Part 57: Bonus Chapter 8: What If? - Alternate Paths as Imagined by Servant, Berezina

Bonus Chapter 8: What If? - Alternate Paths as Imagined by Servant, Berezina

Servant provided me with information from the Prima Strategy Guide for this game, and went on to provide the alternate paths that I wasn't going to replay through to get the details involving them. However, the way he did it surprised me: he actually went through and wrote all-original dialogue between Prokofiev and other members of the Novistranan Coalition quickly running through the alternate paths!

What follows is entirely his work. All I did was and edit it so that it was clean to read, but dialogue, alternate interpretations of characters, and dialogue text formatting remain his. Due to SA's limitations in character length per post, I'm splitting his three alternate paths into each city.

Excerpts From "What If?: The World's Foremost Historians Imagine What Might Have Been in the History of the Third Glorious Revolution"

Berezina

* * *

Investigating the Military Black Marketing

: Let try this "overt" approach you mentioned. How are we going to investigate allegations of the Army engaging in the black market trade?

: We first need to secure the loyalty of the army first. That requires that we remove all potential opposition in the Chersonesus Estate, where the Armory is located. The President's Party and Alexashenko's Army are likely to already be well-established there, so it's going to take some time to destroy their support. That should scare one of the rumored ring-leaders of the black market trade, Sgt. Kirill Vronsky, into selling out to us. He'll betray the organization, but only if he meets you in a location where the secrecy rating is 70 or higher.

: I'll spread misinformation before I meet up with Vronsky then.

Meeting with Sgt. Vronsky



: According to this reliable piece of paper, the military will launch a military deal in  CENSORED , in  CENSORED  days. They will be selling some weapons and munition over to local gangsters and other criminals.

:  CENSORED ? Really? I never would have suspected as such. But I have to actually gather evidence of that.

: Set up a political network in  CENSORED  beforehand, destroying all Support that other factions have. Investigate the deal  CENSORED  days from now, but check in the night. They hate selling weapons in the morning. Too blatant.

:Wait, what happens if I accidentally miss the day? Is it over? Did I just lose my only hope for destroying the illegal arms trade?

: Nah, just come back to me to receive another memo. The army frequently changes where they sell their illegal weaponry, for security reasons.



: Great! Once I gather the information, I'll expose the arms deal, ending the illegal arms trade and gaining support for the Coalition!

: Until you get into power, and then I take over the illegal arms trade.

*Pitor walks away.*

: ...Right?

* * *

National Radio Broadcast

: Alright, my student. You seem very excited about this National Radio Broadcast scheme by hijacking the National Broadcasting Building. Let's hear it out.

: First, I get 80% support in the Tereshkova Gardens. It's a Wealth district, so I expect it to take a while.



: I'll then attract the attention of Demian Baburin, a radio engineer who might be interested in spreading our speech. They'd be one problem though.

: Idiot doesn't want to get arrested for doing his speech.

: Exactly. Instead, he wants us to do some "distractions" so the police don't get to monitor him.

: We need to organize a series of riots and rallies. I prefer riots, but you're the boss. You'd also need to organize a rally outside the National Broadcasting Building, just to again keep the police busy. Just stage four high-profile events in a row, and we can then command him to do the National Radio Broadcast for us.

The Speech



: _{Great, another mention of this 'Those with the Will Survive' nonsense. Who writes Piotr's speeches anyway?}

: I do.

: Oh.

* * *

Take Over Organized Anarchy

: Come in, Prokofiev. We've been expecting you.

: Dmitri Barkan. I have worked with your faction in the past...

: And then turned around to destroy it.

: Do you not yet understand? Your people have deserted you...

: Because you attacked their support and forced them at gunpoint to join you.

: We seized your vaunted "Communication Center" that you use to communicate to your followers...

: ...And you did so, again, via force.

: AND we convinced your followers to join us!

: Via blackmail.

: Why don't you understand reason?

: Why don't you understand that the way to form a communist utopia is NOT to build casinos, and recruit pseudo-fascists like Boris Churnyeav? We have a plan to destroy all traces of capitalism entirely, and rebuild a new system, a system free of oppression, and you idiots destroyed the plan! You have been corrupted by society, just like the rest of the anti-Anarchists.

: You are an egoistic maniac! Can't you stop your obbession with revolution and realize that we have to govern! That we have to rule!



: Why should we govern and rule in the future? The future does not need us once the Revolution occurs. In fact, I will overthrow this corrupt and immoral society by myself! Or rather, my body will! I will stand in front of a tank, and my heroic matyrdom will lead to the resurrection of Organized Anarchy and the destruction of the Coalition! Anarchy will prevail, capitalism will die!

*Dmitri Barkan leaves.*

: ...Meaning nobody knew what actually happened in this room other than me. I suppose I could lie about him supporting me. That should give me some sort of moral support in the future. Maybe I could use this to deliever a Legendary Speech and start a People's Revolution against Kasarov... Wait a second, there's papers!

Keep on the pressure, take over the Cathedral. Then, move onto their "backers", the National Broadcasting Building and the Foreign Embassy. Then control all Influence districts, have 70% support. Then wait.



I will hear rumors of Nesvitzkii, the Archbishop of Novistrana, and how he has a suspiciously large bank account. Investigate the Bank of Novistrana, find evidence of his embezzlement. Publicize the evidence, get Nesvitizkii to resign. If I have a replacement, he'll be appointed...



If not... Yelizar Kassavatiz, ally of Kasarov, will be appointed Archbishop. I can kill him or recruit him. Recruitment is more my style. Once I seize the Cathederal, the path is open, and we'll begin the slow process of undermining society until it collaspes entirely.

: I should have never underestimated Dmitri Barkan. At least he is dead, and not causing even more dangerous schemes. So he won't complain if I take this plan as my own.

* * *

Bring in UN Peacekeepers

: ...Better than the devils abroad than the devils at home. We'll need the United Nations.

: Phew. I was worried that you were going to do something insane.

: The quicker those blue peacekeepers get out, the better.

: Boris, we'll need the UN so that they can act as a distraction to Kasarov. It will allow us to take over the Secret Police and install you as head.

: This is a revolution for the people, not for western--wait, head of the Secret Police? Forget I say anything.

: So how are we going to do it?

: I have a really good idea.



: A charity gala? Really now?

: No wonder you never succeeded in any revolutions, Tresori.

: It's going to work, this is just a cover so we gain evidence of human right abuses. Just watch.

: Hello, my name is Alexander Kidrolivansky, a Church Elder with evidence of human right abuses committed in Novistrana. Torture, genocide, and so much more. I only attended this Charity Gala because I want to receive some cheer in my life before I return back to the horrors of Kasarov's rule. If only someone can convince me to use this evidence for good, I'll easily give it up.

: See? Told you it worked. Let's go straight to the United Nations with this evidence and we get this Intervention.

: Actually, I was thinking of something different. Wouldn't it make sense if the UN "discover" social unrest by themselves? I know that a UN envoy, Dr. Steven Richmond, will be coming over to Novistrana on routine business... If we investigate and "dig deeper" into the Foreign Embassy located in Chomsky Gardens, we should get the itinerary.

: Then we'll show that "social unrest" by holding protest marches at all the places he's going to visit, hopefully showing a demonstration of Force that will likely appease our "base" upset at us selling out to western imperialists.

: Why didn't I think of that? The UN is going to get worried about chaos existing in our country and will have to open secret talks! Dr. Richmond have no choice but to meet up with you privately. You hand over the evidence that Alexander gave you, and then the UN will have no choice but to send in peacekeepers, deployed at the Cathedral.

: Once we let UN troops in, though, how will we get them out?

: Uh... we don't? If we have a strong UN army, we don't need to spend much money on the military. We can then use all that money on social programs.

: HEY!