NationStates

[ Out of character information: I am in the process of modernising/updating/expanding this guide! ]

First of all, welcome to the Global Economics and Trade forum of Nationstates!

Also known, or simply abbreviated as GE&T, this forum is part of the Diplomacy section of the NationStates Forums, meaning this forum can in a way be in-character, though any out of character posts can also be done/made. This forum is a part of the wider wonderful fantasy realms of the NationStates Roleplaying World or Multiverse.

I will make this a simple to read, concise, very easy to understand yet informative thread. This thread will offer help to those wishing to make their first products. For those looking on how to improve their storefront, the guide to creating a storefront is also available. As Mikoyan, who I knew quite well, had ceased to exist, and it seems this guide has been abandoned or not seen for quite some time, I have decided to create a new version of this guide.

This is very important as designing a product is not the same as simply creating pretty pictures of that product. Pictures and images are not what designing a product is all about, and they have never been, and will never be, the way to judge whether something is good or not.

This is a step-by-step guide helping those who are unfamiliar with how GE&T designing works, so that they can at least create a decent product, and not just pictures or images with no basic statistics or at the very least technical details referenced from Wikipedia. Normally, the method is repeated trial and error, however with this idea, I would like to give some players a bit of some pointers of how to step off in the right direction before making their first store.

If anybody has any questions on this or would like some basic help, feel free to send me a telegram or post a questions in this thread.

• All products should at least have a basic statistics block or technical details; can be referenced or copied from Wikipedia if you want to, up to you!
  
  
• The technical details or stats should be the most important thing, and not whether your design has pictures/images or not.
  
  
• At least one paragraph telling us about what your product is, and what it can do.

Very simple and easy really! I am sure anyone can do this?

Table of Contents

1. Formulating/Making a Product
2. The Most Basic of Design
3. Past, Hard Modern, NS Fictional Modern, Post Modern or Future Technology?

So, you have looked around GE&T and decided to create your own product. Before you do, there are a few rules that you should familiarise yourself with.

Do not Plagiarise

Don't claim to have designed real life products

Basic Statistics and One Paragraph:

To design the most basic kind of something (not too many things put into it which will not be too hard I am sure), below is the step by step things that would hopefully make it very easy for you to understand:

1.) What product do you want to design and sell?

2.) Real life knowledge are not a good indicator of whether you are good at eventually selling, say, a car or an airplane. A boat or a tank, towel or pencil. You get the gist. You can be good at anything. And something about this game: it is a freeform fantasy writing game. There are no right or wrong way of designing things. Though posting a picture or image with nothing else to represent your design are wrong, and will never be the right way of doing it.

3.) If you want to design and eventually sell a car. Go to Wikipedia, and look at the type of car you want to sell, or if need be straight out look at the model of the car you want to sell.

4.) Once you have read the Wikipedia page, go to Google Search and type the name of that car.

5.) Look at every single websites relating to that car, and try to find the basic statistics or technical details. This will be the most important yet basic thing that you can have.

6.) From here, try to formulate or think about a paragraph's worth of explanation about your design. The paragraph don't have to be fancy schemnzy looking. Just go straight and go A, B, C, D. Try to think of yourself as telling a story or advertising about your design. You want to make sure your potential customers know about your design in that one paragraph.

7.) Foila Mamamia! Your design's done already. Very simple and easy. No pictures or images are required, but if they do, go to Google Search and search up a picture of the real life comparison to your design. You can also create your very own art for your very own design, but this will be a lot harder for some people. If you do, however, create your own art, that is a huge plus and people tend to like original work more.

And that's it really. Can you make a better design than just 'the most basic of design?'

Yes, of course you can! But this will require more 'research' (aka Google searching) and perhaps drawing your own art for your design, which you can do by Google searching the following free-to-download programmes:

1.) GIMP
2.) Inkscape

or use MSPaint really. You can of course also use better image editors or photoshoppers if you have them

On top of the above, a design that is above the level of 'the most basic of design' is also a design that will have more than just one paragraph of explanation. Explanation about the history of why you make that design (can be out of character or in character), and the specific things used by that design

This one will be a lot harder for you to decide. I will be honest and say that I myself am a bit biased regarding this. But the simplest way of looking at it would be this:


Past Technology

Hard, Real Life Modern Technology

Fictional, NationStates Modern Technology

Post Modern Technology

Future Technology

Fantasy Technology

R.E.S.E.R.V.E.D.

A simple Guide to Creating a Product V2 done. Should be

1.) very easy to read
2.) very easy to understand and follow
3.) New player friendly

No fancy formatting, no fancy words. Straight and up to the point showing the steps.

1.) I am a bit iffy with explaining FT design part, as I am not really good there (like at all). If any regular FT player sees anything wrong that I have said regarding FT, kindly let me know here publicly, and I will fix it immediately. Though atm the FT design explanation part is not there yet, as I feel there are virtually no FT GE&Ters active atm anyway

2.) With fantasy I will have to consult with Crystal Spires, Lubyak and co. first