Rule Britannia - the 1911 Alternate History IH

[Dan the Man]

I mean before the elections!
God, I'm so pissed off!

[Kip]

Ooooo. Did you not campaign because you thought it was going dark before the elections?

[Barry Goldwater]

Very well, as the tally stands:

Yay: 8 (Gunny, Fred, Cels, Darth, Dan, LI, Kip, Rakuten06)
Nay: 4 (Kaits, Bjorn, Pericles, Rose)

The people have spoken RB will be going into cold sleep for a while, TWW2 and G66 are officially starting tomorrow.

[Dan the Man]

Yes!
Nobody to blame but myself I guess.

[Dave Strider]

hush little danny boy
dont you cry
daddys gonna make each n' every german die

[Dave Strider]

If they wish though, I'll continue the battle between Peri and Gunny.

[Dan the Man]

hush little danny boy
dont you cry
daddys gonna make each n' every german die

*sniff*
Thanks Fred.

[Barry Goldwater]

If they wish though, I'll continue the battle between Peri and Gunny.

Yes, may the battle continue, I don't want to ruin the flow Its results will still be counted when RB starts up again.

[Dave Strider]

*sniff*
Thanks Fred.

*hugs*

Yes, may the battle continue, I don't want to ruin the flow Its results will still be counted when RB starts up again.

Excellent.

Back to mauling battleships.

['Gunny]

Yes, but not the most realistic naval battle that has ever taken place

[Dave Strider]

Yes, Gunny, I know.

But then again, very few of the battles in IHs are realistic.

[Prodigal]

I am not happy.

Not happy.

One. Bit.

[Agamemnon]

Character Rules:

This is the big one. Character format should now look like this:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Name:
Age: (keep this updated every turn BTW)
Class: (Not social class, but whether you are playing as Politician or General/Admiral/Air Marshal)
Noble titles: (only if you have them and you're not a Terrorist)
Ethnicity:
Religion:
Social background:
Biography:

Political beliefs:
(will be outlined shortly)

Money: (Keep track of this, a lot. I cannot stress the importance of making sure your bank account is up to date in this game, where personal funds will be extremely important)

However, your Ethnicity, Religion and Social Background will all play a major role in shaping both your character and his future; they will determine your likeliest supporters and enemies, as well as the beliefs he should support if you want to stay in-character (which you should ).

Ethnic backgrounds and their effects:
[SPOILER]The following can be used by any player, regardless of where they are starting:

Russian: You are a Russian, the natives of the former Empire. The Russians are sociopolitically the most versatile of the Empire's people, and thus you can come from pretty much any social background and take on any political position you want.

Cossack: You are a Cossack, a native of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, or Azerbaijan.. Your ancestors were some of the Tsar's most stalwart supporters, having benefited greatly from his rule, and you are almost certainly no different. The Cossacks are also known as Russia's most fervent Orthodox, and though generally not as militant as the commies who loathe them (and who they despise in return), like your countrymen you have no problems with standing up and loudly defending your faith. Most Cossacks are still rural and conservative folk with strong Tsarist beliefs like their ancestors.

Belorussian: You are a person of mixed Russian/other Slav origin, living in the western land of Belorussia. You are a lot like the Russians, but you are seen as less from your origin. You will likely be a communist or socialist.

Ukrainian: You are a Ukrainian, a descendant of the once-great Kievan Rus. You are of the same Slavic stock as the Russians and Belorussians, but, once again, Russia's "Russification" policies have likely taken their toll. That said, you are likely either Orthodox or Jewish, and because of your conservative religion you may turn to the Whites or Blacks.

Asiatic: You're one of those Asians who either is descended from Genghis Khan's hordes or even a Chinaman looking to make your mark in Vladivostok. You are likely dirt poor, though you may swing either way politically.

League of Nations Man: You're one of those Americans/Brits/Frenchmen/Jerries who were sent to help their country's favoured party. Probably hold strong pro-White beliefs.

Other: You're something else entirely (please specify, and be realistic).

The available religious backgrounds:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Catholic - You are part of the Roman Catholic Church or other Churches in full communion with the See of Rome (Eastern, Maronite, Chaldean Catholic etc.).

Orthodox - You are part of the Eastern Orthodox (officially Orthodox Catholic) Church, and more specifically one of its autocephalous churches - Constantinople, Greek (Athens), Russian
This is the state church ATM.

High Church Protestant - You are part of one of the Protestant Churches that place an emphasis on formality and resist 'modernization' efforts, ex. the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Low Church Protestant - You are part of one of the Protestant Churches that show a more Evangelical than formal feel and are generally more open to reform, ex. the Church of Scotland or 'Kirk'.

Other Christian - You are part of another Christian denomination not mentioned up there, ex. the Coptic Church, or are simply non-denominational.

Sunni Muslim - You are a member of the Sunni branch of Islam, following the Sunnah - Muhammad's hadiths.

Shi'a Muslim - You are a member of the Shi'a branch of Islam, believing that only Allah can appoint representatives of Islam and thus not recognizing any authority elected by mere mortals.

Judaism - You are a Jew, a practiotiner of the oldest of the Abrahamic faiths. You may belong to the Orthodox. Conservative or Reform traditions.

Hindu - You are a Hindu, a follower of one or more among numerous Indian deities with multiple traditions to draw on from.

Other - You are a follower of a religion not mentioned here, ex. Buddhism, Druze, Shinto.

And the available social backgrounds:
[SPOILER]The following can be used by any player regardless of his location in the IU:

Rural aristocrat: You are the 'old money', a landowning gentleman with a fortune behind his name (and quite possibly one or more fancy titles) who lives out in the country and plays an active part in administering his large farms, plantations and ranches. You hold conservative views and try to live the 'Boyar's Life' of Faith, Honor and Valor - which, in public satire, translate to politicized Orthodoxy, Tsarist political beliefs and an eagerness to buy an officer's commission whenever a war breaks out - but try to emphasize rural interests while you're at it.

Urban aristocrat: You are also 'old money', and while you probably no longer own a massive tract of land like the Rural Aristocrats, you have likely dipped your hands into the business world and serve as the center of the Russian social scene, bringing glamour and good fun to meetings and social activities instead of being boarded up in an office managing stacks of paperwork like your stuffy rural counterparts. You also hold conservative views and try to live the Boyar Ideals, but will advocate urban interests over those of the countryside.

Business magnate: You are 'new money'. You managed to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and rise from the gray masses into an elite circle of the country's wealthiest men, and you take great pride in the fact that you did all of this largely on your own instead of inheriting money and estates from someone else without actually doing anything to earn it. You may try to live the Boyar Ideals, but hold the aristocracy in contempt as a bunch of inbred, doddering old fools who have never done an honest day's work in their lives (and they, in turn, see you as an arrogant upstart who lucked out) and lean toward classical liberalism and pro-business policies. You might also be a socialist.

Clergyman: You are a member of the clergy. You can be an Orthodox bishop, Protestant preacher, Muslim imam, Hindu brahmin, etc. but one thing about your position is that it means people listen to you. You hold a traditionally deeply respected position in the social order, and in the case of Orthodox clergy you actually get quite a bit of money off the government tab. Naturally, once you enter politics you will almost certainly hold fiercely conservative, if not outright reactionary views, and will try to put the creed you belong to into the political limelight (or, in the case of Orthodox, keep it there).

Soldier: You are a military man, though your experience can range from several battle honors won for 'unsurpassed valor' and other such things in the Great War to almost blowing your own foot off in boot camp and occasionally making rude gestures toward Jerries on the Polish border. Regardless, joining the military one way or another is one of the fastest tracks into politics, as even a few years of experience carries with it a certain respect in Russian society. You will likely try to prioritize the military over everyone else's interests, and may be White or Red.

Factory worker: You've worked twelve-to-eighteen hour days in filthy factories for what amounts to chump change, or even less if your boss was particularly nasty, and were forced to endure torrents of abuse from your employers without ever retaliating out of fear that you'd be kicked to the curb and left to starve. However, the emergence of the Reds has brought hope to the politically active members of the proletariat like you, and you decided to enter politics with the ultimate objective of easing the suffering of your fellow workers. You're most likely a Red or Black.

Peasant: You are a rural laborer, possibly bound to a noble's land not by serfdom but by lack of money with which to feed your family, forcing you to work the fields for many hours under the sun, rain and snow. Nevertheless, you and your fellow peasants just grin and bear it, seeing your hard labor as your duty in the social hierarchy. Peasants like you tend to be much more conservative than urban factory workers; the ideal peasant is one who obeys his lord unquestioningly, does whatever is needed of him to keep the women and children well fed, actively attends church and pays the proper respects to Russia- and this is an ideal you and your fellow country folk do their best to live up to. You might be ANYTHING, it depends on your views.

Party format:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Name: Self-explanatory.
Leader: Also self-explanatory.
Official colors: Think the Democrats' blue and the Republicans' red. Not mandatory though.
Nickname: If you want one. (BTW, try not to pick a name that lets your opponents make a funny nickname for you at your expense (ex. Conservative Reform Alliance Party-->CRAP )
Ideology: Something not too general, please and thank you. (ex. 'progressive conservatism' or 'national conservatism' instead of just 'conservatism', 'classical liberalism' or 'social liberalism' instead of just 'liberalism')
Political Positions: Base these on the major issues.
Description: Just a description of the party and what it stands for. Again, not looking for a novel here, but don't give me a trashy pamphlet either.

Major political issues at the moment:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Imperial Politics - Are you a Tsarist White, who wants to return to the days before the Debacle, possibly with a Duma? Or a Communist Red, who wants the State to be Russia's God? Or perhaps a Black, who wants no government at all? Or a Green, with left-field views?
Taxation - Self-explanatory.
Military - Should we work to keep the Armed Forces at the top of their game? Or is this a good time for a break in funding? Or maybe a pacifist approach should be followed?
The Economy & Trade - Should free-market principles be followed? Or is a protectionist approach in order? Should rural interests be prioritized over commercial and industrial interests, or should it be the other way around?
Foreign Policy - Right now straightforward, but later...
Immigration - Should we welcome all who pass through our borders in search of better fortunes? Or limit immigration to protect local business and the like?
Disestablishment - Should we work to remove the Orthodox Church's standing as official state religion? If so, is it to keep Russia a secular state or to place another religion in that place? Or is that a fool's errand? Or, perhaps, we should further empower it instead?
Prohibition - Is alcohol an evil we must get rid of, or would such a course of action be...less than successful in practice?
Women's Suffrage - Should women get the right to vote? Or should they stay in the kitchen and make the men sandwiches?

I'm revamping politics - you can throw out speeches, but your location when giving said speech will determine your success, as well as the value of the speech. Now, going into enemy territory with a speech can be good, as it might sway people to your side - however, it also might make them shoot you.

Once the real fun begins, you may make speeches to ask for troops. This is one of the main ways you'll get to recruit men, as recruitment normally will take a LOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG time.

There are three social classes, on whose support you will have to rely on to get elected:

-The Poor. 80% of the IU's population. They are ideologically split between liberal and socialist/Marxist urban poor and the conservative rural poor. They contribute the least money in donations. Easy to please, but quick to anger as well, and when you won't like the mob when they get angry...

-The Upper Class. 20% of the IU's population. They are either aristocrats who own and manage vast tracts of land, or 'nouveau riche' types who worked their way up into corporate management positions. They contribute the most money in donations. The hardest class to please; the nobles are solidly conservative and in many cases reactionary, while the big businessmen tend to be liberal but always favor pro-business policies, and at times their interests can even collide with each other. They are moderately slow to anger, and tend to make their displeasure known not by staging revolts, but by hiring hitmen to take out their rivals instead...

Besides watching out for social classes, you will also have to work to keep as many ethnicities and religious believers appeased as well.


The Provisional government is as follows:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Duma: Consists of rich old boys who were elected by the poor based on a "least bad" idea. Will mostly try to push rightist/centrist bills.

Bolsheviks: A group of Reds who oppose the rightist Whites and Duma, they have little political power now but they can easily sway the Mob.

Mendesheviks: Centrists who may help or fight the Bolsheviks, depending on the outcome of the next election...

Tsarists: Not a party, but basically the guys who sit in the Duma and ask to restore Nick on the condition that he institutes the Duma as a ruling power. Right now have immense power, but may not be able to stop the tide of propaganda the Reds can pour...

Anarchists: Not a party, but representative of those nuts who just want to shoot everything.

You can also become a Nobleman. If you think you've done a good enough job in the Duma (winning wars, overseeing a period of economic growth, negotiating diplomatic crises, etc.) you can ask the Duma for an Ennoblement, and if it agrees you now have a fancy title and the ability to swap your seat in the Duma - or maybe it'll be generous enough to offer you one without asking. You can ask for more promotions in the future, or otherwise get a promotion from the Duma without asking if he thinks you're doing a bang-up job. As becoming a Noble brings with it estates and a pension, you will get more money directed to your Personal Funds every turn. It's not likely this will happen, though, as ATM the nobility is falling apart. In fact, unless the Whites win, it might be bad for your health to be a Noble...
The noble ranks are:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Duke: The highest rank in the aristocracy. +25,000 to Personal Funds/turn.

Marquess: The second-highest rank in the aristocracy. +20,000 to Personal Funds/turn.

Earl: The third-highest rank in the aristocracy. +15,000 to Personal Funds/turn.

Count: The fourth-highest rank in the aristocracy. +10,000 to Personal Funds/turn.

Viscount: The fifth-highest rank in the aristocracy. +5,000 to Personal Funds/turn.

Baron: The second-lowest rank in the aristocracy. +2,500 to Personal Funds/turn.

Baronet: The absolute lowest rank in the aristocracy. +1,500 to Personal Funds/turn. All Urban and Rural Aristocrats who don't become Terrorists start with this title.

Hereditary Knighthood: A rank outside the traditional noble structure, you get to keep this one - and its bonuses - even as you rise up the social hierarchy, unlike conventional ranks (Baronet-->Duke) which are successively replaced by the title above them. For example, if you were a Baron and ascended to the rank of Viscount, you lose the bonus attached to the Baron title but keep the bonus provided by the HK. +1,000 to Personal Funds/turn.

BTW, every step you take in the aristocratic hierarchy will help your relations with the Upper Class but weaken relations with the Poor.

(Illegal) Political Rules:

Not about to play fair? Feeling oppressed for some reason or other? Have no fear, you can start either a terrorist freedom-fighters' organization!

Unlike Nationalist politicians who work to secede from Russia through legal means, a Terrorist Organization can use the following less-than-legal means to accomplish their goals (political reform, secession, etc) Basically, if the Reds and Blacks don't get a majority in the Duma next election, they will become terror groups (and likely start the RCW!):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bank Robbery - Rob some banks. This doesn't actually advance your cause, but will be the only way to raise money considering that the government probably won't be too happy with any leaflet fundraising campaigns for enemies of the state. Requires Footmen.

Bombing Campaign - Stick bombs in public places, mailboxes, government offices etc. to strike terror into the hearts of the oppressors and inflict a variable number of casualties, to be determined by dice roll. Requires Footmen.

Propaganda Campaign - Try to build support for a future armed insurrection against the government. A successful propaganda campaign gets you money and better chances of receiving better units when you start an armed revolt. Requires Propagandist and at least 5,000 pounds sterling.

Assassination (NPC) - Try to assassinate an important NPC (governor, colonial administrator, police chief, maybe even the Emperor if you're feeling brave). This will be determined by dice roll. Requires Assassin, unless you're targeting a member of the Imperial Family, in which case you need Footmen (the more the merrier) and will have to play it out as though you're attacking a PC.

Assassination (PC) - Try to assassinate a player character. This will not be determined by dice roll; you will instead have to play out a battle with their guards ala a WEF 1960 assassination attempt. Requires at least one Assassin and Footmen, the more of the latter the better.

Launch armed revolt - Start an armed uprising against the government. You will attract a random number of soldiers, depending on how many successful propaganda campaigns you've launched. You can start one whenever you want, but failure means the destruction of your organization. No requirements.

You can recruit the following agents to aid your cause:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Footmen - 10/unit - cost: 3,000 - 2 days - Grunts who do most of your dirty work, required for almost all operations. Can fight under an Assassin in major assassination missions.

Assassin - cost: 8,000 - 3 days - Exactly what it says on the tin. A stealthy and highly dangerous individual who is required to even start an Assassination mission.

Propagandist - cost: 5,000 - 3 days - A charismatic orator required for Propaganda Campaigns.

However, the Government can counter with the following:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

ISPD Taskforce - 10/unit - cost: 3,000 - 2 days - Members of the elite Imperial Special Police Department, armed and dangerous agents of the Law who specialize in counter-terrorism.

SSB Special Agent - cost: 8,000 - 3 days - Counter-intelligence agents tasked with the silent removal of dissident leaders.

Counter-propagandist - cost: 5,000 - 3 days - A charismatic pro-government preacher who can reduce support for terrorists.

And what they can do:

Purge Area - Government counterpart of the Bombing Campaign. Requires ISPD Taskforce.

Counter-Propaganda Campaign - Government counterpart of the Propaganda Campaign, except it doesn't cost or make you money. Requires Counter-Propagandist.

Assassination (PC) - Try to assassinate a player character (well, terrorist leader). This will not be determined by dice roll; you will instead have to play out a battle with their guards ala a WEF 1960 assassination attempt. Requires at least one Assassin and Footmen, the more of the latter the better.

Launch crackdown - Government counterpart to the Launch Armed Revolt action. Somewhat like the Assassination action, only now you will be assaulting the Rebel Headquarters and instead of using actual soldiers, you will be deploying ISPD Taskforces and a maximum of two Special Agents; the terrorists can deploy a maximum of two Assassins and as many Footmen squads as they want. You will attract a random number of Vigilante squads (10 men each), depending on how many successful counter-propaganda campaigns you've launched. You can start one whenever you want, but failure means ta massive swell of support for the Terrorists. No requirements.

Alternatively, if you're a legal politician, you can use your personal funds (separate from Party Treasury) to do the following:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Buy votes - Exactly what it says on the tin. 2,000 pounds per 100 votes. The more votes you buy, the higher the risk of your operation getting busted.

Hire assassin - Send a message to your rivals via sniper rifle, poisoned tea, etc. The more money you invest into an assassin, the higher the chances of success become.

Battle Rules:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

War will no longer play out like it did in previous IHs. I will now post a battle thread with a map and 'deployment zones'; you will be free to deploy your troops however you like, and to include a roleplaying element to combat, instead of sending in plans you will post orders for parts of your army (ex. 'Turenne's I Corps to Hougoumont, secure Hougoumont from the Spanish' (I'd prefer you mark your movements on the map as well).

You will have the opportunity to enter combat yourself, at which point instead of just ordering soldiers around, you'll get to do both that and personally fight enemy soldiers - and, if you're lucky, even the opposing general - like in DoM Quests or a duel to the death. Of course, your characters can die as well...and expect that to be happening a lot if you try this, considering we're now in the WW1 era

Military Rules:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

If you want to become a General, Admiral or Air Marshal, just ask the Duma for a commission.

Generals, Admirals and Air Marshals are now paid by 'commission' in addition to a default salary of 3,000 pounds sterling/turn. Once you've won a battle, you can ask the Duma for a bonus, although you should be reasonable in your demands, and whether or not your request is accepted depends on the importance of the battle you won; if it's just a minor skirmish action, it probably isn't a good idea to ask for a million-pound bonus.

Winning battles will naturally make you more popular, losing will disgrace your name and weaken your reputation, and of course there's the ever-present threat of your character coming down with a nasty case of death on the battlefield.

As usual, unit upkeep is 1/2 their original price.

Land units:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Militia Division - 20,000 - 15,000 pounds sterling, 5 days - poorly trained, ill-equipped and undisciplined (but cheap and quick to raise) irregulars useful for little more than human wave attacks, police actions or home defense while the real soldiers are off on campaign.

Infantry Division - 10,000 - 30,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - the bread and butter of any army, well-trained and well-equipped professionals/semi-professional troops who can effectively take and secure ground.

Cavalry Division - 10,000 - 30,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - Speedy mounted troops who can still be useful for outmaneuvering enemies, rushing weak points in enemy lines and harassing supply lines, though the days of the famous frontal cavalry charges of old are done with.

Light Infantry Division - 8,000 - 50,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - Lightly-equipped crack troops specially trained for rapid deployment and independent operations in rough terrain (ex. deserts, jungles).

Mountaineer Division - 8,000 - 55,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - Crack troops specially trained and equipped for high-altitude, low-temperature operations.

Marine Division - 8,000 - 55,000 pounds sterling, 15 days - Crack troops specially trained and equipped for amphibious operations.

Artillery Division - 3,000, 100 guns - 80,000 pounds sterling, 20 days - Heavy artillery useful on both the offensive and the defensive.

Armored Regiment - 5,000, 500 tanks - 145,000 pounds sterling, 30 days - Men driving 'land battleships' into battle, capable of overrunning all but the greatest of fortified lines and turning everyone who comes their way into something resembling chunky salsa. Must be researched first.

Recruitable brigades (to attach to divisions):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Artillery Brigade - 3,000, 40 guns - 25,000 pounds sterling, 8 days - Mobile field artillery used primarily in support roles for offensive and defensive operations. Infantry (all types), Militia and Cavalry only.

Armored Brigade - 3,000, 250 tanks - 60,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - Small detachments of armored troops to help with punching holes in enemy lines. Infantry (all types), Militia and Cavalry only. Must be researched first.

Armored Car Brigade - 3,000, 600 armored cars - 40,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - Detachments of speedy, lightly armored cars equipped with machine guns useful as support vehicles. Can be attached to all but Mountaineer and Marine Divisions.

Engineer Brigade - 3,000 men - 20,000 pounds sterling, 5 days - Trained combat engineers who can help construct pontoon bridges, trenches, crude bunkers etc. within short periods of times. On the offensive, they can mine an area and sabotage enemy defenses. Can be attached to all Divisions.

Armored Train Brigade - 3,000 men, 24 armored trains - 50,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - Massive, heavily armored trains that can quickly move troops and equipment along railways and function as mobile artillery platforms on the frontlines. Obviously, these brigades are restricted to railroads and will perform poorly (if at all) in low-infrastructure regions. Can be attached to any division.

Anti-Air Brigade - 3,000 men, 60 guns - 40,000 pounds sterling, 20 days - Troops equipped with and specially trained in the use of anti-air guns, an increasingly important asset to have on your side as the role of aircraft grows on the battlefield.

Gas Brigade - 3,000 men - 35,000 pounds sterling, 5 days - Men specially trained in the use of various poison gases, ranging from the relatively harmless tear gas to the infamous mustard and chlorine gases, as well as in countering these chemical weapons. Can be attached to any unarmored division.

Warships (since the RCW wasn't a naval war, ships will take forever until the RCW is over):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Battleship - 300,000 pounds sterling, 15 days - The ruler of the high seas, a floating fortress that can blow lesser ships out of the water with little effort...but are vulnerable to submarines.

Battlecruiser - 200,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - A larger, heavier cruiser with the arms of a battleship, the perfect blend of speed and firepower that can serve as support vessels for battleships or fight in their own right.

Cruiser - 120,000 pounds sterling, 9 days - Ships balancing the massive firepower and heavy armor of the Battleship and the speed and maneuverability of Destroyers, the mainstay of most surface fleets.

Destroyer - 80,000 pounds sterling, 8 days - Small, lightly armed ships mostly used as escorts or submarine hunters.

Submarine - 80,000 pounds sterling, 15 days - Watercraft capable of extended underwater operations, invaluable in crippling an opposing country's merchant shipping lines and combating Battleships.

Minelayer - 40,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - Tiny, unarmed ships designed to litter an area with mines as quickly as possible.

Minesweeper - 40,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - Tiny, unarmed ships meant to sweep an area clean of mines as quickly as possible.

Aircraft (same with Air):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Scout plane - 4 planes/squadron - 40,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - Fast, unarmed craft meant to collect intelligence on enemy movements and positions and report these findings to the troops on the ground.

One-seat fighter plane - 3 planes/squadron - 50,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - Planes armed with light machine guns and built specifically for high-speed dogfights, but also invaluable as escorts for Bombers and Airships.

Two-seat fighter plane - 2 planes/squadron - 75,000 pounds sterling, 10 days - Heavier planes with two-man crews (a pilot and gunner) and heavier armaments specialized in extended, long-range dogfights.

Bomber - 2 planes/squadron - 75,000 pounds sterling, 12 days - Slow, heavy warplanes outfitted with large payloads of explosives, capable of raining death from above on both enemy military installations and cities but highly vulnerable to enemy fighters.

Airship - 2/squadron - 80,000 pounds sterling, 20 days - Massive rigid dirigibles that can both scout enemy positions and serve as heavy bombers, but are lacking in the air-to-air defense department and so will have to rely on Fighters to protect them.

When recruiting units, please group them into named armies or fleets - makes them much easier to track, and much easier on the eyes (well, at least mine) too

Lastly, you can now introduce conscription. Conscription spawns a number of free units (you can choose between Infantry, Cavalry and Militia) every day, but expect it to take a heavy toll on the popularity of whatever party pushed it through and to add to war exhaustion. The higher the level of conscription, the worse its side effects will be.

Level 1 conscription - Spawns 1 free division/territory with conscription.
Level 2 conscription - Spawns 3 free divisions/territory with conscription.
Level 3 conscription - Spawns 6 free divisions/territory with conscription.

Intelligence Rules:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Duma may elect an Intel leader, to perform ops. To do so, he will need to recruit:

Agent - 5,000 pounds sterling - 2 days - Highly trained spies who are an absolute must for any intelligence organization. Needed for pretty much everything.

Black Ops Squad - 7,500 pounds sterling - 3 days - Highly trained and heavily-armed soldiers who take care of the more violent side of intelligence operations.

Actions that the director may take:

Steal military plans - Reveals at least one enemy army, where they're headed and their battle plan. Watch out for disinformation campaigns, though. Requires Agent, costs 4000 florins.

Steal research - Reduces the amount of money needed to finish researching a technology. Requires Agent, costs 4000 florins.

Spread disinformation - Feed false information to the enemy, opening up weak spots in their defenses as they move their forces away to counter imaginary threats. Requires Agent, costs 5000 florins.

Create partisan organization - In an area where there is no organized rebel group yet, whip the locals into a furor and lay the roots for a rebel group of your liking. Requires agent, costs 20000 florins.

Fund partisan organization - Financially support some local rebel groups, who will then occasionally give you information for free, launch raids on enemy supply lines and possibly even break out in open revolt. Requires Agent, a pre-existing rebel organization and costs at least 1000 florins, the more you give them the more effective they will be.

Assassinate enemy leader - Make an attempt on the life of an important enemy official. Requires one Agent, any number of Black Ops Squads (the more the better...usually, as too many of them will attract more attention and mean more enemies to fight) and costs 10000 florins to even attempt. Failure when dealing with a neutral country means instant war.

Launch coup attempt - Try to take down the government of another country and replace it with one more friendly to you. I'll post whether or not a country is coupable in the Event Thread. Requires one Agent, any number of Black Ops Squads (the more the better...usually, as too many of them will attract more attention and mean more enemies to fight) and costs 20000 florins to even attempt. Failure when dealing with a neutral country means instant war.

Note that the Director can act without orders from the Duma, meaning that you should put only trusted allies in the position. To restrain a potentially out-of-control director, slap him with a small budget or the good old threat of 'early retirement' (firing him, not executing him ). If you fail in assassinating someone or coup'ing a neutral country and starting a war, expect the Duma will remove you.

Auxiliary rules:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Like in WEF 1914, you can create an auxiliary (secondary) character following the same format outlined for your first character. However, your aux character cannot occupy the same role as your main (for example, if your main char is a politician, your aux must be a general or diplomat).

['Gunny]

Yo, anyone have the political map for this floating around somewhere?