Confederation of Corrupt Dictators: Ultimate Gameplay Thread

[Kanglia]

WAlite

Our mascot is WAluigi


Credit: Rach and Bowzin

If I don't see a tag raid post with this I think I will be gravely disappointed

[Custadia]

Sorry man but just not seeing the latter statement being targeted at you, as based upon what is being said by Reppy it is being situated in the wider context of the tons of other shit in other threads (including in the WA and Technical) brought up by Shrew.

I'm wasn't aware of the WA and technical threads, mb.

[Reploid Productions]

The CCD is not my region. I am not resident there, nor am I resident in any region that calls itself their friend, nor will I ever be.

My apologies, I honestly didn't even check to see what region you're in, though my post wasn't specifically aimed at you so much as the folks in the region who are lobbying for technical changes over it and might be getting misplaced hope from those old posts. The circumstances in which technical changes would have been considered to hamper quorum-crashing simply have not manifested. One player or region successfully aggravating enough players into quorum-crashing their proposal one time (or more, if people continue to do it to WA proposals out of the region) does not a broken system make, so the folks hoping for a technical solution to their interregional politicking woes are wasting their time and effort that would be better served trying to tackle the root cause of the problem- their lackluster interregional politicking.

Like I said in 2018, it's most certainly a dick move; but it's also politics, and "dick moves" are a very large part of politics. If someone wants to play at politics in the wider game community like CCD does, they can expect to be faced with political opposition based on their apparent ideological bent or tolerances, and social opposition (which in turn often becomes political opposition) based on how they try to handle interregional diplomacy. Given that the game lacks a dedicated war mechanic, tactics like what CCD has been subjected to are the closest equivalents the game has to blockading and applying military pressure on a perceived "hostile" nation (or region as the case may be.)

[Syberis]

But Reppy, it's happening to them, and therefore it's bad game design and imbalanced! They just want things changed so that other people can be happy. Or some such crock.

[Prydania]

You're right, I did misread. I gave you credit for understanding that Llama had given two examples of a wider class of regions where none was due.

Look man, I don't even know what you're expecting. You lambasted me based on you misreading a post I made. I pointed that out and even went "hey it happens" and you're still insisting on acting like a dick. I'm happy your later post clears up your mindset, so I know what's got you all worked up but still. Get over it.

Here's a secret for ya. NSG is full of teenagers who pontificate over issues they only barely understand and highly opinionated 20-somethings who haven't quite figured out they're not the great political philosophers they think they are. Always has been, and likely always will be. And before you get upset at that characterization? I've been both.

Regardless, it's not a place I would look to for a nuanced, scholarly discussion. On communism or any other topic.

After your twenties did you suddenly gain understanding or was it that you realised you're not the philosopher you thought you were?

Both, really. This game (and NSG in general) attracts certain kind of people. The newly awoken politically-motivated teenager or the sure of themselves ideology driven twenty-something. Often the former becomes the latter. And once you grow out of the latter phase you start to realize just how silly the whole thing is.

Fascism sucks and fascists regions are valid raid targets, but I really struggle to feel anything but pity for anybody who feels the need to assert their moral superiority over their residents or express moral pride in undertaking those operations. You beat some edgy internet kids who can barely play this game. You didn't prove to them that they're wrong, you didn't perform a public service. You fucked with a dumb SC proposal that would almost certainly have failed at vote anyway, you didn't storm the Eagle's Nest. Honestly, who writes entire seminars about how fascist regions aren't RP or spends their free time making snarky posts at them when there's literally any other kind of gameplay they could be doing.

I don't give a crap about gameplay though. I'm in NS for RP. That's 99% of what I do in TNP.
What I do give a crap about (aside from RP) is someone using a community I am part of to spread an ideology based on oppressing and killing those they deem "subhuman." I give zero shits how much the CCD claims it's just "IC"
I would rather this game/community not have these bigots around. And if Max Berry won't put his foot down? Then it falls to the community as a whole to tell these people that their ideology isn't welcome.

And before you scoff at that? I remember when Stormwatch used this game to recruit, or when neo-Nazi regions used their Discord to recruit for the Unite Right rally at Charlottesville. This isn't paranoia over "edgy internet kids." There is a history here of modern day fascists/white supremacists using "IC RP" as a cover to recruit young people into their ranks.

I just think that this pseudo-NSG stuff is the lowest form of gameplay and it frustrates me that it and OOC bullshit is all that's coming out of gameplay at the moment.

Again, I don't care about gameplay. Nor what is or isn't considered "the lowest form" of it. I'm glad you made this post though, because it makes your earlier hostility and rush to judgement understandable.
Still? Fuck fascists. In this game or elsewhere.

[Cedoria]

Calapes is not a member of either region being discussed. We supported his candidacy, but we didn’t chuck a spectacular snit about it on the forums when they didn’t win.
Y’Know, unlike CCD.

Hell, we spent the last portion of the election trying (successfully) to ensure that Misley finished on exactly 420 votes. Watching fascists pitch a fit over something we didn't take even slightly seriously is very funny.

Damn us for treating it as the April's Fools joke it was rather than turning it into a self-serving badgehunt I guess?

[Jocospor]

Like I said in 2018, it's most certainly a dick move; but it's also politics, and "dick moves" are a very large part of politics.

Agree; have you seen Kevin Spacey??

Alright Shrew, let's break this down.

So what you're saying is that you made a choice, of your own free will, to follow the orders of Jocospor for personal gain, power and influence within the CCD.

Yes. I made a choice. A misguided one no doubt, yet a choice of my own free will. That I don't deny.

You then spent close to a year infiltrating the region until, apparently, "things started to make less sense".

I spent close to a year peddling my lies, you've spent over three on yours. The fact it took me this long to get straightened out is appalling, but at least I got there. And it's not a bad thing to recognize that the people who you demonize are just people like you that simply don't subscribe to worshipping your leader, unless of course it's the only reason your region has yet to collapse.

When the situation eventually went south and you were exposed for it, you then decided that instead of owning up to your own actions and taking responsibility...

Yeah, because cooperating with investigative forces, accepting the punishment given to me by the authorities in question, reaching out personally to the delegates of the North Pacific to apologize, and trying to apologize multiple times to the community I harmed at large isn't "owning up" to my actions. But, given how the Confederation views "owning up" to its actions as issuing a fake apology, then backtracking, then making some cosmetic changes, I can see how you'd be confused.

...you'd shove the blame onto Jocospor and claim you were emotionally manipulated.

I'm not pinning all the blame on him, Shrew. If you can't tell, a lot of the blame and disappointment is with myself. But yes, I am shoving some blame onto him. It's the blame he deserves for running a personality cult that shields fascists, punishes anyone who can't subscribe to the dangerous groupthink present in the CCD, and for trying to orchestrate the coup in question.

Okay champ, got it.

You clearly don't, bud.

If you'd like to continue with back-and-forth dialogue, I'd be happy to. But, if you're gonna keep denying the truth and the gravity of your actions, we're done here.

As you all know, I'm very happy for my attack-dog Shrew to largely handle the forums ("good boy!" *throws bone*) but I thought I'd take this one on myself, considering a) it's largely directed at me and b) isn't just meaningless dribble #WAluigi

If we're on the subject of Kevin Spacey, Francis knows all too well that getting stabbed in the back sucks. That doesn't necessarily mean he has any attachment to those doing the stabbing; a knife wound is still a knife wound.

The thing that truly amazes me about AWF is the length that some of its members go to to distance themselves from the Confederation, when only a few months ago they were quite a valued and content part of our region. This I am sure they will deny, but our Discord(s) are overflowing with content to back this up. Someone like Riakou is a very good example here. He performed what I believe has become known as "The February Snap" after buying well over 100,000 telegram stamps for the region, and maybe over 150,000. On several podcasts he has discussed his notions of grandeur, about how far gone the region was etc. etc. Bullocks. I think Riakou was, honestly, just having some fun. He went out with a bang, not because of any moral objection but because he knew he couldn't advance any higher in the CCD. Riakou was a favourite to replace me as Delegate; Shrew took that, and I think that's when Riakou knew it was game over. Unfortunately, if he'd shared his plans with me, I would have cautioned him against The February Snap, on account of the fact that "Ex-CCDer-who-boots-300-from-region-overnight" doesn't exactly inspire trust in any leadership. Particularly in those fragile democracies. Ill conceived, Riakou. A strong 15 seconds of fame, but still only 15 seconds.

Riakou loved the CCD, so much so that he felt comfortable to share actual photographs of himself amongst its community. Which of course I will keep safely under lock and key, because I've had my share of doxxing allegations.

Inquis, you talk about me "punish[ing] anyone who can't subscribe to the dangerous groupthink present in the CCD." What exactly do you mean, punish? Do you find it unjust that I pursue (within NationStates) legal actions against dissenters? Everyone region has its laws. Mine just happens to largely centre around, well, me

Coups have been executed against GCRs before, and certainly against UCRs. Raiding, really, is a form of couping. So, on that score, I laugh when people expect me to feel some guilt over our woefully poor attempts at TNP. Which might not have been so woefully poor, but that one is on you. And besides, if it had succeeded, would we find ourselves in this situation today? I doubt it. You'd be EXTREMELY happy with CCD, regardless of whatever issues you perceived within it. Think of all that power. You would have done what Riakou couldn't have: climbed higher, and still under the Confederation banner.

None of AWF could have climbed any higher. I think its why they champion that line, "CCD only cares about Jocospor/Elite/upper-tier" - I don't know, any substitution will do. But if you had climbed higher, I doubt there'd be complaints.

At this point, I sit back in my armchair with a half amused, half bemused expression. It's interesting to see you all scrambling for new starts. We often like to say that the CCD has no integrity. Of moral integrity, perhaps that's true - from a gameplay perspective, I mean. (And, come on, give it a rest. I think we all know that I'm not running the next Hitler Youth, particularly as I voted for the Greens in the last federal election.) But consistency? The Confederation hasn't changed its position on things like the WA since its founding. We've made our bed, sure, but at least we sleep in it. We don't pull our Snaps or throw blame around in an attempt for a clean start.

Honestly, now that the former faction of CCD that makes up AWF has gone, I'm much happier. The stabbing hurt, but I don't have any personal grudges (perhaps Rein excepting, although he's no longer a part of the AWF which suggest to me they saw the light and booted him too). What I am happier about is the bureaucratic barrier between real regional government and CCD nations is gone. We're operating very efficiently now, and while there's a lot to clean up, we're nicely back on our feet (even if numbers are, at the moment, trending down).

TL;DR: Hypocrisy disappoints me.

[Vetelo]

Who in the fuck do you think you are?

[The Xaviet Empire]

*claps at how extremely genious this reply was*

He's Jocospor.

[Jocospor]

Who in the fuck do you think you are?

Someone who has, over a number of years, systematically manipulated the majority of NationStates.

I understand the GCRs are diverting their raiding manpower against the CCD now. Yes, CCD, that region everyone decided to ignore in 2017.

Who are you?

[Jocospor]

Oh, I see, you're a founder of a left-leaning region. Wow, unique! And 186 nations too. Oh, and look at all that influence. Your forum thread doesn't quite have nearly 80k views after two years, but I'm sure it'll get there soon. I bet they talk about you nonstop on NSGP too. And in the WA circles! For sure, right reasons aside, they'll remember you. You've really made a mark on the game.

My only suggestion would be a personality cult. It could really spice things up for you!

[The Gilded Star]

Coups have been executed against GCRs before, and certainly against UCRs. Raiding, really, is a form of couping. So, on that score, I laugh when people expect me to feel some guilt over our woefully poor attempts at TNP.

Hm, guilt? Dunno. With TNP being what it is in the world of NSGP, I think it's more along the lines of, "If you come for the king, you best not miss". Y'all missed.

But besides that, GCR coups don't seem terribly popular regardless of the perpetrators. CCD already living in infamy just magnified the reaction, probably.

I bet they talk about you nonstop on NSGP too. And in the WA circles!

...This tells me you're meeting Vetelo for the first time. Hoo boy, you're in for a treat.

[Nakena]

Who in the fuck do you think you are?

Another fellow Dictator I guess.

I bet they talk about you nonstop on NSGP too. And in the WA circles!

...This tells me you're meeting Vetelo for the first time. Hoo boy, you're in for a treat.

*grabs popcorn*

[Jocospor]

...This tells me you're meeting Vetelo for the first time. Hoo boy, you're in for a treat.

Oh no I've met him before, I just can't remember a thing about him. Is he supposed to be important?

[2nd Imperial German Reich]

As you all know, I'm very happy for my attack-dog Shrew to largely handle the forums ("good boy!" *throws bone*) but I thought I'd take this one on myself, considering a) it's largely directed at me and b) isn't just meaningless dribble #WAluigi

Attack Dog or lap bitch, Jocospor?

[ShrewLlamaLand]

As you all know, I'm very happy for my attack-dog Shrew to largely handle the forums ("good boy!" *throws bone*) but I thought I'd take this one on myself, considering a) it's largely directed at me and b) isn't just meaningless dribble #WAluigi

Attack Dog or lap bitch, Jocospor?

I pack a pretty powerful bite.

[Technocratic Founder]

Attack Dog or lap bitch, Jocospor?

I pack a pretty powerful bite.

Only in your little head-canon where there really is a WA elite and you lot really are some kind of oppressed freedom fighters.

Here in reality though, you lot are fash, and this game would benefit so much if you all shut the hell up, packed your bags, and fucked off.

[ShrewLlamaLand]

I pack a pretty powerful bite.

Only in your little head-canon where there really is a WA elite and you lot really are some kind of oppressed freedom fighters.

Here in reality though, you lot are fash, and this game would benefit so much if you all shut the hell up, packed your bags, and fucked off.

Not true.

I have it on good authority, from the accuser themself no less, that I do indeed pack a pretty powerful bite.

[Valerox]

"punish[ing] anyone who can't subscribe to the dangerous groupthink present in the CCD." You know you'd think that if the groupthink was really present, I would be the poster boy against the CCD. I've been ousted from power multiple times, convicted for treason, earned and served the longest sentence ever given in the penal colony, and that's just the roleplay stuff. Key difference is, unlike the AWF traitors, instead of getting bitter, whining about going as high as they could go, and doing lame ass moral high ground and grandstanding, I went back to work. You can call it groupthink or cult or whatever you want to call it, but in reality it's just a bunch of people who appreciate the roleplaying environment we've set up, and agree with the opinions that we as leaders, and Jocospor as founder share. You not agreeing with those is a valid opinion, but one we could care less about. However when you start trolling forums and raiding our allies to keep resolutions from reaching quorum, that's when it goes from "oh okay valid opinion's and constructive arguments" to what looks like a bunch of children whining about make believe fascists and giggling as you fuck around on a political internet game. I, and most other people in the CCD could care less that you think we're all dirty IRL fascists that want to corrupt Nationstates and ruin your perfect little left leaning society. Just shut up about it already, ye of literally nothing better to do apparently.

Anyways, all hail our lord and master Jocospor. May he reign for a thousand years and stamp out all opposition under his oh so holy boots.
*insert more overt sarcasm that someone is going to screenshot and bring up in a couple of months as evidence for why the CCD leadership is really evil nasty smelly fascists, guys this time It's real I swear.*

[Jocospor]

"punish[ing] anyone who can't subscribe to the dangerous groupthink present in the CCD." You know you'd think that if the groupthink was really present, I would be the poster boy against the CCD. I've been ousted from power multiple times, convicted for treason, earned and served the longest sentence ever given in the penal colony, and that's just the roleplay stuff. Key difference is, unlike the AWF traitors, instead of getting bitter, whining about going as high as they could go, and doing lame ass moral high ground and grandstanding, I went back to work. You can call it groupthink or cult or whatever you want to call it, but in reality it's just a bunch of people who appreciate the roleplaying environment we've set up, and agree with the opinions that we as leaders, and Jocospor as founder share. You not agreeing with those is a valid opinion, but one we could care less about. However when you start trolling forums and raiding our allies to keep resolutions from reaching quorum, that's when it goes from "oh okay valid opinion's and constructive arguments" to what looks like a bunch of children whining about make believe fascists and giggling as you fuck around on a political internet game. I, and most other people in the CCD could care less that you think we're all dirty IRL fascists that want to corrupt Nationstates and ruin your perfect little left leaning society. Just shut up about it already, ye of literally nothing better to do apparently.

Anyways, all hail our lord and master Jocospor. May he reign for a thousand years and stamp out all opposition under his oh so holy boots.
*insert more overt sarcasm that someone is going to screenshot and bring up in a couple of months as evidence for why the CCD leadership is really evil nasty smelly fascists, guys this time It's real I swear.*

Given that Valerox has just been appointed Lord Ambassador, we may need to discuss particular approach to foreign policy haha

But the point still stands. Valerox has been persecuted multiple times but (somehow) has managed to put that all behind him. We are VERY thankful for his contributions to the CCD over the years.

Attack Dog or lap bitch, Jocospor?

Oh, German Which would you prefer? Woof woof.

[Agarntrop]

at this point this thread is just people arguing about pointless or fabricated injustices for no good reason

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

in reality it's just a bunch of people who appreciate the roleplaying environment we've set up, and agree with the opinions that we as leaders, and Jocospor as founder share.

If I asked you to list those opinions, would you kindly say the quiet ones out loud?

[Technocratic Founder]

Given that Valerox has just been appointed Lord Ambassador, we may need to discuss particular approach to foreign policy haha

You have an approach? I figured the unrestrained nonsense from your membership was just a load of uncoordinated idiocy, not directed idiocy.

in reality it's just a bunch of people who appreciate the roleplaying environment we've set up, and agree with the opinions that we as leaders, and Jocospor as founder share.

If I asked you to list those opinions, would you kindly say the quiet ones out loud?

I would also be interested in hearing that...

[South Reinkalistan]

"punish[ing] anyone who can't subscribe to the dangerous groupthink present in the CCD." You know you'd think that if the groupthink was really present, I would be the poster boy against the CCD. I've been ousted from power multiple times, convicted for treason, earned and served the longest sentence ever given in the penal colony, and that's just the roleplay stuff. Key difference is, unlike the AWF traitors, instead of getting bitter, whining about going as high as they could go, and doing lame ass moral high ground and grandstanding, I went back to work. You can call it groupthink or cult or whatever you want to call it, but in reality it's just a bunch of people who appreciate the roleplaying environment we've set up, and agree with the opinions that we as leaders, and Jocospor as founder share. You not agreeing with those is a valid opinion, but one we could care less about. However when you start trolling forums and raiding our allies to keep resolutions from reaching quorum, that's when it goes from "oh okay valid opinion's and constructive arguments" to what looks like a bunch of children whining about make believe fascists and giggling as you fuck around on a political internet game. I, and most other people in the CCD could care less that you think we're all dirty IRL fascists that want to corrupt Nationstates and ruin your perfect little left leaning society. Just shut up about it already, ye of literally nothing better to do apparently.

Anyways, all hail our lord and master Jocospor. May he reign for a thousand years and stamp out all opposition under his oh so holy boots.
*insert more overt sarcasm that someone is going to screenshot and bring up in a couple of months as evidence for why the CCD leadership is really evil nasty smelly fascists, guys this time It's real I swear.*

Heya, Valerox!

I'm not going to approach you with a particularly aggressive post, because frankly I know what it's like. Whilst it's completely understandable that people are rocking up here and kicking the CCD, I do think it's important that somebody talk to you bluntly about CCD's past, as I am - as most people who have left the CCD are - aware that you didn't "[go] back to work", but instead entered a long period of inactivity following your return from Vangmar. While, of course, I don't know whether you were under any IRL circumstances that may have made activity more difficult for you, it doesn't change the fact that you came back just as most of the regional administration had gotten up and left 'cuz it turned out the CCD was rotten. You were a useful old face that Joco saw fit to place in a position of power to plug the gaping holes left by most of the old government (including 3/5 Supreme Council members) leaving.

For the record, I don't think you're a fascist. Heck, despite how much I bullshit and joke about it, I don't think that Joco or Shrew are fascists. In fact, I don't think most members of the CCD are fascist. From my observations, a lot of the region seems to be centre-right, or heck, some members seem to be centre-left. I don't even have many reservations on roleplaying fascism. I wholeheartedly agree with Prydania that when roleplaying horrific regimes, one must be sure to do so correctly. This shown by how I roleplay as, well, it's in my signature: "A nightmare theocratic socialist hellscape". I'm not afraid to say that the nation of South Reinkalistan is a cryptofascist hellhole. What I have done in the past is gone overboard and been insensitive about this. I think that I'll link Prydania's seminar again: https://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/9191065/. It's something I think that all roleplayers, the CCD included, should read.

That said, there are still some genuine OOC fascists and reactionaries running about on your discord; these people have been punished, granted, but not to the extent that I'd honestly expect them to. These people still happily run about on their discord server. Rashidland is still rather active, and he's said some rather nasty things about gay people such as myself. So I'm not attacking the CCD from fabricated moral grounds, you see? I've been fair to you lot, while I've highlighted how you're going to ruin my "little left-leaning society [sic]". I've taken rightful offence towards a wanton and bigoted attack on a demographic I happen to be a part of, claiming I have an "illness". Still think that's "whining about make believe fascists"?

I've had bad experiences with fascism in the past - as I expect a lot of people have - and such tend to be a bit sensitive towards shit like this, as I expect a lot of people also tend to be.

I hope this clears some stuff up with you

[Prydania]

Thanks South Reinkalistan! I hope people find that lecture helpful