Nandos Queer

on this picture i drew Alexandr Andreevich Alexandrov - cavalry officer of the russian imperial army that participated in napoleonic wars. people persistently keep on misgendering mispronounsing deadnaming and calling him a crossdresser although alexandrov clearly stated that he didn't want to be called by his deadname and being treated like anything but a man. that's an interesting historical figure and i wanted to draw attention to his person. i can't tell everything about him in only one post so i recomend you to read about alexandrov by yourself

Civilus, or to give it its full title, Civilus: the great simulation, incorporating the rise and fall of Empires, Kingdoms, Satrapys, Duchys, Dukedoms, Democratic Republics, Independent Nations, Principalities, Non-Democratic Republics, Juntas, Tyrannies, Nation-States, and other forms of goverment, in the Never-Ending Struggle to Achieve A Place In The History Books Through Various Means, Including, But Not Limited To, Military Victories, Cultural Developments, Scientific Advancement, Ecomonic Coups and Other Noteworthy Acts, is my greatest accomplishment. It is, according to the Guiness Book of World Records, the most complex strategy board-game ever devised, beating Campaign for North Africa by quite a margin.

When I was young, I once was invited to play a quick game of Monopoly to fill a spare hour. The game, through no fault of any of the players involved, stretched out through a full afternoon. I was fascinated, then as now, by the plasticity of Time and the effect boardgames were able to have upon it.

Later on, in school, I saw an illustration of a ball on a wireframe, derforming it under the pressure like a low-sprung mattress: this showed how black holes were able to deform space-time. The same principle, I reasoned, could apply with a board-game, if the density was sufficient. So I, and my team of designers, went to work with that as our guiding principle, and we have performed superbly.

The jist of the game is this: as in the classic Civilisation, players assume the role of a nation and guide it to glory, following an approximation of world history. However, Mr Meier's goal was not to replicate but simulate, and our goal is something more.

To begin the game, a D6 is rolled. This determines the rank of your character's birth, with 1 being a beggar and 6 being minor nobility. You must then guide your player to assume the role of head of state. This can be accomplished in many ways, depending on the starting era chosen and the type of nation you intend to control; sometimes bribery is key, usually some assassination is involved. On more modern starts, there is a need to master the game of party politics. A seperate ruleset is in operation for every player. A turn represents a single day, with the number of actions available contingent on how well-nourished your character is and how much agency or influence they are currently able to exert. Should a character die, they must swap to a descendant or close confidant. In this way, a character who starts as a beggar may over time rise to leadership.

Once all players have assumed command of their respective Territories, the Primary Phase is completed. Note that the game can only proceed when all players have assumed these positions; a common strategy is to send agents or other resources to assist other players. Note also that if for any reason players lose authority over their Territory, the Primary Phase begins again for them.

The Secondary Phase begins when all players are prepared to assume authority over their Territories. Their goal is to accumulate Victory Points by advancing their Territory in various ways: Scientific, Military, Cultural and Economic are the default tracks, but depending on the era the game is played in others may be available: Heroic and Exploratory are some examples.

On a given turn, players must first determine a sequence of actions, including performing Ablutions (subsystems are in operation for washing, dressing, and feeding oneself), proposing and enacting Resolutions, and appointing Auxilaries. An Auxilary is a seperate player avatar, analagous to a cabinet minister, general or director of a research institute, etc. Each Auxilary requires new schedules to be produced per turn. Turns are then processed, and the success or failure of actions are decided based on a range of factors; there is usually a random element, a roll of a given dice, which is then given various modifiers based on the cards each player holds (if they wish to play them), any Resources they can utilise, and any Twists of Fate or Random Happenings that are turned up during processing of the action.

In this way, play continues, with players attempting to achieve Victory Points though making achievements relating to their chosen track. While it is advisable to declare a major focus, it is more common to advance several at the same time to ensure total dominance of the board and field.

The suggested margin for a declaration of success is 50 points, though for a shorter game, 25 is preferable. Either way, it is likely to take at least ten in-game years to achieve this.

Once the margin of Victory Points has been accrued, the Tertiary Phase can begin. In this phase, a nation's victory is ratified by independantly created Arbiters (new agents who are created at this time). Ratification is a seperate process which can run parallel to the processes begun in the Secondary Phase.

During any of these phases, the players may engage Saboteurs, Defilers, Spies, Counter-Culturalists, and so on, to deny the other players Victories. These, of course, must also be scheduled and operated in parallel to the players' other agents.

And yet I hear you ask- what has this to do with longevity? How has developing this twisted nightmare of a complex game occasioned me to live to nearly a century?

The skies weep dreary Splitting the air in halves Turning dirt to mud

I sit and recall Lanterns lit in memory Of old happiness.

We ascend the hill The views sprawl out for miles At the top peace lies.

Life can feel hopeless Yet I have a perfect love Who drives me onward.

Thoughts of him banish The storm of bad emotions And soothe the rough seas.

His smile is golden The sun, rising in the East Light embracing me.

The birdsong in June Becomes louder and wilder He waves to them, still.

He tells me many stories Beneath the blossoming trees Every day a gift.

Like flowing waters I chuckle with him daily He makes me laugh so.

He is my treasure A lily growing amid crags Precious, perfect, mine.

How I adored when We walked around the lake and He asked the question.

I answered, I will Seek eternal happiness In the fairy wood.

I wish that I could Shape the mountains and rivers Give my feelings form.

He feels himself lost A poor cub abandoned Prey for the wolves.

I want to protect My innocent baby bird My wonderful man

I hope, I pray that He reads these tender treenotes And my love finds him