Watch the Skies Preston was my 3rd Megagame, but it was my first time in Control. The game was fully booked when I heard about it, but seeing as it was in my hometown, and I knew vaguely what I was talking about I managed to worm myself onto the control team.



My position, Political control - Head of the UN. A weighty task, trying to promote global cooperation, deal with a mysterious alien threat and most importantly help a room full of new megagamers experience and enjoy their first megagame. Game control then came up to me and handed me a pile of green science chips “Do with these as you please”. And so began my secondary objective, Be the most openly corrupt head of the UN in history.



Turn 1 started well, I met the foreign ministers, Introductions were made, we discussed basic UN protocol. and we discussed our first crisis, a famine in Uganda. Aid was the obvious response but the risk of criminal gangs meant a few peacekeepers to secure the aid wouldn’t have gone a miss. Slight problem, no one had sent any RP with their diplomats. Still this was a learning experience! The UN agreed to send food/humanitarian relief aid to Uganda. As everyone filed out of the first UN meeting the Russia foreign minister remained behind.

“Comrade what is this green token which was on my desk when I entered”

“It is for you…”

Turn 2 presented an excellent chance for a bit of emergent game play. The aliens had conducted a psi-ops raid in chad with the goal of creating a 2nd fake famine. Taking the initiative I informed the UN that although aid had been deployed in Uganda, criminal gangs and corrupt military officials had taken most of it and very little of it was actually making it to the people in need. Additionally following an alien incursion into Chad a 2nd famine had started there. This started an excellent bit of debate. Aid Uganda or Aid Chad? Deploy UN peacekeepers to ensure the aid got through? Were they willing to pay the additional cost to aid both? Eventually agreement was reached and the majority of nations paid to cover the cost of resolving both famines. Truly a noble UN had been formed.

*slides a green token across to Russia*

“Thank you comrade”.



Suddenly the American president turned up.

“We’re aware of the emerging crises in Uganda and Chad we’d like to support the UN by providing them with this warship.”



“That’s very kind of the USA Mr. President, but I’m afraid we couldn’t accept such a gift.”



“Why not?”



“Not to insult Mr. Presidents intelligence, but Uganda and Chad are both landlocked nations.”



“Oh…”

With the crises in Africa resolved the world was secure once more. Until I was informed that Russia wished to recover the Crimea. This could work. One of the pre-made UN crises was a Pro-Russian rebellion in the Ukraine. We told Russia they could reclaim much of the Ukraine covertly, and let them deploy their agents, and come turn 3 the Ukraine Crisis was presented to the UN.



What started was a brilliantly heated debate between Russia and the USA. Any attempt to provide aid, UN peacekeepers, or set up a UN mandate so other countries could respond were vetoed by the Russian foreign minister. People were mad. Lines were drawn and crossed. America went home planning to intervene without a UN mandate.

Turn 4 was when the game really started to come to life. Players had gotten a grip of what was happening and the first few player created mandates were proposed and passed.

“Greeting Russian Foreign Minister, I’m afraid I forgot to give you one last turn”.



*slides two green chips across*

“Thank you comrade.”



I got a funny look from America. They didn’t mention it though.

Following the successful efforts in Africa, there was some concern that a few nations hadn’t pulled their weight in the UN. An agreement was made (and surprisingly passed) that in the event of a major crisis, all permanent members of the UN security council would pay at least 1 RP to assist in the crisis, with any additional RP being kept for future UN missions.

Next came the voting in of a new temporary member. India was set to leave the council next turn, that was until the existing temporary members proposed a “delay” to the election for replacement temporary members until the emerging global crisis subsided. A bold move.



“You realize this is a fragrant disregard of the UN ideals and the spirit of Democracy, The world will not approve of this”.



It passed.



Finally China proposed unilateral technology sharing between all nations. This was considered too major to enact that turn without discussing it with their teams, so it was taken away to be discussed.

Turn 5 was the turn of consequences. India was pleased to still be on the UN, at least right up to the moment I revealed the next UN Crisis. “India-Pakistan Border Crisis heats up” Following India’s flagrant disregard for the democratic process tensions with Pakistan reached an all time high with an exchange of artillery fire. India looked on like a naughty school boy.



The UN agreed to send a substantial force of peace keepers to the region, which would go on to remain there for the rest of the game.

The Chinese tech sharing vote was made and was promptly vetoed into oblivion by the USA and UK.

Finally the Russians proposed we use our resources to invite the Aliens to a UN meeting. How nice of them.

Turn 6 was the calm before the storm that was to follow. It was the best of humanity. Aliens visited the UN. Russia, China and Brazil gifted them with small regions of uninhabited land which they could use to claim nationhood with, and they were admitted into the UN council. With voting rights. It was completely organic and beautiful.

A tsunami in the Philippines was no problem as all nations on the council joined together to aid in resolving it. Even the aliens supplied the UN with a green science chip.

*slides chip immediately to Russian minister*

Everything had gone so well Russia proposed we use some of the UN surplus to throw a party for the aliens. It passed. We had the biggest party the earth had ever seen.

Turn 7 was when it all fell apart. Having explained to the alien representative last turn that as a full UN member they could now make proposals, they returned with perhaps the most serious proposal to date.

“The Earth will soon be destroyed by a threat outside our control. We ask that you return all alien hostages, and we will givie you the technology to save yourselves.”

Debates were initially tough, but a simple condition was made that an inspector would visit the alien facilities and check for any human hostages which would need to be returned also. The aliens agreed.

And so came the vote to return all alien hostages. A majority was achieved. I asked if their were any veto’s. America Vetoed the motion. The alien representative immediately stood up and left.



Everyone stared at the American representative. He had just doomed the human race.



I slid my last green chip to the Russian Minister. He’d need it.

Before Turn 8 began, several Pro alien nations returned their Alien hostages. They apologised for keeping them, and gave assurances they’d aid liberating any others on the planet. At the UN meeting The UK, France, China and surprisingly America all came forward with alien hostages to be returned. This eased the tensions with the aliens, but a new threat was emerging in Eastern Europe.

A Russian general alerted the UN that America was invading Russia. Well here comes WW3. Panic. Terror. The end of all things.



Russia China and Germany stood united against a UK/USA alliance. An early attempt at sanctions by Russia on the aggressors was vetoed by France, a clear sign to the world that they were part of the Anglo alliance.

Lines were draw. The earth stood on a knife edge. The aliens left the UN in disgust a 2nd time. And with the apocalypse looming, and total annihilation on the cards, everyone took a step back, breathed and agreed to a ceasefire. The world was safe. For now.

Turn 9 brought the aliens demand for the humans to disarm their nuclear weapons. They clearly couldn’t be trusted with them. It was vetoed by the UK.

At the same time a Crisis in Africa developed, Failure by the UN security council to keep the world safe had caused Angola and South Africa to develop nuclear weapons, and the two countries were about to have a localized nuclear war. The aliens couldn’t believe what they were hearing and left in disgust.

The UN managed to agree to bribe the South African and Angolan government into disarming. A large package of aid, yachts and champagne were dispatched, and this thankfully resolved the issue. However nuclear disarmament was now a major issue.



Going back to the alien hostage issue, further attempts to make the remaining hostages be released had failed. But a cunning loop hole was discovered. The Russians proposed that human rights be extended to the aliens, and replaced with “Sentient rights”. Everyone including the USA and UK agreed. I mean what harm could it do.

At this point I revealed the Russians true purpose.

“As you are well aware, sentient creatures have the right to a fair trial, you will no longer be able to hold the aliens hostage indefinitely without holding a public trial”.



The UK gave me a death glare. The trial was about to begin.

An Alien player was drafted in to play the role of the hostage, who the UK questioned publicly for a few minutes. Finally the truth came out. The earth was about to be destroyed by the sun going super nova. What a way to go.

However the trial revealed the location of the remaining alien hostages, and Russia, Germany and Brazil staged a daring dawn raid to free them from custody and liberate them at last. The aliens were pleased. France, UK and the USA were pissed.

Turn 10 I was discovered.

An alien virus was speeding in Africa and the UN needed to deploy aid.

“Can’t we research a cure with the science chip the aliens gave us”



“oh i’m sorry that went missing” I said as I looked at the Russian Minister.



“I mean things go missing all the time!” he responded as I slid some UN cash reserves his way.



“Why are you giving him money?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”



By turn 11 the end was near. Brazil the most pro alien nation on the planet had left the earth with the aliens aboard a giant ark ship. The remaining nations were trying to prove their worth of being saved, or at least attempting to save themselves. India then killed themselves.

It was admittedly beautiful. Without a UN mandate, and with just a noble spirit they agreed to nuclear disarmament. They had regrettably forgotten turn 5. Pakistan still had nukes.

And without the threat of nuclear retaliation, and the fact the earth was currently gripped by global chaos, They nuked India back to the stone age, as Pakistani forces annexed all disputed border regions.

Turn 12 was the End. following my earlier fraud, the UK, USA and France decided to boycott the UN meeting saying it was corrupt. They forgot that by not attending motions which they would normally veto would get passed.

“We propose the UK, USA and France nuclearly disarm”



Votes for (everyone)

Votes against (no one)

Any vetos? No? Motion carries.

I then announced to the world that the UN had passed a motion for these nations to disarm. They disarmed by firing all warheads.

OH WELL TIME TO BUGGER OFF INTO SPACE.

Grabbing what was left of the UN funds, I left a note on the UN Council floor

“Left Earth with Russians - XXX UN Leader”



It was sad to leave earth, but The Russians had developed a craft that would transport us to Mars. Maybe that would be far enough. As we departed the Russians Nuked America, France and the UK. America Nuked Russia. France nuked The moon. The UK fired 5 nukes at the Aliens Mars base after reportedly saying “Fuck ‘em.” wiping out the remaining aliens in the system.

As we sailed through the emptiness of space and watched everyone around get nuked to oblivion we laughed. WE THE MIGHTY RUSSIANS HAD SURVIVED! The earth was destroyed, Mars was empty for us to colonize alone we had made it.

And then the sun blew up.

In retrospect I did better then most people. Most people were vaporized back on earth in the nuclear fire storms. the rest were vaporized by the sun going super nova. I was vaporized a few minutes later somewhere between earth and Mars. I died, but at least I died last.

And so ended the Earth. Humanity destroyed. Well everyone except for the plucky Brazilians. Who had managed to seduce the aliens with samba dancing. They were taken by the ark ship to the alien home world and perhaps freedom. Or enslavement as entertainment forced to dance forever. We will never know.

I loved my time as control. The players did an excellent job taking control of the UN once they got into the swing of things, and everyone had an amazing time. I’d definitely consider control again, in fact we’re already discussing a WTS Preston two!

So until next time, Watch the Skies!