Talk Elections

Before I explain the game, I wish to say that this is an idea I've had since at least 2001, and also that I've never seen an episode of 'lost' (which started in 2004). Any similarities between this game and that TV show are firstly coincidental, but also, this game will be taking a very radically different path.



The story starts when you, along with 99 others, wake up on a beach. You have an erie feeling, and seem to have memory loss. All you can remember is sitting at your computer, reading a thread on the atlas, and... now you are here? You somehow know, from a feeling, that you are on an island, though there is no evidence of that. You also somehow know, from a feeling, that you are being watched, but again, there is no evidence.

In front of you is the ocean. Salt water. No clouds are visible. To your left and right the beech extends beyond sight and curves back, vanishing behind trees. Behind you, and around you, you can see mountains, or at least rocky hills. Also, very puzzling, there appears to be a large, flat, grass area. In front of it, more confusingly, there is what appears to be a platform or stage of some sort, made out of some kind of hard black material, perhaps some sort of metal or some kind of carbon based material. At the rear of this 'stage' is what appears to be an outhouse, or a small shed.

This is all you know.

I will give people 48/72 hours to register. You play yourself, with all your skills and hindrances. You are only in the clothing you are wearing, your pockets are empty. You are wearing a shirt of some sort, pants of some sort (or if you are a girl, a skirt), and underwear. If you use glasses, you are wearing them. If you use any other devise for normal use (IE you have braces on your teeth, you are in a wheelchair, you have a hearing aid) you have it with you as well.

Once the 48/72 hours passes, the game "begins" and from then, functions in real time. The limits of what you can and cannot do are limited by your imagination, and the laws of physics.

This game will have a maximum of 100 players, but can easily be played with much less. I will simulate the non-player characters, who in general won't speak, and will do as told. If I feel you are stuck and need a hint, they might pipe up.

This is what you can see... sorry for subjecting you all to my bad art.

()

(I don't want to spoil it... but I will seeing as no one has joined yet)

Someone from the group of 100 goes up to the "outhouse"

They find it has a solid metal door that will not open. No handle. There is, however, what looks like a "hand pad". He tried putting his hand there, but nothing happened. He then noticed little holes, perhaps a speaker. He turned towards it and said "Hello?" A deep nearly mechanical voice belted out "WE WILL ONLY SPEAK TO YOUR LEADER"

I would like to play

Excellent.

At this moment you are the "front runner" to become "leader" ;)

Would you be willing to continue as it's only current player? This game will work fine with just 1 player until others join. In fact, it will work fine with none!

Sure

Can I join?

Of course!

Looks like we might have a race on our hands!

The game will "start" tonight.

I expected at least a dozen people to sign up by now :P

So I've decided the following. This round will be called "The Short Round". Not that it will be super-duper short, but it will end at some point in the future, and a new round will start up.

I've also decided that I will guide you much more than I had originally planned to. Hopefully the guidance given in this round will help the start of the next round.

ROUND BEGINS NOW

This looks rather interesting. I just want to observe it a little before deciding whether or not to play.

The person who spoke to the speaker, turns to the others. They all heard the loud announcement. He stands on the edge of the stage and begins to speak.

Some in the crowd roll their eyes, others say at varying volumes things like "Who died and made you king" while others respond "let him speak!"

Over the next hour, Paul spoke to all interested candidates, as well as the two players from above. Paul then again took the stage.


At that moment, the red light on the robotic shack light up, and the door slid open. Some people gasped. Paul slowly walked up and peaked his head inside.

The shack was empty, except for a solid table, made from the same material as the shack itself. It was constructed as a single piece along with the floor. On the table there was one ream of printer paper, and a dozen pencils. Paul took the items and walked out of the shack. The door closed immediately behind him.


Paul then wrote down the ideas that had been presented to him.

"IDEA ONE"
The group will get together and elect a number of their own, starting with 7, to serve as representatives of the entire group. These 7 will then, amongst themselves, pick a leader and decide how the heck we are going to get home.

"IDEA TWO"
Anyone wishing to run for leader will make a speech and speak to the group. After a few hours, we will gather back here and elect a single person to be our leader, who will make all the decisions for all of us so that we can get back home.

"IDEA THREE"
We will split up into 7 smaller groups of a 14 or 15 or so each. Each group will have it's own leader. The 7 leaders will pick amongst themselves who will speak to the robots and get us home.

Some in the group already began to favour one or another option, but others began to ask for a debate. Paul then invited anyone who wished to speak for or against one or another of the ideas to make a speech in favour or against the options above.

One of the leadership contestants took the stage.

What the hell, I'll play.

I take the stage.

"Hi, my name is John. I think all of Paul's ideas are flawed in some way, but I would like to propose an idea of my own."

I take a pencil and a sheet of paper, and write down the following:

"IDEA FOUR"
The group will get together and elect a number of their own, starting with 9, to serve as representatives of the entire group, in a body known as the "Executive Panel." The group will also elect a single person to be our leader, who will be known as the "President." The President makes all of the important decisions for all of us, but his or her decisions can be vetoed by a simple majority vote of the Executive Panel. The President can be deposed by a two-thirds majority of the Executive Panel. The Executive Panel can expel one of its members by unanimous consent of the other members, or by the consent of half of the other members as well as the President. Elections for President and for members of the Executive Panel occur once every two weeks.

As an afterthought, I write down:

"Voting in elections is done by secret ballot."

My turn:

"Hello everyone. My name is Tyler and basically i want to second John's idea. That is all, thank you."

A lot of people are nodding their heads.

Jenny points out that one of the biggest concerns in the begining will be divsion of Labour. What will the 100 people do exactly? This is going to become one of the large issues for the "government" to decide and constantly keep track of.

"I agree, Jenny. Perhaps we should stipulate exactly what responsibilities our "government" will have."

Most people feel "All of them" is the right answer.

"Jenny, Paul, Tyler, what are your opinions on each of the plans submitted so far?"

Jenny likes the plan you submitted and will be voting for  it.

Paul will be abstaining to prevent any accusations of impartiality, but seems to like your plan as well.

"Could you maybe give me a bit more input? Do you think anything's missing or should be changed? Is there anything about my plan that you don't like?

And if anybody else wants to chime in, feel free."

Ralph thinks each member of the panel should have a specific area of expertise; creating a 'cabinet' of sorts. For example the Secretary of Gathering Wood for Fire. Secretary of trying to catch fish. Secretary of making a map to figure out what our Island has on it, etc.

Paul announces that balloting has begun

Paul announces balloting has ended (with only one player proposal, the decision is easy :P )

ONE - 12
TWO - 6
THREE - 18
FOUR - 63
abstain - 1

Seeing as there are only 9 within the group at this time who want to run for leader, the group makes the first election of the executive council unanimous. All players are now on the executive, and any empty spots will be filled by Jenny, Ralph, and other NPC's as needed. Candidates for President have 24 hours to make speeches and try to woo the council to vote for them.

(It would not make sense for a player to be powerless :P that's why this has been done this way)

* Also, it is presumed that once the council elects as President, Paul will take the empty seat.

** Also, players always displace NPCs, so if a new player joins, the NPC will be written out of the scenario as though they had never existed. This is supposed to be a player driven game!

OOC: It seems that you have proceeded while I was writing my post. Before balloting had begun, I wanted to agree with Ralph's proposal for a cabinet, and propose these as the cabinet positions (one for each member of the council).

Secretary of Food and Water: Responsible for hunting, fishing, collecting berries, collecting water, and ensuring that there is enough food and water for everyone.
Secretary of Shelter: Responsible for building shelters and other structures, and for maintaining them.
Secretary of Resources: Responsible for collecting resources not related to food and water, for use as tools, clothing, etc.
Secretary of Defense: Responsible for protecting our community against potential threats, and maintaining the peace within the community.
Secretary of Exploration: Responsible for exploring and mapping the island, and identifying places of interest.
Secretary of Labor: Responsible for evaluating the various talents possessed by each member of the community, and assigning each member to work where their talents are required.
Secretary of Health: Responsible for treating injuries and sicknesses, and promoting the general health of the community.
Secretary of Constituent Services: Responsible for maintaining communication between the community and the government, and addressing the concerns of the people.
Liaison Secretary: Responsible for maintaining communication and cooperation within the government, and serves as Chairperson during meetings of the panel.

It seems you have also misinterpreted part of my plan. My intent was that the people vote for the President, not the council. Also, with the addition of the cabinet, I would have suggested that each cabinet position is an elected office, and that during elections, candidates would specifically indicate their intention to run for whichever cabinet position they preferred.

Assuming that Plan Four is still adopted with these changes, I respectfully decline to run for the Presidency (citing lack of experience), and would run instead for the position of Liaison Secretary.

Of course, the election will be open to everyone. Just wanted to get rolling.

Usually, in life, the less I say the better I do. This game seems to be the exact opposite!!

Note that players above will 'bump' anyone from the below list. Presuming the current pace of players joining remains the same, I don't see all 9 positions being filled by players by the time we really get flying here. Therefore, I am going to "cheat" and name the people who would win the posts if no players run for the spots.

Food and Water - Ralph
Shelter - Ricky
Resources - Chris
Defense - Harry
Exploration - Jenny
Labo(u)r - Paul (spelling is open to both :P to prevent arguments)
Health - Kelly
CS - Tanya



Chris says the department would work with the Department of Exp for the time being, and expects the two to be tied together for a little while.

The Departments of Shelter and DoFaW are already clashing, and are also clashing with Exp, and are asking for Labour to sort it out. Paul says this will be the first thing the new President will have to deal with.

Kelly and Tanya have taken to speaking to members of the group. Many are very concerned as they are on prescriptions and do not have them with them.

Tanya reports that all members of the group speak English. "51 are from the United States, 17 from Britain, 15 from Canada, 11 from Australia, and 6 from elsewhere"; Further that "61 are male, 39 are female"; that "81 are age 25 or younger". Lastly, no one feels sleepy or hungry at this point in time.

Lastly, Paul reports that some members are skilled in some areas, but the bulk of the group is, as he delicately put it, "not quite as skilled". Around 10 members have "extraordinary mental skill" and are "Suited for top government jobs" (Including himself, and fellow executive members of course) while around 15 other members are "physically skilled" including one man who claims he can catch fish with his bare hands, another who claims to be able to lift 1000lbs, and looks it, and a woman who is a "trained cartographer". They have expressed preferences for where to work, but the other 75 or so members are at a loss. Paul calls them "Sheeple" who will need "quite a bit of guidance"


In short, the above gives you a lot of data about what you will be doing, and who will be doing it!

Employment Requests.

Department Name - Employment Request (Volunteers)

DoFaW - 67 (5)
Shelter - 59 (3)
Exploration - 71 (7)
Resources - 6 (2) May need more in the future, needs to find resources first.
Defense - 4 (4) There has been no sign of animals or other people, the department is confidant they'll be fine with only the 4 of em, toughest guys around.

The below are mostly ministerial departments - IE they do not require a large number of "workers"
Labour - 1 (1)
Health - 1 (1)
CS - 1 (1)
Liaison - 1 (1) (you :P )
President - 1 (0)

The below are standing, sitting, thumb twittling, having chats, and/or picking snot out of their nose and looking at it.
Thumb Twittlers - 0 (75)

Would you like to run for President? Someone's gotta do it :P

I'll run

Excellent. If no one else declares they want to play, and, want to run, you will be elected President when I wake up (with a faux race showing the results of some NPC's. You will win at least 60 votes)

If someone else wants to run, it will be a contest :)

If no one else declares candidacy, I vote for Tyler for President.

In my official capacity as Liaison Secretary, I step in to mediate the conflict between DoFaW, Shelter, and Exploration. I ask Ralph, Ricky, and Jenny about their specific grievances, and I also consult Paul, since I am assuming that the major problem is the demand for labo(u)r.

The basis of the argument is which should come first, food, shelter, or exploring to find said.

I state my view that prioritization of jobs should be a Presidential decision, and that Paul is responsible for the actual allocation. I offer my opinion (and I stress that is only an opinion) that exploration should take precedence, at least until we find food, water, and resources. After the Presidential election, I recommend this course of action to the President.

I also encourage Ralph and Ricky to follow Chris' example and work with Jenny in order to find food, water, and shelter.

I agree,  we must figure out what is on the Island before we can use the island to help us, either by work,food, etc.

Heading to bed.

Also remember, that we are not even at sunset on the first day just yet.

Election Results:

Tyler - 63
Jenny - 17
Write In: Vazdul - 7
Write In: Paul - 5
Harry - 2
Ralph - 2
Chris - 1
Kelly - 1
Tanya - 1
Abstain - 1

It appears to be an hour before sunset.

As the results were announced, suddenly, the "outhouse" door slid open, and the speaker announced "TYLER. YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED LEADER. APPROACH US TO COLLECT YOUR ITEMS"

Also, by now, people have began to use terms.

After watching the sun, it's been decided the beach is facing south.

The "outhouse" has become known as the "Robot/Robotic Box" or "The Box"
The group is known to many as "The Tribe" though other members of the group despise that name.

there is always room! Would you like a cabinet position? (The game would be boring for you if you say no :P )

I can be counted among those who despise the name "The Tribe." I prefer to think of us as a "community."

"Tyler, if the robots are willing to talk to you, I suggest you ask them a few questions, such as where we are and why we are here. They might also know something about where food, water, and other resources might be found."

...You there Mr.President? Waiting to see what you do about the door being open :P

I'm gonna have to get this timing thing down. Most of my interactions will be with the President, so I'll have to sync up my online time with his.

From what I gather, his online time is synced up with your sleep time.

I am here, i am ready to talk to the robots if they are ready

In the mean time, I'll take this opportunity to get to know my constituents a little better.

I am going to enter the door since i guess they are ready to talk

You find on the table a large paper bag, inside, a number of pill blister-packs, with names on the back. The robots speak

"THESE ARE THE MEDICATIONS MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY WILL REQUIRE FOR THE NEXT 28 DAYS. YOU WILL GET MORE IN 28 DAYS.

YOU MAY APPROACH US AND ASK US FOR ONE THING EACH DAY. A RESOURCE, ITEMS, OR INFORMATION. WE WILL DECIDE WHAT QUANTITY OF THE ABOVE YOU WILL RECEIVE. YOU MAY ASK US FOR ONE THING TODAY."

Also, I need to ask what times you are most often online so I can better sync up online time with yours.

They are idiots. Sheeple waiting for commands from the government and the top political players.

You've got more information on the community.
You now also know that...
83 are "white", 8 are "east asian", 4 are "african" 3 are "south asian" and 2 are "middle eastern". Of the "white" people, 7 are "hispanic"
49 have black or darn brown hair
26 have lighter brown hair
12 have blonde hair
11 have red hair
2 have grey hair

The oldest member Is Harry. He is 63, and has a number of tattoos. He is the only member with a weapon, a pocket knife. He says he is a former marine, and the tatts back the story up. He lists his interests as "killin", "thrillin" and "grillin"

The youngest member is Bobby. He is 13 "and 3 days". He seems at a loss to be where he is, but he curious and wishes to learn more.

Jenny is 18 and has red hair. She is determined to do more for the community.

Paul is 23 and has experience in civics and politics.


You also are able to figure out that no one is hungry yet, and the weather is very calm and comfortable. Many people are already stretching out on the sand for a sleep.

Hey, I'd be up for playing, in the role of Health minister.

Also, can I back-story a bit and suggest that 'groups formed quickly, based more on nationality than any other clear factor'? It seems likely that groups would form, and nationality seems like an obvious initial point of division.

You are now the health minister!

And no groups of any sort have formed. People are generally waiting for orders from the higher ups. Again, so far, you've only been here for 8 or so hours.

sure, but people are likely to do something other than jkust stand around not talking to anyone, no matter how dumb they are.

Also, as health minister I require those with medical training to make themselves known to me, and those with prescription medications to collect their pills; they will be responsible for the management of their own dosage unless judged mentally unsound. If that is the case, I will ensure they take their pills at appropriate intervals.

I would also ask the President for the following information and supplies from the box, all of which will be needed within a fortnight, in order of importance:

1. Directions for access to a strong supply of clean, potable water. This is absolutely the single most important request to make on the first day.
2. Firemaking equipment. Not only for cooking and warmth, but also for sterilization.
3. First aid supplies. Obvious, really.
4. Insect repellant, mosquito nets and coils, mouse traps and other weapons against vermin and bugs.
5. Surgical supplies. While it is possible to perform surgeries without them, it's a hell of a lot easier with them, and I can gaurantee that if we're out here for longer than 28 days, with this many people in this kind of environment, we'll need it.
6. "Anatomy, Medicine and Surgery for Dummies" (or current, relevant and best-source medical texts, anyway), to ensure those with skills in this area maintain their skill base, and others chan be trained up for use in times of crisis as medics or as nurses.

There are other things that would be good, but those six will give the health area a strong start, and more than almost any other area we cannoty fall behind in health. It's easy to ignore this area, but if you do when a health crisis strikes, the blood will be on your hands.

People are chatting with one another, yes, but no one is making enemies.

One community member is a paramedic.

On your issues:
1 - Some people claim they can hear a river, and are waiting for morning to explore
4 - No bugs have yet been seen

Bedtime for me again.

Prior to the President entering the box, I would second Platypus's suggestion that water would be the most important thing to ask the robots about.

No bugs at all? What kind of climate does this "island" seem to have?

I will ask the robots about all those issues

The robots have mandated that you can only ask one thing per day. Your Health and Liaison Secretaries have suggested that you ask where a source of water may be found first.

Alright, the water issue will be discussed today.

"THERE IS A RIVER TO YOUR EAST, A LAKE TO YOUR NORTHEAST, BOTH ARE CLEAN SOURCES OF POTABLE WATER"

With that, the red light on the top of the box turned off, and you got the sudden feeling that it's time to exit the box.

I exit the door and head outside

Your Labour minister wishes for your guidance in splitting up the community for work tomorrow.

"Mr. President, I recommend that exploration be a top priority until we have found adequate sources of food, water, and other resources."

I agree that we need to start up labor on the island, but we must explore the island beforehand to find good enough resources.

The Labour minister has presented you with the following proposal for labour tomorrow.

Exp - 50
DoFaW - 20 *
Shelter - 17 *
Res - 4 *
Def - 4 *
Labour - 1
Health - 1
CS - 1
Liaison - 1
President - 1

* = will join in the Exp group to explore, upon funding suitable materials, will revert to "standard" job.

The Labour minister proposes that they all set out in some amorphous blob and wander aimlessly.
The Exp minister proposes that they split into three groups, as even as possible, and explore North, East, and West.
DoFaW, hearing that water is to the east proposes to send their 20 people east to find Food and Water
Shelter, noticing threes with small branches and large leafs, propose sending their 17 people North to retrieve those materials.
Both suggest sending the remainder of the group West.
Def proposes sending one defender with each of 3 groups and keeping one behind to protest the Box

Once a decision has been made, everyone will sleep, wake, and begin the next day.

On Climate.

The weather appears to be 21C/72F, and there is a noticeable lack of breeze. It may dip to 18C/64F overnight.

Also, no insects of any sort have been spotted yet, nor have any animals or birds even. No fish have been sighted, but they may be hiding under the water.

What does the Defense Minister have against the box?:P

"I agree with the Exploration Minister that they should split up. I propose that the majority of the workers in the Food and Water Department head in the direction of the water source, but I propose that some go with the other groups. I propose that workers in the Resources Department be spread out evenly amongst the groups, with the extra accompanying the group that heads north. I also agree with the Defense Minister in that a defender should accompany each group, with one remaining behind to guard the box."

Protect sorry :P Then again, Harry is a bit eccentric.

Yeah, he seems like the kind of person who'd think outside the box. Or protest against it.

Alright sounds good

Alright! I press my magic fast forward button and it is now tomorrow!

"Early Reports" - (around 9am)

()

DoFaW has started to bring back the foods found, and is currently placing them on the "Stage" due to lack of other storage area.

Shelter is collecting numerous branches and trying to figure out how to turn this into something of use.

Exploration would like permission to continue both west and east for quite a distance, and to only return at sunset. A small group would also follow the river to the supposed lake.

Actually, I wanna get movin, so pretend they never came back, and at sunset, came back with this:

()

As sunset approached, it got hazy, and the distance could not be seen.

DoFaW wants more employees to gather the found foods
Shelter also wants more employees to gather branches and find some way to build them into shelter (So far they have been failing miserably)
Exploration is alright with losing a few people. They want to send a main party to explore the mountain early in the morning and make a map of the entire island, which they feel is visible from up there, then have them return with the map before deciding where to send people for the afternoon.

Bedtime.

When I wake/get to work, I will compile a list of box requests from the CS

Also, what would you like to ask for from the box today

Can we have an approximate scale for the map? About how far is it from the stage to the lake? How about from the coast to the "other island?" From the point farthest west that we've explored to the point farthest east that we've explored? It looks as though so far we have a beach, a coastal plain, a forest, and a large area of rocky hills. Is that accurate?

"I would like to propose that our settlement be built on the coastal plain along the river. I agree that the Department of Exploration should be slimmed down to provide more employees for DoFaW, Shelter, and Resources. I also agree with Exploration's proposal to explore the mountain."

Alright, a settlement will be built by the river.

Your ministers suggest waiting for tomorrow to see the whole island first. What is your Box request?


I have a scale map done up, but it only going to be viewable to you if you guys explore the mountain top :P


As above (recommend waiting until you see the full map)

As well, people have begun to notice the "stage" seems to be sinking. When they arrived it had 5 steps, 4 when they set out, 3 when they returned, and now it only has 2, and is nearly level with the ground!

I ask the defender who guarded the box about the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the stage.

"Mr. President, I recommend for your Box request to be one that would help the Shelter Department make some progress toward building shelters. I believe that that is currently our most pressing need."

I also announce that I will be convening a meeting of the Cabinet at sunset the day after tomorrow, in the area of the stage (if it still exists by then). I request that all Cabinet Ministers attend. The purpose of the meeting will be to keep each other abreast of the progress made in each department, and to draft a set of recommendations which I will then present to the President on the Cabinet's behalf.

My box request is for help with finding supplies to make shelters that are stable for living conditions and can survive the weather.

The box gives you a giant spool of twine.


Harry says he thought it was just his "Maginashin actin up" Regardless, the stage may vanish by sunrise.

Fast Forward!

Sunrise.
The stage is nowhere to be seen. The Box is sitting in grass. It appears undamaged. Noted at the bottom, is a square "bar" around the entire bottom of the Box. Harry and his pals try to lift it, and after some help, are able to conclude that if 20-30 community members wanted to, they could lift and carry the box to a new location.

Shelter is using the twine to build temporary shelters and are finally successful. They, however, suggest finding a more permanent location for a settlement.

Explorers return from the Mountain. They report that it is a Volcano! They also have drawn a map of the Island, and it is huge!!

()

After reports that the current location may be within a lava flow plane, there are strong suggestions to move. To where, however, is not settled.

()

Exploration wants a central location along the southern coast. They believe from here they can best explore the various areas of the Island, and as well, best sail to other islands.

Defence wants a location that is on a small bay, saying it would be easiest to defend from attacks from the sea.

Resources wants a northerly location along the west coast. They have suspicions from sightings of "glimmering" that the mountains here may contain ores that can be mined.

Shelter and DoFaW both want locations in the lee of the volcano and mountain. Here rainfall and stormy winds should be reduced but not eliminated. DoFaW prefers a shore location where fishing can occur, but Shelter prefers a location where the river forks at a ford.

Not good. Before weighing in with my opinion, I ask for an estimate as to how long it would take to move ourselves, the resources we have collected so far, and the Box to each of the proposed locations.

I think either the shelter or DoFaW's ideas are the best, i will leave the decision up to everyone to make but it is quite clear we need to move before the Volcano erupts.

I'd like to recognise that from a health perspective, we need ready access to clean, fresh water that doesn't easily become brackish, so an inland location would be preferable. That said, it must be close to food sources including the sea. If a site can be found along the stretch between the DoFaW and Shelter sites, that is easily defended, I would support such a site wholeheartedly. The locations suggested by Exploration and Resources are both irresponsible and any of the other suggestions would have my support against either of these proposals.

I think that Shelter's proposal is the best.  It is a central location that is not too far from various resources. At the same time, however, it is quite far away from our current location. The people are probably quite tired and may be unwilling to move a long distance, especially considering that we would want to bring our current supplies (not to mention the Box) along as well. It may be in our best interests to grit our teeth and find a suitable (if not ideal) location that is relatively close by.

How long would our current supplies of food and water last?

There is enough of both lying around that people can pick and go. So, at this time, forever.

I ask again for an estimate of how long it would take (if we take everything, including the Box) to move to the proposed sites (I'm most interested in the site proposed by Shelter).

I'd say we should come up with a schedule for moving once we find the site

I agree with that course of action, Mr. President.

It would take a full day to make the move to either proposed site.

"I think that we are up to the task, and I officially recommend that we move to the site suggested by the Department of Shelter."

I agree with ir, but the site should be moved halfway between the two. If not we can go with the Shelter's plan

The move has begun

(fast forward)

Advance scouts report the river is very deep, and the location between the two is on a flat plain and is not ideal for settlement. The river fork is dotted with trees, and is at a height of land over areas to the south and west.

Doesn't Tyler get a box request for the travel day?

If the area between the two proposed sites is unsuitable, then I prefer the river fork to the coastal area. I believe that the fork is close enough to the sea so that fishing and exploration to other islands will be possible in the future. I think the inland site is superior due to its closer location to potential resources, namely forests and rocky hills. I also think that being on higher ground, the river fork is suitable from a defense perspective. The rivers can also be used as a natural barrier.

He does, its not sunset yet. And the community has started to set up at the fork, but is able to change if the President vetos it.

Seeing as he is offline, I will move on with this in mind.


As you arrive, advance scouts report that 50 people are found lying on the rock! Upon waking them, you find that they, like you a few days ago, have no clue how they ended up where they are. They are absorbed into the existing community.

The box is set down at the centre of the fork. A request may be made.

()

I will join! :)

As we discussed, you'll be minister of Labour. You can be one of the new 50. Paul steps aside so that someone from the new group can be in Cabinet.

we need to dig a hole 8ft by 9ft deep. put the mud in there and mix it with water. We need someone with glasses to use them to start a fire. then we should start making bricks. I suggest around this platform to make our government building. then i suggest we go outwards. and have  water ducts made out of brick as well. just a thought.

People have started mixing mud. However, the community does not have the proper supplies to create a fire right now and it is too dark to look for more.

"Mr. President, I recommend that you ask the box for first aid supplies."

I spend a while mingling with the new population. I ask Annie a few specific questions- how long have they been here? Do they know anything about the surrounding areas? Have they had contact with the robots? Do they have any sort of leadership structure in the sense that we do? I also share information with them, including our map and details of our system of "government."

They just woke up, so they know as much as you did when you woke up. They are mingling with the existing community, and seem to be getting along fine. Most have no problem in "going with the flow" and hence, joining your current system of government.

Shelter reports that using the twine, and their teeth to cut it, they have been able to connect a number of the largest leafs, and string it up from and between various trees near the river bank. They have, thusly, created a leaf "tarp" covering some 40 feet by 40 feet. Thus allowing people to sleep outside of the rain.

However, it is not raining. The climate has been fairly consistent, but raising in temperature. For the first time since arrival, clouds can be spotted in the distance, far in the west. Prevailing winds may blow them eastwards towards the islands.

Sir, I have only encountered them today. They say that it is to risky to live near the water and bad to live near the volcano. They have the sort of government indians have. They don't believe in private property and they have a head honcho.

Other new members of the community say Annie has an active imagination :P

(Note, that you can speak for yourself, but only the GM can speak for NPCs)

I saw we send Annie and two respected members to this "Area" and figure out if this is the truth or not.

It is not

Sorry Grammar error. I was replace saw with say.

What area are you talking about anyway? And what do you plan to investigate.

What Annie was talking about

When's the next Presidential election? Cripes.

As I see it, our current status is this:

1. We have sufficient food and water.
2. We have a strong basic understanding of the island, on which we have seen no evidence of other people.
3. We are beginning to build our shelter at the new site, by making mud bricks and thatched roofs.
4. Those with prescription medication have claimed their pills and a schedule of who needs what has been drawn up.

So, the next steps are about making us safer and more comfortable, but most of the basics have been met. I suggest to the President that he requests a well-stocked first aid kit in the coming days, and to the defence and labour ministers that building some kind of protective wall or fence around the settlement should be a focus of our effort for the next few days. As health minister, I also have a strong interest in safety and therefore would urge the President to listen to the advice of Defence and build d fence.

What animals are on this island?

Both the coast and Volcano look fine according to scouts. There are also no "natives" to the island to be found anywhere.

oh ok!!!! :)

None have been seen yet.

Nevermind then

Anyway, when i get to the box i will request a first aid kit.

I think we should wait until everyone agrees on the sight to build a wall of some sort.

You are provided with one of these
http://www.e-firstaidsupplies.com/first-aid-kit-82.html
fully equipped and stocked.

I tell the box thanks and leave.

fast forward.

I will be summarizing events to this point so new players can jump right in.

The Labour minister (annie) will need to divide up the workload for tomorrow. People are satsified with the current location and have a desire to build a settlement on the site. DoFaW beleives that some of the land in the area is perfect for farming, and they plan to bury some berry seeds to see if they can grow anything.

CS has been compiling a large list of citizen box requests that will be posted here in a little bit.

Alright, the wall can began to built if the minster agrees. We also need to plan out some areas for farming.

I request two people from the pool in addition to myself and the trained paramedic for tomorrow, to train up in basic first aid. I would also ask the labour minister for the paramedic to be permanently set alongside myself as a health worker, and for defence to send one of their members for basic medic training at some point in the future, but that will not be necessary in the short term. I'd also request shelter to build a medical treatment room once the wall and housing areas are built; we need a sterile and purpose-built area for medical issues. Once health has a strong setup, we will need very little from other ministries and the box, but it is important that we get the foundations for health laid early, in case of medical emergencies.

i agree.

I propose the following as the layout for our city:

()

Government buildings on and near the rocky outcropping, near the box. Food storage to the southeast, near the berry bushes. Farming farther to the southeast, outside of the city proper. The main residential area on the north side of the river. The medical treatment facility in a central location convenient to both the residential area and the government buildings, and not too far from the farmland. Storage for other resources on the southwest bank, nearer to the presumed location of those resources. Leave some space for future development.

I ask the opinions of the other ministers, particularly FaW, Resources, Shelter, and Health, before offering my proposal to the president.

Sounds good

i would prefer if the government building were in the center of the the town. other than that looks good.

I am broadly in favour of this, although I suggest maybe that the residential buildings should be somewhat spread out, maybe three clusters? If we were to be attacked, we would most likely suffer less losses if things got bad. I would suggest therefore that the residential and medical areas on the northern side be swapped, and that small residential areas be built to the south of the rocky outcrop and in the area marked for future development.

That said, there would be inconveniences to such a split so I would understand an initial build phase occurring on the northern bank.

I elect to participate and I'll have what he's having.

People actually are supportive of breaking up the settlement into three groups, each taking one edge of the fork. The Ford is shallow and easy to cross


Sure, pick a cabinet post (that's not currently played by a player) and it is yours. I suggest CS.

"Monday"
100 people wake up on a beach of some strange Island. No one else can be seen. They try to figure out what the hell is going on. There is a strange magic box the size of a small shack that has a robotic voice. Every day it will dispense one thing (information, item, etc) based on the request of the leader of the group.

They decide to form a democratic government.

A President is at the top

There is a 9 member Cabinet, that also serves as an Executive Council. 2/3rds of the members can depose the president if needed. Members can be tossed from the council by a unanimous vote of other members, or, half plus the president. The positions are...
DoFaW - Department of Food and Water
Shelter
Res - Resources
Defence
Exp - Exploration
Labour (Annie)
Health (Hugh)
CS - Constituent Services
Liaison (John)

Monday's box request was for drinking water - The box informed that rivers on the island contain drinkable water.

"Tuesday"
Tuesday's Labour division was as follows:

Exp - 50
DoFaW - 20 *
Shelter - 17 *
Res - 4 *
Def - 4 *
Labour - 1
Health - 1
CS - 1
Liaison - 1
President - 1

Part of the Island was explored, including part of a mountain.

The box provided a giant spool of twine.

"Wedensday"
Exp reported that the Island is huge, and the current location is possibly in the volcano's path.

Everyone moved to the new site

The box provided a top-notch first aid kit.

A decision was made to settle at the new location, at the fork in the river.

50 new people are found, none of whom know what the heck is going on. They joined the community.



We are now at "Thursday"

Bearing in mind the advice given to me by my colleagues, I amend the city layout proposal to the following:

()

Space dedicated to future develoment will be spread rather evenly among the three wards. While I support the people's decision to be spread out among the three banks, I encourage the newer members of our community to integrate themselves with the older members. It would disturb me if the newer members felt that they needed a ward for themselves.

Once again, I ask for the opinions of other Cabinet members.

New members have integrated well, and the division is not based on that. In general, many of the women are sticking together, as well, many americans are, however there is spill over in all ways, and there is no clear "division" of any sort within the community.

Labour deputy minister suggests the following to the Labour minister:
Exp - 20
DoFaW - 38
Shelter - 38
Res - 4 (to be tied with exp, to find resources)
Def - 14 (extra for training)
Labour - 1
Health - 12 (for training)
CS - 1
Liaison - 1
President - 1

The Liaison Secretary announces that, in light of our recent move, the Cabinet meeting scheduled for this evening will be postponed to "Friday" at sunset, in the area of the rocky outcropping.

Ok, I pick that one.

this is reasonable. I agree.

a toothbrush
a lighter
maxi pads
cups
a pot
forks, knives, spoons
hammer, nails, saws, tools in general
pots and pans
toothbrushes, combs, soap
a bottle of whiskey

ask it to send us home

tents
more paper
an axe
weapons, maybe guns
ask it to make a second box
some toothbrushes
a survivalist guide
lighter fluid
a mug, or mugs
ask it why we are here
a saw
some beer
my laptop
soap
pain killers
a large pot
a million dollars
some pets would be nice
a solar oven
sleeping bags
a thermometer and a barometer
binoculars
a boat
kerosene
toothbrushes
scissors
red bull
drinking glasses
pocket knives
ask it to send us an expert survivalist
gold, lots of it
solar panels with power plugs, to power things we can ask for later
plywood
a katana
10,000 dimes, to use as the base of our new currency
wheat seeds
a megaphone
salt
ask it where we are

The above is taken from a list provided to CS from the residents (IE me)

Also, the game will "progress" tonight. You all can chat to then.

Are the requests in bold the secretary's recommendations, or those most commonly requested by the people?

"Mr. President, as much as I would like to go home, I don't think that it's a very realistic possibility, otherwise why would they take us here in the first place? If there are no truly pressing needs, however, it would be nice to know where we are and why we are here."

Those are my personal feelings about what's most important. After all, none of it matters if we get where we were.

I also would like to know why we are here. With no urgent needs, it's time to satisfy a bit of curiosity.

We have to stay here since we are forced, but i think we should focus on getting everything working right hen i will ask why we are here

yes along with the 5 W's.

Results of the day:

Construction has started on mud huts, and branch-and-leaf huts, and a city wall, but things are going very slowly. Extra "mud pits" are being dug.

A fire has been built on the rocks.

Explorers have not found anything of use today, but will be exploring the northern mountains tomorrow.

Shelter has a proposal for building "apartment units" that they will detail shortly.

The weather has begun to change, it was warm today, and the wind has become noticeable. A few small clouds were noted overhead. Still no bugs or animals to be seen.

If any changes are to be made to Labour, please note.

Please note any box requests.

I will ask the box for Toiletries, Soap and Shampoo for the folks on the island

don't forget conditioner.

I suggest to the Minister of Shelter that residential construction should be the number one priority. I request for myself a centrally-located mud hut in the South Ward, but I stress that there is no rush. I'm willing to "rough it" for a while longer.


And toothpaste.

The box responds "YOU WILL NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC"

a talking box!! :o

Shelter's current plan is to use the mud to build "apartment buildings"

They would be in units of 10, with the mud walls being only on the inside, the outside being lined by leafs. They would be one-room huts, but would work in the interim until everyone can get their own real hut.

They'd look something like this:

|    |    |    |    |    |
----------------------
|    |    |    |    |    |

5 such buildings each in each of the three wards.

Next on the list would be a "government centre" in the southern ward to give the government a place to work.

Okay The people would like Crest Toothpaste, Suave Shampoo, Speed stick and Dove Deodorant, and Toilet paper.

and oxy face wash.

headdesk

After you said "toothpaste" the box created 10 tubes of Crest Toothpaste

"That's all you got, Mr. President? 10 tubes of toothpaste for 150 people? That'll be gone by tomorrow! Obviously we cannot rely on the box for our toiletry needs. I recommend you get Resources working on some sort of improvisation."

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
The box starts to emit a loud alarm of some sort!
People are running around confused.

Feels like there is an earthquake!
the sun is beginning to get dark!!

A girl is running and crying, she falls to the ground and yells "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST ASK FOR COLGATE!!!"

Someone looks up
"IN THE SKY!" he shouts

Everyone looks up.
They notice the sky is full of a swarm of bugs!

No wait

It's not bugs it's...
getting bigger?

Something is falling!
... A lot of things!

"RUN!!!" someone yells, as people begin to scatter, but it is too late!
Items, hundreds if not thousands of them begin to rain down on the people!! Most items miss hitting people, many do hit people, but are small. Some are hit by "toothbrushes" and "pennies" others by "bars of soap". Some are injured by the raining supplies, and a few severely.

The box loudly announces
"WE HAVE DECIDED TO SPEED UP OUR EXPERIMENT. THESE ARE YOUR NEW SUPPLIES"

A full accounting of injuries and items will be taken shortly!

Those with injuries, please make your way to the box for treatment. These new supplies should be kept at communal stores and used only when necessary. Also, I suggest the President is less spurious with his requests in future.

Injuries:

91 "impacts" - people reporting being hit by falling items. Of those, the worst reported injury was:
51 "hits" - no visible injury. Patients feel fine.
28 "small cuts" - will heal on their own
12 "More serious injuries" - as detailed below:
MODERATE:
Forehead gash on Harry. He shrugs it off and says he'll be fine.
Sprained ankle, while diving for cover.
Eye injury. Took a toothbrush in the eye. Paramedic reports it will heal itself.
Scraped knees and palms. Bleeding, but should heal on it's own.
Serious impact to the back, missed organs and bones, will leave a large bruise
Stab wound, arm. Knife was removed. Wound should heal itself with care.
Dislocated shoulder. Paramedic has "re located" it, but it will be painful for days

SERIOUS:
Broken leg, requires splint
Fractured skull, took a hammer to the head, will require observation
Broken wrist, requires split. Patient is in pain.
Impalement, A spear though the calf. Someone will need to "operate" to remove without causing further damage

CRITICAL:
Jenny was hit, blade side, with two axes, and is bleeding profusely. The Paramedic is tending to her, along with some trainees in the health department.

Items:

200 toothbrushes
200 tubes of toothpaste
35 Axes
50 Hammers
2,500 nails
100 2 by 4s (some are broken)
250 sheets of plywood (most are broken)
60 tubes of builders adhesive
30 tubes of super glue
30 reams of paper
250 pens
250 pencils
100 glass mugs (all broken)
100 plastic cups (none broken)
50 solar panels (many damaged)
15 laptop computers (all damaged in some way)
400 rolls of toilet paper
250 bars of soap
100 reusable shaving razors
50 tins of shaving foam
50 pots (most dented)
50 pans
100 ceramic dinner plates (all broken)
35 small LCD flashlights (including batteries)
5 pocket radios (including batteries)
20 BBQ grills (most severely damaged)
50 bags of charcoal briquettes
25 hand saws
15 pickaxes
25 machetes
10 electric hand drills
10 chisels
5 heavy duty anvils
1 book "How to build an iron smelting furnace for dummies"

and more! People are still collecting items...

we need anaesthesia.

20 pairs of scissors
5 scalpels
5 stethoscopes
5 adzes
10 pitchforks
5 rakes
25 shovels
15 brooms
30 brushes (paint?)
25 pliers
5 sledgehammers
15 compasses (magnetic)
15 compasses (geometric)
5 ladders
25 suits of chain mail
15 sabers (swords)
5 katanas (swords)
25 bows (for bow and arrows, some broken)
25 crossbows
200 arrows
1 book "Archery for dummies"
15 uh... er... well it has a bunch of electric plugs on three edges, and on the other edge, wires with plugs, that appear to fit into the solar panels. Maybe they allow us to plug in our hand drills and laptops to the solar panels or something?

And people are still finding things!

(PS if you guys have ideas for basic supplies, PM me, and if I like it, I'll add it to the list)

Note that I decided to speed things up - one of the benefit of this being a beta version - I realized you need some tools to start up the process, and I'd rather get them out of the way than wait days and days for all the proper requests to come in.

I'm not requesting anything if it's just going to fall on my head!

we need a bin so the box can drop stuff in the bin.

Anything that you come up with will be added to the list of items that already fell. I'll give you guys another day or half-day :P

I just asked for basic supplies. I did not predict that the box would try to hurt everyone on the island.

Well, now that the initial shock is over, I guess I'll see what I can do to help out in the health department.

"Mr. President, in light of the recent incident, I recommend that we make no further contact with the box unless it is absolutely necessary. We have enough basic supplies to get by. If this is going to happen every time we ask for supplies, then the cost far outweighs the benefit."

Note that the Box did not dump goods on you because of anything you did or did not ask for.

I realize this, but my character probably thinks that the box is angry at us because we asked for too much. At the very least, I would recommend to the President that he explicitly tell the box never to drop things on our heads again.

We will just ask the box for things we really need

headdesk again. Actually, someone should build me a desk.

Why don't you ask for one? It might fall out of the sky and hit someone on the head.

A very large number of coins fell, People are starting to give them colloquial names (shown in brackets)
48,000 Canadian Dimes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dime_(Canadian_coin)) (Farthings)
12,000 American Pennies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(United_States_coin)) (Pennies)
1,000 UK two pounds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_pounds_(British_coin)) (Shillings)
50 Australian 50 cent coin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_50_cent_coin) (Pounds)
1 Desk. Nearly hit hugh in the head, broken.
10 bottes, each of 200 extra strength ibuprofen (Nurofen/Advil)
1 bottle of 200 aspirin with codeine

The final list of "things found" will come tonight, then we will continue moving forward

*hoards money and awaits further instruction*

we need to distribute the money to each citizen equally. we need a bank. the president should hold all the money. each citizen get $10 a day when they help us move our town forward in development.

I propose that the Secretary of Labo(u)r should act as Banker and Government Treasurer.

I'll be making a massive post in a few hours! As well checking to see if I missed any items.

Sorry, internet died today :( slight delay

...waiting...

CS Makes motion to give emergency power to him.

As of this time, I vote against the motion.

i agree. i think teddy needs to put his update thingy in first. then we can discuss.

Furthermore, in my official capacity as Liaison Secretary, I encourage greater cooperation between the branches of government in this time of crisis.

I agree

Due to the nature of Jenny's injury, it seems clear that, even in a best case scenario, she will be unable to serve in her official capacity as Secretary of Exploration. I move that we formally expel her, and hold a special election to replace her for the remainder of her term.

also i suggest the government helps her fit into her new routine with financial help till she can find a job to help her.

oops, um, right, uh lol.

Okay, we will be moving on. I just need to get back into the swing of things

Are there any thoughts and/or feedback on the game so far?

I think it's very good so far. My only complaint is that I currently wish to move on.

Can I join?

No, because due to a lack of time, I may have to end this game prematurely.

I now have a much better understanding of how the game would be played, so thank you for this, it is invaluable. I've also learned that I need to spend A LOT more time preparing the island before I begin a game. I also need to figure out ways for you guys to get your hands on resources. I will begin the next round with everyone having tools, specifically, hatchets. You can do pretty much anything with the right hatchet. It can be an axe, a hammer, a weapon, etc.

Anyways, we do not have to stop this round, but my time being limited, there may be a wait before things pick up again.

That's a shame. It seems that things were just getting interesting. Anyway, I had fun playing, and I'd be more than happy to play again if you ever get this up and running again.

Well, i had fun playing

ditto.

I've decided to merge this idea with another game idea