First of all, it is important to look at how occupied regions generate funds within the game. Currently, occupied regions hijack up to 40% of development and tax revenue from companies located there. We are aware of the issue where occupied regions often appear at the top of the job list, causing a disproportionate amount of tax revenue to flow into the treasury of the occupied country rather than the home country, and we have scheduled a fix for this in the next patch.
Whether dealing with offensive proxies used to wage war near enemy borders or defensive proxies used to block the latter, the treasury must be handled according to the rules of the nation it belongs to, regardless of who is currently occupying it. Using a position of power to extract these resources for personal gain or to benefit another nation at the expense of the local economy is a punishable offense, including fines, bans, and removal from government or military roles.
The cases of Bosnia and Syria are fundamentally similar in principle, though they were handled differently by the players involved. In the case of Bosnia, which is a Romanian defensive proxy, Romania consulted with moderation to see if they could claim the tax money lost to the Bosnian treasury. This request was denied because those funds were gained through a legitimate game mechanic and Rule 6 protects a proxy’s treasury from being drained just to benefit a third party. Romania followed the correct procedure by asking first and, upon receiving the ruling, they respected the integrity of the Bosnian treasury.
The situation in Syria involved the same set of rules but was compounded by the abuse of a bug following the recent update. Players were moved to a max-tax (45%) company and were unable to quit their jobs, effectively forcing them to fill the treasury against their will. While the orchestrator (Papatyam) avoided a bug-abuse ban by firing players who complained, the core issue remains: because the players had no intention of willingly donating to the proxy government, the principle of intent trumps the right of the proxy to use those funds. Consequently, when the treasury was emptied to the USA and Lithuania, we had to step in and address the violation of Rule 6.
Regarding the current case in Lesotho, we will not be issuing bans or reverting the transfer of the 1,500. Lesotho has received over 1,900 in transfers from Portugal, Romania, and Venezuela alongside significant donations from its own citizens, which validates the legitimacy of their treasury's activity in a way that the Syria case did not. Since they are occupied by South Africa and not the recipients of the money, they are not funneling hijacked tax revenue back to a proxy overlord.
We recognize that these nuances often exist in gray spaces that can feel unfair or disruptive to play. To address this, we are immediately revising the limits and conditions on money transfer laws and working on technical changes to how countries interact with their treasuries to make these rules harder to break in the first place. A "Loans" feature is currently being discussed in Council, and we will review user suggestions to see how such mechanisms can be implemented to allow countries to play more strategically as economic actors. However, since this is not currently a feature within the game, and we have seen in the past that relying on goodwill alone often leads to abuse, we are working on ways to ensure future features cannot be exploited and will take time to properly develop them.
While we acknowledge that moderation decisions can be sensitive or appear subjective from an external perspective, keep in mind that many decisions are discussed by the entire team rather than a single moderator, taking into account all possible points of view depending on the complexity of the case. We are open to discussing individual cases provided that the dialogue remains respectful, as insults toward our volunteer mod team or the community will not be tolerated.
All users involved in Country Funds Abuse cases have undergone a case review process with detailed explanations provided in their respective appeal tickets. We are continuously working to standardize our protocols and improve our response quality. While we apologize if the current moderation feels insufficient to some, all suggestions have been noted, and we are committed to making adjustments to ensure the game is as fair as possible for everyone.
Ownership of Funds: Revenue generated through the "hijack" mechanic belongs to the treasury of the country where it was collected. It is not "spoils of war" for the occupying power to distribute.
Source of Transfers: We distinguish between "hijacked" tax revenue and funds that entered a treasury via external aid. Moving donated funds is generally permitted; funneling tax revenue to benefit allies is not.
Consult First: Players who consult moderation before making large, non-standard transfers avoid the risk of penalties. Acting without approval carries a high risk of being flagged as abuse.
We appreciate your patience during this Beta phase as we refine these rules to ensure long-term stability for our community and the game.
Thanks https://app.warera.io/user/681d8310470bf2a1423d8d16 and https://app.warera.io/user/681fd9b52a75ce8a59a7437b for cooking these explanations :prayge: