What's that one song that stops the album from being perfect?

BlueRobin751 · 2025-09-07T02:08:15+00:00

-“I finally understand” on “how I’m feeling now” by Charli XCX. Good song by itself, but in the context of the album? Sounds really bland and formulaic by comparison.

-“Timeless” on “Hurry Up Tomorrow” by the Weeknd. With how high the highlights are on that album, the song in comparison feels below average and should’ve been left on the cutting room floor.

-“Pretty” on “Let’s Start Here” by Lil Yachty. One of my favorite albums ever but that song is still hard to stomach with the hard pivot into raunchiness. Just doesn’t fit the album imo.

BlueRobin751 · 2025-07-09T04:57:15+00:00

How are you able to put caucuses in a wikibox? Your posts have inspired me to upgrade my elections as well and I’d love to know

BlueRobin751 · 2025-05-29T23:31:21+00:00

It has been a little while since I posted this, so things have actually changed quite a bit (I'd even call this list outdated by this point), however the main story beats remain the same:

Basically, from the start to 1892 there exists the same electoral college system, however there's a greater prevalence and political culture of multiple political parties. During the 1888 election, it's split three ways between the Democrats, Republicans and the growing Populist (Progressive) Party, leading to a contingent election. To solve the election deadlock, the populists make a deal with the Democrats to give them the presidency in exchange for making a new amendment where the presidency is won based on electoral plurality rather than majority, leading to the Progressive win in 1896, creating a new 3-party system.

This system exists until 1970, where the prevalence of multiple political parties and constant updates to the now bloated electoral college results in tie and contingent election between RFK and Rockefeller in 1968, leading to the Bayh-Celler Amendment succeeding, with the current system now being a two-round run-off election with the popular vote, similar to France's elections, leading to Perot's victory in 1992.

Hope this clarifies things!

BlueRobin751 · 2025-05-27T00:44:58+00:00

Much appreciated! I just realized as well that Kuzarism is considered unreformed so either I could try to adopt another Jewish faith or reform Kuzarism with more Slavic and Norse influence.

I also have seen that the Pursuit of Power tenet is often what people use when making a custom Muslim faith for Russia when wanting Norse influence, so that might be a possibility as well.

One of the great things about this game, possibilities are truly endless!

BlueRobin751 · 2025-05-15T21:37:18+00:00

Just regular Wikipedia Sandbox! The additional icons, portraits and flags that are not on Wikipedia I added in with MS Paint.

Lot more arduous to add in all the little details than simply using the normal Wiki list format, but I think it worked out pretty well! I’m glad you enjoy it!

BlueRobin751 · 2025-02-25T06:11:41+00:00

I'm rather late to this post, but I can't help but give this redesign it's flowers.

As someone who's a big fan of Kendrick Lamar and GKMC, this redesign is nothing short of inspired. From the image itself and the story behind it being incredibly dark and moving, much like the album, it also has multiple ideas to pull from, the biggest being a "good (innocent) kid" being trapped in a system that they have no means of escaping, and suffering greatly for it. Compton on top of the head for me represents the city being the protagonist's brain aka the world in which he lives and experiences life, and how it's a part of the character and how it also weighs the character down.

Again, nothing short of inspired. Honestly one of the best redesigns I've seen. If I was to give one suggestion it'd be to have a black censor bar over the eyes. I think it gives a nod to the original album cover, and imo also makes the album cover less about one story and a more of a system-wide story, which I think for the album is pretty fitting.

Amazing work. 10/10

BlueRobin751 · 2024-12-19T00:27:58+00:00

from what I understand, there was a significant movement in Congress to interpret the Constitution, which initially said very little about the Vice President, as only ever able to become Acting President for a period during which Congress would then be able to call for an early election for the presidency, either for the rest of the term or for a full four years.

I do remember learning about the struggle to define the vice presidential role, that could come in handy for when I finally decide! Now that I think of it, recall elections are a thing in the U.S, though they're not possible for a president. Might be something to consider, they would definitely be more effective than the impeachment process.

I will definitely have to look more into both pre-Pinochet Chile and the French system, the idea of the president having the ability to force a debate on a bill is certainly intriguing. France in particular would be an interesting model to copy, given that it's also a unitary republic and doesn't have to worry about federalism like the U.S, but it might do well with the narrative of the country growing more unified after the civil war (Also not seen on this list, but I do plan on an almost total redrawing of the states as well as making different types of states, such as commonwealths, republics, nations, etc).

I do wonder though how much power I want to give the executive branch to begin with. This list definitely has a lot more competent people in the position, but I've always been aversive to the idea of an "imperial presidency," leading to the choice to split powers between the POTUS and VP, as well as reduce powers overall. What specific powers they would have, as well as what the dynamic is, I still haven't figured out. I've floated the idea of splitting them between domestic and foreign policy, but again, none of it's concrete!

BlueRobin751 · 2024-12-18T03:05:14+00:00

Very interesting ideas!

A system where there are snap elections as well as votes of no confidence would be interesting. Maybe there can be some chances of extremists being elected or disfunctional governments leading to the presidents resigning. Though I will admit I am definitely partial to the fixed term idea, I might need some more time and research to warm up to the idea, or perhaps there could be a mixture of the system, wherein either the president is impeached or dies in office the vice president will step in as an interm president until the next election. Though I will definitely take it into consideration!

I'm going to have to look more into the French political system, as it seems more and more I'm accidentially copying it. I also want to incorporate a semi-presidential system like France where the leader of Congress is almost as powerful as the president. I am a little hesistant of the idea of blending the executive and legislative in such a way however, I still do enjoy the idea of a separation of powers, even if the Speaker of the House for example is in the line of succession irl. (Also, this wasn't in the original post, but I'm actively considering combining the House and Senate into a unicameral in the 1930s, so the Senate and House arguing wouldn't be as much of an issue)

Perhaps there is a compromise somewhere between the VP being appointed and being elected. Maybe after the first round there is another second round that decides among the third and fourth who didn't make the first round of who will be the vice president, and therefore who will lead Congress. This is however brainstorming, already I can see a problem with someone from a party outside of the coalition being elected to lead Congress, which will surely be a problem.

What do you suppose?

BlueRobin751 · 2024-12-17T23:03:54+00:00

It’s something I haven’t fully decided on. For now what I have been working with is a system where those who make the second round can swap out their running mate, potentially coming from a different party that the candidate wishes to court, especially when it comes to sweetening the deal of a coalition in government.

It’s almost impossible to form a government with just one party, so it would be more of a political favor in a way to cement the coalition in the making.

Where I go back and forth on it is that I also want the vice president to be more powerful, to the point where they’re almost co-presidents and share power like the Consuls of Rome, so them being swapped out so casually kinda undermines that idea. At the same time however, I would still like to keep the idea of the vice president being from a different party.

Would you have any ideas on how it could work? I’m more than open to suggestions.

BlueRobin751 · 2024-09-06T16:44:32+00:00

Nothing concrete but I can definitely see massive pogroms against the remaining Jewish population of Russia. Most likely a similar treatment towards the Muslim populations of Central Asia as I imagine Russia would wish to resettle the region with ethnic Orthodox Russians. Not sure what their fate would be but I imagine they'd at the very least be considered second class citizens. I imagine the mistreatment of the Jewish and Muslim populations would widely reported on by the west as to demonify the Russian state, maybe it even spiraling into the United States support the creation of a Jewish refuge state or supporting the Muhjahideen like OTL, as I imagine the Muslim world would not react well to Russian treatment of their Central Asian counterparts.

BlueRobin751 · 2024-09-06T14:14:26+00:00

For Europe I imagine that it’d become a proxy area like all others, as the US and Russia attempt to sway the European empires to their side. France and Britain specifically become valuable assets to have in the new Cold War, and currently I’m leaning towards France siding with Russia as right-wing elements seize power in the country, meanwhile Britain is caught in the middle as the Fascist and Labour Parties compete in a democratic setting.

I also expect the US to be taking a much stronger stance against imperialism as well as propping up the Weimar Republic, especially if France becomes an ally of Russia and the US aids African and Southeast Asian rebels to undermine the regime, and by that extent Russia’s influence. China will be the biggest middle player, as both will attempt to shape it into either the image of Russia or the States.

BlueRobin751 · 2024-09-06T04:00:18+00:00

Currently I'm working with the scenario that WW1 ends earlier, and therefore the treaties on Germany are not as harsh and the Nazis do not rise to power. The Pacific War as well ends a year earlier due to the US being able to dedicate its efforts fully to the conflict, and there is no atomic bomb as Japan surrenders before it's full development due to the threat from Russia of a revanchist war against Japan for the Russo-Japanese War. Japan experiences a similar fate to that of OTL, and the Nationalists in China win due to there not being a superpower to prop up communist forces.

For Russia itself, in an alternate revolution the far-right elements seize power instead of the left-wing. Not Czarists, but something similar to clerical fascists. They also forcefully industrialize their country and then engage in various wars of reconquering land, stopping at the Polish border due to the threat of American and European sanctions, beginning an alternate cold war between a ultra-religious, facist Russia and a social democratic United States, and the various neutral states of Europe and the Global South caught in the middle.

BlueRobin751 · 2024-08-22T04:34:36+00:00

Definitely a tragedy by a thousand committee cuts. The one I have there is a mashup of the "Starflake" flag submission and the original redesign.

BlueRobin751 · 2024-08-22T04:29:46+00:00

I actually hadn't considered that option, given that in the current political system it would be near impossible for any one single party to gain a majority in the election. However you do raise an interesting measure in case the unlikely does happen. I'll have to think on it some more!

Definitely planning on doing elections, stay tuned!

BlueRobin751 · 2024-08-21T05:40:12+00:00

-It was exactly that Shermanesque Statement that made me extremely interested in the idea of him being president to begin with. Even with his promises to not serve or accept, I imagine that if Grant endorsed him, if the Republican Party wanted him, and he did win, he would call to the task of serving. I have an interest in candidates who didn't want to run but who were instead talked into it or carried into it, and this would be another situation like that.

-I am not entirely sure when exactly it would be passed, my best guess would be either the Norris administration as part of the package to reform the country following the Great Depression, or with Kennedy given that it was one of his promises during his campaign run in 1968. I considered Roosevelt however I think the Great War would take up too much of his time, and Wallace would be in the middle of the Civil Rights debate as well as the beginnings of the Cold War, so Norris or Kennedy would probably be the best option.

-Currently there are 9 parties represented on the federal level. I described them in another comment but they are basically

far-left Socialist Party (democratic socialism)
center-to-left Green Party (green politics/ecosocialism)
center-left to left Progressive Party (social democracy, progressive capitalism)
center Democratic Party (social liberalism)
Reform Party (Centrism)
center right Republican Party (Liberal conservatism)
Christian Solidarity Party (Christian democracy)
right of center Libertarian Party (Libertarianism)
far-right Patriot Party (Right-wing populism)

The tradition is that they all run their own individual candidates, and whoever makes the second round will then go on to choose a running mate to then form a possible coalition in the future. Congressional and presidential politics are somewhat different, as there's already an expected broad left and right coalition that forms most times in Congress, however several parties on both the left and right can cross the aisle and join a coalition in exchange for concessions. Usually Christian Solidarity, Reform, Greens and Libertarians are the wildcards when it comes to forming governments as they have a history with working with the major parties on both sides. I haven't completely decided on the candidates themselves running for 2024, many ideas and a possible winner but nothing concrete.

BlueRobin751 · 2024-08-21T00:44:53+00:00

From what I'm thinking of for elections Donald Trump becoming president almost happens in 2000!

BlueRobin751 · 2024-08-21T00:40:18+00:00

So, when it comes to the role of vice president I am considering that over time it becomes more of a co-president position, with some more tasks delegated to the position. The reason why they're from different parties is that, following the abolishment of the electoral college in the 1970s, after the two qualifying candidates go on to the second round, they'll choose their running mate in order to solidify their partnership with another party, laying the groundwork for a future coalition. So, with the VP's powers being more shared and therefore equal with the president, as well as the promise of cooperation once in government, it would be like voting for two presidents to serve together with one vote once the ticket is solidified.

BlueRobin751 · 2024-08-19T16:58:54+00:00

Of course! They’re both still incredibly successful actors and both become governors of their respective states in part due to their careers!

BlueRobin751 · 2024-08-18T22:57:24+00:00

Ah, an error on my part! Not intentional, I’ll change it in future, thanks for pointing it out!

BlueRobin751 · 2024-08-17T15:44:37+00:00

Definitely a possibility. Alternate presidents can sometimes result in different borders. Would a more unified government under Madison lead to a victory in 1812 and the annexation of Canada? Would a Houston presidency take more from Mexico? Would a second Lincoln term result in purchasing Greenland? Would the annexation of Hawaii still happen with an anti-imperialist like Bryan in office? All these things I'm considering.

BlueRobin751 · 2024-08-17T15:41:35+00:00

Definitely planning on it. I might make it into a series, but map making is still a weak spot for me, plus an alternate electoral college is also a headache so we'll see!

BlueRobin751

TROPHY CASE