Self-nominations for RD Summit Stakeholders

[Frisbeeteria]

Welcome to Stage One of the Raider / Defender Summit Conference. I'm Senior Game Moderator Frisbeeteria, and I'll be chairing this summit.

NS Chief Admin [violet] proposed this summit in September 2012. Stakeholders from relevant player groups are invited to apply for a participant slot to present their case.

Summit participants will be limited to a very small number of actual players, but we're not shutting anyone out of the discussion. We're creating a new sub-forum for the event. There will be [CLOSED] official Summit threads, but there will be open discussion threads in the same forum to share ideas and assist the official participants. Participants will be notified via TG and will be announced shortly before the summit.

Self-nominations for RD Summit Stakeholders

• Post your nomination here. One post per person. Please feel free to edit your entries until you are satisfied.
• Please state who you are and why you wish to speak. We are looking for individuals who can represent a particular point of view (e.g. tag raiding, mass defending, recruiter, native...), and not necessarily an organization such as TBR or UDL. Briefly cover your experience and your main opinions about the state of R/D.
• Explain why you would be an ideal choice for your point of view.
• Your nomination post should not be any longer than 300 words. We're looking for people who can be concise.

Each participant must be willing and able to post concise responses to each of the questions. Participants must be willing to devote enough time to stick with the Summit through all the questions stages (hopefully, no more than two weeks or so), and should be prepared to accept comments and suggestions from like-minded posters in support threads. There will also be a Moderation representative (chosen by the team), and [violet] will be the Admin representative.

Terms of Reference

For the purpose of clarity, [violet] has defined some basic parameters regarding an overall aproach to the game. These Terms of Reference will form the basis of summit discussions.

1. An "R/D" game, whereby groups of invaders move into a foreign region and attempt to capture the Delegacy, is an important part of NationStates.
2. This game generally consists of three types of player: invaders, who attempt to capture regions; natives, who occupy regions under attack; and defenders, who attempt to repel invaders from regions and return them to native control.
3. While invasions can be upsetting to natives, the conflict and excitement they provide contributes to a dynamic gameworld, and this seems to attract new players to NS and keep players coming back.
4. The pre-Influence rule system, whereby moderators were required to judge the "nativity" of various nations, while popular with many, could not be sustained, and will not return.
5. The current R/D game seems to have become less about political skill and more about "clock skill," whereby the success of an invasion largely depends on how accurately an invader group can predict the update time of a target region, and move in just beforehand, giving defenders and natives no time to react. This in particular has led to increased "tag raiding," where invaders attempt to capture as many regions as possible in a single update, but not necessarily hold any of them.
6. The R/D game should provide opportunities for invaders, defenders, and natives to all participate in a fun and rewarding way.

This sticky thread is for nomination posts only. Comments about nominations are not permitted here and will be deleted.

[Frisbeeteria]

Summit Timelines
Stage One - Nominations: November, 2012
Stage Two - Participant Selection: end of November, 2012
Stage Three - Summit: early December 2012
Stage Four - ????
Stage Five - Profit?

[Skyrim Diplomacy]

I would like to nominate myself to post and speak here. I have, in my time in NS, been a part of both sides of the R/D game, though my main affiliation is raider. I would like to speak primarily on, if the summit would allow it, how the R/D has affected the Security Council in particular and vice versa. I have experience in small-time defending operations, though the bulk of my experience is with LWU, TBR, and Europeia raiding.

It is my opinion that the current state of the R/D game is entirely a matter of clock skill, and not one of politics. I think that if the moderators and admins were to implement changes like those suggested here or one such as making Liberations semi-permanent for a time period, the SC and the R/D game in general would become more interesting.

I would love to see Uni’s Reformation proposal implemented, as I think it would bring a much-needed change to the SC that would give it more clout. Additionally, the proposal by Mousebumples to implement a Protectorate proposal in the SC is something I could get behind. However, both of these proposals would interfere significantly with the national sovereignty of the target region or nation.

[Evil Wolf]

*shrugs* Might as well.

I'm Evil Wolf, I've being raiding since 2005 with various groups, mostly LWU, and I'm nominating myself. Over the years I've tried to keep an active hand in gameplay mechanics, hell I've even made a few suggestions that have led to interesting decisions by the Admin staff. I've also been TNP's delegate (Blue Wolf II) a few times and Lazarus' Delegate (Killer Kitty) way back when it didn't have a ban button and revivals were done through "Get Help" requests, so I have a general understanding of what is commonly called the "Feederite" viewpoint.

As a raider that actually remembers what it was like to raid Pre-Influence, I have a pretty solid grip on how raiding might be affected by, well, a crap ton of factors, from update times, to dossiers, to longer WA happenings, to that awesome little list_nations page that means I don't have to use an XML feed anymore. I have a keen interest in keeping the R/D dynamic fair and balanced but also easy enough for a newbie to just wander in and understand the basics, which I've long felt isn't the case. When I started the R/D game the finer points were always complex and they have gotten even more complex ever since. I just thank ADMIN that the glitch that allowed for nations to endorse others without having to be in the same region got shut down, otherwise we'd all be typing in long url codes and using insanely complex scripts just to hit small targets *shivers*. Still, too many scripts and people looking for an edge using them rather than clever use in-game mechanics.

*Bows down before the MODs and offers up his nomination*

[Unibot III]

Name: Unibot

Background: Before becoming a defender, I was a major proponent for game-change and even organized a lot of our initial ideas into a list. Nowadays, I'm head of the UDL, a major defender organization and I'm active on the battlefield. I'm also a major author in the SC, if the SC gets involved with the R/D discussion.

Why I should be a representative: Beyond just my credentials, I have majorly had the view-point of a defender who is focused as a liberator and wants to see liberations possible. It's been my belief that although defending was incredibly hard, the new variance has made defending pretty fair -- raiders and defenders often win about evenly at update. But game changes like the ejection and banning buttons, prohibition of magic endos and the new variance as well as game environment changes (raiders turning to piling) has contributed to liberations becoming nearly impossible against professional groups; to the same (or greater) extent that defending was difficult before. I'd like to make sure any ideas to make defending more fair, doesn't incidentally make liberations much harder, but also see some ideas flourish to help equalize the context of the post-raid setting: once a raider delegate is in place. Ideas that I've proposed include reversing past decisions, but also more grand changes like the WA Proposal to erase endorsements. I think there are probably some more creative ideas to try to make a fun environment for all that I could come up with before the seminar too. I think as it stands the post-raid stage is quite boring for both raiders and defenders, as well as dangerous for natives -- change is really needed in that area.

[Galiantus]

Name: I am Galiantus, and I would like to represent the National Sovereigntist viewpoint in the R/D game.

Background: I have become passionately at war with the World Assembly, and I use military gameplay to further my aims. I believe in Meritocracy and am a member of the Aretist party, and I reside in [region=Glass Gallows].

Why I should be a representative: I have been discussing the R/D game and the WA on these forums for over six months now, and it is the subject that keeps me playing NS. And as I have seen some of the problems with the current system, I have come to the Technical forum to make suggestions and get an idea what changes might be happening. I am also devoutly Anti-WA and spend the rest of my time here planning ways to use military gameplay to further these ends. From my Anti-WA side, I want raiding to stay much the same. However, I am also a sovereigntist, and I believe that direct invasion of regions is generally not justifiable. I want regions to be sovereign, and to this end I want to empower the natives and defenders so they can keep this from happening. I am very neutral when it comes to the R/D game, but I am very invested in it, and I want to help improve the R/D game.

[Mahaj]

Who Am I: I am Mahaj.

This is real, this is me, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be: So, As I said, I'm Mahaj, and I've been defending since about August of 2011. I'm also a Lieutenant in the UDL, a major defending organization, and I'm frequently out on the battlefield. Additionally, I've done a lot of SC authoring, if discussion gets down to that.

Why I should be a representative: As a defender, I have in my time enjoyed spending my time doing defenses as well as liberations. We've taken good steps to ensure that raiding hasn't just become a race against the clock, but I'd like to contribute ideas that make the game more fair from the initial point, so that we don't need Liberations as much. I think that while its important to make sure the post raid situation isn't too dull, we can also have a more exciting game if its an exciting battle just to get that initial capture. I'm also a newer defender, having only been going on for a bit more than a year, and I've often heard things like "back in my day", or "back when gameplay was fun", or "in the olden times..." and I think its important that people who are newer to R/D don't get left out of the discussion. So I feel like I'd also be representing them, to make sure that its a solution thats equally appealing for someone who joined in 2005 as someone who joined in January of this year.

[The Blaatschapen]

Nomination withdrawn.

[Letoilenoir]

Name: Letoilenoir
Background: Flitted in and out of NS since 2006, becoming involved in Military gameplay approximately 18 months ago, acting as a catalyst and instigator for a trans-regional military organisation with political drivers rather than falling into the "raider" or Defender"camps

Why I should be a representative: Having rejected the polarity of the Raider-Defender status quo as ultimately self serving and mutually reliant I have sought to promote the use of negotiations and co-operation to achieve objectives that are aligned with my constituents desires rather than either "we raid because we can" or "we defend because we must" mentality that dominates the subgame, at least in its public manifestation.

In the course of mobilising my organisation I have employed techniques of both raider and defender, have opposed and co-operated with both, and have thus obtained a balanced viewpoint. I feel as a relative newcomer to the scene I could put forward the viewpoint of an initiate into the sub-game that may feel they have to choose between the black and the white - I would like to represent the greys in this discussion

PS Fratt suggested I should participate!

[Jakker]

Name: Jakker

Background: I have been a raider and a part of TBH since May 2011. I have been leading raids since November 2011.

Representation: I mostly do raids that require sleeping puppets of some sort/moving and endorsing. Although raiding has been a lot of tag raiding lately, this is the foundation of raiding and I think I can provide a balanced perspective on that and what it takes to conduct them. These raids require a lot of time sleep, so I can assist in the discussion with influence. Also, I have a good understanding of the stealth and moving involved for these raids to be successful. Although I don't do a lot of tag raiding, I have experience with it and am close to those that do it often, so I could provide insight into that as well. I understand that there are issues in the current system and I am open to discussing new ideas in the matter.

[Cerian Quilor]

Name: Cerian Quilor

Background: Played NS on and off for years, far more new to both Gameplay in General and Military Gameplay in particular. I have only raided (I count Liberations as raids in this sense) and am distinctly a raider (as defined by the three-type system you lay out), and specifically raid with regions that are 'Imperialist' and 'Independant' in their military policy, and I feel such a policy needs representation (I am hardly the best to represent it, but since no one else of said ideology has applied thus far)

Why I should be a Representative: As I said, I believe the Imperialist/Independant regions also need representation, as the Raider-Defender dichotomous worldview is poisonous to a holistic approach to Military Gameplay. I also think that Military Gameplay needs a healthy dose of pragmatism about native communities and their 'rights' in their regions. This is a game, and any approach to Military Gameplay needs to understand that in a game, especially one with a Military/Combat mechanic of any form, there are going to be casualties, and that a region getting destroyed or a nation getting banjected are not really huge concerns. That is a pragmatism I see lacking all too often in some circles. Moreover, I am also new to Military Gameplay (comparatively) so I bring a different perspective than some of the older hands about the various aspects of the mechanics and the politics of the game. Any reform needs to be approached pragmatically and practically, with rhetoric and idealism put away for the discussion. And I can do that very well.

[Common-Sense Politics]

Name: Common-Sense Politics (CSP)

Background: I have been a raider for over three years now and am currently serving my eighth term as Grand Admiral of Europeia. I have also briefly been a member of organizations such as TBR, DEN, and Cat Burglars. I have followed R/D pertinent discussions in the 'Technical' and 'Gameplay' forums for some time and am familiar with most of the key players (and their organizations) on both sides.

Why I should be a representative: I am a raider by description however I am far more interested in maintaining a consistent and fair playing field for both sides. I believe that such an environment, where both camps are able to flourish and develop, is the only way either can survive. We have many divergent interests, even within our own ranks, however we all share a common interest and that is that NationStates remains a dynamic and growing entity. It is my expectation that many a discussion involving altering game mechanics will occur during this conference and I believe myself, along with those who will be advising me, will be able to bring valuable insight and considerate debate/compromise to the table in that and other regards. Thank you for your consideration.

[Solm]

Hey, I'm Solm. I'm currently the Chief Lieutenant of the United Defenders League. I am also a roleplayer and have been an integral part of several RP regions. I am out defending every week and have a great interest in the R/D game, and while I recognize that an imbalance currently exists that no party is happy about, I believe that whatever decision made needs to be thoroughly thought out and decided with the interest of making the game more fun. I am also deeply involved in the technical aspect of gameplay. I've developed numerous tools for the UDL and defending in general through the use of my technical knowledge. Even though I utilize my coding abilities to benefit our ability to defend, I do not think that anyone in this game should have to know how to code or have technical abilities to play a big role R/D, a case that I'm seeing is more and more evident today.

I believe that I am good choice for a representative in the summit because I both have a deep interest in trying to make this game more fun through the results of this summit and have a unique perspective from a technical defender. I really do hope that R/D does not just stay a game "to beat the clock," which really is what it has become. We are losing and winning defenses not because of our superior skill, but because of how raiders play the clock. I really do hope that a change to the R/D game that is accepted and understood by all can be achieved and become beneficial to this game and hope that I am able to help bring about this change with input from my point of view.

[Biyah]

Name: Biyah

Background:
I was TWP, Nasicournia, Equilism and ADN High Command for years (at various times). Until recently, I was an advisor and Chief of Media for the UDL.

From the other side, I was part of ‘The East Pacific Empire’, as well as its delegate for a time. The Empire was the Imperialist government that took, and held, the Delegacy of The East Pacific in 08. I have also been known to raid.

Why Nominate myself?
I've been active in the game since well before influence. I was part of the original defending think-tank that worked out strategies to use Influence for regional and defender advantage, and how to fight against it. I’m part of several neutral off-site groups that formulate new strategies in the ever-evolving world of R/D. I was also very heavily involved in the spotting/intelligence side of the game, so I have an extensive background that might come in handy.

These days, I'm a mild defender with Imperialist leanings, whose primary interest is holding regions against any who’d take it, be it raider or defender. The pure strategy of the wars is what interests me, rather than the ideology itself.

I want to see Nationstates, and especially the R/D gameplay side, continue on strong for many more years. I believe this means that a few things will have to change in order to maintain interest. I would like to see the game more balanced in ways that do not require more time from the moderators, and leave the game open to new players and/or organizations. The game is heavily slanted right now, in ways that make it difficult for anyone to join or start up – unless they join one of the major organizations. This is especially true if you have little technical expertise (like scripting). New players are what keep NS and R/D alive.

I believe I can help, thank you for your consideration.
~B

[Kshrlmnt]

Name: Kshrlmnt

Who I am: I'm a two-year NS player from Unknown, where I've served in almost every capacity, from recruiter to ambassadress, and am now Archempress.

Raiding experience: I've worked tags and burns, impersonal raids and ideological raids, founderless and GCR and feeder. I've trained raiders, led raids, raided with multiple regions using multiple techniques, and brought in other militaries to support Unknown's raids. I've learned from raiders who've been around longer than I can quite comprehend, from new raiders, from feederites, and from facing intelligent opponents.

Point of view: I've tried clock raiding, but honestly I don't much like it. The game I like to play and the game I want to see is player against player, each trying to outwit the other. Right now we've got the equivalent of soldiers lining up in rows to shoot at each other--both raiders and defenders relying on the same tools, on the same puppets and jump points, and on the same tactics. I'll admit I'm not an expert on the scripts or technology that make this happen, but I do know the stealth game, and I want to see it grow. Changes should force defenders to innovate just as much as they do raiders: a predictable enemy is a boring enemy.

[Spartzerium]

Name: Spartzerium

Background: I have been playing NationStates continuously for 4 1/2 years, and been highly involved in Gameplay for the past 3 1/2 years. I was originally a defender, involved with the Founderless Regions Alliance (where I rose up the ranks to General of the Alliance, served as Arch Chancellor and multiple terms as Chief of Defense, and at the time of my departure had the most Ranger Points in FRA history) and United Defenders League (where I served as Chief Lieutenant). I first tried raiding secretly about a year ago, then switched in February, 2012. I currently hold the rank of Lieutenant and serve as Field Marshal in The Black Hawks.

Why I should be a representative: I have had plenty of experience on both sides of the game, know how each operates, and I'd like to think I have a very objective view of things. Most of my experience as a raider is doing tag raids, though I've planned a few larger raids as well, so I could provide some perspective from those viewpoints.

[Todd McCloud]

Name: Todd

I've been around since about late 2005 - early 2006. I initially settled in the region Poland and was the native delegate there who fought off attacks from various regions until we were overcome about a year later. From there, I was into a bit of defending under the National Slavic Alliance, then decided to go full raider as founder of Fox Rite. I did that until about 2008, when I decided to focus my efforts in feeders and the game as a whole.

Pretty much since then I've had an arm's length view of the R/D game and how it’s changed. I'm a firm believer that the raider and defender game is a balance - if you want it to thrive, you need to have a way to keep them both going strong because the two feed off one another. Not a lot of flashy stuff, but instead mechanics that encourage strategy, planning, and organization and action – the fun stuff. Exploiting that fun aspect of the R/D gameplay is something we should be seeking to do. Challenge, especially a challenge that's a reasonable one, is what makes the game fun IMO.

I'm more feeder-minded these days. I've been a delegate in TEP off and on for the past three years, and am involved in many feeders / sinkers. Regions tend to do well with a little bit of chaos motivating the native faction to overcome and overthrow the opposition, which in the long run tends to jolt their activity. All new nations start out in the feeders, which is their first impression of the game. If the feeder they are in is active and full of opportunity, I contend they'd be more willing to stick on. And that may be worth more than a cool game mechanic change.

[Mallorea and Riva]

Hey I'm Mallorea and Riva. Call me Mall.

I've been involved in R/D for a little less than a year and a half now. I am very much a child of the Influence Era. I began defending as one of the first Lieutenants of the UDL and stuck with them for six months. I then joined The Black Hawks, then later DEN. I have defended, detagged, liberated, refounded, and raided a large number of regions along the way. I have seen a few main issues plaguing R/D, most troubling of which are the role of influence in the GCRs, the proliferation of tag raiding, and concerns that defenders have raised over what is known as "piling". Both of these issues must be addressed at this Summit in order for a healthy R/D game, and by extension a healthy Gameplay atmosphere, to come about.

My viewpoint is simple: I am one of the few active raiders who consistently advocates for the destruction of regions that are taken during raids. Why am I the best choice out of all the griefers still in this game? My past as a defender gives me insight to the issues troubling defenders today, and I am willing to work with those who are also chosen no matter what their own viewpoints may be in order to better the R/D game. I have a good rapport with a number of defenders, ranging from the UDL, FRA, all the way to TITO, and I am still actively involved in R/D, despite my involvement in several GCRs (The North Pacific and Osiris). It is also worth noting that I am a GA author who has written two concise repeals in the past (GAR 154 and GAR 188).

Thank you for the consideration!

[General Halcones]

IDENTITY: I'm General Halcones.

BACKGROUND: I've been raiding on this game for almost a decade now. I've witnessed many changes, and have adapted to each of them. I have significant experience in commanding within the raiding world, being the founder and commander in chief of The Black Hawks for a couple of years, and founder and Overlord of The Black Riders. I am the individual who got tag raiding going, setting the first records in The Black Hawks, and later, in The Black Riders.

WHY I SHOULD BE CHOSEN:

I strongly believe I should be chosen for this summit. Being the Overlord of The Black Riders, and the one who holds tag raiding records, I am an ideal candidate. If chosen, I would endeavour to make sensible suggestions, as I have already done in the thread leading up to this summit. Any subsequent changes to the R/D game would have a big impact on myself, and so I believe it is very important I am chosen. I am experienced in designing games of my own, and believe I can offer some very valuable ideas that will lead to a much more fun and balanced R/D game. Although I do enjoy the current R/D game - achieving the records in tag raiding, giving defenders no chance to stop us - I do recognise the imbalance, and accept I have had my enjoyment of the current R/D game, and am willing to embrace and adapt to any changes.

[Delegate Vinage]

Name: Vinage

Background: I have been involved in Europeia for about a year and the Delegate for 279 days, of which I am the 3rd most endorsed Delegate. Predominately I am involved in the aftermath of the R/D game when it falls into the World Assembly, of which I find to be tediously repetitive.

Why Me?: As one of the most endorsed Delegates my vote, if made early enough, can be crucial to the passing or failing of a vote in the World Assembly. I find the culture of passworded raid -> liberation -> pass -> repeal a week or 2 later -> repeat, to be extremely tedious and without consequence. I am of moderate raider stance but have not raided for a long time - yet still a component of the R/D game which nobody else has put forward yet.

[Jamie Anumia]

Hi, I'm Jamie.

I've been playing NationStates continuously since March 2011, so I'm fairly new to the game itself. In regards to R/D, I've been involved in some form or other for around a year, switching sides a few times along the way. I've always participated in R/D for fun, I didn't defend regions for reasons deeper than I found it fun, and I didn't raid regions for regions other than for fun, I have participated in some ideological raids against Nazis, but now I stay out of that conflict. I've been a member of several raiding and defending organizations in a form of participation or other, though I'm currently raiding and support ideas that enhance the R/D game. As for regions, I was at first involved in the user-created regions, but I now lean more towards being involved in the feeders/sinkers.

I think I should be considered because I'm moderate, and a believer of compromise - I've been on both sides - having even been a native during an invasion of a region, which is a region I developed an attachment to. I strongly support the continuation of the Raiding/Defending game, though I believe changes need to be made in order to make it more fun for all participants, be it defender, raider or native. I supported the idea of introducing variance into update times, which is an idea which has brought a more equal playing field for both sides. I still think some changes need to be made into the way the update time and order work. I am an opposer of liberation proposals in their current forum, I'm not opposed to their existence, but I would like to see a modified version of the liberation proposal emerge.

[Punk Daddy]

I’m Punk Daddy and I’d like to be a part of this

BackroundI’ve played the game since May 2004. I’ve been a raider, spy, held every position under the sun in GCR’s, founded regions, and have held the title of Consul in arguably the games most notable region, The New Meritocracy.

Why me?I believe I represent a player who is neither raider nor defender; a player who likes the political intrigue of this game but is sad to see that intrigue has slowly eroded to what we have today. While never being a slave to the R/D paradigm, I believe the game itself reaps benefits when there is a balance between the two parties. If raiders can’t raid effectively and defenders can’t defend, it makes people less interested in the game and less interested in the political counter-play myself and others have enjoyed. When one party dominates, it's just not fun. I’m no CyberNations player and enjoy having to debate, persuade, and in some cases out-think opponents. Without a solid R/D paradigm, I believe the Gameplay aspect of NationStates suffers. I hope to contribute to rebuilding a solid paradigm that will foster a more vibrant Gameplay atmosphere within NationStates. To me, this Summit is one of the critical initiatives that will determine the future of NationStates, a game I continue to play as I veer closer towards 50 than 20. I welcome the opportunity to debate with adherents on both sides of this paradigm, and believe that my experience and general utilitarian approach to problem solving will be an asset during this Summit. I thank the panel for their consideration and look forward to shaping the future of the R/D paradigm.

[Mousebumples]

Who I Am: Mousebumples
My Relevant Experience: I've been the WA Delegate for my region for over 8 years now - minus a raid 3½ years ago. I was given instructions as to how to refound, after regaining the delegacy, and was successful in that endeavor. I'd also like to point to my success in authoring WA legislation (and in assisting others when drafting their own legislation) - I've currently passed 17 (total) resolutions (UN, GA, and SC) and have co-authored 6 passed resolutions. (NSwiki listing) I've also written Why Repeal? and adapted/updated the Tech FAQ for non-legislation writing samples. I currently have what I'd view as good relations with various defending and raiding groups, along with other neutral groups.
Why I'd Like to Participate: I have demonstrated an ability to write clearly and concisely in the past. I've also demonstrated a history of collaboration with others and would be able to seek input from both sides throughout the process. As I don't have a "side," I would have a different approach and perspective to offer than most traditional gameplayers.
The Current State of R/D, to Me: As I'm not directly involved in the R/D game, I don't view that struggle as being as black and white as many do. I see a lot of shades of gray, and as I doubt the R/D game is going anywhere, I feel that we need to work out a form of R/D that is fair to both sides while being accessible to previously ignorant natives - like I was when my region was raided.

[Andacantra]

I’m Andacantra - more commonly known as Abbey Anumia. I’ve been involved in Raiding for roughly the last year, starting in Europeia and then Unknown. Over the last 9 months or so, I’ve rejected most “pure” raiding groups, opting instead to have started my own group because I was unhappy about the fact that raiders were acting as one large “mass”, all supporting each other’s raids regardless of the situation. I also spent a short while in UDL, taking part in operations there while also actively raiding. I’m one of only a few people who are actively both raiding and defending for non-ideological reasons. I also believe that we should not discourage smaller, but held, raids, which prevent raiders becoming one big mass and keep things a bit more interesting. We need to find a balance between encouraging politics and encouraging piling.

I think that currently, those with either scripting skills (or access to scripts) have a massive advantage - in both defending and raiding situations, and that R/D as it currently stands is very much a closed group doing the same things over and over again. It is much more difficult for a group of defenders to branch out from the main “bloc” than it really should be, and it’s also imbalanced that raiders can draw in those who can’t participate at update on a much larger scale than defenders.

I feel that I would be a good choice because I’m very sure of why I have come to my current viewpoints, and can articulate that, but I’m still open to compromise. I’m also aware of my own flaws, and as such can stop those getting in the way of a productive discussion.

[Crushing Our Enemies]

Background: I joined The Black Hawks in 2005, and have not spent any considerable time in other regions or organizations. I now serve in an advisory capacity, aiding the current military leaders of TBH with my biggest assets: experience and a sense of history.

Rationale: Although my time as an active raider is over, I care deeply about the future of this game, and how any changes will affect my close friends, and the worthy adversaries I’ve played with over the years. In my heart, I see this as a game, and even a child knows that games should be fun. Should I be chosen for the Summit, my agenda would be to ensure the fun and playability of the game for defenders, raiders, and natives alike.

I have proposed a bare-bones system in another thread for bolstering the agency of natives to protect and defend their own regions, giving them tools to fight back. In the past, natives have been seen by raiders as the irrelevant third party, and by defenders as helpless invalids. Natives are not equipped to play this game. I would like to see that change, because nothing makes a game more fun like adding a player.

Finally, I’ll be very honest: I retired from active raiding because I found it boring. Yes, I am busier now than I used to be. But if the game were more fun, I would have made time. R/D has become a game purely of timing, and the added variance serves only to introduce an element of luck. Let’s bring back the stealth, the intrigue, and the romance! I want us all to remember the reasons why we fell in love with this game, however long ago, and let that be the guiding force behind the recommendations of the Summit.