[UN RP] UN Roleplay - Scenario + Instructions

OK, at least I get to try that rare humble mask I occasionally don...

I don't think this is working.

It is absolutely nobody's fault but mine, in that the players have performed admirably and a special shout out definately has to go to farraday, gonk and V03 for their efforts in coordinating behind the scenes.

I think the problem with this is that it's too restrictive and so it's stifling creativity. That's my fault, but it's also inexperience talking.

I've done my homework now, and I reckon we can get this to work.

We'll start over, either in here or a new thread, with a new direction. More free form, less regulatory frameworks (eg UN Charter) and more freedom to improvise. More roles, so more participants. More issues outside of the UNSC (trade, human rights, oil, defence etc).

How's that sound?

I'll also let you pick the roles as much as possible.

Thoughts?

E_S

 

Ender, another thought is, for readibility's sake, at least in my perspective, could we flip it to a more DnD style where if you didn't say you're saying it out of character, its assumed to be? And then just mention at beginning or end which country or organisation it is. Just from my angle all the quotes are a bit tougher to read.

 

Yeah I think we need to actually figure out how we expect it to look.

Easiest thing might be speaking "in character", and using [OOC] to bracket out of character posts.

Like this:

The US is deeply concerned by these developments, and will be monitoring the situation closely. We will also consult with our allies on this matter. We would remind both China and Taiwan of our commitment to a peaceful resolution on the question of eventual reunification.

[OOC] Control, at this point we're going to start mobilising some strategic assets like submarines and intelligence officers to monitor the situation, and maybe put a Carrier battle group in the Sout China Sea on standby [/OOC]

How's that look?

(Control = Mr44 and I)

E_S

 

At the risk of sounding naive, wasn't that the point of this exercise? to take a stab at managing a real-world crisis completely within UN bureaucratic means, and see how far we get? I honestly thought that was the goal...

However, I'm all for a reboot with less procedural red tape. I did something similar back in my university: we had a mock-Balkans negotiations exercise just as the Bosnian civil war was swinging the Bosnian-Croat federation's way. We too started off very formal and by-the-book, until our instructor made it clear to us that we didn't have to go strictly by the rules. He told us point blank that we were free to make backroom deals amongst ourselves outside of his knowledge, as long as the pacts were eventually made completely public. Once the shackles were off, the negotiations (and arguments) took off like a rocket. Chaotic, fast, and fun as hell. We eventually did come up with an agreement acceptable to all parties, so the effort was worth it.

 

One of the problems here is that there is not much feedback. There's not much reason for any of us to shift from our positions.

The stakes, as it were, are completely non existent.

Also.... WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yeah we're totally retooling it.

Stakes will be high, and all I'll say is we'll add new layers of depth involving Google Maps & Satellite images, MS Paint, custard and farraday.

Oh yes. We will go there.

E_S

 

Hehe. UN reform.

 

I can't but help feeling my post was the last straw for E_S.

In the simulation I had, what made it really interesting was the photoshoped pictures of me taken from Facebook of me *gasp* drinking and smoking, which helped lead to me being outed as Speaker of the House, and then somebody used an administrator's account to change the vote after it happened, all in an effort to make me look like I'd done it so the new Speaker and some others would switch parties, giving control to the other party. In a word, we need more Drama.

 

Agreed.

Let me give you an example of stuff Mr44 and I will be doing:

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/Ender_Sai/Simulation1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

That's the Taiwan straight; the green arrow is Taipei.

Those red dots indictate the position of a Chinese naval taskforce conducting maneuvers...

That kind of detail/drama is what we want, but you guys can create it.


Let me illustrate how;

The Taiwanese government could be making independence overtones, so the Chinese player might say they're going to rattle the sabre. Mr44 or I will make these pics up, upload them here, and give you an idea for where forces are positioned. We'll work with you to run this, and approve/disapprove any radical or covert plans.


E_S

 

You know, I spent some time researching China-Israel and China-Iran relations and China's past remarks re the Iran nuclear crisis, but my challenge was trying to find an authentic spot for China to insert itself in the debate. it didn't really come in my view. Getting some stage cues from the moderators ("psst, China, enter stage left") would have been helpful I think.

 

I don't know about others, but at least in my case, part of what was making it go slowly was having to deal with the proper technical and background knowledge. I was okay on the rules and all, but I was having to plan out a discussion that respected the workings of nuclear weapons, the history of IAEA investigations of Iran, and what could reasonably be going on today. This kind of concern over the technical and procedural probably ran higher for me than in general, as I was representing an organization that would be expert on all that and have it exactly right. (Trying to work it all out was a lot of fun though! I really enjoyed it.) But the fundamental slowdown, at least for me, was something that I don't think could particularly have been helped. Maybe the game was on its way to death, but alternatively, it might just have been moving slow-paced while people did research, considered their posts, &c.

-Paul

 

Keep in mind, from at least I think where we want this to go, is that it doesn't have to strictly conform to real world reality.

To clarify, this is still the Senate, so the goal is to examine actual situations (ie-the cliched "learn while having fun!) but the exchanges don't have to be bogged down so much in formality and regualtions.

As E_S mentioned, the new focus is on role playing, so as an example, if the Iranian player had a change of heart and had Iran renounce all nuclear technology, we would go with it.. (Of course, such a move might prompt an internal coup attempt from the more hardline aspects of government) and so on...

As Jabba mentioned, our roles will focus more on the DM/GM aspect in order to give that feedback.

How does that sound?

 

Screw that! Iranian nukes all the way!

Iran uber alles!

And a bagle!

It should be interesting to see what you guys come up with.

 

The first thing Qatar will do is get a hefty income-tax!

 

I think loosening it up is a great idea, and I love the map work.

I'm not going to let loose on what gonk and I were planning behind the scenes, because I would still like to bring it to light in the new thread at some point.

It's quite a bit of maneuvering, and something like it in the real world would be quite a crisis, given the current tensions in the middle east.

You are all still welcome to my small, warring central african nation for free samples of the Ebola virus .

Peace,

V-03

 

If you guys want to keep the countries you were playing, that's cool but the list will likely be totally different and include world-stage players not limited to the UN.

This is who I'm thinking:

President, United States of America
Prime Minister, United Kingdom
President, Republic of France
President, People's Republic of China
President, Russian Federation

Secretary-General, United Nations
Chancellor, Federal Republic of Germany
Prime Minister, Japan
Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia
Prime Minister, Israel
President, Turkey
President, Syria
President, Iraq
President, Iran

President, Venezuela
Glorious Leader, North Korea
President, South Korea

Media Outlet - BBC
Media Outlet - CNN

I was thinking of FOXNews as well but the TOS gets in the way; "User agrees not to post material that is knowingly false and/or defamatory, misleading, inaccurate..."

Of course we can just keep adding as needed. And we can certainly refine the list.

E_S

 

Good ideas Mr44, ES. It is interesting to be a country that is at odds with my positions and general ideology, but it is hard to react as such.

That said, I'm up for either U.S., U.K., Israel...or even Australia

 

And yet someone will be Ahmadinejad

 

Yes but no one can farradamadinejad like i can.

 

This sounds terrific, quite frankly. Ghana no longer!

 

Can I be the Pope? There's hardly a bigger political figure in the world, and I rather like the hats.

Of couse, if the position of God is available...

 

Still in, and up for anything you want to toss my way.