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Let whatever happens happen for now

1 (50%)

Redo the 90s as they happened in real-life as closely as possible

0 (0%)

Gulf War escalates into World War III including limited nuke exchange

0 (0%)

Centralist (Ultranationalist) coup in the Soviet Union

0 (0%)

Try to rebuild the Millennium Cold War scenario

0 (0%)

1995 Norwegian rocket incident leads to limited nuke exchange

1 (50%)

Total Members Voted: 2

[Tok'ra Operative]

I have decided to start up a new topic for the 1993 geopolitical computer game Shadow President. It has been a few years since my last post here with the old topics having since been locked due to loss of interest among the community here.

Links to old threads

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=160597.0
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91245.0

I plan on re-uploading my WW3 scenario Soviet Storm Rising both the previous version where the Soviet Union military spending along with economy was increased for balance AND a more realistic version where military spending is defaulted. A rename is possible due to significant differences. World War III doesn't last as long however many military experts believed that a NATO-Warsaw Pact conflict would only last a matter of weeks before both sides expended their conventional arsenals.

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I may create another scenario in which the Soviet Union invades Poland. Just as Ukraine isn't part of NATO in reality, Nationalist Poland in SP isn't part of the United States WTA. Furthermore the Soviets have multiple surgical strikes and covert ops against Poland in queue plus at least one sabotage op in the United States. The Soviets will probably only have half it's military if even that involved in the attack on Poland so the conflict doesn't end too quickly and Poland has a fighting chance even without direct U.S. military intervention if enough military financial aid is still sent.

I have also begun a new let's play, this time using the default virtual earth 1990 scenario since sometimes it's good to go back to the basics. I will upload a more detailed account along with screenshots soon but for now here is a basic summary.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

June 1990: United States sends full intelligence & military aid to Somalia and deploys 47,500 troops to East Africa, and joins with Somalia in invading Ethiopia. One risky surgical strike against Ethiopia to eliminate it's nuclear spending. Ethiopia surrenders and is taken over by Somalia. US deploys troops in nearby Djibouti to ensure the Soviets can't retake Ethiopia. Internal coups makes Congo Developing Capitalist and Zaire Communist.

July 1990: United States improves diplomatic relations with South Africa and they agree to temporarily align with the United States WTA. United States deploys 120,000 troops to South Africa and along with South Africa invades Mozambique followed by another surgical strike. Mozambique surrenders and is under South African occupation. Soviet Union performs a major military buildup near Japan.

August 1990: Iraq invades Kuwait. Due to popularity dropping to 25-27% over the Africa Wars, the United States decides against any intervention on Kuwait's behalf - why bother anyways both governments are equally bad? A permanent troop presence was established in South Africa to again ensure the Soviets can't help their occupied ally. It's currently August 3rd and taking a quick break to decide my next move as well as work on this topic.

[King Zultan]

Sounds interesting, PTW.

[Enemy post]

This'll be fun, haven't thought about Shadow President in a while.

[EuchreJack]

Looking forward to it!

[Knave]

It's back! Looking forward to it as well 

[Tok'ra Operative]

Shadow President Let's Play Update (2022)

December 1990
Iraq invaded Saudi Arabia on December 2, 1990. The Iraqi military occupied Khafji on the first day. Due to the Africa Wars of mid-1990, the United States didn't take any action in the Middle East so Desert Shield never happened. As a result the Iraqis weren't driven from Khafji and instead pushed further into Saudi Arabia. However Soviet Union did come to the aid of Saudi Arabia which surprised most observers who would've expected them to help Iraq, especially since the Soviets had only recently two failed surgical strikes against the Saudis. Despite Soviet involvement, the Iraqis continued their blitzkrieg towards the Saudi capital city of Riyadh.

ALERT!!! ALERT!!! Missile launch detected from the Soviet Union! All U.S. Forces have upgraded to DEFCON 2! ALERT!!! ALERT!!!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Soviet missile detonated in Saudi Arabia - confirmed nuclear detonation in Saudi Arabia. Whether scorched earth was intended or Iraqi forces being targeted is unclear. The end result is the same. Around 9 million Saudi citizens are dead, half of Iraqi invasion force wiped out, and fallout is a certainty. The United States is preparing some form of response with condemnation and a full trade embargo a certainty with further unspecified action against the Soviet Union possible.

Iraqi-Saudi War and 1990 Nuclear Crisis

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Iraqi Invasion of Saudi Arabia





Global Impact of Nuke Strike - Zero Hour

June-November Events

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

U.S. Intervention in Somali-Ethiopia War





U.S.-South African Invasion of Mozambique






Other Events

[EuchreJack]

...I miss Colin Powell.  May he Rest in Peace.

Spoiler: Commentary on the death of Colin Powell (click to show/hide)

I actually see his death due to COVID as his ultimate redemption for being mislead into declaring Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction.  In death, he proved that COVID did exist.

Anyways, since the Soviet Union felt it could use a Nuke on Iraq, why not use a Nuke on their ally Saudi Arabia and "even things out"?

Alternate Strategy: Congratulate the Soviet Union and increase troops in Israel.

Oh, and I propose the following, more accurate poll:
Question: The Soviet Union/Russia exists in your computer game, what do you do?

• Nuke Them
• Nuke Them
• Nuke Them
• Nuke Them
• Nuke Them
• Nuke Them
• Nuke Them

[Tok'ra Operative]

Shadow President Let's Play Update (2022)

New Year's Day 1991
It is the beginning of a new year however tensions remain high in the aftermath of the Soviet nuclear strike in Saudi Arabia just to keep it out of Iraqi hands. To recap, the Soviet Union detonated around five nuclear weapons in Saudi Arabia in the early hours of the morning after Christmas either as scorched earth or against invading Iraqi forces. Saudi Arabia won the war however their victory was Phyrrhic at best with most of its military lost along with nearly half its population. Nuclear fallout spread throughout the Middle East with the death toll at least 24 million. With 3 million dead in Turkey plus 1,890 U.S. service members lost, the United States is debating whether or not Article 5 applies which could call for further action against the Soviet Union with all options on the table. The United States has already leveled a complete trade embargo against the Soviet Union and has deployed additional troops to countries bordering the Soviet Union. By the start of 1991, the U.S. has 100,000 troops but chances are troop numbers will increase in the following days. Many countries are planning various covert ops against the Soviets. Furthermore Iraq is still planning to invade Jordan in March. Should history repeat itself, all bets are off.

Start of 1991 - World Status Maps

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

United States-Soviet Union Standoff

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Nuclear Fallout

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Note: The 5 nuclear detonations estimate was taken from a quick test using a saved game two days before the strike in order to see how many nuclear devices were actually used. Before I assumed it was one when in fact it was five. The nuclear strike the Soviets made in response to losing a significant number of troops in combat abroad was automated; makes me wonder - Was Gorbachev "showing his true colors" or did some overzealous general officer launch without authorization?  Anyways even the United States could auto-nuke when they lose a major battle and there's technically nothing the player can do about it. However since auto-nuke strike is in part set around ethics in addition to ambition, all that the player really needs to do is raise their ethics. Quickest and instant way to do this is simply increasing humanitarian or economic aid (doesn't matter how much or how little) which should be able to prevent auto-nuking from happening. For this reason its always best to not top off ethics - there's no increasing from max.

[King Zultan]

Dropping five nukes because you lost a battle seems a little extreme.

[Tok'ra Operative]

Dropping five nukes because you lost a battle seems a little extreme.

Yeah tell me about it. Least they could've done was dropped a few on Iraq. Would've been more effective that way and made more sense.

[Tok'ra Operative]

Shadow President Let's Play Update

February 1991
I have reached February 1, 1991. There have been no further military or nuclear actions committed by the Soviet Union. The trade embargoes leveled against the USSR by the US as well as Japan have brought down Soviet ambition from ruthless to forceful so things have relatively calmed with a number of covert actions still being committed through January. Despite this development the United States cannot ignore the fact that the Soviet Union was willing to detonate five nuclear weapons during the Gulf War so troop deployments in countries bordering the USSR are still gradually being increased initially 100,000 then 250,000 then 500,000. United States sabotaged Soviet economic assets and the Soviets sold arms to Polish rebels. Iraq attempted to surgical strike Israel but the United States convinced them to back down with a simple protest.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Standoff With Soviet Russia







Free Cuba




U.S. stops Iraqi surgical strike

Plans I am considering but not set in stone:
1: Increase troop buildup along the Soviet border.
2: Eliminate remaining communist states in Africa.
3: Surgical strike Brazil to knock out its nuclear program.
4: Takeover the Iraq-Saudi Neutral Zone to use as a permanent base.
5: Help Israel expand its nuclear reach by increasing nuclear aid.
6: Block all trade with all communist states.

Note: There appears to be a problem with the Press Secretary with looking at her reports causing the game to freeze. Hopefully it is temporary but there is a possibility I might have to reset the events file for the save. Hopefully this isn't the case.

[EuchreJack]

Do all but suspending trade with Communist states.
1) That hurts your economy as well?
2) They can "flip" if you keep interacting with them, including trade.

[Tok'ra Operative]

Do all but suspending trade with Communist states.
1) That hurts your economy as well?
2) They can "flip" if you keep interacting with them, including trade.

Maybe but certainly wouldn't harm my economy to the extent blocking trade with the Soviet Union did. I still have an income deficit but fortunately it's manageable. Might limit trade blocking to countries which helps defend the Soviet Union such as North Korea and Afghanistan. This is assuming there's a war however if the Soviets nuke Jordan and/or Iraq in March then all bets are off especially since Israel and Turkey would be more impacted as adjacent states - Article 5 would certainly apply for latter. I'm reluctant to deploy too many troops to Turkey even though it borders Soviet Russia because it also borders Iraq.

[EuchreJack]

I forget that in this game Afghanistan is a vassal state of Russia.
Can't you cut off trade to them but fund rebels?

[Tok'ra Operative]

I forget that in this game Afghanistan is a vassal state of Russia.
Can't you cut off trade to them but fund rebels?

Maybe. Fortunately they're not that strong. North Korea certainly will be more challenging.