In case you didn't know, our most gracious deity is building a program that will allow blac and I to easily input matches to generate proper SIFA rankings a la the Coca Cola Rankings Fifa has. This will help us have a much more realistic simulation, as seeding will be properly done and it won't be so much work to build rankings. Plus, our old rankings were pretty damn stale.

Now, with that extra time, I think we can begin doing friendlies again.

I can schedule some random friendlies each year, and input them into the ranking program. I won't be posting these since there will be many of them and they'll be mostly meaningless, but if you would like, I can score certain friendlies that you would desire, and post the results.

Keep in mind, the importance of this is that, for nations that don't really get into major events very often, this is their chance for points outside of qualifiers. You can't do a million friendlies, mind you, but you can still do some. People who regularly request friendlies will probably get more accurate rankings.

Teams schedule friendlies for a lot of reasons, to test out young players, to generate hype among local fans, and probably most important to prepare for important matches.

They prepare by playing matches against teams that are similar to the ones they will be playing or teams from nearby that have "similar footballing cultures". They also play in certain climates that may be similar to the ones they will be going to. Altitude is especially important to prepare for. When the US prepares to play in Estadio Azteca (in mexico city) they often play and train in Denver to help acclimate to the high altitude. When Mexico played the US in Columbus last year, they prepared by playing several friendlies in the US beforehand. (Ironically, over the last four years Mexico has played something like half of their total matches in the US).

So, if you would like to schedule friendlies, use this form. If you really want the results posted, I can post them after I input them into the scorinator. Make sure your team doesn't do more than 10 or so friendlies unless there is an important reason.

~~~ I've decided I will post the results. I'll post them in the request posts after I score them. ~~~

The Election of the 18th Federal Convention of the Florinthian Federation
1586
The election for the 18th assembled Federal Convention of the Florinthian Federation is set for late 1586, and with nearly a year left before the elections the political atmosphere in the Federation has reached a fever pitch.

With the announcement that longtime Prime Minister Ben Blanckenship, a Centrist, is retiring following this term each of the parties sees a new political era dawning in the Federation. The Blanckenship period, stretching from 1574 to 1586, was notable for remarkable calm within the Florinthian political system. The Centrists, who had overturned the Liberals who had been longstanding members of government previously, embarked on a mission of social liberalism and economic revitalization.

The landmark decisions of the Blankenship period revolve around foreign affairs, largely, as the Federation opened its borders to refugees and immigrants in a way not often seen in Brigidna while also forging close ties with it's neighbors using the West Brigidnan Economic Agreement. The WBEA in particular was highly controversial at the time of its signing, as Florinthus was the only largely democratic member, the others being Galeae, Oslanburg, and Vienland, who were all in semi-democratic periods. Still, the WBEA has proven a critical tool in reform in those countries, and the lax travel restrictions between members surely contributed to that. Furthermore, the Blanckenship administration made it a point to ensure each Florinthian was taken care of. Education, healthcare, and other key social agendas were addressed, while still instituting a new tax code that used a VAT system to supplement the standard forms of taxation.

Still, with Blanckenship retiring many see the Centrists as rudderless for this election. The other parties have ramped up campaign efforts to fill the void left by the beloved Prime Minister. The campaigning has been difficult, and now the election is coming. Below are the parties and their platforms.



Florinthian Centrist Union
Leader: Andre Gouhlaman
With the retirement of their former leader, the Centrists have the difficult responsibility of selecting their next icon. Surely the job of following the most successful Centrist politician in Florinthian history would be difficult enough, but Andre Gouhlaman has stepped into the ring to represent the Centrists.

Gouhlaman represents the "new Centrists" who see Blanckenship Centrists as the foundation for greater center-left activity in the Federation. They want to go further than their predecessors did, embracing things like socialized medicine and more progressive taxation systems. They think the VAT is only the beginning of a revolutionary new tax code that could change the way Florinthian business operates. While the previous governments education reforms are respected, the need for even more reform for post-secondary education is evident as costs remain high, despite the best efforts of the government to help slow down the inflation of education costs. The Centrists also want to advance regional cooperation, particularly with WBEA members.

Gouhlaman is from Lordsport, where he was Mayor of Lordsport for 10 years before he became an assemblyperson. He was first elected in the initial "blue wave" in 1574 and made a name for himself by using simple words and phrases to explain big ideas. Gouhlaman was notable for spearheading the "affordable housing initiative" to house incoming refugees in the early 1570s in Lordsport, and his ideas were adopted by the Florinthian government in the Denil area.



Florinthian National Labour Party
Leader: Lauren Harvey
Lauren Harveys National Labour Party has been second fiddle for two long, so she says. They've played second to both the Liberals and the Centrists now, over the past two decades or so, and the time to act is now.

A robust new set of policy initiatives have many NLP supporters very excited for the upcoming election. The NLP is focusing on foreign affairs chiefly, with a much more severe and aggressive stance towards those states the Federation identifies as supporting "anti-Florinthian values". While NLP politicians have been hazy on identifying which states they mean, many assume they refer to places like Nentsia and Carpathia. With Lanlania falling on hard times, Florinthus is expected to step up into the gap for defending peace and prosperity on the continent. The WBEA is seen as a principle means of advancing Florinthian ideals, as already the WBEA is being identified as a critical reason for the fall of the Galeaen fascist government and the rise of democracy in the formerly corrupted state.

Domestically, the NLP want to shore up the borders, eliminating the liberal border policies implemented by the previous administration and ensuring work visas for non-WBEA members are more difficult to come by. Infrastructure is another key agenda point, as the NLP want to revitalize the nations rails and airports to allow for easy travel.

Lauren Harvey is the current leader of the National Labour Party, but this may not be for much longer. She was originally selected by the NLP for her no nonsense attitude and her ability to get results out of difficult legislative situations but over the last two mandates since former leader Guy Fontaine's death, Harvey has been painted as a "Centrist Lackey" for embracing a more liberal set of policies than many NLP supporters desire. If the NLP doesn't make significant gains this election, Harvey may be ousted. She is from Wilmington, where she was a member of the city council for 8 years before winning her first assembly seat in 1568.



Florinthian Liberal Party
Leader: Archie Ledbetter
With the Walter Philmore experiment dead and gone, the Liberals have selected Archie Ledbetter, a long-time Liberal assemblyperson, to lead them for the coming term. Ledbetter brings with him an air of "old liberalism" that embraces small government and personal responsibility, two components Ledbetter believes embody the "Florinthian spirit of individualism". Liberals believe the previous administration was far too overbearing on the market and that the temporary economic uptick, spurred on by foreign direct investment and infrastructure spending, will soon reveal itself as fools gold and that without decreased regulation the economy may fall into another hole, perhaps bigger than the one it fell into in the 1560s.

The Liberals accept the WBEA as it is, which is a far cry from their previous total disapproval, but increased integration is a non-negotiable for them, as they have not forgotten the governments the other member states used to have. Furthermore, the overly leftist social policies embraces by their neighbors are things Liberals would not be able to stomach. More than anything, the Liberals are seeking a return to the Liberalism of old, that ruled the Federation for almost two decades prior to Blanckenship.

Ledbetter is best known for being on the advising council for old Prime Minister Willem Oglethorpe prior to the Blanckenship administration. In the meantime he has represented Tarleton as an assemblyperson. He vehemently opposed the WBEA at the time but has, in recent years, admitted that it had more positive effects than he initially expected. He voted in favor of the increased size of the legislature, but opposed most other Centrist policies that were implemented.



Florinthian Federalist Party
Leader: Bruce Chalmers
The Federalists, having not been a significant party since the 1560s, are expected to eventually splinter if they are unable to get a grip on their voting base, who increasingly flee for the Liberals and National Labour Party. Bruce Chalmers has been a steady leader despite the chaos in the Federalist camp, and has crafted a message that speaks to those who are particularly frustrated with the policies implemented by the 17th convention. He emphasizes halting the growth of the WBEA and implementing means to ensure Florinthian borders are secured from what Federalists consider to be rampant immigration. The Federalists also oppose overly-strict environmental regulations, believing that the economy cannot shoulder the burden of regulatory costs.

Bruce Chalmers has led the Federalists for the last several elections and has seen the party go from the second largest party and member of the government to an after-thought party that is no longer considered a serious threat in the election. Many expect the Federalists to splinter following this election, if they are unable to gather many seats from their dwindling and aging voting base.



The Left
Leader: Lance Krejewski

The Left is a coalition of socialists and communists that believes the Florinthian economy should be returned to the people. While Centrist policies were better than others, they did not go far enough in nearly every aspect.

The Left see the VAT as a disgustingly regressive form of taxation and want the Federation to return to the previous tax system, albeit more progressive than previously. They also support fully socialized medicine and a national health service to ensure all Florinthians receive the healthcare they deserve. While the education reforms implemented by the previous administration to curb rising university costs are respected as an important reform, they are merely regarded as a stepping stone to fully free and universal university education for all Florinthians.

Lance Krejewski is an assemblyperson from Lienes who has led the Left since its inception in 1570. After gaining seats for the first time in the 1580 election, Krejewski believes his party can follow-up the blue wave of 1574 with a red wave in 1586, further pushing Florinthus to the left, where they believe it belongs.



Green Party
Leader: Akilah Mounib
The Greens were a surprise in the previous election, being given nearly 40 seats and begin included in the government along with the Centrists and National Labour Party. While they used the opportunity to pass important environmental legislature, they feel Florinthus could be doing so much more. They desire a total ban on the sale of all gasoline or diesel based automobiles as well as offering a credit to citizens so they can turn in their high-polluting vehicles to purchase electric cars, such as those from Tetra. They also want to encourage public transportation by investing heavily in national railway systems and ensuring those systems are connected with those of Oslanburg, Galeae, and Vienland.

Akilah Mounib is the daughter of A'Siri immigrants who found political office in her home city of Denil. She has pushed heavily for support for environmental legislation and in the previous six years has changed the discourse in the Federation in such a way that environmental issues are now one of the primary talking points, rather than just a fringe conversation for extremists.

OOC: be advised, Choose two parties, any response with less than two will be ignored

Hey everyone, so the 1586 SIFA World Cup is this next year and as a sort of fun minigame I've decided to open up march madness style predictions sheets for you all to fill out. If you're not familiar with this, you're probably not from the US, but I will explain regardless. More or less, you get points for predicting match results correctly. The deeper into the tournament your prediction is, the more points you get. So predicting a group stage match right gives you 0.5 points, but predicting the final gets you 8 points!

I've made a spreadsheet for you all to use. The link is at the bottom of this page.

PLEASE do not copy over the sheet. I believe I've made it view only, but I'm warning just in case lol. What you need to do is copy the sheet to a new google sheet, or paste it in excel, I don't care. The formulas may not properly transfer, but whatevs it's not super complicated. Anyway, copy the sheet, make your predictions, then give the sheet back to me. I will make tabs for each persons predictions and keep a running total of points as the event progresses.

Also, yes, these are the groups for the World Cup. You're getting them a bit earlier than usual so theres plenty of time for predictions to come in o/ Also, another note... Blac and I won't be picking because... yeah... we know who wins. A final note, all picks will be private until I close the submissions, unless you post them somewhere everyone can see them.

So what do you get???

The winner (the one with the most points) gets the singular right to adjust any team(s) by a total of 5 cumulative skill points. That means you could raise or lower one team by five points, or you could raise one team 3, lower another 2, etc.

The second place winner (second most points) gets the opportunity to do the same except with 2 points, so not as significant.

If someone manages to predict the entire world cup, they get 10 points to play with. Good luck with that one though o/

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...sp=sharing

Participants:

Hadash

[img]<Logo goes here.>[/img]

A whole bunch of you seem to be experiencing them, primarily on mobile (maybe cause mobile is shit and hates adblock?). Firstly, you guys should submit a help/bug report to chatango: https://www.chatango.com/help?help_report_bug. I don't control their shite, so I unfortunately can't do anything about it.

But I do control our shite, and made this shite page where you guys can chatango on mobile without ads in your face: http://board.eternityrpc.com/chat.php. It's the same chat at the bottom of the page, except it actually works and doesn't redirect you to the other one. It's not perfect, but its an alternative until chatango does something about the ads.

And if it doesn't...well, we'll see.

THE MAGYARS OF RUSSIA


I have decided to begin a new game of Crusader Kings II. My ambition is to, eventually get through to the end, but we'll see how that goes.

I will be starting in 769 as the Magyar Hordes. Unlike the real Magyars, however, I have no ambitions for the Carpathian Basin. I will instead go north, to the wild lands. My ambition is to eventually form Russia. I also have plans to hopefully carry this into eu4... but we will see about that. I am hoping to maybe take my time with this, but you never know.

For now, my campaign begins. I may not always provide proper screenshots, as they are a pain, but I will try my best. I am playing with the CK2+ mod installed, along with better garbs, so I believe I can transfer it to eu4... if not, maybe I will just create a custom scenario in eu4 based on this game. whatever works.

Also of note in ck2+ is that I have a setting enabled that if my dynasty dies with no heir, I take over the next dynasty, sort of like eu4. I don't expect that to happen, but you never know.

I will also keep some general information up here in the OP, such as dynastys, rulers, etc.

Confederation of the Magyar 769-???
Gyula Jeno Jeno of Magyar 769-785
Gyula Deszo Jeno of Magyar 785-???

This telegram will target Feeders and Sinkers. That will improve our efficiency by a lot (and I won't have to split up the telegram distribution).

Quote:Hello there %NATION%!

I am Kazemura, Chief NS Representative for [region]Eternity[/region]! I know you're flooded with a lot of these messages so I will quickly make my pitch for why you should join [region]Eternity[/region] and be on my merry way.

We're a modern-tech roleplaying region located in one of the far corners of the NationStates world with about 20 members. Many of us have been roleplaying in NationStates for many years now, having taken up many different nations along the way and having a wealth of knowledge and experiences to share. In fact, Eternity wasn't our first community; our history stretches back many years together in various communities and worlds. Since October 2014, we've developed this off-site community into the culmination of all these experiences: a brave new world in which to develop your nation surrounded by a rich history in game and awesome members. This includes:

~ A comprehensive offsite forum with both a forumside chatroom and a Discord server
~ A wiki where you can develop your nation's history and information with ease
~ An expansive map created over years of patient, frustrating development and drawing by our Chief Admin
~ Tons of cookies. All the cookies in fact.

We pride ourselves on balancing realism and creativity and invite you to join our close-knit group (and our cookies). If [region]Eternity[/region] sounds like a place to call home, come and join us! We hope to see you soon!

Best,

[nation=short_name]Eternity RPC[/nation]

Zemaita
Capital of Nerysia

A man was walking his dog in the park. As he walked further, after his dog had taken his lengthy time for a dump, the man noticed that he was not alone. The situation got uneasy as someone seemed to follow him throughout his entire walk in the park. The man decided to break off his walk and headed to the exit of the park, to the main road, from where he'd walk back to his apartment and hope this person would be scared away because of the traffic and light. But the man was going nowhere.

''Peter Scholz'', someone said. Peter turned around to see where it came from. Two men stood very close behind him. Peter felt unsafe and looked at the exit, 30 meters ahead of him, to see if there was a chance to run away. But two dark figures were standing there, under the light of a lamp post. ''Is there anything wrong?'' Peter asked carefully. The men shook their heads simultaneously. One of the men took a card out of his wallet. ''Ministry of Defence, Special Operations Section. 1st Department, Western Brigidna.'' The man held up a card with the Ministry of Defence logo engraved in it and some chip that supposedly gave him access to its buildings.

''What do you need me for?''
''There is a car waiting. Come with us.''

The three men walked together to the exit of the park, while the two figures in the distance had vanished. A black car was indeed waiting besides the road. Peter got in the car and so did the other three. The driver was already there. There was also a follower car. ''We are taking you to the most secure location in the city.'' one of the men said. The cars drove to the headquarters of the so-called ''Ministry of Security General Institute of National Security''. After a guard checked the ID cards of the drivers, he made a couple of phonecalls. After a while, the heavy gates automatically opened and allowed the cars on the terrain of the General Institute's headquarters - a four-story high neo-classicist building, that seemed rather ordinary on the outside. Aside from the obvious heavy objects and fences placed around it, the countless amount of CCTV's watching every inch of the surrounding streets, and the pairs of heavily armed Royal Gendarmes at every corner. The careful observer would also notice the enormous satellites on the roof of the building, clumsily hidden away by putting at a the far back of the rooftop.

The two cars did not go to the regular entrance for employees but entered a tunnel that took them underneath the headquarters. Peter could only see the white lights in the concrete tunnel flash past them. The man next to Peter then suddenly began to grope him - but it turned out he was searching his pockets. He took out Peter's smartphone and opened it. He removed the battery and its chip and put them away. ''Sorry for that'', the man then said to Peter.

Eventually they reached an underground parking space. Not as spectacular as I had expected... Peter thought to himself. The garage was full of cars: many black vehicles with darkened windows, and obviously with bulletproof armor. There were also a number of armoured personnel carriers from the ''Ministry of Security'' parked here, and a few seemingly casual civilian cars. This must be the bat-cave... Peter thought. His face expression must have betrayed him, because one of the other men in the car joked to him ''our cave at the Defence ministry is much bigger, and it contains bigger stuff.''

The cars were parked, and greeted by a number of men coming from the underground entrance to the General Institute's building. They shook hands with the men who had picked Peter up from the park. ''This is your project. We are just here to help you find your way.'' They also shook Peter's hand, but didn't even bother to look at him.

The group went upstairs and then took an elevator. When the doors opened, Peter entered a completely different world. Before him there was no concrete, iron, or military hardware. The floor at which they got out was a warm atmosphere. The white marble floor was covered by a dark red carpet with gold and blue motives in it. The walls were dark wood-panelled with small lamps illuminating the long corridors. Sofa's were placed here and there, mainly for decorative purposes, just like the occasional portrait of the King or a golden sculpture. The white ceiling was softly illuminated as well to highlight its stucco artwork. A golden chandelier in the middle further illuminated the floor.

The men took Peter to one of the offices on that floor and put him in a comfortable chair. He was offered something to drink. After a few minutes of waiting, another man entered the office. He was wearing a military uniform. ''Peter Scholz, good that you are here.'' the man said. He introduced himself as Major Tirias, but Peter was quite certain that might be a false name. The military officer sat down opposite to him. Most people left the room then. Only one of the men who had picked him up stayed. ''Mr. Scholz,'' the Major began.

''We have been tracking you for a while. We think you can help us. You used to be very active within the Oslan nationalist movements. You knew a lot of people. Then you had to flee and you came to Nerysia. The Nerysian government has protected you, and you have a good life here. You can repay our kindness by... warming up some of your old contacts in Oslanburg for us.''

''But.. But I haven't spoken to many of these people since I fled.''

''We only need you to establish the initial contact. You introduce our guy to your guy, and we'll handle it from there. We need you to play as the familiar face.''

''What if they arrest me for treason or something?''

Major Tirias smiled. ''You'll be given a fake Lanlanian identity, doing a tourist trip throughout Central Brigidna. We have even arranged a wife for you.''

Peter Scholz was stunned. Next thing they offer me is a fake moustache... ''License to kill?'' he then sarcastically asked. The major laughed. ''Ah no. If you get into trouble, lie your way out of it and try to reach the Nerysian embassy. Your new friend who picked you up tonight, Mr Nazartis, will be looking after you from there as a diplomatic attache. You will report to him. And he will explain you how, when, and where. You will be introduced to your new wife. You will be doing a photoshoot with here on some tourist cites in the city. Your wife is also from the Special Operations Section. Her secondary role is to be your bodyguard. You do whatever she says, however.''

Before Peter knew it, the major had left the office. Mr. Nazartis escorted him back to the elevator, back to the concrete underground cave. A different car was now waiting for him: a rather shabby old piece of metal. When Peter looked at Nazartis a bit questioningly, he said ''change of appearance... you never know.''

Another agent was already waiting in the car. They left the complex and drove to Peter's house where he was dropped off. Mr. Nazartis reached for Peter's phone. Before putting it back together, he looked at Peter. ''There is no way back anymore. Be alert from now on. Don't make any new friends. And certainly try not to mess with me, or any of us.'' He then put the battery back into the phone and handed it to Peter. ''Someone will pick you up tomorrow.''