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Each player will take responsibility for the detailing and control of one of the world’s nations. The first step, detailing, will most likely be a little tedious for those who don’t like history and research much and very interesting for those who do. All that is required is sufficient information on various aspects of that nation, enough for someone reading to get an understanding of what it is like to play a citizen of that country of reasonably good means and influence. Some thought should be put into at least these areas:
The Holy Roman Empire has already been detailed in this fashion as an example, seen here . Remember also to read the overviews for each nation, not only to get an understanding for where your nation fits in the world, but also what sort of things you should include in each of the above categories. As you write these nations up, please consult with myself as often as you like, particularly if you are stuck for ideas or want to check that one of your brilliant ideas is workable, especially if it involves another nation. Don’t feel trapped by the primers; they are guidelines and nothing more. During play, you will be responsible for major policy decisions, sweeping political moves, and almost anything you want to be responsible for. You will not have complete control; rebellions, civil wars, military coups, strikes, and other such difficulties are part and parcel of government. Bear in mind also that characters who are from your nation, particularly those in positions of influence, can also have a significant bearing on what happens. To put some sort of a loose system to things, each nation is defined by a number of basic characteristics. These are listed here . At the start of the game, the characteristics have been set by me, reflecting the position this nation is in at the current time. Roughly each month of game time, each player will be permitted to improve these characteristics by spending points. No more than 5 points may be spent on any one characteristic each month. Each month, a nation will receive a number of improvement points equal to the half the average of Industry and Economy (rounded down), though other circumstantial factors may alter this number up or down. These attributes themselves may also alter due to circumstantial factors - this is a very loose system. Finally, the following sources proved most useful to me while I was researching all of this - I strongly recommend you at least take a look at some of them. Frank Smitha's World History: A concise yet detailed look at world events throughout history. This is absolutely brilliant, and very well laid out. World Statesmen by Ben Cahoon: A listing of world political leaders throughout the last five centuries or so, arranged by nation. Very detailed, endless pages of scrolling lists, but extremely useful nonetheless. Directory of Royal Genealogical Data: Compiled by Brian Tompsett of the University of Hull. Equally detailed and easier to use than the above site, but deals only with Europe's royal families. There are extensive links to similar sites, though. Rodney Castleden, The Concise Encyclopedia of World History, The Book Company International, 1995. The blurb claims 'Every Major Event from 38000 BC to the Present Day', and it's all true. Player characters are the heroes who define and shape the milieu we will have mutually created. They can be anyone, from any walk of life, but it is likely you will have more fun if they are someone of influence and/or ability. The only rule is that they may not be from the nation that you detailed. For now, only have one character each: feel free to describe a whole host of NPCs that come and go around you and other people, but we will work with one character each for now. As the game expands, feel free to make more. When making a character, simply ensure that they are well-rounded, realistic people, with their own foibles, idiosyncrasies, and quirks. (Also look at hotspots, below. )However, they are, also, heroes and heroines, and as such are far superior to the ordinary masses that populate the Earth. Each character will have one skill, ability or aspect in which they are superior, meaning far and away above the norm, within the top 2% of the world’s population, and most likely well-known for such. Each will also have another aspect in which they are great; they are most likely among the best in their immediate area or region in this skill or ability, but not quite a world-beater. And thirdly, each character will have one aspect in which they are good, meaning just noticeably better than average. This is a very rough indication of skills - try and avoid abusing it. If someone is good at strategy, for example, it follows logically that they are good at games of skill and things like that, but try not to use aspects that are too broad and sweeping, such as ‘intelligence’. Furthermore, though no fatal flaw is outlined, everyone has several weaknesses, disadvantages, and such, and your heroes are no exception. The minimum questions you should answer for a character are these:
The world is a big place, and it might be entirely possible for characters to miss each other completely. Therefore, this game will run in a few hotspots around the world, places where interesting things are happening and our heroes may well get involved, like they always do. When creating your character, make sure they are in one of these places , at least initially. As the game moves on, and characters move about the world, new hotspots will start, and old ones fade away. For now, the initial hotspots are listed below. Babylon: The city-kingdom of Babylon, in the Ottoman Empire, is a hotbed of intrigue, business and double-dealing. One of history's oldest cities, Babylon blends the ancient and the modern into a hive of activity for nearly four million people. This year, in addition to its usual wheelings and dealings, Babylon is host to the Olympic Games, and the world's eyes are on the city, as well as the world's fingers in its purse. The Caribbean: The nations of Europe have never really managed to clean up the Caribbean, and it remains a hotly contested Cold War zone which occasionally erupts into flurries of violence. Privateers answering to most of Europe's nations, but particularly Avalon, France and Spain, ply the crystal waters of the Caribbean, preying on the rich transports that carry the treasures of the New World back home, and avoiding the sleek warships of the European powers. Politics in the Caribbean, whether in the exclusive manors of Cartagena's snobbish elite or in a seamy Port Royale dockside tavern, often mirror those of Europe, and the best watchwords in this den of treachery are caution and courage. The game should, ideally, run much like a movie; focus on the main characters, and with moments of high drama, character development, twists in the plot, and climactic scenes full of tension. A lot of attention has been paid to realism insofar as history and background goes, but that doesn’t mean that the game can’t handle all the fantastic elements that make movies so interesting. This game can also be whatever you want it to be; adult concepts are fine, as are swashbuckling adventure, intrigue, grim and gritty realism, and mystery. Find what you like and find other people who like to write it with you. top We are all experienced PBEM players, and, most importantly, intelligent and mature human beings, so hopefully these will not be necessary at all. Nonetheless, here are some guidelines for writing.
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