Rules (Night of the Living Alternate History Map Game)

This page documents the rules for the Night of the Living Alternate History map game. These rules (and especially the algorithm) are currently a work in progress.

General Rules

 * Make sure that all actions carried out per turn are realistic and plausible
 * One turn is equivalent to one month. Each day a new turn begins. Each day you may write out your actions. Each unit you control can do one thing per turn. The following things count as an individual unit:
 * Armies- Military forces that are separated from each other and/or in different ‘fronts’ count as separate units. Therefore you can siege a city with an army in China and engage the enemy in Canada all in the same turn
 * Navies- Same rules as armies
 * Exploration parties- see below
 * Merchants (After establishing a trade route with another country each turn you can buy/sell goods)
 * Builders- Once every turn, per metropolis area you can build a major building such as a library, park, fire department, etc. World/national wonders such as national parks, landmarks, monuments, grand memorials, etc can take several turns to build
 * Diplomacy- You can discuss trade agreements, alliances, treaties with any nations you are in contact with
 * Keep in mind the linguistic effects of conquering and colonizing
 * Any land which is conquered has inhabitants, and they must be dealt with
 * Every ten turns, a map is to be made
 * Each player will "call" a nation, one nation per player
 * The creator of this game, Mscoree, and all moderators have the power to grant and regulate technology for every nation, as well as regulate plausibility. They also has the right to create random events in any and every nation throughout the course of the game
 * Every so often an archive of game progress will be made by Mscoree

Nations

 * If a nation is inactive for five days or more (hasn’t posted anything during this time) than their country can fall into civil disorder or civil war. A country’s stability (see below) also determines their fate. All inactive countries (or the remnants of them) are considered open for a new player to control
 * If you know that you will be unable to post as your nation for several days (such as going on vacation) alert a moderator so that you aren’t eliminated
 * Conferences and congresses can be called by nations to discuss large alliances/coalitions/treaties on the talk page
 * A nation can hire raiders and pirates to attack other nations, but this severely weakens ties between the two countries
 * If you join late you start the turn you join
 * Profile pages for your countries are highly recommended. Feel free to create pages to explore interesting alternate history within the game
 * ’Call’ your choice below in the list of nations by your name/signature
 * If you have a creative idea for your nation that is not listed here, add it, but make sure you include some sort of backstory when you make your first post. Even if an existing nation is not listed here you can still claim it if it is not already claimed.
 * Make sure you read the Pre-Apocalypse Timeline for information about some nations

Stability
Eg: the Prince of Mercia has been assassinated. Your control in that region is falling as the Worker’s Union gathers more support around his death. Your stability drops from 40 to 35.
 * At the start of the game everyone’s stability is 50 unless otherwise noted
 * You need stability of at least 35 to advance in any technology
 * The lower stability your nation has the more susceptible it is to rebellions, revolutions, lower production, weaker defense, and other weaknesses. If you do not quell the rebellion/raise your stability then your nation may collapse.
 * If your stability is higher than 80 you are considered in a technological boom/golden age
 * Moderators may target your nation for a random event involving your stability, usually depending on your current situation/decisions.

NPC Nations
All NPC nations will be operated (for now) by Mscoree or assorted moderators. This includes answering diplomacy from players and doing various tasks. On some occasions NPC’s will complete actions at the start of every turn in the form of moderator events (which will be posted by Mscoree for now when he starts new turns)

Trade

 * On your turn you can offer a nation a trade agreement
 * On your turn you can also make deal offers with people, even if you don’t have a pre-existing agreement, for trading resources
 * Resources can be brokered within a peace treaty
 * In order to establish a permanent trade agreement that reaches its maximum potential, there must be a clear, safe route between the two nations (land or sea)

List of Resources
Resources are crucial to a thriving nation. Some resources help the development of armies, other your economy. Some resources have special bonuses. Here is some examples of resources your nation could trade. If you believe your nation has one of these resources naturally, write so in your post.
 * Metal
 * Water- If you have access to water your stability will be increased slowly over time
 * Wheat
 * Guns
 * Ammunition
 * Brick- Bricks make the time for wonders and buildings to be completed shorter
 * Concrete- Concrete makes the time for wonders and buildings to be completed shorter
 * Lumber- Lumber makes the time for wonders and buildings to be completed shorter
 * Uranium
 * Oil
 * Coal

Keep in mind when making your post the types of resources you have available to you. Even if it isn’t specifically listed here, if you see an obvious advantage that one of your resources might add then write it in your post.

Military Development

 * Each turn you can only enlist a few hundred soldiers per major metropolis area
 * Each turn that you maintain an army/navy you must pay them, and can therefore not be bankrupt without consequences

Expanding your Nation

 * Nations can be expanded through war and by conquering local city states
 * In order to declare war on another nation you must write your declaration on your turn as well as update the list of current wars, listing all needed information. See Current Wars section
 * See war section for algorithm

Exploration

 * On your turn you can create an official exploration party
 * Each turn you can explore 50 to 150 kilometers. Keep in mind the terrain they might me walking in, and how acclimated they may be to their surrounding. Do so by stating ‘Bob’s Exploration Party explores 100 km east of Berlin’, or something similar
 * After exploring a remote area, you can try to establish a trade route or road to the area you are exploring

Technology
As technology progresses you get access to greater and more powerful units. To level up a technology, state so on your turn. After leveling up that turn you immediately progress 0.5, so if you are level 1, you become level 1.5. Depending on the level after a certain amount of turns you level up fully. Army technology increases make your land forces more effective, navy technology increases make your naval forces more effective, industry technology increases make your defense capabilities better

To advance in any technology you need a stability of at least 35.

Army Technology:


 * Level 2- To level up your army technology to level two you need at least 1,500 soldiers, access to metal OR wheat, access to guns OR ammunition, and have a money rating of at least 1.7. After five turns you level up fully.
 * Level 3- To level up your army technology to level three you need at least 3,000 soldiers, access to metal OR wheat, access to guns OR ammunition, access to coal or lumber, and have a money rating of at least 2. After four turns you level up fully.
 * Level 4- To level up your army technology to level four you need at least 5,000 soldiers, access to metal OR wheat, access to guns OR ammunition, access to concrete OR bricks, access to oil, and have a money rating of at least 2.8. After three turns you level up fully.
 * Level 5- To level up your army technology to level five you need at least 7,000 soldiers, access to metal OR wheat, access to guns, access to ammunition, access to oil, access to bricks or concrete, and have a money rating of at least 3.5. After two turns you level up fully.

Navy Technology:


 * Level 2- To level up your navy technology to level two you need at least 10 ships, access to lumber, access to metal, and must have a money rating of at least 1.7. After five turns you level up fully.
 * Level 3- To level up your navy technology to level three you need at least 17 ships, access to lumber, access to metal, access to guns OR ammunition, and have a money rating of at least 2. After four turns you level up fully.
 * Level 4- To level up your navy technology to level four you need at least 25 ships, access to metal, access to lumber, access to guns OR ammunition, access to oil, and a money rating of at least 2.8. After three turns you level up fully.
 * Level 5- To level up your navy technology to level five you need at least 37 ships, access to metal, access to lumber, access to guns OR ammunition, access to oil, and have a money rating of at least 3.5. After two turns you level up fully.

Industry Technology:


 * Level 2- To level up your industry technology to level two you need a population of at least 50,000, access to wheat, access to lumber OR bricks, and have a money rating of at least 1.7. After five turns you level up fully.
 * Level 3- To level up your industry technology to level two you need a population of at least 80,000, access to wheat, access to lumber, access to bricks OR concrete, and have a money rating of at least 2. After four turns you level up fully.
 * Level 4- To level up your industry technology to level two you need a population of at least 120,000, access to wheat, access to lumber, access to bricks, access to at least one other resource, and have a money rating of at least 2.8. After three turns you level up fully.
 * Level 5- To level up your industry technology to level two you need a population of at least 150,000, access to wheat, access to lumber, access to bricks, access to coal OR oil, access to at least one other resource, and have a money rating of at least 3.5. After two turns you level up fully

War

 * You may declare a war on any country on your turn
 * You may have any NPC declare war on you as long as it is plausible
 * Use the appropriate algorithms for all attacks
 * Each enemy encounter is a single battle
 * Keep in mind that it may take several battles to crush your enemies.
 * Upon entering enemy territory remember that after pushing back enemy forces, you must allot time to occupation. Keep in mind how big an area might be, and how many soldiers you have to enter the countryside. Also keep in mind where they are getting their supplies. If a clear stockpile or route for supplies isn’t available, your forces may have to pillage the local villages or face death from attrition. Once an area is occupied, you do not own it. It is still the defender’s land, but you are currently controlling it. Annexation of enemy’s land is later agreed upon in the peace treaty.
 * This algorithm must be used for any war/battle/conflict involving a player. This includes player-versus-player wars and player-versus-NPC wars. Moderators will post these algorithms. These algorithms are final. Disregarding the outcome of the algorithm will result in a ban!
 * All nations are encourage to think tactically and develop actual plans for invasions/battles. By publishing a description of your actions (or making a page documenting your pre-battle maneuvers) you will be more likely to succeed.

Algorithm
===Location

Location goes by capital city.===
 * at the location of the war: 5
 * next to the location of the war: 4
 * close to the location of the war: 3
 * far from location of the war: 2
 * other side of the world: 1
 * Antarctica: 0

Tactical Advantage
Defender: Attacker:
 * No defenses, open field, etc: 1
 * High ground/ambush: 2
 * Basic earthworks, makeshift defenses, ruins: 3
 * Fortifications, Dug in defenses: 4
 * High-security fortress: 5


 * No defenses, open field, etc: 1
 * High ground/ambush: 2

A country receives high ground/ambush if:

1)The battle location, or area where the army in question is located has a high topographic prominence, meaning it is surrounded by areas of significantly lower elevation. Even plateaus count, but it must be so that the enemy has to climb the mountain to capture the location.

2) The defenders are meeting a force invading from the coast. This means in all invasions involving crossing water in boats/ships and meeting an enemy immediately at the beach starts at this level.

Nations Per Side on the War

 * L for leader (+4), M for military aid (+3), S for supplies (+2), V for vassalization or subordination (-1) and then W for withdrawal (-1). So a list of belligerents read like China (L), Zhuang Warlords (MVW), Japan (M), Korea (MW), Hawaiian rebels (MV), Mali (SW), creating a score of 13

Military Development

 * Your current army score * 10
 * If you are defending, your industrial score is also included, multiplied by 4
 * If the battle is near water, and you have a navy stationed nearby then your naval score is also included, multiplied by 3

Expansion

 * expansion: -1 for every turn used for expansion in the past 10 years

Motive

 * motive is life or death (country's sovereign existence is threatened): 10
 * motive is religious: 7
 * motive is social or moral: 6
 * motive is political: 5
 * motive is economic: 3

If there are multiple motives, the one told to the army will be selected.

Chance
0 to 9 points will be awarded to each person based on chance. Factors will be the opponent's edit count on the wiki, and the precise time when the country declares war or acknowledges the other's declaration of war. The product of the non-zero digits of the time by UTC (0:00 yields 1) will be written as a percentage of the opponent's edit count at the exact time of the declaration. If the resulting number is less than one hundred percent, the reciprocal is taken. The result is multiplied by pi and the hundredths digit is the amount of points that person gets (e.g. 123.8377% yields 3). The algorithm is online for fairness, but I will be the moderator.

Stability

 * Your current stability divided by two

Participation
All nations get a +10 on this

Leader
To determine whether or not your general lives take a random number (0-9) and multiply that by the number of enemy soldiers over friendly soldiers. If no exact number of soldiers is known approximations can be used. That number determines the fate of your general.
 * If your army is being commanded by an established general or leader then you will receive a bonus
 * To determine leader bonus:


 * 8 or higher - General is killed
 * 6.9 to 7.9 - General is severally wounded and is no longer able to serve
 * 5.9 to 6.8 - General is wounded and cannot serve for the amount of turns that is your number /2, rounded down
 * 5.8 or lower - General is fine

Note: Depending on the situation you general may be killed after the battle.

Next do the following:

“Gen” is either 1 if the general is alive, and 0 if the general dies during the leader bonus determination or if not present. Next find the amount of victorious battles your general led, divided by their total amount of battles they commanded in, plus their experience, a random number determined at general’s creation. If your number is a decimal it is rounded up. If your general has commanded more than three battles and has one every one of them, then their total is multiplied by 1.3

Gen((wins+1)/total+1) + Exp)

Other

 * Countries in civil disarray are able to resist invasion by a factor of 1.5. However, they may not take territory in another country
 * If X countries attack another country, they have to take 100X/(X+2)% of their opponents' territory to facilitate a full government transplant.
 * Expansion into countries not fully united is multiplied by 1.5, but it does not affect how well the country fares in war if it wins the war.
 * if your leader is killed then ten points is subtracted from your grand total

France
Total: 97
 * Location (close to the location of the war): 4
 * Tactical advantage: 3
 * General: (4/6 + 5) = 6
 * Italy(MS): 5
 * Motive: 10
 * Stability:38
 * Army: 10
 * Industry: 4
 * Navy: 3
 * Expansion : 0
 * Chance: 4
 * UTC time: 21:17
 * Edit count: 783
 * (783/14)*pi=175.70 4 7
 * Participating in the war: 10

Spain
Total: 56
 * Location (at the war): 3
 * Tactical Advantage: 1
 * General: (8/8 + 5) = 8
 * Portugal(LV): 3
 * Motive: 6
 * Army: 2
 * Expansion : -2
 * Stability: 20
 * Chance: 5
 * Participating in the war: 10

Result
The French manage to hold off the Spanish long enough for reinforcements to arrive. The Spanish suffer large casualties and are forced to retreat south.

Discussion
(here you can discuss changes that should be made to the algorithm, and ask questions)