No, the other game called The New Order where the Nazis won

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > No, the other game called The New Order where the Nazis won

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HannibalBarca: Sep 11, 2016; History shows, again and again, how nature points out the folly of man.

internally screaming at the lack of minmaxing, but great LP so far

# ? Jun 2, 2023 11:47

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# ? May 9, 2024 09:36

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Just wait until, by bouncing around like this, the thread accidentally unlocks the double-secret Guangdong ending where Bruce Lee becomes Chief Executive and beats up Emperor Hirohito.

Update on the previous page!

# ? Jun 2, 2023 13:14

Arbite: Nov 4, 2009

HannibalBarca posted:

internally screaming at the lack of minmaxing, but great LP so far

This can't end in flames as long as we keep cool.

# ? Jun 2, 2023 17:32

Chatrapati: Nov 6, 2012

From the perspective of someone who's never played this game, I think Moon Slayer is doing amazing. There's been no famines, wars or violent revolutions so far!

# ? Jun 2, 2023 20:09

StillFullyTerrible: Feb 16, 2020; you should have left Let's Play open for public view, Lowtax

Surprise curveball!

# ? Jun 2, 2023 23:31

paragon1: Nov 22, 2010; FULL COMMUNISM NOW

It would seem to be expedient to build a political powerbase that isn't dependent on patronage from the home islands.

# ? Jun 3, 2023 01:05

HerpicleOmnicron5: May 31, 2013; How did this smug dummkopf ever make general?

or doubling down, too big to fail

# ? Jun 3, 2023 02:04

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Chapter 7: March - June 1963

Okay, okay, everyone calm down, this is just � calm down, we�re fine! I mean, yeah, this is bad, but �

NO, an entire year�s worth of economic growth was absolutely NOT just wiped out, where did you hear � look, if we�ll all just calm down and get someone on the phone, they�ll �

Alright well yes, they did say that Guangdong is on its own but � no, calm down, we�re not � I SAID CALM DOWN!

I�M NOT PANICKING, YOU�RE PANICKING! EVERYONE JUST CALM DOWN!

quote:

World News: March 26, 1963
JALO LAUNCHES �BALINTAWAK BLITZ�

After years of seeming inactivity, an alliance between the Philippines� two largest rebel groups has launched its largest attack against the Second Philippine Republic to date. Border towns are engulfed by gunfire and artillery shells as the Joint Anti-Laurelist Offensive shatters the conflicts long stalemate.

Reportedly caught completely by surprise due to fallout from the ongoing Yasuda Crisis in the Home Islands, the Philippine Constabulary and Japanese 14th Army have been forced to conduct fighting retreats, and in some cases were routed off the battlefield completely.

Questions abound now that the conflict nears Manila. Will the so-called �Puppet Republic� survive this ordeal? Will it fall and, if it does, who will fell it? The socialists to the north, or the remnants of the old Commonwealth to the south?

At least we�re not in the Philippines.

Or Manchuria.

quote:

World News: March 30, 1963
NIXON VETOES CIVIL RIGHTS ACT

Shock, horror, delight, and a myriad of other feelings were expressed in the Senate and around the country today as news of the surprise veto of Vice President Kennedy's Civil Rights Act trickled in.

After Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson secured enough support to push the bill through Congress and onto Nixon's desk, most assumed that its passing was a foregone conclusion. But that was not to be.

While conservatives and the Dixiecrats celebrate a defense of "American Ideals," many progressives, both Democrat and Republican, see this betrayal as the final straw in a long line of inaction and pigheaded appeasement. Sources on the Hill whispers of defection and revolt in back rooms while the coalition publicly celebrates its unity.

Or even in America.

Okay, well, I guess it could get worse.

quote:

The Displaced Family

Another day of barely tolerable work had come to an end and Lee Chun felt all the worse for it. The physical strain of repeatedly coming to work day after day seemed as if it was never going to completely leave him; the effects on his body would one day heal, but the stress it had inflicted on his mind may never be alleviated. His wage was what got him through the day, that, and the need to help support his family.

The internal trouble he and his parents faced were so constant that it often felt like monitoring the greater strife of the outside world would only cause excessive anxiety. Yet the stress from the chaos of Yasuda's collapse had been unavoidable, it was too large a threat to their jobs to block out, but a part of each of them was still detached from the possibility of anything serious happening.

Chun could not bring himself to tell his parents the news once he got back; he went to bed knowing that breaking the news was inevitable, and, despite his best wishes, the guilt remained the next morning. He took the courtesy of waiting until his younger siblings had left to go to school. The accusations that the adults had it easy bit at his patience, working life was anything but; that was something they never taught in the classroom.

Once they had left the weight on his mind became too much to bear. He let them know as best he could; the last thing he wanted to do was multiply the fear through the way he delivered the news, yet the words all too often failed to materialize as he would have liked them to.

He could not mask the truth. Cut backs would become a necessity. Life was about to become a lot more difficult until the job situation improved.

quote:

The Good Cop

"Bootlicker!"

It wasn't just the brick hurtling past his head that gave Hayashi Kōsen a virtual concussion; there were also the roars and jeers that followed. They kept rippling across his mind even hours later as he watched Ah Kwong scuttle back from the phone booth, red-faced and head lowered.

"Everything okay back there?" Was all Lam Haau-cyun could muster up. Who was he to reprimand a colleague and companion for sending his regards home anyway?

"The worst hasn't reached there yet, so thankfully they'll manage for another week or two." Ah Kwong brightened up before composing himself again. "I... I couldn't thank you enough for looking out for me, Ah Cyun. Another black spot on my ledger and they'll haul my penniless bootlicking rear end back to the countryside, and then Ma, Pa, me - we'll all be done for." He shut his eyes as despair once again crept up his face. "Good heavens, this just isn't gonna end, is it?"

Lam offered no reply, his gaze astray and his head still ringing from shock. Bootlicker, sure. True bootlickers would've exempted themselves from the pay cuts and doubled shifts weeks ago, rather than helplessly patrol this burning wreckage of a street and worry about dinner every single day, with insults and glares thrown from every direction. His mind wandered to his own family. If only they're surviving this hellscape just as well�

"So uh ... what's the emergency then?"

Ah Kwong's inquiry snapped Hayashi back to reality, and he slowly turned around and gestured towards an ownerless storefront, where two bloodied youngsters were attempting to swell up the shattered glass. "I called the others off," he heard himself mutter. "It just isn't worth it, don't you think?"

quote:

World News: April 14, 1963
AFRSR TAKE MANILA

Supremo Luis Taruc declared today that the �fascist and imperialist specter� that has �haunted the country for over four hundred years� was nearly vanquished, after the city fell to communist guerrillas. All that was left, he continued, was to prepare for a protracted struggle against Japan�s inevitable return.

Taruc did not address where the American/OFN-leaning Free Philippine Republic factor into his plans for the country..

And things get worse not just for the Chief Executive, but for the people of Guangdong and the Sphere as well.

In the Home Islands, Prime Minister Ino is long gone, and after weeks of uncertainty a new leader is appointed, already a lame duck before he even begins.

quote:

If anyone were to ask a member of the YSK to describe the current Prime Minister, Aichi Kiichi, in a single word, every last one of them, from the disorganized liberal dissidents to Takagi's left to the most insane militarists that even Kishi is leery of, would agree to use "nondescript."

Born in Tokyo in 1907, Aichi developed a career in the Ministry of Finance during the Second World War and worked silently and diligently at his post. He was not exceptional except in his devotion to duty; nor for that matter was he known for much in the way of ideological convictions. In the aftermath of the Akagi Accords, he joined the Imperial Rule Assistance Association and was elected to the Diet under the umbrella of the conservative mainstream - otherwise he would not have been elected.

During Aichi's service as a minister in Ino Hiroya's cabinet, he grew more and more distant from his former patrons and, indeed, all factions in the Diet - to a point where he was equally distant from all of them. This combined with the fact that he had been too uninteresting to be brought into Ino's corruption overwhelmed people's dislike of his uncharismatic nature, and he was duly selected as a compromise candidate to break the immediate political deadlock.

Though the Diet approved Aichi unanimously, he was nobody's first choice, not even his own (though he is mum about his actual preferences). Moves are already being made by the myriad factions in the Diet to replace him with a more favorable candidate.

Aichi does not mind this. As long as he is free to return to his relatively calm existence afterwards, he does not care who takes over.

And as if the end of the gridlock in Tokyo (or at least a step in that direction) is a sign, things actually are starting to get better. The Chief Executive secures his support �

� the countryside is kept quiet with the help of some of Stanley Ho�s � friends �

quote:

World News: June 17, 1963
JAPAN LAUNCHES RETALIATORY INVASION OF THE PHILIPPINES

The Imperial Japanese Army has returned to the Philippines. Following the success of the �Balintawak Blitz� in deposing the puppet regime in Manila, it seems that Tokyo is willing to spend further resources to maintain its hold on the islands.

Early this morning advance forces belonging to General Shinobu Takayama�s 14th Army came ashore in the Ilocos region of Luzon. With the element of surprise, Japanese forces were able to quickly capture the cities of San Fernando and Dagupan.

While the landing was able to take the Filipino defenders by surprise, it has been known throughout the country that it was only a matter of time before Japan attempted a counter attack, and preparations for resistance have been underway since the moment the last IJA soldier departed just a few months ago.

� even abroad things are possibly beginning to look up for the Sphere.

Time to get things back on track.

Moon Slayer fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Jun 4, 2023

# ? Jun 3, 2023 05:20

NewMars: Mar 10, 2013

There's only one way out of this crisis: we have to create a new product, not merely a commodity, but also a currency, backed by the great strengths of Guangdong: silicon and electricity. A digital coin, pegged to the computer bit, we shall call it... the electro-yen.

# ? Jun 3, 2023 05:26

Doopliss: Nov 3, 2012

I'm starting to think this was never going to end well for us!

# ? Jun 3, 2023 15:21

Chatrapati: Nov 6, 2012

This is the fault of those who wanted cooler homes for poor people, when we could have distracted rich saboteurs with home stereo systems instead.

# ? Jun 3, 2023 17:56

HerpicleOmnicron5: May 31, 2013; How did this smug dummkopf ever make general?

Did we just pick bad allies, or was this predestined?

# ? Jun 3, 2023 19:52

ChaseSP: Mar 25, 2013

The disaster is probably preset to happen, things were starting off way too well and the whole mod is about the inevitable failure of fascists so...

Now getting out alive maybe there was a chance but the poor PM was likely doomed to be a scapegoat no matter what.

# ? Jun 3, 2023 20:19

StillFullyTerrible: Feb 16, 2020; you should have left Let's Play open for public view, Lowtax

Fuckin Nixon :argh:

Oh, and RIP Suzuki I guess.

# ? Jun 3, 2023 20:21

NeverHelm: Aug 9, 2017; Never attribute to malice that post which is adequately explained by a poor sense of humor.

Poor Suzuki. Nobody had faith in him.

NeverHelm fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Jun 3, 2023

# ? Jun 3, 2023 21:02

Kurgarra Queen: Jun 11, 2008; GIVE ME MORE
SUPER BOWL
WINS

StillFullyTerrible posted:

Fuckin Nixon
Oh, and RIP Suzuki I guess.

I do love that he probably hates JFK and LBJ even more in this universe and might just be slightly more miserable. The tiniest of silver linings�

# ? Jun 3, 2023 21:55

Szarrukin: Sep 29, 2021

This LP reads more like visual novel with sporadic choices than Paradox game. Not that there's anything wrong with it.

# ? Jun 3, 2023 21:56

KazigluBey: Oct 30, 2011; boner

Moon Slayer posted:

e: if anybody wants a quick overview of how a particular country is doing, just ask and I'll try and accommodate! Only thing I'd prefer to avoid is any of the Russian statelets; there are way too many and they all have unique content and I might want to show one of them off if/when I finish Guangdong.

If this offer is still on the table, I would love to hear what is going down in Portugal and Romania.

# ? Jun 3, 2023 23:09

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Szarrukin posted:

This LP reads more like visual novel with sporadic choices than Paradox game. Not that there's anything wrong with it.

Yep, that's pretty much exactly what the mod is. It's a CYOA visual novel, not a war simulator.

HerpicleOmnicron5 posted:

Did we just pick bad allies, or was this predestined?

When I (hopefully!) get to the end I'll go back and talk about some of the what-ifs, but for now I'd like to leave it ambiguous!

NeverHelm posted:

Poor Suzuki. Nobody had faith in him.

The man was a convicted war criminal in our timeline so we don't need to feel too bad for him, though his wikipedia page seems to indicate that he was convicted more for being a political advocate of the war in the Japanese government than for anything he did or ordered while in the IJA. Still, he was definitely done dirty in Guangdong.

KazigluBey posted:

If this offer is still on the table, I would love to hear what is going down in Portugal and Romania.

Sure thing, I'll take a look at Romania in a little bit. Portugal is part of the Iberian Federation and is in the state of the world post under them.

StillFullyTerrible posted:

Fuckin Nixon
Oh, and RIP Suzuki I guess.

Some of the best writing in the mod is the US focuses that are written from the perspective of Nixon's internal monologue:

quote:

The Coalition Splits

These goddamn bastards. These goddamn ungrateful bastards are ruining everything. Every day, they call us up. They call us up in our goddamn office trying to push us this way or that on the Blacks. Just the other day, Bob Jones was threatening to leave the Republicans for Wallace and his gang because we're not doing enough to promote "law and order." Then-can you believe it-the goddamn governor of Michigan didn't want us to visit the state because he's got a hard election coming up and is afraid of alienating the liberals.

It's absurd. We all know this whole awful hysteria about the civil rights thing has been a media-created goddamn thing from the beginning, but we can't take any more of it. We could lose our entire majority unless we convince these whiny bastards to shut the hell up and calm down.

quote:

The Kennedy Plan

What the hell is the matter with Kennedy? It isn't a question, we mean, it's the lack of discretion. The goddamn brat won't stop talking about the Blacks and it's riling people up. He's having all these meetings with these Jew reporters and these activist troublemakers. He's coming to us trying to, you know, rope us into the whole business.

Well, we're not falling for it. We won't sully our reputation. If we can't get him to stop talking, we'll use him as an example of what happens when you ignore Coalition unity. Tomorrow, we'll announce we're putting Kennedy in charge of the whole civil rights mess. Let's see how the press reacts when their progressive golden boy alienates the Republicans and those stupid Democrats can't pass a goddamn bill through Congress. Let's watch Kennedy hang himself with his own goddamn rope.

quote:

The 1962 Civil Rights Act

The bastard did it. The goddamn son of a bitch somehow got a bill through Congress. Who knows what the hell he did to get Strom Thurmond to stand down, but the thing is going to a floor vote and it's expected to pass. All the papers are celebrating the brat as some kind of national hero while our entire electoral strategy is going up in flames. Half the Democrats are threatening to split while the bastards in New England are trying to draft Kennedy for '64.

The whole thing is wrong, the whole thing is wrong. We are going on the wrong path, all because the smug, stupid son of a bitch wanted his face in the papers. What a total, pluperfect rear end.

quote:

Veto the Civil Rights Act

We've had it! No more press conferences. No more exclusive interviews. No more goddamn "Draft Kennedy" nonsense. We're vetoing this bill and we don't give a poo poo what happens next. Let the progressives whine and moan. Let the entire goddamn Democratic Party throw a fit. We don't care. At least the country will get this nastiness out of its system. Then maybe it will settle down for five goddamn minutes.

Look, we're not animals. Once we dump the poor, humiliated bastard from the ticket in '64, we'll propose our own civil rights bill. We'll find some compromise to tie the Coalition back together, some token reform that gets King and the Dixiecrats on the same side. That'll be a real goddamn achievement, not the half-measure Kennedy cooked up.

Moon Slayer fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Jun 3, 2023

# ? Jun 3, 2023 23:21

paragon1: Nov 22, 2010; FULL COMMUNISM NOW

I see someone has listened to the Nixon tapes.

# ? Jun 4, 2023 00:51

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Romania

quote:

His Majesty Michael I of Romania has been reigning over his kingdom for more than twenty years, but has been ruling it for much less. Placed on the throne when he hadn't even reached the age of 20 by dictator Ion Antonescu and his then allies, the Iron Guard, Michael was supposed to be a puppet King - standing in the shadows as the Conducător amassed victories and fame on the battlefields of World War Two. Impotently witnessing Antonescu's grip on Romania tightening, Michael waited for the right moment to break out of the gilded cage which he had been relegated into by the dictator and his army goons. That moment finally came when Antonescu, in his inflated hubris, decided to reclaim Transylvania from Hungary.

The war was won, but at a high cost - the Romanian troops faced heavy casualties, resistance in occupied territories remained at critical levels, and the expulsion from the Pakt left Romania internationally isolated and soon caused an economic crash. It was at the peak of this crisis that Michael, always the observant and silent type, finally showed his hand. The King ousted an old and senile Antonescu, arresting many of his supporters and instating an emergency government to rid the country of the legacy of the Conducător, with the goal of finally restoring democracy to the country.

Soon, the King's charisma and charm won over much of the population to his side, and with his blessing Romanian society undertook the difficult road of liberalization and democratization after decades under an oppressive, militaristic regime. Despite this, opposition to Michael still exists, albeit mostly hidden to the public eye - among the armed forces, where many are nostalgic of the glory days of the Antonescu era and any mentions of the King is met with murmurs and frowns, and in the deep of the Romanian countryside, where ghosts of a bloody past are said to still roam the forests.

# ? Jun 4, 2023 01:24

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Chapter 8: June - August 1963

quote:

World News: June 30, 2963
GUANGDONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE OUSTED

The fallout of the Yasuda zaibatsu�s collapse has spread beyond the Japanese Home Islands, as Guangdong Chief Executive Suzuku Teichii has lost a vote of no confidence in the Legislative Council.

Suzuki, intimately connected with the disgraced Ino administration, is believed to have been heavily dependant on Yasuda support to maintain power, particularly after enacting the controversial Revised Labor Standards Ordinance.

Currying little support among Guangdong�s traditional corporate powers, Suzuki will be replaced with a caretaker chief executive. As the political turmoil in Tokyo continues, it is believed that Suzuki�s permanent replacement will likely hail from one of Guangdong�s remaining major companies.

quote:

The Modern Princess

A ship's heaving was far worse, Yasukawa Yoshiko thought queasily, when the world was limited to a dimly-lit cabin below decks, with the horizon bobbing in and out of view from a solitary porthole. Every pitch and roll of the Kaihin Maru, steaming towards Kōshu, upended her innards in a sickening dance that had lasted nearly a week.

Even then, the discomfort of her voyage was nothing compared to the gut-wrenching dislocation of the days after Yasuda had collapsed, taking the Yasukawa's assets and investments along with it.

Her father, the Baron, could hardly look Yoshiko in the eye now. When he did, she saw the wild-eyed, panicked mania that possessed him that night he had dismissed the servants, before ordering Yoshiko to stuff her trunk with as many yen bills as she could find. They had left everything else - the porcelain, her wardrobe, the deed to the Fukuoka estate - for the banks and loan sharks to find. It would, he had said, buy them time.

Yoshiko leaned listlessly against the bulkhead, her mind tumbling, seeking reassurances that would never come. As sequestered as she had been from her father's business, the reality was obvious - they were ruined, completely and utterly, to such an extent that their relatives wanted nothing to do with them. Now she was fleeing Japan, clinging to her father's feverish hope that �Suzuki would help,� with only a trunkful of yen and a useless literature degree to her name.

She barely noticed the cabin door closing, until her father sat next to her, the odor of cigarette smoke overwhelming. "Everything will be alright," he said, forcing himself to smile - all without making eye contact.

*tugs at collar* Eeesh � who�s going to tell him?

quote:

The Modern Princess

The first sign of how things were different was the police cordon, a gaggle of officers herding the Kaihin Maru's occupants to a �holding center� of shipping containers, steel prefabs, and worn tarps - a prison in all but name.

Where the Yasukawas had once been discreetly whisked away by limousine, here they disembarked amongst a horde of destitute Japanese salarymen, housewives, and children, shuffling forward as the Chinese dockworkers sneaked glances of withering contempt. A brave few yelled profanities in a language the Japanese didn't understand, but each word bowed their shoulders further in shame.

The Yasukawas were finally marched in front of a beleaguered officer, who recited questions in tired, accented Japanese. Papers, please; where were they from; what was their business? The Baron blustered of his familiarity with Chief Executive Suzuki; to that, the officer cracked a cold smile, before looking at Yoshiko warily. She wished she could disappear into the shadows of the checkpoint, embarrassed.

The officer's demeanor changed as he examined their trunks, quickly undoing their paltry attempt to hide what funds they had left. After a short silence, the officer took a thin stack of bills - a thousand yen - and closed the trunk.

"I suggest you find a hotel in the city, tonight. It's not safe here."

The officer stamped the Yasukawas' passports, clearing them to enter Kōshu. He didn't return the bills he had taken. When Yoshiko opened her mouth to protest, her father quickly pulled her out of the checkpoint, and Yoshiko had seen enough to grasp why:

They were not welcome here.

quote:

The Good Cop

The orders were to confiscate any cash he happened upon. "For the good of the state", the boys back at the station had recited with knowing smirks. Lam Haau-cyun, of course, had heartlessly joined in the smirking party too. "For the good of the state" � more like for the good of their masters' pockets.

But the smirk never returned to him at the checkpoint - why would it? He knew, the very instant he laid his hands upon the one-thousand-yen stack, he was committing a sin that no amount of "for the good of the state" could ever excuse. Yet even this moment of lucidity failed to restrain him from stuffing the cash into his pocket without so much as a hint of remorse - right before the mortified faces of the middle-aged Japanese nobleman and his daughter - and then proceeding to "respectfully" tell them to just... gently caress off to somewhere else. Right after taking a whole two nights' worth of hotel rent from them, too; hopefully their buddy Suzuki Teiichi can help with all that.

Lam's gaze lingered after the duo as they hurried away to the edge of the cordons, and that was when the nausea finally caught up to him. He excused himself from the checkpoint, darted behind the barren hilltop fifty meters away, and immediately the torrent of bile, of guilt, of absolute self-loathing gushed out of his mouth at once. So this is what the oh-so-honorable officer has stooped to - outright loving robbery, roared one voice in his head. Served the Japanese bandits well, sneered another. On and on the dual voices collided and reverberated within Lam's skull, as heaven and earth swirled before his eyes into a carousel of gray. But which voice should he listen to? He didn't know. He didn't want to know. Who was he anyway, a loving nobody having sold his soul to this silicon purgatory long ago, to judge what's right and what's wrong anymore?

As the convulsions in his stomach finally came to a halt, Lam steadied his breath, and exhaustedly turned his head back to the shuffling rags and makeshift tents lining the Kōshu seaside before him. Another twenty refugees had been processed in his absence, it seemed. Or thirty. He was too tired to keep count anyway.

quote:

World News: July 5, 1963
IKEDA MASANOSUKE SWORN IN AS PRIME MINISTER

Following a power struggle in the wake of Ino Hiroya's resignation, Ikeda Masanosuke has been selected to be Japan�s third prime minister this year.

A staunch conservative, Ikeda had presented himself as a compromise candidate in the Diet and within his own faction - uniting the pre-war conservatives from the Rikken Seiyukai, as well as defectors from Admiral Takagi's liberals.

Ikeda himself has been open with his vision - namely cleansing the corruption and administrative inefficiency that plagued the Ino era, as well as starting the gradual reform of the Japanese state. While many have criticized him for doing too little, too late, others have also praised him for his moderation.

quote:

World News: July 27, 1963
THE VERONA CONFERENCE CONCLUDES

The Verona Conference, the assembly gathered together to determine the future direction of the Italian Empire, has come to an end. As Duce Ciano made a half-hearted closing speech, it seems that the majority of the congress is in agreement with Carlo Scorza, a renowned traditional fascist and political rival of Ciano. Already there are reports of Scorza supporters all around the empire rallying in the city squares

Not everybody is happy with this result of course. Duce Ciano himself is clearly disappointed with the result, as his mandate has been denied and his power as duce questioned by Scorza, in addition to the people who were anticipating his reforms to the empire.

quote:

The Struggling Founder

The Yasuda Crisis had hit small businesses across Guangdong like a speeding bullet train, killing a lot and crippling most. Nintendo was no exception to this sudden and painful crisis, barely hanging on thanks to the will of its loyal employees. But sheer will can only get you so far until you have to face the real world, and Yamauchi Hiroshi was doing just that. Late at night in his office, Yamauchi was tiredly sifting through countless piles of documents and financial records to assess just how bad the damage to Nintendo was. Yamauchi was a stern man, but here he found himself on the verge of collapse from the sheer stress and intensity he and his company has had to face.

Fighting back tears, Yamauchi bitterly took off his glasses, throwing them onto the floor and slamming his desk. He rubbed his face and thought about all the commitments he had already made to his employees, their families, and to his clients. He thought about the now exorbitant price of instant rice that he has been subsiding off of rather than actual meals. He thought of the lack of progress Nintendo was making and just the sheer direness it was in.

Then he thought of giving up. Of leaving Guangdong and abandoning this ill-fated venture. He thought about going home and just being content with a meager life as a lawyer. Even though it was just a momentary thought, it made him angry. Why should he give up? Why should he go home? He had already gotten this far, and he had no intention of failing the commitments he had made. He got off his chair and retrieved his glasses from the floor, as well as all the papers that had been scattered around from his outburst. He neatly arranged them all up on his desk and composed himself.

Yamauchi inhaled, "Nin. Ten. Do. Leave luck to heaven," he exhaled. Very quickly, he was back to work, resolute that he would not give up so easily in the face of adversity.

quote:

World News: August 1, 1963
UFF DEFEATS JAPANESE INVASION

Fighting seems to have ended in the Philippines as the last remnants of the 14th Army have either evacuated or surrendered to the United Filipino Front. The UFF, the successor organization to the Joint Anti-Laurilist Offensive that drove the Japanese military out in March, has now defeated the Japanese twice in recent memory. In a joint statement read over radio, UFF leaders Luis Taruc and Jose Avelino y Dira expressed hope that the victory will allow for a peaceful unification of the islands.

Washington has already pledged to aid the future unified government, seeking to establish a strong foothold in the Japanese-dominated Pacific. Tokyo meanwhile has stayed completely silent on the matter, although it is speculated that the failure of the 14th Army to regain control has given the government severe concerns about its own military capabilities.

Enough wallowing in misery; it�s time to start clawing our way out of this mess and choose the path forward.

This decision will have many long-term consequences for Guangdong and the people who live there.

# ? Jun 4, 2023 04:22

ChaseSP: Mar 25, 2013

Let's be real, any real attempt will just end up with us kicked out and replaced sooner probably, while the other choice will just likely cause the same thing but probably cause a mass riot.

That's the next person's problem Ibuka

# ? Jun 4, 2023 05:42

NewMars: Mar 10, 2013

But being kicked out and replaced sooner is probably for the best.

Morita

We can at least spite the other corporations here by giving people food and whatnot for free.

# ? Jun 4, 2023 07:49

samcarsten: Sep 13, 2022; by vyelkin

Morita

# ? Jun 4, 2023 08:28

NeverHelm: Aug 9, 2017; Never attribute to malice that post which is adequately explained by a poor sense of humor.

Morita's plan is the way forward. If our domestic consumer base collapses, everyone will struggle including our Japanese corporate elite. Bailing those out will only be a short term solution - our economy will recover faster and better long-term with Morita's plan. Some of the Japanese investors might gripe for a bit, but that's only because they weren't able to adapt to changing circumstances.

# ? Jun 4, 2023 09:35

Szarrukin: Sep 29, 2021

I'll go with Morita although it's painfully obvious it ain't going to end well.

# ? Jun 4, 2023 09:36

Rappaport: Oct 2, 2013

paragon1 posted:

I see someone has listened to the Nixon tapes.

Sorry if this is a bit off-topic, but I find it very funny that it came as such a shock to American audiences way back when that Nixon swore incessantly in private, had rage issues and a bit of an alcoholism and pills problem which was... Problematic when he started drunkenly ranting about using his nuclear football. And it was freaking Kissinger who had to talk him down.

# ? Jun 4, 2023 10:23

Lynneth: Sep 13, 2011

Morita.

# ? Jun 4, 2023 12:06

KazigluBey: Oct 30, 2011; boner

Moon Slayer posted:

Romania

Interesting, so Romania gets to be Greater Romania, which it was briefly IRL for two decades between/overlapping the two world wars. Devs decided that instead of the Iron Guard calling the shots they get immediately removed in favor of the monarchy. It's weird to me a little, in that this hypothetical state is surrounded by fascists and somehow endures, but hey it sure beats being yet another Reichskommissariat or having the Iron Guard do it locally.

I looked up Portugal and I see they join a fash union with Spain, I guess my follow up question for either OP or the dev who posted itt is, does Romania and/or Portugal have much to them in the mod, or are they bit players? Just curious if there's some substance to playing as either of them or if the nature of the mod's preferred focus renders them a little bare. I can see from this play-through that quite a lot can happen even in smaller places, tho.

Cheers Moon Slayer!

# ? Jun 4, 2023 15:40

QuoProQuid: Jan 12, 2012; Tr*ckin' and F*ckin' all the way to tha
T O P

paragon1 posted:

I see someone has listened to the Nixon tapes.

that would be me who wrote all these lol

and i do listen to the nixon tapes

KazigluBey posted:

Interesting, so Romania gets to be Greater Romania, which it was briefly IRL for two decades between/overlapping the two world wars. Devs decided that instead of the Iron Guard calling the shots they get immediately removed in favor of the monarchy. It's weird to me a little, in that this hypothetical state is surrounded by fascists and somehow endures, but hey it sure beats being yet another Reichskommissariat or having the Iron Guard do it locally.

I looked up Portugal and I see they join a fash union with Spain, I guess my follow up question for either OP or the dev who posted itt is, does Romania and/or Portugal have much to them in the mod, or are they bit players? Just curious if there's some substance to playing as either of them or if the nature of the mod's preferred focus renders them a little bare. I can see from this play-through that quite a lot can happen even in smaller places, tho.

Cheers Moon Slayer!

Portugal is part of the Iberian Union, as you point out, and a large part of the content there is Salazar and Franco trying to beat one another to death so they can control the entirety of Iberia.

Romania is currently not playable.

QuoProQuid fucked around with this message at 22:02 on Jun 4, 2023

# ? Jun 4, 2023 16:53

StillFullyTerrible: Feb 16, 2020; you should have left Let's Play open for public view, Lowtax

Morita is the way

QuoProQuid posted:

that would be me who wrote all these lol

and i do listen to the nixon tapes

They're excellent, good job.

# ? Jun 4, 2023 17:02

tatankatonk: Nov 4, 2011; Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

Morita

# ? Jun 4, 2023 21:51

Kurgarra Queen: Jun 11, 2008; GIVE ME MORE
SUPER BOWL
WINS

StillFullyTerrible posted:

Morita is the way

They're excellent, good job.

Yeah, they remind of me Rick Perlstein's imagined Nixon internal monologues from his excellent book Nixonland.

Morita. Let's try to make things better and probably just run poo poo into the ground even harder.

# ? Jun 4, 2023 22:52

wedgekree: Feb 20, 2013

Morita

Because remember, if and when the area collapses into anarchy, the workers will remember we're the ones that paid them and kept them fed.

# ? Jun 5, 2023 00:36

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Chapter 9: August - October 1963

We�re going all-in on Morita Akio�s plan to save ourselves from ourselves.

Doing so, of course, gives Morita a lot more influence than he might otherwise wield.

Support for the government among the Japanese expat community will suffer, of course, but of the ethnic groups that make up Guangdong, theirs is the one that we have banked up the most goodwill.

Or, to put it another way, life in Guangdong has always been a zero-sum game, and if the Chinese and Zhujin win, someone has to lose.

quote:

The Modern Princess

"The Chief Executive knows we're here," Baron Yasukawa had said the night he and Yoshiko had checked into the Kōshu Yamato Hotel. "It doesn't matter that Suzuki's gone. Surely Chief Executive Matsuzawa won't turn down a meeting with a baron, no matter how busy he is."

That had been weeks ago, and increasingly the Baron's �confidence� had revealed itself as a manic front, papering over a heart draining hope. The funds stashed in their trunks dwindled, leaving Yoshiko stretching one meal to three while her father desperately waited for a call that would not come. She read through her father's newspapers in her spare hours - languidly at first, then with increasing purpose.

"Father," Yoshiko announced one morning, placing a newspaper clipping on the table - a call for writers at the Kanton Fujin Koron, a woman's job, requiring a university degree like her own. "May I apply for this job?"

Her request was met with a startled sputter. "Work? Yoshiko, there's no need - "

"We can't stay here forever," Yoshiko said quietly. "Nobody - not the Chief Executive, nor your 'friends' - will help us."

"I can't have you going outside - into that!" The Baron pointed outside, his expression pained. A gaggle of street urchins fished for scraps from torn protest banners and teargas canisters, brandishing makeshift clubs to ward away the lone policeman keeping his distance. "I'll cut back on my smoking. Eat less. Call again. You won't have to worry about anything. I promise."

quote:

World News: August 15, 1963
COALITION GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED IN THE PHILIPPINES

The decades-long conflict in the Philippines has officially been put to an end after the unification of the islands was announced by Johannes Tayler of the FPR and Luis Taruc of the AFRSR.

With the announcement, the whole of the archipelago is now under the rule of a unified government of pro-democracy activists and socialists, under the official name of the Coalition Government of the Republic of the Philippines. The acting president, Lorenzo Ta�ada, promised to do away with the failures of the past and forge a path of democracy for the Philippines, though international observers have expressed doubt over the stability of this new government.

quote:

World News: August 18, 1963
MUHAMMAD ABDEL MONEIM NAMED REGENT OF EGYPT

After the death of King Farouk, the Egyptian monarchy entered a phase of crisis as his heir, Fuad II, is underage. In a bid to restore the prestige of the monarchy, tarnished by Farouk's debauchery, the Italian government has named Damat Prince Muhammad Abdel Moneim as regent of Egypt. A distant cousin of the late King, Moneim has experience as a diplomat and administrator for the kingdom, and is one of the most influential members of the royal court.

With this move, the Italian government has renewed its by-now old alliance with the Egyptian monarchy. Moneim's influence and long career made him a popular choice with conservatives and moderates in the country, but some fear that the public image of the royal house has been tarnished irrevocably by Farouk, and many see it as a mere tool of Italian oppression. For now, though, many in Egypt rejoice that the hated king is dead, and a more respectable Egyptian is in command of the country.

quote:

The Displaced Family

Chun thought it'd be over. Oh, how he'd put up with it all, the maddening screeches of drills, the booming croaks of the foreman, the calluses blossoming in his palms, just to secure another paycheck for the family, another carrot dangling from the citadels laced in gold; yet the RLSO was gone, in its place yet another broken promise, another "indefinite postponement.� The storm lingered on, suffocating the rainbow in its tenebrous clutch.

Chun thought it'd be over - he really did, but now he could stand no more. He found himself indulging in the cacophony of shouts and curses converging upon the Guangdong Government Complex, the pearly moonlight dancing carefree amongst the tide of bobbing, shrieking heads aching to spill over the stripe of blue uniforms cordoning the pavement. His gaze flickered from the khaki horde stationed down the boulevard with malice strewn all over their faces, to the officer in front of him struggling against his shoves and pushes, with features the same as his own yet none of his sense of loving dignity..

"How many times do we have to tell you deaf lot - our parents, our children, we're all starving out here!?" He heard himself spit, acidic fury swirling up his throat. "Why don't you tell your mighty dog-masters to give a drat, come down from the skies and talk to us, not just keep doing jack all sitting in their own horseshit?" Another shove against the baton. "Answer me!"

"As if we had a choice!" The officer's bellows were almost drowned amidst the havoc, yet they found their way into Chun's ears, nonetheless. "As if the goddamn paycuts aren't enough..."

Then the whistle blew, and the men in lapis readied their batons. Chun could vent his rage, his sorrow and frustration to the night sky all he wanted - but he cooled his mind, recomposed himself, and withdrew from the dispersing crowd. Now was not the time. Not when the weight of the family rested on his shoulders.

quote:

The Good Cop

"An entire horde of no-gooders threatening to get their paws on the goddamned government itself, and what did you and your buddies do?" Sergeant Fujiwara's boisterous howls reverberated through the ill-lit alleyway and crashed down on Lam Haau-cyun's face. "Swinging around your batons and handcuffs and doing gently caress all! And here we expected our esteemed, ideal officer Hayashi Kōsen to perform his sacred loving duty... For heaven's sake ��

"My apologies, sergeant, but the orders called explicitly for restraint." Lam, honorable officer that he was, gave his perfunctory reply without so much as a twitch on his face. Orders, orders... First the paycuts, now this. All those ninety-plus men had been Chinese, his own kin, and it was the cruel reality, not wanton malice, that had forced them to the cordons. What could he have possibly brought himself to do, even if the orders had been otherwise? How could he have possibly swung his baton upon the fellow countryman struggling before him, confiding in him, whose youthful yet worn-out face he swore he had seen somewhere before�

"What? Bullshit. Don't tell me you bought into Matsuzawa's Good Samaritan nonsense too. I �" The middle-aged sergeant widened his eyes in utter bewilderment, breath running short and face red as apples. "No. Enough. I don't want any more excuses, any more unwarranted leniency thrown to those savages. I catch you half-assing your job again, Hayashi, and you'll have earned yourself a demotion."

The sergeant shot Lam one more ugly look before snapping away. "Once a mutt, always a mutt." He grumbled, not even trying to lower his voice. Lam, respectful officer that he was, stood yet perfectly still, posture remaining at a perfect ninety degree angle and gaze fixated on the sergeant's back as he plodded away - until the very instant the man stepped into the sunlight, and well out of earshot.\n\nDiu lei lo mo. Immediately the expletives hissed through his teeth. gently caress your mother.

quote:

World News: September 15, 1963
THE �LOBSTER WAR� ENDS

Reports indicate that the standoff between the German Zentralafrikan and Brazillian naval fleets positioned off Brazil�s Atlantic coast has ended. The contentious occupation of lobster-fishing waters claimed by Brazil had rapidly escalated into a standoff across the ocean.

With some reportedly clever seamanship from the Brazilian patrol ships, the illegal fishing vessels and their armed German escorts were driven back through a series of aggressive maneuvers, culminating in the ramming and subsequent boarding of several Reich-affiliated vessels.

International observers have been waiting for a response from Germania on this matter, though many wonder if the government will even acknowledge the first defeat on the high seas they have faced in over a decade.

quote:

The Struggling Founder

"Give me a break."

Yamauchi sat surrounded by sheets upon sheets of documents and fiscal reports with an exasperated expression on his face. He placed a hand on his forehead and let out a sigh of fatigue as he once again reviewed the compiled data gathered on his desk. He could not believe it; his endeavor had crumbled like a fragile house of cards, knocked over by the erratic tides of the market.

The entry into the inchoate and undeveloped market of instant rice had been a costly misstep and the Nintendo Corporation was now hemorrhaging funds, as made evident to him by the seemingly countless red arrows and negative figures littered across the charts. Instead of being the beneficiary of an unexploited realm of consumer demand, triumphant where established competitors had failed, he had joined them in ignominious defeat.

Yamauchi sifted through piles of records with irritation, desperate to discover where the critical mistake had been made. He stopped abruptly, and the string of failures and issues unraveled themselves like a carpet of thorns in his mind. He had omitted a crucial factor within his original concept: the fact that rice was a cheap and plentiful commodity, requiring minimal processing, unlike noodles, making it abundant on store shelves. Additionally, the cooking of rice took significantly less effort and time compared to noodles, discouraging most consumers from bothering to purchase alternative variants, something he had failed to see.

Yamauchi slouched back into his seat with dismay, thoughts of the future and the past clouding his perturbed head. As he continued to reflect upon his defeat, the mire of discouragement within his head began to dissipate. This would not be the end, for Nintendo's potential is vast and boundless.

�Back to the drawing board.�

quote:

The Modern Princess

Baron Yasukawa watched the sun set, more out of habit than anything else. As the people of Kōshu scurried about like ants below, his mind meandered through a maze of thoughts, before returning to the only one that mattered: would today be the day?

But even as the crowds returned to the streets, and as the humming of car engines grew louder daily, the phone never rang. Not once.

"I have to get a job," Yoshiko's words, delivered wearily, cut through the Baron's mental haze. "There's enough cash for a week or two more, at most."

Again? No, no - that wouldn't do. He'd tried to provide for his family, enough so that the late Baroness and Yoshiko would never have to. It was a man's responsibility; doubly so for a man of the peerage. "You can't. Why should a lady - "

"Because we'll both die in the streets at this rate!" Yoshiko threw herself into the seat opposite her father, gripping his hands in hers. "If this was Japan, if we still had our money and contacts, then I might have listened. But this isn't Japan, and we have no money, and no friends. I have to do this. It's the only way."

The Baron looked at his daughter, her eyes pleading. She'd always wanted to do something, never content to simply be seen and admired. He'd even considered letting her work before marrying; times had changed, he understood that. But not out of desperation. Not like this.

"You needn't worry. I'll take care of things, I promise," he said, a quiet resolve in his voice as he pulled his hands away. "I'll turn in early tonight. You should too."

She awoke to sirens outside, and a note on the bedside table.

quote:

World News: October 17, 1963
ADOLF HITLER HAS DIED

Scenes of public mourning have consumed Germany as the news first spread throughout the Reich and then the world. Adolf Hitler, F�hrer of Germany and victor of the Second World War, has died.

Whilst the F�hrer's declining health had been speculated about for some time, the news has nevertheless left Germany in a state of complete shock. The Reichstag has announced that three months of mourning shall be held, and that the F�hrer shall be buried beside his late wife, Eva Hitler, with dignitaries from around the world invited to the funeral.

While Germany mourns, internationally many are celebrating the death of the man held responsible for three decades of suffering throughout the world. Yet many international commentators fear what may now become of Germany, the Third Reich having already been embroiled in a bitter power struggle over the rightful successor to the F�hrership.

It�s funny how quickly the worlds we�ve built for ourselves can come crashing down around us.

# ? Jun 5, 2023 07:06

ChaseSP: Mar 25, 2013

Oh, I'm sure nothing can go wrong now that the great evil is dead.

# ? Jun 5, 2023 16:37

StillFullyTerrible: Feb 16, 2020; you should have left Let's Play open for public view, Lowtax

BJ finally caught him

# ? Jun 5, 2023 21:21

paragon1: Nov 22, 2010; FULL COMMUNISM NOW

StillFullyTerrible posted:

BJ finally caught him

A Nazi on the moon was the last straw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6BaujmeF_4

So what I'm gathering from the event texts is we picked the wrong groups to pass the revised labor standards. Or Suzuki just can't be the guy to pass them at all.

# ? Jun 5, 2023 22:37

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# ? May 9, 2024 09:36

NewMars: Mar 10, 2013

paragon1 posted:

A Nazi on the moon was the last straw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6BaujmeF_4

So what I'm gathering from the event texts is we picked the wrong groups to pass the revised labor standards. Or Suzuki just can't be the guy to pass them at all.

Oh no, we passed it. It's the other way around: no matter what you do, you'll always pass it. But loving up by picking the wrong groups makes your corruption spike massively and costs you big money to buy the votes needed.

# ? Jun 6, 2023 01:24

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > No, the other game called The New Order where the Nazis won

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