Symposium Hall (NS Mentor Discord)• • •Roleplay Symposium '17 Offsite Forum
Coordinators: Cerillium, Lamoni, Swith Witherward (OSF Admin)NS Mentor Discord Founder: Kyrusia
Welcome to the NationStates Roleplay Symposium 2017!
Originally conceived the better part of a year ago only to be shelved due to time constraints, this project was re-invigorated out of a desire to provide a series of workshops on the recently-established NS Mentor Program Discord; this otherwise simple idea grew into a collaborative effort between numerous roleplayers - to include volunteers within the Mentor Program and without - from across the NationStates roleplaying community in order to foster friendship, interest, and a greater understanding between the, at times, disparate sections of this community.
To that end, the NationStates Mentor Program (with assistance and collaboration from others) wishes to invite any and all roleplayers and players otherwise interested in the roleplay community to partake of a week-long symposium. This symposium will be covering a wide range of topics pertaining to roleplaying on the NationStates forums, set to officially begin on Saturday, July 8th, and run through Friday, July 14th, spanning this thread, an offsite forum (where several Mentor-collaborative guides will receive their first public debut), and the NS Mentor Program Discord. Through each, players from across NationStates will be encouraged to network, collaborate, foster friendship, and exchange their experiences, all the while being audience and participants to a range of lectures, workshops, and panels covering topics ranging from worldbuilding to thread formatting.
Please feel free to review the Symposium's offerings and we hope to see you there!
General Roleplaying Discussion and Fun
Both the NS Mentor Program Discord and NS Roleplay Symposium offsite forum will be providing venues for general discussions on roleplaying. The intent is to provide players from various communities to congregate and interact together, discuss their experiences, and provide insight into their sections of this particular hobby. Never been involved in nation-based roleplaying? Now is your chance to gain greater insight into the nuance of international diplomacy and conflict. Similarly, perhaps you've never crossed into the Fifth Dimension and entered the Portal to the Multiverse? You will be provided an opportunity to learn about this vibrant and lively community and its various worlds and 'verses.
As noted, participants are welcome to both the NS Mentor Program Discord and the Symposium's offsite. Registration is not required to participate in Discord discussions (or lectures and panels); even so, while players may view discussions, lectures, and guides on the Symposium's offsite, registration is required to directly participate in the same. As such, we encourage those who wish to participate on the offsite forum to register and introduce yourselves. If that's not your thing, that's more than fine as well; even without offsite registration, participation is merely a click away.
There will even be thread games and other nonsense to bide your time between lectures!
Advice from Across the Roleplaying Community
While much of the advice and assistance will be provided through the NS Mentor Program Discord, the Symposium's offsite forum will be featuring a number of guides produced by the Mentor Program and others, many seeing the light of day for the very first time. Several Mentors and collaborators have spent an extensive period of their time working on these ventures, seeking to reveal their work first in the Symposium as a means of introducing players, both new and old, to concepts, ideas, and knowledge they may otherwise miss or never have a chance to see. Participants will be invited to comment, provide their insight, and otherwise involve themselves with the authors of these guides, lectures, and workshops - complete with a venue and time to ask questions where otherwise such may be missed in community threads or elsewhere.
Similarly, players who cannot make the time for our live lectures and workshops, to be hosted on the Mentor Program Discord, will be able to review logs of the same and participate offsite after-the-fact, making comments and providing further questions.
Discord Panels, Lectures, and Hilarity
As mentioned, the Mentor Program and collaborators will be participating in a series of live panels on the NS Mentor Program Discord. Most of these will constitute a panel of Mentors and Symposium contributors whom will be willing to answer questions and provide commentary on a wide-range of topics, from thread marketing to how to effectively operate and run a roleplay. Registration is not required to submit questions or participate in discussions on the Discord; all you need do is show up!
Questions will be submitted (and discussed) via the #questions_chamber channel, with panel members and lecturers answering and providing commentary in the #symposium_hall following submission of a question by a panel moderator. Please note, the following times are subject to unannounced change and delay based upon contributor availability; in addition, some panels/lectures may repeat due to differences in time availability, often with different contributors. Please check back often if you intend to submit questions!
The Symposium offsite forum will be provided owners and operators of both roleplaying regions and Out-of-Character roleplay organizations an opportunity to showcase their respective sub-communities. This will serve as an opportunity to attract other, potentially interested parties and allow for a point of networking for the duration of the Symposium. Players are encouraged to collaborate with their region or roleplay organization to create a booth to showcase their respective "wares and why-fors." Have a Modern Tech roleplaying region and want to open arms to others unfamiliar with nation-based roleplaying? What about a Portal to the Multiverse roleplaying organization, looking to attract potential roleplayers from the clutches of diplomatic intrigue and war? This is your opportunity!
As to be expected, each region or organization will only be permitted one booth. If you are interested in opening a showcase, please review the criteria here.
Originally conceived the better part of a year ago only to be shelved due to time constraints, this project was re-invigorated out of a desire to provide a series of workshops on the recently-established NS Mentor Program Discord; this otherwise simple idea grew into a collaborative effort between numerous roleplayers - to include volunteers within the Mentor Program and without - from across the NationStates roleplaying community in order to foster friendship, interest, and a greater understanding between the, at times, disparate sections of this community.
To that end, the NationStates Mentor Program (with assistance and collaboration from others) wishes to invite any and all roleplayers and players otherwise interested in the roleplay community to partake of a week-long symposium. This symposium will be covering a wide range of topics pertaining to roleplaying on the NationStates forums, set to officially begin on Saturday, July 8th, and run through Friday, July 14th, spanning this thread, an offsite forum (where several Mentor-collaborative guides will receive their first public debut), and the NS Mentor Program Discord. Through each, players from across NationStates will be encouraged to network, collaborate, foster friendship, and exchange their experiences, all the while being audience and participants to a range of lectures, workshops, and panels covering topics ranging from worldbuilding to thread formatting.
Please feel free to review the Symposium's offerings and we hope to see you there!
General Roleplaying Discussion and Fun
Both the NS Mentor Program Discord and NS Roleplay Symposium offsite forum will be providing venues for general discussions on roleplaying. The intent is to provide players from various communities to congregate and interact together, discuss their experiences, and provide insight into their sections of this particular hobby. Never been involved in nation-based roleplaying? Now is your chance to gain greater insight into the nuance of international diplomacy and conflict. Similarly, perhaps you've never crossed into the Fifth Dimension and entered the Portal to the Multiverse? You will be provided an opportunity to learn about this vibrant and lively community and its various worlds and 'verses.
As noted, participants are welcome to both the NS Mentor Program Discord and the Symposium's offsite. Registration is not required to participate in Discord discussions (or lectures and panels); even so, while players may view discussions, lectures, and guides on the Symposium's offsite, registration is required to directly participate in the same. As such, we encourage those who wish to participate on the offsite forum to register and introduce yourselves. If that's not your thing, that's more than fine as well; even without offsite registration, participation is merely a click away.
There will even be thread games and other nonsense to bide your time between lectures!
Advice from Across the Roleplaying Community
While much of the advice and assistance will be provided through the NS Mentor Program Discord, the Symposium's offsite forum will be featuring a number of guides produced by the Mentor Program and others, many seeing the light of day for the very first time. Several Mentors and collaborators have spent an extensive period of their time working on these ventures, seeking to reveal their work first in the Symposium as a means of introducing players, both new and old, to concepts, ideas, and knowledge they may otherwise miss or never have a chance to see. Participants will be invited to comment, provide their insight, and otherwise involve themselves with the authors of these guides, lectures, and workshops - complete with a venue and time to ask questions where otherwise such may be missed in community threads or elsewhere.
Similarly, players who cannot make the time for our live lectures and workshops, to be hosted on the Mentor Program Discord, will be able to review logs of the same and participate offsite after-the-fact, making comments and providing further questions.
Discord Panels, Lectures, and Hilarity
As mentioned, the Mentor Program and collaborators will be participating in a series of live panels on the NS Mentor Program Discord. Most of these will constitute a panel of Mentors and Symposium contributors whom will be willing to answer questions and provide commentary on a wide-range of topics, from thread marketing to how to effectively operate and run a roleplay. Registration is not required to submit questions or participate in discussions on the Discord; all you need do is show up!
Questions will be submitted (and discussed) via the #questions_chamber channel, with panel members and lecturers answering and providing commentary in the #symposium_hall following submission of a question by a panel moderator. Please note, the following times are subject to unannounced change and delay based upon contributor availability; in addition, some panels/lectures may repeat due to differences in time availability, often with different contributors. Please check back often if you intend to submit questions!
- Saturday, July 8th
- NS Roleplay Symposium 2017 and Mentor Program Introduction (Panel) — Transcript
A time for contributors to introduce themselves, get across initial thoughts of the Symposium, and answer initial questions and comments with regard to the project and the Mentor Program.
Differences and Similarities: Fifth Dimension and N&I — Transcript
- Introduction to Roleplaying (Early Hour Panel) — Transcript
Introduction to Roleplaying (Late Hour Panel) — Transcript
Diversity in the Roleplaying Community — Transcript
- OP Management and Running a Roleplay (Early Hour Panel) — Transcript
Conflict Resolution and Out-of-Character Drama (Late Hour Panel) — Transcript
Observations on Gameplay — Transcript
- Conflict Resolution and Out-of-Character Drama (Early Hour Panel) — Transcript
OP Management and Running a Roleplay (Late Hour Panel) — Transcript
War and Storytelling — Transcript
- Worldbuilding and Related (Early Hour Panel) — Transcript
Writing, Exposition, and the Narrative (Late Hour Panel) — Transcript
Thread Marketing and Formatting — Transcript
Midnight Madness: The Revolving Door (Late Night Panel) — Transcript
Hilarity and madness! An opportunity for members of the Mentor Program to provide more personal insights into their volunteer activities and answer general questions about their work and time.
- Writing, Exposition, and the Narrative (Early Hour Panel) — Transcript
NS Sports: Mechanics and Roleplaying (Guest Lecture) — Transcript
Global Economics & Trade: A Primer — Transcript
Worldbuilding and Related (Late Hour Panel) — Transcript
- Community Questions and Closing Thoughts (Free-for-All Panel) — Transcript
They're Here: Moderator Oddball Panel — Transcript
You read that correctly. Ever had a question for a Mod? Want to hear an anecdote? Fire away. Obviously we won't be discussing specific cases, but we promise we're human. ...Probably.
The Symposium offsite forum will be provided owners and operators of both roleplaying regions and Out-of-Character roleplay organizations an opportunity to showcase their respective sub-communities. This will serve as an opportunity to attract other, potentially interested parties and allow for a point of networking for the duration of the Symposium. Players are encouraged to collaborate with their region or roleplay organization to create a booth to showcase their respective "wares and why-fors." Have a Modern Tech roleplaying region and want to open arms to others unfamiliar with nation-based roleplaying? What about a Portal to the Multiverse roleplaying organization, looking to attract potential roleplayers from the clutches of diplomatic intrigue and war? This is your opportunity!
As to be expected, each region or organization will only be permitted one booth. If you are interested in opening a showcase, please review the criteria here.
Special ThanksSpecial thanks need be extended to the NationStates Roleplay Symposium 2017's chief coordinators: Cerillium, Lamoni, and Swith Witherward. Further gratitude need be extended to our initial lecture and panel contributors from across the NationStates roleplay community. Further considerations and thanks to both Audioslavia and Zwangzug for extending their time and experience with regards to NS Sports. A very special thanks to those who have assisted in this endeavor, both in public and private, with special note to those members of the Gameplayer/Raiding & Defending community who have extended their assistance in order to foster a bridge of friendship between gameplayers and roleplayers.
Special thanks need be extended to the members of the NationStates roleplaying community, be they from International Incidents, NationStates, NS Sports, Portal to the Multiverse, or anywhere in between. Without each and every one of you, this project would not exist. Without this community, many of us would not be here. Our thanks is eternal.
Ongoing gratitude to the NationStates Mentor Program and its volunteers for their often thankless hours in service to their respective communities, as well as those players which, jacketed or not, dedicate their time and effort to helping other players feel welcome and sharing both their knowledge and experience in an effort to maximize the potential enjoyment for other players, both new and old. Lastly, perpetual thanks and gratitude to members of the NationStates Moderation and Administrative Team for helping ensure the orderly functioning of this site, its forum, and the mechanics that keep this game afloat; to include special gratitude to its initial designer and conceptual father, Max Barry. Without this venue, many of us would never have met and fostered such fruitful friendships as we have.
— Kyrusia (Mentor Program, Overseer)
I'm sure Mac will also have plenty to say. 
