Defending the Nation: Part One.

Day 481, 06:10 • Published in Canada Canada • by Phineas Gage

With eCanada's recent military involvement, and the murmurs in the media south of the border, it seems time to openly address the need for eCanada to take some proper measures in preparation for what seems to be an inevitable conflict.

Typically a pacifist, diplomacy first nation, Canada has been somewhat aloof towards most of the military conflicts in New World, and as such we seem to be unprepared for the polynation, alliance-based, global conflicts that have become the norm in eRepublik. As our enemies and allies alike wage wars of conquest they grow ever stronger, increase in Military force, honing their skills for deployment and organization, and gaining wisdom in the art of eWarfare. As eCanada watches from the sidelines, our resource-laden, economically wealthy, country falls behind these aggressors in military prowess, and increasingly it appears to these military giants much like the proverbial low hanging fruit; ripe for the picking.

Will eCanada ever be a military giant? That proposition seems unlikely, considering we lack the necessary manpower to become so, but that does not mean diplomacy is the only route available to us. While historically our diplomatic ties with our allies have served us well, we must remind ourselves that in a virtual world, with no real casualties, such things are fickle, and prone to changing rapidly. eCanada must take the necessary steps to defending the nation as a whole, in the even that our foreign relations deteriorate rapidly.

As such, "Defending the Nation," will address three hot button topics regarding how best to prepare for a foreign invasion:

Hospitals and their Placement - discussed below, we will examine the current debate in Canadian congress, why eCananda needs a Q5, and where exactly it should and shouldn't be placed.

Defensive Structures, how they work, and what history has shown us - discussed in the next issue of Defending the Nation.

Strength, Rank, and how eCanada is falling behind - discussed in part three of defending the nation.


Hospitals and their Placement

Recently, there has been hot debate in congress over the fate of our newest Q4 hospital. Lines have been drawn in the sand, insults have flown, and congress has essentially separated into two camps: the "place it in Nova Scotia" camp vs. the "sell it to upgrade the company to Q5" camp.

We will look at both arguments.

Place it in Nova Scotia:

The most vocal proponents of this proposition are the congressmen from Nova Scotia themselves. Clearly looking out for the welfare of the people they represent, the congressmen have fought long and hard to bring the Q4 to NS, and have begun rallying fellow congressmen to their cause.

Their argument is logical, and for all intents and purposes valid. They claim that by placing a Q4 hospital in Nova Scotia we will encourage more players to live there. More players living there, means the wall will be higher. A higher wall means a greater chance that eCanada will repel an attack from the only unfriendly nation with whom we border, France. A Q4 in NS, they argue, also means that in the event of an attack eCanadians can fight directly from the border province, without having to travel to ON,BC,MN,PQ or NVT to gain the benefits of a Q4. A reasonable, if somewhat unrealistic plan.

Sell the Q4, Upgrade the Company.

While the congressmen of Nova Scotia, and those they've rallied to their side have gained the majority in a vote to place the Q4 in NS, the Prime Minister has vetoed that decision and called for a re-vote, asking that all congressmen to vote this time. He does so large in part because the most vocal critics of the NS plan come from his own hand-picked Cabinet, the General of the Armed Forces, and several commanding officers.

The rational for selling the Q4 is simple:

1) eCanada already has Q4 hospitals in 5 of its 13 regions, another Q4 is not necessary for the defense of the country.

2) eCanada needs a Q5 hospital. Consider this; a Q5 provides 1 additional fight per day over a Q4. If we consider that eCanada has an active population of around 1000 players, that is 2000 additional fights in defending our country (given that battles typically last over two days). At an average of even 20 damage per fight, that’s 40,000 more force in defending our walls. Also consider that all of our enemies have Q5s hospitals. Not having a Q5 not only means we will do less damage, but also that our enemies will be able to do that many fights more than us.

3) Selling the Q4 hospital will provide much needed financial aide for upgrading the Hospital company. Upgrading a company to a Q5 costs 200 gold, a significant amount, and one which would be more feasible were it subsidized through the sale of an item we have no real use for.

4) Placing the Q4 in Nova Scotia means it will likely be destroyed. The wall in Nova Scotia will never of a size that will prevent it from being taken by a coalition of determined PEACE forces. Even if placing the Q4 in NS attracted more players to that region (which it may or may not), and even if we had put a Q5 Defense System there, the wall would not reach a size where we could withstand a surprise attack (this is not to say that eCanada is indefensible, but that more than 24 hours would be necessary to coordinate defensive possibilities with our allies). In addition, once Nova Scotia is taken my invading forces it is automatically destroyed, and the large sums which were spent building it will have gone to waste. A Q4 hospital in Nova Scotia would likely only be used for one battle before it would be destroyed...much like the hospital we destroyed when we took France's regions...a fact that they'd love to pay us back in kind for.


This discussion has heavily leaned to one side, but that is because, in the opinion of the writer, this side is supported by the most realistic prediction of what would occur during a assault on eCanada. eCanada does not have the military capacity to prevent the capture of Nova Scotia from a determined attack, but that does not mean we cannot take measures to protect the nation as a whole. We must be united in a common cause to defend the nation, to keep our voice alive in eWorld, to prevent Canada as a whole from becoming another formerly rich nation struggling to regain even one free region as we've seen happen to several other less geographically isolated countries.

We must Defend our Nation.



The Synapse welcomes you comments, criticism and intelligent dialogue. Be sure to check back soon for the next issue of Defending the Nation.