So a lot of people see the terms "PIAT" and "MDP" and "ODP" thrown in when talking about respective alliances, but do they know what it actually means? Do they have a real life application to lean on when describing such things? Well, I'm here to help. I'm here today to help explain CN treaties in terms of school/playground etiquette to give members, especially the newer ones, an idea of how treaties on Planet Bob are treated using real life analogies.

In this thread I'll be covering the following:

• Protectorate
• Peace Intelligence and Aid Treaty
• Optional Defense Pact
• Mutual Defense Pact
• Mutual Defense and Optional Aggression Pact
• Mutual Aggression and Defense Pact

Protectorates: these are like your little brothers or best friends who run to their older brother or older friend for protection in case they need it. Imagine a bully walks up to a little kid and starts picking on him, for no valid reason. The protector, older brother/friend is now obliged to protect the little kid from unwarranted attacks from the bully. He acts mainly as a deterrent. For example:

Bully: Yo is anyone protecting that kid?
Stooge: Yeah man I think [tough guy] is.
Bully: Screw that no one touch that kid!

Of course if the little brother or kid acts out the older brother or friend now has to set him straight. A smack to the back of the head could tell the little munchkin to behave, or else.

Peace Intelligence and Aid Treaty (PIAT): now we have a situation where you get two friends together. These friends may just use each other for their own purposes or just like to chill with them. For example say if Student A needs a pencil from Student B, Student B would be more than happy to give Student A the eraser so long as it doesn't harm him directly. If Student A just merely mooches off of Student B, then, they may not be such great friends afterward. This could lead to cancellations or minor break ups.

These children may also be lab partners or just change notes with one another. If it's an amicable relationship it could progress further than just a "PIAT." You could take it to the next level. However a major slip up could see a very switf cancellation. For example:

Kid 1: Yo I heard [this kid] ticked off the wrong person and is getting jumped, you know 'em?
Kid 2: Have never seen that kid in mah lyfe!

But let's just say that the relationship they have is amicable, and they do in fact take it to the next level...

Optional Defense Pact (ODP): here you enter a very precarious relationship with your friend. You like him and hang out regularly, share common interests and tend to believe in the same things. This treaty is usually signed as a show of faith, but not really. Because in terms of somebody maybe getting jumped, you can always deny knowing the character and running away. Of course if your friend is about to jump someone, you can always bandwagon and help beat some kid up. Say, however, you're kinda loyal and want to make a name for yourself, you may stick it out with your friend no matter the odds.

However in most situations it usually ends like this:

Bully: Yo you know this kid?
Kid: Yeah, he's my friend, why?
Bully: We're gonna jump him after class, you gonna do anything about it?
Kid: Nah man I'm cool we're not friends anymore!

That's usually what happens when put in an unfavorable situation. But say this person is fiercely loyal and wants to defend said friend, it doesn't happen often but we'll call this friend a TDSM8. It'd work out like this:

Kid: Yo man stop it I'm hurt I got a black eye please, enough!
Bully: We'll beat you up as much as we want.
TDSM8: Oh no you won't!

Of course TDSM8 tends to have large cajones, they don't care about their well being just defending their friend. This person will get beat up in the process but will forever be known as loyal.

But now let's say push never comes to shove or you stood by your ally through thick and thin, you may now step up your friendship because you now trust this person.

Mutual Defense Pact (MDP): this is basically a way of saying, "you miss with him, you mess with me." Not to be confused with, "he has a problem with you, you got a problem with me." MDP's are usually signed between really good friends who share common interests and goals. They like each other so much that they're willing to defend one another when the going gets tough. Of course, if the person decides to bail on his friend when the going gets tough to save his own skin, he lives on in infamy until he proves he's a good friend. An example of this, we'll say, is called an ODN. Let's use this as an application:

Kid: Help, help, I need help they're beating me up!
ODN: Nah, I don't think I will. Alright see you in the hospital when you're all better!
(ODN visits Kid 1 in the hospital.)
ODN: I brought you these flo-
(Kid punches ODN in the nose as a sign of ending the friendship)

Of course ODN isn't a good friend, but that happens. So that's why it's important to pick your friends wisely! Say your friend gets attacked and you know you have to go in because the reason he got attacked was stupid. We'll call the person getting attack the Hyperion and the person who's going to defend him the NpO:

Hyperion: I need help these people attacked me out of no where for no good reason!
NpO: I'm here for you. 'cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough...

This is called a good MDP partner, because he's a really, really good friend.

Mutual Defense and Optional Aggression Pact (MDoAP): alright now this friend becomes like a bff Jill. You agree with this person, you've known this person for a long time and you know that no matter what you'll always defend him. However you're not blindly loyal, you're able to form your own opinion if the person does something wrong. If he's un-rightly attacked, yeah you'll jump in. But if he decides to attack the person for no good reason, you probably don't want to join in on the beating. For example:

Kid 1: Hey want to attack so and so after class?
Kid 2: Nah, you have fun though!

They can explain their reasoning for not joining in on the fight, they're under no obligation to help their friend fight someone. But say your friend has a good reason to attack or is attacked unjustly, it'd likely play out like this:

Kid 1: Yo you gonna help?
Kid 2: You know you my man, tell me where and when baby!
Kid 1: I love you!
Kid 2: No I love you more!

Such friendship could only give rise to greater things.. no?

Mutual Aggression and Defense Pact (MADP): this is like marrying someone. You drink from the same glass, you sit at the same lunch table you go everywhere together and you do everything together. If something happens to the other, it practically happens to you. "You do something to so and so, you may as well do it to me!" type attitude.

This type of treaty is becoming a rarity in CN nowadays because your friend could always do some really dumb !@#$ you don't agree with that gets you in trouble and you have to end up defending him. Usually, though, your trust and friendship is so strong this isn't really an issue. Of coruse you could be a false friend, let's call this friend Sparta, and just completely bail on someone, let's call them TPF, and throw off said MADP like it was nothing.

Sparta: You about to get smacked around dawg I'm out we ain't friend no mo!
TPF: Aight man peace. When you're in this situation I ain't even lookin' in yo direction.

Of course this is a sad ending but again, you must pick your friends wisely! However in case of a good MADP it'd work out like this:

Kid 1: Yo man we're about to get rolled or something I don't know.
Kid 2: No matter what, I'm with you man, to the end. Bad boys for lyfe!

See how great an ending that is? I hope you guys enjoyed this read, don't take it seriously. I hope ODN and Sparta are good sports about this and I hope it benefited some of you younger newer nations out there.

Nice guide, I liked the parts where you added politics in.

i guess if you work a bit on the wording, and the overall view, this may be an good sticky for evryone, who is looking for an "wtf does all those pacts mean?".

This will surely be invaluable to people.


I found this hilarious, no offense intended to ODN.

English isn't my first language and when I re-read it, it did seem a bit choppy. I usually leave others to revise my writing.

Looks like a decent summary, if you ignore the totally biased and unnecessary jabs at various alliances.

And I see MADP as more like:
Kid 1: Oh man we're gonna get killed.
Kid 2: It's about time! Let's roll!

IC: Well-written summation, maybe a tad biased, but would still get at least a B in a POLI class at UY. Sounds like the answer to an essay question for POLI 212 or INTS 250.

OOC: Awesome job, AUT.

i wasn´t looking for an point to "mock" you, as english is my third language, i just wanted to point out, that such an sticky is still missing, and with an bit work on it, your thread should be put on there.
i appologize for my bad english, yes i see the irony

I got a good laugh out of it. Pretty good way of explaining the types of treaties.

I wasn't offended by your comment I was just giving reasoning for my sloppy writing skills.

ohhh, ok, now let us, english noobs, work on it

nice snip at Sparta but you're forgetting that TPF et all bail on NPO as well until a few vocal individuals realized that what they were doing was political suicide and decided to take the whooping instead.

That aside..... Pretty goo summation of things. My personal view of protectorates is more along the lines of a dad and his teen age daughter. She is starting to mature and wants to start dating people but the dad is going to have to rough them up first and approve of the "date", make sure they know he means business and if they try any funny stuff, well his shotgun has their name all over it.

Would have actually been alright if you hadn't added in your personal bias. Should have stuck with playground references.

This does nothing to alter the idea I have in my head that you're one hell of an attention seeker. I don't care if you don't care.

Pretty good guide, could have done without the jabs at alliances though

Actually that'd be an oADP not an ODP

But nice write up - I enjoyed

Is it really appropriate for a friend protector of a protectorate to reprimand a protectorate?

actually I think it went more like...


TPF: *froths at the mouth* ATHENS AND SPARTA ARE WARMONGERS BRAAWWWWW MUST ROLL MUST ROLL WE HATES THEM
Sparta: ... how can you even say that dude we have a MADP
TPF: BRAWWWWWWWW WE <3 GRAN BRAWWWWWWWW
Sparta: Seriously... knock it off.
TPF: NO NO MUST BADMOUTH EVIL SPARTA AND EVIL ATHENS TO OUR MUTUAL ALLIES
NPO: ffs can't we all just get along? We is all gonna get rolled if we don't stick together.
TPF: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sparta: psh fine then we cancel on you guys, we're gonna stick with allies that aren't paranoid and don't talk !@#$ about us behind our backs
TPF: BETRAYERS! BETRAYYYYYYYERS!

No, no, no you got it wrong. It went like:

Sparta: My goodness.. pixels are at stake right now.
TPF: So? Who cares we share a treaty and whatever comes our way will come.
Sparta: That may be ok for you, but damnit we will betray any ally to keep us safe! If we did it Polaris we can do it to you! So we'll downgrade to an MDoAP, happy?
TPF: Alright...
Sparta: Oh yeah about that, screw you guys. We dropped Q we're going to go play for the other team.
TPF: Mhm

It's a matter of perspective, though. We're not going to see eye to eye on this issue. Which is another aspect of treaty cancellations.

I enjoyed reading this a lot, i also enjoyed the slap in the face of some alliances, more to the point they was just.


As to TPF, they cancelled as a BAD NPO, they never cancelled there personal treaty with NPO and unlike the rest they refused to give up until NPO got peace, thats true friendship, maybe Valhalla who has counted on NPO for so long should take notes.

The difference is, I actually know what the situation was in great detail, and you are just running your mouth about something you don't know about.

Londo speaks much truth and this is definately one of those times where you'd be best to listen

All of that would have sat better under the MDoAP banner.

You have a very good message at the end, one which many alliances have learned the hard way if they ever looked like they were going to loose; kudos to you for being clever enough to not end up on the wrong side of an ignored treaty

xD

Very nice, especially considering it's your 2nd language.

A very good guide and a nice read... could have done without the jabs at the ODN though.

I appreciate the TDSM8 shout out. The guide is pretty spot on too, Trashcat approves.

Good explanations and I loved the political stabs.

Good guide, AUT my man. I especially like the jabs thrown in. Anyone taking that much offense over it, ought to go out and get some fresh air.

Doncha know? Insulting ODN is the new Vox Populi: it must fill every thread, regardless of relevance or truth.

It happens to be both true and in this case relevant, so uh... OK?

A treaty is optional if it has a cancellation clause in it. Anything above an OADP is simply hyperbole.

who actually needs to have treaties explained to them via playground analogies

Could be a good reference for newer players too.