First, let's dispel the notion right away that only the newest nations are capable of being labeled "newbs", because this is simply not the case. The determining factor of whether or not a player is to be avoided as an RP novice stems from their built-up reputation, and the mortal NationStates RP Sin of continually engaging in frowned-upon behavior. If you constantly make the same mistakes, people will begin to avoid you like the plague, making it especially important not to repeat your past mistakes.
Let's also be clear, that no matter how talented of a writer you are, you're going to have issues when you first start out in the game. Regardless of whether people begin to troll you (nag you with posts about your inexperience), don't let initial failures get you down, because we all make 'em at one point or another. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and to keep going with the game. As long as you don't give up, your chances are high that you'll be able to find your niche in the game.
With that said, here are a few short topics that can help your gameplay out immensely, and garner you some serious credibility with the more established players in the game...
When to Retcon, When Not to Retcon...
Retconning is the act of abolishing work on a roleplay that has already begun on the website. Similar to "aborting" a thread, retconning means that everything that you and others had begun to write in a roleplay no longer applies to the mythos, or canon of your NationStates country. As you can probably imagine, a lot of people can grow very agitated at you when you decide to retcon a story in the middle of completing it. Some of the most frequent reasons for doing so is to prevent your nation from suffering a loss in a war RP. Other times, people retcon their involvement because of other novices who are spamming the thread with godmodding and other noobish tendencies.
The good rule of thumb is to stick with a roleplay for as long as you can, and to never retcon because you're about to lose. If you made the conscious decision to get involved in a canon-RP (meaning the results would affect your country), then demonstrate poise and maturity by taking your lumps. Again, we all take them from time to time, both ICly and OOCly. Quitting out because you're losing a war only makes people not want to roleplay with you. Now, if others are basically ignoring your posts, or attacking you while posting your losses without your consent, then you have every right to request that they stop. Only when people threaten to become uncooperative should you ever consider retconning a canon RP, unless the other participants drop out of the story.
Godmodding and Number-Spamming
Two of the most damaging labels that a new player can have attached to them is the terms "godmodder!" and "number-spammer!" Godmodding is by far the most common form of inexperienced mistakes that new players make, and it's one that can permeate your gameplay if you don't correct it quickly. It entails the act of basically "playing God", taking responsibility for posting information on attacks or troop movements that you're not privileged to post. For instance, if Nation A and Nation B are involved in a war RP, and Nation A writes of the nuclear attack on Nation B's capital city without asking for permission, that's a blatant case of godmodding. If your forces are virtually impenetrable to all forms of attack from your adversary in a roleplay, this is also godmodding.
Number spamming isn't as well-known as godmodding, but it's almost as damaging to a player's reputation, to be honest. Number spamming can mean several different things: it can represent a player who uses an inordinate amount of troops, missiles, bombs, etc. in a roleplay thread, to the extent that such a post is unrealistic and unfair to other nations. For instance, a nation that roleplays sending 1 Million warships and 50 million soldiers against a nation with a population of 10 million is likely going to be accused of numberspamming. Also, having a military that's nearly 50% of your total population, or throwing around cash amounts of $50 Trillion when your entire GDP is less than $100 Billion can be considered number spamming, or wanking. Try to play realistic, and always be fair to other players. Roleplay your attack beginning, but allow your adversary to post the actual attack sequence and the damages. And be fair in giving damage to your opponent's attacks, so that they'll be courtesy and do the same for you.
Flaming and Trolling
Flaming and trolling are the acts of intentionally goading people on with irritating posts and constant spamming of threads, to the point of making others uncomfortable or desiring you to leave. Constant posting in a thread when you've been asked to leave is a pretty clear cut example of trolling, as is being a general nuisance in a thread that you don't belong in. Flaming, a more serious form of trolling, involves making real-life or out-of-character comments that can be considered incendiary or derogatory. Making
The best rule of thumb to remember is that NationStates is just a game. While there may be a few wacky apples in the barrel, not everyone that RPs their nations as slave-holders believe that slavery is just in real life, just like the proportion of actual Nazis to nazi countries is extremely low. This game should be a fun experience, where new and interesting people from around the world meet to share ideas and form OOC friendships. Flaming, ie making things personal by trying to maliciously hurt others, is simply a waste of your time, and doesn't serve a purpose other than to get yourself banned from the game. Remember—nothing done in the IC context of the roleplay boards should EVER be taken as a literal attack on a person's character. Remember this golden rule, and your experience will improve dramatically!
Bumping Topics and One-Line Posts
Finally, a fairly common problem amongst newer players that can damage their reputation is the incessant use of the "BUMP" phenomenon. Bumping is the act of moving your thread post up in the forum index by making short, often pointless posts in order to make your threads more visible. Doing this constantly is considered a bad play, and can earn your thread a lock-down from the moderation staff. Moreover, constant bumping gives off the impression that your thread may not be worth checking out if people think you have to "bump" it to get it noticed. Slowly work on your roleplays, and let them catch on. Advertise if you want to, but do it legally and never try to spam your own threads to get attention.
And while you're here, let's address the issue of one-line posting. Players that respond to an open roleplay with only a short blurb of one to two sentences are frowned upon often by more experienced players. If you find a thread where writers are using elaborate communication formats and fancy language about a potential war, posting this short reply:
The Nation of JohnDoe declares war on the Nation of JohnSmith!
Will cause your reputation to sink faster than a stone in water. If you want to be recognized as a young nation with considerable talent, try doing at least a short paragraph. Mind you, writing a reply the size of War and Peace is almost as bad as a one-line reply. But try your hand at being more creative and more verbose than a one line blurb, and people will want to play with you more!
Following these general steps can help improve your quality of participation and activity here at NationStates. There are plenty of people that are unfortunately prone to bouts of vanity over such a simple game, and will probably mock you as you try and learn the ins and outs of the game. But just remember, that for every person who shoots you down, there are nations out there who have been where you're at now, and will gladly help you discover a few tricks of the trade, in order to have as much fun here on the boards as possible.
- The Holy Cailene Empire of New Azura