So in this one, the players and their relations to the investors may be closer, and the players (unlike in bourse) are effected by how investors choose to invest.

Players:
To play the game, you will play as one of two roles, either a government or a creditor. A government is a player who will actually play in the diplomacy game, however their role is not restricted to the actual diplomacy game, as the financing done by creditors will have an enormous impact on their ability to succeed in the game. The creditors role is simply, they are to invest in the governments with the goal of turning a profit.

Game settings:
We will most likely be playing a classic diplomacy game (possible a different map if we have two few governments singing up) with an EOG set for 1926 and every single supply center (just to guarantee that nobody solos early). In the result of a draw, the government with the most supply centers will be declared given the winner among the governments, unless stated otherwise by the players in the draw. The creditor who has made the most money at the end of the game, will be declared the winner among the creditors.

The phases will be 3 days long to give both the governments and creditors time to fund their moves as well as give orders and conduct diplomacy.

The amount of money that each creditor will start the game with will be determined based on how many people we have interested and signing up.

Upkeep and Costs:
Supply centers work just like they do in diplomacy, and each unit requires 1 supply center to be sustained, however unlike diplomacy, units also require money.

Each unit requires $20,000 to maintain (exceptions go to armies that end the year on home centers, who are free)
Each unit requires $75,000 to build

Lacking funds:
If a government lacks the money to build armies, but has the supplies, the government must waive the build. If a government lacks the funds to supply every army, but has the supplies, they must announce an army at the beginning of the year that will be underfunded. An underfunded army must enter holds for both the spring and autumn turns of the year. While the army cannot move or attack, they have the right to defend themselves and are allowed to be support held.

Financing:
In order for governments to build and maintain an army, Governments will need to have the capital to sustain their armies. Government can acquire the necessary funds using one of two methods. They can either finance the expenses through debt or equity. Debt refers to money borrowed by others, which would either be other governments or creditors who are willing to invest in their country. Equity refers to money earned by the government, which is either money gained through taxes, or money already in their possession.

Taxes:
Taxes is the only method a government has of earning money to fund their war machine, without acquiring debt. Each supply center generates revenue, however the amount depends on who held the center at the start of the game.

Home centers generate $30,000 (aka centers you began with)
Neutral centers generate $15,000 (aka centers nobody began with)
Enemy centers generate $5,000 (aka other peoples home supply centers)

At the end of the game each center generates $150,000

Debt:
By now it should be clear that it is almost impossible to build armies without borrowing money from other people. It would require 3 builds in 1901 to earn enough money to build 1 additional unit.

This means that government will rely on borrowing money in order to finance their war.

Each autumn phase governments will announce how much money they intend to borrow this year. Although there is no time which they must announce this, it is recommened that they do it within the first day, as the longer they wait, the less time the creditors will have to invest, and the less likely sufficient creditors will invest (meaning you may be unable to raise all required funds). Once the phase progresses to retreats/builds, no new purchases may be made.

Debt can be financed in one of two methods, either other governments can loan them the funds (both governments must PM me in the autumn phase) or through selling victory bonds.

Victory bonds can be purchased by creditors and provide creditors with an annual interest payment. Bonds can be acquired on either the primary or secondary market.

Primary market: The primary market is the market in which bonds are sold by governments to creditors. Each bond costs $1000, and the number of bonds being sold depends on how much money each government wants to raise, so for example if France wants to raise $10,000, 10 French Victory Bonds will be sold that turn.

After France announces how many bonds she is selling each player may make a bid on the bonds. In which they PM me how many bonds they are interested in buying, and the interest rate they are expecting to receive. In the above example, the 10 bond offers with the lowest interest rate offers, will be the ones who get them.

Because interest rates are determined based on how many people are interested in the bonds and how secure creditors feel the bonds are, generally speaking safer countries (countries doing well) will offer lower interest rates then riskier countries. It is up to the creditors to determine the balance between risky and safe bonds. Each country has the right to announce a maximum interest rate, a rate in which any offer above that amount will be rejected. The risk of doing this is it may deter creditors away to bonds that offer higher rates.

All bonds mature after 10 years, maturity is when the government must pay the bondholder the value of the bond. So for example, if France sells 10 bonds at a 10% interest. They must pay $100 a year to each bond holder (so $1000) and then after the 10 year period they must pay all bond holders $1000, (or $10,000). So in this example, France will, over a 10 year period, pay its bond holders $20,000 for the $10,000 it borrowed. While this may seem like a rip off, it is important to remember that governments that are winning the war will be generating more income later in the game.

Secondary Market: Occasionally, a creditor who purchased a bond may wish to sell this bond rather then hold it to maturity. Every spring phase (except 1901) sees a secondary market, in which creditors may choose to sell bonds they currently hold to other creditors, other creditors will receive all remaining interest payments as well as the repayment at maturity.

The advantage of trading at a secondary market is in the case of junk bonds (bonds where a country is clearly not going to pay back its creditors, most likely due to elimination) is that a player may sell the bond, and recover some of its value.

On the other hand, a player who managed to get a high interest rate on a safe bond (a bond in a country doing well), they may be able to find creditors wishing to pay more then the maturity value for the bond, and sell it then.

It is unlikely that