Nation Creation
National Archetype
A nation’s Archetype is essentially its economic and political place in known space. All nations must have exactly one Archetype. Automatic Traits are always applied and cost (or give) 0 points.
Second-Stage Colony
A number of worlds were identified in the 21st century as being strategically or otherwise worthwhile, however without preexisting biospheres they were incapable of hosting large populations. Large-scale terraforming efforts have changed this and a number of these worlds have now started rapidly rising. While their close ties to the core worlds has economic benefits, they can sometimes have quite limited freedom of action.
- 375 SD
- 10 Diplomatic Action Points monthly
- Large/Giant Population SD cost is halved
- Automatic Traits: HEC Connections
- Disallowed Traits: Treaty of Sirius, Übermensch, Manifest Destiny, Rogue State, Hangarize!, Cyberize!, Compuphile, Bioroid Lovers
ZOCU Member State
The Zodiac Outworlds Colony Union is an extranational economic/defense pact consisting entirely of outworld states. Having recently fought an indeterminate conflict against the core worlds over rights, ZOCU member-states have achieved their autonomy but now labour under a number of treaty limitations.
- 375 SD
- 8 Diplomatic Action Points monthly
- 50 free He3 extraction
- Automatic Traits: Treaty of Sirius, Hangerize!
- Disallowed Traits: Superheavy Shipyards, HEC Connections
Independent Enclave
A small number of independent states have flourished, often sent out through longshot wormholes or early single-use FTL drives and only now rejoining the Human sphere. The majority of these independent enclaves have transhuman populations, making diplomatic relations with the core worlds strained. Being archetypically unaligned, they typically rely more heavily on their own resources.
- 350 SD
- 6 Diplomatic Action Points monthly
- 1000 Wealth of Jane's warships (normal purchase limitations apply)
- Official Secret limit is doubled, Übermensch applies to all units
- Automatic Traits: Medium Shipyards
- Disallowed Traits: Superheavy Shipyards, HEC Connections
Rim World
The rim worlds are the true frontier, the slowly-expanding edge of human space rich in resources and potential. Far from the core worlds, corporate interests vie with libertarian freespirits over resource right and exploration opportunities. Unfortunately, those that do live this far out are almost universally at the mercy of larger powers.
- 200 SD
- 5 Diplomatic Action Points monthly
- Automatic Traits: People’s War
- Disallowed Traits: Medium Shipyards+, Advanced Technology, Impractical Engineering, HEC Connections
Infrastructure
All nations have two main values that are central to their economies. These are Wealth and Industry and are the nation's Infrastructure. Additionally, a nation needs Helium-3 to fuel its ships and cities along with Strategic Resources for complex construction projects. Finally, a nation without a Population is just a collection of empty buildings and memories.
Wealth
This represents a nation’s direct economic power; direct taxation and strength of banking institutions are key here. Wealth, since it represents currency reserves, can be banked if not used. Every 1 SD at nation creation buys 5 points of Wealth, each of which provides 1 WP per month.
Industry
This represents a nation’s industrial power; essentially a holistic value of industrial productivity. Industry is used to build units and other tangible objects and since an idle factory produces nothing, Industry cannot be banked if not used. Every 1 SD at nation creation buys 5 points of Industry, each of which provides 1 IP (Industrial Production) per month.
See the Production section further down for further explanation of how industry works
Helium
Helium-3 is the fuel of choice across the known space. Its efficiency and lack of neutron emissions make it almost perfect as a compact source of energy. Unfortunately it can sometimes be difficult to extract in quantity and as such, the vast majority of humanity's Helium-3 is supplied by the Helium Energy Consortium.
Under normal conditions, each state receives a monthly amount of Helium-3 (He3) equal of the sum of their Wealth, Industry and Population ratings. A state may attempt to lobby the HEC for a greater Helium allotment.
If this is insufficient or if a state desires energy independence, it may elect to build its own Helium extraction. These cost 1 SD per 5 points at nation creation, each of which provides 2 units of He3 per month and are treated as conventional infrastructure for further construction. As these are nationally-owned they are unaffected by traits such as Helium Disconnect.
Strategic Resources
Pre-space Earth had resources like oil and Uranium. With the expansion of Humanity to the stars, the rare resources required for technological civilization has changed and if anything, gotten more demanding. Every 5 points of Strategic Resources costs 2 SD at nation creation. It requires surveying and prospecting to discover new resource deposits, thus the rules for increasing Strategic Resource output is somewhat different from normal infrastructure.
No nation may start with more than two different Strategic Resources. The only exception to this is Delta Dust which may be taken even if a power already had two other Strategic Resources.
Population
Every state needs people. Each unit of population is 100,000 people and provides 0.5 Wealth per month. During nation creation, population is bought at the price of 5 units (500,000 people) per 1 SD at nation creation.
During peacetime, draft is 1% of total population. For more information on Draft, see the Draft article.
Building new Infrastructure:
New Infrastructure is bought in January of the year and comes online in the following year's January. The cost per point is dependent on how much is being built.
0-5%: 20 W/point
5.01-10%: 40 W/point
10.01-15%: 80 W/point
There are twelve economic cycles per year and at standard game speed (1 game month = 1 RL week) each cycle takes seven RL days.
Traits
Positive Traits
Affable: 15 SD
Your diplomatic department is staffed full of friendly professionals, or perhaps they have plenty of dirt on other states. See Diplomacy rulls for full effects.
Crossing The Line: 5 SD
Your nation’s political alignment is wavering from its colonial roots. A nation with Crossing The Line may not necessarily outright side with a different power bloc but will definitely feel a certain amount of sympathy and have fairly strong ties. Of course, relations with your original group will suffer. In practice, this allows you to change your ‘alignment’ with regards to diplomatic actions and unit purchases.
Large Population: 10 SD
Your nation gets two population units for every one bought. However until jobs are found for them and the bureaucracy expanded to meet their needs only the original number of population units bought (ie, before the bonus) is counted for calculating economic activity of any sort – this includes He3. This is done by ‘housing’ them by building up population infrastructure.
Giant Population: 20 SD
Your nation gets five population units for every one bought, like Large Population only the original number of population is counted for calculating economic activity. At this level of population your nation has a significantly reduced standard of living relative to other states.
Übermensch: 15 SD
Your state has a major social class of people who are stronger, smarter and faster than the lumpen underclass. This grants benefits to most elite formations/units.
People’s War: 10 SD
All infantry battalions cost half normal and get bonuses to command to represent the focus on infantry training and tactics, however the final cost of all units affected by Tank Industry is increased by 50%, with the exception of Shock Infantry which has unmodified cost. This stacks with Master Of The Guns. Finally, People’s War doubles peacetime draft to 2% of population.
Tank Industry: 10 SD
Your domestic tank industry is capable of designing and building modern IFVs and tanks. Without this trait, domestically produced IFVs, Armored Cavalry and Tank Battalions may only have 1 Upgrade. Additionally, Strider and Shock Infantry Battalions are unlocked for domestic production.
Master Of The Guns: 10 SD
Your generals cannot get enough of tube artillery and rocket launchers. These weapons take preference in acquisition plans and as a result, the cost half normal. Additionally, a focus on long-range firepower grants an increase in the effective range of all artillery weapons. The downside is that other armoured vehicles take lower precedence and as a result, the final cost of all domestically-built Tank Brigades is increased by 50%. This stacks with People’s War.
Covert Operations: 10 SD
You may build and maintain more than two Special Operations Formations. This also increases the effectiveness of these formations.
Overt Operations: 10 SD
All Special Operation Forces are renamed Overt Operation Forces respectively and are more effective at security and open combat. However, they have only limited worth in covert missions. You may build and maintain any number of Overt Operation Forces.
Aerospace Industry: 10 SD
Your domestic aerospace industry is capable of designing and building modern aerospace craft of all types. Without this upgrade, all domestically produced Helicopter Mobilization, Gunships and Fighters are limited to 1 Upgrade slot. Additionally, it unlocks Bombers for domestic production.
Mecha Factories: 10 SD
Unlocks Mobile Suits, Heavy Mobile Suits and Strider Battalions for domestic production.
Impractical Engineering: 20 SD
Unlocks Mobile Gun Forts, Landships, Super Fighters, Orbital Frames, Mobile Armors and Super Mobile Armors for domestic production. Requires the appropriate trait(s) to be effective (e.g. Landships also require Tank Industry)
Medium Shipyards: 10 SD
Unlocks Destroyers, Cruisers and Light Carriers for domestic production.
Heavy Shipyards: 10 SD
Unlocks Battleships and Fleet Carriers for domestic production. Prerequisite: Medium Shipyards
Superheavy Shipyards: 10 SD
Unlocks Supercarriers, Superbattleships, and Titans for domestic production. Prerequisite: Heavy Shipyards
Hangerize!: 20 SD
You build all Hangar upgrade for non-Carrier ships as Super Upgrades, doubling the amount of DP provided by the upgrade as well as the base DP of the hull. Additionally, the first Hangar upgrade is a Free Upgrade. Cost is halved for all nations with Treaty of Sirius
Cyberize!: 10 SD
You may use the +X Cybernetic Added Capability in your infantry formations, granting them broad bonuses.
Bioroid Lovers: 10 SD
Your state has extensive ability to manufacture Bioroids. You may construct 100,000 population for 50 WU or 1,000 manpower for 1 WU.
Compuphile: 15 SD
You may apply the +1 Highly Automated Added Capability to your units. Among other effects it halves their manpower requirements. If applied to infantry it is called +1 Drones and has the effect of replacing many soldiers with semisentient combat drones, reducing battlefield casualties significantly (the drones get shot first).
Stealth Obsessed: 10 SD
You may apply +X Stealth capabilities to all units. Without this trait, you may only put no more than +1 stealth on SPF and UAVs.
State Secrets Act: 10 SD
The amount of SD that a power may keep as Official Secrets is increased to 25%. See the section on Official Secrets for specifics.
Deep Core Mining: 15 SD
By some stroke of cosmic luck, your planet abounds in Strategic Resources. During nation creation, Strategic Resources cost 1 SP per 5 points.
Logicians: 15 SD
Your military-industrial complex is run by people who really get logistics. This means that every IP spent on supplies provides 3 units of Supplies, as opposed to the regular 2.
One-Year Planners: 10 SD
Short-term planning is a dirty word in your industrial bureaucracy. The longer the planning horizon, the better. While this allows for the efficient allocation of resources, it makes rapid responses to changing conditions difficult. In practice, your Assembly Line bonus is increased to 30% and it takes effect on the first month. Additionally, you may apply the Mass Production bonus to all units save those that are spread over multiple months. However, you must use the same build order for all twelve months of the year. It may only be changed mid-year in exceptional circumstances.
Boutique Engineers: 15 SD
Your design teams and factories are masters at making jewels of technological complexity. The number of upgrades you can fit on your units is doubled. However, because your engineers don't understand the concept of mass production, you will never get Assembly Line bonuses.
HEC Connections: 15 SD
The Helium Energy Consortium is the source of the galaxy’s cheap fuel. Their mandate to power the worlds of humanity means that all states benefit from the Helium fuel they extract from gas giants across space. Some states benefit more than others however. HEC connections increases the amount of He3 received by 25%.
Advanced Technology: 75 SD
Your technology is noticeably above the Rim norm, granting across-the-board increases in ability. All your units are built at Tech Level 4 at no extra cost. The high technical level of nations with Advanced Technology means they are a center of FTL engineering, providing them with 100 units of Delta Dust every month.
Negative Traits
Access To Information Act: +10 SD
A power may never have any Official Secrets, due to its lack of stringent governmental privacy enforcement. It does not make the nation less difficult to actually infiltrate with spies, however.
Treaty of Sirius: +15 SD
The war of '87 was both divisive and inconclusive. The ZOCU states managed to bring large numbers of proper military designs into service but could not deploy them to the front lines before hostilities were brought to a close. Coming off less-favourably in the negotiations, the ZOCU states were limited in the number of interstellar warships each could possess. See the Treaty of Sirius section for specifics.
Active Terraforming: +15 SD
Terraforming is expensive, dirty business. Planetary biospheres are large and take a great deal of energy to modify. The terraforming efforts on your world require 25% of your unmodified He3 deliveries in order to continue. Failure to pay this will swiftly result in disasters and significant setbacks to the terraforming efforts.
Helium Disconnect: +35 SD
Perhaps due to past misbehaviour or the heightened requirements for hefty terraforming efforts, your state is under is under a limited energy freeze. All He3 deliveries are reduced by 50%.
Luddite Sun: +10 SD
The ascension of the SAI left deep scars on your people. To this day they refuse to deal with those embracing radical (and not-so-radical) transformative technologies and sentient computer systems. In practice a Luddite Sun will impose a 100% Wealth ‘tax’ on all transactions with these powers and in general they will be viewed with suspicion.
Ten Thousand Fists: +10 SD
All is not well outside the palace grounds. The people are, if thankfully not rebelling, definitely not happy. It could be over government policies or over things those in power have no power over. Either way, it results in a halving of all Wealth gathered from a state’s population. Helium deliveries are not affected by civil unrest.
Fires At The Gates: +20 SD
The people are mad. Madly so. While law and order has not totally broken down, civil morale is nonexistent, absenteeism and outright work stoppages is the norm and military control is almost a requirement. A state at this level of civil unrest is dangerously close to falling into anarchism. All Wealth generated by this nation’s population is reduced to zero. You may find it in the hands of rebels or criminals.
AKs And IEDs: +50 SD
An occupying force’s nightmare, a nation that has fallen into the state where AKs and IEDs are common is no longer a nation. Most nations tend to go through this stage for a short period after being invaded, but some are simply failed states and exist in this state of near-anarchy without outside cause. A state suffering AKs And IEDs halves all domestic infrastructure production values and generates no Wealth from population.
Twisted Patron: +15 SD
Relations with your patron state are rather bad; perhaps you're verging on rebelling or they're simply a pack of exploitationist assholes. Either way, your relations with them and their allies as one step worse for Diplomatic Action purposes.
Low Technology: +50 SD
Even by Rim standards, your technical abilities are sub-par. All your units are built at Tech Level 2 at no decrease in cost.
Rogue State: +100 SD
You have acquired a particularly bad name for yourself in the halls of interstellar power. Nations will actively shun your diplomatic efforts, imposing a 100% bureaucratic wealth 'tax' on all transactions. Furthermore, the HEC has imposed a fuel embargo on you, completely eliminating all He3 deliveries. This may not be taken with Helium Disconnect. By necessity, Rogue States are self-sufficient in fuel.
Disaster Zone: +5 SD
Maybe your world happens to be in the path of numerous comet swarms, or maybe it’s young with far too much volcanism for its own good. No matter the cause, significant natural disasters can and do happen to your world with depressing regularity.
Airless Rock: +10 SD
For whatever reason your nation inhabits a (nearly) airless world, clinging to the inhospitable surface like a giant technological limpet. Most ground forces cannot do anything outside of the domed cities unless equipped with spacesuits and a stray missile could doom thousands of civilians to rapid death by asphyxiation.
Environmental Trainwreck: +10 SD
Your world is anything but a paradise. Crops must be carefully tended – assuming the environment is even hospitable – and most habitats are well-protected from the outdoors.
Ensigns of Industry: +15 SD
The people you have running your factories simply do not have it all together. Building new Industrial infrastructure costs double.
Untrust Funds: +15 SD
Your central bank – if you even have one – stinks at managing money. It doesn’t have the faintest clue how to effectively stimulate the economy, resulting in a doubling of the cost of all Wealth infrastructure.
Resourceless World: +10 SD
When it comes to strategic resources, your world is the proverbial blank slate. You cannot buy any strategic resources to start with the exception of Delta Dust as a unit upgrade, and furthermore all attempts to build resource extraction offworld cost double.