Depression Era America

[afleitch]

Too many ideas, but what the hell I'll bring back this one.

The idea would be similar to Atlasia, only the setting is perhaps the late 20's and follows real events, maybe moving on two months every week (6 weeks to a year?) First off it would need a moderator. Secondly we would need a government apparatus, perhaps lifted and modified from Atlasia.

It would be interesting to have parties and politicians, but also union bosses and perhaps mafioso to stir thing up a bit. Obviously political platforms would be based on the big issues of the time; prohibition, depression, racism etc. As the game progresses, we respond to international and domestic events eventually including the threat of fascism and, much later, war.

Having just said all this it would need dozens of active participants so perhaps one for the backburner?

[Colin]

This really sounds interesting. Would a fascist party be allowed? I've always thought that would be rather cool to portray.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Can I be the Segregationist Party?

[afleitch]

This really sounds interesting. Would a fascist party be allowed? I've always thought that would be rather cool to portray.

I don't see why not. Of course it would be likely to be heavily (and probably illegally) supressed. Then again Italian Fascism was relatively successful around this time and any distance between a US Fascist Party and what developed in Germany would probably be beneficial.

I think it would be good to start things at the crash and keep going. We would probably need a govt in place when it starts, similar to the US. Would a Roosevelt arise?

One attribute that would have to be carefully monitored are peoples 'positions' which would have to be adjusted to the time it was set. So for example I would probably be a North East Republican who maybe has a harder time of things getting elected as a Catholic.

Al would be excellent as a union boss in my opinion

[Gabu]

This sounds like it could be cool.

[Sibboleth]

I'm interested

After all, being a John L Lewis type might be fun

[afleitch]

I'm interested

After all, being a John L Lewis type might be fun

I would be very much in favour of retaining a 'realist' aspect. It may be best, after a 'launch' to jump straight into the 1928 election of course that could result in a Democrat winning, or 'impose' a Republican president, not necessarily Hoover like to run things. As for the speed of the game, I think we would have to get through a year in at least a month, to allow for elections every 2 months and Presidentials every four. As for 'positions', I would support multiple positions, such as say union  bigwig and Senator at least for now.

Of course it would be 'Atlasia 2', as applying similar offices helps with familiarity (and no point reinventing the wheel) Hopefully it could run alongside Atlasia, with people involved in both as very similar or indeed very different characters.

First off, if anyone has ideas I'd like to hear them, and try and establish a fexible structure for the game.

Secondly a moderator(s) is important, but as they are simply reporting past events much of the time within a shortened timescale it should be a non partisan job, so I would expec to see them in public office should they wish.

Thirdly, if a skeleton can be created I will try and get it advertised in the main Atlasia forum.

[ilikeverin]

I would be interested.  Does the race need a Huey Long or a Al Smith more?

[DanielX]

Hmm, could a candidate blaming the Depression on bad Federal Reserve policy and high tariffs and running on a small-government platform have a place?

[PBrunsel]

Interesting idea!

I would like to be Herbert Hoover of course.

[afleitch]

Interesting idea!

I would like to be Herbert Hoover of course.

We may just have to install you as President then

[Sibboleth]

Of course it would be 'Atlasia 2', as applying similar offices helps with familiarity (and no point reinventing the wheel) Hopefully it could run alongside Atlasia, with people involved in both as very similar or indeed very different characters.

One thing that could be done easier than in Atlasia would be to have NPC's of some sort if there's a shortage of people for some positions or something.

First off, if anyone has ideas I'd like to hear them, and try and establish a fexible structure for the game.

A couple.

One very important (perhaps the most important) thing would be to establish a few boundaries over timescale (so the game would end at the onset of the Second World War, say), which is perhaps obvious, but... there's also a need to eliminate the use of hindsight (especially important as regards the actions of our "Hoover" actually) and of "obvious" fixes to the Depression dreamed up by academics writing decades later.
I think great care has to be taken over the impact of a few individuals over the course of history; most events that happend in real life would have to happen here as well, else things would get silly.
I'm not suggesting that in a killjoy way, quite the reverse actually.

[Sibboleth]

A Six Region map (ignore the names, better ones can be found I'm sure)...



Mostly based on economic and political stuff of the time.

If we have five regions (like in the other place), then the Seaboard one would go (with Maryland and Delaware going to the South, and New York and New Jersey merging (with New England) into a North East region).

To explain the reasons (& etc) for each region...

The West is kinda obvious really.

As is the South.

The Industrial region includes America's main coalfields and a large proportion of the traditional manufacturing (now "rust") belt.

The Seaboard is based around the ports of New York and Baltimore, while New England is another obvious one (even if Boston had more in common, politically, with New York than with Maine or Vermont).

The division between the South and Northeast (if five rather than six) is fairly obvious, even if Delaware voted for Hoover in '32.

The Mid-West sort of picks up the left-overs in some ways, but there's a certain logic to it methinks.

[Colin]

Okay a few suggestions on the map that Al posted.

Rename the West to the Pacific, it just sounds nicer.

Midwest should be renamed Great Plains or The Plains.

PA should be placed with Seaboard and renamed the Mid-Atlantic.

Industrial should either be called the Mid-West or Great Lakes region.

[Sibboleth]

PA should be placed with Seaboard and renamed the Mid-Atlantic.

I did think of that, but most of PA at that time had an economy dominated by manufacturing, and allied industries such as coal, rather than the more mixed economies in New York and so on.
Politically as well there's reasons for it; the area around Pittsburgh was  similer (in most respects) to major industrial centres to the west of it, while Philadelphia's politics at the time seem to have been very unusual and quite unlike New York's or even Baltimore's.

Your names are better than mine though

[bullmoose88]

With the map...why divide it along state lines? That might help in the case of PA

[afleitch]

I'm with you Al on the 'realist' aspect of things; hence the need for a moderator. It would be very important for real life issues to take precedence over what path we had decided to take. Certain reactions to events , that are too 'modern' should not be encouraged. As for a time limit, I don't see why things can continue if the game proves popular, into WW2 - what we could see is an escalation of the game 'speed' until the post-war era which to me is just as interesting as the depression. But thats perhaps thinking too far ahead!

[Sibboleth]

As for a time limit, I don't see why things can continue if the game proves popular, into WW2 - what we could see is an escalation of the game 'speed' until the post-war era which to me is just as interesting as the depression. But thats perhaps thinking too far ahead!

If the game is a success, it might be better to finish it at the beginning of the War, and then start a new game based on the Post-War situation (but with the same general rules and so on).

More on this later.

[Hashemite]

I'm interested.

[afleitch]

As for a time limit, I don't see why things can continue if the game proves popular, into WW2 - what we could see is an escalation of the game 'speed' until the post-war era which to me is just as interesting as the depression. But thats perhaps thinking too far ahead!

If the game is a success, it might be better to finish it at the beginning of the War, and then start a new game based on the Post-War situation (but with the same general rules and so on).

More on this later.

I see what you mean, otherwise it becomes essentially a 'military sim' for a number of years. If we had a restart, it should take us through to the civil rights era and beyond. As for 'characters' some could overlap or simply be reborn as 'Jr' or 'II'

I'm going to gut the Atlasian Constitution of 'modern' input and ideals and tweak the structure. People should already be familiar with it, so after a period of character creation, party structures etc alongside a moderator we should be ready to start late June early July.

If anyone can draw up an 'issues' guide, like farming, prohibition, etc ( a bit like the Matrix )that people can score themselves it would be helpful.

[bullmoose88]

Perhaps, it would be interesting if we didnt allow self selecting...but if someone created a rather decent ideology test which could allow the moderators to sort people...(given state leanings and national party breakdowns)...

I say that because some tension could be fun in that people didn't pick where they thought they were best (and we wouldnt end up with the same people on the board joining the same parties as they are here)...

It would also result in both parties having a libertarian, populist, conservative, and liberal wings (with different strengths of course)...and thus, more tension, ideological and "personal"

[12th Doctor]

Can I be Communist Radicals... or Fascists?

[afleitch]

Okay here goes. I've went through and edited some parts of the Atlasian Constitution. I've not focused on government structure as such, but on powers and principles. All parts deleted have been strucken out, for easy clarification. I've started with the Preamble and Article VI.

Preamble

We the People of the United States of America, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, support equality for all forum members and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Republic of Atlasia.

Article VI

Should be replaced, where not already replicated, by the constitutional amendments of the US from the 1st to the 19th (including the 18th)

The Child Labor Amendment (approved by Congress in 1924), would for the purposes of the game, be on the table (even though some states had ratified it) for each region to vote on early in the game. It's best for amendments to be voted on promptly rather than have votes held at will.

[True Federalist]

Unless we're going to have regional offices I think we could do with more than 6 regions.  Also Oklahoma in that time period is more like an upper South than a Great Plains state politically, so if we have just 6, it belongs in Dixie.

[afleitch]

Unless we're going to have regional offices I think we could do with more than 6 regions.  Also Oklahoma in that time period is more like an upper South than a Great Plains state politically, so if we have just 6, it belongs in Dixie.

I'm hoping that we do have regional offices; though they may be impractical if the uptake is small (hence the advertising ) You make a valid point about Oklahoma - it's important to make sure cultural and economic ties are consistent, though the emphasis is on economics as thats really the main issue at this time.

Should this birdie not fly I'll propose a Post-War to Vietnam version.