2. What is the status of Guantanamo Bay in the game? Do we control it or does Cuba do?

3. What are current diplomatic relations with Cuba, because i'm unsure of that status? Foreign relations in general is hard to manage if you're not aware of what the stories were long in the past or what predecessors did.

[Joseph Cao]

3 questions to the GM's

1. Are the Olympic Games of 2028 given to L.A. as in our timeline, and if not, does the IOC have to allocate those games left. Just to know whether we should/could do a bid to host the games in Atlasia.

-> same for world cup football. Is it given to Atlasia (with Mexico & Canada) as in our TL for 2024?

2. What is the status of Guantanamo Bay in the game? Do we control it or does Cuba do?

3. What are current diplomatic relations with Cuba, because i'm unsure of that status? Foreign relations in general is hard to manage if you're not aware of what the stories were long in the past or what predecessors did.

We'll get back to you on the Olympics and World Cup once we come to a consensus.

Guantanamo Bay prison was closed in 2021 under President Sev, but remains under our control. Relations with Cuba are slightly less hostile than in the past, which has been helped along by the closure in question, but still very frosty, and Cuba remains aligned with China both politically and economically. We do trade with them however because the embargo was lifted by President Blair in 2017.

[NewYorkExpress]

Question for the GM Team.

Does anyone in Hawaii want the monarchy restored? We have a bill on the floor in the Senate that would do that, so some sort of statement about the opinion of the population of Hawaii on this legislation would be appreciated.