The Founderless Regions Alliance

[Yumyumsuppertime]

WOOHOO! RIP FRA! HAHAHAHAHAHA

Unofficial Warning For Gloating. Dial it back a notch, since this sort of thing is arguably flamebait.

[Pergamon]

Rest In Peace FRA. o/

[Guy]

A sad day but probably the best decision. When I first came to defending, updating with the FRA was by far the most fun activity I ever had in this game. Building kick-butt dossiers and suspiciously watching dozens of nations that one suspected of being a switcher. There was a lot of suspense and surprise week after week. And when your guesses turned out correct and you got the spot point on a raid.. Most fun ever!

I miss that version of Gameplay, it has been very hard to stay interested in the versions that came to replace it.

Yeah. I think it's easy to get nostalgic regarding the past, but I don't think that military gameplay has come anywhere close to being as interesting as in the period up to 2011ish. While I was not in the FRA at the time, it is also my recollection of it being a far more interesting time to play the game in.

It's interesting to see the analyses of some people here. I think the underlying issue is simply that the defending structures in the FRA were built to suit the 2006-11 version of gameplay, not the one following that. And it wasn't a matter so easily fixed: There simply wasn't a great need for the military aspects of the FRA anymore. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Perhaps an unfortunate corollary is that even when the FRA had great achievements on the battle field -- those who see themselves as aligned with the FRA often provided the largest portion of, even a majority of, troops in defender operations -- they were very rarely celebrated in public. Similarly, for much of the previous four years, when the FRA has been supposedly 'dying', a huge proportion of defender operations were led by FRA commanders. When the FRA's influence on R/D was clear, the policy was to led the work do the talking. When things are going slower, perhaps gloating and propagandising is more relevant.

The other reason, albeit a smaller one, and probably what has been the final issue for the FRA that led to this point is simply the lack of turnover of people. Perhaps this is the failings of those with heavy involvement in the Alliance, such as myself, but those of us who have lacked interest in the Alliance have not really had a plan for "What's next", or perhaps even more importantly, "Who's next".

I grew to love the FRA for what it was, even when it wasn't a bastion of activity: A group of hardworking, genuine people who have come together with not only the same ideas of how to achieve our goals, but also a huge amount of mutual respect. I can only wish you find such a good lot for yourself, too.

[The Blaatschapen]

Rest In Peace FRA.

It was nice being together with you on the battlefield a few times. Back in my pre-mod days.

It will be interesting to see where TRR and TNP will dabble from now on. Back in the ADN days they used to be big names there as well (well, TRR was, TNP was a highly contested region). I guess Lazarus will as well use its influence in different ways.

I salute you: http://www.churchhousecollection.com/re ... salute.gif

[Kyorgia]

Sleep well FRA you have certainly earned it.

[Minoa]

(Image)
Founderless Regions Alliance Update - October 2016

Greetings friends and allies,

I wish I could be communicating under better terms, however;

It has been resolved by the Regional Assembly (and most of the active members of the Founderless Regions Alliance) to adjourn business in the FRA and close our doors.

This decision was not made lightly. Over the past several months, there have been several discussions about the potential future of the FRA, and collectively we have determined that the best path to take is to cease our operations. However, the treaty will technically remain in tact between the regions involved, but the day to day operations and internal structure of the alliance will cease to function.

While this was an extremely difficult choice to make, and I personally find it difficult to write this, we find it to be the best decision. Recently the FRA has not been up to muster the way most of us believe it should be, and we would rather remember the FRA for what it was rather than what it is now.

That being said, this is not all sad. We should all look back on the FRA and all of the good it has done for so many countless individuals and communities across Nationstates. The FRA has served as a home for so many in our community. Our cultural events like the Defender Awards and FRAvision were things that so many people looked forward to every year, and we always delivered. That's not even to mention all the good things the FRA did for the many regions we've all defended over the years. While this is undoubtedly a somber occasion, I believe it should also be a day of celebration.

A celebration of our history; A celebration of our identity; A celebration of ourselves as defenders.

I wish you all luck in the future.

Effective immediately, I resign as Chancellor of the Founderless Regions Alliance.

Respectfully yours,

Funkadelia
Chancellor of the Founderless Regions Alliance.

1. Be it resolved that the Regional Assembly adjourns sine die;

2. Be it further resolved that the Regional Assembly shall reconvene at the request of the heads of state or heads of government of at least three of the following regions:
Antarctica
Atlantis
Gay
Global Right Alliance
Jethnea
Lazarus
Liberty Alliance
New Sorvun
North Pacific
The Rejected Realms
San Francisco Bay Area
Trav Khar
3. Be it further resolved that the forum administrators, if the Regional Assembly should not be reconvened before January 1, 2019, are authorized to make the Alliance's forums public, save those parts which, in their opinion, continue to require secrecy;

4. Be it further resolved that this motion, if adopted, shall be posted by a forum administrator as a forum-wide announcement, which appears in all forums;

5. Be it further resolved that the Chancellor shall transmit copies of this motion, if adopted, to the heads of state and heads of government of the aforementioned regions as well as to the NationStates forums.

I may be writing an NSindex article for the FRA but I cannot find all the discussion behind this decision, which leaves me wondering why exactly?

[Sygian II]

Great to hear! Was the FRA not already dead?

[Glen-Rhodes]

Great to see FRA's numbers coming up. Good first showing as Arch Chancellor, Funk!

So much praise for the FRA lately. I'm taking bets on how long before Glen-Rhodes tries to enroll the South Pacific into the FRA, if anyone's interested. Bets can be made in the currency of the glorious South Pacific Socialist Republic.

Guess I can't do this now

[Zaolat]

The FRA is where I got my start in Military Gameplay and General Gameplay as a whole. For me, the FRA had died when it required me to spot to rank up past Sergeant Major, if it didn't I would have been a General

Still, it was a great group with great people and I will miss it.

In the words of Tramiar, it's Wop's fault.

[Cormactopia II]

I've outlasted the FRA. I don't know whether to be proud or alarmed that I'm still here.

Regardless, and in seriousness, thanks to the FRA and everyone involved with it for the contributions made to gameplay over the years.

[G-Tech Corporation]

RIP FRA. We had good times, even if I haven't called you in years.

Now I just feel old.

[Yuno53]

Good luck guys.

[Solorni]

Balder's store of biscuits is open to all the former members of FRA trying to get through this difficult time!

[Tim-Opolis]

It's been fun, through the good and through the bad. I'll always be proud to have served in the Alliance and for the Rangers.

[Jakker]

Salute to you, FRA.

[Klopstock]

I'm very proud of the FRA.

When it started up there was a lot of skepticism about a new defender group. The ADN was still in operation. TPC and the RLA were household names while most of the major regions were at least defender friendly. And as typically happens when a new entrant appears in a crowded space, they had to fight for oxygen in the very beginning. It's a testament to the founders of the FRA that they managed to pull it off as well as they did.

We now know that the FRA was one of the drivers of a revived era within the defender world, and it became a pillar holding up that world for a very long time. Three things stand out to me now, looking back. First, the FRA was a place for people to just show up and defend. That's important for growing any organization or region, but it's also something most larger communities need as well. The FRA aced that for many years.

Second, the FRA attracted, honed, and kept an awful lot of talent. Generational handovers often haunt regions and groups, but the FRA pulled off a great many of them thanks to the sheer number of skilled defenders who emerged to carry the flag, going up until this very moment. It was one of the major schools of defenderdom for a very long time.

And third, the FRA generally was the org that held the defender world together. Whether as a cement, a glue, an adhesive, a buffer, a punching bag, or a memory -- whatever was needed. Intangibles are among the most difficult aspects to isolate and define, but their value to victory cannot be overstated. It's the magic every serious contender and their flag aspires to become in this game. In that department, the FRA's contribution has been unrivaled.

Yet all good things must come to an end. I'd at least like to say how accomplished the current, or perhaps now the final, leaders of the FRA really are. Succeeding generations tend to surpass their predecessors -- to become faster, better, savvier, and more skilled than those who came before them. It's true in real life from everything to technology and sports. Even as the larger organization or entity itself declines. And that's very much the case with the FRA's leaders of today. So hats off to you guys, and good luck to you!

[Louisistan]

I'm saddened to see the Founderless Regions Alliance shutting down. It has produced a long and proud line of defenders and it will go down into NS history with heads held high. Klopstock is right about how the FRA has functioned as the glue of defenderdom at times. During my short time as a Tactical Officer, FRA defenders were amongst the first ones to contact when trying to organise a larger operation.

I will remember the FRA fondly. *salutes*

[Evil Wolf]

And with that, the age of multi-region Defender alliances is seemingly over. Seems XKI and RIA are among the last major defender regions standing, and I rather doubt any of them will be trying to revive this model of Defender organization.

[Cormactopia II]

And with that, the age of multi-region Defender alliances is seemingly over. Seems XKI and RIA are among the last major defender regions standing, and I rather doubt any of them will be trying to revive this model of Defender organization.

I wouldn't bank on that just yet. It may be that the FRA needed to die first in order for a new organization to be created, because any new organization couldn't have gotten Lazarus or particularly The Rejected Realms while the FRA still existed. I think we may see a new organization within the next few months that will be more enticing to defender user-created regions like Renegade Islands Alliance and Spiritus, precisely because it won't be the FRA and they won't feel like they're merging with an already entrenched oligarchy by joining it. But that depends heavily on whether any region, or some charismatic individual, will take the initiative to make it happen. I'm honestly not sure who's left to do that.

So, on the other hand, gameplay appears to be dying a slow but steady death and it's possible this is just the latest symptom, in which case it would be unlikely to see anything emerge to replace the FRA. The Grey Wardens and their outpost system may have been a good candidate to replace the FRA, but probably not anymore with the retirement of Benevolent Thomas. This one-two punch of the FRA finally closing and Benevolent Thomas retiring could be the final nail in the coffin of an organized defender sphere, which would only hasten the overall death of gameplay. This has been coming for years. Gameplay has been reduced to spam games, festivals, and regional elections that have no substance because there is nothing left to make gameplay politics at all interesting.

[Libetarian Republics]

My only regret was not participating GP early enough to join the FRA. Even if we weren't at the peak, defending with the rangers was always a pleasure. not to mention expanding the Global Defender Project

[Wordy]

FRA you will be missed. I remember fondly the days of seeing you all out there on the battlefield and knowing when it came to crunch time we backed each other up (my TITO days) We did not always agree but all had the same goal.
A shame to see it fold but times have changed and so must we.

[Alustrian]

I should probably make a post here

I agree with the thoughts Guy expressed about the big picture - the FRA, R/D, and how NS has changed - so I am not going to add anything on that front. I will simply say that I am glad that the FRA gave me the opportunity to play NS with a certain set of brilliant individuals.

All those involved in the FRA can look back at it with pride

[Riemstagrad]

Bye FRA, Remember your rich history.
You can be proud of it.

[Spartzerium]

As a former Arch Chancellor, Chief of Defense Force, General of the Alliance, and various other positions/ranks in the Founderless Regions Alliance, I am sorry to hear that the FRA is ending operations, and I believe this is a sad era for NationStates gameplay. The FRA has had a huge role in shaping NS history. I would never have gotten into gameplay if it wasn't for my original region, The Council of Narnia, joining the FRA. Really, I believe most of my success in the raiding/defending world can be traced to the valuable experience I gained in the FRA.

I made many of my closest NS friends through the FRA. Even though I eventually switched sides and became a raider, I have many fond memories of participating and leading out in FRA operations, and those were some of the most fun years of my career. Although the FRA has ceased to exist, it has left a long legacy and will not soon be forgotten.

FRA, you will be missed.