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How did you find NationStates?

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 6:50 pm
by Brunswick-upon-Raritan
Pretty simple question.

For myself, to make a long story short, I found out about NationStates through a social studies teacher who showed us NS and Cybernations in like 8th grade. It was pretty dope, but I was more into CN. The wars and alliances were more fun there, and I didn’t really understand RPing without a game board or pieces to play with. It’s been a long time since, but discovering nation sims in my mid teens alongside classmates started what became a big part of my life in a lot of ways, both in time spent and emotion invested. And though nation sims are much less a part of life now, it still is very big in my nostalgic memory.

I often wonder how all my old alliance mates are today, and I often wish I could go back and relive those times, when I was wrapped up in whatever war we were waging, or some merger we were pursuing, or the elections for who would be best to lead us in the wars ahead. And, like, what life was like for each other as a teenage nerd in some other far-flung part of the country, or the world. We did have some things in common, after all, like Star Wars and video games.

Based on the age thread it seems like there are actually a bunch of young people on this forum, though, and a few geezers who definitely couldn’t have found this game in their school years, so it’s funny to think my nostalgia could be somebody else’s present, or something like that. So, how did you find NationStates, other nation sims, and what do you think of them?

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 6:53 pm
by Drew Durrnil
Drew Durnil posted a video on NS.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 6:55 pm
by Exalted Inquellian State
Yeah, I also found it thanks to him. Ironically, I had trouble getting in because of him too, since many other people had the same idea.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 6:57 pm
by Aeisonia
So many new players..

I found it from a google search of "nation simulator"

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 6:57 pm
by Heloin
LiveJournal probably, I don't remember anymore.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 6:59 pm
by Shanghai industrial complex
I joined community of Paradox game. One day someone complained that they couldn't play games without a computer. Another recommended this website to us

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 7:08 pm
by Brunswick-upon-Raritan
Drew Durrnil wrote:Drew Durnil posted a video on NS.


I didn’t think of that, made a video option.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 7:11 pm
by Evil Empire 666
Brunswick-upon-Raritan wrote:Pretty simple question.

For myself, to make a long story short, I found out about NationStates through a social studies teacher who showed us NS and Cybernations in like 8th grade. It was pretty dope, but I was more into CN. The wars and alliances were more fun there, and I didn’t really understand RPing without a game board or pieces to play with. It’s been a long time since, but discovering nation sims in my mid teens alongside classmates started what became a big part of my life in a lot of ways, both in time spent and emotion invested. And though nation sims are much less a part of life now, it still is very big in my nostalgic memory.

I often wonder how all my old alliance mates are today, and I often wish I could go back and relive those times, when I was wrapped up in whatever war we were waging, or some merger we were pursuing, or the elections for who would be best to lead us in the wars ahead. And, like, what life was like for each other as a teenage nerd in some other far-flung part of the country, or the world. We did have some things in common, after all, like Star Wars and video games.

Based on the age thread it seems like there are actually a bunch of young people on this forum, though, and a few geezers who definitely couldn’t have found this game in their school years, so it’s funny to think my nostalgia could be somebody else’s present, or something like that. So, how did you find NationStates, other nation sims, and what do you think of them?



TI roF kooL oT daH I.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 7:19 pm
by Il Borgia Vaticano
Aeisonia wrote:So many new players..

I found it from a google search of "nation simulator"


"Run a country game."

Literally what I googled at age 16 to find this place.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 7:25 pm
by Snakeden
I've played before, a long time ago at the start of the game, but unfortunately, I don't remember how I first found out it even existed.

This time my brain smacked me out of nowhere with "what if you went back to that NationStates game and played a couple of ideas out," and I went "yeah, sure."

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 7:31 pm
by Pax Nerdvana
I'm getting deja vue. I think I've seen this thread at least 3 or 4 different times. A friend of mine told me about NS.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:21 pm
by Biotopia
Brunswick-upon-Raritan wrote:Pretty simple question.

For myself, to make a long story short, I found out about NationStates through a social studies teacher who showed us NS and Cybernations in like 8th grade. It was pretty dope, but I was more into CN. The wars and alliances were more fun there, and I didn’t really understand RPing without a game board or pieces to play with. It’s been a long time since, but discovering nation sims in my mid teens alongside classmates started what became a big part of my life in a lot of ways, both in time spent and emotion invested. And though nation sims are much less a part of life now, it still is very big in my nostalgic memory.

I often wonder how all my old alliance mates are today, and I often wish I could go back and relive those times, when I was wrapped up in whatever war we were waging, or some merger we were pursuing, or the elections for who would be best to lead us in the wars ahead. And, like, what life was like for each other as a teenage nerd in some other far-flung part of the country, or the world. We did have some things in common, after all, like Star Wars and video games.

Based on the age thread it seems like there are actually a bunch of young people on this forum, though, and a few geezers who definitely couldn’t have found this game in their school years, so it’s funny to think my nostalgia could be somebody else’s present, or something like that. So, how did you find NationStates, other nation sims, and what do you think of them?


Wow, thanks for sharing this. I feel exactly the same. I actually have a real life friend I made through this game who i've visited on the other side of the world a few times. This game and the community was such a formative experience on my life. I can still remember writing a long message to one of my NS friends right after the first time I kissed a guy. "Priorities", lol.

I found out about NS from an article in the New Internationalist magazine. This would have been around 2002/2003. Early days in the game. I played it for several years afterwards but moved on. I've come back a couple of times since. I still have my copy of Jennifer Government too.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:21 pm
by Bombadil
Laying in the gutter, looking at the stars.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:25 pm
by Geneviev
A Google search for creating a nation.

Alternatively, you can always say that I was meant to be here, for whatever reason you choose.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:40 pm
by Brunswick-upon-Raritan
I’m amazed so many people had the organic idea to just look for a “create nation” game lol I wonder what games might exist that I’ve just never looked for

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:42 pm
by Preusses
Basically an ex-friend of mine forced me into the game but never actually taught me how to RP properly and kept showing off his nation calling my nation a ruthless dictatorship. Ironically his nation wasn't exactly feasible in any alternate history scenario. He also kept calling me out in my earlier days of nationstates for being bad at naming nations. Then when we had an arguement and broke the friendship he pledged to destroy all my nations and bar me from ever playing again as his revenge.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:44 pm
by MineLegotia and Equestria
Found NationStates through a My Little Pony fanfiction.

Yes, fanfiction.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:48 pm
by Brunswick-upon-Raritan
MineLegotia and Equestria wrote:Found NationStates through a My Little Pony fanfiction.

Yes, fanfiction.


I’d categorize that as “Other Online Community”... Didn’t anticipate that, though

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:49 pm
by Brunswick-upon-Raritan
Preusses wrote:Basically an ex-friend of mine forced me into the game but never actually taught me how to RP properly and kept showing off his nation calling my nation a ruthless dictatorship. Ironically his nation wasn't exactly feasible in any alternate history scenario. He also kept calling me out in my earlier days of nationstates for being bad at naming nations. Then when we had an arguement and broke the friendship he pledged to destroy all my nations and bar me from ever playing again as his revenge.


Uh... Does he still play?

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:50 pm
by Brunswick-upon-Raritan
Bombadil wrote:Laying in the gutter, looking at the stars.


This kind of froofy nonsense is why you were cut from the movies

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:50 pm
by Exalted Inquellian State
MineLegotia and Equestria wrote:Found NationStates through a My Little Pony fanfiction.

Yes, fanfiction.

Um... I would like to have an explanation.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:51 pm
by Kathol Rift
Had a friend bring it up over two years ago. And now, I’m obsessed.

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:52 pm
by The Hindustani State
It became popular in my college

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:52 pm
by Galloism
I was summoned using black magic. Then they offered me homemade brownies, and I was like "ok, that's cool".

PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:52 pm
by Brunswick-upon-Raritan
Pax Nerdvana wrote:I'm getting deja vue. I think I've seen this thread at least 3 or 4 different times. A friend of mine told me about NS.


I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been affected by nostalgia over the years