OOC International Relations Conference YE 46 Planning & Discussion

On the other hand, it is the International Relations Conference, not the Yamatai Relations Conference. It isn't very much trouble to put it somewhere else and having it somewhere else shows that Yamatai values it's partners.

Echoing @Soban, I think that it’d be real cool if we as a community could - to quote the Resurgence’s plot page - “visit a [new] corner of the Star Army universe” by hosting the YE 46 IRC at Nepleslia, Essia, or even Elysia (or somewhere else!) and “expanding it with new levels of detail.”

@Wes and I discussed that the other Norian faction the United Norian Imperium will be coming to this IRC prior. So I will be representing that while @Nakshatra handles Tsenlan.

Yamatai has hosted the IRC since it started because it runs everything from both an IC and OOC standpoint. Our two viable options are Reikan Park, which was specifically built to host the IRCs, and Pisces, the International Space Station (it's kind of like SARP's Babylon 5). There are no other viable options that I'm aware of.

I've suggested that other factions are welcome to set something of their own up during the odd years, but none have, probably because it's just easier to let Yamatai do it. Nobody's built a facility to host one either (e.g. a wiki article for a suitable place and/or RP in that place). To suggest hosting it elsewhere, especially on the eve of it happening but without having in the work in, seems kind of overly entitled and honestly, it feels like tossing a wrench into the plans for the sake of starting arguments, and I'm not interested in drama. If any faction managers want to host a conference next year, then start planning it and laying groundwork. I'll help to the extent I can, but you'd be the lead.

Since Pisces was embarassed by the appearance of hostile insectoids last year, where Poppy had to save Senator Iemochi's life because one shat acid on him or something, this year we're going with the safer Reikan park in Kyoto. It's got factions' cool-ass embassies, it's got access to downtown nightlife and dining, and it's beautiful. We can also do Hanami festival during it and the diplomats can go grab barbeque under the cherry blossoms and visit Kaiko Park and its war memorials. I think it'll be wonderful.

I am going to be bringing the https://wiki.stararmy.com/doku.php?id=wip:international:interstellar_merchant_spacy into the IRC, since it's an international agreement about standards and practices for civilian merchant, industrial, etc. spacefaring. It is modeled on the real life International Maritime Organization International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). The Yugumo one was always meant to be a representative implementation of such international standards.

Wes said:

Yamatai has hosted the IRC since it started because it runs everything from both an IC and OOC standpoint. Our two viable options are Reikan Park, which was specifically built to host the IRCs, and Pisces, the International Space Station (it's kind of like SARP's Babylon 5). There are no other viable options that I'm aware of.

I've suggested that other factions are welcome to set something of their own up during the odd years, but none have, probably because it's just easier to let Yamatai do it. Nobody's built a facility to host one either (e.g. a wiki article for a suitable place and/or RP in that place). To suggest hosting it elsewhere, especially on the eve of it happening but without having in the work in, seems kind of overly entitled and honestly, it feels like tossing a wrench into the plans for the sake of starting arguments, and I'm not interested in drama. If any faction managers want to host a conference next year, then start planning it and laying groundwork. I'll help to the extent I can, but you'd be the lead.

Since Pisces was embarassed by the appearance of hostile insectoids last year, where Poppy had to save Senator Iemochi's life because one shat acid on him or something, this year we're going with the safer Reikan park in Kyoto. It's got factions' cool-ass embassies, it's got access to downtown nightlife and dining, and it's beautiful. We can also do Hanami festival during it and the diplomats can go grab barbeque under the cherry blossoms and visit Kaiko Park and its war memorials. I think it'll be wonderful.

Click to expand...

Sorry Wes, while DracoTow is big enough, your right, i haven't made anything. my only thoughts were hey have rp in Station Omacron. But i will think about building something for later though. For now, i'll have Alice come.

Kumo no Kagayaki Station aka Cloudport @Jiyuu can also host as it is a civilian station and has the facilities.

Okay, so a few days have passed since the thread started and it's almost March, the traditional OOC start of Yamatai's International Relations Conference. Here's where we're at. If I missed anything, go ahead and post it again.

1. Yamatai will hold this year's conference at one of these two locations (if nothing is said otherwise, I will default to Reikan Park):

• Reikan Park on Yamatai
• Cloudport space station in the MCS

2. Based on prior comments by @Wes as FM and others, in-character priorities with regard to general international issues seem to be:

• A focus on more cooperation during the Third Mishhu War.
• Agreements between Yamatai and other factions regarding the exploration of new sectors (kind of like how a previous IRC established that Nepleslia goes northwest while Yamatai goes south in the Kikyo Sector).
• International standards. Wes brought this up but @Yuuki has a specific proposal to aim for an agreement on inter-faction merchant shipping standards.

3. Specific semi-domestic issues with an international angle that have been mentioned are:

• Roleplay a Delsaurian delegation asking to set up a colony on Koenic so that the Resurgence can have an associated adventure in that system, requested by Wes.
• Re-negotiate the treaty with Ohara/Phods that makes them a part of the Yamatai Star Empire, mentioned by Wes and @Hollander.
• Begin negotiations that could see the Hidden Sun Clan possibly join the Yamatai Star Empire.
• Have the Reds speak with Green Nepleslia to try and "bury the hatchet" mentioned by @demibear.

4. Plot crossovers:

• Resurgence is coming.
• Kaiyo is coming.

This will be the first IRC with the legendary Taisho Hanako as Premier, Yamatai's head of government and thus chief diplomat. It looks like there's a lot that could get done by her and by her subordinates, so let's do our best to accomplish as much as we can! All of the elements above are mere possibilities until roleplayed out. Diplomatic "quests" for the players to accomplish, if you will. Even beyond these super important international discussion points, there's always room for other side quests and intrigue when so many dignitaries from across the sector are in one place at the same time.

I'll probably start the initial thread here as time permits to lay the organizational groundwork for others to start posting (and mostly to have a thread up to put roleplay in). Per tradition, this thread will likely start out as general diplomatic reception with specific negotiations accomplished in subsequent roleplay. If you plan on participating in IRC46, please post when you are comfortable starting so that the thread is started neither too early nor too late.

Plots doing crossovers are obviously welcome to have their own adventures and social moments. Can't wait to see what non-diplomat characters get up to in the background.
As a participant, it's been discussed with Wes that my character Ketsurui Aiko, a Star Army soldier and accomplished diplomat, will handle the in-character organizational/hosting aspects. She is also available for any negotiations that Hanako/Wes is too busy to handle, and has experience successfully dealing with a myriad of alien races plus negotiating directly with Nepleslia's sky marshal and admiralty on several occasions.

There's no need to post which character you will be bringing, like I did above, until the in-character reception begins. Because half the fun is having them show up in RP. But if you do so then Wes can think about who Hanako might want to delegate particular responsibilities or talks to (if any). The biannual IRC is a big moment for every Premier of Yamatai so let's do our best to make her first a productive one!

when it starts, just tag or alert me, and I'll get my character there (with a cool opener post of arrival in system at the start of my first post in it)

Ranga Havard (Yamatai's only PC ambassador) will be there. Fletcher will probably also be there to give talks and to foster international military cooperation.

I am ready to go whenever for Tsenlan.

I think I'll add the Wakaba plot ship there as well. I was intending to relaunch the Wakaba after they've been rescued at the beginning of this year but RL has delayed that. Plus there's still a lot of really cool back story I would like to finish RPing out and don't want to have essentially two RP plots if the same ship going at once. However, by having them attend the IRC gives the ship some forward momentum and possible cool crossover stories.

The Elysian Celestial Empire is ready to attend whenever. I’ll also be asking my fellow birbs to see if they want the Panopteles to attend.

For those plot GMs who plan on being present for a crossover, please remember to have a good reason to be there such as delivering a dignitary for the conference. Particularly if it is held at Reikan Park on Yamatai where people must be shuttled in, admission to the area is strictly controlled with layers of tight security controlling who goes where. Very unlike the last one at Pisces where ships could just dock and be there. Even Cloudport, also a station, will have far more security layers than Pisces did.

For instance, Resurgence is bringing along the Hidden Sun diplomat! Kaiyo —if we weren't assisting Aiko— could be brining some of the species we've met in our travels in the universe, we also could be assisting a diplomat (one of our PCs used to be a bodyguard for one!), or may have been tasked with bringing some culture's or even Yamatai's ceremonial items or documents. These are all ideas for other plots to pick up and run with!

@Wes - are you (or someone clerically-minded, like Ginger) going to be sending out IC invitations to the IRC, or can we just assume that we’ve been invited?

The last time a separate in-character thread for invitations was done was for YE 38/2016. You even asked a similar question in 2018.

More recent precedent has shown that diplomat characters simply post their introductions in the in-character IRC thread. Yamataian jurisdictions (that lack the ability to have independent foreign policy) are usually portrayed as part of the Yamataian delegation.

For now, just assume all nations friendly to Yamatai got invited.

Okay so I went ahead and started things off (thread).

Kept things simple based on examples of conference thread openers from the past few IRCs. The last one Wes about 3 IRCs ago did have a whole agenda, but I figured we could simply start with a "meet and greet" where attendees are introduced and then proceed to agenda items later. Those can be mentioned in-character subsequently.

Thank you!