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Hello everyone, Some of you may have heard by now but our beloved friend and comrade RedArmy has passed away this weekend. He died from complications from heart surgery, he was 33. Those who knew him already know this, but he was one of the kindest souls you'll ever meet. He would do anything for anybody, including driving 8 hours across the country to pick up another alliance member who was going through some really rough times, and helping them secure a place to live. Although we've only been playing this game together for 4-5 years, he ended up becoming like a brother to me, and to most of ASM. He was someone who would always listen to you, and help guide you through whatever rough patch you were going through. He was so genuine in an era where that doesn't exist. We went on an ASM camping trip last year, and it was a blast, except our first night camping we were crushed during Guns & Roses, and 3/4 of ASM's gov't was off in the woods drinking, out of cell service. Red was the only one who had cell service and when he got the notifications he promptly turned the phone off, and casually mentioned it to me a few hours later... deep into inebriation. Red was one of the most selfless people I've ever met, and that I will ever meet. He constantly gave others everything he had, whether it was emotionally, physically or even financially. He kept nothing for himself. This was true even in death. With his last dying breath he was able to hold on long enough to make it possible to donate several organs so that others could live. ASM will never be the same. He was the bedrock of our community, the glue that held a bunch of political stalwarts from delving into chaos every waking moment. There aren't enough kind words I can say about Red. Please pour one out for our fallen brother. We are heartbroken. If you are interested there is a gofundme for his family, i've posted it in ASM's discord server. In the interim I have taken over leadership of ASM. See you on the other side brother. Rest easy. Love Yinz.

Announcement from the Church of Atom The Church is declaring victory after Papal intelligence services confirmed that Hollestial has indeed disbanded. Our primary objective has been achieved. We will continue a limited special military operation against TKR as they have wide swaths of infrastructure that need to be deinfratized. We thank the community for all it's support and will continue to work to make Orbis a better place!

Can I not say to hell with P&WRushmore, and go for a 40m high statue of Buorkhan instead?

CoA:

Some weird mission parametres y'all have there 🤔

A modest collection of gems from over the years - mostly jokes, some official yet often still hilarious threads, and a few thoughtful posts - for a venture down memory lane. This isn't even covering his jokes/gags from CN, or countless amusing IRC/Discord interactions - whether it was as a fellow member in GPA/Rose or as a dear friend in SRA (CN), CoS, Valinor, ASM, TKR, etc, it's been a wonderful 10 years of experiencing Red's humour, charisma, and wit. Always bringing smiles, laughter, and a genuine point of view. One of the best I came across, to end it off: If I missed any of your favourite Red moments, please share!

Beige is only temporary, the disbandment of Hollestial is forever (or is it, heard there's a sekrit treaty still :serious: )

If you want to know what kind of person Red was outside the game, I went to visit him in the hospital today and there were a lot of people there who he played various games with that felt like they needed to give something back to him because he was so generous to them. So they went to say their goodbyes to someone they met playing games like P&W on the internet. This honestly blew my mind that he had such an impact with so many people, but that's also why I was there. He was declared brain dead yesterday after complications from heart surgery. He never woke up. However he was kept on life support so that his last wishes, which were donating his organs so that others may live, could be seen to fruition.

Due to all the time we spend on Discord discussing old memories, influential characters, and individuals who changed the game I thought it would be fun to do this. You have all heard of sports Mount Rushmore where you list the top four in your opinion on the sporting world, no doubt. Who would you have on your P&W Mount Rushmore and why?

Has Roberts been spilling the beans again? Damnit I knew we should've bought him one more project to keep him quiet!

Mount Rushmore had presidents of different eras, so I think it might be fair to list the greatest of each era/generation. The order of names is my personal viewpoint on who was the most influential (not about personal liking or agreement/disagreement of actions) of each era, but it's obviously a bit subjective. Beginning - Silent Era Ranking: Partisan, Prefontaine, Abbas Explanation: I know the least about this era because it was before my time, but I was in FA long enough to hear sufficient stories to have an idea. Syndisphere was dominant for the majority of this era, defeating covenant, paragon, and paracovenant. Partisan was the FA lead and public face of The Syndicate for much of this period, and was able to get strong alliances with TKR and BK. Prefontaine is a wildcard here since he led TEst, but the fame of the original alliances lasts to this day with like the 20th "reincarnation" of TEst being the current one we have today since its legacy is so strong. Until Papers Please, TEst was at the pinnacle of the game and a threat to nearly everyone. Finally, Abbas was a main political rival of Partisan/T$ and their relationship was the basis of at least one of the major conflict axes in this era. His ability to work in the shadows is renowned and still was actively considered in 2021 by the FA folk of Orbis when I was doing FA 5 years later... Silent - KF Era Ranking: Dalinar (Infinite Citadel), Roquentin, Ripper Explanation: Yes, I'm TKR so you might say bias, but it's quite obvious to any outside observer that TKR dominated this era. What was once Syndisphere evolved as Obsidian Order became the center of power. The breakup of BK and TKR to form EMC and IQ might've been the most consequential set of events in the entire game's history, the impacts of this would reverberate until NPOLT. IC had led TKR from the beginning as a small alliance that overtook the likes of T$, Pantheon, UPN, etc. to become #1 and find a strong set of allies. IQ was defeated during Trail of Tiers and the trouble for TKR didn't start until well after IC stepped down. Roquentin is another leader who was able to build his alliance from the ground up. He originally started in Umbrella, and then he moved over to lead NPO. It was a controversial move given the CN history, but NPO's characteristic tiering style was troublesome for any opponent and still sets the standard today for econ departments. While NPO lost Trail of Tiers and Ayslamic Crusade, it's new bloc IQ became the strongest power by the end of this period taking it from TKR during KF. Ripper may seem like an unconventional choice as a leader of arrgh, but his time in CoS/Valinor proved to be quite impactful. KF was a major turning point for the entire game where the Syndi and later EMC coalition that had always won would finally lose. However, the issue was bridging the gap between Syndisphere (T$-Syndi-Pantheon) and IQ, for which CoS and Test played large roles in facilitating as well as charting out the future of the game. The concepts of a dynamic meta and minispheres would be generated here. An honorable mention here is Thrax who played a similar role. KF - NPOLT Era: Roquentin (note I don't think he should get much acclaim but no doubt was the most powerful at this point), Adrienne, Buorhann Explanation: Roquentin's role in NPOLT is plastered all over the forum. I don't think he really deserves recognition for his actions here. Adrienne was the glue of the resistance to IQ. What began as a fractured coalition of minispheres between KETOGG, Chaos (miss you guys <3), and Rose was pushed to the limit as we were held under for 9 months straight. It wasn't a group of friends but people who had a bare level of mutual interests, and Adrienne with deft kept those folks together and our front strong until her resolve paid off with the GPWC scandal. While she had to whether KF early on, it wasn't much of her doing and she showed the world that TKR was not a pushover despite being ganged up 2-3 to 1 repeatedly. A force truly to be reckoned with, and a leader who inspired the loyalty and activity of her entire alliance. Buorhann was also a key player in KETOGG, helping to set up Surf's Up and deal with NPOLT. However, his contributions are mostly ideological. The original KT/ET/TGH sphere was also a long-term goal to launch minispheres as the default meta. Given the direction of the game after KF and especially afterwards, it's no doubt that his ideas are influential. If you were to put a face on the movement, it'd be his. Beyond NPOLT: Valk, Keegoz, Ben, Tyrion Explanation: Coming out of NPOLT, Rose was a shell of its former self. It'd always suffered with competence issues and now it had basically no activity and was on life support after the year-long war. Valk took charge in the middle of NPOLT when Zevfer disappeared, leaving him and Mhearl to deal with the fallout. In less than a year, Rose was contending and then overtook TKR for the #1 spot. It was transformative as Rose's changed up their econ system, invested in tech, and was seen as highly competent (at least until GnR). Rose scored major victories against Quack and later HW, and is now by far the largest alliance in the game without having Alex make everyone join Rose. Keegoz is a bit of a dark horse, but his influence is generally shadowy in the vein of his former colleague, Abbas. That said, HM, briefly HW, and later Clock under CoTL and Cataclysm were continually at the forefront of the game. They've an impressive war record and are generally the standard of competence that other spheres compare to. Keegoz helps put the people and pieces in place to enable those things to happen. While the HM/Quack conflict axis was important, it eventually became overshadowed by a rivalry with Rose, importantly Rose and TKR. Ben had led the recovery of TKR from NPOLT and was crucial for the creation of HW which dominated the politics of 2021 with GnR and the eventual Syndi-Rose coalition (which also likely factored into their current alignment). His TKR had been at the center of the game in Quack and then later on in HW. Tyrion's record is more mixed than the previous 3; however the list wouldn't be right if he wasn't considered. Among the power brokers in this era, Tyrion was certainly always in the room and making changes to Swamp, Oasis, and later joining HW. TI had started from scratch in the vein of Pantheon but has been pleasantly surprising in terms of competence relative to Pantheon (still a work in progress though). For any sphere moves, knowing the thoughts of Tyrion who led the major bloc of lower and mid-tier nations was important. Overall: Partisan, Dalinar (Infinite Citadel), Adrienne, Valk If you only want to include one TKR: Partisan, Roquentin, Adrienne, Valk

Kev - I used to have a massive lack of understanding for what Kev does, but over the last year or two, I’ve more and more realized that he’s a world shaper, beyond what most people are actually capable of pulling off. The amount of focus he’s able to pull and gather is pretty impressive and I’d go as far as to say that there isn’t anyone else who can match that style of FA. Thalmor - Thalmoria was the first radio show that I actually made an earnest attempt at listening, and, it was obvious that when Thalmor hosts a show, that people will come and listen. He seemingly tried/tries to provide a relatively unbiased opening opinion on things, and I always respected that a lot. And also, who can forget the Subway Girl stories. WANA - As a newer player (I joined Sep of 2020; just prior to Duck Hunt), I always had a shadowy and backhanded opinion of Syndicate, and with that said, WANA. I always viewed them as the shady, back alley, “we’re playing the game how we want, and we don’t care how it’s perceived” style of play, and I always was intrigued by it. WANA tanked a lot of community attention, and basically seemed to embrace it. I’d say from my side of the PnW world, he was almost personified as a villain of sorts, to which I can’t think of many others who fit that mold. Keegoz - I believe Keegoz was my first shoulder to shoulder experience with real FA. Being part of decision making, brain storming, and seeing the inner workings of high level FA truly gives me a strong impression that Keegoz is on a higher level than most. I feel that I’ve learnt a lot just by exposure alone, and really can’t imagine that CATA, or Clock for that matter would be in anywhere near the same enjoyable position that we’re in now, if Keegoz wasn’t in the picture.

Wanted to add some feel good moments. Here's a reminder of how good Red was at coordination even if it was with his "enemy":

Truly and utterly devastating, no way around it. Yet so many fond memories surround me. Rest in peace, we'll have our glorious battle someday (on the great City Island in the sky!).

Red might've been my favorite dude outside of TKR to just shoot the breeze with. Dude was always just so fun and kind, even when things weren't necessarily going his way. He was always quick with an UwU, quick to rag on my reds, quick to encourage me to do something, like start a radio show... Giving me nitro on my birthday. Even when most of the game was (probably rightfully) bashing at me for the Hollyrose move, Red was in my DM's checking to make sure I was doing okay and to make sure I remembered that things were just a game and to take care of myself mentally. He died as he lived. Making life better for others. I will miss him dearly. One last UwU for my friend. Rest In Peace Zach/Red.

I wasn’t aware of Red’s untimely death until this morning, just after arriving at work. It hit me like a ton of bricks and I have just gotten home to type this and it’s really starting to sink in. Red was a one of a kind dude and made a huge impact on me over the many years we had come to know each other. We would confide in each other and have a few laughs all at the same time. I had known him for a long while in my time playing Politics and War but we became extremely close when I joined Church of Spaceology in 2018. He was a loyal ally when we shared common goals and always my favorite person to interact with when we found ourselves on opposite sides of a war because he was always a good sport whether he was winning or losing. Although he may be gone I will never forget him.

Announcement from the Church of Atom Gluttony is a sin, any believer in Atom would not deny this. Many in Orbis are great committers of this sin. You hide behind fat alliances, you participate in one round of war and then buy out of range so you don't have to fight. But what is greater than this sin? What could anger Atom so? Those who would whisper into others' ears, in hopes of coaxing more sin! It was Morf who suggested an alliance between Ro$e and HW. So it is Morf who brings fire upon his house! tl;dr: CoA declares war on TKR "I mean what's the worst that can happen, our infra is gone who cares? We just rebuild" -Casty

I blame Alex for taking so long to release the Metropolitan Planning project.

Ladies and gentlemen, we got 'em

Open bar? I attend marriages only for the liquor 🍹

Your ladder doesn't quite go all the way to the top, does it?

I didn’t really know the guy but it’s apparent from all these great comments that he was a great guy. Rest In Peace 💔

Aurora after having signed with a minesome AA before:

The world is poorer in his absence. May he rest in peace.

I tried to be objective AND give reasons: Prefontaine - Like or hate him, he was a formative Guardian government member, leader of the original TEst, helped truly pave the path of paperlessness and all the "decentralizing" philosophies that sprouted from those discussions like our current system of spheres, played the villain in a time where the villain definitely wasn't the safe play, has had a loud voice on the development of the game, and ultimately is now running point on game development decisions as Alex's effective right hand. His political influence has waxed and waned but his impact on PnW has echoed the entire time I've been here. Partisan - The number one political player in the game, IC the most influential across the longest time frame. Others have sometimes bested his coalitions, others have sometimes overridden his opinions, but no other players has so consistently been able to bend the metagame to their will as Partisan has. Personally, I think a lot of hype has helped him achieve his goals but I can't discredit his results. Overhyped or not, people are willing to follow along with him and he has proven able+willing to make decisions and proactive shape the game. He has been a driving force in a driving alliance since I joined the game years ago and continue to wield influence. Roquentin - I'd argue only Roquentin qualifies as a "GOAT" even if he lives in infamy. His methodical grip on NPO and NPO's antagonistic FA approach for the duration of their time here really set the stage for a ton of IC politics. Ultimately ending in NPO's last time which directly resulted in a complete up-ending of the political status quo. I don't think it can be understated the importance of moving away from a treaty web and into a multi-polar world, people have been pushing for such a thing since Cybernations began in 2006. Roquentin, via NPOLT, also pushed a ton of the old generation into full retirement and made room for a whole new generation of players to really step up and make their own decisions, for better or worse. I'd argue he had a huge negative impact on the game, but he still was objectively one of the most influential players to play. The fourth pick is pretty hard. There are a lot of names which I'd classify as contenders but no clear fourth person I'd say DEFINITELY stands out. I'll lay out my contenders: Adrienne - TKR's leader during Knightfall and a cornerstone of the community. She helps run a ton of community events in retirement and is still a huge driving force within TKR years after stepping down. During her time as leader TKR grew to such power that a coalition of alliances teamed up to take them down. Generally speaking I think she's a behind-the-scenes operator for the past couple of years and therefore not an obvious standout for a most influential or GOAT player. Even though she is great. Abbas - Arguably Partisan's rival in politics, especially in the early days of PnW. However I'd say he failed to really accomplish things on the scale that Partisan did. Rose built larger coalitions than t$ but successively crashed into a bulwark of better-coordinated alliances time and time again. This combined with his more backroom/string-puller style of FA - something I think Rose still struggles to shirk off to this day - as well as the fact he's really fallen out of PnW politics in the last couple of years make me hesitate to name him as a GOAT as well. Abbas's significance almost comes as much from his rivalry with Partisan/t$ as it does from his actual actions. Kurdanak - Another community staple that also had his hands in politics at various times. Kurd has helped run several different community projects over the years and had a wide influence + presence in much of the game. Kastor - Another very involved community player but questionable political influence. Depending on the time period he was either an active leader/high gov member or seen in a less flattering light. For that reason I wouldn't name his as a GOAT either. Kev - another OG long-time community contributor, alliance creator, and really kickstarted radio shows for PnW which I feel are a huge piece of the game's IC community. Thalmor - Speaking of Radio Shows / Community contributors, consistency is key. No one has been as consistently high quality as thalmor radio. Honorable mention for sure. I've also known Thalmor for literal years and he's always been a presence within the community as a whole. Infinite Citadel/Dalinar - the founder of TKR, IC was heavily influential in the beginning stages of the game and a heavy influence within TKR. I'm not super familiar but I know he was pretty involved in politics along with Partisan and Abbas. There are a lot of other honorable mentions but those are the "contenders" for spot number four that really come to mind.

Upstanding community members should go on such a memorial. I think it goes without saying who the first one would be. Ramona, Kurdanak, and Kyu as well - all upstanding, kind-hearted people that make this place better.

I had known Red for almost exactly three years, we met on June 17, 2019, the start of NPO's Last Time. Back then, I was some no name scrub kid in BK, and he was in the first round blitz that hit me, alongside @Vexz. Both were members of Valinor back then, and I was amazed by the kindness both showed me. Despite being on different sides of the war, despite having every reason to dislike me, despite having every reason to not want to talk to me, Red was always one of the kindest, warmest, most gentle souls I knew, and his name was one of the first that came to mind when times were rough and I needed someone to speak to, and get emotional support from. To get the news that he had passed broke my heart, and I refused to believe it. I still can hardly believe it, the idea that such a kind soul has been taken from us, far too soon, far before his time, is absolutely crushing. I will miss him dearly, and I will never forget him, nor will I forget the kindness he showed me and others. My most heartfelt condolences to all who knew and loved Red, especially the members of ASM. Losing family is one of the most painful experiences one can go through. No goodbye is forever, my friend, for we shall see each other again one day in another life. For now, @Redarmy, keep a beer ready for me, brother. I'll be sure to bring jokes and stories for you when we meet again, and I'll be sure to pass on the kindness and love you showed me.

Been sitting here trying to find the right words Redarmy was one of the nicest people I ever had the pleasure of working with in P&W. I met a lot of people playing this game and Red was one people with the most positive influence on me and others around him. In a game with personalities so large and tensions so high at times I don't think I ever heard a bad word said about Red. Everyone liked him. This is such a sad day, going so young. I hope his family can take some small comfort in the many people whose experiences with Red were so positive. Rest in peace man.

Oh my god. @Menhera just made me aware of this post. I'm actually sobbing, redarmy was an amazing comrade and I'm so sorry to hera this. Stright up I loved this guy from the day I met himand we both found out eachother was looslely connected to NPO, and if you hold that against him, Huck you, RA was absolutely amazing as a guy and he'll be missed in this community.

Receiving this news about a person who shaped your current life and your future going forwards. It's a horrible feeling. When the war felt imminent in Russia, I was indecisive. Although I wasn't in ASM for a long time, I've kept in touch with people like Aiya and Red after I left, because they're awesome. Red always told me that he'll help if I've ever needed some sort of advice or just a shoulder to cry on. I spent the entire night of February 26th talking with him, and he encouraged me to go big. The next day, I took the immediate flight to Incheon, and applied for the examinations to join the Seoul National University. 6 hours after my flight took off, martial law was instated in Russia, and war begun. A week later, I passed my exams, and I became a student of the Seoul National, one of the most prestigious and most highly regarded universities in the world. I was quick to thank Red for this, but I never thought that this will really change my life beside from switching living places. What followed was a war that still rages on, opportunities I've never encountered at home, many more decisions I needed Red's advice on. Looking back, not only has Red helped me in finding a better study option, but he also saved my life. I was due for military enlistment back then, and I wasn't recruited yet because of an injury I've sustained a week before. Had Red not galvanized in me taking these steps, maybe I wouldn't be here, mourning his passing beside all of you. Maybe I would be shot dead in Ukraine, because I never made the decision. I owe my life to him, but I couldn't do or say anything more than a "thank you" for all his burdens. Hell, I didn't even think about sending him a few dollars for beer. Thank you Red, once again, for saving my life. For helping me to dream big, and to dare to do so. His last wish shows how big of a person he was, and we will all dearly miss him. Hug your loved ones, just give them a phone call. Trust me, you will have less regrets when they go away.

I'm genuinely heartbroken. Red, you talked to me years ago during one of the most trying times of my life for hours like I was a friend of yours that you had known your whole life, despite not knowing much about me. I've spent all day trying to word the feeling I have. You were one of the kindest, most genuine, and all-around great people that not only I had the pleasure of knowing but so many others. I'll never hear the word yinz the same again. When I was told, I didn't want to believe it, he was in such high spirits the other day and making jokes. I'll miss you friend, hell I already do. Rest easy my friend. You'll be terribly missed.

Someone said people die twice: Once when their heart stops beating, and again when someone thinks of them for the final time. Red's still around. He's the kind of guy whose second life will last until the end of all of ours. See you around.

Just a few more lives to change forever buddy. Almost there. Just a few more... Love you forever.

WAKE UP SHEEPLE

Victory in our Time! May even more infra be blown to smithereens

Waiting on Alex. I've not heard from him in a bit, so I don't have any update.

Does that mean I can sign a ToA with Aurora now? You gonna bring them into the ToA bloc?

So when y'all get a divorce is each party getting 50% of the split or was there a prenup signed in advance?

I personally did not know Red but since several people i have a good opinion of seem to care deeply about his departure I wish him the best

Redarmy is still in our hearts and in how he shaped us for the better. No man is perfect, but he sure came damn close. I fondly remember the times we'd go to Sheetz and just talk about the day. I also remember when we'd play EU4 with our comrades, and how him and I would make diplomatic deals regarding northern Italy so I could form the tag and he could be the cool Savoy. And the time he brought himself and friends to Gettysburg, and would talk at length about the battle and the Civil War in general - he reenacted, and knew a lot of cool Civil War songs. Red taught us to remain true to ourselves and be kind and compassionate towards all. He taught us how to be strong without spiraling into rage. His compassion and kindness showed no bounds. He brought me to Pennsylvania to have a home, driving for countless hours just to help a friend in need. We'll never meet a man as wholesome as Red, but may we all be more wholesome because of his life and how he touched us all. Rest in Power, Red. You're with God and John Brown's army now.

Celestial and Hollywood hereby activate Article 4 of the Peace in Our Time Agreement Signed, Celestial Sphere Leadership Hollywood Sphere Leadership

Or more likely, taking advantage of easy shots against us and getting revenge for SALT, given that y'all joined late and we'd just smacked y'all a few months prior. You guys have hardly ever been an anti-hegemony group. You'd have taken far different actions in the nearly four years between these wars and had more crusades if you were.

oh good this isn't for the raid DM I forgot to reply to

Just because Rose would end up on everyone's worst fighters/most disappointing list in the event Rose was in a war (more like got rolled.) doesn't make it a silly idea. 😉

So why exactly do you have to be such a massive PoS to my alliance mate? A treaty was kept vague (on purpose quite probably) and asking for clarification what this term meant isn't some crazy ask. Why is being kind in this community so hard for some people; this isn't Kindergarten and War.

Can someone explain to me why credits should be excluded here; as far as I'm concerned 20 different credit prices are just as annoying. If someone actually deletes, everything should be distributed to the nations fighting. If you delete you are a wussy and deserve it. Although this is nice and sweet; i don't think that this will structurally fix the issues that Naval has. That issue is that it has no place at all in the Global War meta, it will just make the cost of mismanaging ships and destroying infra cheaper. Which seems like a non solution. Ships need a buff / mechanics change that will make them more useful and or more interesting to be used in meta war situations, during the early stages of the war. Currently they are only good in three situations: - Destroying loads and loads of infra if you have a lot of cities (this will be buffed quite a bit as ships are cheaper to use now). - Blockading (In the deciding stages of a global war this is very rarely useful). - One shipping (this is only useful if your opponent is absolute shit). Just to be clear: I am not opposed to this change (I don't really care much for it); i just don't think it's actually going to do a lot. --- Those are the three comments I have; I think these changes are mostly very good and or interesting.

Quality of Life When a nation deletes during a war, part of that nations resources goes to those fighting it. Make Leader name and Nation name consistent. You can have different names but all interaction (like bank trades) will go through use names. Alliance (and shared market) trades get merged into the global trade screen and include a special indicator or color. Nations in alliances that have a treaty to your alliance will appear with an indicator or color on the market to show "ally" trades For the bulk import feature, have the default be to all cities but give the option to select which cities to import to. Cities may have differing infra levels/improvement slots, especially during war, or people may want different builds for different cities - but still across multiple cities - so allowing them to choose which cities the import applies to would make things easier. Allow for the "$" and commas to be ignored when inputting values and/or allow for k,m,b to be used to send cash/resources (i.e. 1m instead of 1000000 to send 1 million food). Allow alliances to embargo other alliances (but give members the option to opt out of them). Possible more TBD