Lecture 2: The Issue Layout, Options, and Dismiss Button
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Welcome to the second lecture of GI! I sincerely hope you read the previous sections before reading this, as it’ll help you drastically, I believe. However, they are not required to understand what this lecture has to teach; it’d just help a little, imo.
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Lesson 1: The Rough Layout of Any Issue Is As Follows:
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Title: (Title)
Description/Issue: (Describe your core premise and issue here. Rarely does this happen in the options.)
(Criteria/Validity): (Requirements to receive this issue, such as policies, stats, adultiness, WA membership, or issue options that must be picked to lead up to this shall go here. I put co-authorship rights here as well.)
Option 1: (Option stuff here)
effect/fallout: (We'll get to these)
(Criteria/Validity): (IF an option's only available to certain nations, this goes here. I usually place this above the option when drafting.)
Option X: (Repeat steps in Option 1 for however many options you have.)
OK, so a bit to digest right there. But for the purposes of this lecture, we’re going to start with a very, very simple draft that you’ll likely refer to when making your own draft. I personally don’t do this, when I really should, because it’ll help make sure your options work with your premise:
(Title: Optional)
The Issue: (Core premise and story only, no significant writing necessary)
(Criteria optional)
Option 1: (Core idea behind what this option does)
Option X: (Repeal Option 1)
(Criteria optional but ideally avoided; you can add this later.)
A bit simpler. still scary, but the main thing you want is a rough layout. If the issue is the core question, then the options are the answers.
You may also work off of an effect line, which isn’t easy and often times doesn’t work, but once in a while it does. We’ll get to those in another lecture.
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Lesson 2: What Is An Option?
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Most of your writing will take place with these suckers, but we won’t worry about that right now. First, we’ll start out with their ideas: what do they do, and how do you make them?
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Options are what you click to answer an issue. When writing options, start with an idea, just like the premise. Options are much more flexible, so you don’t have to add all of them — nor should you. Nationstates only has so much text so as to try and avoid boring readers. Try to stick to 3-4 options, with exceptions for “variation” options (I’ll get to those later), and even then limit yourself to 5, 6 max. Rarely you’ll have more than 4 options, but if you do, make sure they don’t have a lot of text.
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Having less than 3 options is also possible, and can have a lot more text, but it’s not frequented. This is often a “do A or B” kind of situation, but usually a “wacky third option” is ideal. Speaking of which, this is usually how options are laid out: with A, B, and “crazy compromise”. Having 1 or 0 options is only allowed in An International Incident. 1 or 0 exceptions.
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This brings me to my next topic: What should the options actually do? Normally, you stick with three options. 1) Solve this issue one way. 2) Solve this issue the opposite way. 3) Solve this issue a third, usually wacky way, often times a wacky compromise. This is a basic setup that many issues employ. It’s a good idea to limit the issue to one wacky option, however, and not all issues require a truly wacky option.
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Some issues have another layout, such as 1) This should be done, 2) This should be done, BUT MORE, 3) That should be done, and 4) That should be done BUT MORE). Yet another possibly layout is 1) This should be done, 2) That should be done, 3) This other thing should be done, (4) This other other thing should be done).
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Rarely, you can also get away with “list issues”, which go over several possibilities. A classic example is “what’s your favorite hobby”. Don’t do this often, but once in a while it works. Keep the option text short if possible, though.
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Lesson 3: What Is A Good Option?
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A good option is subjective. But generally, there are several things that make for a good option:
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- The option actually has to do with the premise. Rarely do you want an option that does not actually address the core question. You wouldn’t want an issue premise such as “We’re overrun with ferrets!!! AAGH!!! What do we do?” and answer “We should be teaching people about the dangers of ferrets”. That doesn’t do anything to help with the situation. You’re not stopping the ferrets — you’re not even welcoming them with open arms!
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And yes this is a silly example, but it’s something that’s come up before with things that aren’t ferrets. Now, if you had an option that read “We should teach people it’s OK to be overrun by ferrets”, then that’s ok, since it’s essentially saying “this isn’t a problem; the problem is we think it’s a problem”.
… - An option should be unique within the issue. within it. It’s perfectly alright to have an option do the same thing as another that’s in a separate issue. We have tons of issues that just outright ban internet, ban cars, ban capitalism, ban communism, etc. etc. But if you have two options in the same issue that ban communism and nothing else? No, bad. Very bad. Each option must be distinct from one another within an issue.
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And not just slightly, either. “Tax the rich more” and “Tax the rich a LOT more” aren’t good examples. “Trim taxes slightly” and “SLASH TAXES” are alright in an issue about oppressive taxes (we have enough), but for normal issues? Nope! You can only have so many options, so make the best out of them. Make each one do something as different as possible from the other.
… - An option must not be perfect. As with a premise, which needs conflict, you need an option that doesn’t solve everyone’s answers. It’d overshadow the other options; it wouldn’t be a conflict. Sometimes this is unavoidable; sometimes a nice compromise really is a nice solution. But if that’s the case, you have to either ignore it entirely, or add it with some exaggerated consequences.
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And finally,
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Lesson 4: The Dismiss Button Is Technically An Option!
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Now, many people think this is the “I don’t like this issue so I’m deleting it!” button. And you’d be correct! But it’s also more than that. People often times feel guilty about dismissing an issue, but don’t; it’s a genuine option that’s used in real life all the time. Try to think of a solution, if you can, but if you can’t, or you think everything’s fine, or you’re just egotistical and don’t think such an issue could happen in your nation, then feel free to dismiss it! But this brings me to my next point:
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4) Options. must. do. something.
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Ok they don’t technically have to, but they should! Many of the first issues in the game have a “Keep the status quo” or “Do nothing, this is fine” option. This is technically OK since you’re reaffirming your government’s position on something. Another example is if you don’t save criminals; they’ll be dead, you approve of it. This is sorta where a dismiss button has its faults, whereby you can dismiss an issue that has urgency and not have any consequences of it.
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But the dismiss button is there. You do NOT need an option that does nothing because that’s what the dismiss button does. If you want a “this is fine” or “there’s nothing wrong”, or even a “this is good” option, which is sometimes necessary for an issue premise to work, you’re best off finding a way to make that option do something. It may be difficult, and if impossible it can be ignored, but try your best to at least have it do something.
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HOMEWORK:
Write down a very rough draft! You’ve, hopefully, got a premise, although if you wish to make another one, feel free! If you wish to make multiple option sets, also feel free! As long as you get a rough framework to build your drafts from. This can, of course, be tweaked over time as you fully edit your draft, and once you get to writing, you may skip this step entirely and store the ideas in your head. But for now, just make a rough plot.