Can population ever decrease

[Toreki]

or does it just always increase (by a random factor of a million)?

[Zoerb]

It never decreases

[Durkadurkiranistan II]

It never decreases

Too bad too; I'd like to purge my nation.

[Fasciscia]

Me too, 15% have commited terrible death-deserving crimes, riding on bikes, reading Harry Potter or any other kind of unapproved literature, sponsoring any religion, protesting, political activism and the list goes on

[Colonel Skranz]

Me too, 15% have commited terrible death-deserving crimes, riding on bikes, reading Harry Potter or any other kind of unapproved literature, sponsoring any religion, protesting, political activism and the list goes on

That could be explained by the population growth being a lot larger than the amount of deaths in your nation, I suppose.

As said, it can't decrease, but you can stop it from growing further by letting your nation cease to exist ([s]don't log in for 25 days[/s] I tend to post stupid answers, refer to the below post[/s]).

[Flibbleites]

Me too, 15% have commited terrible death-deserving crimes, riding on bikes, reading Harry Potter or any other kind of unapproved literature, sponsoring any religion, protesting, political activism and the list goes on

That could be explained by the population growth being a lot larger than the amount of deaths in your nation, I suppose.

As said, it can't decrease, but you can stop it from growing further by letting your nation cease to exist (don't log in for 25 days).

28 days actually (60 in vacation mode).

[Glen-Rhodes]

This is a good question. I can imagine some use for population decrease in issues (banning immigration, becoming oppressive, etc. -- not genocide, mind you!), and I can't imagine it being impossible for an issue admin to code.

Though, population is shown in millions, and it grows by several million per population update. So it wouldn't really be noticeable unless it's drastic.

[Wopruthien]

Maybe we should have a violent illness/plague issues that wipes out a certain amount of your population depending on how you deal with it

[The Southern Dictators]

Maybe we should have a violent illness/plague issues that wipes out a certain amount of your population depending on how you deal with it

That actually sounds pretty good. It should be reserved for nations that have at least maybe...5 billion population ? Of course it shouldn't wipe out a huge chunk of their population.

[Umbra Ac Silentium]

It can't decrease but it can flat-line (I've had it happen twice :s).

[Sedgistan]

It can't decrease but it can flat-line (I've had it happen twice :s).

Not true.

I'd disagree with any suggestion that led to population being allowed to drop. It's the best way of telling how long someone has been around in NationStates for, and would become an absolutely useless indicator if allowed to drop.

[DAVEYPROD]

legalise abortion that should slow things down

[Umbra Ac Silentium]

It can't decrease but it can flat-line (I've had it happen twice :s).

Not true.

I'd disagree with any suggestion that led to population being allowed to drop. It's the best way of telling how long someone has been around in NationStates for, and would become an absolutely useless indicator if allowed to drop.

Not true? Twice I've had it where I had no population growth at all.

[Seperate Vermont]

Maybe we should have a violent illness/plague issues that wipes out a certain amount of your population depending on how you deal with it

That actually sounds pretty good. It should be reserved for nations that have at least maybe...5 billion population ? Of course it shouldn't wipe out a huge chunk of their population.

Or just make it a percentage.

[Siberian_Peoples]

That could be explained by the population growth being a lot larger than the amount of deaths in your nation, I suppose.

As said, it can't decrease, but you can stop it from growing further by letting your nation cease to exist (don't log in for 25 days).

28 days actually (60 in vacation mode).

So what happens after that? Can you get your account back if you sign in?

[Esternial]

Well, decrease is possible through mass-genocide, US Pre-emptive strikes and ungodly amounts of grease.

They should add some extra options.

[Bears Armed]

It was before my time, but I've read that for NS's first 'April Fools' joke the Mods temporaily [just for that one day] re-set every nation's population back to 5 million...
Oh, just imagine how some of the players must have screamed!

28 days actually (60 in vacation mode).

So what happens after that? Can you get your account back if you sign in?

Yes, but its population won't have grown during the period when it didn't exist...

[Glen-Rhodes]

I'd disagree with any suggestion that led to population being allowed to drop. It's the best way of telling how long someone has been around in NationStates for, and would become an absolutely useless indicator if allowed to drop.

I don't think using population is the best way. The API gives the exact length of membership.

[Sedgistan]

I don't think using population is the best way. The API gives the exact length of membership.

It's far far easier to just look at the population...

[Nekronia]

That could be explained by the population growth being a lot larger than the amount of deaths in your nation, I suppose.

As said, it can't decrease, but you can stop it from growing further by letting your nation cease to exist (don't log in for 25 days).

28 days actually (60 in vacation mode).

28 days later...
Zombies everywhere, with nothing to do.

60 days later...
They begin a civilization of zombies.

2000 days later...
A plague comes and turns all the zombies into zombie zombies.

28 days later...

[Sedgistan]

Not true? Twice I've had it where I had no population growth at all.

Well that's not the case... because after the first few days of existence (which have a slightly slower rate of growth), your nation grows by 5-8 million per day.

[Esternial]

I don't think using population is the best way. The API gives the exact length of membership.

It's far far easier to just look at the population...

It is annoying for FT nations though. Maybe make a separate MT count and FT count?

[Umbra Ac Silentium]

Not true? Twice I've had it where I had no population growth at all.

Well that's not the case... because after the first few days of existence (which have a slightly slower rate of growth), your nation grows by 5-8 million per day.

Hmm, quite peculiar then. It was even a visible flat-line on my tracker graph (see link in siggy), as well as being the exact same from the day before. Huh...

[Glen-Rhodes]

It's far far easier to just look at the population...

Well, population shouldn't be just a tool for checking how long a nation has existed, especially if issues can be made to lower the population (and thus add options to the game).

[Sedgistan]

It is annoying for FT nations though. Maybe make a separate MT count and FT count?

If you have RP issues with your population, just RP your nation as having a different population.

Hmm, quite peculiar then. It was even a visible flat-line on my tracker graph (see link in siggy), as well as being the exact same from the day before. Huh...

Are you sure? I didn't see a flat-line on your graph. If there was at some time before, it might've been an error with the site producing that graph, rather than NS.