Headquarters is moving

Well this website was short-lived.

Recent events have made it abundantly clear that a message board will be more effective than a blog, so MAD operations have now been migrated to http://z6.invisionfree.com/madalliance/.

This blog won't be deleted, but also won't be updated. All alliance business is now to be taken care of at the forum.

MAD passes 30,000 strength

MAD passed the 30,000 combined strength milestone today, which approximately doubles our strength from one week ago, and is halfway to the 60,000 limit required to be listed on the alliance comparison chart.

Also, with expanded membership it is becoming clear that a message board will serve our needs better than a blog will. If you have an opinion on this issue, please leave a comment.

On the distribution of aid

Please see my post on the 6th page of the SSP thread titled "On the distribution of aid".

If you do not know to which thread I am referring or are not registered there, email in-game.

Declaration of War

At 4:17 pm Eastern Standard Time the MAD Cabinet unanimously declared war on the unaffiliated nation of Chachaland for its unprovoked attack on El Kumbiana.

All attempts at a diplomatic solution have been exhausted. Chachaland was ordered to stand down its forces and declare peaceful intentions, and has responded with impertinence.

Counter attacks by El Kumbiana and assaults by allied nations within range are hereby authorized. Stripperstan is the most powerful allied country in range and will lead the attack. The Cabinet also asks the forces of Tortuga in particular to stand ready and engage as possible.

In the words of Minister of Defense Eviliza of Lizatonia: Smash him!

New Member Guide

This document serves as a quick “what you need to know” guide for new alliance members. It is not intended as a tutorial for how to succeed in the game (that can be found elsewhere), but is a logistical document to inform you of the bare necessities.

Once you have completed the tasks in the Recruitment Office and have been listed on the Roster of Members, be aware of the following:

1. If you are not listed on the Roster and do not have your Alliance Affiliation in the game set to “Mutually Assured Defense” then you are not considered to be a full member.
   
2. This website functions as the official headquarters and communications center of the alliance. It is absolutely imperative that all alliance members keep up to date on current events. We used a blog format so that XML syndication would be easy, so that everyone doesn’t have to physically visit the site every day. If you do not use RSS then frequent visits to this site will be necessary.
   
3. Everyone in the alliance is encouraged to post new threads here. To become an author send me (Cirrus) your email address, and I will create a log-in for you. Click here to email me.
   
4. Our alliance leadership is known as the “Cabinet”. You can view the current Cabinet here. It is possible – perhaps even likely – that as the alliance grows additional Cabinet positions will be created.
   
5. The Charter, which you should have already read, is the rule of law in MAD. All alliances in the game have Charters. Most are longer and more involved than ours.
   
6. The CyberNations Forum is the game’s primary place for international communication. You can ask questions there, find trading partners, keep up to date on cyberworld events, etc. Visiting it is not in any way mandatory, but it’s a handy resource.
   
7. Another handy resource is the CyberNations Wiki, were you can find plenty of information about logistical questions. The wiki also provides an opportunity for you to flesh out the details of your national culture if you so desire. For example, the wiki page for my nation includes pictures of my capital city and a detailed map.
   
8. MAD graphics can be found at the Symbology page.
   
9. Although it is not required, because learning the game on your own is part of the fun, we encourage new members to read the MAD Academy, which gives a lot of very useful hints and tips for how to succeed in the game and make your country as powerful as possible.
   
10. If you are attacked or need alliance help in any way, you have to inform us. We’re not babysitters and don’t look at every country in the alliance every day.
    
11. Encourage your friends to play CyberNations and to join MAD! ;-)

Phew! I think that’s about it. Happy nation building!

Amendments pass

Charter amendments proposed on 2/21/07 passed by 4-0 vote.

Thanks to those who voted.

Charter Amendments 1 and 2

Recent events have brought to light two weaknesses in the MAD Charter which I would like to address via amendment. As I’m sure folks recall, the amendment process was described in §1.5.2, which states

…amendments may be proposed by any member nation, and shall be subject to approval by unanimous vote of the MAD Cabinet, followed by majority vote of all member nations...

My proposal is as follows:

Amendment 1: In the event of a direct attack on sovereignty, member nations may engage in self-defensive warfare without or before the declaration of war by the MAD Cabinet.

This clears up §1.2.1, which could be read in a strict interpretation as to prevent individual member nations from defending themselves from attack until after official declaration of war by the Cabinet. This was certainly not the intent of the original text.

Amendment 2: The MAD Cabinet shall have authority to grant and deny membership in the alliance. The Cabinet may with unanimous vote revoke the membership of rostered nations which take actions that have a negative effect on the alliance as a whole. In the event that a rostered nation’s membership is revoked, that nation may within 3 days submit an appeal to the Alliance-At-Large, which shall consist of a petition signed by no less than 1/6 of all rostered alliance members, and shall be granted upon the positive vote of the rostered majority.

This addresses a hole in §1.3.1.1, which leaves membership open to anyone and does not include a provision allowing the alliance to reject members unless they are not peace-loving, which is clearly a subjective quality and surely not the *only* characteristic with which we want to be aligned. It also protects members from having their status revoked for personal reasons.

Eviliza and I have both signed off on the proposed amendments, so they're now up for general vote. Ratification requires a simple majority of voting members. Voting will close at 11:59 Saturday evening or with the confirmation of a majority. The first two affirmative votes are already registered as Eviliza and myself, so we need three more to achieve a 5 of 8 majority.