10 Tips on Building a Successful Nation in Statecraft

1. Don't be an asshole.

Dat lustrous glow.

It's funny how power messes with people's heads, even when the power is just over a fictional country. They might seem nice, then all of a sudden they're like Bilbo Baggins flipping his shit when Frodo shows him the ring. Even though you can pretend you are Putin and that you can kill twenty polar bears by flexing your left pectoral, you will quickly find out that Putins, even simulated ones, don't make many friends. And in order to do well you're going to need all the friends you can get when some rampaging imperialist comes along and decides that he can turn the international community against you and justify an invasion.

Everyone's looking for a reason to expand; don't give them the opportunity to do so in the name of justice.

2. Remember that in Statecraft, self-interest necessitates cooperation

And my axe!

You want to win. Everyone wants to win. You can't do that alone, or without working closely with other countries to build that international system. Although you have your own objectives, you will often be reliant on others to help you achieve those goals, especially for things like self-defense. The international system has to be built on trust; without it, your country is friendless and hopeless.

In order for your country to succeed, the international system must also succeed. The only exception is when one conqueror takes over the world, but Statecraft is not Middle-Earth. Global domination is not a viable strategy going into the game. You should try to build trust with any and all countries, and cut off any who commit actions that make them untrustworthy. A country without integrity will not survive.

3. Socialize with your government and other governments.

Your problem, Gandalf, is that you're insufficiently white.

Get to know your group, your allies and your competitors quickly. You will be spending a lot of time with your group outside of class, so you should all try to feel comfortable talking to each other. It makes policy discussions more fruitful. Find and locate allies whose help will be mutually beneficial. Start paving the way for non-aggression pacts by exchanging embassies. Try to establish embassies with as many people as possible initially to determine what their grand strategy is. If you decide you don't like their grand strategy, close the embassy and look elsewhere for friends. If they seem cooperative, establish a non-aggression pact.

 Avoid alienating groups simply because they have gone the route of communist totalitarian or dictatorship, as such nations will be invaluable if diplomacy starts turning ugly. Do not, under any circumstances, practice isolationism; it hurts your score along with everyone else's. Channel your role-playing abilities from DnD and actively participate in international organizations.

4. Plan your actions well in advance. 

"No army has ever breached the deeping wall or set foot inside the Hornburg." - Théoden

Make end-game plans immediately to ensure you are focused on the win condition and nothing else. Aim for the Global Goals first, then Country Development Goals, then Competitive Country Goals. Establish what Big Projects and technologies you want to build and research, respectively, and ensure that your goals are distinct from that of your allies. Remember, your goal is to end up with a high score, not to "win" in the traditional sense of a real-time strategy game. Treat this more like a duller version of Sid Meier's Civilization and try to avoid killing anyone unless you can guarantee victory by the end of the simulation. Though things will not always go exactly as planned, you should still make every action with your "grand strategy" in mind. 

5. Locate potential threats and gauge how dangerous they are.

Video-conferencing never really caught on in Middle Earth.

There will be groups that are more reluctant to cooperate with you, perhaps due to paranoia or perhaps they have plans for a separate alliance. Or perhaps they simply think they have enough friends and they won't really benefit from the relationship. Either way, you should keep a watch list on such countries and commission a communist totalitarian friend to conduct some espionage or bribe their ally for info.

If they're building up an army and they do not have a good reason for it, you have to report them to the UN while also building up your own military in case they go for a pre-emptive strike, especially if they share a border with you. The size of army you build should depend on how much you trust the UN to come to your aid in time. But most importantly, never forget the diplomatic route; it always has priority. Don't let your itchy trigger finger get the best of you. This is where you light the beacons and call a military dictatorship ally to your aid.

6. Maintain a small militia at all times.

Giant statues are also a worthwhile defensive investment.

A cheap security measure will go a long way towards deterrent. There is no need to spend excessively on armies; that will make everyone upset. Claiming that an OP army full of tanks, bombers and battleships is necessary for "national security" is an obvious bullshit and no one will buy it. Instead, you will receive some friendly condemnations from the UN and then you will take it in the ass from every other country that wants your head on a spike. 

There is, of course, no need for nukes. Doing so greatly upsets the international system and promotes fear and brinksmanship, which is bad for politics and your country's survival. Since your job is to cultivate an international system, not destroy it, nukes are counter-productive.

Defensive structures are far stronger than offensive structures so invest in those and combine them with a skeleton crew of troops to maximize effectiveness. Especially pacifists. Reinforce your defences as soon as you become aware of a country building up fire power but first seek a diplomatic solution (because you're not an asshole and wouldn't engage in a preventive war or something silly like that without UN authorization now would you?).

7. Warfare is a last resort, and should be when all diplomatic avenues have been exhausted.

We're fucked. - Gandalf, The Return of the King

Bloodlust will lead you to your demise. There are no "glorious" wars for honor or for freedom. There are no points for "most countries conquered" or "enemy units destroyed", so engaging in war is purely out of selfish greed and indicates that that country is a toxic member of the international system and must be removed. Worse, any war will take 5 points away from everyone because they lose the Global Peace Award. So if you're going to go to war, prepare for a lot of angry countries at your doorstep.

If you really, really have to fight and work off your excess testosterone, wait until after the Ice Mountain issue is resolved, because that thing is a huge pain in the ass if you let it snowball (pun intended) out of control. With that taken care of, you'll have more resources to devote to building armies.

Conflicts are not solved by building up armies and building alliances, however. That merely escalates tensions. Make arrangements for both of you to create a disarmament pact to avoid any spark lighting the powder keg.

8. Big Projects are important, but not your main goal.

When you're not sure how to properly counter an overwhelming force, charge straight at them.

It's easy to get excited by the huge benefits presented by grabbing Big Projects left and right. In reality only the primary economic powers will be in any condition to bid for them, while other states will suck their resources dry in the process. Don't build a whole strategy around Big Projects, because you're probably not going to successfully acquire more than two of them. Your strategy should be based on your economy, your domestic factions, your allies and your enemies.


8. Deal with Global Issues before they fuck everyone over.

Mordor was responsible for 90% of all harmful emissions during the Third Age.

Typhoon Pirates? Ensure that their host countries wipe them out as fast as possible. Ice Mountain? Be a hero, build that Globe of Frost. Orion Slavery Dispute? Free the slaves and return them to their rightful home. Sapphire Island? Don't touch unless you have an overwhelming number of countries supporting you or you have sufficient counter-terrorist forces at your disposal to deal with the Sword of the Amaru. Those guys are a bitch to clean up though, so seriously folks, leave the island alone.

Easier said than done, but in order to deal with these goals the UN needs to be active or else it's useless. People know that the UN should be kept alive, but sometimes they need to be reminded. Make sure you're vocal about it.

9. Play to your country's strengths.

A dead tree is not the most threatening national symbol you could choose.

Don't try to be a jack-of-all-trades; you have allies to make up for your resource deficiencies. If you're a democracy, focus on research and education stuff and try to get that number as high as possible. For constitutional monarchies, do the same with culture. Trying to balance out all your stats will merely make you sub-par compared to everyone else. If you're a leader in producing a lot of something, you have more influence over your allies as they see you as an asset. If you're communist totalitarian or a dictatorship, you're definitely going to need to make friends with the other government types quickly or else you will fall behind economically.

10. The Manual will tell you everything, and it will tell you nothing.

The one thing you don't want to be doing with the manual is going There and Back Again.

Statecraft is about learning through trial and error, not about believing in words on a page, whether they're from Kenneth Waltz, Woodrow Wilson or Alexander Wendt. It's one thing to read their ideas, and quite another to see them in real life.

 Let other countries make the errors, and learn from them. Then proceed to make the right choices. Be as diplomatic as you can, make decisions slowly and only after careful calculation. Pay attention to the news feed. Make sure you're following on all the things happening, even if it is a lot of information. If you fail to notice key bits of info and take them into account before a turn ends, they will come back to bite you in the ass down the line.

Preparation

A state must enforce agreements, protect the weak from the strong, and prevent states from using armed force against other states. The alternative is anarchy and instability.

Crucial to international stability are hegemonic powers to enforce international laws. Our current system is primarily controlled by the United States, backed up by its European allies, while China and Russia act as counter-weights trying to reduce American influence overseas and flex what political muscle they have. The result is a bipolar order similar to that of the Delian League and the Peloponnesian League or NATO and the Warsaw Pact. This outcome is not desirable as it encourages conflict and deadlock.

 In Statecraft, conflict is not desirable. There are no points awarded for taking over others; you merely gain their resource production. In doing so, you ensure that someone ends the game with a low score, which breeds animosity. To avoid this, we need a system designed for improved conflict resolution.

I propose the creation of a tripolar system; three significant military powers to keep each other in check and enforce international law. These three powers should comprise of two military dictatorships to create strong armies and a communist totalitarian state to act as the triumvirate's eyes and ears, keeping tabs on each nation's progress to ensure that they're not secretly building up weapons.

 While these three powers will be tasked with leading all the other nations, they won't necessarily achieve the highest score, and as leaders they will have to spend more time and effort on diplomacy and planning. Their decisions will, however, have the greatest impact on the game's outcome, and they will quickly see how they behave when they are given a little power.

The ICC will act as a judiciary. Countries indicted by the ICC should not only suffer the loss of 20 political capital, but also face the possibility of resource deduction or military invasion. An uncooperative country is a threat to the international community, as each nation has an important role to play, whether it's in resource production or scientific research. Those who join the system are expected to abide by the law, and will be punished for failing to do so. There is no punishment, however, for refusing to join. Membership is entirely voluntary.

Countries who cooperate don't have to waste turns building weapons and defence systems and can focus on culture or education.  They will have signed non-aggression pacts with the triumvirate and all compliant nations, who are then able to station troops in their countries (unless your country borders a non-compliant nation, you don't need defences at all). A mercenary system will work as long as the triumvirate remain strong. In return, the other country must give them natural resources or technology. This will help the triumvirate pay for the high maintenance costs of armies/spies.

 The UN's primary role should be to discourage military arms production in non-triumvirate states, act as mediator during conflicts, and ensure that no one researches nuclear fission. Nuclear weapons will result in a global panic followed by an arms race, destabilizing the entire system. No nukes. Any state found to be building nukes must be quickly eliminated.

The alternative to this heavily authoritarian system is a Cold War scenario with two opposing alliances vying for superiority or a feudal system in which the world becomes fragmented into small groups of countries wasting time building military units and defences, mistrustful and unwilling to cooperate. . Nor will students be able to stomach the rise of a sole military power that tries to hard to act as the sole hegemon. All of these alternative systems do not facilitate a high score, and benefit no one. To ensure that these scenarios are avoided, all concerns should be voiced at the first UN meeting to ensure the vast majority of countries are on board with the plan.

The Basics - Domestic Matters

Domestic Factions:

Ensure that approval rating remains above 35% or suffer from riots. Need at least 40% to not lose political capital. Military dictatorships and communist totalitarian states can suppress. Public approval rating (a combination of all six factions’ ratings weighted by each faction’s strength) determines political capital created per turn. Political capital is spent on international and domestic programs.

While each country has all six factions, these factions will vary greatly in strength depending on your country’s government type and attributes. Focus on making your strongest faction happy. If the country’s territory or military units within its borders are attacked, every faction increases approval by 10 points.

Capitalists: Increased gold, steel, & oil production, free trade deals, tax cuts, less government regulation of economy

Socialists: Improvements in welfare and health, regulation of corporations, greater economic equality, international development, no free trade deals

Environmentalists: Protection of the environment, no free trade deals

Nationalists: More military spending and aggressive international actions, tough anti-crime measures, tight border security,no sacrifice of sovereignty to IGOs, protection of domestic industries

Civil Libertarians: Freedom from government control, global human rights, open borders, rehabilitation for criminals, no aggressive international acts

Intellectuals: Improvements in education and culture, increased scientific knowledge production

Extra Tips:

- Trade offers accepted will happen immediately. Technology trading means knowledge of the tech is shared.

A country can research 3 technologies at a time. You can eliminate a turn of research by paying 500 scientific knowledge.

- There are four structure types: QOL boosters, resource generators, military structures and espionage structures. It takes one turn to build a structure. Each structure needs 10% of its original price per turn to maintain.

- Big Projects are structures that can only be owned by one country and make a huge difference. To own one you must have researched the required technologies and own enough resources to afford it. You must bid X amount of each resource, and you can also use maximum bids which will auto-bid for you as you compete with other countries. No maintenance cost for big projects.

- Any country with the highest of a particular resource or domestic rating receives an award for that category.

The Basics - Government Types and Traits

The Basics - Military and Spies

Military Units and Battles

It takes one turn to build one military unit. You cannot use them on the same turn you purchase them. New military will always appear in the zone with your capital city. Each unit also costs 25% of the original price per turn. All military movement takes place between turns.

For democracies and constitutional monarchies, the draft determines how many military units can be recruited.

Troops can be upgraded to a +10% combat bonus with certain structures to become “veterans” (War College, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy). Combat strength can be increased with the National Command Center (+20% combat bonus for land, sea and air units).

Land Units: The only unit that can take and hold territory. Can be transported by some air and sea units.

Air Units: Planes.

Sea Units: Ships and submarines

WMDs: Nukes.

Defense systems: Protection from other military units.

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To control a zone it must be a) a land zone b) occupied by at least one of your military units and c) devoid of enemy units. Captured zones give you their resource production and control over any cities in that zone, as well as Big Projects.

Outcome of battles is decided with a 10-sided die. Defending ground forces will receive a 10%  combat bonus vs. attacking ground forces who suffer a 10% combat penalty. If the battle takes place on difficult terrain, the respective combat bonus and penalty are doubled. The morale-boosting campaign results in a +10% combat strength to land, sea and air units for the remainder of the simulation.

City walls halve incoming damage, while high fortresses third it. Mines can be placed in the water to protect from naval invasions by minelayers, and the invader can undo this with minesweepers.

Non-aggression pacts allow your units to share the same territory as another country’s units.

WMDs are bad for everyone. Don’t build them.

The Chief Decision-Maker can close terrorist bases by signing an executive order and eliminate terrorist camps or forces with ground forces.

Spies and Covert Ops

Agreeing to an exchange of ambassadors is the best way to gain intel on another country. Not only is this a display of trust and friendship, but an ambassador exchange will give each participating country information each turn about the country’s QOL indicators, domestic approval ratings, resource production, defensive structures and military units (both within zones containing a city).

You can expel a country’s ambassador whenever you want, which will also remove your own ambassador from the respective country.

Other actions include:

-Spy missions: Gather intel.

-Covert ops: Requires 007 training center. You can spread propaganda, sabotage resource production, manipulate QOL indicators, and steal technology.

-Counterterrorism operations: Requires 007 training center and national command center. Used to destroy terrorist bases/training camps and kill/capture leaders. Terrorists cannot be destroyed with normal troops.

If a spy is captured, they will reveal their country of origin and their objective, and may even spill valuable intel on their country.

-Spies cost 25% of their purchase price to maintain.

The Basics - Government Positions and Global Goals

Government Positions

For those who want to know what Statecraft is without reading the manual, I will run through the important points quickly.

People are divided by groups into certain countries, and must first get all the administrative stuff out of the way like the name of their country, its capitol city, and its other cities. They also have to choose their roles in government. The expectations of each official is listed here:

-Chief Decision-Maker: Has the final say on any actions, but can be replaced if a majority of officials vote him out.

-Secretary of State: In charge of relations with other countries, as well as building coalitions.

-U.N. Representative: Show up for U.N. meetings and work with Secretary of State.

-Secretary of Defense: In charge of running the military and defending the country’s three cities.

-Director of National Intelligence: Collect, analyze, and present intelligence and conduct covert ops.

-Director of Science and Industry: Maximize resource production and recommend technologies to research.

-Trade Representative: Ensure resource balance and acquire technologies through trading.

-Chief Political Strategist: Keep an eye on the domestic factions and their demands along with the approval rating. Keep track of political capital and make recommendations on how to make more and spend it.

-Domestic Affairs Advisor: Maximize Quality of Life score (QOL).

Global Goals:

These are good things. Try to complete them.

Five points to everyone for each goal completed. If no one fires nukes, 10 points to everyone.

Ending World Hunger: 50,000 food contributed to UN World Food Program

Global Peace Award: No warfare between countries allowed.

Eliminating Global Terrorism: Destroy the Orion Liberation Front, Typhoon Pirates and Sword of the Amaru if they appear.

“Save the Planet” Award: Global environmental average must be higher than 350 by the end of the simulation.

Introduction

Statecraft is a game that mimics real world diplomacy and conflict, pitting groups of students against each other in the fight for supremacy. Much like Lord of the Flies, students will alliances and factions for military strength and economic stability, and inevitably some countries will find their goals at odds with others.

Call it a simulation if you'd like, but it is a turn-based strategy game just like Civilization, Supremacy 1914, Risk, Total War or other such games out there. If anything, it is more intense because you can meet your allies and enemies face to face. And your diplomatic actions actually count for something (your grade).

The price tag of $30 for a browser game that looks like it was coded for Windows 95 is quite ridiculous, but we can only hope the experience is as rewarding as all of the online testimonials.

The purpose of this guide is to document what methods are most effective for building a successful nation as well as those which undermine international order. Though the circumstances of each game differ, there are always common strategies that will contribute to the end goal: a high score. As I run through eight turns of Statecraft I will update this blog as the story unfolds.

Should a student approach this with a "play to win" attitude because the outcome counts for a grade? Yes. All students must take the simulation seriously and make effort to achieve the highest score possible for their own nation. While this may seem like a selfish motivator, the highest scores can only be reached through extensive international cooperation against the threats of climate change, natural disasters, terrorism and world hunger, to name a few, so self-interest necessitates cooperation. The creator of the game made it crucial for countries to work together in order to score well, so becoming a hermit kingdom and spamming defensive structures isn't going to help.

Also, the highest scores mean no warfare, and certainly no nuclear missiles. It means countries should concentrate on specific roles, whether military or economic and be active members of international organizations. Countries will have to surrender some autonomy in order to achieve the best outcomes for the international community, much like the Eurozone countries have already done. National pride or stubbornness hurts everyone.