Post by kingplatypus on May 27, 2020 0:34:01 GMT -5
Spiritus Recap
By Platypus
After a long hiatus, the Root Issue is back in business with a significantly increased staff and solid plans for monthly publication! First, a big shout-out is in order for Dootishian, who designed the above logo and the work of art at the bottom of this issue. Second, a big shout-out to the writers, who make my job easy. A lot has happened since the last issue, including the election of Salaxalans as Delegate and an admirable run of activity from the Feirmont-led Legislature. Laws regarding awards, treaties, and even a constitutional amendment for the meaningfully meaningless Fry at the Bottom of the Bag position have been passed. Now, debate and discussion turn towards a Rogamarkian push for a Judicial branch, which is mercifully short on Latin phrases.
On the Executive side of things, two new Ministries have been created: the Ministry of Culture, headed by the multi-talented Minister, Mr. Mont, and specializing in events and cultural enrichment in Spiritus, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister-ed by Salaxalans, and focused on increasing our outreach and relations with our embassy regions. I'm pleased to add that this has increased government size and activity, with plans for events forming, and relationships with other regions being built. Still in the Executive vein, as of this writing, two candidates have stood for the office of Chief Executive; myself and the aforementioned Feirmont. It's shaping up to a be a close election.
As you're probably aware, we had another large happening, which was the election of Salaxalans to Assistant to the Secretary-General of the WA. Louisistan will have more on that whole process, including an interview with Secretary-General Kuriko. Also included in this issue is a piece from Wuufu on the recent influx of new nations to the game, a SharkPupper interview with NS card guru 9003, a Salaxalans book review, and a Kialga interview with outgoing/former TNP delegate McMasterdonia. One final note before the articles; of the three interviews, two are formatted with interviewer questions in bold, and the third with bold abbreviated names. Please comment below which you prefer so that one or the other can be adopted as a standard. Thanks, and enjoy!
WA Secretary General Election 2020
or
How the World Came to Love the Potato
By Louisistan
After The Salaxalans’ surprising success in the 2016 election, he once again emerged as Spritus’ prime candidate for the job. On the first ballot, 1.6% of voters voted for him, which placed him firmly inside the Top 25 candidates. This meant that he was not dropped from the ballot and still had a chance. However, he still was no contender for the top spots - those were taken by Trans Anarcho-Communist Lesbian Catgirls (a member of the notorious raider group The Black Hawks) with 18.2%, Incumbent Prime Soviet Caelapes (11.5%), and 10000 Islands Delegate Kuriko (10.5%).
Despite his very reasonable platform of “Two Potatoes for all!” (www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=601372), the second round of voting saw Salax utterly obliterated and eliminated from the ticket as he dropped out of the Top 25. Cunning political operative that he is, Salax immediately grasped the urgency of the situation. With only five nations able to move from the 3rd minor round onto the General Election, his chances of success were minimal. However, if the aim was to bring two potatoes to all instead of personal glory, there was another way to achieve it. Through diplomatic channels, Salax got in touch with Kuriko, who had won the second round of voting. An agreement was quickly found wherein The Salaxalans would join the Kuriko ticket as running mate, while Kuri’s platform would be amended to include the starchy goodness that is potatoes.
The third round of voting then saw the Kuriko/Salaxalans ticket win and moving on to the general election. Meanwhile, a minor pseudo-scandal ensued when Confederation of Corrupt Dictators (CCD) founder Jocospor was blocked from the General Election. Voters from the front-runner campaigns switched votes to minor candidates to put them in front of Jocospor who is infamous throughout NS for the questionable behavior of his region and his insistence on maintaining relations with Fascist regions. Jocospor and his supporters claimed this was a conspiracy. Our research has shown that it was indeed a concerted operation. However, if basically everyone across the multiverses is so readily happy to support it, the term “conspiracy” may be a bit of a stretch. It seems that really, it’s just that nobody is a fan of Jocospor.
The General Election then saw the top four tickets facing off:
• Kuriko / Salaxalans on their platform of Defenderism, Potatoes and National Sovereignty
• Trans Anarcho-Communist Lesbian Catgirls / McMasterdonia, who’s platform was notable for tea
• Caelapes / Courelli, once again going full communism
• and ValentineZ / Atlantian Ocean, who had an interesting mix of cats and sports going on
The final tally saw Kuriko and Salaxalans win with 1615 votes, with multiple regions publicly supporting the ticket, including The Rejected Realms, Warzone Sandbox, Texas, and somewhat curiously, The West Pacific. And so, Spiritus is happy to have amongst its notable and illustrious members the Vice-Secretary-General! Congratulations.
The Root Issue sat down with Secretary General Kuriko for an interview:
(Louisistan in bold)
Thank you Kuriko, for sitting down with The Root Issue.
For those of our readers who are as of yet unfamiliar with you, would you mind telling us a little about yourself?
I'd be delighted . My name is Kuriko, but up until the middle of 2018 I was known as Lenlyvit. I first started NS in 2012, but within a year I left the game due to RL reasons. I returned in August 2016, joined defending in November 2016, and have been a defender ever since.
I've served in multiple regional governments, with the most of my work being dedicated to 10000 Islands which I returned to in August 2017 after a 5 year hiatus.
And what's more, you've been elected World Assembly Secretary-General!
During early rounds of voting, did you think you'd be able to win the election?
During the first round I didn't think I would win. The way Sakana had pulled so far ahead, and me being in 3rd at the end of it had me thinking my chances were toast!
But then of course, you rallied and in fact you won round 2. So what changed?
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself. It could be that by the beginning of round 2 I had started gaining help from other people, and that my platform was finally being heard.
Our very investigative research has unearthed evidence that your victory in the General Election was - at least in part - due to your inclusion of potato in your platform. Something warmly welcomed by the citizens of Spiritus. At what point and how did plans to join the campaigns of Kuriko and The Salaxalans form?
Ah yes, potatoes! I love those little things, I have to admit it. Especially baked potatoes, they're so good!
If I remember correctly, it was near the end of Round 2 when I was approached by The Salaxalans about a possible merger between our platforms. I was more than delighted to take on The Salaxalans, and his platform, into my campaign and it was a great success!
Yes, truly a platform that starchy was unmatched by your opponents! Please tell our readers how you felt when you won the election.
I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe I had actually won!
Now that you're Secretary General, I believe you announced you planned on doing something with the role. This doesn't sit well with some, who belive the SecGen should remain an April Fool's thing only.
What are your plans and how will you address this perceived lack of legitimacy?
My plans are to just go with the flow, and I could care less if it's legitimate or not. It's just a bit of fun
I see. And lastly: Can you put me in touch with the WA Elite?
You're already talking to a member ;-)
Excellent. I have some... Propositions. But let's postpone that and conclude our interview. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule.
NationStates Pulled Offline as Nations Follow YouTuber in Joining the Site en masse
By Wuufu
NationStates was recently pulled offline following a dramatic surge of new nations caused by the publication of two YouTube videos about the site by a YouTuber by the name of Drew Durnil. The videos, Creating 1 country to battle 184,028 other Countries in the World and I broke a game by getting 30,000+ players to join at the same time were published to Drew's half a million subscribers and a fair chunk of those joined the game following their appearance.
The videos themselves followed Drew's own nation of Deruuu and his exploration of the site, nation issues, the World Assembly, and the community's reactions to his first video. In the video, Deruuu is formed by Drew's silly antics in becoming a traditional political dictatorship and ending up accidentally residing in the region of the Confederacy of Layem, which itself has seen a considerable boost.
Before April 20th, in what has been termed Drew Durnil Day, the world was looking at 184,000 nations, and the Confederacy of Layem at 116. This quickly jumped so that by the time the second video hit, the world had reached 231,000 nations, an uptick of 47,000 nations in under ten days, while Deruuu's region rose to 337 nations. At the time of this article's publication, the world sits at 238,000 nations while the Confederacy of Layem at 529, so these YouTube videos continue to have a large impact on the NationStates community and the region that Drew visited, which is now in 33rd place on the world leaderboard.
The reactions to the appearance of Deruuu even lead to a failed attempt by the World Assembly's Security Council to condemn the nation, as proposed by nation A mean old man, an act that was seen as unproductive by the majority of World Assembly delegates though the proposer did admit afterwards that it was made to help encourage a second video. The large influx also saw the moderators globally pin a public welcome thread on the forums to educate the vast swathes of new nations to the game's idiosyncrasies, and many regions saw an uptick in recruiting new members to their communities, many of whom are still around today.
While such events as these are sporadic and random, they have happened before and will surely happen again, each time bringing in new nations in a mega bump that often knocks the site offline. These moments in time, while seen as troublesome by some, are actually super beneficial in the long run as it brings in new members to bolster communities, to start new communities, and to support the site and its continued success. In the end, NationStates and our communities need events like these for long-term stability, so it is with a thankful heart we should be looking at Drew Durnil's video bourne escapades.
Interview with 9003
By SharkPupper
(Shark in bold)
Hi 9003, how are you?
I'm doing wonderful! And yourself?
Great, thanks for asking. What got you into cards?
That's a great question; I enjoyed the mini game during April fool's but ended up having to go to class and missed out on most of that "pre-season," and when cards came back out I was heart set on making my card #1 MV.
And Ex nations? When did you start collecting those?
My largest collection until recently was my ex nation's, and that started when I settled that my card would take a while to over take Queen Yuno as number one. It was #2 for a while. I saw DGES's and noticed no one else really collected them, and I had missed my shot at the legendaries because soops and mindless had already CTEd, so I went for ex nation's as a friendly competition to out collect DGES - for a long while we were neck and neck for card counts.
And now? Who is leading?
DGES is, mostly because my focus has shifted yet again to a unique challenge of gathering as many commons as possible.
And 3% complete. While that seems small, that is almost 4000 commons.
It's missing a few thousand commons as of now as I have 300+ pages to go through in the collection to add them all. My estimate is closer to 5% now, with 7-8k unique commons.
Incredible. What is your next goal? Acquiring Mindless Contempt and Soops, your two unowned legendaries?
I hardly own a fraction of the legendaries, and the only ones I hold on to are the ex flag ones. I'll keep working on commons and I have a "small" (just shy of a thousand) card collection of puppets too, named the puppet masters, but that's a side project I update the least.
Well. How long do you think this will take?
Well outside of the impossibility of it as many common nation's have CTEd with 0 owners, I would say it'll take a few months. I've made it this far in only a few weeks of buying commons. That's being said I had a lot of ex commons to start with
I have to apologise. I once accidentally junked a one owner CTE. IF I was to donate, which nation to donate to?
Nooooooo! Lol a fair amount of people do that. I try my best to keep my 900x puppets open. They start at 9005 and go to 90050, and I'll add more as needed, but I can normally keep them mostly clean.
And would you respond to beliefs that you run a card mafia?
I would have no clue of a mafia that you speak of. It's far closer to a cult or a sub cult of the cards discord server that everyone should join!
Of course they should . Join the mafia today at discord.gg/S9RkAy
Why is the mafia not as well known as it should be?
And the other discord too, that's got a far more active market place. And, well, the mafia’s power comes from fear, and that level of fear and respect is still around. I feel as though it has morphed into just the idea of all card farmers being evil rich bourgeois, and us humble organic small time working class can't get a break. And now you may ask “but wait 9003, don't you operate one of the top 3 largest farms in the world?” You would be right, I do, however through careful work most players respect me. As such with this great power comes great responsibility, and I have taken it upon myself and my "mafia" (as they like to be called) to work towards a common goal of historical preservation.
And what do you think of the 1%?
Well I would be hard pressed to make any negative comment due to my nature of being a .01%er.
So you are not a card communist?
I believe fully in communist cards as long as it is: you give me your share of cards and I don't mess with you financially.
Are there any card players you wish would change their ways?
Other than getting people more active, no, no one is really all that annoying anymore.
Do you have any fellow card players in your region?
Wop plays a little bit, but for the most part Mordor is a quiet place.
And are there any other regions you are active in?
I've begun a venture in TNP mostly for the lotto and that chance for free legendaries. I will most likely take over their spam channel soon enough.
Everyone who is anyone does that. Is there anyone you would like to credit in your success story?
Just the wonderful people at discord.gg/nmNFkQE who buy all my legendaries and keep me in the know
Well, this has been very illuminating 9003. Thanks for talking.
Warrior of the Altaii by Robert Jordan
Reviewed by Salaxalans
A newly unearthed Robert Jordan novel! And it’s less than a thousand pages! Will wonders never cease?
Warrior of the Altaii is the first novel that Robert Jordan sold, though it never ended up being published until now! It has nothing to do with the Wheel of Times series, though in this edition the map and the icons in each chapter were drawn by the same artist who drew those in Wheel of Time, making it feel like you’re reading a Wheel of Time book. The map and icons, by the way, look incredible. If you happen to grab a hardcover copy from Barnes and Noble, their version also includes a color map of the main city where the story takes place, as well as a color painting of the city. Both are quite nice to have!
The story starts out focusing on the leader of a group of warriors, visiting a city to trade like normal. But things are strange, and the story sprawls out from there, flitting from one idea to the other. The plot is unique, showing quite a bit of creativity but not sticking to any one idea long enough for it to really fit in to the larger picture. But hey, the action never lets up, and Jordan did not spend pages and pages describing sniffs and braid tugs and articles of clothing as in some of the later Wheel of Time books. I, for one, am okay with a breakneck pace for a change!
Wheel of Time jabs aside, the story was fun, the world incredibly imaginative - as can be expected from Jordan - and I enjoyed nearly every page of it. While this may not stand up to the monumental work that is the Wheel of Time, Warrior of the Altaii is an enjoyable read. It is worth getting for both Wheel of Time veterans wanting more Jordan, or those who have never read anything by him and want something slightly more digestible to start with.
Interview with McMasterdonia
By Kialga
Kialga: Hello! Thank you so much for taking a little time out of your day to sit down with me and share a little about yourself with our audience. For starters, in case some of our readers don’t know who you are, can you share a little bit about yourself and your time in NationStates?
McMasterdonia: Thank you, I am always glad to answer questions and do interviews! I will keep this relatively brief: I joined NationStates in late 2011 and my first job was as the Minister of Defence in The North Pacific, where I was responsible for the re-establishment of the North Pacific Army. I was soon elected Vice Delegate and subsequently Delegate, which I have since been elected to on 7 occasions. I have also served widely in the Executive Council of The North Pacific, mostly as Minister of Defence or Foreign Affairs, but also in Culture, Communications, Welcoming, and more recently as Minister of World Assembly Affairs.
I’ve kept active in this game since 2011 by having a wide range of interests, including military gameplay in The North Pacific Army. I have also authored three Security Council resolutions and am a roleplayer within The North Pacific’s Eras roleplay community. I see that one of my principal responsibilities within The North Pacific today is to assist our newer members and to support the creation of future regional leaders to benefit our community.
Kia: You’ve just finished up your most recent term as the North Pacific’s Delegate. This isn’t your first time running NationStates’ largest region. How do you feel these last two terms compare to your previous times behind the wheel?
McM: That is a good question. I was last Delegate in 2015, so certainly this was the longest break I have had between terms. I think with time and age has come more experience, obviously. I think the last two terms were very strong, perhaps the strongest of my previous terms in office. In particular, I think we were very good at communicating with the public about what we were doing and why, and that our approach to significant incidents in foreign affairs and regional security was second to none. Our region is far more sophisticated today than it once was, and I believe this is also shown in our regional leadership and in how we interact with the outside world.
Kia: Outside of the Delegacy, are there any other roles you’ve filled in the North Pacific?
McM: As mentioned earlier, I have served in pretty well every role in the executive, and I’ve also served on the Security Council. Otherwise, I have not served in the judiciary or in the Speaker’s office. Those positions do not particularly interest me. I was also a General of The North Pacific Army prior to my retirement before my election as Delegate. Once the transition is over, I hope to return to that role.
Kia: Outside of your involvement in the North Pacific, have you been involved in any other regions in NationStates and to what capacity?
McM: When I first joined NationStates, the second region I joined after The North Pacific was Taijitu. I was involved there for a while when it was active, primarily as a Senator and as a roleplayer. Other than that, I’ve been Vizier of Foreign Affairs of Osiris during the KRO, I’ve served in various roles in Balder both as a Minister and as a member of the legislature, and I was a General in the New Southern Army of The South Pacific following the coup by Milograd. Other than that, I’ve had citizenship in a few places, but not really any further significant involvement.
Kia: Do you have anything in mind as to what you’re going to do now that you’re no longer Delegate? Either in the North Pacific or the larger NationStates world as a whole.
McM: I am currently the Minister of World Assembly Affairs in the Prydania administration, so I have that role to focus on. For that, I see my principle role as advancing the interests of The North Pacific in the World Assembly - including the expansion of WALL to more signatory regions, supporting upcoming TNP authors, and proactively participating in NS forum-side debates about World Assembly proposals. As part of this effort, I will also be drafting and introducing my own proposals, returning to an old interest of mine that I have been somewhat inactive in recently.
I also intend to return to active service in The North Pacific Army. It has been great to be Delegate and to break the endorsement record, but I am keen to put my World Assembly nation to good use under the command of our new Minister, Rom. In my view, the NPA is the unparalleled military leader for a one-region-based military, and our success continues to grow each year. Our one-military membership policy is supported by constant activity which has helped to keep the NPA as the pre-eminent force amongst major regions. It is also a great and enthusiastic team and one that is very dedicated to prosecuting the foreign policy goals of the Delegate. I am very keen to be part of that once more.
Finally, I have also found a little bit more time to participate in roleplay. So I intend to focus more on that, closing off some storylines that I’ve had opened for years, and taking the Kingdom of McMasterdonia to new heights of success in Eras.
Kia: Because it’s still halfway relevant to NationStates: What are your thoughts on the Drewpocalypse? Despite its potentially short lived influx, do you feel it was a boon or hinderance for the North Pacific and NationStates?
McM: Oh, I think it has been absolutely wonderful. I have a real appetite for new nations. It encouraged us in The North Pacific to be even more proactive with our internal recruitment, where we sent 45,000 manual telegrams to nations to get them involved in our regional forum. In addition, citizenship registrations have been through the roof, and we have done a superb job at retaining our new nations as World Assembly members. I really think the Drewpocalyse brought nations who were far more interested in staying in the game, unlike the redditors who left quite quickly. So all in all, I think it was a real boon for NationStates and I would love to see more influxes like that in future.
Kia: I believe that’s all the time we have left for today. Thank you so much for joining me and sharing a bit about yourself with our audience. Here’s to your future endeavors and success in TNP!
McM:Thank you for having me! Likewise, here is to you and to the success of Spiritus!
Platy Again
By Platy
Big thanks to all our writers for their tremendous work, and equally big thanks to all the readers - you guys are awesome! Please let me know what you liked or didn't like, how you think the interviews should be formatted, and any other comments or criticisms you might have. Also feel free to contact me if you have any interest in working with the Root Issue in any capacity! Thanks