Introduction to Raiding & Defending

[Drasnia]

How do I get more militaristic issues and/or increase my defense budget?

The only way to influence the issues you will receive is by your previous answers. (If you ban capitalism, you aren't going to be getting capitalist issues.) For example, if you have military spending, you'll be eligible for certain issues such as my issue #424: You Just Sank My Battleship, which is all about military maintenance. To increase your defense budget, always answer issues that seem favorable to your military and national defense.

[Sedgistan]

We're now needing someone else to take over this guide.

[Flanderlion]

We're now needing someone else to take over this guide.

Can we give it back to Neph, or is that out of the question? He made it, and although BT made a few edits to one or two bits (actually 3 of 21), it's pretty much Nephs, and if someone else gets it, it's kind of stealing his work. Neph lost it with the whole almost DOS thing, but as far as I know he isn't in that state atm. and if he somehow does get back into that state, it can always be switched then.

[We Are Not the NSA]

We're now needing someone else to take over this guide.

Is it a volunteer thing or a nomination thing? If the first, I'll volunteer; if the latter I recommend Ever-Wandering Souls.

[Sedgistan]

We're now needing someone else to take over this guide.

Can we give it back to Neph, or is that out of the question? He made it, and although BT made a few edits to one or two bits (actually 3 of 21), it's pretty much Nephs, and if someone else gets it, it's kind of stealing his work. Neph lost it with the whole almost DOS thing, but as far as I know he isn't in that state atm. and if he somehow does get back into that state, it can always be switched then.

It needs to be re-written and updated regardless, so that the current version is Nephmir's work is irrelevant.

We're now needing someone else to take over this guide.

Is it a volunteer thing or a nomination thing? If the first, I'll volunteer; if the latter I recommend Ever-Wandering Souls.

I'd happily have either or both of you take over. Would you want to start from scratch, or have ownership of the posts transferred and then re-write?

[Sygian II]

Could you explain to me as to why the work can't be returned to it's original owner/creator (Nephmir)?

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

Syg, If their goal is to see this guide updated, and not a new one created, it makes more sense to hand it off to an active writer.

If they'd prefer a new one entirely, sure, give it back to him.

@Sedge, I'd be happy to do either, especially with NSA's help. Most of what'd be helpful here would be basic organization, basic formatting, etc. Wouldn't be able to devote much time to it until December, but TBH has recently rewritten many of its own guides and is working on others that I could channel towards this. It would be helpful to have an active defender mind or two involved, becuase as much as we know the theory, neither of us have much actual experience on that side. If anyone older and still active wants to step up, awesome, but on the younger end, I'd love to have Roavin at our back on this one.

Perhaps another solution altogether - mods take ownership of this thread, and a team submits edits to you? It'd be something new and different, yes, but would remove the bottleneck of selecting one player (and one side) to be the "owner" of it and relying on them to write, update, and maintain it. Contributors could be given a nod.

[We Are Not the NSA]

-snip-

It needs to be re-written and updated regardless, so that the current version is Nephmir's work is irrelevant.

-snip-

I'd happily have either or both of you take over. Would you want to start from scratch, or have ownership of the posts transferred and then re-write?

It depends on how quickly the re-write would need to be ready, and the extent to which it needs to be updated. If all that needs to happen is a few additions of new information, the removal of out of date information, and rewording of the existing text that is still relevant, and there isn't a specific time it needs to be 'finished' by, due to the obvious need for constant improvement, then I can handle it. A complete rewrite would take days of work, and while I would be willing to dedicate this time to the task, I do not know if I am able to dedicate that much time due to real life constraints I am currently faced with. I would be unable to produce a full rewrite in a timely fashion, and even additions of new information may take a few weeks to complete (based off of the quality of writing that is needed).

Also, to echo Flanderlion's and Sygian's suggestions, if Nephmir wishes take control of this thread back, I think that he is entitled to be considered for the job. While his original work may be out of date, Neph's writing skills and gameplay knowledge are of a high enough quality that he could make the necessary changes as easily as anyone else on this forum.

Pre-Submission Edit: (I got ninja'd by Souls) I think that selecting a team of gameplayers of various different backgrounds to work on this would not only be beneficial for the overall quality of the information/presentation, but it would also solve the issue of time-management (solve is a bit too strong of a word... alleviate). If moderation doesn't like the idea of taking over of the thread (which I understand, you guys already have enough responsibilities), we could still follow Souls's idea in a less formal way, by having a gameplayer control the thread but having a team of volunteers helping via a Discord or Skype chat.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

I mean BT tried to get a group, but it didn't go far.

Personally, I'd want to revamp the entire organization of this thread in less the style of a comprehensive encyclopedia-style guide, and more like how I do my dispatched or did the API guide - a bit more consolidated, and more down-to-earth talking to the reader. Probably something like...

The Short Version (in the intro) - few sentences on what this is and why you care. Tl;dr this means taking delegates and such
The Basics - a bit more very general detail on how various sides operate. tl;dr incorporate the idea of updates, etc.
Avoiding Raids/"I just got raided, what do I do?" - native prevention and response section on not breaking rules, organizing effective resistance, and contacting support
>For Regions with Founders
>For regions without Founders
"I want to raid, what do I do?" - guide on how to plan, execute, and hold a raid, not broken down into four different sections from the intro
>Update/triggering section
>types of raid with a general how-to
"I Want to defend, what do I do?" - same thing vice versa. Emphasis on the need to contact others to have the numbers to stop raids from occurring or liberate them once they have
>subsections set by someone who knows better
<Can't think of a good name atm> - section on all the expanded elements that make up Gameplay beyond R/D, touching on Fash/Antifash, Independant, Imperial, etc.
>types/reasonings

In short, I'm thinking both *less detailed* in some areas (not sure if that's what you want, but IMHO there's some stuff you should let folks figure out on their own once you've given them the tool, and that also helps keep the guide simpler - can encourage asking questions if they still have any), and as a matter of execution, more repetitive at times (though ideally readers would skim the whole guide and understand their opponents as well, many will just be coming for a specific part, or may read the guide in chunks, and it's helpful for those readers to not *have* to have read all prior sections to understand what's going on).

[Sedgistan]

The issue with a group of people being responsible is that it's much easier for each of them to sit back and think "oh, someone else will update it". If it's one person, it's yours, and you can't fall back on anyone else. That said, if there's 2-3 people who will actively take charge, I am willing to have a mod-enforced shared nation (i.e. if you try to steal the nation, we'll revert its ownership; it'd probably also be WA banned to prevent shenanigans) for ease of editing.

On how the thread should work - I like EWS' goal of simplifying it to be an introduction to military gameplay. I don't think it's realistic to have a comprehensive guide to military gameplay given that it continually evolves (even without admin input) and there's a wealth of different tactics/approaches. Besides, once you're after advanced tactics etc., you're generally at a stage that you know who/where to go to for advice. It's the newcomers that need this thread - to find out what on earth military gameplay is, and also how they can get started in it.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

I would support that path. In that vein, I'd also support passing this back to neph and letting him update this as a complete/advanced guide if he wishes, while we write a seperate "beginners" or "introductory" guide.

[Flanderlion]

If Neph is out of the question just say. If he is, then I'd support Souls or NSA taking over, Souls has his TG guide and NSA his dispatch stuff both of which qualify them imo. They're also longtime GPers and although coming from the raider perspective, I'm fairly certain they can make a neutral guide. Sharing with a neutral nation does seem a better option (if such players can work together), because players go inactive, and it is a lot easier to just give someone a password to a nation than continuously change ownership every 6 months or so when one player gets hit RL.

[Consular]

I'll just say that I strongly advise against forming a group to do this. It's much more likely to actually be done if it's one or two people.

I'm not interested in writing but I'll proofread once something is readyish.

[Sedgistan]

If Neph is out of the question just say. If he is, then I'd support Souls or NSA taking over, Souls has his TG guide and NSA his dispatch stuff both of which qualify them imo. They're also longtime GPers and although coming from the raider perspective, I'm fairly certain they can make a neutral guide. Sharing with a neutral nation does seem a better option (if such players can work together), because players go inactive, and it is a lot easier to just give someone a password to a nation than continuously change ownership every 6 months or so when one player gets hit RL.

Nephmir isn't out of the question, but given we're essentially picking from scratch (the current guide is 2 years out of date), we're picking the best candidate(s) - and at present, that's not him. EWS and NSA have a great history of being polite, friendly and helpful, they've got no moderation record of note, and importantly they've got both current experience of military gameplay and reliable recent activity on the forum. Nephmir hasn't been around much recently.

Assuming he wants it, I'll revert this guide to Nephmir's ownership. For the time being, it'll remain pinned in this forum plus linked from the FAQs. If EWS + NSA's "Introduction to Military Gameplay" materialises, that will be pinned/linked; whether this one remains so as well depends on what the new thread is like, and whether this is updated.

I've created the imaginatively named "Military Gameplay Guide" nation, which will have mod-enforced shared ownership; I'll TG EWS and NSA the password. The game helpfully gave it the random slogan "Might Makes Right", which is surely a sign of raider bias to come

If you want someone else involved with it, let me know, and that should be fine.

[Flanderlion]

If Neph is out of the question just say. If he is, then I'd support Souls or NSA taking over, Souls has his TG guide and NSA his dispatch stuff both of which qualify them imo. They're also longtime GPers and although coming from the raider perspective, I'm fairly certain they can make a neutral guide. Sharing with a neutral nation does seem a better option (if such players can work together), because players go inactive, and it is a lot easier to just give someone a password to a nation than continuously change ownership every 6 months or so when one player gets hit RL.

Nephmir isn't out of the question, but given we're essentially picking from scratch (the current guide is 2 years out of date), we're picking the best candidate(s) - and at present, that's not him. EWS and NSA have a great history of being polite, friendly and helpful, they've got no moderation record of note, and importantly they've got both current experience of military gameplay and reliable recent activity on the forum. Nephmir hasn't been around much recently.

Assuming he wants it, I'll revert this guide to Nephmir's ownership. For the time being, it'll remain pinned in this forum plus linked from the FAQs. If EWS + NSA's "Introduction to Military Gameplay" materialises, that will be pinned/linked; whether this one remains so as well depends on what the new thread is like, and whether this is updated.

I've created the imaginatively named "Military Gameplay Guide" nation, which will have mod-enforced shared ownership; I'll TG EWS and NSA the password. The game helpfully gave it the random slogan "Might Makes Right", which is surely a sign of raider bias to come

If you want someone else involved with it, let me know, and that should be fine.

Sounds good, looking forward to seeing what they come up with. There are a few other names, but not sure how well they'll work together with the first two, while EWS/NSA should make a good team. The issue was more someone else having Neph's work and having it passed off as their own (wasn't involved in GP the first time it happened and was given to BT, so obviously didn't speak up then).

[King Nephmir II]

I would indeed accept the guide back should I have the opportunity, and I wouldn't be concerned if it remained pinned or unpinned. I do intend to update it and fix it (I have a winter break from university coming up in December which will be the prefect time to do so), however if it is deemed "unfit" for remaining pinned after I update it I would still maintain it, so it can be freely linked to as reference. My original motivation behind the guide was not to solely have something pinned, but rather to maintain a reference for those looking for it.

[Tinhampton]

Will the sections on Defending and Invading finally be added?

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

Will the sections on Defending and Invading finally be added?

Not sure if you're asking about this one or the new one. NSA and I have drafted an outline very similar to my post above, and will begin to flesh it out when we both enter winter break. Neph is free to do whatever he wishes with his guide now, can't speak for him.

[King Nephmir II]

The guide is terribly outdated, and contains a lot of excess information in a lot of sections while providing not enough details in other sections. It needs such a massive overhaul that I will be essentially rewriting it from scratch using the existing guide as a template, and it will need several hours worth of time to complete. As such, I plan on doing this in my winter break from university this December.

[Cerillium]

Nephmir isn't out of the question, but given we're essentially picking from scratch (the current guide is 2 years out of date), we're picking the best candidate(s) - and at present, that's not him. EWS and NSA have a great history of being polite, friendly and helpful, they've got no moderation record of note, and importantly they've got both current experience of military gameplay and reliable recent activity on the forum. Nephmir hasn't been around much recently.

Assuming he wants it, I'll revert this guide to Nephmir's ownership. For the time being, it'll remain pinned in this forum plus linked from the FAQs. If EWS + NSA's "Introduction to Military Gameplay" materialises, that will be pinned/linked; whether this one remains so as well depends on what the new thread is like, and whether this is updated.

I've created the imaginatively named "Military Gameplay Guide" nation, which will have mod-enforced shared ownership; I'll TG EWS and NSA the password. The game helpfully gave it the random slogan "Might Makes Right", which is surely a sign of raider bias to come

If you want someone else involved with it, let me know, and that should be fine.

The guide is terribly outdated, and contains a lot of excess information in a lot of sections while providing not enough details in other sections. It needs such a massive overhaul that I will be essentially rewriting it from scratch using the existing guide as a template, and it will need several hours worth of time to complete. As such, I plan on doing this in my winter break from university this December.

Any update on this, Sedg or Neph?

[Sygian II]

The guide was given back to Nephmir for him to update, and he just explained what he would do and when if you'd read the post above yours.

[Cerillium]

The guide was given back to Nephmir for him to update, and he just explained what he would do and when if you'd read the post above yours.

I did. Mentors get odd questions from players. I've had two recently ask about military gameplay. I normally refer them here (my own knowledge is extremely out of date) but this guide obviously needs a revamp. I sent them to the Gameplay Advice thread instead. Just wanted an approximate release date to pass along to others.

[King Nephmir II]

The guide was given back to Nephmir for him to update, and he just explained what he would do and when if you'd read the post above yours.

I did. Mentors get odd questions from players. I've had two recently ask about military gameplay. I normally refer them here (my own knowledge is extremely out of date) but this guide obviously needs a revamp. I sent them to the Gameplay Advice thread instead. Just wanted an approximate release date to pass along to others.

My winter break from University begins late next week. I will fully begin work on it then and the guide should be completely redone for the new year at the latest. I apologize for delays but I have indeed begun working on drafting it, progress will pick up rapidly next week.

[Trevekkia]

Are creating a bunch of alts the only way to wage war in the game?

[Marshian nation12]

Complete Guide to Military Gameplay
A complete guide to NationStates military combat, tactics, and regional security.

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Update 4.0

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Recently Updated

• Guide returned to Nephmir.

Coming Soon!

• Complete guide revamp 2017

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Quoting Sections
When a new chapter is added, all of the chapters may be rearranged in order to place the added chapter within a logical order. This means that chapters are subject to move up or down posts as they are edited.

To link someone to a specific section or chapter, click the "quote" button at the far right next to the section's name and copy the URL. This way, you are linking to the section with the relevant information without the content being subject to change.

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Note: this guide was written to update and expand upon the "Basics of Military Gameplay" guide by Naivetry.

I like it when you say a military cadence.