12-28-2021, 09:13 AM
Fellow South Pacificans,
sometimes the future is not at all what we predict, and if you had told 2017 Roavin that we'd be doing this, I would have laughed at you. But we're here now!
The South Pacific and Balder were allied until 2016. The relationship broke down for multiple reasons, but earlier this year we talked with Balder and hashed out a Statement of Detente, reestablishing embassies and getting things back on track. At the time, I wrote this:
What's positive to note is that this shift from Balder has not reversed course, and particularly with The Black Hawks stepping on The North Pacific's toes a few days ago, the likelihood of any short or even medium term shift towards the Hawks' sphere is near inconceivable. Furthermore, on occasion, we have even seen the Jomsvikings (Balder's military) aid in liberation efforts (most notably in Trovons), something that was also unthinkable not too long ago.
We have been in talks with Balder about the state of the world, the coming changes to the meta with Frontiers and Strongholds, and our relationship. We share some apprehension about F/S. Balder in particular, while they won't get as directly affected by F/S as we will, certainly are apprehensive about the rather unforeseen changes to the meta that F/S will bring, and want to make sure that their diplomatic network is appropriately suited up for that eventuality. It's in this context that Balder floated the proposal to have a more binding diplomatic agreement between our two regions, one that includes non-aggression and (by their request) possibly even mutual defense obligations. As to how that would look, the basic framework would be what we have with Pax Capricorn, our Non-Aggression Pact with the Pacific.
Balder benefits from this mostly in terms of their diplomatic portfolio. We would be their first and only proper Defender relationship at a time when Defenderdom is strong both politically and on the battlefield. In particular, the coming F/S changes will include a period of time where the new meta of gameplay is created, particularly surrounding what actions on Frontiers are acceptable, and Balder (just like any GP-relevant region) would like to have a "seat at the table" when that time comes. They're unlikely to benefit much from the actual non-aggression or mutual defense obligations; their region is locked down pretty securely by design and their endorsement numbers won't be affected by F/S, and they have no intention of creating their own Frontier satellite regions.
We do benefit (marginally) more with regards to the mechanical obligations, as F/S will eventually cut our regional endorsement count in half, plus our regular Delegate elections and transitions combined with a high endorsement cap do heighten the risk of a coup or even an invasion from very crafty invaders. Our portfolio isn't necessarily strengthened by this directly, but indirectly it ties Balder (and other Manifesto-aligned regions) closer to our side of the world than the side of Osiris, The Black Hawks, and the like.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been working on wiki pages for regions of interest, so if you'd like to know more about Balder, I recommend the Balder page on our wiki.
I want to open this to you, my fellow South Pacificans, for discussion to see where we stand on this. In particular, the ministry would like to hear your thoughts on whether a mutual defense clause should be included or not. As always, please spam me with all your questions!
-- Roavin, your friendly lampshade-wearing MoFA
sometimes the future is not at all what we predict, and if you had told 2017 Roavin that we'd be doing this, I would have laughed at you. But we're here now!
The South Pacific and Balder were allied until 2016. The relationship broke down for multiple reasons, but earlier this year we talked with Balder and hashed out a Statement of Detente, reestablishing embassies and getting things back on track. At the time, I wrote this:
Quote:If somebody had said a year ago that Balder and TSP were "talking things out", they would have been labeled a crazy person. However, with the current GP landscape, this is not as crazy as it may appear at first glance. Balder's once-positive relationships with Osiris and The Black Hawks are degrading more and more, while at the same time, we are more solid and entrenched (and strong) than ever. Balder told us in our discussions that they want to move away from being perceived as fanatically anti-defender as they have been. For us, signing such a statement would be a proportionate reaction to the current shifts. While it's unreasonable to expect Balder to be supporters of the Defender cause anytime soon, this is a good chance to open more diplomatic venues to work towards our interests, particularly with respect to The Black Hawks.
What's positive to note is that this shift from Balder has not reversed course, and particularly with The Black Hawks stepping on The North Pacific's toes a few days ago, the likelihood of any short or even medium term shift towards the Hawks' sphere is near inconceivable. Furthermore, on occasion, we have even seen the Jomsvikings (Balder's military) aid in liberation efforts (most notably in Trovons), something that was also unthinkable not too long ago.
We have been in talks with Balder about the state of the world, the coming changes to the meta with Frontiers and Strongholds, and our relationship. We share some apprehension about F/S. Balder in particular, while they won't get as directly affected by F/S as we will, certainly are apprehensive about the rather unforeseen changes to the meta that F/S will bring, and want to make sure that their diplomatic network is appropriately suited up for that eventuality. It's in this context that Balder floated the proposal to have a more binding diplomatic agreement between our two regions, one that includes non-aggression and (by their request) possibly even mutual defense obligations. As to how that would look, the basic framework would be what we have with Pax Capricorn, our Non-Aggression Pact with the Pacific.
Balder benefits from this mostly in terms of their diplomatic portfolio. We would be their first and only proper Defender relationship at a time when Defenderdom is strong both politically and on the battlefield. In particular, the coming F/S changes will include a period of time where the new meta of gameplay is created, particularly surrounding what actions on Frontiers are acceptable, and Balder (just like any GP-relevant region) would like to have a "seat at the table" when that time comes. They're unlikely to benefit much from the actual non-aggression or mutual defense obligations; their region is locked down pretty securely by design and their endorsement numbers won't be affected by F/S, and they have no intention of creating their own Frontier satellite regions.
We do benefit (marginally) more with regards to the mechanical obligations, as F/S will eventually cut our regional endorsement count in half, plus our regular Delegate elections and transitions combined with a high endorsement cap do heighten the risk of a coup or even an invasion from very crafty invaders. Our portfolio isn't necessarily strengthened by this directly, but indirectly it ties Balder (and other Manifesto-aligned regions) closer to our side of the world than the side of Osiris, The Black Hawks, and the like.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been working on wiki pages for regions of interest, so if you'd like to know more about Balder, I recommend the Balder page on our wiki.
I want to open this to you, my fellow South Pacificans, for discussion to see where we stand on this. In particular, the ministry would like to hear your thoughts on whether a mutual defense clause should be included or not. As always, please spam me with all your questions!
-- Roavin, your friendly lampshade-wearing MoFA