Embassy of the South Pacific

[Frattastan IV]

Congratulations, comrades.

[Lord Dominator]

Wait, that was the announcement.

Boooo, make a better announcement.

[Armaros]

We need a more fancy announcement.

Regardless, congratulations on now being officially defender!

[Glen-Rhodes]

A more fancy announcement is in the works, to be delivered after my SO’s birthday

[Erinor]

This isn't Glen's fancy announcement, but perhaps it'll tide you over?

Today is an historic day for the Coalition. Today, our Assembly approved a resolution and an amendment to our laws which officially makes the South Pacific a Defender region and, as Delegate, I had the great personal privilege of applying the Defender tag to the region.

For the best part of three years, TSP has been Defender-leaning in the majority of its military and foreign affairs decisions, but we held back on anything more concrete than that for a number of reasons. We have a responsibility to the new players who start the game in our region. We have a responsibility to the gameplay community at large to maintain a certain balance of activity. Both of these things meant that the time was not yet right, but there was an additional barrier, that of public perception and the reputation Defenderism had gained over a period of years, both owing to raider PR and a few bad actors within Defenderism itself. To be called a 'fenda' was to be labelled, counter-intuitively, as the bogeyman of NationStates.

The times have moved on and we now have an opportunity to offer exciting levels of activity to new players, restore the balance of military gameplay, and clear the name of defenders across NS by wearing the Defender tag with pride within the context of our existing values of freedom and liberal democracy. We will stand beside our allies the Rejected Realms in working to unite Defenderdom and revitalise both the Defender ideology and military gameplay itself and here too we have an opportunity, not to be lead by some outside influence, alien to the South Pacific and its values, but to lead by example in defending regions according to those values.

I'm not a military gameplay person myself, but I am wholeheartedly in favour of the diverse range of opportunities NationStates presents to players and the communities that arise from and within those opportunities. It is for this reason that I have stayed with the South Pacific and am proud to call it my home, and for this reason, too, that I have personally identified with the ideology of Defenderism since I first started the game. I believe that the communities we create in this game are real and that, so long as they are not mere safehouses for hatred, they deserve protection and whilst I understand the fun of raiding and that military gameplay wouldn't exist at all without it, there will always be those who see vulnerable communities only as targets. It is for the sake of those communities that I'm proud to see the South Pacific rallying behind a truly South Pacifican Defenderism and, though my term will soon end, I'm more proud than ever to be this region's Delegate.

[Dead I Jack]

I was waiting to see what the outcome was after I wrote my article about this a few weeks ago.

Congrats to TSP! The relationship between TRR and TSP has been very close for years and with this decision I can see the possibilities for new ways the bond could strengthen. We'll see what the future cooks up.

[Kuriko]

Congrats TSP! I look forward to also hopefully strengthening XKI/TSP relations as well now that you're officially defender

[Mallorea and Riva]

I was waiting to see what the outcome was after I wrote my article about this a few weeks ago.

Congrats to TSP! The relationship between TRR and TSP has been very close for years and with this decision I can see the possibilities for new ways the bond could strengthen. We'll see what the future cooks up.

I miss the good old days, when TSP was plotting to invade TRR.

[Padfootia]

Congrats TSP! I look forward to also hopefully strengthening XKI/TSP relations as well now that you're officially defender

What TSP, defender? Ok well congrats it's time you made it official.

[Cormactopia Prime]

Congratulations to the South Pacific! It's nice to see people putting in effort to make gameplay more engaging again.

[North Prarie]

Congrats TSP! I look forward to also hopefully strengthening XKI/TSP relations as well now that you're officially defender

You just made Glen pee himself out of glee

[Lord Dominator]

Congrats TSP! I look forward to also hopefully strengthening XKI/TSP relations as well now that you're officially defender

You just made Glen pee himself out of glee

TMI

[Padfootia]

Is Defending fun?

Depends on the person or region.

[Armaros]

A more fancy announcement is in the works, to be delivered after my SO’s birthday

We need it sooner! Now you spoiled the secret!

[North Prarie]

You just made Glen pee himself out of glee

TMI

Oh....that, that wasn’t my intention

[Wabbitslayah]

Depends on the person or region.

I dont understand what you mean, pls redpill a rper

Some people are interested in raiding or not doing military gameplay at all, so they wouldn't find it fun. I think with a healthy raider population and defender population that's active, then raiding and defending become fun.

I think tag raiding mostly with no defenders around is super boring to raid. I think defending by mostly cleaning up tag raids is boring. Some defenders don't mind just doing clean up and the occasional defence or liberation, but I'm going to assume most would like to be doing lots of defences and liberations. For me, doing liberations was one of the funnest things ever.

[Darkesia]

Congratulations, TSP, on grabbing the White Hat! Now let us see who will grab the Black Hat and the Red Hat (no pun intended).

[Lord Dominator]

TMI

Oh....that, that wasn’t my intention

It was a joke about your phrasing, relax

[TSP Foreign Office]

Statement from the Minister of Foreign Affairs
On the Passage of the Military Alignment Act

In a momentous vote on July 17, 2019, the Assembly of the Coalition of the South Pacific passed an omnibus package declaring our region officially aligned with defender principles. The resolution and constitutional amendment passed with a 73% supermajority, quantifying the shift in our community’s values and culture over the past six years. The official numbers were 27 in favor, 10 in opposition, and 12 abstentions, for a total of 49 total legislators. The number of abstentions is in line with normal outcomes in Assembly votes.

Beginning immediately, the South Pacific Special Forces will dedicate itself to conducting defense operations and liberations. A partnership among ministries will, over the coming months, develop a pro-democracy program that advocates for the adoption of democratic forms of government across NationStates. Our goal as a region is to rebuild a somewhat weakened defender community in the game, starting out by being the first formerly Independent Game-Created Region to adopt defending as its official alignment in the contemporary era. Building a robust defender army in cooperation with defender allies across the game will breathe new life into the Gameplay community and start a new era of South Pacifican prosperity.

The arduous work and dedication of defenders in the South Pacific has dispelled once-commonplace myths that defenders are infiltrators and subversive elements, and that being defender was antithetical to independence and success. We cannot celebrate this occasion without looking back on previous years and acknowledging the wrongful deliberate attacks on defenders in our region. The historic vote in the Assembly may not erase the effects of the past, but it does right that wrong going forward. And to those across the game who feel that their own regions don’t celebrate their views, know that the South Pacific welcomes you.

To those regions who also believe in upholding defender principles – protecting innocent regions against the subjugation and oppression of raiders and imperialists – the South Pacific welcomes you as partners. Only by working together can the NationStates defender community reach a new apex of strength and power.

Signed,
Sandaoguo, Minister of Foreign Affairs

[Tim-Opolis]

Major.

Congratulations, mates.

[Lord Dominator]

Beginning

lol

[Yawehs Chosen Peoples]

Hello I’m sort of new to using forums. Is there any Gameplay forums that are really important that i should get started with ? Thanks.

[Padfootia]

Hello I’m sort of new to using forums. Is there any Gameplay forums that are really important that i should get started with ? Thanks.

First this forum is for TSP not where bystanders can ask questions, but read the pinned stuff on the top of the GP forum and see how to use it.

[Syberis]

I do have a question, though.

Will The South Pacific continue to respect the autonomy and self-determination of non-democratic governments, and continue their traditional work to value the sovereignty of said established governments?

[North Prarie]

I do have a question, though.

Will The South Pacific continue to respect the autonomy and self-determination of non-democratic governments, and continue their traditional work to value the sovereignty of said established governments?

Yep! Those amendments were proposed, but not put in the package