Neutral Ground - an Open Discussion Thread

[Valrifell]

I can't stop laughing at this slip-up.

"When talking smack goes horribly wrong"

I'm cracking up. Gonna have to watch my posts with you on the other side, aren't I?


Watch, I bet this is never going to die now >.> Years later, this will be the quote I'm remembered for, won't it?

#NeverForget

[Drasnia]

I can't stop laughing at this slip-up.

"When talking smack goes horribly wrong"

I'm cracking up. Gonna have to watch my posts with you on the other side, aren't I?


Watch, I bet this is never going to die now >.> Years later, this will be the quote I'm remembered for, won't it?

If you aren't remembered for it, I will be disappointing.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

I'm cracking up. Gonna have to watch my posts with you on the other side, aren't I?


Watch, I bet this is never going to die now >.> Years later, this will be the quote I'm remembered for, won't it?

If you aren't remembered for it, I will be disappointing.

[Drasnia]

If you aren't remembered for it, I will be disappointing.

I thought it was pretty clever

[Eluvatar]

Disappointing indeed.

[The Blaatschapen]

March 2003 here, move over newbies

December 2002, please do not destroy my lawn.

[New Dukaine]

March 2003 here, move over newbies

December 2002, please do not destroy my lawn.

February 2016, you can execute me now

[Drop Your Pants]

December 2002, please do not destroy my lawn.

Your lawn was turned into apartments which have since been demolished and turned into a dump.

[Bhang Bhang Duc]

please do not destroy my lawn.

Isn't that what the Pope shouts down at the crowds in St Peter's Square?

[Todd McCloud]

Ever notice how when spring first appears, dandelions are all over the freaking place, but then give way to clover? You spend all this time trying to have a good lawn so the homeowner's association really thinks you know what you're doing out there, and you even start to get emails from them stating how they'd like for you to be on some kind of committee to fix the sign leading into the development, the sign that you really don't care about because you're working a lot since you really care about the company you work for and the people therein, even if they sometimes can get a little on your nerves? You know what I mean. They're generally older than you, perhaps a little more set in their ways, and their antics and little fights with each other kind of make you laugh a little bit as you formulate chemicals necessary for a particular industry. Oh? You don't formulate? Well, clearly we're from a different world and there's no way you can relate to what goes on in my neck of the woods. We're like polar opposites, you and I. Peanut butter to jelly. Ying to a yang. Husband to wife. Oh? You didn't expect that analogy? Well, let me rock your world!

Not really. Truthfully, I started NS as a sophomore in college. I had little understanding of politics, but perhaps more of an understanding as I do now, because I would've never predicted the runners for office way back then. I was swept in the R&D game, became a delegate of a feeder, and that's pretty much it. I was on several committees, introduced a few people to the game here and there, but really, I didn't do a whole lot. The real accolades came from those who were swept up along the way, cause anyone who is worth their salt will tell you not any one person accomplishes stuff here; rather, it's the supporting cast that really makes stuff happen, cause someone can shout until the foxes come home, but unless they really believe what you're saying, nothing will get done. It's a concerted effort, this game is. And while it needs figureheads, they're not really important. What is important is the journey along the way.

And, knowing that, I've come to realize that a lot of the people who were around during that magical reign from 2009-2011 in TEP, or the various Fox Rite conquests, or, heck, helped form the National Slavic Alliance, are pretty much gone in one form or another, though some from Fox Rite are still hammin' it up in GP (not to worry, your identities are safe and always will be). Furthermore, the game's kind of different now. Whereas in the past it was totally okay to joke and poke fun of coups and rumors of coups, doing so now can end one's in-game career. Today, it seems every other week there are a handful of bans or DOS's every week from people who were breaking rules in one form or another. Even satire is placed under a giant, glaring magnifying glass and honed in, like burning ants on the sidewalk in the name of feelings and various meaningless regional embassies and restrictive treaties that quite frankly don't really do anything anymore other than force a region to behave in a certain way. And that leads me to another thing: regions don't change much anymore. The big movers and shakers are tired these days, it seems. And everyone's favorite punching bag, Osiris, will continue to do so, I think, mostly because it's like trying to start a car on jumper cables - sure, it works if the contacts are clean, but eventually they become corroded and hard to work with, becoming less effective. There's not really an NS mechanic on hand, so this is what we're left to deal with.

But I digress. What's really important is the journey. The fun along the way. And what creates that fun is different opinions, challenges, and, yes, chaos. I see the game is and always will be full of different opinions, so it has that. But I think what starts to cause players to wear down is the element of challenge. If there's no challenge, people get complacent, they become stale, and logging on every day turns into every other day, then every other week, followed by some long drawn-out retirement thread where they pat everyone they like on the back, then they don't log in for a while, then they meekly come back, perhaps do a thing or two, then retire for good. I've seen it time and time again. What's worse is there's not a lot of chaos anymore. There's not a whole lot of rising factions people seem conflicted over. No real fight. Please, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I've been here for a while and the game just doesn't seem to have the kind of passion it once had. Blame aside, it's something that's been on my mind for a while. I really hope I'm wrong here and that I'm just focused on other stuff, but it seems to me that chaos and challenge are a bit on the down-low these days.

You've read it this far? Well, then, you are filled with determination! I like that about you - always determined and ready to push forward and face problems head-on. I really do believe NSers eventually go on to become leaders in their own right, be it in politics, their own community, or even their family unit, whatever it may be. I think this game teaches a lot about maturity and group behavior, but a lot of it is untapped... and I'm not sure how to tap it. At any rate, since you've read it this far, no, I'm not retiring. You know that if you have street savoir-faire. I've already said that if and when I do, most probably won't know because I kind of don't like those long drawn-out orations like someone's writing their own eulogy or something. Instead, this is just a heads-up, a see where everyone's goin, a sort of, hey, haven't really had a lot of good stuff to say in a while, so what's up. I got tired of seeing all the threads about people being harassed, people being upset, and people getting DOS'd on this game. It's definitely a cold prickly. Doesn't jive well with me. But, since I don't really have anything to add to any of those conversations, I decided to perhaps change the subject a little.

NS, to me at least, seems kind of down. I want to make it seem less down. I know this game is laden with awesome, hard-working people (yourself included if you've read this far, because I veer off-topic faster than a bumper car that has experienced freedom for the first time in its working lifetime), but I'm sure others have reached the same conclusion as I did - I don't know what to do. Perhaps we fight this problem with angst or some other kind of venting, but that's not truly productive. What's left to do? Do I have this picture wrong? Is there something awesome that I can't see? I'm sure there is, but that's perhaps the purpose of the thread. I wanna hear positive stuff. I don't want to hear more negative stuff. That pushes folks away from this great game.

So, long story short, anyone heard any good jokes lately?

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

What's the funniest type of piano, Todd?

A Yamahahahahhahahahha!

I read every word, btw. If you want to mix things up a bit, just let me know your plan for giving me the TEP delegacy and I'd be happy to stir some fires

[Queen Yuno]

Elephant garlic?

[Sierra Lyricalia]

The governor of a northern province of the Roman Empire summons his
closest aide and discloses to him a potentially career-ending secret:
he has recently converted to pacifism. The aide reaffirms his
undeviating loyalty, but must inform his boss of some unfortunate
military intelligence: German tribes have staged a disorganized and
foolish attack on one of the Roman border fortresses. Knowing Roman
law requires full-fledged war in response to any territorial
infringement, the aide suggests they relax over a meal to discuss
stalling strategies. The governor declines. "I've never told anyone
this," he says, "but the prospect of violence always makes me queasy.
So what with the impending war and all...

"...I guess I've got a cautious belly."

[Adytus]

I wanna hear positive stuff.

I am having a lot of fun doing stuff in the Security Council. The words and creative rhetoric are like a big puzzle that is not caught up in the tremendous amount of information the General Assembly is, although I am still trying to come up with something for that. There is just so much to do there, and so much going on at once.

[Sea Lion]

I wanna hear positive stuff.

I am having a lot of fun doing stuff in the Security Council. The words and creative rhetoric are like a big puzzle that is not caught up in the tremendous amount of information the General Assembly is, although I am still trying to come up with something for that. There is just so much to do there, and so much going on at once.

A fair statement. Points to you for getting involved in productive Security Council legislation.

[Adytus]

I am having a lot of fun doing stuff in the Security Council. The words and creative rhetoric are like a big puzzle that is not caught up in the tremendous amount of information the General Assembly is, although I am still trying to come up with something for that. There is just so much to do there, and so much going on at once.

A fair statement. Points to you for getting involved in productive Security Council legislation.

Thank you. I was in the need for some points.

[Ambrella]

I, for one, am looking for new adventures in NS to pair with my new adventures in real life. Who knows what will become of me...

[Mallorea and Riva]

Chat thread merged into the actual chat thread.

[Ayvari]

I wanna hear positive stuff. I don't want to hear more negative stuff.

Raiders and defenders are both alive and well, despite all claims to the contrary by others or either side. The game lives on!

[Todd McCloud]

Chat thread merged into the actual chat thread.

They are / were completely different threads - I do not expect neutrality in my thread nor was it meant to be open to a discussion regarding anything.

Off-sides, five yard penalty. Repeat First Down.

[Mallorea and Riva]

Chat thread merged into the actual chat thread.

They are / were completely different threads - I do not expect neutrality in my thread nor was it meant to be open to a discussion regarding anything.

Off-sides, five yard penalty. Repeat First Down.

Feel free to request a second opinion in moderation, but as far as I could tell the thread was going nowhere fast.

[Todd McCloud]

They are / were completely different threads - I do not expect neutrality in my thread nor was it meant to be open to a discussion regarding anything.

Off-sides, five yard penalty. Repeat First Down.

Feel free to request a second opinion in moderation, but as far as I could tell the thread was going nowhere fast.

If that was all that it took to merge or close threads, well, I think there'd be less threads in gameplay.

And I am aware of that option - it has not been submitted, and it might never be submitted. I'll see where this goes. It's like a blank check for shifting the topic in a thread. A really long thread, but eh. Regardless it's posted and people may respond to it via being non-neutral if they wish, as far as I can tell.

*picks up the flag*

[Unibot III]

People should try to make a GCR org or two. Those are always fun. Now that I'm retired I can just shameless suggest ideas like that out of sheer mischief, this is great.

[Numero Capitan]

To be fair, I'm far more likely to read a post in here and contribute than I am to read a monologue with its own topic and some vague title.

Considering the amount of nations there are these days and the amount of large regions that could be doing something interesting there really hasn't been a lot happening apart from the odd spontaneous combustion. Noone's really doing anything particularly new any more and people would rather pull-out the same old re-runs rather than develop an apetite for something actually interesting and worthwhile

[Belschaft]

Hey, TSP is doing some new stuff; it's just not very interesting to anyone outside of TSP being none-drama related