Ruins of Alien Suns: Stability and Morale

Stability (PC States)

There are few ways to indicate the health of a state. High GDP, sprawling industrial capacity or a large military only indicate the resources and priorities of a nation's leadership. Expansive institutions say little of the popular confidence in or natural durability of those very same institutions.

For this purpose, Ruins has the attribute called Stability.

But What Is Stability, Really?

Stability is the health of the nation. Stability is the given consent of the governed, the strength of institutions, the support of merchant magnates, aristocrats and juntista elites. Stability is the ability of authorities to assimilate or repress renegade forces, criminal associations and countercultural movements. As political capitol, Stability may be expended in order to achieve great things but it is a precious resource in that regard. Stability in turns engenders Fervor, representing the willingness of citizens to support the state in excess of their obligations, act against their instincts and accept deprivation for the glory of the nation.

Stability is a XX-point track, with 4 tiers: Revolt, Low, Standard and High. As described in the Stability Track section, each point provides various benefits, as well as an income of Fervor that can be expended.

Resources

Stability (Primary)

As stated previously, Stability is the 'health' of the nation, a static value representing the current state of public confidence and institutions. It must continuously be continuously tracked for GM purposes.

Fervor (Secondary)

Fervor is a currency created by having Stability above the 'Revolt' stage. It has a variety of uses detailed in a lower section. Fervor is not rolled 'yearly', but is instead Called Up at any point during the year. The X in every Revolt calculation is the current numerical track value i.e.: Standard-5 means 5d6+10 Fervor.

The Stability Track

Revolt - The country is slowly creaking towards civil war. State factories and civil service are plagued by strikes, riots are a regular occurrence from the streets of the capitol to the most far flung provinces and large sections of the government are corrupt or outright treasonous. There is no consent or consensus among the classes of the land to legitimize rule. Disaster looms.

[Revolt 1] <-> [Revolt 2] <-> [Revolt 3] <-> [Revolt 4] <-> [Revolt 4] <-> [Low 1]

Raise Cost: x1

No Fervor

Effects

• States in the Revolt levels may change Traits without penalty upon first dropping to Revolt.
• States with the appropriate traits (People's Champion, Fanatics) will spawn patriotic militias attempting to preserve order.
• Any stability gain at Revolt-5 raises back to Low-1, no need for a (TERM TBD).
• No ability to deal with hostile groups.
• No espionage defense, your state is a free-for-all for foreign spies.
• Up to 50% of your total assets (units, labs, etc) may refuse your orders and do as they please.
• Positive traits may begin to manifest downsides, like Fanatics killing dissenters, Merchant Marine selling state assets for private gain, etc.
• Client States slip the leash and become overtly self-willed if not outright treacherous.
• Civil war becomes formal after taking any Stability loss past Revolt-1, GM determination of outcome.
• Desperate: never suffers penalties for negotiating with powers that have antithetical values.

Low - The malaise of ill-rule or economic stagnation may be the cause or consequence of low stability. Few people enjoy living in unstable states, where institutions often fail, protests and riots are frequent and the rule of law is either absent or overreaches with a mailed fist, but there are worse places.

[Revolt 5] <-> [Low 1] <-> [Low 2] <-> [Low 3] <-> [Low 4] <-> [Low 5] <-> [Standard 1]

Raise Cost: x1

Fervor: Xd3

Effects

• May Suppress hostile groups with an activity rating 4 or less.
• Espionage vulnerability: all potential mission targets are one 'tier' easier than normal.
• Pragmatic: suffers decreased penalties for negotiating with powers that have antithetical values.

Standard - Business as usual. There may be political protests and civil instability, but it falls within norms and is mostly captured by the flow of normal political energy.

[Low 5] <-> [Standard 1] <-> [Standard 2] <-> [Standard 3] <-> [Standard 4] <-> [Standard 5] <-> [High 1]

Raise Cost: x2

Fervor: Xd6+10

Effects

• May (INSERT TERM) hostile groups with an activity rating under 4 or less.
• May Suppress hostile groups with an activity rating under 7 or less.

High - High stability emerges only when well-situated states suffer an extreme event that crystallizes and homogenizes politics. Opposition becomes loyal, parties merge or form unity cabinets, and the normal internal divisions of a state may be suppressed in order to defeat an external threat. There is frequently something unpleasant or off-putting about the culture of High Stability societies, over-militarized, critical of dissent and full of well-heeled keyboard warriors ready to protect the honor of the motherland through op-eds, memes and endless online debates.

[Standard 5] <-> [High 1] <-> [High 2] <-> [High 3] <-> [High 4] <-> [High 5]

Raise Cost: x3

Fervor: Xd6+25

Effects

• May (INSERT TERM) hostile groups with an activity rating under 7 or less.
• May Suppress hostile groups with any rating.
• Espionage defense: all potential mission targets are one 'tier' harder than normal.
• Yearly Random events are always positive.
• Stability gains over High-5 grant an additional 10 Fervor.
• Difficult to sustain for long. Every 2 years of prolonged 'High' Stability, the state must justify their activity level with another (TERM TDB) or drop back to Standard-3.
• Profoundly ideological: suffers increased difficulties negotiating with powers that have antithetical values.