Wheee, many things!
First of all, I'll take the "MESS silence" issue, because that ties into my many things opening. The reason being, of course, that I haven't been able to log on and post in here for awhile. As an example, I'll go back to the conference. When I left one day, we had just done some opening remarks. Nothing major. Then by the time I logged on again, the argument had happened and Steve had already called a recess. Thus President Shinra "sat by" during the whole thing, but that's because the player RogueIce wasn't even online for what happened. So all I could do about that was track down Berman and tell him to quit being such an asshole. For another example closer to now, the reason it took me so long to follow up on the conversation me and PeZook had (and the agreement therein) was because some relatively major RL stuff happened to me. I don't want to go into details, but suffice to say that for the time thereafter I wasn't really interested in messing around online period, much less playing this game. I think we'll all agree that, in the end, real life trumps STGODs.
It's something I've gone into before, but please don't take lack of action by players to mean that we're just sitting on the sidelines and don't care. Things happen, and even if I happen to be online, it doesn't mean I'm hurridly clicking on to SDN to see the latest in this game. If there's a game I'll do that for it'll be the Star Wars one, because I'm one of the mods and thus have a responsibility. And I know I'm not unique in this: Shroom has said he's generally busy and he hasn't made an IC post that I've seen: does that mean Shroomania is sitting around and ignoring what's been going on? Same for Canissia, Serenity, Zoria, etc?
Honestly, if you want a Shinra Republic reaction that bad, you can PM me. If nothing else I'll respond to it and you'll at least have an OOC indication of what I'm feeling, and we can probably work out something acceptable for you to RP me with in the event I don't have the energy or am in the mood to make an IC post. Because sometimes it happens. There are times I want to make a post but I simply can't think of anything to say. Other times I'll say "well it'll hold until tomorrow" because I'm tired or something, and then it won't because things have progressed.
While we're not trying to piss each other off OOC, let's keep in mind that, in the end, we're human players and we don't have a compulsory order to play this game. It doesn't mean our nations sit there doing nothing IC, though it can have the effect of making it look like it. It sucks, yes, but I don't really know of any way to fix that. Because really, if this game becomes more of an obligation than a game, who'd want to keep on playing it?
Next up, the bomber thing. Honestly, that is not really a huge concern of the Shinra Republic, beyond it being a catalyst for the current tensions. So far as we're concerned, it was a tragic accident that shouldn't have happened, but did. And it wasn't really worth all this. But since it did and this resulted we have to deal with it.
One idea I had batting around my head last night was that there could be some review done into it. Given the circumstances, some kind of review board or whatever is not entirely unreasonable: a NFT frigate shot down an OD bomber, and naturally some type of official review would take place on both sides. That should, in theory, be general practice. So either the NFT and OD can do a review, there could be an outside review (say me, PeZook and Steve for the MESS/CATO/neutral balance) for independence blah blah blah, or both. Either way, as a sort of saving face thing, I think the following results could be found:
1) Neither side is really at fault. The actions taken, on their own and in any other time or place, would probably not have resulted in what happened. Unfortunately in this one occurance, it happened to work out in the worst possible way. A tragedy of circumstance, in other words.
2) Things that might have prevented this: had the OD bomber turned on IFF at the first indication of being painted by FC radar, it is unlikely the NFT frigate would have fired. And had the NFT frigate issued a verbal challenge on open radio bands (a procedure which, from what I've seen, does indeed happen in RL) that might have prompted the Dominion bomber to identify themselves. Now it may not have prevented an actual flyover, but let's face it: aircraft flying over ships is one of those things that happen. I'm sure that, had it happened here some CATO bomber would return the favor to the ODN. That's just the way the game is played. But it shouldn't warrant a shootdown.
1) is basically the "no blame" part of it. 2) is sort of the face saving thing: it can be presented as recommendations for the future or as part of "things that might have prevented this accident" or whatever. But either way it sort of says that either side might have done something to prevent it and is about the closest to an apology either party is going to get.
Now, is this perfect and/or the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Probably not. But it's a gesture and a compromise and a way for both sides to walk away while still retaining something. Of course hardliners and their ilk will continue to play the Blame Game, but they'll do that no matter what. It's why we ignore them.
So I welcome your thoughts and ideas on the above proposal.
Insofar as to how the OD/TX backs down in response to PeZook's and Siege's post, I think having the Dominion Hawks leave the north side of F-ing and TXN ships move further offshore. Banning the TXN from "North of F-ing" entirely is a bit silly and overreaching, but some sort of distance away from actual NFT shorelines can be worked out I think. I think in a reciprocal gesture, the
Comrade Stansilav could also find more interesting places to patrol around after a bit of time has elapsed from the drawdown?
On the matter of the Japanistani weather station, and just to further show that the MESS is not some monolithic entity, that is my concern. Far more than the bomber incident. From an OOC sense it rather annoyed me of the way Siege found and destroyed what Coyote had likely been intending as a secret op so soon after it was posted (the very next post IIRC). That's why I was all for Japanistan finding out. Not enough for a retcon or bad blood or anything, I just thought he might've at least conversed with Coyote first about it (AFAIK he didn't, if he did my bad).
That said, a response I would've rather seen was Japanistan having commandoes or something blow up whatever in Paradise Island. A totally deniable act of course, one the NFT can't pin on them, but a sort of message oif
"We know" and as a move/counter-move sort of thing. I think that might've been a good ending to that, but Coyote and Siege could've worked together on more if they wanted. A little Japanistan dickery is always fun, after all.
On the IC front, Rufus Shinra is concerned because of his experiences. On a subconcious level I'm sure, he equates Japanistan as sort of the UAR's last remnant. And given that Shep launched nukes at his task force for taking away armor given to a TL nation (with the full permission of said TL leadership), nuked another TL city because of a sort of "gray area" bomber shooting (sort of like our Bomber Incident, only worse!) and then launched Global Thermonuclear War on some "first strike" MESS plan that had about as much substance as US plans to invade Canada. So given all that, President Shinra has some reason to be worried when somebody launches missiles at Japanistan. He's seen what
could happen if they overreact, and his "past life" gives him the real fear that they just might.
Now, how much of this Sidney Hank would know or understand I'm not sure. I think if he and Rufus had a face to face he could explain it and, since they're both SDNers Hank probably wouldn't look at him crazy the way, say, Willy Banks would. And if PeZook's ambassador hadn't been there Rufus would have told Paul this concern as well. IIRC Rufus and Paul are supposed to meet again in the near future so it should be brought up there (PeZook keep it in mind if my forgetful self neglects to do so
). I know me and Steve had that long post of the "Condensed History of SDN World I" at the start but I'm not sure if any of the other "new players" had something similar. But anyway, that is where the IC concern comes from, and is why I'd want to see it addressed. Even if it's just a promise from CATO that such things will not happen again, or at least not without some other means of going about it. Because the rest of CATO should remember the UAR as well, after all.
Finally, I do tend to agree with Steve on his points. Most of this is OOC bleeding into IC, and I have mused before that such is the nature of SDN in general: when it comes to an argument, people want to
win and damn the rest. And I'll be honest here and say I've not been perfect in restraining myself, though I do try not to get into flamewarrior mode in here. So really we need to keep that in mind and not bleed over into IC as we've been doing.
As for tensions in general, I don't mind them on principle. For those who remember the first game, especially my Red Phone with Stas, I do enjoy trying to deal with these sorts of things. It's fun, so long as it doesn't keep happening for silly reasons and seemingly every other month (which let's be fair: early MESS/OMSK was a bit like this as well last time). I think it's more interesting if there is some kind of low level tension/distrust/whatever between the different blocs, rather than everybody being Super Happy Best Friends all the time. It does open up possibilities storywise. The trick is, like anything else, to not overdo it. PeZook and Wilkens enjoy their space thing, but if that's all there was I'd be just as bored and not having fun with Space Simulator 2017 as Siege would with War Simulator 2017.
We do have Japanistan to mix things up, and I think they could be better used. Because MESS/CATO all the time, even low level stuff, would get old too. Alas Coyote, you're my friend and I have lots of respect for you, but you're no Sea Skimmer. Only Sea Skimmer is really Sea Skimmer.
I think an idea for them is that others can play with their actions, though maybe run it by OOC real quick first? Not as a vote or anything, but as sort of a proof reading or making sure it's sensical. I mean, the RUF in Costas was a good idea in theory, but if they're supposed to be some MESS or CATO unit making trouble and going to great pains to not leave evidence, why would they be firing 6.8mm USC or 7.62mm CATO? That's a big red flag right there that it isn't one side or the other, and was seen through pretty quick by Baerne. So avoiding things like that, or having Japanistan act totally off the wall, is a good thing. For the record though, I do think the interaction with Indhopal is being done well and does make sense and has plenty of possibilities. So I'm not totally criticizing you here, dude. Just saying that there is always room for improvement.
And that is my big long spiel. I await your replies with bated breath.
