Seasons

Post World Powers has been running for the better part of a decade now, and it has seen significant changes to the way the game is played since its beginning.

### Season 1: Beginnings

#### Development History

Season 1 (February 2015-May 2015) had its genesis in PWP's sister site, WastelandPowers. Shortly after the end of WastelandPowers' first season, there were numerous suggestions about what WLP2 might look like. m4nu suggested moving to a new map that had a global sea level rise, and the adoption of an abstract to keep claims consistent. He created the first version of the abstract and the map as a proof of concept, but the suggestions were ignored. m4nu decided he really enjoyed the concept and started PostWorldPowers, inviting WastelandPowers mod Impronouncabl to join him. DPs were introduced at this time, but in a vastly different way, and the Abstract was much more limited - intended to serve as an optional guide for players than the heavy mechanical focus the abstract has today.

This season was notable for having over 100 concurrent active claims, a number that has not been reached since!

### Season 2/3: Worldwide

#### Development History

Season 2 (July 2015-August 2015) and Season 3 (November 2015-December 2015) are the red-headed stepchildren of PWP. m4nu has no memory of season 2. It was very brief and started shortly after season 1, likely ending abruptly when m4nu had to move to China in late 2015. During m4nu's absence, Impronouncabl decided to implement some changes he had been advocating for, including the first known implementation of a resource system. He launched his changes and while initially popular, this three week season was abandoned quickly as players found the new abstract very complex and mechanics confusing. Nonetheless, m4nu would port over some of Impronouncabl's mechanics into the PWP4 abstract. This was the last early PWP season, and the server was idle for a significant amount of time after. At some point between season 3 and season 4, the reddit was deactivated and all old submissions purged. This was the last season the community used SlackIRC for off-reddit discussions.

### Season 4: Worldwide

#### Development History

Season 4 (September 2016 - May 2017) was the last successful global season, with an abstract that is an interesting midpoint between the game's origin and the new features of 5.X. Although this was PWP's longest season by far in real time, years updated at half the rate (1 per 2 weeks) that they do now. Arguably the most important season for modern PWP, after a year away from the game as m4nu moved from Cambodia to China, and the failure of PWP3, the PWP community was effectively dead. Season 4 was a resurrection of the reddit after more than a year of inactivity, and saw the Discord community established. PWP4 saw the transition to a new world map, still used today, as well as the first implementations of the Military Manager and Unit Creator, and the clean-up of the chaotic backend into the database-type architecture still used in PWP's abstracts.

### Season 4.5: America

#### Development History

Season 4.5 (August 2017 - December 2017) was the first regional season, focused on North America. Despite its name, Season 4.5 served mostly as a testbed for Abstract 5.X features, including the 5.x combat calculator, reimplementation and tracked production of resources, and populations specific to each province. In a midseason update, cities made their first appearance in PWP.

### Season 5.0: Worldwide

#### Development History

Season 5.0 (December 2017 - December 2017) was the last global season. The successful test of resources in PWP 4.5 did not translate well to a global map, leading to a short season with game-crippling fuel prices and food shortages.

#### Season History

Season 5.0 was the shortest game since Season 3, ending after two weeks due to a fuel monopoly, a food shortage, and a glut of metals causing rock bottom prices.

### Season 5.2: Europe, Mediterranean, and Middle East

#### Important/Powerful Nations

* Arabia (/u/darthholo)
* Max Planck Center for the Restoration of Mankind (/u/brokenbow2)
* Normandy (/u/neanderthalu)
* Matrossiya (/u/lordnotix)
* France (/u/wutisthis and /u/bowsniper)
* Matrouh (/u/apieceofpi)
* United Arab Republic (/u/globalwp)
* People's Federal Republic of East Africa (/u/pipolwes000)
* Hellenic Kingdom (/u/Socrates19251)
* The People's Republic of Eastern Europe (/u/P\_R\_E\_E)
* Latveria (AdmiralThrawn3)
* West African Democratic Federation (/u/m4nu)

#### Development History

Season 5.2 (Late December 2017 - June 2018) used a modified 5.0 abstract intended to be more sustainable. All provinces were given a basic subsistence level of food production, though resources were still fixed to specific positions on the map. This was a generally successful season, after teething issues with the new combat calculator were resolved. New claims managed to dispel a map-wide timber shortage before it could become a significant problem, though Arabia still had massive influence thanks to its massive fuel production. 5.2 was Kira's (/u/brokenbow2) first season as lead.

#### Season History

An early alliance formed within the Arab bloc between Matrouh, Arabia, and the United Arab Republic. The populous island city of Matrouh acting as a vast importer of Arabian and U.A.R. goods. This mutually beneficial alliance would stand throughout the entire season, and was later joined by the Alliance of Mediterranean Councils. For many years Matrouh used it's large navy to extort the technocratic Directorate for protection money in the Black Sea. Matrouh's presence in the north eventually lead to extensive colonies throughout Russia, resulting in significant colony nerfs the following season.

Central Europe in turn formed the Central Rose Pact, consisting of Normandy, France, MPCRM, Latveria and the Hellenic Kingdom, as a means of fending off the Arab bloc. Several North Sea states formed the North Star Agreement, and Matrossiya, Novaya Zemlya, and the United Directorates formed the Technate Symposium. The southern African states would form the Anti-Imperialist League, though it remained mostly passive, acting as a means to dissuade southern colonies.

An ideological struggle between capitalism and communism saw a costly invasion of the PFR-EA by Matrouh feature lessons in air superiority, as 19,500 Matrouhi soldiers sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Matrouh would later launch a second more successful invasion, resulting in the humiliation of the PFR-EA.

Tensions boiled over in the north-east between Matrossiya, Novaya Zemlya and the People's Republic of Eastern Europe, resulting in a number of subversive actions, including a fungal blight, and eventual war.

### Season 5.5: South America

#### Development History

Season 5.5 (October 2018 - November 2018) was the first "interim" season between 5.2 and the planned release of 6.0. By popular demand, many of the new features developed for 6.0 were ported to the 5.2 abstract, creating the first real "5.X" sheet. This season featured player-selected resource production for the first time, as well as the first automatic abstract update button. It was also the first season to feature alternate background lore, with the point of divergence placed in 1983 instead of 2035. Unfortunately, the Northern War burned out the entire available modteam and ended this season prematurely.

### Season 5.6: North and Central America (Kira's Favorite / "The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth")

#### Development History

Season 5.6 (November 2019 - March 2020) occurred after the single largest break between seasons in PWP history. Due to balance issues identified in 5.2 and 5.5, limits were placed on the number of cities any claim could have and expansion rates were reduced. This became the longest-running season since 4.0, and ended as activity trailed off during the first month of COVID in America.

### Season 5.7: Eastern Med, Middle East, East Africa, India

#### Development History

Season 5.7 (Late July 2020 - Early December 2020) was released after Kira learned she would be teleworking through COVID and actually had the ability to run another season. This season featured food scarcity and large-scale population death from unaddressed food shortages, making a previously unimportant resource critical.

### Season 5.8: Africa (Mein's Beta / "The Fragility of Nations")

#### Important/Powerful Nations

* Heavenly Kingdom of Lumpaland (/u/m4nu)
* Bataung Military Order (/u/murtox and /u/stitchd)
* Golden Coast (/u/ratimirlenin)
* Lwandan Port Cities (/u/peter\_j\_)
* Kingdom of Somalia (/u/middleni)
* Malawi Stratocratic Unitary State (/u/apieceofpi)
* Tanzani Union (/u/brokenbow2) - Fallen Empire
* Sovereign Royal Dominion of South Africa (/u/robothawk)
* Bantu Federation/Autonomous Provinces (/u/pipolwes000)
* Anglo-Soviet Union of International Communism (/u/belisaruis1)
* Republic of Rhodesia (/u/killer\_whale1984)
* Zambezi Socialist Federal Republic (/u/MrManAlba)
* Rift Valley Federation (/u/dragonfireRF)
* Great Clans of the Sands (/u/fenrir555)
* The Xcosa Benin Empire (/u/ppcanister3)

#### Development History

Season 5.8 (Late January 2021 - Early June 2021) was developed by Meinhegemon from a copy of the 5.7 sheet, and featured significant changes to trait-policy interactions making a number of new playstyles possible. The point of divergence was set in 1962 after a Cuban Missile Crisis gone hot, with Africa only recently emerging from the colonial period. It also featured the test of Fallen Empires, large player-controlled nations with a commanding economic advantage and significant restrictions intended to encourage inter-player diplomacy. Rivers, airfields, and trade bonuses were all added, and foreign troop basing and mercenary rules were updated after 5.7 complaints.

#### Season History

Shortly after the season began, the Republic of Rhodesia attempted a river blockade to starve the Heavenly Kingdom of Lumpaland while paying for pirates from the Golden Coast to stop food imports to the Bataung Military Order. This led directly to a change of leadership in the BMO, with /u/stitchd taking over, as well as the First Coalition War. This war pitted Lumpaland and the BMO against Rhodesia and its allies in the Anglo-Soviet Union of International Communism, the Boer State (/u/NDRanger414), and the Rift Valley Federation. Eventually, Bataung forces broke the Boer lines and caused the state to fall into total anarchy, while Lumpa forces reclaimed their Holy Land from the RVF and occupied the Republic of Rhodesia (resulting in a bloody guerilla war that would last well into the Second Coalition War.)

The Zambezi Socialist Federal Republic responded to tax protests initiated by Lumpa churches by cracking down on the faith there, resulting in an armed response from the Heavenly Kingdom and BMO. The ZSFR's allies in the Sovereign Royal Dominion of South Africa, the Autonomous Provinces, the Lwandan Port Cities, and the Anglo-Soviet Union rallied to their defense, turning this small conflict into the continent-spanning Second Coalition War. The ZSFR collapsed under heavy pressure from the Lumpa forces in relatively short order, freeing the divisions in the North to fight on the other fronts of the war. The Anglo-Soviets eventually capitulated under the pressure, becoming the Lumpan Union of International Communism after half their nation had been occupied. In the south, the South Africans kept up heavy pressure on the Bataung Military Order, taking frightening casualties due to the skill of their opponents but always having more soldiers to throw into the breach. The BMO was not able to replace its losses in similar fashion, and despite heavy economic subsidies from the Heavenly Kingdom they would eventually capitulate to the combined front-wide offensive of the South Africans, Lwandans, and Provincials. South Africa's Table Mountain Guards, under the personal command of Prince Robert III, managed to assassinate Queen Mary Lensisha of the Heavenly Kingdom in a bid to end the war. However, this instead led to an intensification of the war effort, with newly coronated Queen Alice II Lensisha sending an invasion force to the undefended Cape City and burning the Imperial Palace to the ground. Robert III was also assassinated near After peace was finally established between South Africa, Lwanda, and the Heavenly Kingdom, the Autonomous Provinces became officially independent and announced the formation of the Bantu Federation.

Near the end of the Second Coalition War, the Malawi Stratocratic Unitary State demanded a large portion of the Heavenly Kingdom's holy lands, seeking to establish the East African Stratocratic Unitary State. When this demand was refused, the MSUS went to war. Their hundreds of thousands of troops, backed by funding from the Tanzani Union's significant resource demands and virtually limitless cash, suffered massive casualties against the veteran troops of Lumpaland but eventually wore them down in a war of attrition. After more than 15 years of nearly constant war, the Heavenly Kingdom finally capitulated.

### Season 6.0: East Asia (The Heat Death of the Universe)

#### Development History

Season 6.0 (??? - ) began development sometime in late 2017, with features from its development gradually applied to the 5.x abstract as was possible for testing. It features a brand new combat calculator intended to fix many of the shortcomings of the previous calculator (and introducing unnecessary complexity that causes it to crash half the time), as well as dieselpunk units like landships, mechs, and airships. The trait system was also overhauled, albeit in a different way than 5.8 changed them. The 6.x abstract is, effectively, a brand new system with only stylistic similarities to the 5.2 abstract.