Alright, a warm welcome and thanks for joining me in the second edition of Faces from the Warzones! Anything you'd like to say before we begin?
Ballpit: Nope, just happy to be here. What can I do for ya?
So first off, you publicly have a lot of puppets kicking around on this site, what do you choose to identify as?
Ballpit: I am known as "Ballpit" so let's go with that.
Great. My first real question for you is on your general history with the site. When did you start out with Nationstates?
Ballpit: Exactly 36 Days ago.
36 days prior to this interview, that is.
[Editors Note: This interview occurred on November 8th 2018]
You're very young on this site compared to most of our audience, what brought you here?
Ballpit: Coincidence? Ambition? It's hard to tell for sure. I joined my first Warzone (Warzone Australia) 19 days ago. (Again, using the time of this interview as a Point Of View for time.) after that I later joined Warzone Europe and then later my crew and I took Warzone Asia, which was highly inactive. We have since began to extend invitations for diplomatic relations with the above two mentioned Warzones.
On the subject of Warzone Asia, there are a number of questions in the air. Katz Kingdom WA is the current delegate, is this another puppet of yours, or a comrade in arms?
Ballpit: He is my Lieutenant. If that were my puppet, I would be in violation of site rules, as I am banned from the World Assembly.
So Katz is the delegate, but you would classify Warzone Asia as under your indirect control?
Ballpit: Yes. He is my Second In Command. As such, I am the one extending invitations for diplomatic ties.
My control there is mostly implicit.
If I need something done, I tell him, but other than that, the region is his.
Now, the biggest question on everyone's mind is the endorsements. Warzone Asia has very quickly risen to the top of the Warzone endorsement count. Where are they from?
Ballpit: The straight answer? Most are from IRL friends. I asked most people who I knew to simply create an account and apply the endorsement. The current count still isn't good enough for me, and I will continue to add to that number until I am satisfied that my Lieutenant will enjoy a long uninterrupted reign there. It's simple. As a raider, I know how things work. And it's good to exercise a bit of paranoia every now and then. This is one of those cases. For something like a Warzone, having a public display of total control is something I am proud of. I'm proud of my Lieutenant for securing the Delegacy, and will continue to get him the endorsements he needs to maintain his position.
At the time of writing, Katz Kingdom WA has 18 endorsements. Roughly how many would you call permanent settlers, and how many are temporary supporters such as those from the TYA Alliance as credited in your World Factbook Entry?
Ballpit: Hmmm.
If I was looking at the names I could give you a better estimate, but I'm not at the moment. I'd say roughly eleven would be permanent, and the other seven will likely withdraw after a week for retasking.
You've identified yourself as a raider. What's your history with this section of gameplay?
Ballpit: It's a short one, at least, the legal part of raiding is. The above part where I mentioned my WA ban? I (not proud of it) WA multiied and was a one man raid team. This was 35 days ago. The legal raiding is something I have helped orchestrate with my men for roughly the past week. We are extremely new and still learning the ropes. This can also be an implied reason for wishing to maintain hold of a Warzone, having knowledge of their history for being highly volatile regions known for games of "regional ping-pong."
You've certainly had quite the month on Nationstates, where do you plan to go from here? Any goals or ambitions you'd like to share?
Ballpit: Well, the main thing I have been working towards is getting that WA ban lifted. I've adhered to site rules and even in some cases I've enforced them where I could. I'm simply doing my own thing but at the same time I've got a small army to lead.
Thanks for taking part in this interview today. As a final question, what would you say to those looking in to the Warzones from outside, who have little to no context for what you're doing?
Ballpit: To the outsiders and non-Warzone participants? Sure. I'd say that they are in for a treat, so grab that popcorn. I want to see a unified Warzones like never seen before, but these ideals can only be built on by the participation of the other Warzone Delegates and leaders. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.