1985: A WORLD OF CONSEQUENCES

Situation as of March 11, 1985, 6:00 PM. THE BLOCS. Reagan's United States, in his second term, is rearming and launching the Strategic Defense Initiative. The USSR enters a succession period: Gorbachev, 54, is the youngest member of the Politburo but is dependent on the Old Guard (Gromyko, Tikhonov, Sokolov). Europe is split in two: the Federal Republic (Kohl), France (Mitterrand), the United Kingdom (Thatcher), and NATO on one side; East Germany (Honecker), Poland under Jaruzelski, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria on the other. Deng Xiaoping's China is opening up cautiously. FLASHPOINTS. Khomeini's Iran and Saddam Hussein's Iraq are bogged down in a war that threatens Gulf oil routes. The Soviet army is mired in Afghanistan against mujahideen supported by Pakistan, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. Lebanon is in civil war, and Israel is completing a withdrawal from the south of the country. Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, and Uganda are experiencing civil wars or insurgencies; South Africa is conducting regional raids and suppressing revolts in its townships. Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala are plagued by insurgencies and proxy wars. The Philippines, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Burma are facing insurrections. ECONOMY AND SOCIETY. The dollar is very strong; Western inflation has fallen, but debt is crushing Latin America and Africa. Oil prices are strained by the Gulf War and the reduction in OPEC production. A major famine is striking Ethiopia and the Sahel. Mass unemployment is fueling dissent in Europe and the United Kingdom, where the miners' strike has just ended. In Poland, Solidarity is underground; in South Africa, Chile, the Philippines, and South Korea, protest is on the rise. THE SHADOWS. 1985 is a year of intense espionage: Soviet and Western networks, double agents, and defectors. Terrorism (hijackings, attacks, kidnappings) is becoming a weapon used by both states and groups. Organized crime is thriving in the disorganization of countries at war or in crisis. THE CHARACTERS. One hundred playable personalities, present in their real-life positions: heads of state and government, ministers, generals, intelligence chiefs, dissidents, religious leaders, union figures, and billionaires. No character is privileged: you choose yours, and the others act according to their interests, their resources, and their history. THE LOCATIONS. One hundred strategic locations: capitals, seats of government, military bases, ports, straits, oil sites, power plants, intelligence services, and friction points (Berlin, Beirut, Basra, Panmunjom, Kabul). HOW TO READ THE STATISTICS. On the map, each cell first displays the 1985 state (the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia are unique states; Germany appears as the Federal Republic, Namibia under South African administration). Each cell also shows social unrest (from calm to collapse) and the security situation (from stable peace to open war). Each location has a level of security, supplies, spy infiltration, and sabotage damage. The world has ten global indicators: political stability, economic situation, international tensions, conflict level, social situation, resource supply, crime, humanitarian crises and migration, espionage activity, and terrorist threat. Each character has ten personal stats: personal security, health, skills, reputation, social relations, legal situation, monthly income, liquidity, total net worth, and political and social influence. Monthly income, liquidity, and net worth are exact amounts in 1985 U.S. dollars. SUCCESSION TABLE (default). When a leader disappears, here is who takes over, with the usual delay and legitimacy. Successors are historical probabilities, not certainties. United States: Reagan, then Bush (Vice President), then the Speaker of the House. USSR: the Politburo chooses within a few days (Gromyko, Tikhonov, or Chebrikov in transition; Ligachev and Yeltsin as potential risers). United Kingdom: the Conservative Party chooses (Howe, Whitelaw, or Tebbit); Elizabeth II is followed by Prince Charles. France: the President of the Senate ensures the interim and an election follows in a few weeks; the Prime Minister is appointed by the President. Federal Republic of Germany: Genscher (Vice Chancellor) interim, then a Bundestag vote. Italy: Andreotti or Forlani; Spain: Alfonso Guerra (Juan Carlos is followed by Prince Felipe); Sweden: Ingvar Carlsson; Vatican: conclave of cardinals, a delay of fifteen to twenty days. Poland: a party cadre (Rakowski or Kiszczak) under Soviet control; East Germany: Egon Krenz; Czechoslovakia: Miloš Jakeš; Bulgaria: Petar Mladenov; Hungary: Károly Grósz; Romania: dynastic succession or struggle at the top of the party. China: Deng is followed by Hu Yaobang or Zhao Ziyang; Hu is followed by Zhao; Zhao is followed by Li Peng. North Korea: Kim Jong-il. Japan: Takeshita, Miyazawa, or Abe (LDP). India: the Congress party designates (Narasimha Rao or Arjun Singh). Pakistan: Ghulam Ishaq Khan (Chairman of the Senate), under the control of Chief of Staff Mirza Aslam Beg. Afghanistan: Najibullah (intelligence chief). Indonesia: a close general (Sudharmono). Philippines: General Ver or Juan Ponce Enrile; the opposition claims Corazon Aquino. Iran: Montazeri (designated successor), then Khamenei; Khamenei is followed by Rafsanjani. Iraq: Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri (Revolutionary Command Council). Syria: Abdel Halim Khaddam or Rifaat al-Assad. Jordan: Prince Hassan. Saudi Arabia: Crown Prince Abdullah. Libya: Abdessalam Jalloud. PLO: Abu Jihad (Khalil al-Wazir). Israel: Shamir (alternation planned for October 1986). Lebanon: Prime Minister Rashid Karami. Egypt: the President of the People's Assembly, under the control of the army. South Africa: F. W. de Klerk, Chris Heunis, or Pik Botha (National Party). ANC: Mandela if released, otherwise Thabo Mbeki. Mozambique: Joaquim Chissano. Angola: an MPLA cadre (Lopo do Nascimento). Zaire: a general or a party cadre (no heir apparent). Ethiopia: a Derg officer (Fikre Selassie Wogderess or Tesfaye Gebre Kidan). Zimbabwe, Zambia: a cadre of the ruling party. Brazil: José Sarney (elected Vice President) replaces Tancredo Neves. Argentina: Vice President Víctor Martínez. Chile: the junta (Merino, Matthei, Stange). Cuba: Raúl Castro. Nicaragua: Sergio Ramírez. Mexico: the dominant party designates a successor (Carlos Salinas). ALLIANCES AND BLOC REFLEXES. NATO: Article 5 provides for common defense; command is American; decisions are made by consensus with a delay of 24 to 72 hours; France is outside the integrated command; Greece and Turkey are in opposition. Warsaw Pact: Moscow commands and decides in the Politburo; Romania maintains its autonomy; Soviet intervention in the event of a crisis with an ally is a real option. COMECON: trade overseen by the USSR. European Economic Community (ten members, with Spain and Portugal pending): decisions by unanimity, Commission presidency held by Delors. OPEC: quotas, Saudi Arabia as swing producer, ministerial conferences, temptation to cheat. UN: five permanent members have a veto (United States, USSR, China, France, United Kingdom); the General Assembly votes on non-binding resolutions. Arab League, Organization of African Unity, Non-Aligned Movement, Commonwealth, ASEAN: consultations and resolutions with limited reach. Bilateral alliances: the USSR supports Cuba, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Angola, Karmal's Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, North Korea, and the GDR; the United States supports Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Honduras, and El Salvador; France is present in Francophone Africa and sells arms to Iraq; China has Pakistan and North Korea as partners and remains wary of the USSR and Vietnam; isolated South Africa relies discreetly on Israel, UNITA, Renamo, and certain Western circles; India, non-aligned, is close to the USSR; Iran is aligned with Syria and Libya. ECONOMIC AND SEASONAL CALENDAR (default). March and April: thaw and mud, then the end of the Russian winter which had blocked Afghan mountain passes. April to June: cyclones on the Bay of Bengal; Bangladesh cyclone on May 25, 1985 (approximately ten thousand dead). June to September: monsoon in South Asia, likely floods; Pacific typhoons from July to October. June to November: Atlantic hurricane season (Elena in August and September, Gloria late September, Juan in October). June to August: lean season, and therefore hunger, in the Sahel and Ethiopia; rains from July to September, harvests in October and November. July to September: Soviet harvest and grain purchases from the United States if it is poor. September 1985: Plaza Accord to lower the dollar. October 1985: Baker Plan for developing country debt. Late 1985 and 1986: Saudi Arabia boosts its production, oil falls from nearly 30 dollars to less than 10 dollars per barrel. Other economic milestones: Austral Plan in Argentina (June 1985), Israeli stabilization plan (July 1985), Bolivian hyperinflation, Cruzado Plan in Brazil (February 1986), Latin American debt crisis. CONTRASTING REGIONS. Within a single state, cells are not created equal. Examples at the start: in Sudan, war in the south and famine in Darfur, demonstrations in the Nile Valley; in Ethiopia, war in the north (Eritrea, Tigray) and in the east (Ogaden), famine in Afar; in the Philippines, guerrilla warfare and hunger in Negros and Mindanao, calm in Palawan; in Iran, a war front in the west and southwest, calm in the east; in South Africa, revolts in the Eastern Cape and clashes in KwaZulu-Natal, relative calm in the Northern Cape; in Angola, war in Cuando Cubango and Moxico; in Peru, Shining Path guerrilla warfare in the south; in India, violence in Punjab and the northeast; in Corsica and Sicily, isolated attacks and violence; in Chad, Libyan occupation in the north and famine in the center. LINKS AND RIVALRIES. The friends and rivals of each character are listed at the end of their description. They guide alliances and backstabbing maneuvers. DEFAULT HISTORICAL TIMELINE (1985 to 2025). These events occur on or near their date, unless direct and explicit actions by players or actors remove their causes. They serve as benchmarks, and their form adapts to the actors and the state of the world. 1985: March 12, American-Soviet negotiations open in Geneva; March 15, Sarney replaces Tancredo Neves, who was hospitalized (he died on April 21); April 6, coup d'état in Sudan against Nimeiry; April 11, death of Enver Hoxha; April 23, Gorbachev announces economic acceleration; May 5, Reagan at Bitburg; May 25, cyclone in Bangladesh; June 14, hijacking of TWA Flight 847; June 23, bombing of Air India Flight 182; July 2, Shevardnadze replaces Gromyko; July 10, the Rainbow Warrior is sunk in Auckland; July 13, Live Aid; July 19, exfiltration of Gordievsky; July 20, state of emergency in South Africa; September 19, Mexico City earthquake; September 22, Plaza Accord; October 7, hijacking of the Achille Lauro; November 6, takeover of the Palace of Justice in Bogotá; November 13, eruption of Nevado del Ruiz; November 19–21, Geneva Summit; December 27, attacks at the Rome and Vienna airports. 1986: January 1, Spain and Portugal join the EEC; January 26, Museveni takes Kampala; January 28, Challenger; February 7, Duvalier leaves Haiti; February 22–25, People Power Revolution, Marcos flees; February 28, assassination of Olof Palme; April 15, American air strikes on Libya; April 26, Chernobyl; June 12, national state of emergency in South Africa; October 11–12, Reykjavik; October 19, Samora Machel dies in a plane crash; October 27, Big Bang in the City of London; November, Iran-Contra scandal; December 19, Sakharov released. 1987: February, Syria intervenes in West Beirut; April, Chad repels Libyan troops; June, democratization in South Korea; October 19, stock market crash (Black Monday); November 7, Ben Ali overthrows Bourguiba; December 8, INF Treaty; December 9, beginning of the First Intifada. 1988: March 16, Halabja chemical attack; April 14, Geneva Accords on Afghanistan; July 3, American cruiser shoots down an Iranian Airbus; August 17, death of Zia-ul-Haq; August 20, Iran-Iraq ceasefire; August 8, uprising in Burma; September 23, Lebanese presidency vacant, resulting in two governments; October 5, Pinochet loses his plebiscite; November 8, election of George H. W. Bush; November 15, PLO proclaims the Palestinian State; December 7, earthquake in Armenia; December 21, Lockerbie bombing; December 22, New York Accords on Angola and Namibia. 1989: February 14, fatwa against Salman Rushdie; February 15, end of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan; March, Michel Aoun's War of Liberation; March, Tim Berners-Lee proposes the World Wide Web; June 4, elections in Poland and Tiananmen Square massacre; June 3, death of Khomeini; August 19, Pan-European Picnic in Hungary; October 22, Taif Agreement; November 9, fall of the Berlin Wall; November 17, Velvet Revolution; November 22, assassination of Lebanese President René Moawad; December 20, American invasion of Panama; December 25, execution of Ceaușescu. 1990: February 11, release of Mandela; February 25, Chamorro defeats Ortega; March 11, Lithuania proclaims independence; March 21, independence of Namibia; May 22, unification of Yemen; August 2, Iraq invades Kuwait; October 3, German reunification; October 13, end of the Lebanese Civil War (Aoun defeated); November 22, Thatcher resigns; December, first web browser. 1991: January 17 – February 28, Gulf War; January, fall of Siad Barre in Somalia; May 21, assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and fall of Mengistu; June 25, Croatia and Slovenia proclaim independence; August 6, the web becomes public; August 19–21, failed coup in Moscow; October 23, Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia; December 8, Minsk Protocols; December 25, Gorbachev resigns, end of the USSR; December, Maastricht Treaty. 1992: January 16, El Salvador Peace Accords; April, start of the Bosnian War; June, Earth Summit in Rio; August, Hurricane Andrew; September 12, capture of Abimael Guzmán; October 4, Mozambique Peace Agreement; December, intervention in Somalia. 1993: January 1, Czechoslovakia splits and the European single market opens; February 26, first World Trade Center bombing; September 13, Oslo Accords; October 3–4, Battle of Mogadishu; November 1, birth of the European Union; Mosaic popularizes the web. 1994: January 1, NAFTA and Zapatista uprising; April 6, start of the Rwandan genocide; April 27, multiracial elections in South Africa, Mandela president; July 8, death of Kim Il-sung; December, First Chechen War and Mexican peso crisis; Netscape launches its browser. 1995: January 1, birth of the WTO; March 20, Tokyo subway sarin attack; April 19, Oklahoma City bombing; July 11, Srebrenica massacre; November 4, assassination of Rabin; December 14, Dayton Accords; Windows 95, Amazon, eBay. 1996: March, Taiwan Strait crisis and "mad cow" disease; September, Taliban take Kabul; October, beginning of the First Congo War; December 29, peace in Guatemala; birth of Dolly the sheep. 1997: July 2, start of the Asian financial crisis; July 1, handover of Hong Kong; May, fall of Mobutu; August 31, death of Princess Diana; December, Kyoto Protocol. 1998: April 10, Good Friday Agreement; May, nuclear tests by India and Pakistan, fall of Suharto; August 7, bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa; August, Russian financial crisis; September, birth of Google; October, Hurricane Mitch; December, Operation Desert Fox. 1999: January 1, birth of the euro; March 24 – June 10, NATO bombing of Yugoslavia; August, earthquakes in Turkey; August 30, East Timor referendum; December 31, Yeltsin resigns, Putin succeeds him. 2000: March, dot-com bubble bursts; May 24, Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon; July, Camp David Summit; September 28, Second Intifada; October 5, fall of Milošević. 2001: September 11, terrorist attacks in the U.S.; October 7, American invasion of Afghanistan; December 11, China joins the WTO; December, crisis in Argentina; birth of Wikipedia. 2002: January 1, euro banknotes issued; January 29, "axis of evil"; May 20, independence of East Timor; October, Bali bombings; November, Hu Jintao succeeds Jiang Zemin. 2003: March 20, invasion of Iraq by a U.S.-led coalition; April 9, fall of Baghdad; December 13, capture of Saddam Hussein; SARS; War in Darfur; European heat wave; birth of Skype. 2004: March 11, Madrid train bombings; May 1, EU enlargement to ten countries; November 11, death of Arafat; December 26, Indian Ocean tsunami; birth of Facebook; Orange Revolution. 2005: April 2, death of John Paul II; July 7, London bombings; August 29, Hurricane Katrina; February 14, assassination of Rafic Hariri and Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon; YouTube; Merkel becomes Chancellor. 2006: July and August, war between Israel and Hezbollah; October 9, North Korean nuclear test; December 30, execution of Saddam Hussein; Twitter. 2007: January 9, launch of the iPhone; August, start of the subprime mortgage crisis; December 27, assassination of Benazir Bhutto. 2008: February 17, independence of Kosovo; August, war in Georgia; September 15, bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers; November 4, election of Obama; October, Bitcoin; oil at $147 in July. 2009: H1N1 flu; May, end of the civil war in Sri Lanka; October, start of the Greek crisis; December 1, Treaty of Lisbon. 2010: January 12, earthquake in Haiti; April 20, Deepwater Horizon oil spill; December 17, beginning of the Arab Spring; Instagram. 2011: January and February, fall of Ben Ali and Mubarak; March, beginning of the Syrian Civil War; March 11, earthquake and Fukushima disaster; May 2, death of bin Laden; October 20, death of Gaddafi; December, American withdrawal from Iraq; independence of South Sudan. 2012: July 4, Higgs boson discovery; July 26, Draghi's "whatever it takes"; November, Xi Jinping takes leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and Hurricane Sandy. 2013: March 13, election of Pope Francis; June, Snowden leaks; August 21, chemical attack in Syria; December 5, death of Mandela; November, beginning of the Maidan protests and Typhoon Haiyan. 2014: March, annexation of Crimea; April, War in Donbas; July 17, destruction of flight MH17; June, proclamation of the Islamic State caliphate; Ebola in West Africa; collapse of oil prices. 2015: January 7, Charlie Hebdo shooting; July 14, Iran nuclear deal; November 13, Paris attacks; December, Paris Agreement on climate change; European migrant crisis; war in Yemen. 2016: June 23, Brexit referendum; November 8, election of Trump; December, fall of Aleppo; November 24, peace agreement in Colombia; Zika. 2017: May, election of Macron; August and September, hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria; October, fall of Raqqa; November, fall of Mugabe; Rohingya crisis. 2018: June 12, Trump–Kim summit in Singapore; US–China trade war; October, assassination of Khashoggi; November, Yellow Vests movement; GDPR. 2019: April 15, Notre-Dame fire; protests in Hong Kong; April, fall of Bouteflika and Bashir; October, death of al-Baghdadi; December, first cases of COVID-19. 2020: January 31, Brexit; March 11, COVID-19 pandemic; May 25, death of George Floyd; August 4, explosion at the port of Beirut; September, war in Nagorno-Karabakh; November 3, election of Biden. 2021: January 6, storming of the Capitol; February 1, coup in Myanmar; August 15, Taliban recapture Kabul; November, COP26. 2022: February 24, Russian invasion of Ukraine; September 8, death of Elizabeth II; September, protests in Iran; November 30, launch of ChatGPT; energy crisis and inflation. 2023: February 6, earthquake in Turkey and Syria; April, start of the war in Sudan; October 7, Hamas attack and war in Gaza; June, Wagner mutiny. 2024: March, Sweden joins NATO; November 5, re-election of Trump; December 8, fall of Bashar al-Assad; war in Lebanon, death of Nasrallah (September 27). 2025: January 20, return of Trump to the White House; April 21, death of Pope Francis; May 8, election of Leo XIV; June 13 to 24, war between Israel and Iran. Beyond this, the world evolves in a plausible way according to the state of the statistics. ACTIVE CONFLICTS IN 1985 AND THEIR DEFAULT EVOLUTION. Each conflict changes in intensity from month to month; here is their probable trajectory without major intervention. Iran-Iraq: War of the Cities (March 1985), capture of Al-Faw by Iran (February 1986), Tanker War (1987), ceasefire (August 1988). Afghanistan: Soviet withdrawal in February 1989, collapse of the Najibullah regime (April 1992), civil war followed by the Taliban (1996). Lebanon: War of the Camps (1985 to 1987), reinforced Syrian presence in Beirut (February 1987), two governments (September 1988), Aoun's offensive (March 1989), Taif Agreement (October 1989), end of fighting (October 1990), Israeli withdrawal from the South (May 2000). Angola: Battle of Cuito Cuanavale (1987 and 1988), New York Accords (December 1988), Bicesse Accords (May 1991), resumption of war (1992), death of Savimbi (February 2002). Mozambique: death of Machel (October 1986), peace agreement (October 1992). Ethiopia: fall of the Derg (May 1991), independence of Eritrea (1993). Nicaragua: Esquipulas Peace Agreement (August 1987), Sapoá ceasefire (March 1988), elections (February 1990). El Salvador: Chapultepec Peace Accords (January 1992). Guatemala: peace (December 1996). Peru: capture of Guzmán (September 1992). Colombia: siege of the Palace of Justice (November 1985), death of Pablo Escobar (December 1993), agreement with the FARC (November 2016). Sri Lanka: war until May 2009. Cambodia: Vietnamese withdrawal (1989), Paris Peace Agreements (October 1991). Western Sahara: ceasefire (September 1991). Chad: Libyan defeat (1987), seizure of power by Déby (December 1990). Sudan: civil war until the 2005 agreement, then independence of the South (2011). Somalia: state collapse (1991), international intervention (1992 and 1993). South Africa: state of emergency (1986 to 1990), release of Mandela (1990), 1994 elections. Israel and Palestine: Intifada (1987), Madrid Conference (1991), Oslo (1993), Camp David (2000), Second Intifada. Yugoslavia: wars from 1991 to 1999. Caucasus: Nagorno-Karabakh (1988 to 1994), Chechnya (1994 to 1996, then from 1999). Kashmir: insurgency starting in 1989. DEFAULT TECHNOLOGICAL EVOLUTION. 1985: personal computers, very expensive early mobile phones, fax and telex machines. 1989 to 1991: birth of the World Wide Web. 1991 and 1992: digital mobile telephony (GSM). 1993 and 1994: mainstream web browsers. 1995 to 1999: rise of e-commerce and search engines. 2000: bursting of the dot-com bubble. 2004 to 2006: social networks, video sharing, and short messaging. 2007: smartphones. 2012: CRISPR and the rise of deep learning. 2016: victory of AlphaGo. 2022: mainstream generative AI. The pace and scale of these developments vary according to the wealth, stability, and censorship of individual states. TYPICAL DURATION OF PROCESSES (basis for estimates, to be adjusted according to context). Controls and investigations: audit of a ministry 2 to 4 months; audit of national public accounts 6 to 12 months; parliamentary inquiry 6 to 12 months; police investigation 1 to 12 months; truth and reconciliation commission 1 to 3 years. Legislation and elections: ordinary law 3 to 12 months; constitutional reform 1 to 3 years; referendum 2 to 6 months; election campaign 1 to 6 months; formation of a government 2 to 10 weeks. Justice: trial 6 to 24 months; extradition 3 to 24 months. Diplomacy: emergency truce or ceasefire a few days to 8 weeks; framework agreement 1 to 3 months; mediation of a civil war until an agreement 3 to 24 months; comprehensive peace treaty 6 months to 3 years; summit between leaders, preparation 2 to 6 months; disarmament treaty 2 to 9 years; trade agreement 1 to 5 years; accession to an organization (European Community) 3 to 10 years; international sanctions, decision 1 to 6 months. Economy: stabilization plan 3 to 12 months; economic reform 6 to 36 months; privatization 1 to 3 years; post-disaster reconstruction 1 to 5 years; dam 3 to 8 years; nuclear power plant 5 to 12 years; road or port 1 to 5 years; land reform 3 to 10 years. Military and intelligence: emergency mobilization 2 to 8 weeks; limited military operation 1 to 8 weeks; military campaign 6 to 24 months; military reform 2 to 10 years; recruiting an agent 6 to 24 months; exfiltration 1 to 6 months; coup d'état a few hours to a few days. Humanitarian: first aid convoys 1 to 3 weeks; reconstruction of a country after a civil war 5 to 15 years. Historical benchmarks: Camp David 1978, 13 days; Taif 1989, 3 weeks of negotiation; Dayton 1995, 21 days; Oslo 1993, approximately 8 months of secret discussions; INF Treaty 1981 to 1987; START I Treaty 1982 to 1991; Maastricht Treaty 1990 to 1992. Modifiers: urgency or a crisis reduces the duration by half to a third; hostility between parties, a large number of actors, or a lack of resources or trust multiplies it by 1.5 to 3; strong political influence, the support of a superpower, and a prior agreement reduce it by 20 to 30%. Example: an audit of public accounts requested at a given date is assigned a duration (e.g., 8 months in a stable country, more in a corrupt or war-torn state), an end date, and its results (irregularities, scandals) are delivered automatically on that date, depending on the level of criminality, political stability, and resources granted. MONETARY SYSTEM. Principle: a character's money statistics are exact amounts in 1985 US dollars: "Monthly Income" (salary, wages, annuity, regular dividends), "Liquid Assets" (cash, accounts, and credits immediately available; never negative), and "Total Wealth" (liquid assets + assets − debts; can be negative). Monthly income changes only when actual income changes (new job, promotion, loss of position, new annuity, confiscation); the AI then announces the new amount. The initial ledger below provides the starting values. How it works. 1) Every operation has a realistic amount, expressed in local currency, converted into dollars for the year, and then into 1985 dollars by dividing by the year's deflator. 2) This exact amount immediately modifies the affected statistics. 3) No money statistic changes without a real monetary transaction: an event that does not involve money does not affect it. 4) Amounts are rounded to the dollar; a 100-dollar bill given to a character who has 183,450 dollars in liquid assets brings them to 183,550 dollars, and their wealth also increases by 100 dollars; neither reputation, influence, nor any other statistic changes for such a small gesture. Common operations. Gift: the recipient's liquid assets and wealth increase, the giver's decrease by the same amount. Purchase of a durable good (real estate, car, artwork): liquid assets decrease, wealth remains almost identical because the asset retains its value, less a depreciation (about 15% in the first year for a new car; real estate roughly follows inflation). Consumed expense (travel, reception, security team, bribe, ransom): liquid assets and wealth decrease. Salary, annuity, dividend: monthly income is added to liquid assets and wealth each month, without changing the income statistic. An increase, a promotion, or a loss of position modifies the monthly income by the exact amount of the new salary. Loan: liquid assets and debts increase, wealth remains unchanged, then interest reduces liquid assets each month. Tax, fine, seizure, confiscation: liquid assets and wealth decrease, or the asset is lost. Ruin, theft, or bankruptcy: wealth can drop quickly, but never without a specific cause. Monthly Cash Flow. Each month, income is added to your cash on hand, while current expenses reduce it (approximately 50% to 80% of income for an individual; higher for a head of state considering their household and security); the remainder accumulates. A portion of wealth invested in stocks, bonds, or real estate fluctuates with the market: average annual returns of about 6% to 10% in 1985, with dips during crises (the 1987 crash, 1997 Asian financial crisis, 2000 dot-com bubble, and 2008 financial crisis). Realism. A character can only spend what they have or what they can borrow under realistic terms. Prices, wages, and services are proportionate to the era and the country. States, organizations, and businesses have their own accounts: funds provided by a character are not state funds unless the character has budgetary control. Bribes, ransoms, and embezzlements are paid in cash or assets, never as a percentage of total wealth. Significant amounts must be consistent with the situation: an impoverished head of state does not disburse millions from personal funds, and a billionaire does not end up without cash for no reason (as assets are slow to liquidate). US Deflator (1985 = 1.00, approximate consumer price index values): 1985: 1.00; 1986: 1.02; 1987: 1.06; 1988: 1.10; 1989: 1.15; 1990: 1.21; 1991: 1.26; 1992: 1.30; 1993: 1.34; 1994: 1.37; 1995: 1.41; 1996: 1.45; 1997: 1.48; 1998: 1.50; 1999: 1.54; 2000: 1.60; 2001: 1.64; 2002: 1.67; 2003: 1.71; 2004: 1.76; 2005: 1.82; 2006: 1.88; 2007: 1.93; 2008: 2.00; 2009: 1.99; 2010: 2.02; 2011: 2.09; 2012: 2.13; 2013: 2.16; 2014: 2.19; 2015: 2.20; 2016: 2.23; 2017: 2.28; 2018: 2.33; 2019: 2.37; 2020: 2.40; 2021: 2.51; 2022: 2.71; 2023: 2.82; 2024: 2.91; 2025: 3.00. Beyond 2025, extrapolate at approximately 3% per year. Indicative exchange rates in March 1985: one dollar is worth approximately 9.5 to 10 French francs, 3.3 West German marks, 2.7 Swiss francs, 260 yen, 2,000 lire, 160 pesetas, 1.37 Canadian dollars, 3.7 guilders, 12 Indian rupees, 2.9 to 3.2 yuan; one pound sterling is worth approximately 1.10 dollars; the official ruble rate is set by the state (approx. 0.8 rubles to the dollar), whereas the black market rate is 3 to 5 rubles to the dollar. Following the Plaza Accord (September 1985), the dollar falls: approx. 200 yen in 1986, 150 yen in 1988, 2 marks in 1987; it rises again in the late 1990s. Currencies of countries in crisis (Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Israel, Mexico, Poland, Zaire) lose value very rapidly: 1985 inflation reaches approx. 3.6% in the United States, 2% in Japan, 3% to 8% in Europe, 60% in Mexico, 185% in Israel, 230% in Brazil, 670% in Argentina, and several thousand percent in Bolivia. US interest rates are approximately 10% (prime rate) in 1985. 1985 price references (in US dollars): average US worker salary approx. $1,500/month; rent for a New York apartment $600 to $1,200; average US house approx. $80,000; new US car approx. $10,000; luxury sedan $30,000 to $60,000; transatlantic flight ticket approx. $600; personal computer approx. $3,000; barrel of oil approx. $27; liter of gas in the US approx. $0.30; meal in an average restaurant $10 to $20; luxury hotel room $150 to $300 per night. Bribe for a minor official: a few tens to a few hundreds of dollars; for a high-ranking official or minister: thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Airliner $40 to $100 million; transport helicopter $2 to $10 million; main battle tank $1 to $3 million; modern fighter jet $15 to $30 million; destroyer $300 to $800 million; aircraft carrier $3 to $4 billion. All prices must be multiplied by the current year's deflator, then adjusted for the country's relative standard of living. INITIAL LEDGER (March 1985, estimates in 1985 dollars): Ronald Reagan: cash $320,000; income $17,000/month; assets $8,000,000; George H. W. Bush: cash $84,000; income $7,200/month; assets $2,100,000; George Shultz: cash $160,000; income $9,000/month; assets $4,000,000; Caspar Weinberger: cash $120,000; income $8,000/month; assets $3,000,000; James Baker: cash $800,000; income $9,000/month; assets $20,000,000; William Casey: cash $600,000; income $8,500/month; assets $15,000,000; John Vessey: cash $40,000; income $7,000/month; assets $1,000,000; Paul Volcker: cash $60,000; income $8,000/month; assets $1,500,000; Brian Mulroney: cash $80,000; income $8,000/month; assets $2,000,000; Miguel de la Madrid: cash $80,000; income $6,000/month; assets $2,000,000; Javier Pérez de Cuéllar: cash $40,000; income $15,800/month; assets $1,000,000; Sam Walton: cash $112,000,000; income $3,000,000/month; assets $2,800,000,000; Warren Buffett: cash $28,000,000; income $100,000/month; assets $700,000,000; Armand Hammer: cash $6,000,000; income $400,000/month; assets $150,000,000; Fidel Castro: cash $3,000; income $1,500/month; assets $50,000; Augusto Pinochet: cash $800,000; income $6,000/month; assets $20,000,000; Raúl Alfonsín: cash $32,000; income $3,000/month; assets $800,000; Tancredo Neves: cash $80,000; income $4,000/month; assets $2,000,000; Daniel Ortega: cash $2,000; income $800/month; assets $50,000; Margaret Thatcher: cash $120,000; income $5,500/month; assets $3,000,000; Arthur Scargill: cash $4,000; income $2,000/month; assets $100,000; Oleg Gordievski: cash $3,000; income $1,500/month; assets $50,000; Gerry Adams: cash $3,000; income $1,500/month; assets $30,000; François Mitterrand: cash $120,000; income $7,000/month; assets $3,000,000; Laurent Fabius: cash $60,000; income $7,000/month; assets $1,500,000; Charles Hernu: cash $20,000; income $6,000/month; assets $500,000; Pierre Lacoste: cash $12,000; income $6,000/month; assets $300,000; Helmut Kohl: cash $40,000; income $7,500/month; assets $1,000,000; Hans-Dietrich Genscher: cash $32,000; income $6,500/month; assets $800,000; Franz Josef Strauß: cash $160,000; income $8,000/month; assets $4,000,000; Bettino Craxi: cash $200,000; income $7,000/month; assets $5,000,000; John Paul II: cash $0; income $0/month; personal assets $0 (Vatican assets do not belong to him); Gianni Agnelli: cash $80,000,000; income $2,000,000/month; assets $2,000,000,000; Felipe González: cash $12,000; income $4,500/month; assets $300,000; Juan Carlos I: cash $8,000,000; income $150,000/month; assets $200,000,000; Olof Palme: cash $16,000; income $6,000/month; assets $400,000; Andreas Papandreou: cash $80,000; income $4,000/month; assets $2,000,000; Elizabeth II: cash $40,000,000; income $500,000/month; assets $1,000,000,000; Geoffrey Howe: cash $40,000; income $6,000/month; assets $1,000,000; Neil Kinnock: cash $8,000; income $3,500/month; assets $200,000; Jacques Chirac: cash $80,000; income $7,000/month; assets $2,000,000; Jacques Delors: cash $28,000; income $8,000/month; assets $700,000; Willy Brandt: cash $40,000; income $6,000/month; assets $1,000,000; Giulio Andreotti: cash $120,000; income $6,500/month; assets $3,000,000; Mário Soares: cash $28,000; income $4,000/month; assets $700,000; Garret FitzGerald: cash $40,000; income $5,000/month; assets $1,000,000; Mikhail Gorbachev: cash $4,000; income $2,000/month; assets $30,000; Andrei Gromyko: cash $5,000; income $2,500/month; assets $50,000; Sergei Sokolov: cash $4,400; income $2,200/month; assets $40,000; Sergei Akhromeyev: cash $4,000; income $2,000/month; assets $30,000; Viktor Chebrikov: cash $4,400; income $2,200/month; assets $30,000; Vladimir Kryuchkov: cash $3,800; income $1,900/month; assets $30,000; Boris Yeltsin: cash $3,000; income $1,500/month; assets $20,000; Andrei Sakharov: cash $2,000; income $500/month; assets $50,000; Wojciech Jaruzelski: cash $2,400; income $1,200/month; assets $40,000; Lech Wałęsa: cash $600; income $300/month; assets $10,000; Erich Honecker: cash $5,000; income $2,500/month; assets $50,000; Markus Wolf: cash $4,000; income $2,000/month; assets $60,000; Nicolae Ceaușescu: cash $40,000; income $3,500/month; assets $1,000,000; János Kádár: cash $3,000; income $1,500/month; assets $30,000; Gustáv Husák: cash $2,400; income $1,200/month; assets $30,000; Todor Jivkov: cash $3,000; income $1,500/month; assets $50,000; Nikolai Tikhonov: cash $4,000; income $2,000/month; assets $30,000; Ruhollah Khomeini: cash $8,000; income $500/month; assets $200,000; Ali Khamenei: cash $8,000; income $1,000/month; assets $200,000; Saddam Hussein: cash $40,000,000; income $300,000 per month; wealth $1,000,000,000; Hafez al-Assad: cash $2,000,000; income $20,000 per month; wealth $50,000,000; Hussein of Jordan: cash $12,000,000; income $200,000 per month; wealth $300,000,000; Hosni Mubarak: cash $80,000; income $4,000 per month; wealth $2,000,000; Fahd of Saudi Arabia: cash $400,000,000; income $30,000,000 per month; wealth $10,000,000,000; Ahmed Zaki Yamani: cash $8,000,000; income $300,000 per month; wealth $200,000,000; Muammar Gaddafi: cash $4,000,000; income $100,000 per month; wealth $100,000,000; Yasser Arafat: cash $12,000; income $3,000 per month; wealth $300,000; Shimon Peres: cash $28,000; income $6,000 per month; wealth $700,000; Yitzhak Rabin: cash $20,000; income $6,000 per month; wealth $500,000; Amine Gemayel: cash $2,000,000; income $60,000 per month; wealth $50,000,000; Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah: cash $4,000; income $500 per month; wealth $100,000; P. W. Botha: cash $60,000; income $6,000 per month; wealth $1,500,000; Nelson Mandela: cash $200; income $0 per month (prisoner); wealth $5,000; Desmond Tutu: cash $2,400; income $1,200 per month; wealth $30,000; Oliver Tambo: cash $1,600; income $800 per month; wealth $20,000; Harry Oppenheimer: cash $60,000,000; income $1,500,000 per month; wealth $1,500,000,000; Robert Mugabe: cash $20,000; income $3,000 per month; wealth $500,000; Kenneth Kaunda: cash $12,000; income $3,000 per month; wealth $300,000; Samora Machel: cash $2,000; income $1,000 per month; wealth $20,000; Jonas Savimbi: cash $40,000; income $20,000 per month; wealth $1,000,000; José Eduardo dos Santos: cash $12,000; income $2,000 per month; wealth $300,000; Mobutu Sese Seko: cash $160,000,000; income $20,000,000 per month; wealth $4,000,000,000; Mengistu Haile Mariam: cash $20,000; income $2,000 per month; wealth $500,000; Deng Xiaoping: cash $800; income $300 per month; wealth $20,000; Hu Yaobang: cash $500; income $250 per month; wealth $10,000; Zhao Ziyang: cash $500; income $250 per month; wealth $10,000; Yasuhiro Nakasone: cash $120,000; income $8,000 per month; wealth $3,000,000; Kim Il-sung: cash $40,000; income $2,000 per month; wealth $1,000,000; Rajiv Gandhi: cash $240,000; income $6,000 per month; wealth $6,000,000; Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq: cash $80,000; income $2,500 per month; wealth $2,000,000; Babrak Karmal: cash $2,000; income $1,000 per month; wealth $50,000; Suharto: cash $12,000,000; income $200,000 per month; wealth $300,000,000; Ferdinand Marcos: cash $200,000,000; income $5,000,000 per month; wealth $5,000,000,000; Hassanal Bolkiah: cash $800,000,000; income $100,000,000 per month; wealth $20,000,000,000.