Game needs an Aspirations Mechanic.

[NatHuaKral]

Everyone has an idea of what they want their nation to be all about.
However, the Issue System is completely random.. This is correct, it should be randomized to better simulate how not everything goes according to plan.

BUT...
I feel adding an Aspirations system, to make getting certain issues more likely, would be a welcomed addition.

For example, I'm a Past-Tech nation... I NEED to lower my Technological Advancement, and up my Primitiveness.
But those kinds of issues are rare, and I have to dismiss so many issues because of it.
It's not like there's much in the Nation Creation that can allow a man to start primitive.
But I digress. There's so many issues, and even with 2 a day, you can go Weeks before you get the issue you need to make your nation somewhat more IC.
__________

I think having a Aspirations system, where players can choose x amount of things they want to aspire to, and things they want to aspire against, that riggs the Issue generation system slightly to make getting more relevant issues is Just what this game needs.

[Venico]

I...actually agree. *rubs his forehead* It must be early or something.

[Riemstagrad]

It's the dream of every government...

"Please give us problems we can solve in a convenient way only"

It's allready a massive advantage over the real world that we can simply dismiss issues without making things worse.

[Shogun]

Good points made here both for and against. I abstain main topic, rocognizing that issues are one of first and main aspects of the game, and that badges are often main token, excuse and reward for playing that part of the game on daily basis. However, Personally I would be happy if there would be more badges to achieve, directly related to in game happenings. For example:

- Badges unlocked by number of endorsements (10, 50, 100, 500... for example) for a nation
- Delegate badges (for active nations, elected multiple times to delegate position)
- Active voter badge for WA-GA and SC voting for/against proposals/resolutions (representing activity in these things)
- 'Citizenship' badge for nations showing Longevity for residency in a region
- 'Nomad' badge for nations with extreme mobility
- Recruiter badge (unlocked after certain amount of recruiting TGs sent)
etc.

Generally things that can be achieved in the game by actions with a nation, not in a nation. Just thinking...

[Kaboomlandia]

Good points made here both for and against. I abstain main topic, rocognizing that issues are one of first and main aspects of the game, and that badges are often main token, excuse and reward for playing that part of the game on daily basis. However, Personally I would be happy if there would be more badges to achieve, directly related to in game happenings. For example:

- Badges unlocked by number of endorsements (10, 50, 100, 500... for example) for a nation
- Delegate badges (for active nations, elected multiple times to delegate position)
- Active voter badge for WA-GA and SC voting for/against proposals/resolutions (representing activity in these things)
- 'Citizenship' badge for nations showing Longevity for residency in a region
- 'Nomad' badge for nations with extreme mobility
- Recruiter badge (unlocked after certain amount of recruiting TGs sent)
etc.

Generally things that can be achieved in the game by actions with a nation, not in a nation. Just thinking...

And how many times would TBR members get the delegate badge?

Joking aside, this has possibilities.
For 'citizenship', it could be "equivalent of 1000 unendorsed days in a region", which is actually the standard for the "influential" checkbox on polls.
For 'recruiter', I think it should be for recruiting, say, 100/200/500 nations, because just sending mass numbers of TGs seems like rewarding spam to me.
"Active voter" could be something like "vote on 5/10/15/20 consecutive GA/SC resolutions".

[Tigeria]

More relevant issues, I like that, because I have a futuristic nation on a completely different planet with more complex politics in the scifi-ish genre.

[Frisbeeteria]

More relevant issues, I like that

There is no way that any of our Issue Editors are up to the task of re-writing 400+ issues into the dozen or more RP timelines/continuities. Nor are we likely to ever generate separate issues only accessible to certain types of roleplay choices.

If you want to adapt the outcomes on your own, you can make your choices based on what you wish we had written and post it in a factbook:

What it says ... / ... what it means in <mynation>

• Billions are being spent on a new island airport ... Billions are being spent on a new outer rings spaceport
• violently opinionated speakers can be heard preaching their hateful views on every street corner ... violently opinionated speakers can be heard broadcasting their hateful views from hidden bases in asteroid fields

[NatHuaKral]

More relevant issues, I like that

There is no way that any of our Issue Editors are up to the task of re-writing 400+ issues into the dozen or more RP timelines/continuities. Nor are we likely to ever generate separate issues only accessible to certain types of roleplay choices.

If you want to adapt the outcomes on your own, you can make your choices based on what you wish we had written and post it in a factbook:

What it says ... / ... what it means in <mynation>

• Billions are being spent on a new island airport ... Billions are being spent on a new outer rings spaceport
• violently opinionated speakers can be heard preaching their hateful views on every street corner ... violently opinionated speakers can be heard broadcasting their hateful views from hidden bases in asteroid fields

That's not really what I meant by this. What I'm saying is, well, say Tigeria wants to increase its Scientific Advancement. I can set that as it's goal, and get issues related to that slightly more often.

[NatHuaKral]

It's the dream of every government...

"Please give us problems we can solve in a convenient way only"

It's allready a massive advantage over the real world that we can simply dismiss issues without making things worse.

That's true, however Real governments can also take much more initiative than we can. All change in our nations is passive in nature, we're governments that have to sit back and wait for the people to bring up Military Spending before we are allowed to decide if we want to increase, or decrease it.

This system isn't a "Please give us problems we can solve in a convenient way only" system, so much as it is a "Allow us to take initiative once in a while" system.
At least, that's the goal in my eyes.

[Transnapastain]

I'd really like to point out, as a roleplayer, that the issue, the in game stats effected by them, are all but useless.

RP is not dependent on any in game stat, not your population, an certainly not less obvious thins like technological progression and primitiveness. Your nation is what you make it for RP. Its whatever you say it is, nothing more. There is no system, and no possibility of a system, to allow people to make their nation exactly what you want ti to be mechanically.

[NatHuaKral]

True, but not having stats match up with the concept breaks immersion... Also, what's the point of all the rankings if they're just ignored anyways?
There's some satisfaction to them, I think.

[Flibbleites]

There is no way that any of our Issue Editors are up to the task of re-writing 400+ issues into the dozen or more RP timelines/continuities. Nor are we likely to ever generate separate issues only accessible to certain types of roleplay choices.

If you want to adapt the outcomes on your own, you can make your choices based on what you wish we had written and post it in a factbook:

That's not really what I meant by this. What I'm saying is, well, say Tigeria wants to increase its Scientific Advancement. I can set that as it's goal, and get issues related to that slightly more often.

I think you misunderstood Fris's point there, what he's saying is that someone would have to go through all 400+ issues and add the appropriate tags (for lack of a better term) to the issues so the game would know which issues relate to science (or whatever you happen to be looking for) and could give you them more often. Not to mention that just in the GA I've seen nation populated by: talking bears, talking weasels, cavemen, magic users, etc. (and that's just what I can come up with off the top of my head). Heck, I RP my nation as being located on a midair archipelago. With all the various things people their nation as being in RP trying to come up with a set of tags for the issues that could accommodate all those things is next to impossible.

[Wahhabist Islam]

Good points made here both for and against. I abstain main topic, rocognizing that issues are one of first and main aspects of the game, and that badges are often main token, excuse and reward for playing that part of the game on daily basis. However, Personally I would be happy if there would be more badges to achieve, directly related to in game happenings. For example:

- Badges unlocked by number of endorsements (10, 50, 100, 500... for example) for a nation
- Delegate badges (for active nations, elected multiple times to delegate position)
- Active voter badge for WA-GA and SC voting for/against proposals/resolutions (representing activity in these things)
- 'Citizenship' badge for nations showing Longevity for residency in a region
- 'Nomad' badge for nations with extreme mobility
- Recruiter badge (unlocked after certain amount of recruiting TGs sent)
etc.

Generally things that can be achieved in the game by actions with a nation, not in a nation. Just thinking...

And how many times would TBR members get the delegate badge?

Joking aside, this has possibilities.
For 'citizenship', it could be "equivalent of 1000 unendorsed days in a region", which is actually the standard for the "influential" checkbox on polls.
For 'recruiter', I think it should be for recruiting, say, 100/200/500 nations, because just sending mass numbers of TGs seems like rewarding spam to me.
"Active voter" could be something like "vote on 5/10/15/20 consecutive GA/SC resolutions".

All of these sound great. I love to see the game incorporate as many banners as possible, definitely makes the game more fun.

Mods, would it be possible to hold a Create A Banner contest or something on that order?

[Riemstagrad]

This is already the second suggestion in this thread that has nothing to do with the original suggestion. Let us stick to the aspirations discussion here and put different things in different threads. ..

[Vault 125]

That's not really what I meant by this. What I'm saying is, well, say Tigeria wants to increase its Scientific Advancement. I can set that as it's goal, and get issues related to that slightly more often.

I think you misunderstood Fris's point there, what he's saying is that someone would have to go through all 400+ issues and add the appropriate tags (for lack of a better term) to the issues so the game would know which issues relate to science (or whatever you happen to be looking for) and could give you them more often. Not to mention that just in the GA I've seen nation populated by: talking bears, talking weasels, cavemen, magic users, etc. (and that's just what I can come up with off the top of my head). Heck, I RP my nation as being located on a midair archipelago. With all the various things people their nation as being in RP trying to come up with a set of tags for the issues that could accommodate all those things is next to impossible.

Would you really? There's no way to just have the search be results based?
Whatever issues can end with resolutions to the effect of gaining, ex, primitiveness are brought up more often?

[Phydios]

I think you misunderstood Fris's point there, what he's saying is that someone would have to go through all 400+ issues and add the appropriate tags (for lack of a better term) to the issues so the game would know which issues relate to science (or whatever you happen to be looking for) and could give you them more often. Not to mention that just in the GA I've seen nation populated by: talking bears, talking weasels, cavemen, magic users, etc. (and that's just what I can come up with off the top of my head). Heck, I RP my nation as being located on a midair archipelago. With all the various things people their nation as being in RP trying to come up with a set of tags for the issues that could accommodate all those things is next to impossible.

Would you really? There's no way to just have the search be results based?
Whatever issues can end with resolutions to the effect of gaining, ex, primitiveness are brought up more often?

How do you know issues can be searched by result? NS was not built to last twelve years and counting. Max thought only a handful of people would be interested in this, and it would only last a couple months. So a lot of cool features would be very difficult to implement.

[Luna Amore]

Would you really? There's no way to just have the search be results based?
Whatever issues can end with resolutions to the effect of gaining, ex, primitiveness are brought up more often?

How do you know issues can be searched by result? NS was not built to last twelve years and counting. Max thought only a handful of people would be interested in this, and it would only last a couple months. So a lot of cool features would be very difficult to implement.

The results are searchable. The code is just more complicated than people imagine. Any system like OP suggested would essentially become a muddled mess and effectively pointless.

This is overlooking the biggest reason not to implement this idea: it would allow users to game the WA censuses. For example, tell the game to only give me issues that affect the Auto industry -> make script to answer those issues in pro-auto way -> rise to top of census. All censuses would be bot dominated which no one wants.

[Shogun]

When being absolutely ignorant about how programming and coding with issues and issue dynamics function, but knowing also that questions about issues are frequently asked and changes wished by players, would it be possible produce fast sort of "Lite issues" i.e. issues which perform just like every other 'proper' issues, but there would be:

- simplified one directional consequences, Yes/No and black and white type results from answers to issues
- influencing only one or two world census categories
- influence to a nation's stats wouldn't cause 'catastrophes' regardless of answer, causing only small effects and changes to the stats
- "Lite issues" would be just as random as any other issue, possible get "normal" way for daily issue

Could these kind issues produced, programmed and implemented to the game faster and easier, then 'proper' ones with complex consequences? At least that would allow certain kind micro managing with national governments, that seems to be desire and dream of many players.

[Meta Corporation]

Whatever the case, more micro-management would be nice.

[Phydios]

Whatever the case, more micro-management would be nice.

NS isn't a game of micromanagement.

There's no micro-management in NationStates! You control your nation by making broad policy decisions, not by tweaking numbers.

If you think you have a good idea, then by all means suggest it- all suggestions are considered. Just start a new thread in this forum. But adding more micromanagement would fundamentally change the game, and so I doubt it will be added.

[NatHuaKral]

How difficult can it be? FTP, indie games can somehow manage to crank out weekly updates with next to no income. Modders do more work than some game designers for free, just using their spare time.

I really doubt that it would be as difficult as you think it would be. I've made highly detailed maps using paint, pixel by pixel, no joke, for weeks for an RP before.
I don't feel "it'd be too much of a hassle to tag the issues", or the like will cut it.

I mean, if tagging issues, or the like is too much, why even keep the "suggestions" part in the description of this part of the forum? Clearly is simple ones are balked at for being too ambitious, there's no point to it.

As for the World Assembly Issue: What is the point of the WA, and why is it important?
I've never bothered with it, and I've never kept any of my nations in a region that bothers with it... But if that's such an issue, couldn't the function just not be made available in regions where the WA is a thing?

[Transnapastain]

Regardless of how difficult you think it will or should be, people far more knowledgeable than you regarding the coding for the game have told you that implementing this idea in any form is not desirable...and for reasons other than "because it'll be too hard."

This is overlooking the biggest reason not to implement this idea: it would allow users to game the WA censuses. For example, tell the game to only give me issues that affect the Auto industry -> make script to answer those issues in pro-auto way -> rise to top of census. All censuses would be bot dominated which no one wants.

---

couldn't the function just not be made available in regions where the WA is a thing?

No, there can be no functions in place that only effect WA or non-WA regions....being that a region could be WA involved one day and not the next. Further, it is unlikely that there ever will be.

and most of all, my first answer in this thread is the one you need to consider the most. Ill break it down for you in one line. NS generated stats don't matter.

A role-playing game is a game in which the participants assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterisation, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, they may improvise freely; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the games.

NS lacks the underlined for the most part...owing to the fact that its not, at its core, a roleplaying game. No, this lack doesn't break immersion. Some RPers do choose to use them, that's fine, but a system to micro-tailor your nation to your exact desires is not necessary for roleplay to be enjoyable. The last line of that definition is the really pertinent one here. I'm sorry these answers have failed to meet with your assessment of the situation, but that does not change their validity in the slightest.