The Economy System

◤ The Economy System

The forum operates a functional Economy System to add monetary value to the roleplay. This in turn creates new roleplay opportunities as countries and companies are able to visually manage their financial positions. You can see the full system via the Economy link on the side bar. The system itself is broken down into three key tabs:

[1] Worldwide

This provides a comprehensive overview of the global economic landscape, featuring global GDP along with each continent's contribution. It includes the total USD in circulation to represent the overall in-game economy, a ranked list of countries by GDP, inflation statistics, and a toggleable list showing either organizations or countries sorted by balance and GDP, respectively.​

[2] Countries

A focused view of economic indicators for a selected country. Choose a country from the list to explore its complete financial position, including available funds in the state treasury, a detailed GDP breakdown, and forecasts for monthly surpluses or deficits. This section also provides in-depth transaction records, insights into infrastructure projects, military operations, and key trade routes.​

[3] Organisations

Similar to the Countries tab, the Organisations section focuses on bank accounts, businesses, and non-government factions managing their own finances. View detailed breakdowns, committed infrastructure projects, and take control of their financial management.​

Most information shown in the Economy System is usable in-game. However, certain data remains private and is only known to the respective country or organisation unless they choose to publish it. These private elements are marked with a padlock icon preceding their name.

◤ State Treasury

The State Treasury represents your country’s current balance. This monetary figure adjusts with every transaction, whether buying, selling, or transferring funds; and is arguably the most critical piece of information for managing national finances and making strategic purchases. The State Treasury is affected by:

+Tax Revenue​

+Recycling Goods​

+/-Money Transfers​

- Buying Goods or Services​

- Military Operations & Upkeep​

Tax Revenue is automatically calculated and applied every in-game month, which occurs every two real-world weeks. You can view your projected income on your country's dashboard, and when it is deposited, it will appear in the Transaction Listing. Keep in mind that Tax Revenue is influenced by various factors, so the amount can fluctuate, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. The calculation for Tax Revenue is as follows:

((Tax Rate * Population * Tax Efficiency) + 10% of GDP)​

This ensures your country benefits from both direct taxation and overall economic output. The Tax Rate is set by the player but is capped based on your government type. Tax Efficiency is a static modifier, also determined by your government type, which affects how effectively taxes are collected from the population.

◤ Gross Domestic Product

Gross Domestic Product represents the total value of all goods and services produced within a country and serves as a key indicator of its economic health. In the game, your country’s GDP is directly affected by the economic decisions and activities you undertake. Changes in GDP, in turn, have a direct impact on the tax revenue generated, influencing the funds available for public spending and development. The calculations for GDP are:

Consumption + Investment + Government Spending + Trade​

[1] Consumption

This is a fixed baseline value to guarantee that every player has a steady revenue stream and contributes to the GDP. However, certain events, such as high inflation, recessions, political instability, and others, can cause fluctuations in Consumption.​

[2] Investment

Investment represents the funds allocated toward infrastructure projects, as well as capital generated from independent businesses operating within your country. It also includes any other financial commitments you make to stimulate economic growth.​

[3] Government Spending

Government Spending encompasses all types of public expenditures, including infrastructure development, social programs, military operations, and administrative costs.​

[4] Trade

Trade encompasses agreements and transactions with other countries that govern the flow of goods and services across borders. These activities are tracked and directly impact your country’s GDP.​

GDP is compared across quarters and years, with graphs available to help you track these trends. The Worldwide tab displays both quarterly and annual GDP data for all countries. In-game, GDP is calculated from January to January, so at the start of a new year, you may notice sudden changes as it resets rather than accumulates beyond the 12-month period; though active trade agreements and investment opportunities will continue to provide ongoing benefits.

◤ Economic Cycle & Credit Scores

Economic Cycles reflect the trend in a country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). They are determined by the percentage change in GDP compared to the previous quarter and are categorized into six phases:

• Boom: GDP increases by 3% or more.
• Expansion: GDP increases by 0.5% to 2.9%.
• Peak: GDP increases by 0.3% to 0.4%.
• Stagnation: GDP increases by 0% to 0.2%.
• Recession: GDP decreases by 0.3% to 2.9%.
• Depression: GDP decreases by 3% or more.

In the world of diplomacy, finance, and global influence, perception is everything. That’s where Credit Scores come in. An in-game system that measures your country's political and economic reliability based on how long you’ve maintained uninterrupted control of a nation. It's a dynamic, strategic metric that not only reflects your personal consistency as a leader but also determines how much the world trusts you with debt, trade, and long-term agreements. When you take control of a country, whether at the start of the game or through a transfer or takeover, you begin with a C rating, the lowest tier. As you remain in uninterrupted control, your score gradually increases, representing growing confidence from global markets, lenders, and other nations.

• AAA: 36 months
• AA: 29 months
• A: 23 months
• BBB: 17 months
• BB: 11 months
• B: 5 months
• CCC: 3 months
• CC: 2 months
• C: 1 month

Credit Scores influence multiple aspects of gameplay and strategic decision-making. They are not just cosmetic. They are a reflection of how the world sees your government: It creates diplomatic trust, make long term Trade Agreements look more appealing, promote foreign investment and potentially unlock access to equipment and technology if any country or business imposes limits.

◤ Military Maintenance

Purchasing military hardware is only the beginning of your defence strategy, but the real challenge lies in keeping your forces battle-ready and operational over time. Equipment doesn’t just sit idle in a warehouse; it requires continuous upkeep, crew training, fuel, spare parts, and technological upgrades to remain effective. Without regular maintenance, even the most advanced arsenal quickly becomes obsolete or inoperable. To streamline your experience and maintain realism without overwhelming micromanagement, every military production in your game automatically incurs a monthly maintenance fee except for Organisations, which do not incur any maintenance costs. This system reflects the hidden costs of sustaining a modern military force and encourages you to balance expansion with fiscal responsibility.

Each category of military asset comes with its own maintenance multiplier, based on its complexity, size, and strategic role. Here's how the maintenance cost scales by unit type:

• Personal Equipment: 0.1%
• Vehicle Production: 0.25%
• Recruitment: 0.25%
• Corvette: 0.5%
• Frigate / Replenishment Vessel: 0.5%
• Destroyer: 0.5%
• Submarine: 0.5%
• Amphibious Assault Ship: 0.6%
• Aircraft Carrier: 0.7%
• Supercarrier: 0.8%

These costs scale with the size and sophistication of your military force. For example, a supercarrier is a floating city with thousands of personnel, fighter wings, and complex systems, its upkeep dwarfs that of a few infantry divisions or corvettes.

This system encourages strategic depth. Building massive fleets and cutting-edge armies might give you unmatched power, but maintaining them will drain your national budget if you overextend. Smart players will prioritise equipment, scale forces appropriate to their economy, invest in economic growth and disband or mothball units during peacetime to reduce costs. Remember: anyone can build an army, but only a capable leader can sustain one. Managing military maintenance forces you to think like a real-world defense minister. Juggling threats, budgets, and readiness in a dynamic environment.

What if you need to sell surplus goods or decommission equipment? Simply complete the Disposition form to report any changes in ownership. This will transfer the maintenance fee to the new owner. If the item is written off, the maintenance fee will be removed entirely. If it's salvaged, the maintenance fee is also removed, and you'll receive 50% of its total value as scrap.

As your economy grows and your geopolitical ambitions expand, your capacity to maintain elite forces will become a defining feature of your playstyle. Will you create a lean, professional military? Or field a massive but costly force that risks economic strain? The choice, and burden, is yours.

◤ Company and Product Ownership

We’re fairly unique in the sense that we have a Company Ownership system that reflects who controls a company within the game world. This outlines the initial ownership value; how much someone has paid to acquire a company. That value remains fixed and does not fluctuate over time. It simply reflects what the buyer originally paid. When someone acquires ownership, their name will appear under the acquisitions column.

This makes them an Owner, and owners always take precedence over a default holder, no matter how small their share is. Owners can acquire up to 100% of a company or an individual product, becoming the sole proprietor. When a majority is held, one of two outcomes occurs: either the owner gains control of all products manufactured by the company, including any subsidiaries, or they acquire only the intellectual and property rights to a specific product depending on the agreement. If a product is sold off before full ownership is acquired, future buyers will only gain access to what's left. This ensures that key products can be protected from further acquisition.

Ownership can only be purchased from the default holder, which can make the process challenging. You may contact them to negotiate, but they must first own the company or product themselves before they can sell it to you. Because of this, you might pay significantly more than they did, they may ask for a higher percentage of profits or offer a deal with minimal markup. The original purchase value won’t be visible until the ownership details are entered into the system, so you’ll find out how much extra you paid only after the transaction is complete.

Once you’ve acquired company ownership, you have two choices: hold onto it or sell it. Selling won’t affect the value of the company, but it can still be a profitable move depending on your agreements and timing within the game.

We're going to use an example to explain how you purchase or sell companies using the United States as player A, Sweden as player B and Lockheed Martin:

[1] Player B has contacted player A in-character to request 25% of Lockheed Martin. Player A does not have stock in Lockheed Martin yet.
[2] Player A must submit a Support Ticket asking for the value of Lockheed Martin, so that he can determine how much 25% will be sold for. For this example, 25% is worth $1,000,000,000
[3] Player A must transfer $1,000,000,000 to Modern Nations to make any purchase for Lockheed Martin official.
[4] Player A will explain to player B that 25% of Lockheed Martin has an asking price of $1,740,000,000. This means Player A is receiving an extra $740,000,000 in profit.
[5] Player B will transfer the money to player A in exchange for 25% Lockheed Martin. Player B will need to submit a Support Ticket to inform the Administrators.
[6] The Administrators will add player B to the Company Ownership Registrar.

After purchasing a company, if you plan to use it to sell its products, it will be included in your country’s finances and treated as state-owned, unless you choose to make it independent from your government by opening a separate Business Account.

◤ Debt to GDP Ratio

The debt-to-GDP ratio measures a country’s total debt relative to its gross domestic product (GDP). This ratio indicates how much of the nation’s economic output would be required to repay its debt, providing insight into the country’s financial health. It is especially useful for assessing the state of the economy when the State Treasury balance falls below zero.

Below 30%: Stable
The economy is strong, with debt levels comfortably manageable. Fiscal stability is maintained, and there is no immediate concern.

Below 60%: Manageable
Debt is increasing but remains sustainable. Authorities recommend careful monitoring to avoid future risks.

Below 90%: Strained
Rising debt begins to strain national operations. Analysts urge close oversight to prevent further escalation.

Below 120%: Risky
Debt accumulation disrupts essential services. Measures such as fuel and food rationing are implemented, impacting overall capacity.

Below 150%: Critical
The debt burden threatens national stability. Strict rationing, including ammunition controls, is enforced. Infrastructure deteriorates and military readiness declines.

Below 200%: Collapse Imminent
The economy faces severe destabilization due to unsustainable debt. Widespread rationing, infrastructure failure, and escalating civil unrest occur. Public trust erodes rapidly.

Above 200%: Collapse
Total rationing is mandatory amid extensive social unrest. Economic production halts entirely, marking a historic economic collapse.​

The Debt-to-GDP Ratio is calculated by (Total Debt / GDP) * 100

◤ Trade

Trade deals with other countries are managed through in-game discussions, but what does that actually mean? Essentially, you can negotiate and create any type of trade agreement with another country or multiple countries. To ensure realism and meaningful diplomacy, a formal trade agreement must be developed through a minimum of four (4) in-character posts between the involved parties before submission. These agreements, based on their type, duration, and the population of your nation, apply specific modifiers that provide a monthly boost to your GDP. There are six types of trade agreements available:

• Free Trade Agreement, removes tariffs and quotas on most goods between member countries.
• Trade Agreement, allows limited trade benefits such as reduced tariffs on selected goods.
• Customs Union, eliminates internal tariffs and adopts a common external tariff on non-members.
• Common Market, allows free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor among members.
• Economic Community, integrates economic policies and planning across member states.
• Economic Union, combines all previous elements with a shared economic and monetary policy.

Once an agreement is finalized, you can submit it using the Trade form.

If your agreement has a fixed duration (measured in in-game months), it will automatically expire when that time is up. If no duration is specified, the agreement will remain active until:

• One of the involved countries leaves the forum,
• The agreement is ended in-game, or
• It's disrupted by in-game actions like blockades.

The terms of the agreement are at the players’ discretion; however, be warned that the agreement can be used against you. If an agreement becomes ‘Disrupted,’ your trade value will begin to decrease each month until the issue is resolved. Common sense applies when determining the method of transport, unless the agreement explicitly states otherwise. For example, if you’re landlocked and adjacent to the trading country, rail transport is likely. If the trade involves moving goods between two oceans, cargo ships will be used. If the agreement doesn’t specify a route, it is assumed that the fastest route will be taken. For instance, consider a trade agreement between the United Kingdom and Australia:

• If the agreement does not specify a route, the trade will use the Suez Canal by default. Should the Suez Canal close, the agreement will be ‘Disrupted’ until it is either revised or the canal reopens.
• If the agreement explicitly states the use of the Suez Canal and it closes, the agreement will also be ‘Disrupted’ until revised or reopened.
• If the agreement stipulates going around Africa and the Suez Canal closes, this will not disrupt the agreement.

Additionally, trade routes can have an assigned ‘Carrier’, a player-controlled Organisation that manages the transport of goods along that route. Using a carrier on a trade route grants an extra bonus to promote businesses, enhancing the economic benefits of the trade agreement. Only Organisations controlled by players can serve as carriers, adding a layer of strategic depth and player involvement in trade logistics.

Although the terms of Trade Agreements may be encrypted, information about open trade routes and vessel locations is public, as tracking trading vessels via AIS and similar systems makes them easy to locate.

◤ Organisations

Organisations refer to non-government entities, including privately owned businesses, independent groups (which may range from neutral factions to hostile actors), and standalone bank accounts not directly tied to any government. These accounts can serve various purposes, such as funding operations across multiple allied nations. Anyone can create an organisation by completing the New Account form. Businesses, in particular, gain access to additional information, but every in-game business must be owned. For example, to operate a company like Boeing in-game, you must first acquire ownership in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Company Ownership section.

Non-state-owned businesses can influence the GDP of the countries in which they operate. When establishing a new business, it's important to designate a head office and any related facilities such as offices, factories, or warehouses. While these facilities are largely symbolic and constructed via the Infrastructure system, they play a key role in economics: any facility located in another country boosts that country's Investments with every sale made. This creates a real incentive for nations to support foreign businesses operating within their borders.

But what does your business gain in return? Hosting your facilities abroad opens strategic opportunities; such as negotiating to become a primary supplier or leveraging your economic presence to secure better trade terms and increased sales.

◤ Government Types

Government Types define the political and administrative personality of the country you are roleplaying. You are expected to align your roleplay and decision-making with the characteristics of the selected government type. The table below outlines each available government type, including:

• Maximum Tax Rate allowed
• Tax Efficiency modifier.
• A Description and Justification explaining the reasoning behind the tax efficiency rating.

This helps ensure consistency between gameplay mechanics and roleplay immersion, reinforcing the strengths and limitations of each system of governance.

Government Type	Maximum Tax Rate	Tax Efficiency	Description & Justification
Anocratic State	30	0.50	A hybrid of democratic and autocratic traits, often unstable. Efficiency is weakened by inconsistent governance, poor institutional development, and frequent leadership changes that undermine long-term tax policy.
Authoritarian Capitalism	30	0.60	The state suppresses political freedoms but allows free-market economics. Efficiency is moderate due to limited institutional oversight, selective enforcement, and prevalent corruption, which discourage consistent tax compliance.
Communist State	80	0.40	State-directed economy with centralized control. Efficiency is low due to bureaucratic inefficiencies, lack of private sector incentives, and widespread informal economic activity that evades taxation.
Liberal Democracy	40	0.80	A system with strong rule of law, civil liberties, and separation of powers. Tax efficiency is high because citizens generally trust public institutions and comply with tax obligations. Transparent legal frameworks and accountable governance support effective tax collection and lower evasion.
Military Junta	25	0.50	Military leadership dominates state governance. Efficiency is hindered by weak civilian institutions, focus on security over administration, and limited investment in professional tax systems.
Monarchy	40	0.70	Ruled by a monarch, with efficiency depending on whether it's constitutional or absolute. Stable constitutional monarchies often maintain solid institutions and tax collection frameworks, enhancing efficiency.
Oligarchic State	20	0.40	Power is held by a wealthy elite. Tax efficiency is low as systems are often tailored to protect elite interests, with limited enforcement and high rates of tax avoidance among the powerful.
One-Party State	60	0.70	Single political party controls all governance. Efficiency is moderate to high when the party maintains strong discipline and centralized oversight, but can suffer from lack of political accountability and bureaucratic stagnation.
Rentier State	20	0.30	Relies primarily on resource rents (e.g., oil) instead of taxes. Tax efficiency is very low due to underdeveloped tax institutions, weak public accountability, and citizen detachment from the tax system.
Social Democracy	55	0.80	A democratic system with a strong welfare state and high public service delivery. Efficiency is highest due to a broad tax base, effective enforcement mechanisms, and citizen willingness to pay taxes in exchange for quality services. Administrative capacity reduces leakage.
Theocratic State	40	0.50	Governed by religious principles and clerical institutions. Moderate to low efficiency due to religious priorities superseding economic efficiency, inconsistent tax enforcement, and reliance on faith-based contributions.