# Types of Economic Agreements Economic agreements are the heart of the game. This is because economics and politics are deeply interlinked, so thinks like military alliances, trade agreements, etc all have political and economic purposes. Use these tools wisely, for these, besides your fleet, are the main weapons of the game. ## Treaty Treaties are the basic engine of the game. You use treaties for all sorts of things, you'll be making and breaking them throughout the game. They're as important as you make them be. Treaties are essentially an agreement between two or more players. The agreement can be do to something, to trade something, to not do something, to do something on certain conditions, etc. To make a treaty, the involved players write the terms of the treaty on a piece of paper, sign it, and one of them gives that paper to the GM during the game, who then signs it into law. ### One Treaty per Round Each player may submit **one** Treaty per round. Each player may _sign_ more then one Treaty per round, but they may only submit one per round. Submitting an Treaty is handing it to the GM to be signed. You do not have to submit a treaty. ### Breaking Treaties So you've signed a treaty, but why should you follow it? Well, the social blow back from getting known as someone who breaks treaties is one thing. Another is that if someone is careful, they might write a treaty which says breaking it will result it war. Otherwise the world is anarchic, do as you please, the only thing which enforces a treaty is ones ability to enforce a treaty. ### On International Law International law is created when all the nations/players in the game sign a treaty/agreement. The bank, the red cross, the food bank, and the mercenaries are all created by international law. International laws tend to be enforced under threat of everyone else attacking you. If you're thinking you can subvert international law, say by creating your own food bank, you're welcome to try. If you can get most people to switch, and pressure the foodbank into doing so, then you can! Then its up to you to force everyone else to your system, or not. Your choice. In essence, international law exists because we say international law exists. Adjudications of international law are handled by the bank, because as the central institution of the economic system and its relationship with mercenary forces, it is able to enforce law onto the participating nations. However, this should be reserved for worst case scenarios. ### Types of Treaties There are several types of treaties which one might sign, the ones listed below are just some suggestions of types of treaties. Its best to understand that a treaty is just a signed agreement between players. They're only worth as much as the signing players word. #### Peace Treaties Peace treaties are pretty simple, they are signed between two or more nations who are at war. They might specify a period before which the two factions may go to war again. It may specify something one side must give to the other, or other terms of the treaty. But it doesn't have to. At its simplest, it just says: these two players have agreed not to fight for now. #### Defensive Alliances A defensive alliance is signed between two or more players and says that signing players will come to each others aid if any are attacked. In effect it says 'if someone attacks you, I will help to defend you.' #### Offensive Alliances An offensive alliance is like a defensive alliance, its an agreement between two or more players that if one of them goes to war, the others will join the war on the side of the attack. Offensive alliances as especially helpful if you and your allies are planning on going to war soon. #### Open Boarders Open boarders are an agreement to allow all ships, including military. to travel through your systems from the other signatory factions. This is a dangerous thing to allow. If war is declared while you have enemy ships inside your boarders... well you're fucked. Sign open boarders at your own risk. #### War Declarations War declarations do not need to be made to attack someone, however they are helpful in making ones position clear, and for local politics. Your citizens don't like it when their leader randomly attacks other nations ships, and the opposing nations merchants tend to get angry about these sorts of things. A war declaration tends to be a positive rallying cry for your people, and the bank tends to like to loan nations at war money... war is good for business after all. #### Military Alliances A military alliance is essentially an agreement to all of the above, an offensive, and defensive alliance as well as open boarders and share in war declarations. It is essentially the highest for of military agreement one can make. #### Request for passage You don't want to allow someone's full fleet through, but they really need to move some ships through your land. The two of you can sign a request for peaceful passage. This agreement means that the side whose territory is being moved through wont attack the agreed upon moving fleet. #### Other Types of Treaties If the type of treaty you want isn't listed above, then write its terms out in a document. Once one treaty has been written, it becomes precedent on which future treaties can be based. (To put it another way, future treaties can say something like "like in the conditions specified in the treaty of Whatever"). Feel free to make treaties as simple or complex as you want, or as diverse as you want. These are the primary tools which you have to hold other players accountable. Use them! ## Trade Agreement Trade agreements are signed between nations, these are a bit different then treaties. A trade agreement is signed between players promising X for Y. If a trade agreement is submitted to the Game Master, with a number of rounds it is set to last, the bank will handle the trade deal while it is summing up each players income for the turn. To terminate one of these trade deals, tell the Game Master you wish to break it. On the other hand, if players choose not submit a trade deal to the Game Master, they may choose to conduct trade of resources, fleets, money, or other things between themselves. They are free to do this, however, _it is helpful to submit paperwork for this and do it in a treaty._ A trade agreement does not have to be a one time document, and you may submit multiple trade agreements in a single round. Trade agreements are different then treaties in that they are handled between players, the GM is there to ensure the transaction is done to the terms of the agreement, and that the agreement is recorded. ## Contracts Contracts are made between players and the bank; they can be with more then one player but they don't have to be. They are often to create investments, loans, etc. Contracts are basically what the bank deals in. The market is essentially a contract to sell a good at a certain price, for a fee. Loans are a contract. Ones credit rating is based on the banks trusting of ones ability to uphold and follow through on contracts. Trade agreements are like contracts, but differ in that they are not involving the bank.