The Enterprise Mod

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B04hI0ajr6cxdTVidkpraWUyQ28/view?usp=sharing

This mod was called the Enterprise (I am Picard, it's mine, etc). I started it ages ago (might have actually been a year already) and kinda gave up on it when I started Age of Steel (still in early beta, and progress has stalled with no APK unpacking tool on hand). Well, it's still out there, some of the campaigns are playable, and the Russians already hacked it. I see no reason why I should keep it to myself.
If you, for this-or-that reason, want to contact me, and do not wish to use Google+, I am available on The Politics Hub, a forum for political discussion and roleplaying which I run.
While I personally haven't decided if this is more Old Gold or Old Shame, and it's certainly incomplete and rather wonky at times, it's back out there now. Play, or don't, it's your decision.

Economics with Picard: Lesson 1

Some people know Economics. Some people don't know Economics. Some people refuse to know Economics. I hope that, through this series, those who do not know Economics will learn.

Lesson 1: Supply and Demand:

A basic tenet of Micro- and Macro-economic theory is the supply and demand chart. The basic idea of this is explained in the intuitive laws of supply and demand

Law of Supply: The higher the market price of a good or service (price at which it is bought and sold) the more of it producers will produce.
Law of Demand: The higher the market price of a good or service, the less of it consumers will want to buy.
This lends itself to a simple graph relating the quantity bought or sold to the price of our good or service.

The supply graph is denoted in the picture below by S, and demand by D. As you can see, Supply slopes up and Demand slopes down, as our laws dictate. It's intuitive! If ties are expensive, I'll buy less new ties.

There's one more thing our graph shows us, at the intersection of the curves is what we call equilibrium. At this quantity "Q" and price "P", supply meets demand. You may ask, how does the market know equilibrium?
Short answer: competition.
Long answer:
If the price is above equilibrium, producers will be stuck with more products than consumers will buy. They will reduce their production, thus decreasing quantity, while lowering prices to outdo each other, until they reach equilibrium (this is kinda simplified, but fairly accurate).
If the price is below equilibrium, there is a shortage. Consumers will outbid each other for the goods. Prices will rise, and producers will make more goods, and the market will find equilibrium.
This gets a lot more bells and whistles, and just about all of economic theory is built on it, but at least you now know the basics.

World Conqueror 4 General Analysis

I said I would happily take a guest-blogger on WC4, and I found one (or rather, he found me). Here he is:
Ayy, what's up? This is just some random guy using the Soviet General's name "Leonid Govorov" as his ID. And today I'd like to do a bit of analysis of the generals in World Conqueror 4, made by a Chinese company called Easytech. This is a "Legacy" post as Picard'd call it, and the "Non-legacy" stuff's coming up soon enough, so stay tuned! :) So, anyways, let's start.

Name: Erich von Manstein
Price: $13.99
Rank: Marshal(160%)
Infantry: 4(5)
Artillery: 3(4)
Panzer: 6(6)
Air: 4(5)
Navy: 2(4)
Movement: 6(6)
Panzer leader: ***
Blitzkrieg: ***
Plain fighting: *
Tide of iron: ***
Armoured assault:**
Best IAP general in the game. Blitzkrieg leads to survivability, Tide of iron, Armoured assault, Plain fighting, and Panzer leader all guarantees output. Even though he lacks rumour and explosives, he is still the best IAP and the second-best tank general. Very good stars, even on air, which can be useful to use while he heals from damage.
No. 2 tank slot, if you want to spend some cash.

Name: Georgy Zhukov
Price: $11.99
Rank: Marshal(160%)
Infantry: 6(6)
Artillery: 3(4)
Armoured: 4(4)
Air: 1(5)
Navy: 2(4)
Artillery leader: **
Accuracy: *
Explosives: *
Crossfire: *
Artillery barrage: **
The potential for air could be a decent infantry, thanks to Explosives and Crossfire. Not a bad artillery and his skills(Crossfire, Artillery barrage) says he can be good for defending cities, especially in 1980 era. But I'm sure you can all manage to get Leeb and Konev, who's way better than him. Very powerful at the beginning, weak towards the end.
Could be No.3 Artillery slot, and No.2 or No.3 Infantry slot.

Name: Dwight David Eisenhower
Price: $9.99
Infantry: 4(5)
Artillery: 3(4)
Armoured: 3(4)
Air: 6(6)
Navy: 6(6)
Movement: 4(5)
Fleet leader: **
Shelter: *
Ship depot: *
Sailor: **
Carpet bombing: *
Sorry, Mr President, you are the worst IAP in the game. Navy has a disadvantage from the start, and you can get Nimitz and Yamamoto, all way better than him. Might be a good Infantry-Air or an Armoured-Air, but nothing more than that. Sailor is a waste for navy and Shelter...
Might be No.2 Navy, No.2 Air, if you are an American Patriot.

Name: Yamashita
Price: 2315
Rank: Colonel(138%)
Infantry: 6(6)
Artillery: 2(2)
Armoured:3(4)
Air: 2(3)
Navy: 2(2)
Movement: 5(5)
Ace Forces: *
Raider: *
Bayonet Charge: **
Great output infantry. If you don't believe me, watch one of the War Master's Poland 1950 conquest, and you'll see him dealing 300 damage at a city. Easily the best infantry ingame, and with Infantry leader and possibly Rumor, he'll be ready on 1980!
Recommended for No.1 Infantry slot, if you wish to spend a lot on an infantry general.

Name: Rodolfo Graziani
Rank: L Colonel(133%)
Price: 2285
Infantry: 4(5)
Artillery: 3(3)
Armoured: 5(6)
Air: 2(2)
Navy: 0(4)
Movement: 1(3)
Supply: ***
Ace forces: *
Mountain fighting: *
Weak output, average survivability. Those who are rich get Guderian, those who do not get Vatutin. Then who is this guy for? Do you want to spend 2285 medals for somebody who isn't good for anybody?
Not recommended.

Name: George S. Patton
Rank: M General(143%)
Price: 2675
Infantry: 3(3)
Artillery: 2(2)
Armoured: 6(6)
Air: 3(4)
Navy: 2(2)
Movement: 3(5)
Tide of iron: *
Entrenchment: **
Camouflage: *
No good skills, not so fast either. Why would you want to pay over 2500 medals? Vatutin will laugh.
Not recommended.

Name: Bernard Montgomery
Price: 2610
Rank: M general(143%)
Infantry: 2(2)
Artillery: 2(2)
Armoured: 5(5)
Air: 4(4)
Marching: 3(3)
Plain fighting: *
Elastic defence: *
Crossfire: **
Plain fighting, good. Crossfire could be helpful in some situations. But Elastic Defence? Pfft. Why would you pay your hard-worked 2610 medals into Monty? Waste of good medals.
Not recommended.

Name: Isoroku Yamamoto
Price: Figure it out for yourselves, and tell me. :(
Rank: M General(143%)
Infantry: 0(0)
Artillery: 3(3)
Armoured: 0(0)
Air: 6(6)
Navy: 5(5)
Movement: 3(3)
Explosives: *
Air leader: *
Carpet bombing: *
Recommended medals: None
Recommended skills: Fleet leader, Rumor, Depot ship
The best navy-air in my opinion. Explosives, great for dealing damage to cities. Air leader, great. Love it. Carpet bombing, nice. Great output, a monster on a carrier, but he can also be decent in an Artillery as well, as well as subs and battleships.
Recommended for 1st/2nd navy slot, 1st air slot.

Name: Heinz Wilhelm Guderian
Price: 2935
Rank: L Colonel(133%)
Infantry: 3(3)
Artillery: 1(1)
Armoured: 6(6)
Air: 3(3)
Navy: 0(0)
Movement: 5(5)
Armoured assault: **
Panzer leader: **
Blitzkrieg: ***
Blitzkrieg for survivability, armoured assault and panzer leader for output. Man, this guy's an all-in-one pack! If you spend a lot, this guy can be better than Manstein! Very nice. The problem is the health, though, and you'll need to spend some cash to upgrade him. That doesn't stop him from being a good buy, though.
No. 1 tank slot.

Name: Douglas Macarthur
Price: Tell me this one too. :(
Rank: M General(143%)
Infantry: 5(5)
Artillery: 2(2)
Armoured: 3(3)
Air: 2(2)
Navy: 3(3)
Movement: 6(6)
Infantry leader: *
Street fighting: ***
Entrenchment: *
"People of the Phillipeans, I have returned!"....Go back to the Phillipeans. Remember: when buying a 3-tier general, all skills must be good, because you're spending a lot of cash here. Entrenchment makes me unhappy, and infantry has a handicap to start with. Reminds me of Napoleon in EW4: If you want an artillery, buy Moreau!
Not recommended.

Name: Konstantin Rokkosovsky
Price: 2455
Rank: M General(143%)
Infantry: 4(4)
Artillery: 2(2)
Armoured: 5(5)
Air: 0(0)
Navy: 1(1)
Movement: 4(4)
Panzer leader: ***
Tide of iron: *
Shelter: **
I'm kinda meh on this guy. Panzer leader 3 is quite tempting, but not worth 2455 medals. Could be a bit better than Vatutin, but not much better. I feel pity for this guy. Was one of the best Marshals in WW2, and here, he's an awkward guy. A decent general, mind you, just not worth 2455 medals.
Not recommended.

Name: Karl Donitz
Price: (expensive)
Rank: M General(143%)
Infantry: 1(1)
Artillery: 2(2)
Armoured: 0(0)
Air: 2(2)
Navy: 6(6)
Movement: 4(4)
Fleet leader: ***
Wolfpack: ****
Depot ship: **
A pure navy general, with solid skills. Do I want a guy like that? Depends. Nimitz is enough in my opinion, and if you want more, you can always buy Yamamoto, a solid navy-air hybrid. The best naval general, but quite expensive. If you're a guy willing to spend some cash on your naval forces, then recommended. If not, don't buy him.
Could be No.1 Navy slot.

Name: Erwin Rommel
Price: 2785
Rank: Colonel(138%)
Infantry: 2(2)
Artillery: 3(5)
Armoured: 6(6)
Air: 2(2)
Navy: 2(3)
Movement: 3(3)
Dessert fighting: *
Crossfire: *
Armoured assault: **
A solid tank general. If he cost 2785 medals, then I wouldn't buy him. But with 40% off, that's 1671 medals! I call that a bargain! Sure, Dessert fighting isn't the best skill in the world, but Crossfire and Armoured assault are all solid skillls, which, with his amazingly cheap price, makes him recommended.
No.2/No.3 tank slot.

Name: Ivan Konev
Infantry: 4(5)
Artillery: 6(6)
Armoured: 1(1)
Air: 0(3)
Navy: 0(0)
Movement: 3(4)
Artillery leader: *
Raider: *
Accuracy: *
Artillery leader, good. Accuracy, good. Raider... Eh... An infantry skill, which makes him a hybrid. Not a bad one, mind you. He'll perform fairly well on an infantry as well. But looking at artillery, I love the three stars on movement, very fast, and with Artillery barrage, he'll easily beat Zhukov or any other artillery in the game.
No.1 Artillery slot, could be No.2/No.3 infantry slot.

Name: Gerd von Rundstedt
Rank: M General(143%)
Price: 2300
Infantry: 6(6)
Artillery: 2(2)
Armoured: 3(3)
Air: 2(5)
Navy: 0(0)
Movement: 2(4)
Street fighting: *
Guerrilla: *
Elastic defence: *
1593 medals(with discounts) for infantry with skills like that... Er, I'm not sure about this guy. Street fighting and Guerrilla are all decent infantry skills, but man! He has Elastic defence. If you love infantry and thinks infantry has potential, then recommended. If not, get Yamashita instead.
Could be No.2/No.1 infantry slot.

Name: Chester Nimitz
Price: 2945
Rank: M General(143%)
Infantry: 2(3)
Artillery: 1(1)
Armoured: 0(0)
Air: 5(5)
Navy: 6(6)
Marching: 2(4)
Camouflage: *
Ace Forces: *
Fleet Leader: **
Second-best navy general, right behind Donitz. If he cost 3000 medals, I would advise you not to buy him, but as he has the 40% discounts, he's recommended for the very first nav.
No.1/2 navy slot, depending on your decision on Donitz.

Um, yeah. That's all the IAPs+3Tiers. Enjoy the game!

Legacy Guide #3: Spain 1812

Ayy, we're back. It's only a legacy guide because I'm suffering from Carpal Tunnel and on vacation, but it'll do, won't it?

So, I did this racing my friend (he did Hessen, to balance it out). Well, I got 53 turns. Here's how



Generals:
2 Artillery (Sophia and Yermolov)
1 Econ (Fatimah)
1 Cav (Sulkwowski)


So here's the plan.


1. Defense


Jourdan, and possibly Bennigsen, will come for you. Focus all your troops on stopping them, and taking St. Louis. Try to keep all Generals alive.


2. March on Washington


Send Yermolov with one Light Cav to Nashville, then the US Stable. There, build a double Armored Car for Sulkowski. With this force, take Washington and Baltimore


3. Louis and Clark


Send Sophia and both Spanish guys up through St. Louis to Fort Dearborn. Be sure to kill Perignon and Washington (tavern). Ignore the Fort Generals for now


4. Northward Expansion


Send Joyes to cover land and Sophia to kill Barclay. If Barclay crossed the lake, they're headed to separate places. Meanwhile, send Ballesteros East


5. Invasion of New England


Send Sulkowski, Yermolov, and Ballesteros to New York. From there, continue to Hartford, Providence, Boston, and Augusta. This is a good time to wipe out forts. Also, make sure you knock out Verhuell with Ironclads from Baltimore





Green: Your attack
Blue: Allies' attacks
Red: Enemy attacks

Life Lesson: Rules of the Road

I write this having driven into Stanford at Rush Hour. I've nearly been a part of about 15 collisions, and I've seen more near-misses than I care to count.

Part I: Why does this happen and how can I avoid it?

This happens because the world is full of idiots who don't follow the rules of the road. Stop means Stop; Use a Crosswalk when one is available; Drive on the Right. These are basic rules you're expected to follow; they are also laws. When these laws are broken, accidents happen.

For example, if you hop out of the bushes and into the road on your shiny BMX roadbike, you're going to get run over. While your rich Daddy's high-powered lawyers can and will sue me back to the stone age, you're going to end up paralyzed at best.

Likewise, if you don't wait your turn at the intersection, the ideal scenario for you is one where I give you the bird. The worst-case scenario is you t-boning me and having blood on your hands. Sure, your lawyers will clear you of all wrongdoing, but you will still have killed a man.
ho
The best way to avoid this is to follow the law. It's that simple.

NB: I refer to rich parents because these are behaviors exemplified by Stanford students, most of whom are spoiled vieux-riches.

Part II: Supplemental Rules of the Road.

These are more as comic relief, but do keep them in mind.
1. If you have to play music with the windows down, keep it non-vulgar. Something about the n-word makes me itch for a lynching, and you're the lynchee. (This applies regardless of your race).
2. If you're crossing the street while using your phone, I can run you over while using mine.
3. If you're high, I don't need to know. If I know, the cops know.
4. What a man does in his castle is nobody's business but your own. The road is not your castle; please do not do your business on the highway.
5. If you talk smack about me, do it in English so I can respond.
6. Maybe don't jam out to the Soviet National Anthem.
6a. Don't sing to it, for god's sake.
7. If you're going to use the red light as a coffee time, be ready to put the cup away before the lights change.
8. If you have a baby in your car, the windows stay up. Period.
9. If you jam out to "Drive my Car", and you have a nice car, be prepared for the cops to actually drive your car.