Region with accented character in its name

[August]

A region with an accented character was created yesterday. It appears in the daily dump, but is inaccessible from the website. Interestingly, I was able to found a region by the same name, but subsequent attempts returned the error message "A region by that name already exists." This error message was returned for any name containing any accented character. As it turns out, the same is true for the API--it does not distinguish between any region names containing accented characters. I tried to create a nation with an accented character, and was unable to do so.

Daily dump:

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<REGION>
<NAME>League of Sevéish Nations</NAME>
<FACTBOOK><![CDATA[A league of nations comprised of Sev&eacute;land and all nations that adhere to the Sev&eacute;ish crown.]]></FACTBOOK>
<NUMNATIONS>1</NUMNATIONS>
<NATIONS>seveland</NATIONS>
<DELEGATE>0</DELEGATE>
<DELEGATEVOTES>0</DELEGATEVOTES>
<DELEGATEAUTH>W</DELEGATEAUTH>
<FOUNDER>seveland</FOUNDER>
<FOUNDERAUTH>XABCEP</FOUNDERAUTH>
<OFFICERS></OFFICERS>
<POWER>Low</POWER>
<FLAG></FLAG>
<EMBASSIES></EMBASSIES>

<LASTUPDATE>1623817563</LASTUPDATE>
</REGION>

Call to https://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/api.cgi?region=á&q=name+nations+numnations (notice the accented "a," not an "e"):

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<REGION id="">
<NAME>League of Sevéish Nations</NAME>
<NUMNATIONS>0</NUMNATIONS>
<NATIONS/>
</REGION>

[Frisbeeteria]

That's certainly odd. I can see your [region]League of Sevéish Nations[/region] and the original Seveland in their region League of Sevéish Nations, but clicking the region link both gameside and using the mod examination tools simply fails to fill in the region name.

I'm not sure if the problem is the accent, or simply a failure to properly create a region correctly when Seveland first tried it. Regardless, Seveland is almost certainly now existing outside the realm of regions and won't get updated until they move again. We'll have to send them a TG after our admins have had a look at this.

[Frisbeeteria]

[region]League of Sevéish Nations[/region]

Heh. Bug #2 - you apparently can't make a region link in the forums if it has an accented character.

[Bormiar]

Regardless, Seveland is almost certainly now existing outside the realm of regions and won't get updated until they move again. We'll have to send them a TG after our admins have had a look at this.

If that’s true — and I’m doubtful — this bug could have enormous ramifications on R/D. I was able to replicate it for the nation Twertis, and found identical results. If the nations within such a region never update, jumppoints are now deprecated, and nations (during coups or liberation attempts) no longer have to worry about losing influence or endorsements upon being ejected.

But unless Fris sees something I don’t, Seveland seems to have updated during major (look at the happenings).

[August]

If the nations within such a region never update, jumppoints are now deprecated, and nations (during coups or liberation attempts) no longer have to worry about losing influence or endorsements upon being ejected.

But unless Fris sees something I don’t, Seveland seems to have updated during major (look at the happenings).

I believe you are correct about the region having updated, but even if it had not, I am not sure this could be used for a practical purpose. It seems like nations cannot move to these regions, nor can they found new ones if one already exists, so a maximum of one nation per update would be able to take advantage of the bug. (Kind of a shame--that could be an interesting mechanic.)

I checked on Seveland again, and the nation page has updated to reflect your test region's name.

The region shard says Seveland is in League of Sevéish Nations. The happenings shard has no idea what to make of this.

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<EVENT>
<TIMESTAMP>1623795181</TIMESTAMP>
<TEXT>@@seveland@@ relocated from %%lazarus%% to %%%%.</TEXT>
</EVENT>
<EVENT>
<TIMESTAMP>1623795181</TIMESTAMP>
<TEXT>@@seveland@@ founded the region %%%%.</TEXT>
</EVENT>

[Nicole Malliotakis]

This is Tinhampton.

I can confirm that it is possible to move to regions that have characters with diacritics in their names, not just to create them.

[Bormiar]

If the nations within such a region never update, jumppoints are now deprecated, and nations (during coups or liberation attempts) no longer have to worry about losing influence or endorsements upon being ejected.

But unless Fris sees something I don’t, Seveland seems to have updated during major (look at the happenings).

I believe you are correct about the region having updated, but even if it had not, I am not sure this could be used for a practical purpose. It seems like nations cannot move to these regions, nor can they found new ones if one already exists, so a maximum of one nation per update would be able to take advantage of the bug. (Kind of a shame--that could be an interesting mechanic.)

That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve successfully moved one of Tinhampton’s nations to the region via a recruitment telegram: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=nicole_malliotakis

I checked on Seveland again, and the nation page has updated to reflect your test region's name.

(Image)

The region shard says Seveland is in League of Sevéish Nations. The happenings shard has no idea what to make of this.

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<EVENT>
<TIMESTAMP>1623795181</TIMESTAMP>
<TEXT>@@seveland@@ relocated from %%lazarus%% to %%%%.</TEXT>
</EVENT>
<EVENT>
<TIMESTAMP>1623795181</TIMESTAMP>
<TEXT>@@seveland@@ founded the region %%%%.</TEXT>
</EVENT>

That happenings thing is really odd. I’ve also put a tag on my invisible region and found that it does show up on the tag list.

[August]

That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve successfully moved one of Tinhampton’s nations to the region via a recruitment telegram: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=nicole_malliotakis

Fascinating! Is that the only way you have been able to move into the region? Can you eject Nicole Malliotakis using Twertis?

Edit: I regret not testing the Region Control page while I was the founder this morning...

[Nicole Malliotakis]

Is that the only way you have been able to move into the region?

Quite possibly - I cannot move into Èshsb by going to its region page like I can for a region with a name that does not contain any diacritics

[Twertis]

That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve successfully moved one of Tinhampton’s nations to the region via a recruitment telegram: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=nicole_malliotakis

Fascinating! Is that the only way you have been able to move into the region? Can you eject Nicole Malliotakis using Twertis?

Edit: I regret not testing the Region Control page while I was the founder this morning...

I can access the region control page via this link: https://www.nationstates.net/page=regio ... ol/region=

And I can do stuff there. I am able to eject Tin’s nation and using that page I can see all the nations within the region.

[Twertis]

Do you have a free WA, August? We can test the possibility of electing a delegate there.

[Nicole Malliotakis]

[region]League of Sevéish Nations[/region]

Heh. Bug #2 - you apparently can't make a region link in the forums if it has an accented character.

This bug persists for WAGL ejection notification telegrams. Click here for proof-ish (since newly-founded nations can no longer directly upload images).

[August]

Do you have a free WA, August? We can test the possibility of electing a delegate there.

Yes, I can direct a couple people over there. Let me round up the troops and I will ping you offsite with nation names so you can "recruit" them.

[Twertis]

Do you have a free WA, August? We can test the possibility of electing a delegate there.

Yes, I can direct a couple people over there. Let me round up the troops and I will ping you offsite with nation names so you can "recruit" them.

Thank you. Will do.

[Nicole Malliotakis]

It is also possible for the founder of a region with diacritics in its name (at least) to appoint one of its residents as a Regional Officer, and for that resident to create polls:

Seconds ago: Nicole Malliotakis created a new poll in Èshsb: "Which is your favourite borough of New York?".
5 minutes ago: The Nation of Twertis appointed Nicole Malliotakis as Research Officer with authority over Polls in Èshsb.

I'm beginning to suspect that residents of a region like Èshsb can do anything that the residents of a region without diacritics in its name can do, except for actually view their region's onsite homepage.

[Grishahakkaverchynot]

It is also possible for the founder of a region with diacritics in its name (at least) to appoint one of its residents as a Regional Officer, and for that resident to create polls:

Seconds ago: Nicole Malliotakis created a new poll in Èshsb: "Which is your favourite borough of New York?".
5 minutes ago: The Nation of Twertis appointed Nicole Malliotakis as Research Officer with authority over Polls in Èshsb.

I'm beginning to suspect that residents of a region like Èshsb can do anything that the residents of a region without diacritics in its name can do, except for actually view their region's onsite homepage.

The poll does appear on the active poll list.

And voting in such a poll behaves like normal.

[Zeritae]

Is it possible to post on these regions RMB's using the page=display_region_rmb/region= link?

[August]

Is it possible to post on these regions RMB's using the page=display_region_rmb/region= link?

Yes. However, trying to view the message on the RMB returns a System Error (eval) if you are logged into the posting nation, or the RMB of your current region if you are logged into a different nation.

[Galiantus III]

So if I'm understanding correctly, the reason you can't create more regions with accented characters is because their ID's are the same?

This is interesting. It's a region no one can move to without your explicit invitation.

Have we figured out where in the update order this region is? Would be interesting if it was either first or last.

[Twertis]

Is it possible to post on these regions RMB's using the page=display_region_rmb/region= link?

Yes. However, trying to view the message on the RMB returns a System Error (eval) if you are logged into the posting nation, or the RMB of your current region if you are logged into a different nation.

There's now a permanent notification that can't go away.

Anyways, here's some points to consider:

• We can tell if one of these regions updated by a) seeing if it's in the daily dump, b) seeing if there were any legislative changes to its residents, c) looking for influence changes, and d) looking for delegates.
• As August said, the game cannot distinguish between accented/invisible regions.
• That may mean one of the following.
  • Èshsb and League of Sevéish Nations update as though they are the exact same region. Same time, update logs them as a combination. If this is the case, we can perhaps play around with contradictory data (like if both regions had flags) or stacking lots and lots regions.
  • The game might get confused and skip them both. See above for details on how that affects gameplay.
  • The game may update one but that the other. If that's the case, I suspect Èshsb will update (because it's the only one appearing in searches and it's more recent), but League of Sevéish Nations will not. This will affect gameplay as above.

Two members of the Augustine Alliance and I are trying to elect a delegate in Èshsb. We'll watch both accented regions to answer this question.

[Twertis]

So if I'm understanding correctly, the reason you can't create more regions with accented characters is because their ID's are the same?.

Probably. Frankly, it's rather confusing that I was able to create Èshsb while League of Sevéish Nations still existed.

Perhaps it's one accented region per update. Maybe IDs are assigned at update (as the update order?) and Èshsb will get its own ID later.

Edit: but that doesn't explain why they show up as the same in search.

I like this bug and would like to keep it.

[August]

Perhaps it's one accented region per update.

Evidence points to this one so far.

It's a region no one can move to without your explicit invitation.

Not only that, it is impossible to move to the region if it is passworded, even if you are recruited. You can enter a password, but whether it is correct or not, the game redirects you to the Change Region page without moving your nation.

[Comfed]

FYI, here’s the API link:

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https://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/api.cgi?region=league_of_sevéish_nations

[Twertis]

FYI, here’s the API link:

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https://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/api.cgi?region=league_of_sevéish_nations

Notice that the statistics contained there are for Èshsb and don't have Seveland in it. Perhaps this suggests that League of Sevéish Nations won't update this major. Which means that we'd have an alternative to jumppoints and update surfing, should people want to use it.

Edit: Also the region would be completely unraidable.

[Frisbeeteria]

Edit: Also the region would be completely unraidable.

Before you get too excited about the possibilities, bear in mind that when an admin looks at it, they'll most likely fix it. I can't tell you if that'll be one hour or one month, but don't plan on a broken region sticking around.