The Raven Post: Regional Contest!

[Petyr]

I very much enjoyed reading this. Parts hit pretty close to home for me.

I hope the following isn't a thread-jack, but since you did a great job here I would like to offer you another story.

Apparently there is significant interest in the origin story of Petyr. People seem strangely focused on who I was, so much so it appears a high ranking officer in DEN lost their main nation using illegal tactics to try to get my IP (trying to get me to view the image that gives away my IP). Those tools are NOT cool, guys.

I honestly can't understand why there is so much interest. It doesn't matter; I assumed everyone would figure it out at some point anyway and I would refuse to confirm or deny and it would be no big deal. But at this point I'm entertained enough to make an event of it. If you're interested I'll give you nine Yes-or-No questions, on the record, that I will honestly answer about my former identity. The tenth can be a guess at my former identity. If you can figure out who I was I'll happily explain myself to your reporter. If not I'll give another NS Newspaper another 5 Qs. My only condition is that you give my statement explaining my conversion to Petyr a fair reflection in your piece, should you win.

Unraveling the mystery people were willing to be DEATed for... Sounds like a fun game to me, and then at least something good came from this, no? If you are not interested though, no big deal. I'm surprised people have cared this much.

Petyr

[Shadoke]

I very much enjoyed reading this. Parts hit pretty close to home for me.

I hope the following isn't a thread-jack, but since you did a great job here I would like to offer you another story.

Apparently there is significant interest in the origin story of Petyr. People seem strangely focused on who I was, so much so it appears a high ranking officer in DEN lost their main nation using illegal tactics to try to get my IP (trying to get me to view the image that gives away my IP). Those tools are NOT cool, guys.

I honestly can't understand why there is so much interest. It doesn't matter; I assumed everyone would figure it out at some point anyway and I would refuse to confirm or deny and it would be no big deal. But at this point I'm entertained enough to make an event of it. If you're interested I'll give you nine Yes-or-No questions, on the record, that I will honestly answer about my former identity. The tenth can be a guess at my former identity. If you can figure out who I was I'll happily explain myself to your reporter. If not I'll give another NS Newspaper another 5 Qs. My only condition is that you give my statement explaining my conversion to Petyr a fair reflection in your piece, should you win.

Unraveling the mystery people were willing to be DEATed for... Sounds like a fun game to me, and then at least something good came from this, no? If you are not interested though, no big deal. I'm surprised people have cared this much.

Petyr

Why do you feel such a need to hide it? Is your past that bad?

[Land filled with People]

Why the assumption that Pete's past is bad?

More importantly, and speaking about GP broadly, why can't someone make a new identity and not be hassled over it?

If someone says something insightful, does it matter who they are? And if they're talking bollocks does knowing their 'main' impact how you call them out on it?

By all means, be concerned about a player's past for regional security. But here, in gameplay, there's no need for that. The mods are in charge, and they can find out Pete's identity any time they like.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

Because generally, when you start over from scratch with a new identity, you've got something to hide, or a reputation you're trying to escape. Which isn't always bad, sure. But you also don't see a lot of open people going around making new anonymous puppets to comment on things with. Xor makes Ayvari, Kemi makes a new nation every other month, I used Harenhime for a lot for a while...new nations aren't the issue it's the whole "oh I'm an experienced play, but not saying who!" card that annoys people.

As an extension of that thought - when it's to the point that said person is willing to reveal said hidden identity, but only by making the community play a public game to their rules that lands them in the news, it sure walks like attention-seeking and quacks like attention-seeking.

[Petyr]

Did I ever claim any experience at all? I definitely do have an ego, guilty. But this is legitimately just an enjoyment of puzzles. Figuring out mysteries is fun! If Balder doesn't want to play, I am cool with that. Just putting options on the table if they want it.

[Green Fields and Rivers]

Because generally, when you start over from scratch with a new identity, you've got something to hide, or a reputation you're trying to escape. Which isn't always bad, sure. But you also don't see a lot of open people going around making new anonymous puppets to comment on things with. Xor makes Ayvari, Kemi makes a new nation every other month, I used Harenhime for a lot for a while...new nations aren't the issue it's the whole "oh I'm an experienced play, but not saying who!" card that annoys people.

Sure, but as I see it, you can tell from someone's posts if they really are experienced or not. Either way, you can either call them out for poor arguments/being out of touch/having no idea what they're talking about, or you can accept that they have some valid points and address them, rather than get caught up on what nation(s) they own.

As an extension of that thought - when it's to the point that said person is willing to reveal said hidden identity, but only by making the community play a public game to their rules that lands them in the news, it sure walks like attention-seeking and quacks like attention-seeking.

Reading older posts, it seems other people are more interested in making this news than the nation in question Either way, it could be one of the more entertaining things to happen in here of late, the recent gum-barbarism excepted.

[Tano]

Because generally, when you start over from scratch with a new identity, you've got something to hide, or a reputation you're trying to escape. Which isn't always bad, sure. But you also don't see a lot of open people going around making new anonymous puppets to comment on things with. Xor makes Ayvari, Kemi makes a new nation every other month, I used Harenhime for a lot for a while...new nations aren't the issue it's the whole "oh I'm an experienced play, but not saying who!" card that annoys people.

Sure, but as I see it, you can tell from someone's posts if they really are experienced or not. Either way, you can either call them out for poor arguments/being out of touch/having no idea what they're talking about, or you can accept that they have some valid points and address them, rather than get caught up on what nation(s) they own.

As an extension of that thought - when it's to the point that said person is willing to reveal said hidden identity, but only by making the community play a public game to their rules that lands them in the news, it sure walks like attention-seeking and quacks like attention-seeking.

Reading older posts, it seems other people are more interested in making this news than the nation in question Either way, it could be one of the more entertaining things to happen in here of late, the recent gum-barbarism excepted.

Obligatory who are you

[The Blaatschapen]

On the embassy topic: I remember that in the old forums of Belgium that an embassy forum also had a 'backdoor' that was not visible to anyone besides the ambassador {and others from said region} and the Belgian citizens (maybe even only the officials, not sure, I was not a regional member, but an ambassador/related foreigner).

It's where the booze was hidden

[Solorni]

Apparently we should give Avakael a raise!

[The Raven Post]

The Osiris Election Issue
September 2015



Elections in Osiris
By Rachel Eriksen

Elections are currently underway in the Osiris Fraternal Order with Ainocra, Ainocrez and Festavo running. The general mood appears to be bearish about the present and the future. Notable Osirians such as Lord Ravenclaw expressed this by stating that those who Osiris relied on for activity and leadership have been retiring.

Ainocra in his campaign pushes a centralist agenda, espousing neither raiding nor defender and instead seeks an independent middle as well as for building relations with all regions. His goal is to further the security of Osiris through the establishment of relations and he lists the Lazarus-Osiris non-violence agreement which he negotiated as an example of this. In media and culture, he pledges to quicken the pace of the news cycle to further enhance the region.

Festavo in his campaign presents that the idea that if he is elected he will give the greatest effort and put Osiris first. He presents his inexperience as a strength by stating it’s a fresh perspective. Festavo in his campaign pushes for people to bring their ideas and opinions so that he can put them into policy. This approach even includes his campaign slogan.

Ainocrez has not yet posted a campaign.

Election Interview with Ainocra
Rachel Eriksen

Rach: Welcome to the The Raven Post

Ainocra: Thanks for having me

Rach: What has prompted you to run for delegate again?

Ainocra: To be honest I decided to run again just after the last election. I feel that I have a lot to offer Osiris in terms of vision and activity and I might have watched too much Star Trek as a kid, I don't like to lose. So I figured I could mope, or do something about it.

Rach: Now this question might lead to some polarization among supporters and voters, but which Star Trek do you draw this inspiration from?

Ainocra: All of them, I watched the original on a black and white tv as a kid, and each time a new one comes out I tend to watch it. I will admit that I'm not big on the JJverse, I think he went the wrong direction but that's my personal preference.

Rach: Reading your platform, it would seem that the experience you draw most on is that of a NatSov. I have two questions regarding that. Firstly, do you see the role of a GCR delegate more geared towards GA legislature? Secondly, do you feel your NatSov roots guides your philosophy when it comes to executive actions?

Ainocra: I feel that the GCR delegates do have an important role to play in the GA and SC chambers. They represent the largest constituencies in the game and have a duty in my eyes to make the voice of those constituents known. Taken collectively the GCR delegates can literally make or break a resolution in either chamber.

Ainocra: As for my executive philosophy, I tend to think of myself as a guide more than anything. I intend to present a series of goals and then help my cabinet in achieving those goals so I would say that my Natsov philosophy does play a large part in how I govern.

It's my view that my cabinet will need the freedom to do their jobs, micromanagement it a bad thing and something I strive not to practice.

Rach: It does tend to be a difficult balance. In your campaign you discussed wanting to hound ministers, could you explain this further?

Ainocra: I will do my best to maintain regular contact with my ministers and ensure that they have the tools they need to accomplish the goals I have put before them. It just sounds funnier when we talk about hounding them.

That being said I do understand that real life comes first, and NS must take a backseat to things like school and work.

Rach: Let's talk about your foreign affairs and military program, you discuss an independence philosophy. Is this "Independence" the official stance, or is it more of your own philosophy and potentially more of spin off?

Ainocra: It's based on my own experiences and philosophy, but if elected it will be my philosophy that guides Osiris for the foreseeable future. I have never cared for ideological extremes of any stripe, be they game related or out in the real world. It's also a matter of practicality, I feel that Osiris cannot benefit from adhering to either of the stated extremes that exist in the NS world. We would be better served by looking at each situation that may arise as how it impacts the interests of our people.

Rach: A fan of pragmatism and realpolitik?

Ainocra: Life has taught me to be a pragmatist, and if elected it is my duty to govern, not be hidebound by ideology. a lesson I think some of our real world leaders could sorely use.

Rach: Why should Osirans vote for you over Festavo and Ainocrez?

Ainocra: To be completely honest of all the ideas presented so far mine seem to be the best. Ainocrez has put forth no platform so far and might only be running just to tweak my nose. He and I have been friends for over a decade now.

As for Festavo he has good ideas but lacks my experience. I don't feel he would be bad at the job, but I naturally feel as if I would be better for Osiris.

Rach: Last election, there was a rumour that you would coup Osiris if elected and at least one person has talked about that this election. I must ask, would you coup Osiris and why do people believe this?

Ainocra: No I would not coup Osiris. I doubt that anyone honestly thinks I would do it. I've never couped anything but I do like to make coup jokes. Guess that's what I get for hanging out with Tim so much during his terms. When I first read the allegations during the last election I laughed so hard and long it brought tears to my eyes. They were just that silly.

Rach: Finally, and you better not evade it this time... Kirk or Picard?

Ainocra nimbly dodges

Ainocra: that's a tough one. I like Kirk's cowboy style, but Picard has that singular mind about him. Depending on the situation, it could go either way. I think at heart I am a creature of intellect, If I must choose then it should be Picard. Though I must state that the choice is in no way a besmirching of James Kirk. If it weren't for Kirk we wouldn't have Picard

Rach: Always the politician

Well, thanks for coming and best of luck in your election!

Ainocra: Thank you and thanks for having me! I look forward to reading the post

Election Interview with Festavo
Rachel Eriksen

Rach: Welcome to The Raven Post, Festavo!

Fest Thanks for having me, Rachel.

Rach: So why should voters choose you over Ainocra and Ainocrez?

Fest I believe that would be up to the voters themselves. I have posted my platform and I am answering any questions they have for me and I believe that, in the end, they will make the decision they feel is right. I have nothing bad to say about either candidates. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. My main strength and expertise is military while, say, Ainocra's would be the World Assembly. Each candidate has their beliefs and ideas and I would not say either one of us is better than the other. The only way to tell is to be elected and prove yourself. It isn't my place to judge myself or my opponents, that is the voter's job

Rach: So different but equal?

Fest That's about right I would say.

Rach: Now, you talk about leading by asking for the opinions of everyone in the region. How far does this go? IE: Does this also include nations on the region-side?

Fest If a nation game-side wants to telegram me his/her opinion, I would gladly take it into account. I wouldn't be making a poll to decide my every decision though. I will be welcoming the opinion of the populace, but if the nation doesn't have a forum account and isn't involved in some department, I want them to. So, I think, any nation that cares enough to voice their opinion should be involved on the forum side aspect of the community, in most cases.

Rach: You don't talk too much about foreign affairs in your manifesto, what will foreign affairs look like under your administration? What regions will you expand ties with?

Fest Foreign Affairs isn't really my specialty. I mentioned in my manifesto that I would be looking for a good solid candidate for Minister of Foreign Affairs who knows more about that aspect. I think it is important to keep good relations with other GCRs. I would like to see an embassy established with The South Pacific and see an expansion of relations there for example. I haven't delved that much into Foreign Affairs. We have some allies right now that it would be nice to get more involved with, but I would also have to consult with some people who have more knowledge in that area.

Rach: Ainocra has talked about hounding ministers to ensure they will do their job, would you do the same?

Fest Yes. I would pushing them to keep active in their ministries and, if I can, replace any inactive scribes. I hope that it wouldn't come to that though. I would try to make sure there is clear communication between myself and my scribes by making use of the dusty old Hedjet IRC and skype chat as well as one on one communication. I would make it clear I expect them to keep busy

Rach: You have said that Osiris is your number 1 priority, will that continue even if you aren't elected?

Fest Yes. I thought about forming my own region if I am not elected, but I think that I would be better off making an existing region that needs my help my number 1 priority and working hard for that region than bringing a new region into the fold. So, yes. Osiris is my number 1 priority and will be, even if not elected, for the foreseeable future.

Rach: Ainocra has stated he will be independent in both his military and foreign affairs. Where would you say your philosophy lies and what you would try to set as the delegate, particularly with regards to the military?

Fest As Scribe of War, I have worked with various militaries. I have worked with EPSA, SPSF, Antifa, TBH, BoM, NPA, LWU and others. I have worked a large amount with raiders, but I have also worked with independent militaries like EPSA, SPSF and NPA. I have worked with Antifa as well because Osiris is anti-fash. I am a raider, but I am open to working with other affiliations. I have in the past and I will in the future. The Scribe of War will also have some say in this matter

Rach: Now, we asked Ainocra this so I feel its fair to ask you as well... Are you a fan of Star Trek, and if so... do you prefer Kirk or Picard?

Fest I would also prefer to think of myself as an imperialistic raider. I am not a fan of Star Trek.

Rach: What sort of pop culture has influenced you the most then?

Fest That's tough. I have seen a ton of movies, but one that comes to mind would be Rocky or maybe the old school John Wayne westerns that I used to love. As far as music I would say older 70-80s rock held a big influence on me. That is just to name a few things. I think everybody is influenced by a great deal of popular culture, or at least I have. It is hard to just pick a couple things like a movie or a song or something.

Rach: Thank you for your time and best of luck in your campaign

Fest There are many different actors, musicians and other people who have had an impact on me or of home I just like

Thank you for interviewing me and I hope The Raven Post becomes a regular thing I can look forward to reading

Osiris: Despite Stability, Old Attitudes Linger
By Cormac Stark

When asked to write this commentary for the Raven Post, I assumed that I would approach it by looking at the structural strengths and weaknesses of the Osiris Fraternal Order to discuss what is working in Osiris and what isn't. Indeed, there are many things that are working in Osiris that make me proud as a former Osiran and should make current Osirans proud as well. The region has been more consistently stable and secure than it has been at any point since mid-2012. Osiris is no longer the punchline of every coup joke nor the region that foreign onlookers most expect to be vulnerable to a coup. This is definitely a cause for celebration for any Osiran who is familiar with the cataclysmic events of 2013 -- a year that began and ended with seismic shifts in the government and community, with a coup d'etat by Gatesville Inc in between, and a year which can only be described as the Osiran dark age.

The stability that Osiris currently enjoys is not only stability in its governing structure and its security apparatus, but a stability in its community that was slower in coming even after the Osiris Fraternal Order was established. Gone are the explosive arguments between prominent regional figures, dividing the community into "us vs. them" factions. Personalities will clash in any regional community, but Osiris seems to have turned the page on the chapter of its history that was characterized by divisive and ultimately destructive personality politics. This too is a cause for celebration, as personality politics have dominated the Osiran government and community from the earliest days, and many from both within and without wondered if that would ever truly change.

There can be no question that these triumphs for Osiris have been facilitated by the strengthened regional institutions created by the Osiris Fraternal Order in December 2013. By empowering regional governing institutions, and ensuring that no individual or faction is able to exploit a particular institution in order to assume unchecked power over the region, the Osiris Fraternal Order has created the political atmosphere that was needed to put an end to personality politics, divisive interpersonal power struggles, and chronic regional instability. Yet Osiris remains weak in one significant area, activity, and it has been difficult for anyone to pinpoint exactly why and how regional institutions have failed in this regard. It was only after reading a comment in a campaign thread for one of the candidates in the ongoing Pharaoh election that it occurred to me: It isn't regional institutions that are hurting activity, but rather regional attitudes.

"I think you are going to struggle [to] motivate people with a mainly negative outlook," North East Somerset said to Pharaoh candidate and current Scribe of War Festavo. "You can't just demand people are active and they treat Osiris as their number 1 priority. The regional leadership have to incentivise them why they should contribute more. We should embrace people that currently might only have Osiris as a low priority, but where the potential exists for them to do more here."

He added: "Talk more about opportunities for success, not just the impending doom if things don't improve."

This is what is plaguing activity in Osiris, not so much its regional institutions but rather a community malaise that has afflicted the region for quite some time. This malaise is by no means unique to any candidate or leader but rather has permeated the culture of Osiris for years. Although institutionally Osiris may have turned the page on the instability and divisive politics of its past, culturally a crisis attitude has remained the norm even as Osiris approaches the two year anniversary of the Osiris Fraternal Order and two years of consistent security. There is little sense of optimism as the Osiran community continues to see every problem not as a challenge that can be overcome with community enthusiasm and cooperation, but rather as a war that must be fought to the death. There is still a siege mentality under which Osirans worry that too much of this, too little of that will bring back the turmoil of 2013. Without optimism and enthusiasm, which have instead been replaced by gloom and a sense of foreboding, it's little wonder that activity remains low. Who wants to participate in that kind of cultural atmosphere?

For Osiris to overcome its last major weakness, inactivity, it needs to worry less about overcoming its last major weakness, at least on those negative terms. The wolves are not at the door ready to devour you, your government, and your region if your post count is low today. Activity shouldn't be a source of anxiety, it should be something that arises spontaneously from a community that wants to spend time having fun with each other and voluntarily working together for betterment of their region and regional interests. Osiris needs leadership that is less worried about inactivity, less demanding of contribution than its leaders have been since late 2013, and more interested in creating a more positive atmosphere in which people will naturally want to contribute. Osiris needs optimists who can make participating in the region feel fun again, not worried and frazzled people who feel that the well-being of the community rests entirely on their shoulders and whose anxiety demoralizes the entire community.

If Osiris wants to fully turn the page on its dark age, changing institutions isn't enough. It's even more important for attitudes to change. If Osirans want to leave their dark age behind them, instead of thinking and talking like it's a dark day in a region plagued by turmoil -- which is, fortunately, no longer true -- they should start thinking and talking like it's a new day in a young Sinker still filled with opportunities. The four year anniversary of Osiris' (and Balder's!) creation is coming up later this month and there could be no better time for Osirans to decide that a new and brighter day, not another dark day, has finally arrived.

Thank you for reading our special Osiris Election edition! Please tell us what you think, as we would potentially like to make this a staple for future elections in many regions. Ideas are looking at implementing in the future for election coverage are polls and hosting debates between candidates. Best of luck Osiris!

[Glen-Rhodes]

I'm glad others are quickly coming to realize now what I figured out well over a year ago regarding NS foreign affairs. Embassies are useless. Monthly updates are a waste of time.

Unfortunately, I found myself out of a job because TSPers jaded over low activity bought the erroneous argument that returning back to the monthly update paradigm was a great way to bring up our activity levels.

I really hope more regions begin to recognize the futility of this old paradigm. We stagnate ourselves when we don't look for new ways to do things. Forum embassies have never meant very much, and mean even less in an era where diplomatic relationships can be codified in the game itself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ainocra]

An excellent read, I found both Fest's interview and Cormac's piece to be enlightening and entertaining.

Thanks again for having me.

[North East Somerset]

A drought of media publications, then this. Great work to all involved, especially Rach.

I think the stand out article was clearly Avakael's piece on embassies. He's dead right, wouldn't it be so much better if we had ambassadors like they are in RL, skilled people trusted to exercise a degree of discretion in interacting with key people in the country in which they reside. Maybe some day a region will grab this bull by the horns, and really do everything in their powers to make ambassadors the prestigious position that they deserve to be, rather than a junior position for newer members! But, the challenges are considerable, put yourself in the position of the Head of Government. You need positions for junior members, and this has been proven to work. You don't really want to trust new people in Foreign Affairs because it could end up in a big mess which you have to clean up. There's a lot of reasons why you would just like to keep the situation like it was.

And I must admit, whilst we are here, I have a guilty confession. I was one of the first Foreign Ministers, back in GB&I in 2005, to turn ambassadors into a numbers machine. Quite literally, I had a scoring system for our embassies which assigned different levels of priority, different objectives and targets - and a colour code for ambassadors seniority. This was industrial scale diplomacy, and we churned out dozens of long painstakingly written foreign updates full of content, and distributed them to over 50 regions. It really was a massive operation. Maybe nobody read all the articles, but was that the point? I think the real point was to say we could do this. And that's still the case today. It takes a decent amount of effort and skill to churn out regular quality updates, and distribute them effectively. If a region can do that - its worth paying attention to. But look, its 10 years later, I believe in progress, maybe we should be moving on and looking at new ideas, rather than monotony.

As for the latest articles on Osiran elections, this is a subject close to my heart, and I enjoyed reading from the two candidates, both of whom I hold in good regard. I also thought Cormac's article, as often is the case, hit the nail on the head. And that's not just because he quoted me. A region is but a group of people interacting. So I guess it should come as no surprise to us all that the biggest challenge Osiris faces are the emotional scars from its history, rather than merely physical ones. Hopefully the populace generally can overcome this, but certain players never will, so it's up to the rest of them - especially the two candidates, both of whom should be able to.

[Marselesk]

I enjoyed all of the latest articles, especially Ava's embassy article. I really hope it will evolve accordingly at some point, and look forward to it.

The Osi candidates also gave interesting reads, and i'm waiting to see how this election turns out. Naturally i'll be rooting in the background for Fest

Keep the good stuff coming, Rachel

[Riftey]

Certainly am looking forward to seeing what comes of the elections. All the candidates seem to have their merits.

[Glen-Rhodes]

But look, its 10 years later, I believe in progress, maybe we should be moving on and looking at new ideas, rather than monotony.

It feels wrong saying you're right. This'll be the only time, I promise.

Too many people look towards FA as an activity-generator, when it really should be the only part of a region that's elite. That's not coming from me wanting to be elite, I swear! But FA in this game is really gut reactions based on knowing other power players, what their personal goals are, and the most effective means to counterbalance or help them. Sorry, but if you've only been playing for a month, you're not ready.

The difficulty is finding a way to get people ready, and the default (at least in TSP now) has been, "Well, just get them a job in MoFA. Make them an ambassador. They'll get experience that way." And so we have Hileville creating a points system for posting in off-site embassies, and writing a monthly update that provides no new information that hasn't already been published in the Southern Journal or SPINN or somewhere here on NS Gameplay. And in much better quality, to top it off. Unfortunately, that's the whole goal for TSP in FA now: churning out ambassadors and monthly updates, because that's a metric you can tout as activity.

I don't blame him for the poor quality of TSP's first monthly update in well over a year. He's been sick, and boring busywork with little utility is the last thing you wanna do when you're sick.

[Solorni]

We will be looking for people to help write our next issue of course

So if anyone wants to help and has some great ideas, TG me

[Trick Shot]

I would like to thank The Raven Post for coming out with this edition and I would like to thank Rachel for interviewing me. I hope to work with The Raven Post again sometime in the future. It was a pleasure.

[Klopstock]

I agree that embassies can be officious, wasteful, and often time-consuming. However, I also have little problem with that, because the opportunity embassies offer regions and the opportunity ambassador positions offer new players is still very valuable to the wider game. The relatively low bar to opening embassies is what helps new regions rise. And the relatively low bar to becoming an ambassador in most regions permits new, engaged player to start making their way in a region and the wider game. While the (rightful) criticisms about wasteful resources and glorified update distribution bureaucracies are valid, those complaints tend to come from players and regions with less to gain from the embassy system: for them it's a cost with little return. The natural result is that the use of embassies serves as a medium for change and continuity in NationStates diplomacy. And that's healthy.

And I must admit, whilst we are here, I have a guilty confession. I was one of the first Foreign Ministers, back in GB&I in 2005, to turn ambassadors into a numbers machine. Quite literally, I had a scoring system for our embassies which assigned different levels of priority, different objectives and targets - and a colour code for ambassadors seniority. This was industrial scale diplomacy, and we churned out dozens of long painstakingly written foreign updates full of content, and distributed them to over 50 regions. It really was a massive operation. Maybe nobody read all the articles, but was that the point? I think the real point was to say we could do this. And that's still the case today. It takes a decent amount of effort and skill to churn out regular quality updates, and distribute them effectively. If a region can do that - its worth paying attention to. But look, its 10 years later, I believe in progress, maybe we should be moving on and looking at new ideas, rather than monotony.

Your system also ranked ambassadors based on how reliably they posted updates and made no qualitative judgement as to an ambassador's performance in terms of affecting actual diplomatic relationships. And you employed a similar ranking system of government ministers at that time as well, which also promoted completing small tasks while obscuring the focus on actual effectiveness. It did provide an opportunity for other players however. Your successors in office could win easy plaudits by scrapping the system.

[Glen-Rhodes]

I've never met a player that got much of anything out of an ambassador position, or a region that built itself through an embassy and not through more important gameplay events. A lot the "opportunity" is idealistic theory.

Certainly in my year-long tenure as TSP's foreign affairs chief, during a period where TSP was very much a significant region in gameplay, whether your region had an embassy wasn't important. What *was* important was if your region was in R/D, what they were doing militarily, who they signed treaties with, what players they had, etc. As for ambassadors, foreign affairs is rarely conducted at that low a level. If it was a consequential interaction, it happened at the ministerial level or above. It turns that when you use a diplomatic corps to provide "experience" to inexperienced newbies, you don't trust them with the types of tasks that actually give them meaningful experience.

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[Drop Your Pants]

I've never met a player that got much of anything out of an ambassador position, or a region that built itself through an embassy and not through more important gameplay events. A lot the "opportunity" is idealistic theory.

I joined Lazarus as an ambassador from Jethnea many years ago and got involved through chatting in the embassy and general sections. I was also an ambassador from The Youngworld to Government and that tie brought TYW into the ADN.

It does happen its just sometimes hard to notice since a lot of the involved ambassadors were region whores

[Benevolent Aurors]

My ambassadorial assignment to Mordor from 10KI was really the start of my blossoming into the player I am today.

[Dyr Nasad]

I've never met a player that got much of anything out of an ambassador position, or a region that built itself through an embassy and not through more important gameplay events. A lot the "opportunity" is idealistic theory.

I joined Lazarus as an ambassador from Jethnea many years ago and got involved through chatting in the embassy and general sections. I was also an ambassador from The Youngworld to Government and that tie brought TYW into the ADN.

It does happen its just sometimes hard to notice since a lot of the involved ambassadors were region whores

I can't tie my story to specific ambassadorial assignments, but I agree with DYP's points overall. The mass of ambassador roles that I held definitely helped me during my early career.

Also agreed with (my bold)

[Solorni]

I've never met a player that got much of anything out of an ambassador position, or a region that built itself through an embassy and not through more important gameplay events. A lot the "opportunity" is idealistic theory.

I've actually made some pretty good friends via the ambassador position. When I was ambassador to Europeia, Hampshire and later TAR, I met a ton of people who were really cool and awesome

Which kinda makes me sad because some of those people are not around anymore. So I think if you as an ambassador go to make friends and interact with people, you can really gain a ton from the position.

[Cormac Stark]

I've never met a player that got much of anything out of an ambassador position, or a region that built itself through an embassy and not through more important gameplay events. A lot the "opportunity" is idealistic theory.

My ambassadorial positions were the reason I got out of Exshaw and ventured to Europeia and the other imperialist regions. Ambassadorial positions in Asgard first brought me to the Feeders and Sinkers. I doubt I would have ventured out of either region without diplomatic reasons for doing so, and if I hadn't, I definitely wouldn't be the player I am today.

I think perhaps in your quest to be right, you may have failed to actually ask other players if they got anything out of an ambassadorial position.