RPing Questions? Ask Here!

[Shwe Tu Colony]

This might have been asked, but how would I set up RP related to fleshing out my nation's history? Specifically I want some other nations to RP various positions that affected Rezmaeristan's history.

Well, you'll want to be more specific than that, but generally my advice would be to set up the past scenario & then letting players know what your intended fate is if there is one, such as a predetermined victor to a war. From there, you can let them play as foreigners or your own citizens & past figures; the former allows you to develop preexisting relationships with others, whereas the latter might be more plausible, especially in older eras where transportation wasn't nearly as developed.

[Kylarnatia]

This might have been asked, but how would I set up RP related to fleshing out my nation's history? Specifically I want some other nations to RP various positions that affected Rezmaeristan's history.

Both Shwe Tu Colony and Deutschess Kaiserreich have given pretty good suggestions, and I would say very much the same. Time is a very broad spectrum, and history (our understanding of said time) is curated in order to fit a certain frame of reference. So, you need to decide first what period of history in your nation's past you want to tackle first, and figure out any predetermined outcomes or events you want to transpire. Once you've done that, you should set up an OOC thread to interact with players who might be interested; it might be useful for them if you give them some details on what 'roles' you need to be filled (e.g. do you need an imperial overlord from whom you gain independence, and if so do you need allies to that cause etc. etc.). This can be very much the same for character / small group roles as well, not just nation state roles.

Having Discord is a useful way to keep up with players and talk to them in real time, and also to potentially work on collaborative pieces of writing.

[Neureich am Fischbach]

I was thinking about joining an alliance/treaty organization. I noticed there were some already existing, but they seem mostly ideologically grouped. My nation is neither a liberal democracy, nor communist, and doesn't fit in any category.

So my question is two part, is there a international group that welcomes all government types / heterodox governments?

If no, how would I best go about starting one?

[Kylarnatia]

So my question is two part, is there a international group that welcomes all government types / heterodox governments?

The only one I know of off the top of my head is Stoklomolvi's attempt at creating a NS version of Interpol, which I myself have been considering taking part in: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=452330 - you should get in touch with them if you want to learn more.

If no, how would I best go about starting one?

You would first need to decide what the Alliance / Organisation stands for. What's it's core principle / goal? Was it founded in response to something or in anticipation of something? Also think about what you want to it lead to OOCly (i.e. are you looking to create specific kinds of roleplay, a regional alliance, or just make new friends - or all three?). Once you have that down, you can then start getting a feel for the aesthetic and how you want to present the Alliance / Organisation to a wider audience. Is it just a single treaty, or is it an organisation that has multiple bodies, some of which might be governing (like the EU / UN)? You might want to name it first, or you could leave the name to last, depending on what feels better to you.

Then you'll want to design the thread and come up with how you want people to apply and interact with you. This old guide should help give you some pointers: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=113625

[Slarvainian]

Anyone know of a forum in II or General to discuss military equipment?

[Kylarnatia]

Anyone know of a forum in II or General to discuss military equipment?

There are multiple threads available for discussing military design and equipment. Depending on your tech-level, you could consult one of the tech-level advice and assistance threads, listed here: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=390032#TechThreads

There are also multiple threads and off-site resources dedicated to different aspects of military design, from realism to non-realism to different types of equipment, all of which you can find listed here: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=444417#DesignCon

[Slarvainian]

There are multiple threads available for discussing military design and equipment. Depending on your tech-level, you could consult one of the tech-level advice and assistance threads, listed here: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=390032#TechThreads

There are also multiple threads and off-site resources dedicated to different aspects of military design, from realism to non-realism to different types of equipment, all of which you can find listed here: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=444417#DesignCon

Many thanks.

[Brandican]

So, three days ago, I created the nation of Brandican. The idea is that it is isolated from the outside world to protect it's uniquely all-animal population from prying human eyes, but it is open to interaction with a group of nations that follow a strict set of guidelines. (The guidelines are in my signature, if you're curious). The idea is to make Brandican a 'hermit nation'.

When I say 'hermit nation', I mean a nation that doesn't interact much with the outside world or if it does interact with the world, it interacts only with a small circle of nations. (For example, North Korea only interacts with Russia and China when it comes to trade and diplomacy)

But, I don't know how to play a nation like this. I'm worried if I go on without knowing what to do, I will either screw things up irreversibly or get bored and let this nation die from lack of activity.

So, how do I roleplay as a 'hermit nation'?

[Auranistan]

Hi Brandican! This is the Gameplay forum - not roleplay. For questions about National and International Roleplaying (that is, roleplaying with your NationStates nation's fictional canon), the right place is:

"F&NI General Help Thread": viewtopic.php?f=23&t=444471

or

"RPing Questions? Ask Here!" thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=118474

Alternatively, you can always telegram any of the current NationStates National and International Roleplaying Mentors for roleplaying questions: memberlist.php?mode=group&g=12

Good luck!

[Brandican]

So, three days ago, I created the nation of Brandican. The idea is that it is isolated from the outside world to protect it's uniquely all-animal population from prying human eyes, but it is open to interaction with a group of nations that follow a strict set of guidelines. (The guidelines are in my signature, if you're curious). The idea is to make Brandican a 'hermit nation'.

When I say 'hermit nation', I mean a nation that doesn't interact much with the outside world or if it does interact with the world, it interacts only with a small circle of nations. (For example, North Korea only interacts with Russia and China when it comes to trade and diplomacy)

But, I don't know how to play a nation like this. I'm worried if I go on without knowing what to do, I will either screw things up irreversibly or get bored and let this nation die from lack of activity.

So, how do I roleplay as a 'hermit nation''?

[Valentine Z]

As shown in the thread Factbook here: viewtopic.php?p=34883407#p34883407

For me, rather than sending fleets or millions of troops into a warzone, I like to send perhaps a thousand, along with these Heroes... MMORPG and Overwatch style!

So these Sixty works like Warcraft 3, in the sense that minus the overpowered few, these heroes will not be able to take out more than 4-15 enemies on their own. They're not an One-Man Army but they can certainly aid and turn the tides of the battle if needed.

So far most of these heroes have a completed roles and abilities, though some are missing a backstory.

With that said and done, are there any changes or improvements that I can work forward on? I am aware that some things might sound a bit unrealistic (a single bullet from most characters, even a headshot, won't kill them), but I want it to go the way of a multiplayer shooter or something like that.

Tech Level ranges from MT to FFT, though not too FFT.

[Kylarnatia]

So, three days ago, I created the nation of Brandican. The idea is that it is isolated from the outside world to protect it's uniquely all-animal population from prying human eyes, but it is open to interaction with a group of nations that follow a strict set of guidelines. (The guidelines are in my signature, if you're curious). The idea is to make Brandican a 'hermit nation'.

An interesting concept. Some of your guidelines seem rather 'personal' though rather than in the way a nation-state would conduct itself. Care for the environment and eco-friendliness make sense, but caring as to whether a nation's leader eats meat or not does not; I'm sure that your characters personally would care, but sometimes diplomacy entails interacting with people of different views and lifestyles, and it'd be illogical to rule an entire nation out purely because of the actions of it's leader alone.

When I say 'hermit nation', I mean a nation that doesn't interact much with the outside world or if it does interact with the world, it interacts only with a small circle of nations. (For example, North Korea only interacts with Russia and China when it comes to trade and diplomacy)

That isn't exactly true, though. North Korea certainly acts as if it only interacts with Russia and China when it comes to trade, but a lot of foreign aid comes from countries all over the world - including the arch-enemy the United States - because even in a hermit kingdom, those in charge often still understand the bottom-line of keeping a nation-state alive. This is also why North Korea goes through cycles of making very diplomatic gestures, and then occasionally doing a nuclear test or making aggressive moves whenever it needs more aid, as the world is more than likely to placate them than go through the cost of war, however one-sided it might be.

So, how do I roleplay as a 'hermit nation''?

Revisit the reasons why your nation is a "hermit nation" in the first place. Extreme care for the environment and an all-animal population is a good start, but what caused this shift in the first place? Is it a breakaway nation from a civil war after years of oppressive human rule? Is it a proxy nation in a much larger conflict that has since long past and now stands as a relic of a bygone era (more like North Korea, although one could argue that it's existence implies the Cold War is still very much in play)?

Once you've nailed that down, you have to decide how your nation acts. Having a close knit ring of allied nations makes sense for both internal propaganda and subsistence (even in periods of isolationism, no nation has ever gone through such a period without interacting with the outside world in some fashion), but as I've illustrated with the case of North Korea, diplomacy is more than just what you see in the headlines. What sort of backroom talks and deals does your nation engage with, how are they brought to the table in the first place, how do they spin it back home (if at all)? What's it's endgame?

Hopefully that gives you some prompts to start with.

[Kylarnatia]

As shown in the thread Factbook here: viewtopic.php?p=34883407#p34883407

For me, rather than sending fleets or millions of troops into a warzone, I like to send perhaps a thousand, along with these Heroes... MMORPG and Overwatch style!

So these Sixty works like Warcraft 3, in the sense that minus the overpowered few, these heroes will not be able to take out more than 4-15 enemies on their own. They're not an One-Man Army but they can certainly aid and turn the tides of the battle if needed.

So far most of these heroes have a completed roles and abilities, though some are missing a backstory.

With that said and done, are there any changes or improvements that I can work forward on? I am aware that some things might sound a bit unrealistic (a single bullet from most characters, even a headshot, won't kill them), but I want it to go the way of a multiplayer shooter or something like that.

Tech Level ranges from MT to FFT, though not too FFT.

I've only taken a brief glance since I have to get on with things today, but it seems to me you prefer much more character-driven roleplay, which is no bad thing by any means. Speaking from my own preferences, while I do like to write about massive military movements, often the actual fighting focuses on individual characters or teams of people. My leaders also often appear on the battlefield in a "hero" like fashion - which is in no way realistic to how modern warfare is conducted - but that's fine since I take what I like to call a very "Illiadic" approach to my worldbuilding and writing. My point being, there's scope for these characters to work in some roleplays.

However, one thing that could cause some confusion or limitation in your interaction with other players is the RPG-style stats and specifications you've assigned to all your characters. Don't get me wrong, it's very impressive, but I can see that causing issues with other players who don't operate their nations or characters in a similar system. Since most writing is done through cooperation and coming to compromises on how events transpire (so, in a direct player-to-player confrontation, what losses are sustained by each side etc.), hard stats like HP and "abilities" don't really translate well over to that format unless the other player is roleplaying with the same system, and if you're using things like dies or something else to decide the outcome.

So you might do best to move away from that systematised approach unless you can get together with a group of players who play the same way (I believe there are groups out there who do this, but I can't think of them off the top of my head). You could still keep the heroic style of these characters and their "abilities" could become the baseline for the skills each of them have in responding to certain situations, but hard-stats like HP are pretty redundant unless others are doing the same.

Hope that helps. :)

[Valentine Z]

As shown in the thread Factbook here: viewtopic.php?p=34883407#p34883407

For me, rather than sending fleets or millions of troops into a warzone, I like to send perhaps a thousand, along with these Heroes... MMORPG and Overwatch style!

So these Sixty works like Warcraft 3, in the sense that minus the overpowered few, these heroes will not be able to take out more than 4-15 enemies on their own. They're not an One-Man Army but they can certainly aid and turn the tides of the battle if needed.

So far most of these heroes have a completed roles and abilities, though some are missing a backstory.

With that said and done, are there any changes or improvements that I can work forward on? I am aware that some things might sound a bit unrealistic (a single bullet from most characters, even a headshot, won't kill them), but I want it to go the way of a multiplayer shooter or something like that.

Tech Level ranges from MT to FFT, though not too FFT.

I've only taken a brief glance since I have to get on with things today, but it seems to me you prefer much more character-driven roleplay, which is no bad thing by any means. Speaking from my own preferences, while I do like to write about massive military movements, often the actual fighting focuses on individual characters or teams of people. My leaders also often appear on the battlefield in a "hero" like fashion - which is in no way realistic to how modern warfare is conducted - but that's fine since I take what I like to call a very "Illiadic" approach to my worldbuilding and writing. My point being, there's scope for these characters to work in some roleplays.

However, one thing that could cause some confusion or limitation in your interaction with other players is the RPG-style stats and specifications you've assigned to all your characters. Don't get me wrong, it's very impressive, but I can see that causing issues with other players who don't operate their nations or characters in a similar system. Since most writing is done through cooperation and coming to compromises on how events transpire (so, in a direct player-to-player confrontation, what losses are sustained by each side etc.), hard stats like HP and "abilities" don't really translate well over to that format unless the other player is roleplaying with the same system, and if you're using things like dies or something else to decide the outcome.

So you might do best to move away from that systematised approach unless you can get together with a group of players who play the same way (I believe there are groups out there who do this, but I can't think of them off the top of my head). You could still keep the heroic style of these characters and their "abilities" could become the baseline for the skills each of them have in responding to certain situations, but hard-stats like HP are pretty redundant unless others are doing the same.

Hope that helps.

Ahh, I see, I see..

Thank you very much for the detailed feedback and evaluation! And yes, I indeed admit that hard stats like these can be difficult to play with everyone, but for the most parts... I think I might have got that covered.

Here's my most recent RP that I did with my F7 friends, amongst many others. The lucky thing for me was that they were very much willing to do these stats with me, and in fact, we managed to talk through Discord and Telegram on who will die, and/or who will get defeated along the way.

It was fun, but... very time-consuming, and I suppose I am taking this time to focus less on RPs and more on F&NI again; after all, it isn't complete yet.

Still, thanks a lot, and have a great day!

- V

[Kylarnatia]

-snip-

It's certainly doable and totally not out of the question, my point was more than these systems do tend to appear more in places like Forum 7 & P2TM than they do in NS & II.

And thanks, you have a great day too!

[Borovan entered the region as he]

Hermit nations are naturally or intention isolated. Usually because of size, culture or ideology. Diplomatic, war, trade interaction will be limited to the outside world except your allies. Construction of this will occur sometimes by a big military, inward culture, non cosmopolitan minded citizens or rough terrain

[Brandican]

So, three days ago, I created the nation of Brandican. The idea is that it is isolated from the outside world to protect it's uniquely all-animal population from prying human eyes, but it is open to interaction with a group of nations that follow a strict set of guidelines. (The guidelines are in my signature, if you're curious). The idea is to make Brandican a 'hermit nation'.

An interesting concept. Some of your guidelines seem rather 'personal' though rather than in the way a nation-state would conduct itself. Care for the environment and eco-friendliness make sense, but caring as to whether a nation's leader eats meat or not does not; I'm sure that your characters personally would care, but sometimes diplomacy entails interacting with people of different views and lifestyles, and it'd be illogical to rule an entire nation out purely because of the actions of it's leader alone.

When I say 'hermit nation', I mean a nation that doesn't interact much with the outside world or if it does interact with the world, it interacts only with a small circle of nations. (For example, North Korea only interacts with Russia and China when it comes to trade and diplomacy)

That isn't exactly true, though. North Korea certainly acts as if it only interacts with Russia and China when it comes to trade, but a lot of foreign aid comes from countries all over the world - including the arch-enemy the United States - because even in a hermit kingdom, those in charge often still understand the bottom-line of keeping a nation-state alive. This is also why North Korea goes through cycles of making very diplomatic gestures, and then occasionally doing a nuclear test or making aggressive moves whenever it needs more aid, as the world is more than likely to placate them than go through the cost of war, however one-sided it might be.

So, how do I roleplay as a 'hermit nation''?

Revisit the reasons why your nation is a "hermit nation" in the first place. Extreme care for the environment and an all-animal population is a good start, but what caused this shift in the first place? Is it a breakaway nation from a civil war after years of oppressive human rule? Is it a proxy nation in a much larger conflict that has since long past and now stands as a relic of a bygone era (more like North Korea, although one could argue that it's existence implies the Cold War is still very much in play)?

Once you've nailed that down, you have to decide how your nation acts. Having a close knit ring of allied nations makes sense for both internal propaganda and subsistence (even in periods of isolationism, no nation has ever gone through such a period without interacting with the outside world in some fashion), but as I've illustrated with the case of North Korea, diplomacy is more than just what you see in the headlines. What sort of backroom talks and deals does your nation engage with, how are they brought to the table in the first place, how do they spin it back home (if at all)? What's it's endgame?

Hopefully that gives you some prompts to start with.

Okay, I read your response and I decided to get rid of that stipulation about leaders not eating meat. You're right, it was stupid.

[Neureich am Fischbach]

North Korea interacts with Japan, South Korea and the US a lot, even if they don't have Embassies. Interacting isn't only trade and alliances. A big part of North Korea's foreign and domestic policy is related to South Korea.

Think, what is your nations ideology, what are its goals etc. If your nation wants all the humans to stop eating meat, then it would talk to them, in order to convince them. If the animals were afraid of being eaten, they would arm themselves.

I think normal rps are difficult, because they involve interaction with foreigners, but you can describe your RPs as exceptions. For example, guide trips for tourists or an international conference. Perhaps a foreigner snuck into your land.

You could also do a newsfeed from domestic news.

[A m e n r i a]

-snip-

It's certainly doable and totally not out of the question, my point was more than these systems do tend to appear more in places like Forum 7 & P2TM than they do in NS & II.

And thanks, you have a great day too!

If anyone's interested, I'm putting together a group of RPers who, like me and Val over here, prefer character-based RPs with cool and awesome characters. I've PMed him and asked him if he wanted to build a new system with me and test it out. Just tell me if you're in and we'll talk.

[Arentium]

It's certainly doable and totally not out of the question, my point was more than these systems do tend to appear more in places like Forum 7 & P2TM than they do in NS & II.

And thanks, you have a great day too!

If anyone's interested, I'm putting together a group of RPers who, like me and Val over here, prefer character-based RPs with cool and awesome characters. I've PMed him and asked him if he wanted to build a new system with me and test it out. Just tell me if you're in and we'll talk.

O' Domine...

I can tell things are going to get out of whack...

[A m e n r i a]

If anyone's interested, I'm putting together a group of RPers who, like me and Val over here, prefer character-based RPs with cool and awesome characters. I've PMed him and asked him if he wanted to build a new system with me and test it out. Just tell me if you're in and we'll talk.

O' Domine...

I can tell things are going to get out of whack...

It's supposed to be wacky. I'm thinking of how I can have a funfest where people are throwing Naruto levels of fighting prowess without somehow being OP.

[Castelia]

If anyone's interested, I'm putting together a group of RPers who, like me and Val over here, prefer character-based RPs with cool and awesome characters. I've PMed him and asked him if he wanted to build a new system with me and test it out. Just tell me if you're in and we'll talk.

Is this group open to everyone, or is there some sort of criteria you need to pass before you're accepted?

[A m e n r i a]

If anyone's interested, I'm putting together a group of RPers who, like me and Val over here, prefer character-based RPs with cool and awesome characters. I've PMed him and asked him if he wanted to build a new system with me and test it out. Just tell me if you're in and we'll talk.

Is this group open to everyone, or is there some sort of criteria you need to pass before you're accepted?

I'd keep it as open as possible, especially to those who have experience. Of course, there'll be discussions between the others too. Why, you interested?

[Castelia]

I'd keep it as open as possible, especially to those who have experience. Of course, there'll be discussions between the others too. Why, you interested?

Kinda. I'm new to the whole people with powers roleplay, so I'd like to observe and learn. Maybe participate from time to time, too.

[Valentine Z]

Hi there! Yes, I have received the TG, and thank you for reaching out to me!

While I appreciate your support and for liking what I am doing, I could certainly try helping you along the way, but at this point, due to my busy IRL schedule, I am unable to do RPs at the moment. My "Recess" week, for the lack of a better word, is simply me doing several parts of my project, homework, and studying for the exams that will soon come once this "Break" week is over. :/

I am simply doing my own F&NI stuff, and if you can tell from the thread, it's not complete yet and many of them are missing lore or are not-too-balanced, so to speak. That's why I avoided doing any RPing that involves other people, and kept to writing short stories or worldbuilding, because I know I can't commit full speed ahead.

My advice as of now, is to agree on the same system of using HP and hard stats. Since I am more or less the one that started it, I would go with 2000 HP as an average amount of health that a human can take. Overwatch's 200 HP is a little too small, and thus I went with 2000 HP to offer more flexibility... and also because I like large numbers. The idea of this is so that instead of trying the "million spaceships heading your way" or massive fleets, I want to try something out like Overwatch/LoL/Dynasty Warriors, though of course, less impactful than that if you want. These heroes are supposed to be able to help and turn the tide of the small battles a bit, so while they can handle maybe 20 enemies at once, they definitely cannot handle an army of 5000 all alone, save a few exceptions like their Ultimates.

It's good to have some sci-fi or fantastical powers, but at the same time, I want to make it a bit more realistic and not too OP; while I am aware that Valentijn and Clarissa can basically take on the world on their own and are very OP, they are more of boss characters, if you will.

In short, thanks again for appreciating my work, and I hope that I can expand on it soon and towards other people along the way.

Cheers, and hope you all are having a great day and RPing strong! ^^

- Valentine