I mean, sure it's pretty weird, especially since I was never a big fan of roleplay, but it's what the current nations want to do. It might not seem as appealing as it was before to you guys but obviously it's still appealing to a lot of people otherwise it wouldn't still be a majority of the rmb. As to making it more accessible to new players, maybe the people who don't roleplay nowdays as often but still are online a lot can try to strike up conversation with new nations more when they appear. Also we probably should give the noobs guides when they appear that aren't super overwhelming. Sure, a guide that includes everything they might need is nice, but it isn't exactly the best thing for someone checking out ns for the first time, it could very likely just scare them away. 

Those are just my thoughts on the subject though, take 'em or leave 'em :p