Neutrality

[_______________Jazzx]

------------------- OOC ------------------------
Hey, everyone. My name's Jazzx, and I'm addicted to roleplaying.

The problem is, I play a neutral character, and I don't know very much about neutral politics/govermnent. This makes it sorta hard to play my character effectively (and believably).

Actually, come to think of it - I don't know a whole lot about Rubi-Ka in general. =P

If anyone could give me a short run-down of how things work in neutral territory, or toss me some links to some info, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks.
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[Mymir01]

You can find a listing of Neutral Sites here.


Hope this helps.

[Destractor]

Try http://www.ir-news.org they seem to be big in the neutral community.

or you could just go outside newland and beg to the people to stop shooting the guards. (or got to a sided city and beg to the guards to stop shooting you)

[Praecautus]

Hehe

Hi Dr Tiny here and current president of The Independent Rubi-Kans one of the, if not the, largest neutral guild on RK1.

Sure check out our web page

www.ir-news.org

there is also a neutral forum run by Rypht. cant remember the address as i am work at the moment.
There are plenty of good neutral groups out there each with their own aims and reason of being.

let me address a few neutral issues

Neutral Government doesnt exist per se as it does for the clans or OT. there is no neutral leader, indeed most neutrals are neutral for a variety of different reasons, whether to make money from both sides, work as mercs, act as political mediators etc etc.
The nearest we have to a government, although it isnt rally one, is the neutral conference. it would be hard to call this a government though.

Neutral politics, again this depends on your view point. My own politics are to act as a mediator between Clan and OT. The onyl defining characteristic is a wish to not be clan or OT, nor to be a 3rd faction. we are because we are i guess sums us up quite well. As for internal neutral politics, most of us on the whole get on most of the time. the older neutral players have known each other for several months now, after all with 4 cities and only a handful of players you tend to run into the same ones day in, day out. whilst divided in our reasons for being neutral, we are unified in our desire to stay that way and enjoy the game and story.

[_______________Jazzx]

------------ ooc ---------------
Thanks for the help, guys...the links were really helpfull.

Here are a couple specific questions I still have:

1) Does Omni-pol have any kind of jurisdiction (sp?) in neutral territory? Meaning, are neutral cities subject to Omni-Tek laws and, if so, does Omni-Pol have the authority to enforce them on neutral soil?

2) Are the neutral cities (NLC, Borealis, Last Ditch, etc) connected in anyway? Do they share a common set of laws, are there trade agreements, or do they exist independantly of eachother? I think this one's been more or less answered, but I want to make sure.

Thanks again,
~Jazzx~
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[LTK]

I can't really answer the second question with any assurance, but it's my educated guess that the neutral cities work independantly of each other.

In answer to your first question, it's a resounding NO, Omni-Pol and Omni Tek laws do not hold sway in neutral territory. Thank goddess.

[_______________Jazzx]

----------- ooc --------------
Thanks, Tarryk.

Knowing that, I'll raise hell the next time I see any Omni-Pol jerks waving their guns around in my cities.

And L1V1D reminded me of something - people attacking the guards outside Newland City. That just seems obsurd to me...that people carrying the Clan and Omni flags can just wantonly kill the guards, and from a roleplaying standpoint, nobody can do anything about it.

Here's what doesn't make sense:
Supression gass doesn't apply to people killing the guards, but it applies to any citizens of Newland who want to gun down the attackers in defense of their home.

If I'm missing something, let me know...but as a roleplayer, it stretches my belief in the game world that neither of my die-hard neutral characters can take up arms against Omni-Tek employees, and Clan members who assault the peace-keeping guards at the very front door of Newland city. No, I'm forced to stand there and watch. It happens so often, I don't even bother stopping to make rude comments to the murderers any more.

This has probably been discussed at length, but I'm just now discovering these boards. Feel free to drop me a link to any past discussions on this.

Thanks again,
~Jazzx~
------------------------------

[Bionitrous]

The following should be required reading:

Interstellar Confederation of Corporations (ICC),
Dept. Of Colonial Affairs.

Summary of the Tir Accord Ceasefire Agreement on Rubi-Ka between the Omni-Tek Corporation (leaseholders of Rubi-Ka, and henceforth referred to as Omni-Tek) and the Council of Truth (governing body of the united, independent clans of Rubi-Ka, and henceforth referred to as the Council)


Fact Sheet Released by the Office of the Spokesperson, July 5th, 29470

The Tir Accord talks culminated in a Framework Agreement for a ceasefire between the two disputing parties of Omni-Tek and the Council. Agents for the ICC initiated and witnessed the signing of the Accord.

The Tir Accord ceasefire Agreement and its Annexes are summarised below:

General Framework Agreement.
· Omni-Tek and the Council agree to fully respect every aspect of this agreement and its annexes, and to settle any dispute by diplomatic and peaceful means.

· Omni-Tek recognise the Council as the Governing body, and spokesperson for all clans affiliated with it ((not the Dust Brigade for example)), and its right to negotiate, and speak for the clans. In turn the Council recognises Omni-Tek as the superior governing body of Rubi-Ka as documented in the ICC lease of 28708 ((This means Omni-Tek is a higher power than the CoT as far as the entirety of the planet is concerned)).

· The parties agree to fully respect and promote fulfilment of the commitments made in the various Annexes of this Accord.

· The parties agree to cooperate in the implementation of this Accord and the resulting cease-fire, and to mutually investigate and prosecute any violation of the Accord and its Annexes.

· This agreement is between Omni-Tek and the Council only, and any personnel not affiliated with either Omni-Tek or the Council is considered under Omni-Tek control, and subject to Omni-Tek law. ((Neutrals and Dust Brigaders, please read))

Annex 1A: Territorial Division
· Omni-Tek is the superior governing body of the entirety of Rubi-Ka, but will leave to the Council to supervise the areas of Tir, Tir County, Athen, Athen Shire, Aegan, Northern Artery Valley, The Big
One, Avalon, Mort, Newland, and Western Endless Plains. ((Memorize this list))

· The remaining terraformed areas on the planet will remain under complete Omni-Tek control and subject to the ICC lease of 28708. ((Pretty straight forward))

· Council-affiliated parties will remain in their allocated districts where they are subject to Council supervision. The moment they enter Omni-Tek controlled areas, they will be subject to Omni-Tek law and control. ((Understandable, works this way even in 2002. I visit China, I follow their rules. Fair enough))

· The Council and its affiliates will remain within the area they have been allocated, and will cease any expansion in their territorial claim. ((Stop settlements in return for peace ... hmmm))

Annex 1B: Resources and Resource Management.
· The Council and its affiliates will control, and are free to administer in whatever way they see fit, all natural resources in their allocated districts, with the exception of notum.

· Omni-Tek will remain in control of existing notum mines in Council-allocated districts. ((Later changed in an annex))

· Any new discoveries of notum in Council-allocated districts are free to be mined by Council-affiliated organisations. ((Hooray! for the workers in these mines ... I think))

· Any notum extracted under Council administration will be shipped directly, and in its entirety, toOmni-Tek storage, compensated by Omni-Tek according to current, floating ICC rates.
((Fair enough, after all O-T's lease is all about the Notum))

· Omni-Tek is obligated to supply the Council with state of the art mining equipment, compensated by the Council according to current, floating ICC rates. ((Nice perk for the Council))

· Omni-Tek is not to set up additional resource mining in Council-allocated districts. ((Read. My. Lips. -> 'No new mines'))

· Council affiliates will not disturb existing Omni-Tek notum mining in their allocated districts.

Annex 2A: Military Presence.
. Omni-Tek military will not operate within the Council-allocated district with exceptions:
Exception 1: Omni-Tek will be allowed standard security forces present at their notum mining facilities. ((This point later rendered moot))
Exception 2: Omni-Tek will be allowed standard security forces to accompany any shipment of notum from their facilities in the Council-allocated districts.

· The Council and affiliated military forces will not operate in Omni-Tek controlled districts. Any stray personnel and material will be considered the direct property of Omni-Tek, for it to administer as it sees fit. ((If you are in any MILITARY force associated with the CoT, you stay out of Omni territory. End of Story))

· The Council and affiliated military forces will respect the legality of standard Omni-Tek security forces in Council-allocated districts as described in the exceptions above. ((IE: don't shoot O-T soldiers guarding the mines or shipments))

· Omni-Tek and the Council should, jointly, investigate any hostile action towards the legally present Omni-Tek personnel by the Council and affiliated troops. Should there be a breach of the aforementioned premises, centralised Omni-Tek peacekeeping troops may be issued after consultation with the Council.

Annex 2B: Police and Investigation.
· The Omni-Tek police department (Omni-Pol) will be allowed to run routine investigations inside the Council-allocated districts in the interest of national security. ((OK, fair enough considering they are the superior governing body. Kinda like the FBI and the NYPD. One is a level higher))

· The number of Omni-Pol personnel present in Council-allocated districts at any given time have to be accounted for by Omni-Tek in consultation with the Council. ((OK, so you're here. Why and how many?))

· Any additional Omni-Pol activity in Council-allocated districts not considered a matter of national security has to be sanctioned by the Council. ((Way to open to interpretation))

· No Council or affiliated personnel within the boundaries of Council-allocated districts may be available for Omni-Pol questioning without the prior consent of the Council. ((Once again, fair.))

Annex 3: Treatment of Prisoners and Displaced Persons.
· Any Council and affiliated personnel located in the districts controlled by Omni-Tek or found in violation of this accord and its annexes, are to be considered outlaws, and subject to imprisonment and trial by Omni-Tek. ((Note this does not apply to Neutrals))

· Imprisonment of any Council, or affiliated, personnel will be reported to the Council, and Omni-Tek's treatment of any such personnel will comply with ICC regulations described in the standard planetary lease.((Geneva Conventions??))

· Any Omni-Tek personnel violating the agreed-upon presence in Council-allocated districts, or any premise set forth in this accord and its annexes, are to be taken captive by Council-affiliated troops, and sent back to Omni-Tek to stand corporate trial as described in the standard ICC planetary lease.((Quid pro quo))

· Any Omni-Tek personnel taken captive by the Council must be treated according to ICC standard regulations as described in the standard planetary lease upon being surrendered to the Omni-Tek corporate court.

Amendment to the Tir Accord Annex 1B: Resources and Resource Management.
Amended August 11th 29470.
· All mining activity in Council-allocated districts will be abandoned by Omni-Tek within sixty (60) days, and after that be administered by the Council. The resulting produce will be subject to the original agreement as described in Annex 1B, point four (4).
((OK, CoT now is in charge of mining ALL Notum on their allocated lands))

Amendment to the Tir Accords Annex 2A: Military Presence. Amended August 11th 29470.
· All military presence earlier associated with security in the Omni-Tek controlled mines in Council-allocated districts, is to be withdrawn within sixty (60) days.
((Bye, bye, Goon Squad))

· Omni-Tek standard security forces associated with notum shipment will still be allowed to pass through Council-allocated districts. ((Council must have thought it better to have Omni-AF guys killed by Mutants than their own people))

· Omni-Tek will be allowed a standard security force at the outpost of MeetMeDere in the interest of national security, and the containment of local wildlife.

· The Council will grant Newland City neutral status within sixty (60) days. ((OK, this is Newland and is vague. No mention of Borealis, Last Ditch, ICC HQ, 10-3, Wine, Jobe, ...))


Signed by Phillip Ross representing Omni-Tek and Henry Radiman for the Council of Truth ((These are your Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant's here ladies and gents))

[Nyadach]

Originally posted by Jazzx
1) Does Omni-pol have any kind of jurisdiction (sp?) in neutral territory? Meaning, are neutral cities subject to Omni-Tek laws and, if so, does Omni-Pol have the authority to enforce them on neutral soil?

2) Are the neutral cities (NLC, Borealis, Last Ditch, etc) connected in anyway? Do they share a common set of laws, are there trade agreements, or do they exist independantly of eachother? I think this one's been more or less answered, but I want to make sure.
--------------------------------- [/B]

As for the first one, unfortunatly Omni Tek can waltz into any of our areas as and when they feel fit to under the Tir Accord (think someone posted it above). Anyhow, they don't (well other than on Saturday when General Telion decided to pay Last Ditch a visit) and we do officially have to run via OTs laws......AS IF! basically we're just little backwaters that OT ignore, officially they may own the places but they have no monitary value to the coorporation so they ignore them. If a little smuggling happens they don't seem to bother as long as it keep low key enough to keep out of OTs path.

As for neut citys and connections. Newlands is connected to the Grid, and has a whompa to Borealis, which in turn has a whompa to Last Ditch. Places like 20k, Harrys Outpost, and Sabulum arn't connected at all, or is the ICC HQ. We've had bits of information from the ICC that they are planning on doing some construction work regarding these whompas, and hopefully making the network more friendly to neutral citizens. Can but wait and see on that though.

Trade agreements are kinda strange. There is supposed to be a trade route run from Borealis to 20k. But I have yet to see this in action personally though. Other trade agreements, to get items etc from the Clans and OT are more taken from personal agreements from people, or ones set up by guilds and organisations.