NS History: You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers!

[Joe Bobs]

NS2 wasn't all bad.

Less kids, because it's paid. No invasions, because it' harder to do.

It all depends on what you want out of the game. It suited me.

Blasphemy GRO!!

[Anako]

I noticed some guys state that,the Meritocracy was one of the most influential regions in the history game. Who were they? Why are they famous (if at all), and what happened to the region and its members?

[Omigodtheykilledkenny]

ACCEL was a multiregion alliance focused on capitalism. Its founding was spearheaded by the Meritocracy, though the Met soon became less involved as time wore on. Notable regions were Capitalist Paradise, Great Britain & Ireland, and the New Meritocracy and its prefectures.

Conservative Paradise was a member, too. Maybe not the most "notable" member, but definitely there.

AO was a member, for about two weeks. I also remember I was the sec'y of UN affairs when the alliance disbanded. The last ACCEL repeal was submitted by Surly the Repealinator.

[Blackbird]

Conservative Paradise was a member, too. Maybe not the most "notable" member, but definitely there.

AO was a member, for about two weeks. I also remember I was the sec'y of UN affairs when the alliance disbanded. The last ACCEL repeal was submitted by Surly the Repealinator.

Alpha Omega was a Meritocracy Prefecture for a long time.

[Omigodtheykilledkenny]

Different AO.

[Space Dandy]

AO was a member, for about two weeks. I also remember I was the sec'y of UN affairs when the alliance disbanded. The last ACCEL repeal was submitted by Surly the Repealinator.

Alpha Omega was a Meritocracy Prefecture for a long time.

Antarctic Oasis he is referring to Blackbird

[Blackbird]

Different AO.

Oh, my apologies.

[The Pacifican Islands]

Oh.

[Space Dandy]

Blackbird, I has a question.

Back in the olden times, how separated were Gameplay as we coin it now (Politics, R/D, etc etc) and roleplay in comparison to the separation there is now?

[Reploid Productions]

Blackbird, I has a question.

Back in the olden times, how separated were Gameplay as we coin it now (Politics, R/D, etc etc) and roleplay in comparison to the separation there is now?

Hell, I can answer that one: Functionally identical to today. Fewer safeguards in place way back when though, especially pre-Influence when we were flailing wildly with the old invasion rules. Fewer GPers showing themselves forumside back then as well.

[Joe Bobs]

I recall that there was more of the GP community not directly involved in R/D than there is today. Now, R/D is fairly central to most GP regions, but it wasn't always this way. Political alignment I think used to be the major divider in the game, R/D was a smaller percentage of NS as a whole.

[Unibot III]

Blackbird, I has a question.

Back in the olden times, how separated were Gameplay as we coin it now (Politics, R/D, etc etc) and roleplay in comparison to the separation there is now?

Hell, I can answer that one: Functionally identical to today. Fewer safeguards in place way back when though, especially pre-Influence when we were flailing wildly with the old invasion rules. Fewer GPers showing themselves forumside back then as well.

This isn't quite accurate. Gameplay and Roleplay used to be much closer. At one early point in the game, a lot of famous gameplayers have even recalled taking a part in roleplaying on the forum. Apparently, Francos Spain participated in the first NS World War roleplay, although under a different account before being known as Francos Spain.

The metaphysicial delineations of what constitutes "Gameplay" or "Roleplay" came later.

In some odd instances even, the effect of this divided "Pangaea" has some cases of communities surviving today, intact, but which a huge social distance between them. TEP's decade-old roleplay community for example, would likely fit like a puzzle into the grooves of its distant II cousin. Whereas the RP'd IntFed/NatSov split in the WA, for example, would resemble a similar ideological divide from The Meritocracy.

[Blackbird]

Blackbird, I has a question.

Back in the olden times, how separated were Gameplay as we coin it now (Politics, R/D, etc etc) and roleplay in comparison to the separation there is now?

I would disagree with some of the other commenters and say that Gameplay and RP were far less segregated. I would also note that when I use the terms you use (Gameplay and Roleplay), I also think that "Gameplay" is the same as "Out of Character" and "Roleplay" is the same as "In character."

There was far more recognition that people played roles in their gameplay community. I'll cite some prominent examples: the player behind Ivan Moldavi maintained a nation in the Meritocracy that was far different from its nation in the New Pacific Order named Pierconium. For myself for instance, though always leftist, my nation Cortath in the New Meritocracy was far different from my nation Blackbird of the Proletariat Coalition.

Many regions explicitly had gameplay and roleplay. The Meritocracy is a fine example of that. We role-played political speeches about gameplay, in fact! We also engaged in what we'd now call more 'hardcore" roleplay. Even regions that one would generally consider entirely gameplay, such as my home region of the Proletariat Coalition, engaged in activities that we'd now consider the hallmarks of roleplay, such as having court systems with elaborate and choreographed trials.

The New Pacific Order's system of governance under Francos Spain and his successor Unlimited also would bear many indications of roleplay. Certainly things like the development of Francoism, the writings of Pacifican history, the enforcement of the Civil Code, strikes me as far more RP than GP.

***

Also, I would add, in the beginning, a lot of major regions coalesced around actual RL ideas, so there was a shared culture and shared ideas that are somewhat RP-ish. For instance, nations in the region of Ireland were generally attracted to the region because of a shared interest in Ireland, Irish culture, etc., etc. Their region's governance, communications on the RMB, might be "flavored" with Irish cultural themes, that now smack a bit of RP.

Similarly, regions having to do with political ideologies often attempted to govern directly based on their types of ideologies (see capitalist and communist regions), which seems to be a lot like RP.

***

Now there was always, I think, a divide between the hardcore RP of people who say, pretend they have boats and troops, and essentially write intricate and highly planned stories, and the Gameplayers. But that's not to say that GP did not engage in RP, or that there weren't regions that explicitly did both.

The notion, for instance, that Gameplay is not and never is Roleplay, is a recent invention created by the moderators. I say "recent" meaning perhaps since 2007. For instance, if I, in my capacity as the ruler of the nation of Blackbird, a notorious enemy of invaders, were to say "Invaders are scum," people in my day would understand that to be a type of roleplay. I was not actually trolling or flaming the players behind invader nations. Of course, as any person with half a brain would realize, wiping all invaders off the earth wouldn't make defending a very fun or profitable enterprise, but my RPing as my nation "Blackbird" would of course be in favor of that.

I think the moderator push to state that GP is never RP (i.e. gameplay is always OOC) is harmful to the game, but my concerns have always fallen on deaf ears, and that battle was lost long ago.

[Blackbird]

I noticed some guys state that,the Meritocracy was one of the most influential regions in the history game. Who were they? Why are they famous (if at all), and what happened to the region and its members?

Searching Meritocracy in this thread yielded me the following. Let me know if you want to know more:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=152919&p=13848928&hilit=Meritocracy#p13843469
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=152919&p=19272334&hilit=Meritocracy#p19272334
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=152919&p=19289597&hilit=Meritocracy#p19289597

[Anako]

I noticed some guys state that,the Meritocracy was one of the most influential regions in the history game. Who were they? Why are they famous (if at all), and what happened to the region and its members?

Searching Meritocracy in this thread yielded me the following. Let me know if you want to know more:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=152919&p=13848928&hilit=Meritocracy#p13843469
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=152919&p=19272334&hilit=Meritocracy#p19272334
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=152919&p=19289597&hilit=Meritocracy#p19289597

Many thanks!

[Darkesia]

I think the moderator push to state that GP is never RP (i.e. gameplay is always OOC) is harmful to the game, but my concerns have always fallen on deaf ears, and that battle was lost long ago.

This. Over and over again, this.

[Blackbird]

Searching Meritocracy in this thread yielded me the following. Let me know if you want to know more:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=152919&p=13848928&hilit=Meritocracy#p13843469
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=152919&p=19272334&hilit=Meritocracy#p19272334
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=152919&p=19289597&hilit=Meritocracy#p19289597

Many thanks!

A pleasure.

[Blackbird]

I think the moderator push to state that GP is never RP (i.e. gameplay is always OOC) is harmful to the game, but my concerns have always fallen on deaf ears, and that battle was lost long ago.

This. Over and over again, this.

Indeed.

I don't know if it was a conscious decision by the Moderators to utterly destroy the vibrant RP aspects of Gameplay, but it's certainly one that they rigorously enforce, and to the detriment of the game.

[All Good People]

I definately agree. There is nation roleplay, international roleplay, regional roleplay, government roleplay, military roleplay.....and it can all include or not include gameplay elements. How anyone can claim that gameplay...... with it's politics and governments and propaganda and whatnot..... is not roleplay is beyond me. The forced segregation just confuses players and leads to more conflict. Roleplayed Gameplay makes NS fun.

Historically it comes in many forms, NPO, ADN, RLA, DEN The Crimson Order, The Empire, on and on. It's all roleplayed gameplay.

[Space Dandy]

I definately agree. There is nation roleplay, international roleplay, regional roleplay, government roleplay, military roleplay.....and it can all include or not include gameplay elements. How anyone can claim that gameplay...... with it's politics and governments and propaganda and whatnot..... is not roleplay is beyond me. The forced segregation just confuses players and leads to more conflict. Roleplayed Gameplay makes NS fun.

Historically it comes in many forms, NPO, ADN, RLA, DEN The Crimson Order, The Empire, on and on. It's all roleplayed gameplay.

I mostly came to the same conclusion before I asked Blackbird. Though, I'd like to think of there being simulation & roleplay. Similar but not exact. Simulation is mostly what we refer to gameplay, and is not always in-character due to meta elements. That doesn't mean that gameplay isn't anywhere close to roleplay, it's just different.

[Frattastan II]

(Replying from another thread).

I would be surprised if raiders ever out did defenders in terms of non-update operations

They won at least once.
A coalition led by The Land of Kings and Emperors (assisted, according to the WFE, by Catlandatopia, Corporate Conservative, The New Inquisition, Empires of Earth, Aeazen Combine, Great Green Federation, Genesis Federation, Black Hawks, Viking Empire, Raider Intel HQ, Aryan Reigns, Hampshire, Union of National Socialists and Marijuana Militia) captured Marxist Leninist Party on 20 June 2007, beating defenders 89-82 at update.
I don't know the defenders involved, but at the very least ADN/DSA, TITO and SFBA should all have been.

I don't recall a non-update battle in quite some time.

There was one in Pirates this week, but it was relatively small (19-14 or so?).

[Space Dandy]

(Replying from another thread).

I would be surprised if raiders ever out did defenders in terms of non-update operations

They won at least once.
A coalition led by The Land of Kings and Emperors (assisted, according to the WFE, by Catlandatopia, Corporate Conservative, The New Inquisition, Empires of Earth, Aeazen Combine, Great Green Federation, Genesis Federation, Black Hawks, Viking Empire, Raider Intel HQ, Aryan Reigns, Hampshire, Union of National Socialists and Marijuana Militia) captured Marxist Leninist Party on 20 June 2007, beating defenders 89-82 at update.
I don't know the defenders involved, but at the very least ADN/DSA, TITO and SFBA should all have been.

I don't recall a non-update battle in quite some time.

There was one in Pirates this week, but it was relatively small (19-14 or so?).

Sigh... Pirates.

[Adab]

A simple question (sorry if it has been answered before, I just didn't see the answer): What was the first user-created region in NS history? When was it founded?

[Sichuan Pepper]

The Rum was good that day.

[Unibot III]

A simple question (sorry if it has been answered before, I just didn't see the answer): What was the first user-created region in NS history? When was it founded?

It would have likely have been founded November 13 (NS's creation date), although a picture that Max Barry released of a test version of NationStates had The World page noting the existence of three or four regions, I believe.

The name is lost to the sands of time, but my bet would be on something like "Australia"?