Crucial Tips for New Players
Real Help from Roleplayers Who've Been There Before...
An Introduction...
This guide is the culmination of several months' worth of discussion, work, and camaraderie with the various nations, both Moderators, Mentors, and veteran players who wanted to make a difference in the NationStates Roleplaying Community. For what it's worth, this game, and these boards, are a special place. While it's easy to dismiss roleplaying as an unimportant, even childish pastime, true players of the game know the truth. For better or for worse, NationStates has become an important part of our lives. It's an entertaining diversion from the stresses of the real world. It's a place to make acquaintances with people from all over the world. And it's an experience that most of us would have never been privy to see living in our own little corners of the world. There's an international flavor to our small corner of the 'Net, and it's an absolute privilege sharing this game with people from all across the world. This is the very best of online communities in my eyes, and in the eyes of others.
But to truly relish the experience that the NationStates Roleplaying Community can provide, you have to learn the basic ins and outs of it. Sometimes, that task can be a daunting one, especially when confronted with the monolithic titans of the community—those nations who have earned a reputation out of respect, fear, insanity, or maybe a mixture of the three. You will find some colorful characters in our community, but make no mistake about it, it can be a challenge finding answers to those questions that riddle you, and keep you from fully integrating into the community. The existence of long-established cliques can also leave new players feeling like they're on the outside looking in a lot of times.
Recently, however, a campaign has begun by assorted parties to correct this flaw in an otherwise admirable system, and have begun to take advantage of different avenues to help guide others through the ins-and-outs of the NationStates Community. This guide is a labor from which I've postulated and pondered, dabbled and doted. It's not a perfect guide, nor is it a complete guide. What it is, on the whole, is an honest attempt by one nation to answer the questions that once confused me, so that others don't make the same mistakes I did. In the process, I'm opening this guide up to any and everyone that has questions or concerns. If you want to address them publicly by posting your questions in this thread, go for it. If you want to do it via Telegram, anonymity will be respected. In any case, if you have questions, this is a judgment-free zone where answers can be found.
I've started off this thread with a few questions that may be common knowledge to some, but look like Greek to new players. If you want to participate by answering questions or serving as helpmeets in completing and carrying on this thread, shoot me a telegram. This NationStates Community belongs to everyone that participates here. And whether you're a Mentor, a Moderator, a veteran, or simply a player looking to have fun and make friends, there's a spot for you here. I'll be posting new questions and answers constantly, so keep checking back for new information.
This guide is for any and everyone that's ever graced our community, and made it what it is today. You are the very best of us, and we appreciate all that you have done.
Guide Update
This is the second version of this guide. The original version was more spread out, with the potential for pages and pages of information that could be scattered all about. The new version presents everything in a concise, centralized location for ease of navigating. We've also added new sections for resource lists, player-asked questions, and a special section for writing assistance and tips.
Question #1: What is the meaning of a "Pop-Cap" Region?
A pop-cap region is any region where the nations involved place a cap, or limit, on their national populations. In most regions, nations use the population figure that their main NationStates account acquire. In Pop-Cap regions, however, the nations in question choose to roleplay their entities with more realistic populations, typically using real world conventions as a model for their region. In essence, a pop-capped region would not be likely to play host to a nine or ten billion-population nation. When you look to inquire about joining a new region, make sure to ask whether they use population caps to produce a more realistic community. Uncapped nations that move into a pop-cap region can sometimes ostracize themselves right off the bat. Get to know the other nations and what they roleplay with, so that you can find a nice, even balance. Doing this simple task can really help open doors for you in roleplaying circles.
Question #2: How can I differentiate between the various tech levels?
Tech levels are a tricky business when you're first starting out, but over time you can begin to grow accustomed to the differences in the levels of technology used for a setting. While there is no uniform convention that's widely published as roleplaying law here in NationStates, a good rule of thumb is to abide by the following table. It's the closest you can really get to a commonly accepted theory of tech levels:
Abbreviation | Represents | Rough Description |
PT | Past Tech | Antiquity - 1980 |
MT | Modern Tech | 1980 - 2040 |
PMT | PostmodernTech | 2040 - Pre Lightspeed Future |
FT | Future Tech | Post Lightspeed Future |
As is the case with most things in NationStates, there is a degree of gray area to consider. For instance, a Past Tech roleplay can involve a vast range of settings, from Ancient times to the 1940s. Likewise, Future Tech can involve far-reaching intergalactic settings, or post-apocalyptic hellscapes. Somtimes, you'll see labels like Fantasy Tech, which can include the use of magic or other fantasy elements (hence the title). Steampunk is occasionally highlighted on the board, where steam technology and other Victorian-era themes are present in a modern or postmodern setting, as if the real world had evolved in that way.
The best thing to do is speak with the OP (the person who created a roleplay) via telegram, or through a specially marked OOC forum to see what technology is and isn't proper for the roleplay. It's the best way to know for sure what to expect when you dive into a new story.
Question #3: Where should I post my roleplay?
Where you should post your roleplay or concept depends on what you're looking to post. If you have an idea that relates to the geographic or historical background of your country that reads almost like an encyclopedia entry, you want to go to Factbooks and National Information. That forum is a resource for roleplayers to compile information on their countries in a non-RP type setting, and view the work of others in that regard. If you're looking to create an embassy, or set up a diplomatic meeting about trade agreements, the NationStates Forum is a very good place to go. Wars, diplomatic crises and alliances are best left to the International Incidents forum, where most people make their bread and butter roleplays. If you want to create a financial endeavor, like a storefront or a bank, Global Economics and Trade is the place to be. If you wanna participate in a sports-themed RP, then the appropriately named NationStates Sports is where it's at.
Question #4: How can I make an impact when my nation is so small?
This is such an important issue to a lot of new players. The challenges ahead of a nation created in 2011 can be daunting, make no mistake about it. When confronted with a nation from Antiquity who has had more than seven or eight years of interaction with others, building up their reputation with others, newer nations can often feel overwhelmed. Yet there have been very impressive cases over the last few months where young nations have made an impact. One such nation was chosen to become an II Mentor recently, while another has not only created successful regions, but has become a part of one of the largest and most lauded roleplaying cliques around.
The way to establish yourself is both easy, yet often overlooked. The first tip is to not rush into anything. Take your time working on your own material for a bit, in addition to roleplaying with others. Craft well-developed RPs with innovative twists and good writing, so that people will want to read more of what you write. Instead of going full-steam ahead into war RPs (which are a dime a dozen), choose your spots carefully, and gain the respect of others who only see a field full of warhawks in the 2010-2011 nation pool.
Most importantly? Be yourself, and make friends in the community by asking questions and understanding the ins-and-outs of the game. Show a desire to improve, and to contribute. Laugh at the funny things, and never take NationStates events personally. But always trust your instincts, and be willing to take the lumps early on. Because if you stick it out, you'll have friends and memories that will go with you for the rest of your life. It's not merely a game—it's a place where people from around the world share their creative ideas together in a massive online community. Have fun with it, and enjoy the ride.
Question #5: Should I join an alliance?
This one is entirely up to you. If you feel that you would be best served being in a military alliance for protection or diplomatic reasons, then go for it. If you want to be on your own, then stay the course. But if you do decide to join an alliance, here are a few helpful tips. First, make sure to stay active in an alliance by keeping up to date with the group news. Stay connected with the other members, and offer help to them in the form of participating in their roleplays or creating special projects with them. Second, always remember that the unity and integrity of the alliance is paramount to making a successful alliance. If you want to join an alliance, consider it an extension of your national pride. Your in-character creation is staking its reputation on the survival of the alliance in the international community. Don't join an alliance and forget about it—make sure that you give your new alliance every chance it can to succeed.
Question #6: What do I do if a bigger nation invades me?
First, don't panic. After all, it's just a game! After the initial shock and confusion, remember that you do have several options. First of all, if you never provoked the invasion, nor did you ask or request that nation to invade you, then you don't have to roleplay with that party. This is a freewill game, where you control what you do and what you don't do. No one can invade you, colonize you, or declare war on you without your consent. Politely decline to participate in their threads. If they continue to harass you, then go to Moderation and request their help in dealing with the offending party. But above all else, don't harass or prod another nation to attack you, then back out of the story. If you ask for a bigger nation to attack you, be sure to play it through to the end. Though it seems misguided, going through the rigors of an invasion or occupation can produce spectacular roleplays, can help bring you into contact with veteran players who can show you the ropes, and can really boost your reputation as a player who's not afraid to take chances. Whatever you do, try to avoid the damaging practice of "retconning".
Question #7: What is retconning?
Retconning is the process where one nation cancels out things that were considered "canon" (or legitimate happenings in the mythos of your country or group) in a roleplay. In other words, a nation who has roleplayed with other nations about a major diplomatic event, such as a war or an assassination, suddenly decides to erase all that was created and revert to a nation where those events never took place. Sometimes, retconning takes place when one or more parties can no longer participate in a thread, requiring the other parties to change their histories as a result.
Far too often, however, retconning comes in the form of a smaller or younger nation who picks a fight with a larger, or more powerful enemy, and doesn't like the way their roleplay is going. Sometimes, nations choose to retcon roleplays and pretend they didn't happen when they're on the verge of losing out in a war. This is a damaging tool that players use too frequently in the community. Think about this: if other players see you quit out on a story so that you don't have to lose, would they desire to participate with you and put in hard work on a story, only to see it go for naught?
The sign of a good player is to pick and choose their spots carefully, so that they're not thrust into a no-win situation. The sign of a great player is one who is willing to take the lumps and risk losing a war or a battle for the sake of having fun, and creating an awesome story. Though retconning happens sometimes, always strive to make it a last resort when roleplaying.
Question #8: "Nation X" is insulting me—what should I do?
There exists a very thin line between legitimate roleplaying material (such as blustering speeches made by national leaders) and very real insults that are posted to hurt or offend. If you're in the middle of a war roleplay with another nation, take the time to telegram them and let you know that you feel uncomfortable with the way things are going. More often than not, issues that seem legitimate are actually friendly bickering that is simply misinterpreted, and the situation can be resolved amicably and for the good of all.
If a nation is posting hateful remarks to you, however, with the intention of making fun of you, then do two things. First, don't retort with equally vitriolic comebacks. As much as you would like to, flame wars often get both parties into trouble with moderation. The less you stoop to their level, the better you look in the eyes of the community. Then, go to the Moderation Forum and post your complaints about what's happening. Generally, experienced players will be ahead of you, and will go to Moderation at the first sign of trolling or flaming. In all things, however, remember that troublemakers (while rare) can pop up from time to time. Don't let their idiocy detract from your overall experience here.
Question #9: People complain about my military RPs: what should I do?
I doubt that a more derisive or conflicting problem exists in NationStates than the issues regarding militaries. While an entire guide could be written on the issues you can and should avoid when building your military, a few very brief points can help you out when you go to do a war roleplay. First, the size of your standing military should fall into the "Two Percent Rule". Most nations try to keep their national military populations around 2-3% of their overall national populations. For instance, if your nation is 5 Million large, your national military population would realistically be around 100,000 for your Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marines (if applicable). Anything from 5-10% borders on a North Korean-type nation, where welfare and the economy are in the toilet. Over that mark, nations are practically impossible to roleplay successfully. If you try to make your nation into a clone of the United States while having a 20% military enrollment rate, then you'll have a tough time being taken seriously in the game.
Often, your military population is the major source of contention that others may have with you, but there are other issues to remember as well. For instance, having an Army of 100,000 men doesn't mean that you'll realistically have 100,000 men ready to fire rifles in a war RP. The best players consider matters of logistics in their roleplays. In one famous guide, it was noted that for every ten infantrymen you have, you'll need at least double that to support them by getting them ammunition, food, water, transporting them, etc. Most people try to use a 50/50 ratio for their military. Under this system, if your Army is 100,000 people strong, then you would have 50,000 be involved in actual combat missions, with the other half focused on logistics, engineering, supplies, etc. However, several top military-savvy roleplayers now suggest something closer to a 1:4 ratio, where for every combat troop, you would have four logistical personnel. For your Navy, it'll be closer to 30% personnel on your actual ships, and 70% in logistical roles on land. Your Air Force would be even higher than that, with much logistical help needed to keep aircraft flying high.
Also, always remember that a war in NationStates, particularly those away from your own borders, aren't the central focus of the entire world. What I mean by that is simple: if you have 5,000,00 in your military, you're not going to realistically deploy 5,000,000 overseas to fight in a war. For starters, sending your entire military overseas leaves you zilch in terms of domestic protection. In a war with bigger enemies, nothing would stop them from marching in unopposed and toppling you. Further, deploying that many troops is a logistical nightmare, and is so cost-prohibitive as to almost be a futile gesture—and one that gets you a bad reputation. Despite having the potential capability of staffing tens of millions for military purposes, the largest single deployment ever in a military action was 2,000,000 total. On average, our largest force deployments, for a nation of 9 Billion, is a mere 250,000. And even that is a large force to transport, even for a nation the size of the Azurans. Be considerate of this when you participate in roleplays devoted to war. If you can master these concepts, 95% of your issues can disappear almost immediately.
Question #10: I was accused of puppetwanking—what does this mean?
Puppetwanking, albeit a funny term, is a pretty serious offense in the parlance of the roleplaying community. Generally, any time you take control of another person's NationStates account and subjugate that RP entity to your own, that's called "taking a puppet" in the OOC (or Out of Character context). In an in-character context, your nation would call the subjugated nation a colony or a puppet. Puppets can be successfully used internally as a means for greater economic production and as a source of national defense, moving your military there to give your country a greater overseas military capability.
Despite this, you cannot use your puppets to bolster your military numbers in any way. In other words, taking the population of your puppets and using them to bolster your military strength is called puppet-wanking. Some other things that are against the rules is what's called a "bait and switch". What happens here is one nation uses a puppet to secretly challenge another nation to a fight. When the nation accepts the challenge of the puppet, the main account nation is tossed into the fray, beating the outnumbered nation and virtually humiliating them. This practice, besides being a big no-no in the community and in the game rules, is also cowardly and quite an injustice to the community as a whole. Don't hide behind your puppets, or use them to artificially enhance your nation in illegal ways.
Talk to others who have taken puppets, and learn from them what having colonies means. Ask the veterans about what you can and can't do with multiple accounts. And as with all problems, if you make a mistake, learn from them with respect and humility. No one will fault you for trying to play the game. Only those that don't seek help are the ones that can get themselves into real trouble.
Question #11: What does SIC mean?
"SIC" means Secret In-Character, and refers to anything in a roleplay post that should be considered secret knowledge until such a time where the information can be made public. The tag is often used not as an overall modifier like "MT", "IC", or "OOC" is, but rather, is used for individual posts in a larger roleplay. As such, when the "SIC" label is used for a roleplay post, then all other parties in the roleplay are expected not to counter that post with their own characters or nation using that material against them.
The label is quite useful in roleplays, because there seems to be an unfair notion that anything posted in a NationStates roleplay post should be considered open game for others to use against them. When you're posting your troop movements in the middle of a battle, this is understandable. Where it's not understandable is when a nation posts a secret diplomatic meeting between the national leader and his military adviser about a possible war, only to see the next nation of a roleplay mobilize as if the war has already begun, when according to the roleplay itself, no such offensive action had been taken. The "SIC" label is used when a nation wants to keep certain aspects of a roleplay underwraps for the time being. It's obvious that you can't always use that label for every situation, as it presents an unfair advantage in its own right. But if you see the label on another nation's post, then be sure to respect the integrity of the story for the time being, until that information is translated into another post, where you can respond.
Question #12: Are there any good regions for newer players?
There are a few good choices out there for sure. Any region that's pretty much wide-open is going to be your best bet when first starting off, because you just wont have the body of work necessary to gain entry into password-protected or application-only regions. The North/South/East/West Pacific Regions are where you start, and a high proportion of its membership is new players as a result. As of this posting, one of the best regions that I've come across personally is Azhukali. It's an open region where anyone can join, and there are a lot of good RPers that have a propensity for helping others learn the ropes. Until you get established enough to where you can hold your own in a larger region, I would highly recommend it to new players.
Question #13: Can you recommend places where I can learn more?
Definitely, there are plenty of sources available to help you with the intricacies of the game. Definitely start out in the International Incidents Forum and look at the various "stickies"—often guides that deal with broad-reaching topics. The guides can be a Godsend, and most can be found in the various roleplay forums. Don't be afraid to go to the Gameplay Forum for different tips and helpful hints, and the Moderation Forum is the place to go when you have an issue with posts, or other players. Beyond that, check out dedicated roleplaying groups that can be found in looking at the board, and get into an active region where you can learn the tricks of the trade. The various #IRC Rooms are a great place to socialize with other players, and you can occasionally find helpful resources there. A few good links are provided below for great social IRCs and helpful places for a variety of topics:
- Good Social IRCs (Beware of Mature Content Occasionally):
- #Judea
- #NSLegion
- #NSSanctuary
- #Draftroom
- #Gameplay
- #II
- #NationStates
- #The_Security_Council
Helpful Resources
A full list of good IRCs can be found here.
Question #14: Where should I begin in roleplaying?
Perhaps the most important moment in all of your time here in the NationStates Roleplaying community is when you take the chance and step out into this massive spectrum. If you have a working understanding of what's in store for you, then you'll be able to navigate these hallowed forums much more successfully. I promise you, if you hang tough and avoid the pitfalls that derailed a lot of us from time to time, you'll still have the same yearning to participate in these forums when you're on Post #3,686.
The first thing you want to do is establish a good working relationship with the other roleplayers around you. While making friends is a wonderful part of the experience, you should put aside any misguided notions that you're going to befriend everyone here. You should also realize that not everyone will dig on what you write, roleplay-wise. If you set out to try and impress everyone with your work, then you're going to be sorely disappointed when you have the detractors that pop up. Everyone in the game, from the best of the moderators to the lowest of the low have detractors at some point along the road. You're just not going to get through to everyone, and you really shouldn't even try. I would always stress that you do the very best that you can with your natural talents—anyone could say that. What my advice to you is, however, is something that most people don't really consider when they first start out. Be yourself.
I know, it's a crazy concept, but think about it: so many people try to emulate the successful reputations of others when they first start out, hoping that by doing what the Jenraks, the Beasts, or the Automagfreeks of the world do, they too can become well-respected. Still others tread over the same old ground with their first dozen or so roleplays. Almost always, new nations jump into alliances by the masses, then begin launching cruise missiles before a single piece of framework has even been laid for your nation's creative background.
When you start roleplaying, trust yourself enough to be yourself. Don't worry so much about what others think of you at first, because the stigma of being a new player is very difficult to break right out of the starting gate. What you do by being yourself, however, is make your future road much easier to travel. By trusting in your own creative ideas, you're opening up the real you (as much as one can open up in the NationStates forums) to all the potential players that will eventually become your peers, your friends, and even your confidants. No one will ever accept you for who you are if you try to model yourself solely on another person.
Once you're ready for the introduction, I suggest a number of things to do first. If you are an especially creative person, or a good writer, then I would suggest starting out with your own roleplay. The benefits of having your own roleplay are enormous, considering that you immediately lose the fear of "messing up" since you're a party of one in this dance. You can get an idea for the layout of the "post a message/reply" thread windows—the coding, the special tabs, how to save your drafts for later, etc. You can work on different conventions for your nation ICly, such as special characters that will be recurring throughout your roleplays. And, most of all, you can work at your own pace, and develop a unique roleplay style that will stick with you throughout your time in the community.
If you don't feel as if you're a very good writer, or are interested in improving, then there are a few pathways for you to travel. The first is to seek out counsel from experienced nations that are open to helping you learn. While I can't speak for everyone, I can say that a lot of veteran players are willing to, at the very least, give you a few pointers here or there that can help you out immensely. Even still, there are players who thrive on assisting in great depth with your issues, believing it to be "for the good of the community as a whole". Take a look around the various guides, or seek out an II Mentor (you can find them by their light-green names under their national flags). They are excellent sources for help.
As always, you can try your hand at jumping into a current or ongoing roleplay. When you do so, be sure to check to make sure that the roleplay is tagged "Open"; otherwise, you'll need the permission of the OP (post/roleplay creator) to post in the thread. When you look for a roleplay to join, be sure to get a feel for the preceding posts—how they look, the general length of the posts, etc. You don't have to post a War and Peace sized introductory post when you jump into a new roleplay, but a lot of players will tell you that a one-two line roleplay post turns a lot of people off. As a good rule of thumb, try not to go under two paragraphs with your posts, and not over six or seven when you're joining other people's roleplays. The further into the story you get, and the more comfortable others are with you in the thread, you can then begin to branch out and do longer posts.
A lot of people should consider doing a brief write-up on their nation, ala the Factbooks and National Information Forum. It's the first subforum in the Diplomacy (aka RPing) section of the NationStates Forums for good reason, as it's an excellent starting point for new nations. I would highly recommend scanning some of the threads there to get ideas on what you should be looking to establish for your nations. Some industrious players have created everything from national questionnaires to world census reports that can help you get solid creative juices flowing towards the creation of your nation. Others have come up with Wikipedia-style factbooks with pictures and everything in them! As you get more experienced, you can even find the real NationStates-themed Wikis that are popping up. NSWiki and WikiStates are two prominent ones, for instance—Google them!
Above all else, just have fun, and be open to constructive criticism. Know going in that not everyone is going to treat you like a cancer, or scream "Newb!" at you every time you show up. There are some truly wonderful people in this community, many from all across the world. And each person you meet will share with you, directly or indirectly, the richness and vibrancy of their own cultures. In my short time here, I've met people that have profoundly changed the way I look at things, the way I roleplay, and even the character of my personage. Have fun, expect great things, and in all things, don't be afraid to take the chance. You may be surprised by what you find!