RPing Questions? Ask Here!

[The Macabees]

I am pretty new to RPing here on NS, although I've been around for many a year in NSG. My question is, where would it be appropriate to post about anti-GA rioting that is occurring in my nation as a result of the passage of GA Resolution #499.

International Incidents would do just fine. NationStates would work, as well, but personally I think you'd get more eyeballs on the post on II.

[MC United]

I am pretty new to RPing here on NS, although I've been around for many a year in NSG. My question is, where would it be appropriate to post about anti-GA rioting that is occurring in my nation as a result of the passage of GA Resolution #499.

International Incidents would do just fine. NationStates would work, as well, but personally I think you'd get more eyeballs on the post on II.

Thanks. Reporting on the incidents will commence soon.

[The Yeetusa]

What if someone keeps forcing the RP the way they want and just won't let anyone do anything?

Could you give more detail? Who's the OP? How is this person forcing others to do what they want?

Sorry I'm late to the party :p

Hellslayer is likely referring to the RP happening in the Confederation, with Alexander the Magnus as the OP. The RP is a civil war in Alexandria, with Loyalists on one side, and rebels on the other. Alexander has been "godmodeling", mainly by once he sees he's losing, he quickly has characters switch sides. An example of this is Order 77, which caused multiple nation's to concentrate their forces on the eastern province of Alexandria. Alexander made the rebels in the war switch sides and team up with the Loyalists to stop the main nation in Order 77, VlaRiSsiA, from bringing the war to a quick end. Alex called this "a rouge grab for power". That's as far as we've gotten, as many nation's have been condemned for the amount of lives lost and there was a debate going on at the RMB. I hope this helps, and I'm interested to hear your answer.

[Dayganistan]

I'm genuinely struggling with how to get involved in RP. A lot of stuff is limited to closed groups while anything that's open to the public often seems to be spammy play to win one liner RPs. I'm also not sure what I could start myself to get my nation on other people's radars. I know feast/ball/party RPs are what a lot of people do to start out but those seem more like a monarchy thing, not for a dictatorship masquerading as a republic.

[Toad Isle]

I'm genuinely struggling with how to get involved in RP. A lot of stuff is limited to closed groups while anything that's open to the public often seems to be spammy play to win one liner RPs. I'm also not sure what I could start myself to get my nation on other people's radars. I know feast/ball/party RPs are what a lot of people do to start out but those seem more like a monarchy thing, not for a dictatorship masquerading as a republic.

On the first page of II, there are a couple of threads which meet your criteria (open and decent.) Ask yourself the question, "Why haven't I joined one of them?"

[Kylarnatia]

I'm genuinely struggling with how to get involved in RP. A lot of stuff is limited to closed groups while anything that's open to the public often seems to be spammy play to win one liner RPs. I'm also not sure what I could start myself to get my nation on other people's radars. I know feast/ball/party RPs are what a lot of people do to start out but those seem more like a monarchy thing, not for a dictatorship masquerading as a republic.

On the contrary, I'd say a diplomatic gala / feast / some sort of "world fair" would be exactly the sort of thing a dictatorship masquerading as a republic would do. There's the matter of keeping up appearances - for both the audience at home and abroad - and then of course the necessity of building a network of allies through which your autocrat/faux-democratic leader seeks to cement their hold on power. If you were to pitch that as the basic premise - along with a brief summary of your nation and what your storytelling aims are (e.g. Do you want the current ruling power to be successful in maintaining power? Do you want them to eventually be toppled in subsequent roleplays, to which this is the introduction? What sorts of things would peak interest in both you as a player and from your nation in prospective allies / adversaries?) - I think you might manage to get a fair bit of interest.

I'd say the important ingredient in getting those sorts of roleplays to work is on the one hand being flexible to what other people bring to the table, while on the other having your own beginning, middle and end point in mind so that people don't fade off and lose interest due to it losing all semblance of structure or meaning.

[The Macabees]

Sorry I'm late to the party

Hellslayer is likely referring to the RP happening in the Confederation, with Alexander the Magnus as the OP. The RP is a civil war in Alexandria, with Loyalists on one side, and rebels on the other. Alexander has been "godmodeling", mainly by once he sees he's losing, he quickly has characters switch sides. An example of this is Order 77, which caused multiple nation's to concentrate their forces on the eastern province of Alexandria. Alexander made the rebels in the war switch sides and team up with the Loyalists to stop the main nation in Order 77, VlaRiSsiA, from bringing the war to a quick end. Alex called this "a rouge grab for power". That's as far as we've gotten, as many nation's have been condemned for the amount of lives lost and there was a debate going on at the RMB. I hope this helps, and I'm interested to hear your answer.

If Alexander is OP, he basically is "god" in that thread. That doesn't mean you're stuck and there's nothing you can do, you can choose to disassociate.

OP'ing is hard, and it's even tougher on NationStates because typically the OP has skin in the game, whereas in a tabletop RPG the GM is probably not involved in the story as a character. It makes for a perverse incentive for the OP, who can use their power to manipulate the outcome of the RP. Which is what Alexander seems to be doing.

I'm guessing he's a relatively new player or relatively young, and so probably is developing his skills as an OP. He could read my guide on How to OP a Thread Effectively. Otherwise, he's at risk of losing people interested in RPing in threads OP'd by him.

If you want to salvage the RP, abstract from what's at risk in-character and focus on what's at risk out of character. If the RP is struggling under the weight of out of character conflict, it's probably not going to get very far. What do you have to do to salvage the RP and still have fun? You're going to have to find a middle ground, you're going to have to make a deal and give him something he wants in return for something you want. What would that deal be? Let's start with this question: What's the cost to you of the loyalist switching sides? Maybe he can concede something that would still give him a little bit of help so that the RP is not over for him super quickly but at the same time would even out the odds in your favor too.

In the long-run, he's either going to have to be coached — a leader within his RP community giving him guidance — or he's going to have to learn via suffering the costs of poor OPing.

I have other guides here as well that may be useful to him.

[The Macabees]

I'm genuinely struggling with how to get involved in RP. A lot of stuff is limited to closed groups while anything that's open to the public often seems to be spammy play to win one liner RPs. I'm also not sure what I could start myself to get my nation on other people's radars. I know feast/ball/party RPs are what a lot of people do to start out but those seem more like a monarchy thing, not for a dictatorship masquerading as a republic.

I agree with Kylarnatia, and to add to his answer:

• Fake/controlled elections (e.g. think pre-invasion Iraq under Hussein, or most elections in sub-Saharan Africa)
• Military purchases from, or military development programs with, more liberal countries (e.g. how Franco's Spain liberalized their economy just a bit to buy military equipment from the United States)
• Military parade where you invite other friendly nations to participate (e.g. Spain is not a dictatorship now, but allied countries march with Spanish troops during the Día de la Hispanidad)
• Trade show/exhibition

These can help give the impression of a growing economy, supposed freedoms, and generally peaceful relations with neighbors.

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

How to present a Muslim intelligence officer who cares about his religion but is also a womaniser?

[The Macabees]

How to present a Muslim intelligence officer who cares about his religion but is also a womaniser?

He will probably have a lot of children and get divorced often lol. Osama bin Laden was married at least 5 times and had more than 20 children.

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

How to present a Muslim intelligence officer who cares about his religion but is also a womaniser?

He will probably have a lot of children and get divorced often lol. Osama bin Laden was married at least 5 times and had more than 20 children.

I don't want him to be that guy.
What I mean is how can I present him as someone who (in general) cares about his religion but is also engaged in zinah?

I'm thinking he often feels guilty about it (due to his overall piety) and tries to make up for it with acts of exceptional bravery and greater piety in other aspects of life.
Also I'm thinking that he gives up that kind of thing (and get's married) if he survives the mission he's currently on.
Is that believable?

[Kylarnatia]

I don't want him to be that guy.
What I mean is how can I present him as someone who (in general) cares about his religion but is also engaged in zinah?

I'm thinking he often feels guilty about it (due to his overall piety) and tries to make up for it with acts of exceptional bravery and greater piety in other aspects of life.
Also I'm thinking that he gives up that kind of thing (and get's married) if he survives the mission he's currently on.
Is that believable?

I think it'd depend on how you frame his womanising. Is he doing it because of some unresolved issues from earlier in his life? Is he trying to fill the void of a lost loved one, and therefore struggles with affection and attachment, often seeking it in these quick thrills rather than committing to any sort of long-form of attachment? Perhaps he does it partly because of his work; maybe he doesn't want to put any prospective loved one in danger.

I personally believe one of the best things you can do with a deeply religious character is show them for the human they are; as someone with deep flaws who, despite their strong convictions, struggles to sometimes uphold them, either due to vice or due to some other form of hardship. While to some it will seem hypocritical (and to make a three-dimensional character, you have to be open to them being flawed in some people's eyes), it's perfectly reasonable for him to still believe deeply in his religion despite failing to uphold its code in this manner, either knowingly or perhaps in some form of rejection over it.

I also think it makes sense that he could eventually overcome this and settle down and marry in the end. That's a very traditional form of character arc - the flawed hero who has strong convictions but due to his past sometimes fails to live up to his own ideals, but eventually overcomes those failings - that can work well if you're just trying to tell a traditional sort of narrative.

[Brettenwald]

What forum would be more appropriate for a crisis of succession, NationStates or International Incidents? It'll probably be a news/lore/maintenance thread, I don't know yet if I want it to be closed or open to IC commentary from other nations.

[Holy Roman Empires2]

My region only does nation based rp (with some character like meeting with leaders in a conference). We've tried character only rps, all have failed. How can I introduce a character rp?

[Kylarnatia]

What forum would be more appropriate for a crisis of succession, NationStates or International Incidents? It'll probably be a news/lore/maintenance thread, I don't know yet if I want it to be closed or open to IC commentary from other nations.

Traditionally I'd say that belongs in International Incidents, since a "crisis of succession" would have ramifications on an international level depending on your alliances with other nations (particularly monarchical powers). If it's likely to be more of a maintenance thread, though, I've typically seen them get placed in NationStates.

At the end of the day you can put it in either, and it'll be fine.

My region only does nation based rp (with some character like meeting with leaders in a conference). We've tried character only rps, all have failed. How can I introduce a character rp?

I think the success of a character-based roleplay - particularly within a region that is more nation-based - very much depends on what the premise is and how it plays within the larger context of the region's narrative. From my own past experience in my own region, we've found success in doing character-based roleplays from the perspective of characters from our nations involved in larger events that are happening around the same time (e.g. a conflict, a space race etc.).

From there, really, you just have to decide together what sort of story it is you're trying to tell, and what purpose your characters serve. In my experience, character-based roleplay is a great way to explore the more "personal" side of your nations culture and history, in a way that's almost if not entirely separate from the politics and international incidents that your main characters have to constantly deal with. So in that way, it still shares a direct link with your nation-based activities, while framed in a character-focused way.

[Mannixa Prime]

Hey, sorry if this is this wrong thread but I’m fairly new with this account but I used to be active a few yard ago. Are there any groups with a Modern tech focus looking for a new nation? I’m working on my Fact book as well.

[Kylarnatia]

Hey, sorry if this is this wrong thread but I’m fairly new with this account but I used to be active a few yard ago. Are there any groups with a Modern tech focus looking for a new nation? I’m working on my Fact book as well.

You can take a look through the Factbooks and National Information sub-forum to see if there are any MT region threads which you can make enquiries into - here's one, as just one example, but there are no doubt more.

[Mannixa Prime]

Hey, sorry if this is this wrong thread but I’m fairly new with this account but I used to be active a few yard ago. Are there any groups with a Modern tech focus looking for a new nation? I’m working on my Fact book as well.

You can take a look through the Factbooks and National Information sub-forum to see if there are any MT region threads which you can make enquiries into - here's one, as just one example, but there are no doubt more.

Thank you!

[Dysaphora]

How does one go about a complex, strategic military to without the problem of bias or godmodding? I’ve seen a lot of ppl use a middleman system or overseer.

[Random Country 453632]

I started rp in July.
Is it to early for war?

[Kylarnatia]

How does one go about a complex, strategic military to without the problem of bias or godmodding? I’ve seen a lot of ppl use a middleman system or overseer.

If I'm understanding the question correctly, you're asking how to roleplay a complex military without bias or godmodding? If that's the case, then I'd say that a middleman or arbitrator - while certainly useful in some instances, namely community-scale settings where there are a lot of factors involved and a fresh pair of eyes may be useful - isn't entirely necessary. I think by arming yourself with at least a basic degree of knowledge of how a military works (there are many useful guides here which I can recommend a glance over), you'll be able to avoid the worst potential godmodding errors on your own part.

As for bias, that all depends on your attitudes when pursuing the use of your military in a roleplay. If your objective is to "win", then you're already starting yourself off on the wrong foot, in my opinion; roleplay is at the end of the day, a narrative exercise, and the art of storytelling is all about conveying meaning to the reader. True, you could just want to tell a simple story of "look at how awesome and badass my military is" but there's not much meaning to that. If you approach a war roleplay as a chance to tell a really compelling story, you'll see how many possibilities there are and think about the narrative value of a strategic loss here, or moments of military incompetence here and there. Even the strongest forces have their weak points, and it's those fallible moments that really give depth to what would otherwise just be a very two-dimensional representation of war.

Tie this all together with clear communication and cooperation with your fellow roleplay partners (how much you plan is up to you, but I'd say you'll need to at least know what the endgame is), and you're all set.

Hopefully this answered your question, but if I misunderstood or you need further advice, do let me know.

I started rp in July.
Is it to early for war? :?:

Technically, no. You can jump into whatever you want straight away; this game is what you make it, after all. I would say - reflecting on the advice given above - that war roleplays are very complex and take a lot to pull off well. So, while it's up to you and you absolutely could start a war roleplay now (I'd take a glance at the guides linked above too if you haven't already), I'd recommend trying some other forms of roleplay first - like a diplomatic gala - just to get some experience of the basics of roleplay and work your way up from there.

[Kadajistan]

For a modern country, is it credible that the communism that has done atrocious in the country wins the elections with an absolute majority or is it better to pretend that a coalition wins where the communist party is together with other left-wing parties?

Like the Gran Polo Patriótico Simón Bolívar coalition.

In summary, is it credible that the communism that has done outrages in the nation wins the fair elections or is it better to camouflage it in a coalition?

[Santheres]

For a modern country, is it credible that the communism that has done atrocious in the country wins the elections with an absolute majority or is it better to pretend that a coalition wins where the communist party is together with other left-wing parties?

Like the Gran Polo Patriótico Simón Bolívar coalition.

In summary, is it credible that the communism that has done outrages in the nation wins the fair elections or is it better to camouflage it in a coalition?

Yes. You can either just go ahead with the approach of "it's happened, deal with it" or if you don't like that approach, you can set the stage for how it occurred. "Done atrocious" is also vague, so we wouldn't be able to speak on any specifics, but you always have the options of the culture or a series of events lending themselves to unlikely outcomes.

[Kadajistan]

For a modern country, is it credible that the communism that has done atrocious in the country wins the elections with an absolute majority or is it better to pretend that a coalition wins where the communist party is together with other left-wing parties?

Like the Gran Polo Patriótico Simón Bolívar coalition.

In summary, is it credible that the communism that has done outrages in the nation wins the fair elections or is it better to camouflage it in a coalition?

Yes. You can either just go ahead with the approach of "it's happened, deal with it" or if you don't like that approach, you can set the stage for how it occurred. "Done atrocious" is also vague, so we wouldn't be able to speak on any specifics, but you always have the options of the culture or a series of events lending themselves to unlikely outcomes.

I make you a brief summary of the history of the nation.

The country previously had an Islamic monarchy but there was a communist revolution and they won through a civil war that lasted a year, a communist government was formed with a very controlled opposition, now the country holds its first free elections where people can vote to any party, but the communist party has been governed for a long time without democracy and doing atrocious things like creating forced labor camps for those who do not think the same, executions, robbery, corruption ...


What I think it would be better to do is to win a coalition of left-wing parties with the Communist Party as the one that governs the current Venezuela.


What do you think is better?

[Santheres]

Yes. You can either just go ahead with the approach of "it's happened, deal with it" or if you don't like that approach, you can set the stage for how it occurred. "Done atrocious" is also vague, so we wouldn't be able to speak on any specifics, but you always have the options of the culture or a series of events lending themselves to unlikely outcomes.

I make you a brief summary of the history of the nation.

The country previously had an Islamic monarchy but there was a communist revolution and they won through a civil war that lasted a year, a communist government was formed with a very controlled opposition, now the country holds its first free elections where people can vote to any party, but the communist party has been governed for a long time without democracy and doing atrocious things like creating forced labor camps for those who do not think the same, executions, robbery, corruption ...


What I think it would be better to do is to win a coalition of left-wing parties with the Communist Party as the one that governs the current Venezuela.


What do you think is better?

The thing that is better is what you would have more fun with, to be honest. Personally, I'd probably go with a coalition for extra internal instability but that is a personal choice to what I would rather write and worldbuild. I would also probably have the communist party's own internal divisions be what led to the institution of free elections to begin with (otherwise, why did they bother at all?) and that party split into various left-wing parties, who all end up in a coalition. That seems more interesting to me.

But again, it is a personal choice to what is most interesting to you.