What game does that stand for?
Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic
(the abbreviation therefore would be WR:SR, btw)
Whoops! You’re right, in my haste I got it backwards. Not the first time I’ve done that. I’ll correct it in the post right away.
Ah, the irony of using a simulation of a communist government to create a Western-style capitalist democracy… Anyway, I hope this turns out very well in the long run.
2 Likes
Meh, the game mechanics of the other game are completely irrelevant here. I could’ve chosen from a number of other sim/strategy games I own, but I think that Soviet Republic just has the nicest balance of map size and visuals to accomplish my goal for some RP world building. You can take it as nothing more than visual fluff to spice up the immersion in this challenge series.
4 Likes
Rd. 1 PROLOGUE
INTRODUCING LETARA IN 1946
Longer RP description of Letara in 1946 and pictures.
In 1946 Letara is in a bit of a tough spot on the world stage. Tensions with Montelin over their occupation of the disputed tip of the Letaran peninsula have almost escalated into a hot war. Other countries have denounced Montelin’s continued growing military presence, but have otherwise idly stood by as the DMZ is being threatened. Luckly Letara’s closest neighbour, Somunds, continues to be a valuable ally. Not only is this alliance a deterrent to Montelin and prevents escalation of the conflict, but also allows easier movement of people and goods in and out of Letara. However, Letara still has to maintain a sizable military that continuously drains the country’s resources. While other countries have reaped the benefits of a quickly growing energy glut with the discovery of easily extractable oil and gas, Letara’s economy is stagnant. The country is not exactly poor, but things could be better. The people still have a lot of faith in their democratic government and just get on with their lives as best as they can.
Brospyne, a small town that is the agricultural hub of Letara.
Although Letara has not managed to keep up with other countries in the world in terms of industrial development, they did manage to gain a decent position in the growing aluminium market by exploiting the abundant bauxite reserves. Bauxite ore is mined at the appropriately named Fortune Bauxite Mine; to support the mining operations Letara established a new mining town close by called Fortune. Although these reserves are near the Montelin border, operations have not been impacted thus far. The bauxite ore is transported to Mortham where it is refined into raw bauxite. From here it is transported by train to Storia Harbour, where it is loaded onto ships and sold to allied countries. Although bauxite isn’t as profitable as aluminium, Letara has not yet managed to establish a full aluminium industry.
Fortune and Fortune Bauxite Mine.
In terms of cities and towns, Letara is moderately urbanized. The capital Lerance is located on a small peninsula in the south-central of Letara. It experienced a boom period in the early 20th century; most of the urban architecture in the downtown core is from this era. Due to its restricted building area it is dominated by relatively high density urban development. The older downtown core is flanked to the north-east by newer “block” development as a result of quick modern expansion that replaced more low-density suburb areas.
Lerance, Letara’s capital city. Older downtown core and new block development taking over the suburbs. This city is the main hub for commerce and higher learning.
The second main town, Storia has recently experienced major expansion due to the construction of Storia Harbour, which facilitates the bauxite export. It is the main export hub and its economy is dependent on a continued supply of exportable bauxite - or other aggregate in the future.
Storia and Storia Harbour. In the foreground is the old fishing village, now referred to as Old Storia.
The third city is the old capital of Letara, Fiegheni. This city was the capital until 1893 under the now abolished monarchy; in 1893 the capital was moved to Lerance to celebrate the new form of government and distance the country from its imperialistic past. Currently the city of Fiegheni still retains many of its historic downtown. Due to its scenic setting, it is now also a very much desired area for rich folks to settle or build their cottages (mansions) for weekend retreats.
Fiegheni and surroundings.
The next largest city, Portunis, is a major historic wine region, which produces the famous Letaran ‘Fronaco Secco.’ Other notable towns include the mountain retreat and vacation town of Mont Modred at the foot of Mt. Modred volcano; the town of Chanceille where a small lumber industry exists, the agricultural town of Brospyne.
Portunis and its wineries.
The general infrastructure of Letara is generally speaking up to par with most of the world. In terms of passenger rail, there is a main line connecting Somunds and the major cities of Lerance, Storia, and Portunis. There is also rail connecting the Fortune Bauxite Mine with the bauxite processing plant in Mortham and Storia Harbour. However, aside from some passing areas, most rail lines are single track, which leads to longer wait times.
Mont Modred is a rustic vacation centre located in a scenic forest at the base of Mt. Modred.
There is one cargo port with aggregate loading capability. Currently it only services bauxite exports.
The only airport in the country is the medium-sized Lerance international airport. It services both passenger and light cargo transport, but there is only road connection here.
Lerance International, the country’s only airport with service abroad. In the background is the road up to Mont Modred.
Speaking of roads, there are no interstate (divided) highways in Letara. Well-maintained asphalt roads connect the Somunds border and major cities (Lerance, Fiegheni, Storia, and Portunis; passing through Brospyne). Gravel roads lead into the mountains up to Mont Modred, and connect some smaller towns to the main highway. Otherwise it’s still dirt roads, including the roads to more remote villages and up to Chanceille and Fortune.
TL:DR - Letara is a moderately well-developed country with some economic struggles due to an ongoing political conflict with Montelin. Currently the country is mining bauxite ore that is refined to bauxite, which in turn is exported using ships. The road network is average for the era and has a mix of asphalt trunk roads, gravel and dirt roads to secondary and tertiary areas of the country.
Drive-through of Letara starting in Somunds, hitting all major cities and towns, showing off some scenic roads. Perhaps a bit long, but for the hard-core RP peeps, here it is. Driving music included to get those creative juices going! 
PEOPLE’S TASTE IN CARS
Given the current economy of Letara, most people just want something practical that gets them from A to B reliably and in relative comfort. In cities, roads are of good quality, but can be pretty tight, and parking space is at a premium. People do travel with their families to vacation destinations, including up to Mont Modred, but also abroad to Somunds. Just like everywhere else in the world, the upper echelons do like to show off a little, but they do want their cars to have tangible advantages over the cheaper cars that the regular plebs drive - if the car shines in any area they value (e.g. prestige or sportiness) that can justify the higher cost, they will buy it. People in rural areas have to contend with poorer road conditions and the lack of higher quality fuel, so they value some offroad prowess and above all else, reliability. If they can maintain and fix their cars themselves, all the better.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
TIMELINE
In game, the first round will span from 1946 to 1954 inclusive; models from any of these years are accepted for all three categories.
IRL, since this is the first round and a major update just dropped making everyone relearn how to build engines (and new hotpatches coming at a high rate), this one will remain open a little longer. Rules deliberation will be until Oct 3, on which date the round officially opens for submissions. The round closes Oct 23. @ 11:59 PM UTC.
TAXES FOR CONSUMER VEHICLES
In this period all cars are imported into Letara. All cars will incur a 20% import tax. To incentivise the existing bauxite industry and encourage more bauxite exports, cars with aluminium parts will receive a stackable tax break (up to 10% total):
- 3% tax break for alu engine head
- 7% tax break for alu panels
No other taxes in this era.
CONSUMER VEHICLE REGULATIONS
In this early era there are not too many regulations regarding consumer cars. The government stipulates that:
- Drive on the right side of the road, so LHD cars only please (if you model interiors).
- All cars shall have more than “none” safety equipment on board.
- Headlights: one pair required situated on the front corner area of the vehicle, mirrored symmetrically from the centre line; two pair (dual) on the corner area and/or a single third centre headlight are allowed. Cover glass shall be white or light yellow.
- Tail lights: one pair required situated on the rear corner area of the vehicle mirrored symmetrically from the centre line. Cover glass shall be red.
- Brake light: one pair situated on the rear corner area of the vehicle, mirrored symmetrically from the centre line, and/or one single light situated in the rear centre area of the vehicle required. Cover glass shall be red. Tail and brake lights may be housed in the same fitting.
- Turn signals: both left and right signals must be visible when looking directly at the front and rear of the car. Pairs of signals can be mounted on the front and rear corner area of the car, and/or side-mounted; must be mirrored symmetrically from the car’s centre line. Light-based turn signals must be orange on the front and side; orange or red in the rear. Semaphore-style indicators are allowed.
- Reverse light(s) not required.
- Mirrors are not required.
- External gas cap not required - could be hidden in lights or other fixtures, or tank could be inside the trunk or under the hood Trabant style).
- At least one windshield wiper required that reaches in front of the driver’s vision.
- One (unscaled) license plate required and must be visible when looking directly at the rear of the car.
- No emissions or efficiency regulations.
- Both regular (92) and super (98) leaded fuels are available. However, super leaded fuel is only available in better-developed areas; rural areas have only regular fuel at the pump.
- Cross-ply tires are the only option in this era. Tires with an aspect ratio (profile) of 100 are considered standard; any major deviations (more than ± 5) will be considered voodoo.
- Noise pollution has just started to become noticed; any car introduced in 1951 or later has to keep engine noise levels below 50!
- No race components.
- Paint:
- Metallic paint (flake value >0 in the advanced paint tab) is rare but available, and only at a premium. Anything greater than 0.2 flake in the paint settings will incur a flat $500 cost added to the car’s sale price.
- Pearlescent paint (pearl value >0 in advanced paint tab) is unavailable in this era.
- Tech pool should be set to 0 for all categories.
You may submit up to three trims of the same model. Participation in other categories is not required. Participation with at least one car in this category this round will allow you to lobby/spend for the next round. Please name the model(s) of your submissions “LHC - 1C1 - <forum name>'” for the first trim, “LHC - 1C2 - <forum name>” for the second trim, and “LHC - 1C3 - <forum name>” for the third trim.
GOVERNMENT ASSIGNMENT: SECURE PASSENGER TRANSPORT
The ongoing conflict with Montelin has resulted in the presence of many “curious visitors” with “totally authentic” passports roaming around in Letara and taking pictures of key infrastructure. How they entered the country is anyone’s guess. Luckily the Letaran authorities have been able to offer many of them “luxurious involuntary stays” in a government-run “hotel.” These “guests” do need frequent transportation from one secret location to another. The transport has to be both secure and covert. Therefore the government is looking to purchase a small contingent of people carriers with the following criteria:
- The government needs these vehicles sooner rather than later, so Model, Trim, Family, and Variant years must all be set to 1948.
- The vehicle must be road legal (see consumer rules and regulations above).
- The vehicle must be able to transport one driver, one security guard, and up to six “passengers.” (Read: must have 8 full seats)
- Although the vehicle must have security features that prevent escape of its “passengers”, it must not stand out as a prison transport vehicle; it must blend in with other traffic.
- In case of detection, the vehicle must be able to resist a hit or two from other vehicles and/or “stray” bullets and keep its occupants safe.
- Drivers will be specially chosen and trained, but if the vehicle handles well, it’s a definite bonus.
- Speed is sometimes of the essence, so while it is not a race car, some pep is also valued.
- Given that this is a government vehicle, costs are always paramount: low purchase price, low service costs, low fuel consumption, and high reliability are highly prized. Don’t worry about import taxes here.
- The vehicle sometimes needs to travel to rural areas, so only regular fuel (92 leaded) please, or else the government won’t consider it.
- Tech pool should be set to 0 for all categories.
You may submit one vehicle in this category. Participation in other categories is not required. Please name the model of your submission “LHC - 1G - <forum name>”.
RACING IN LETARA: PORTUNIS CANNONBALL RUN
Ahh, who doesn’t love a good car race? Letarans sure do! In 1933 the inaugural episode of a highly illegal annual race was organized: the Cannonball Run. It ran on public roads and created quite a few dangerous situations. Despite best efforts by the Letaran government, they have had no success shutting down the race series. So in a move reminiscent of “if you can’t beat them, join them”, in 1946 the Portunis Cannonball Run was officially sanctioned for the first time. The rules are quite simple. To reduce the impact of the race on regular road users, the race is in three stages on closed roads. The race starts at the Somunds border town after a hearty breakfast. The car that arrives in Portunis with the fastest overall time is the winner. After the race, festivities are held at the local wineries and the winner takes home a mini-keg of perfectly aged Fronaco Secco. The rules are quite simple:
- The race is ran in three stages. Stage 1 runs from Somunds to Fiegheni; stage 2 from Fiegheni to Brospyne; and stage 3 from Brospyne to Portunis. These stages will be approximated with tracks from the CCPC track pack, specifically Maryaskaya 1, 2 and 3 if you want to fine-tune your car.
- The race is all on paved roads; gravel and dirt roads are not a factor.
- No outside help allowed for drivers and cars. If the car breaks down, the driver can try to fix it themselves, but if external help (or towing) is required, they are disqualified (this will be RNG simulated - but reliability helps).
- A driver will be RNG simulated for each stage of the race; drivability and comfort stats help your driver achieve a better time.
- Even though the roads are closed, the cars are still on public roads. So the cars need to be road legal (see consumer car section).
- The cars are allowed to have race components, engine swaps, suspension swaps, etc., as long as they remain road legal otherwise. If your car is not road legal, then it will not be allowed to race, so pay attention to all rules!
- NO aero bits in this era; it’s a little too early for that…
- A minimum of two seats are required.
- Comfort must be at least 5.0. It’s low, but just enough for the hardiest of drivers to manage without actual lasting injury to the spine.
- This is meant to be accessible to the masses, so there is a price limit on the cars:
- For 1946 the maximum price of the car is 20k AMU as seen in the detail stats tab (we’re not going to worry about import taxes for race cars). For subsequent years the maximum price goes up by 500 AMU per year (i.e. in 1947 it’s 20.5k, in 1948 it’s 21k etc.)
- Break-downs are relatively frequent; to maximize the chance of finishing the race, each manufacturer will get three entries (teams) in the race for each year they run (meaning: submit one car, but I’ll run three of them each race to maximize your chance of at least one of them making it to the finish).
- Tech pool should be set to 0 for all categories.
A leader board for each year of the round will be simulated; obviously cars can only compete after they have been introduced (i.e. if you submit a '49 car, it will not compete in '46-'48, but will compete in '49-'54). Again, track times are simulated with RNGs, but reliability, comfort, and drivability do help.
Last but not least, I will be participating in this event as well, so you get to “race” yours truly. Can you beat my 1946 “Mons 356-esque”?
You may submit one vehicle in this category. Participation in other categories is not required. Please name the model of your submission “LHC - 1R - <forum name>” and include three team names in the DM if you don’t want your teams be called ‘team 1; team 2; team 3.’
Reminder that when you submit your first car, please also register your corporation. At the least tell me where the company is from, but a short lore blurb would be much appreciated - or a link to a lore thread. You will participate in all subsequent rounds with this registered company, so make sure it is the company you want to use for the rest of the playthrough!
Remember, so overarching rules are in the OP, so please read that too.
Most importantly: have fun! I’m looking forward to our discussions, RP wold building, and all of your undoubtedly amazing submissions!
19 Likes
Metallic paint should be defined as any paint whose flake value is greater than zero; in addition, pearlescent paint should be defined as any paint whose pearl value is nonzero.
1 Like
Is there any preference on Euro-shaped plates vs. US/Japan-shaped plates?
Not yet in this era. Put on the car whatever you prefer.
2 Likes
gotta say that 0 flake looks awful on almost every car
you more or less need some flake to make it not look dogshit
Hence the allowance for 0.2. Usually between 0.1 and 0.2 is just enough to make it look like a nice non-flake paint.
I’m considering entering the 1G portion of the contest, currently trying to see what I can cook up.
1 Like
What are the other categories for consumer cars? I only see the government prison transport vehicle, and the racing car. What other categories, like off-road or family budget are there, or do I just build for any other category?
If it’s like ALC, you just make whatever you want for the consumer cars, and they are marked against similar cars by other entrants
There are no “other” categories. For consumer cars you can submit any car that you’d like to sell to Letarans, as long as it adheres to the rules and regulations. The government assignment and race categories are completely different and aren’t consumer cars.
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How about advanced trim settings? I would like to be able both to shrink the transmission tunnel and to fiddle with the tyres to not make the black text bleed through the whitewalls.
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Is it OK with white glass and orange bulbs in the indicators?
- The advanced trim rules were written a long time ago and I didn’t update them when more stuff was added to the settings - that is my oversight. I’ll modify the rules tomorrow to reflect the actual settings available to us now. But yes, shrinking the transmission tunnel and very minor aesthetic fiddling with the tires is OK. Making 255s out of 155s is not
Edit: the advanced trim settings stuff is now updated. I think you need to use the tyre sidewall curve setting to play with the whitewall visibility, which is allowed.
- Yes that is fine, as long as it emits orange light when on.
1952 Torshalla Poesy
Torshalla was founded in Sweden after the in 1946 to make use of now unused munition factories and to improve the quality of life of the average citizen. After six years of building prototypes and developing tooling, their first car, the Poesy, released in the fall of 1951 as a '52 model. Many elements of the Poesy’s design were considered quite forward thinking, with a monoque steel chassis, a direct-acting overhead cam 1.1 liter boxer four powering the front wheels, and a host of advanced safety features.
It was decided that exporting the Poesy would greatly help with sales and offset the cost of development. Letara was considered a suitable market. Available only as a single trim, The 1.1 liter engine made 40hp @ 4900rpm and 51 ft lbs of torque at 3300. Equipped with two SU carburetors, it proved to be fairly responsive for a family car as well as economical with a recorded 26mpg. An AM radio was fitted as standard, as well as a four speed manual transmission and a short ratio steering box. It even included an auxiliary reversing lamp. After import taxes the cost of the Poesy is $18,600 AMU.
1952 Torshalla Poesy Portunis Run spec
Motorsport is of course a good means of showcasing one’s product line, so the decision to prep three cars for the the Portunis Cannonball Run. The engines were extensively reworked; bored out to 1.2 liters, ported heads, larger carburattors, tubular headers, and dual exhausts. These changes help boost power output to 60hp and 57 ft lbs of torque. Along with stripped out interior for reduced weight and wider P155/95C13 tires, the PRS Poesy has a higher top speed and shorter 0-60 time. The drivers for the three cars are factory test drivers Jorgen Gulsvig, Anniken Bach, and Mikkel Sundheim.
17 Likes
For the Government vehicle, should the rear and side windows be covered up for the “privacy” of the esteemed travelers, or would that be too conspicuous; should we simply offer a mass market civilian vehicle and allow the Letaran authorities to make any additional modifications as they see fit?
The government won’t make any modifications to the vehicles; they want something ready made and ready to go. As for what kind of safety features are on the vehicle, they want to give the manufacturers carte blance, and let them decide for themselves what security features they implement. Let the best ideas win!