Sister Cities
"Sister Cities" are a relatively recent concept on SimPvP, inspired by the real-life diplomatic alliances that two cities share. On SimPvP, sister cities are two cities that are formally and officially linked via trade, alliance and community. Often, sister cities are supported by the following criteria:
- The two cities have both officially recognized each other as "sister cities"
- The two cities are linked via trade and industry, and support each other through various imports and exports
- The two cities share a mutual alliance, and should a major political, military or diplomatic crisis occur, the cities will come to the aid of each other
- The two cities in some way, shape or form both harbor a similar community, culture or mission
- The two cities share uniquely linked relationships and friendships between their members
Examples of Of Sister Cities
Early Sister Cities
While the more official title of "Sister Cities" is a relatively recent concept for the server, first seeing use in 2019, there have been earlier cases which bear a strikingly similar alliance. This is, of course, excluding bases merely connected by an overarching team or clan.
Though a bit of a stretch, the Hive / Kashyyyk alliance is notable as the first instance of two cities heavily working alongside each other. Both built in mid-to-late 2013, the Hive was built nearby Kashyyyk, RevStoningpot's base, and the two worked together to grow their cities. Although they were located very close to each other, they both functioned and operated as completely separate, autonomous cities.
Perhaps SimPvP's earliest version of modern-day "sister cities", the two bases officially linked together in November 2015 via The Principate, but also in order to quell both Pippenger and DakkaDok's earlier rivalry. These were two major cities at the time which benefited from each other, and laid the heaviest influence on the Principate. The Ascaris / Nos Astra alliance laid the groundwork for large mega-cities cooperating with each other.
Modern Sister Cities
By 2019, the concept of sister cities began to slowly gain mainstream appeal. 2018-2019 had slowly begun to enter an age of megacities with large populations as the norm, and these bases were typically entered into official alliances in order to benefit from each other in the tumultuous climates of the era, especially as wealth increased. Often, cities were viewed as more powerful entities than entire teams.
SimPvP's first official sister cities, Struthio and Triterrus officially signed a treaty establishing themselves as such at a peace conference in Quinsigamond in February 2019. At the time, both were budding cities with large playerbases, putting an emphasis on city expansion and industrialization. Their similarities and player alliances made the alliance between Struthio and Triterrus a realistic approach to be made. Although trade occurred somewhat infrequently and diplomacy was often minimal, the two bases did have each others' backs in rare instances of strife.
These two massive cities became sister cities after both sharing a similar fate in 2019. Struthio and Florestria, which would later form Segoria and Yittrium respectively, were both discovered and threatened until their mutual abandonment in May 2019. This shared culture, as well as their similar drives for massive, compact cityscapes and high-production farms motivated the two cities to come together in an official alliance. This was made all the more official through ostrich1414's presence at both cities. Nonetheless, Yittrium and Segoria would shape what it truly meant to be sister cities.
Officially becoming sister cities in late January 2020, Wilburia and Takyon's alliance put an emphasis on both trade and diplomacy. With Takyon blossoming as a hopeful start to a new megacity and Wilburia being a unique take on the modern SimPvP cityscape, the two banded together under shared ambitions and aspirations of greatness. Much like Segoria and Yittrium, Wilburia and Takyon shared similar upbringings; Wilburia was formed after Yittrium was raided, and Takyon was formed after The Sigil Conflict rendered the base Sigil abandoned. These two bases formed a shared belief in redefining what it means to be sister cities.
On December 9th, 2020, the cities of Quabbin and Tempest officially became sister cities due to the very close relationship the members of each shared. In fact, this was the first major pair of sister cities to have an official ceremony marking the beginning of their relationship, hosting a conference at Hurricane between all members of both cities, where a mutual treaty was signed. Although the Quabbin and Tempest sister city relationship was relatively short-lived due to the effects of The Imperial War, which forced both bases to be abandoned by February 2021, it was nonetheless effective in proving the formality that sister cities can have on base diplomacy. Through the use of an official ceremony and treaty, both Quabbin and Tempest proved the diplomatic potential sister cities had in instigating basewide peace on SimPvP, even through war.