Atlasian Public Acts - Publication of the Game Engine

[It’s so Joever]

Also confirming.

[It’s so Joever]

Confirming vote is valid. Sorry next time I will use a word doc.

[It’s so Joever]

Likewise I'm really not keen on having the full NPC McCoy come back unless people are actually interested.

The other thing that stands out to me is if we really need to revisit the issue. All these NPCs and the state legislature breakdowns and partisan details and stuff were invented purely in service of a playable activity that would be unfeasible at the moment. If we're at the same situation as prior to NPC elections, when we assumed all these state and local governments did their own thing without specifying which name from which party did what, do we return to that original assumption, that sort of thing.

I'm not against some kind of simulation happening or whatever but the NPC elections concept exists purely to put names to faces at this point and that's something that a) we got along fine without prior to July 2020, and b) would be a pretty big effort by the GMs for not a huge amount of return in terms of augmenting the canon since we always assumed those governments were in the background anyway.

A couple of questions:

1. How is the GM team going to proceed with the NPC elections-related events going forward? There's mention of an upcoming NYC election. Will all the NPC legislatures and offices gradually update?

2. Related to that, if the terms of office are all six months long are we assuming that everyone elected between February and August 2021 has been in office for between thirteen and nineteen months?

3. Is Hurricane Ian canon?

I have another question about the Ukraine development but the profanity filter won't let me post all of it apparently.

1. Weatherboy and I are still working out the fine print, but there's a reason I chose to schedule the NPC election for the same day as the player elections. That way scoring would be minimal if we can't agree on a system.

2. The New York City office is term-limited specifically, based on the IRL two term limit. I personally lean towards the state Governors, not having term-limits, but Weatherboy and Forumlurker might have different feelings about that.

3. Previous GM's (Lumine in particular) have ruled that real life natural disasters still happen. There may or may not be a story about the impacts of Hurricane Ian, but assume Ian was the same storm as IRL.

"Based on the IRL two term limit" means the mayor would have termed out by last September. He was elected in July 2020, reelected in February 2021. Or is the assumption that every state government has been stuck in carbonite for a year? That itself would contradict some recent stories.

Not every IRL disaster has happened exactly the same way, or at all, the GMs have leeway to decide on those things. Off the top of my head Harvey hit a different part of Atlasia and another hurricane that season (Irma?) didn't happen at all.

If we are voicing our opinions, Ill add that I also support scrapping the concept. I am unfamiliar with these legislative elections. I wasnt in the game during the brief period where these were done, but as it was explained to me last night, basically whoever posts the most amount of useless spam gets rewarded with improbable NPC results thus incentivizing useless spam. Using the results from 2 years ago make no apparent sense in light of the current in game situation.

Also there isnt anything in the federal or Regional constitutions requiring elected legislative governments. IIRC Scott mentioned that in Fremont the Regional government has assumed basically all State and local taxation, powers, and functions. As I read the constitution, Regions in game are to States, what States in real life are to counties i.e. sovereign to constituent subdivision. Hypothetically I dont see any reason why Regions couldnt just essentially abolish state and local governments within the region or say make such governments subject to appointment by the Regional government.

Im not going to knock anyone for trying new ideas just because they didnt work, im just going to say imo I dont think this works at all. Especially when it results in nonsensical outcomes that are still being treated as in effect 2 years later.

Respectfully, I rather enjoyed my "useless spam" because I like writing speeches.

But yes, the parties that ran the best campaign tailored to a specific state always won by varying margins. The Utah campaign was by far the most memorable. However I do agree that it's unwise to delegate these legislatures as permanent. It's unfair to other parties, and I say that as someone whose party controls the majority of statehouses and governorships.

Fremont is different from Lincoln and the South in that we absorbed state services, so local governments do have less of a role but they are nonetheless allowed to enact laws primarily affecting social/law-and-order issues within the context of regional law. This wasn't the case for Louisiana, where the Labor governor had to raise taxes because the South does not assume funding for the states.

Which is rather ironic, because Tmth criticized Fremont for "triple taxation," even though we're the only region that eliminated this problem. As far as I know, states in the other two regions are fully responsible for their own budgetary situations, and their residents pay SALT in addition to regional and federal taxes.

This is ultimately why Fremont is in a better budgetary situation, where we basically have a 1950s tax code that is quite high but also not an impediment to economic growth, since only a few people pay anything close to the top rate.

I think the exact situation in Lincoln, based on the laws that get passed, is basically: "State Governments exist, but all land is primarily owned by Lincoln. If the region wants to build something, it can, and it doesn't need to compensate the state. States are also reliant upon the region for many programs."

Of course, I prefer Lincoln's tax system, which has been trending lower with each budget, but still runs a very healthy surplus. We don't abuse the people's money. Others should follow our example. Fremont's system might not reduce economic growth much, but it effectively employs a maximum income (100% of money beyond 10M is given to either the regional or federal government) which seems to at least say there should be a limit on such growth.


I agree we can't run NPC elections anymore, at least not the way we used to, but we also have to deal with the reality that we passed legislation mandating their existence, which has now generated a lawsuit stemming from the lack of such elections.

I don't care much what we do as long as we are consistent about it. If the GM Team wants to continue it in some fashion, the best way would be to declare that there were failures in holding elections for roughly the last year, so the most recently elected officeholders were allowed to remain in office. They would then run new elections, fully simulated and without a need for campaigning, according to a schedule they would create. This avoids having to re-write or repeal anything.

The main other option, if the Senate can still repeal stuff, is to have the regions repeal their NPC laws, and then the Senate repeal any NPC-related Canon since the last formal NPC elections (I think either June or August of 2021, someone should do some research.). Then we simply don't mention these governments going forward.

The lazy option is to just declare that everyone in NPC offices is serving an infinite term and lives forever, but I'd recommend against this since it seems to go against the democratic nature in which the game has been consistently run.

I think Weatherboy would prefer the first option, and I would prefer something somewhere between the first and second option (the NPC laws mandating player elections are repealed, but the governments and laws related to said governments still exist, and the officeholders are the IRL officeholders and follow the IRL election schedule in the United States. The GM team can assign corresponding Atlasian political parties (i.e Ron DeSantis as a Federalist, or Gavin Newsom as Labor) later.). No idea what Forumlurker would want.

I think it depends on if we believe we as a team are able to and willing to consistently update NPC elections. Maybe one of us could specialize in NPC elections, or maybe do it together idk. If not then our only other option is to declare NPC governments basically null.

[It’s so Joever]

Confirmed

[It’s so Joever]

Confirmed.

[It’s so Joever]

Confirmed.

[It’s so Joever]

Confirmed.

[It’s so Joever]

Confirmed.

[It’s so Joever]

I will make one thing clear, we as GM’s will read the text of legislation as is unless told otherwise prior. Additionally, civilians and outside governments will react to your exact words. There is no “I meant xyz” in real life (unless you publicly change your position but it will usually be too late to prevent some of the ramifications)
I’ve said this before, but write policy and make official statements knowing that there is an audience and they will respond as they read. This is our job to make sure we are keeping the game grounded in reality.

[It’s so Joever]

Inflation falling rapidly, prompting fears of recession:
By Forumlurker:

Nyman, Atlasia
Atlasian families may finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief with the inflation rate having dropped significantly in the past couple of months. The rate of inflation has now dropped to 8.9 percent annually, nearly a 1% drop from the peak annual inflation rate of 9.7% last November. However, not everyone is smiling at the news, with economists and investors alike worried that the rapid drop could lead to a recession. Renowned investor Warren Buffett has sounded the alarm especially loudly, warning of a recession worse than 2008 as “likely, if not inevitable.” His soothing words did little to help an already tumbling market in reversing its decline. Of course, his predictions are a bit more dire than the average prediction, which seems to be one of caution, but not panic.

Hawaiian independence protests turn violent:
By Forumlurker:

Honolulu, Hawaii
The ongoing pro-Hawaiian independence protests took a turn for the worst when several official Atlasian government offices along with a nearby McDonalds became the target of several Molotov cocktails, resulting in serious fire damage to both and seven recorded injuries in those uninvolved directly with the protests as a result of the incident. Additionally, police barricades were forcibly trounced, causing numerous additional injuries and completely shutting off traffic in the downtown. Post-pandemic, Hawaii had long been in a precarious position due to their tourism based economy taking sweet time to recover, but these recent protests have only further exacerbated the state’s already dire situation, with millions of dollars of revenue estimated to have already been lost due to the domestic situation. Unfortunately, it is incredibly likely that the escalation of such protests will not help. The Hawaiian Governor, has urged calm but his words appear to have fallen on deaf ears and the state guard in conjunction with local law enforcement forces is now deployed on streets across the state in the hopes of preventing further violence.

Silicon valley stocks continue to plummet, tech bubble bursting?
By Forumlurker:

Santa Clara, California
Although companies across Atlasia have been feeling the sting of the recent market losses, one sector in particular has been hit disproportionately hard by the recent downturn, the tech industry. Already returns have been dissipating with the most recent earnings reports noting losses of up to 5% in revenue earned in comparison to the previous fiscal quarter. To best illustrate the precariousness of the situation, the tech-heavy NASDAQ composite index saw a single day drop of over 800 points, one of the largest drops in the index’s history. Several tech companies, including giants such as Google, Uber, and Meta have begun mass layoffs, causing thousands to lose their jobs. The situation is grim this week, with little hope of a recovery anytime soon. Privately, several tech CEOs have expressed serious concern over the situation, blaming a wide range of factors for the contraction, but ultimately sharing common belief that the crisis will only deepen in the next few months.

Protests over secession rhetoric in The South:
By Authors:

Wichita, Kansas
For the past week, mass protests have swept the South, after Governor Young Texan unilaterally announced plans for the South’s secession from the Union. The Federal Government so far has struggled to intervene, despite President Cao’s announcement of the appointment of a commission to discuss the South’s status in relation to Atlasia at large.


The protests, largely peaceful at first, but often escalating into at times worrying violence, especially in states along the Lincoln and Fremont borders, has already caused millions in property damage, as well as the deaths of nine civilians, six of them in Baltimore during a protest march, two in Wichita when protesters set fire to the offices of the Wichita Eagle, killing both an opinion columnist and the sports editor, and one in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, when a protester ran over a CNN Cameraman with a golf cart.

Not all Southern Residents, however, oppose the idea of secession. The referendum passed with over 75% support, although some polls show that those supporting secession were more “soft” in their support than those who were not. Still, some states have higher levels of support for the move than others.  Indeed, in two states, Texas, and Alabama, secession has an overwhelming amount of support from the populace, and protests in both states were largely muted.


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Benedict XVI dead at 95:
By NYE:




Vatican City, Vatican
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who, almost a decade ago became the first person to resign the Papacy in centuries, died on New Year’s Eve at ninety-five years old. His body has lied in state in the Sistine Chapel for the past week, and mourners from around the world are gathering at the Vatican to attend his funeral, which is expected to be later this month.
 
Benedict’s life was a life dedicated both to revitalizing traditions of the Catholic Church, but also facing down the ongoing sexual abuse controversy that has embroiled the Church for the better part of the last two decades.
 
Many are watching his successor, Francis, to see if he will follow Benedict’s example and resign his office himself.



Czech voters elect new President
By NYE:


Prague, Czechia
Voters in the Czech Republic have gone to the polls in the past month, seeking to elect a new President. The campaign, dominated in the late stages by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the Czech Republic’s support of Ukraine, has at times been nasty, especially between the front-runners, retired General Petr Pavel and former Prime Minister Andrej Babis, with Babis accusing Pavel of being the front man for a military dictatorship, and Pavel accusing Babis of corruption in office.
 
Czech Republic Presidential Election-First Round
 
Former Prime Minister Andrej Babis: Ano 2000: 29.89%
Retired General Petr Pavel- Independent- 29.05%
Former Ambassador to Ukraine, Former Ambassador to Russia and Former Minister without Portfolio Jaroslav Basta: SPD: 20.79%
Senator Pavel Fischer: Independent: 6.7%
Businessman Karel Divis: Independent: 5%
Rector of Mendel University Brno Danuse Nerudova: Independent: 4.7%
Senator Marek Hilser: Independent: 2%
Rector of Charles University Tomas Zima: Independent: 1.87%
 
The runoff saw the continuation and marked escalation of the attacks between Babis and Pavel, as the defeated candidates divided their endorsements relatively evenly (Divis, Nerudova and Hilser for Pavel, Fischer, and Zima for Babis. Basta did not endorse either candidate).
 Czech Republic Presidential Election-Runoff:
Petr Pavel 51.0795%
Andrej Babis 48.9205%

GREENLANDIC PARLIAMENT NARROWLY VOTES TO DELAY SOUTHERN ACQUISITION PROCEEDINGS, CITING STABILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
By Authors:

Nuuk, Greenland

In a narrow 17-14 vote in the Inatsisartut (Greenland’s Parliament), the Southern deal to try and annex the island was delayed, with most of Inuit Ataqatgiit (Inuit Community; a democratic socialist, pro-independence party that is the largest party in Greenland), opposing it, as well as a handful of members from other parties joining on, mostly from other pro-independence parties. Most of those voting against cited environmental concerns from possible oil exploration, even with Governor YoungTexan’s executive order meant to address these, or simply desire for independence rather than new ownership. Erik Jensen, a member of the Greenlandic Parliament and leader of Siumut (Forward; A social democratic, pro-independence party in government with IA) was quoted as saying “We are on the path to independence… Greenland is open for business, but it is not for sale”. However, it was the recent instability in the south following their focus towards greater autonomy and potential secession that caused the deal to fall apart. Niels Thompson, the only member of the Democrats (a liberal, pro-Danish union party) to vote against the deal, stated that “I could agree to these terms if we were not throwing ourselves into a nation which only last year suffered a near civil war, and is facing down a new one brought on by the region wanting us to join them. At a later time, perhaps we can work again, but not now.”

Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede (Inuit Ataqatgiit), told reporters that “while we will we always be open to listen to offers for anything, be it Independence or Union with another country if the situation is better than what we have now, what is going on in Atlasia and in the South specifically is definitely not better and would not benefit us here at all”.

Either way, this serves as a massive blow to Governor YoungTexan’s attempts to purchase Greenland for the South for the moment, and could shelf the whole plan entirely unless stability is restored and terms potentially re-negotiated.


France weighs leaving NATO
By Forumlurker:

Paris, France
In a relatively expected move, current French president, Marine Le Pen, has announced that France will begin negotiations to leave NATO. In her official speech to the press, Le Pen cited concerns over NATO policy breaching French autonomy, over the inability of “globalist” organizations to respond to threats that impact the French people, and the stability of The Republic of Atlasia which is by far the greatest contributor in funding to the alliance. Le Pen has also pushed for a withdrawal from the EU, a hallmark of her campaign and one that only further emphasizes the politician’s mistrust in European-wide organizations. The loss of France from NATO would be incredibly damaging to the ability of the alliance to function, with France being the largest army on the continent and a major industrial producer/transport hub between various parts of the continent.

Covid surge in China:
By Forumlurker:

Chongqing, China
As a result of the sudden unexpected lifting of the Covid-19 lockdowns and the entire “zero Covid” response which has been rigorously pursued since the start of the pandemic, new satellite data would suggest that there has been a significant Covid-19 surge in the country, despite official statistics stating otherwise. Hospitals in several Chinese cities currently appear to be exhibiting major traffic increases along with significant evidence of increased crematorium usage in recent days. Chinese officials have denied any reports of a Covid-19 surge, accusing the West of falsifying images in order to spread an anti-Chinese narrative. However, these allegations are unfounded and the epidemiological research community is fairly sure there is indeed a surge in China as a result of policy change. The change came after weeks of brutal protests resulting in several deaths and the temporary shutdown of several Chinese websites such as Weibo.


Bolsonaro Supporters storm the Brazilian Capitol:
By Forumlurker:

Brasilia, Brazil
After a contentious election, newly elected Brazilian president, Lula Da Silva, was likely hoping for a unifying start in the wake of the worst political polarization in decades in the country. Yet just eight days after his inauguration on January 1st, he would find himself in a secured building outside the city while the Capitol would burn. In what started off as a protest against the new administration devolved into a violent storming and destroying of the Capitol Building. Several windows and door entrances were breached at 2 PM local time and despite the “occupation” lasting only approximately 2 hours, rampant property damage was recorded, including what appeared to be a failed arson attempt. The damage costs are still being calculated, but the greater concern would be that of precedent. Already Brazil was in a dire state, with violent clashes between Lula and Bolsonaristos reported throughout the campaign season. Additionally, with inflation spiraling globally, crime rates surging, and the continued erosion of what little faith is left in the public government, it is likely this incident only adds to the delegitimization of the Brazilian state and the consequences to come.

Arrest of Khaled Ali video goes viral in Egypt:
By Forumlurker:

Cairo, Egypt
A brutal seizure of human rights advocate, Khaled Ali, has triggered outrage and mass protests against the current Egyptian government's human rights abuses and lack of democratic rights. On January 20th, Khaled Ali, an activist and crucial figure in the downfall of Mubarak, had his house stormed into by police officers who proceeded to push the man into a wall and upon knocking him out, began to beat Ali’s body bloody until finally forcing his arms into handcuffs and dragging him out in the dark. Unknown to the officers was that the family had already prepared well for such an incident, with several hidden security cameras operating independently capturing the event in real time. The footage was blocked on Egyptian social media almost as soon as it spread, but by that point the damage had already been done and the video was saved thousands of times before being taken down. Protests against the mishandling of the case have already begun to take the nation by storm, with especially sizable crowds in Alexandria and Cairo. So far, the protests have remained peaceful and there has been little crackdown, a relative shock to outside observers but a welcome one given the long history of violent crackdowns of political expression in the country. For context, Ali had already been barred from running for office in the presidential elections and has long been viewed as a major threat to the administration. However, it is still unclear what prompted this recent detainment.

Tigrayan War Truce Announced:
By Forumlurker:

Mekelle, Ethiopia
In a completely unexpected turn of events which few experts saw coming, a miracle breakthrough in talks between Ethiopia and the Tigrayan Government (TPLF) was announced earlier this month, with the provisions set to take place immediately upon the signing. A few weeks in and to the absolute shock and delight of international observers, the truce has more or less held, with only a few scattered incidences of violence, largely in the first few days after the truce had been announced. The first flights from Addis Ababa to the beleaguered northern region have helped bring vital food, medicine, and supplies to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the World currently. Additionally, hundreds of families who have been separated by the conflict have now finally been able to reunite. There still is reason for caution, as the truce is not a permanent deal by any means nor a formal conclusion to the conflict. Additionally, Al Shabaab and the Oromo Liberation Army both continue to operate within the country, meaning that while the situation has improved, especially in the North, there still remains significant ethnic conflict even post-truce.


Major Earthquake hits Turkey-Syria border, thousands dead
By Weatherboy

Gaziantep, Turkey

 It was still dark in the city of Gaziantep, Turkey when violent shaking woke most of the residents out of their slumber, immediately causing panic as pipes burst, cracks formed, and eventually buildings collapsed around and on top of many. The initial earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8, and rescue efforts were quickly underway. Aftershocks rocked the area not long afterward, many scoring about a 5.0 magnitude, but by noon it was assumed things had finally ended. They were wrong. An aftershock nearly as strong as the main earthquake at a magnitude of 7.5 struck north near Elbistan. Aftershocks are still being recorded as of the time of writing, with the aftershocks making a slanted T formation on a map, stretching from Göksun in the west, to south of Malatya in the east, and to the Mediterranean in the south.

The series of earthquakes have left devastation in their wake, and the damage, both economic and human, is yet to be fully known at the moment. Estimates have so far put the death toll over 7,000, with at least 35,000 injured. Economically, Turkey’s economy has suffered a blow as the Turkish Lira fell to a record low of 18.80 to the Dollar, and banks fell 5.5%. President Erdoğan has requested humanitarian aid to help rebuild.


Vote was unanimous.

[It’s so Joever]

Greenland to set referendum for joining Atlasia:
By Forumlurker and Weatherboy,

Nuuk Greenland
Despite what appeared to be a push left for political death, new negotiations and increased benefits for Greenlanders pushed the government to reopen discussion on a bill to formally leave Denmark and join The Republic of Atlasia as a part of the Southern region. In a contentious but decisive 20-11 vote a non-binding referendum has been called and will be held on March 6th. The government of Greenland had pledged to honor the results of the referendum with the Danish government in turn also pledging to “respect the will of the Greenlandic people".

The opposition mainly came from IA, with 9 of the 11 nay votes coming from them, still citing environmental concerns. The other 2 nays were from members of Siumut. The impending inauguration of President-Elect Tack before the referendum puts many things in question, however, as the president-elect has signaled disapproval with the potential acquisition. Despite this, most within Greenland (aside from hardcore IA supporters) appear to be optimistic about the expanded plan, which seems to address the most common concerns about life for the average Greenlander.

Vote was unanimous

[It’s so Joever]

Vote confirmed.

[It’s so Joever]

Is this really what would have happened? Some of these stories stretch my suspension of disblief.

Same here. It's totally unrealistic and the foundations were not laid well at all. But the mods have spoken

Regardless of the personal beliefs of the GM team it would be unrealistic for people to vote against such a large stipend, snowmobiles, and housing. Whether current and future developments will cause a change in viewpoints will be seen.

You think it’s completely unrealistic for people to vote against becoming part of a completely separate country they have no cultural connection to and don’t even use the operative language of, simply because they are being offered snowmobiles?

It’s actually comical. This GM team’s idea of ‘realism’ is to unilaterally declare that Ukrainians are Nazis and Greenlanders are dying to be colonized by Atlasia. One year ago, a proposed deal involving Taiwan was considered so unrealistic that we created emergency powers to reverse those edicts (powers which, since then, have already been flagrantly abused for the sake of convenience). But we’re supposed to be okay with this?

For years, this game had Game Moderators who went to great lengths to ensure foreign policy in this game was a realistic, playable simulation. I don’t know why the current team insists on repeatedly spitting in the face of their legacy.

Sometimes, people do have different ideas of what is and isn’t realistic. The South did offer every material thing that Greenlanders are seeking according to many polls. Whether that alone is enough id it’s own debate, we chose one side but understand your skepticism. I will say…if something seems off and weird though…maybe there is a deeper reason for it as well.

Stay tuned.

[It’s so Joever]

GM Team Directive #1
Due to concerns by the body over the possibility of future functionality due to the Discordification of internal processes and private DM messaging, the GM Team has unanimously decided to specify our input policies for official purposes.
1. Any member of the Atlasian public, whether elected or not, may input into the GM Team Atlas thread
2. Any elected official may request to simulate private negotiations with NPC entities but MUST do so in the GM Team Atlas thread.
3. All requested private negotiations will involve every member of the GM Team.
4. Circumstances involving confidential information held by the Secretary of State or the National Security Board will not be subject to section
5. Any inputs or requests on a GM process/decision that do not follow the above guidelines will be ignored.
6. GM Team members are permitted to engage in public discussion outside of the GM Team thread, but such discussion may not impact behavior to the extent possible within the Team.
7. Private discussion on Atlasian events that do not involve immediate GM activities is permitted, however also must not impact behavior to the extent possible within the GM Team.
8. The GM Team reaffirms that it is not an advisory role, and any attempts to garner advice on how to obtain a specific goal from a GM Team Member will be publicly released on this thread.
9. All former procedures and customs that come into conflict with the above terms are not to be followed in the future.
10. These established guidelines are to take place immediately upon public release. Additionally, all current negotiations and conversations are also subject to the above terms.

[It’s so Joever]

Statement of inaction:

Hello, I know I have not churned out a collection of stories recently, and I just wanted to clarify I still have been planning and watching legislation, I have just been swamped with irl stuff. However with the end of most of my finals on the 28th, I fully expect to have something out by May 3rd. Thank you for your patience and I do apologize for the delays.

[It’s so Joever]

Granted. Are these private talks you are requesting?

[It’s so Joever]

Am I allowed to write stories for Fremont? Just want to get this out of the way.

I won’t provide the official answer yet because I need to consult, but my personal position is that for domestic news it would be allowed, although it will depend on the scope of the news (e.g a small scale protest/meme event localized in Fremont is okay, a large scale natural disaster/political thing you should consult with us first)

[It’s so Joever]

“Southern administration officials defended the changes. "We’ve stressed that any reforms are made in light of changing circumstances in the Southern Nation, with the goal of boosting governance," said a spokesman for the YT/Saint administration. "We need to fully and accurately implement the intent of our Constitution. What happened last year, with citizens joining in the assault on us, could not be prevented by our existing system," an apparent reference to Southern NKT members implicated in Operation Downfall, "so we must adopt suitable measures to prevent further destruction." He added that "there are multiple channels for Southern patriots to engage with their lawfully elected government."”

I don’t have a spokesperson, I don’t authorize people speaking on my behalf when you can literally just message me my opinion.

Not a credible GM.

We were simply drawing on a long precedent of using spokespersons as proxies. I do recognize why you are frustrated and if you do not agree with this comment, encourage you to make a statement against it and fire the probable intern who totally screwed up lol.

I will personally also state for the record that I am confident in GM Cao’s credibility as a GM and is a strong addition to our team and disagree with your assessment.

[It’s so Joever]

Confirming unanimous vote.

[It’s so Joever]

Confirming unanimous vote.

[It’s so Joever]

Governor YT easily survives recall
By Forumlurker
Austin, Texas

After a contentious and polarizing election which saw massive surges of disinformation and allegations of electoral fraud on both sides, the South has voted decisively to pass an election reform act which most notably, removes the ability for southern politicians to be recalled as was traditionally permitted previously.
The lopsided margin was an impressive feat for the incumbent governor, although noted with stark geographical polarizations that psephological nerds claim are correlated to “traditionally unionist” parts of the South such as Eastern Tennessee (and of course several major cities such as DC and Atlanta) However overall, the vote passed easily, showing YT still maintains strong support much to the chagrin of his political rivals.


Effigies of YT, LT being burnt across the South
By Forumlurker
Fayetteville, Arkansas
 Across the South, as internal political divisions between former governor LT and current governor YT have hit the boiling point, effigy-burnings of both figures have been taking place across the region and even in Lincoln and Fremont border states.
Most notable of these took place at the University of Arkansas, where two similar sized effigy burnings on the same Campus took place in the span of a week. When asked for interviews however, most students showed relative indifference despite the massive political chaos ensuing outside, with one student stating,”The entirety of this all is a dumb fight by egotistical blowhards. Can’t wait to get killed in their stupid war while they LARP from their comfy offices so I won’t have to hear them again.”
Protestors burning the effigies had differing opinions, citing the state of the Union (for those burning YT) and the sake of Southern sovereignty (for those burning LT) as major issues behind their anger.


Baltimore Mayor calls for “Liberation” of the city
By Forumlurker
Baltimore, Maryland

After Southern troops were stationed near the city limits, Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott (Peace) came out and called for the “liberation” of the city from hostile southern actors by national forces. In his remarks, he claimed the usage of intimidation tactics by Southern military to prevent protests, the lack of forewarning leading to massive congestion for the city’s residents, and also complained of the continued marginalization of black communities “to the greatest extent since Jim Crow” Critics argue his speech will only lead to more division while supporters argue these comments are a necessary voice from often unheard voices in the region.

Lincoln gas prices surge:
By Forumlurker
New York, New York

 Largely due to recent emergency measures passed by the Southern Governor blocking oil infrastructure from the South into Lincoln and the lack of a coherent response from the federal government, gas prices in Lincoln have skyrocketed, with prices reaching up to 8-9$ per gallon across many major metropolitan areas in the region.
Measures designed to reform existing infrastructure to prevent a future repeat have been taken by Lincoln’s regional government, but these are long term and have not reduced the extreme pain millions of Lincolnites have felt in their pockets, especially as the economy continues to appear to be souring nationwide.

Lincoln man fires at Southern Troops, gets shot at:
By Forumlurker
Emmitsburg, Maryland

As thousands of Southern and Lincoln troops have begun mobilizing along the borders, experts feared a day would come in which the already tense political situation eerily similar to the Korean DMZ years ago would reach the breaking point. While that so far has not happened as of yet, a recent incident near Emmitsburg pressed another challenge.
A rogue Lincoln farmer by the name of Jack Maroon on the Pennsylvania-Maryland border fired upon Southern troops conducting a military defense exercise. In response, the Southern troops fired back, lethally wounding the man.
The incident has since made airwaves and has sparked controversy in the already tense area, with neighbors of Maroon outraged at the South while Southern troops have asserted that the act was purely out of self defense and that Maroon fired first. Either way, the scene shows just how divided the country has become.

Black Panthers revived:
By Forumlurker
Atlanta, Georgia

As the country falls into chaos, several groups have begun to re-emerge from the shadows of society, one of which being the infamous Black Panther group which operated throughout the Civil Rights Era.
In a “press conference” today, the new ringleader of the revived group who refers to himself as “The Reverend” (and refused further identification) cited the rising instability in Atlasia, concerning legislation passed in the South, and the rise in anti-black hate crimes as reasons for the movement, arguing that “The White man promised us safety in ‘64. But we’ll be lucky to stay alive to ‘24 if we don’t form a community! Arm yourselves brothers and sisters and all my beautiful black brethren, better days are ahead of us!”
Former Black Panther and organization cofounder, Bobby Seale, has come out in support of this new group stating, “This is a true successor to the black empowerment struggle we have faced for decades. I pass the baton to The Reverend and condemn any pretenders (in reference to the New Black Panther Party which already existed prior to this update) We did not start this, this was a grassroots effort by young black men and women, and that's a wonderful thing to see. I wish them success and encourage them to focus on self defense efforts and community preservation. We shall be a beacon of hope in these troubling days!”

Instability and inaction cause economic nosedive:
By Forumlurker
New York, New York

The market this week took a complete nosedive on multiple fronts at once, giving the Federal Reserve a likely headache and the average Atlasian citizen a pink slip. Already in a poor state due to the SVB bank collapse, several other banks in the recent weeks collapsed due to investor panic creating a liquidity crisis.
With the continued tensions rising between the South and Atlasian and the relative inaction of the government, several other banks, including Free Republic, PacWest, Comerica have collapsed as well as the dominos start to fall.
 Consumer confidence additionally has fallen to levels not seen since 2012 when the economy was still recovering from the Great Recession. Of course, the DOW, S&P, and NASDAQ have all tanked, with the S&P seeing the greatest percentage drop of the three.
 Finally the unemployment rate has jumped from 4.1% up to 4.7% in the past month, with most of the layoffs being in the tech sector. Experts now fear an economic collapse as lagging indicators eventually reveal the true situation caused by the recent political and monetary instability.
SOUTH DECLARES SECESSION: SOME STATE NATIONAL GUARDS REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE YT, SOUTH SPLIT IN TWO
By Joseph Cao

MAY 15, 2023

Raleigh, NC - Late night tonight, Southern President YT declared the South independent. Almost immediately, those who opposed the move took to the streets, especially the near-third that voted against the Election Amendments Package this past weekend.

Now, portions of several state guards have refused to take up arms, with 3 states having their commanders outright refuse to take orders now. In North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee, state National Guards and other militias have sworn allegiance to Atlasia, cutting off Virginia and Nyman from the bulk of the South.

The TN National Guard has already marched on the southern Capitol building, but not before the House of Burgesses, YT and Saint, and other officials managed to relocate instead of being captured.

Already, radical groups are beginning to rise up as well. Reports of an irredentist group holding the city of Ulysses, KS hostage have trickled in, and worries of black nationalist uprisings abound as well.

In Florida, the Conch Republic has had their “army” (of street performers, police, and citizens) march along the Overseas Highway, notably bringing the Naval Air Station under their control. As of now, the “army” is in Big Pine Key.


In Nyman, the calls for Tack to do something grow louder, with Senator NYE calling on Tack to “send in the military to put down the rebellion against our republic”.



Xi Jinping mocks Atlasian hypocrisy on The South:
By Joseph Cao and Forumlurker
Beijing, China
At a conference, Chinese leader Xi Jinping condemned the “blatant hypocrisy” of Atlasia’s “two faces” on territorial integrity.
State-run Xinhua News quoted him as saying: “Again and again, when we defend China and its boundaries, we face bullying from the West. But Atlasia does the same and its defenders mouth about protecting democracy.”
International reactions to the issue have thus far been cautious and ambiguous, with EU representatives calling for a peaceful resolution, and Vladimir Putin of Russia calling for “honest dialogue.”

South African Cape Independence Movement gains new steam:
By Forumlurker
Cape Town, South Africa
As the country of South Africa has been living under increasingly burdensome and downright dangerous electricity shutdowns to maintain the poorly maintained grids, the rise of the Cape Independence Movement has grown rapidly, being a “multinational movement for the goal of Cape Independence and efficient government”, a far cry from the current living situation for millions of South Africans.
The movement in the past few months has surged both due to the blackouts, but also increasing support of the Southern independence movement in Atlasia which has made airwaves globally. Although the party is still minor compared to the electoral titan which is the ruling ANC, evidence of rising grassroots support through rallies and events has been reported by correspondents from the region.
Either way, the road to independence would be tricky in the already divided country, and very well could have unforeseen consequences as well. However what can be said is that the Southern movement has certainly helped revive other regional independence movements around the world.

[It’s so Joever]

Confirmed

[It’s so Joever]

We will continue to act militarily, that I can tell you.

I am speaking with my Generals as we speak.

Not canonically.

[It’s so Joever]

We will continue to act militarily, that I can tell you.

I am speaking with my Generals as we speak.

Not canonically.

Greenland is ours, we are merely securing it. This is southern canon.

Cool you can have your claims but Greenland is currently an autonomous region of Denmark.

[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.