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The Newsstand
[Image: FHL67hR.png?1] Designated area for each issue of The Northern Lights to be published [Image: tnl_cult2.png]Roleplay Reel
by Iraelia, Citizen
One of the most important aspects of NationStates is role play. After all, the premise of the game is acting as your nation's leader and answering issues to determine the status of your nation. Of course, that's just about, answering issues. However, for those whose minds are entranced by fiction, there exists more than just issue answering, there is role play. There are many ways to role play in NationStates: on the NationStates forum, in your own RP world, but the most prominent form of role play in The North Pacific exists in the world of Eras.Based on The North Pacific forums and operating their own discord server, Eras RP has been used as a setting for about three years now and is open for anyone in TNP to join. Order is maintained by a team of role play moderators who ensure that people are obeying the rules of North Pacific RP. While things have slowed down recently in Eras, a lot of important events have occurred in the past few months that will shape the future of role play in Eras. The biggest such event currently ongoing, though somewhat stalled due to the two key people being busy with real life, is the Council for the Reaffirmation of the Alliance of Northern Unions (ANU). In Eras, many nations have banded together to form alliances and unions in order to strengthen their nation’s position in the world. The two largest alliances are the Pan-Gotic Union (PGU) and the Phoenix Union (PU). The PGU is a union of nations that are ethnically Gotic, the Eras equivalent of German. The PU is a union of nations that are positioned on the Phoenix Strait, an area of strategic and economic importance in Eras. The predecessor to the PGU, the Northwestern Union (NWU), had been working on an agreement with the PU which would form the Alliance of Northern Unions (ANU). However, before either party could ratify the agreement, the NWU was disbanded and replaced by the PGU. Now that the PGU is firmly situated, members of both the PU and the PGU have gathered at a conference to discuss the actual ratification of the ANU. However, the proposed alliance is seeing significant opposition from powerful nations like the Ilian Coalition and Xentherida, members from within the proposed alliance, and it's future is most definitely in question. Another important event that has been transpiring is the formation of the Trillium Compact (TC) which is the successor to the Trillium Accord (TA), and is an organization of democratic nations designed to further the goals of national sovereignty and voluntary cooperation between nations. The TC, having just been ratified, has now gone searching for new members to join their ranks. These proposed nations are Iraelia as an Associate Member and Goyanes and Syrixia as Observer Members. Many of these proposed members have received criticism from some sitting members of the TC. Syrixia is a self described autocracy and fails to meet the important democratic requirements in the eyes of the Ilian Coalition, Xentherida, and the Hastfradic League. Goyanes, while democratic, has strong allegiances to the PGU and PU which has off set several members of the alliance. Iraelia is also a democracy, but a history of racial tension in the nation has put the TC on edge. Needless to say, these nations will have to fight tooth and nail for entrance into the TC. On a more local level, there have been several ongoing national role plays. One such story is Modergen, a character RP within the nation of Goyanes which centers around a terrorist attack on a newly built subway station in Goyanes by an organization seeking to re-institute dictatorial rule to the nation of Xentherida. They bomb the station under the guise of fascists from the nation of Ninhundland, a neighbour and sworn enemy of Goyanes, in the hopes that it may lead to war and further their end goal. Another active story is Yavneh Roya which is a traditional Iraelian holiday celebrating independence from the nation of Syrixia. This Yavneh Roya, the Prime Minister of Iraelia invited nations of the world to celebrate with the Iraelian government. The final major event that is ongoing is the Post Crown Conflict wherein Eras had recently gone through a major conflict where the nations of Samaria and Scallendovia declared war on the nation of Cogoria. The conflict has devastated the region and resulted in the destruction of Scallendovia. As a result, both Cogoria and Samaria have sent representatives to the Merillian League, acting as a neutral third party, to sign a peace treaty. Both nations signed the treaty, and the conflict has finally come to an end. This has been Roleplay Reel #1. [Image: tnl_game2.png]Discord Analysis by Atlae, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs
This column does not represent the views of the Government of The North Pacific.
There have always been things that separate regions, from the truly dedicated to the inactive ones, and is practically mandatory for activity: a means for communication. Many regions simply utilize their RMB to communicate, while others talk offsite on platforms such as IRC, Skype, or Discord. Today, we’ll be discussing Discord, specifically for the feeders, or the Pacifics.First stop, the North Pacific. As a control, let’s analyze TNP. It has a general channel, #the-agora; a debating channel #poolside (formerly #the-ring-of-fire); a gaming channel, #tnp-gamers-union; a music channel, #music-hall; and a spamming channel, #the-sewers. It’s RP, however, is located on another server dedicated to TNP RP. As for its governmental and regional functions, #magicality-grand-plaza and #regional-assembly-private are reserved for citizen-only activity, and #world-assembly, discussing WA activities. TNP has 8 voice channels, all of them accessible except for the ones reserved to the Security Council and the Administration. Next is the East Pacific. Its Discord is much less active as its citizens prefer Skype, using it to talk about RP, politics, and as a general chat. However, they do have channels akin to TNP’s, with a general channel (#hotel-california), a gaming channel (#gaming), a music channel (#hall-of-music), and of course, a spamming channel (#spam-games). Unlike TNP, they have an RP channel similar to TNP’s but held within TEP’s main server, called #tep-evolved. However, it is not active much due to most RP talk on a Skype chat, also called TEP Evolved. Its only citizen-exclusive channel is #the-plaza, and their April Fool’s nuclear command center was held at #strategicaircommand. TEP has only two voice channels, General and Music Hall. The Pacific, commonly referred to as NPO (New Pacific Order), has a quite active Discord server, with a general channel (#pacifica_harbour), a music channel (#radio_pacifica), and a spamming channel (#spam_fields). It has its roleplay in its server, (#roleplaying_discussion), and has a channel called #bot_development, which is hopefully self-explanatory. The Pacific also has a citizen-only chat called #the_square. It has three voice channels, dedicating a general, gaming, and a music channel. The South Pacific, whereas, is very active when it comes to Discord. Like the previous regions, it has a general channel (#lampshade-bar), a gaming channel (#games), and a spamming channel (#coconut-grove). However, it has two channels dedicated to RP: #bantam-harbour and #roleplay-discussion. The latter is an advisor chat where one gets questions answered, while the former is a much more recent development, RPing within the Discord server (much like the recent trend of RMB role-playing in TNP’s RMB). TSP, however, has 8 citizen-only channels about regional government (TSP refers to residents as citizens, so Legislator is the equivalent). It has 8 voice channels, two of which are restricted to the regional government. The West Pacific is our last stop for now. It has a very active Discord and a considerably less active Skype. As usual, it has a general channel (#the-lounge), a music channel (#karaoke_lounge_and_tiki_bar) not just for Karaoke Friday, and a spamming channel (#the-clubhouse). It also has a politics channel (#politics_and_stuff), a military recruitment channel (#twpaf_recruitment), and another channel called #celebrate-twp (the purpose is hopefully obvious). It has 5 roleplay servers, dedicated to Discord RPs of differing genres. It also has a channel dedicated to D&D (Dungeons & Dragons). It has #hall_of_nations as its citizen-only channel and has 4 voice channels (one general, one Karaoke Friday, and two D&D). To conclude, we have seen many different utilizations of Discord. What each of the servers has in common is some general and spamming channels and a regional politics chat which makes it a characteristic of their region. While activity among them varies, it certainly sets them different from regions that do not have Discord servers. [Image: tnl_mil.png]North Pacific Army Bulletin by Iraelia, Citizen
This month, only four operations have been performed. This has been the first month under which Darcania has been the Minister of Defense.The first operation was a training op in Novis Vandium. Six soldiers made it in and the operation was a success. The second operation was a training op in the regions of Warzone Australia and Warzone Sandbox. Four soldiers took part and both operations were a success. The third operation was a training op in the regions of Puppet and abandon nations dump and The New Old South. Only the operation into the Puppet and abandon nations dump was successful. Five soldiers took part in this operation. The fourth and final operation was a training op into the regions of both The New Pacific nations and Warzone Africa. Both operations were a success. Six soldiers took part in the operations. This has been your monthly NPA Bulletin. [Image: tnl_for3.png]Monthly Memoirs by Kasch, Vice Delegate
Monthly Memoirs is back again for July! This month, I put a spin on the questions and how they were submitted. This July, you got to ask the questions! Overall, 5 questions were asked and 22 answers were received! We had questions submitted from members in all corners of the community.Here are those questions: Quote:And here are the answers! abc, Deputy Minister Wrote:What has been your best experience in the North Pacific? Iraelia, Citizen Wrote:What has been your best experience in the North Pacific? Brend0g, Deputy Minister Wrote:How much time do you give NationStates per day on average? Lord Ravenclaw, Security Councilor Wrote:If TNP was somehow suddenly disbanded overnight, where would you stay and why? Emperor von Friently, Resident Wrote:How much time do you give NationStates per day on average? Scorch, Minister Wrote:How much time do you give NationStates per day on average? Atlae, Deputy Minister Wrote:How much time do you give NationStates per day on average? flemingovia, Citizen Wrote:What has been your best experience in the North Pacific? Skittleyflakes, Citizen Wrote:How much time do you give NationStates per day on average? [Image: tnl_for3.png]The Spotlight #4: An Interview with Security Councilor Lord Ravenclaw by Scorch & Lord Ravenclaw, Min. Communications & Security Councilor
Scorch: Hello and welcome to the Spotlight segment for The Northern Lights, Issue XIV. I am joined today by former Delegate, Lord Ravenclaw. Thanks for joining me on the Spotlight. It is great to have you on.Lord Ravenclaw: No problem, it makes a change from sleeping on my recliner these days. Scorch: Let's get started. First question. What was your first impression of TNP? Lord Ravenclaw: Intimidation, quite honestly. I was a reasonably new player at the time I first encountered TNP, I was still new to regional politics and I was the Foreign Minister for an ally of TNP, Osiris at the time. The community, specifically the Regional Assembly and the Court intimidated me a lot as it was so much more rigid than Osiris or anything I had experience with prior. Scorch: I had a similar reaction however TNP was my first experience in NationStates. My next question is what drew you to Foreign Affairs in NationStates? Lord Ravenclaw: Well in a past game browser-game called Travian, I developed a knack for diplomacy and building alliances and factions so when I started looking for things to do in NationStates I figured that things wouldn't be too different from there… boy was I wrong. Scorch: Interesting. What was your first official government position in any region in NationStates? Lord Ravenclaw: Interior for Earth Reborn sometime in early 2009. Scorch: What has been your favorite position to hold in TNP? Lord Ravenclaw: Delegate was fun, it was a unique experience unlike anything else I've ever encountered within NationStates. Scorch: It seems it is a position like no other. Has the development of Discord been something that you expected when you started having TNP use Discord? Lord Ravenclaw: Well we have to remember that I started promoting Discord in November of 2015, starting with Alexandria. Gradually other regions tried it out for themselves, regions which shared some relationship with Alexandria, so Albion and Europeia were early adopters, the South Pacific at the end of the year, and TNP followed when I had the means to promote it here (when I was Delegate). I didn't expect it to catch on at all, truthfully. I had hoped, but never expected it so I'm rather pleased to have been surprised by this. We recently passed 800 members of the main TNP server. Scorch: That is incredible. It is crazy to think about how much Discord is used now. What has been the biggest change in NationStates since you started playing? Lord Ravenclaw: Well I can't pick one so I'll pick two: the influence changes to the GCRs which introduced decay back in 2013 and the Regional Officers implemented in 2016; both of these significantly change the dynamic and really do require regions to think more cautiously about their security. Scorch: Both of those events happened before I arrived but it is hard for me to imagine NationStates without either of those aspects. What has been the most surprising event for you in your time in TNP? Lord Ravenclaw: Surprising? The most surprising thing to me is that I stopped being afraid of the Constitution, Legal Code and Courts. I have always preferred roles which do not require me getting tangled in legalese, treaty-writing notwithstanding on that. That said, the days of me authoring legislation are gone, and they never visited TNP as I'm still terrified of even attempting to do that here. Scorch: Is there a position you wish you had served in TNP? Lord Ravenclaw: Hm, well I've held the positions of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vice Delegate, Delegate, Minister of Culture, Senior Diplomat, Temporary Hearing Officer, Deputy Minister of Culture, Advisor to the Delegate and Security Councillor. Honestly, I think that I've held any position which interests me or that I have skills in. Scorch: Final question. What has been your favorite part about playing NationStates? Lord Ravenclaw: I've met some very interesting people, and I've formed some amazing friendships - McMasterdonia, Hileville, Xoriet and several others. I'm always surprised by the diversity of the people I encounter in the game, as there truly is a huge range of players of varying backgrounds within NationStates and if you make an effort to get to know some of these players they can offer you a unique insight into what their life is like, and it's a unique dynamic that is one of the most fulfilling things about forming a friendship with someone from a different part of the world. Scorch: You really can meet interesting people through NationStates and form amazing relationships with them. Well, thank you for joining me today on the Spotlight. It has been a pleasure. The Northern Lights: Beauty in Truth
Publisher: Pallaith :: Executive Editor: Scorch :: Managing Editor: Brend0g :: Graphic Artist: Imki + SillyString The Northern Lights is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.
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[Image: tnl_legb.png] Regional Assembly Highlights by Brend0g, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Communications Over August we have seen the Regional Assembly be really active, three votes going to the floor and two other bills currently under discussion. The first vote was the Election Reform Bill Reform Bill which was additional edits to the Election Reform Bill passed last month that was not included in the final draft. With support already on the previous bill and being straight forward, it was passed convincingly with 22 voting for, 4 voting nay and 3 abstaining from the vote. The second vote was a motion to admit Pallaith to the Security Council, after a short discussion about the Security Council, the motion went to a vote. It passed extremely convincingly with 29 voting for, 1 voting nay and 4 abstaining from the vote. Lastly, another Security Council application was presented to the Regional Assembly with the McMasterdonia being the candidate this time. As with Pallaith, discussion of the Security Council happened and was similar. As with Pallaith’s application, it passed convincingly with 25 voting aye, 3 voting nay and 4 abstaining from the vote. Furthermore, 3 other bills are currently under discussion; Amendments to the Line of Succession, due to the additional Security Councillors and Plembobria and Bootsie's Security Council Application. Overall we have seen additional Security Councillors with multiple bills on the matter as well as finalising the Election Commission. [Image: tnl_mil.png] North Pacific Army Bulletin by Owenstacey, Speaker The month started very strongly for the Ministry of Defence, with the minister, Darcania, running operations at most major and minor updates for a week. In this time, they were able to detag 8 different regions with 14 NPAers taking part in the 8 detags. Then, shortly afterward, the NPA was part of a training operation where they successfully took the region Czarist Russia for four days. This exercise was hugely successful with 14 NPAers taking part. During this training exercise, Darcania resigned as Minister of Defence and was replaced by Gladio, an experienced former Minister of Defense. In the first full operation under Gladio, we took part in a training operation where we raided and detaged two regions. This was successful with 10 NPAers taking part in the operation. Then for the final mission for the month, we raided and occupied The International Kingdom along with 5 of our allies. The mission was very successful as they held the region for 5 days and 19 NPAers took part. Overall, August was a good month for the NPA with 12 regions being taken during the month. [Image: tnl_for3.png] The Spotlight #5: An Interview with Scorch by Scorch & abc, Minister of Communications & Deputy Speaker abc: Hello Scorch, I'm happy to get a chance to interview you! What made you start playing NS? Scorch: I started playing because I was getting bored in one of my classes, so I began to look for a government and politics game and found NS. abc: Why did you end up moving (or staying) in TNP? Scorch: I have stayed in TNP because I enjoy the people here and the community that they have built. TNP is very welcoming, and I have never once felt unwanted. abc: In what direction do you hope to lead the Ministry? Scorch: I hope to get the last issue of TNL out and try to continue the consistency we have had this term into the next term. abc: What do you hope to pursue next in TNP and why? Scorch: I'm not completely sure. There are plenty of opportunities I could pursue, but I haven't decided what I'll do next. abc: What's the hardest choice you've made in TNP and what made it so difficult? Scorch: Fortunately I feel that I have not had to make many difficult choices during my time in TNP. abc: How has TNP influenced or affected you in RL? Scorch: TNP has introduced me to so many new people along with their views and opinions. I think TNP has opened me up and allowed me to see from different points of view. abc: What are your interests outside of NS? Scorch: Politics, baseball, science, piano and sleep. abc: Can you give newcomers to TNP some tips? Scorch: The best advice I have for a newcomer is to voice their interests. I voiced my interests when I was new, and I was asked to be a deputy minister. Two months after that, I became a minister. There are loads of opportunities in TNP, but you need to voice your interests so people can help get you those opportunities. abc: Finally, who is your favorite TNP Delegate and why? Scorch: I have only been in TNP for two delegates, so I don't feel that I have a large enough selection to pick a favorite. I have enjoyed working under Plembobria and Pallaith, and both have influenced me. abc: It's been nice talking to you Scorch! Scorch: Thanks [Image: tnl_cult2.png] Roleplay Reel #2 by Iraelia, Citizen While the summer has dealt a blow to activity in NationStates, The North Pacific Roleplay has managed to maintain an average amount of activity throughout the slump. In fact, this past month saw the return of Syrixia, who has been a longtime role player and whose nation plays a major role in the history and politics of Eras. This month has also seen an uptick in the activity of international alliances, with one being formed and another beginning to retain its prior activity. This has also carried into the National Roleplay section, where five new threads have been posted. With all this being said, let's get into detail. In National Roleplay, many pivotal events have been transpiring that have a great chance of altering the political landscape of Eras as we know it. These events would be the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of Skanda, a Revolution among the Sundeonians in Kanada, and the Prydanian Civil War. The Socialist Republic of Skanda (SRS) was originally a nation that had formed during the 1950s, shortly after Skanda gained independence from Andrenne, it's colonial parent. The government, which was fervently communist, had plans of expansion into its fellow nations in an attempt to conquer Iteria, the continent it resides on. However, after a war in the 1960s and a coup in the 1980s, the government was deposed in favor of a capitalist one. In spite of this, Misaka Tawanoa, leader of Skanda, had sought to reestablish this communist state. So, after having dissolved her parliament the day before, Misaka Tawanoa declared Skanda to be communist once more on August 17th, creating the Democratic People's Republic of Skanda. This action has already been condemned by their neighbor, Takashima, which is currently a capitalist dictatorship. Another nation, the Merillian League, has decided to remain neutral in the scenario but is offering Skandan Ambassadors in the League asylum. All those that wish to return were allowed re-entry into Skanda. Meanwhile, in Kanada, the people of Sundeon (a province in Kanada) are revolting. Sundeon once was an independent state, but after a war with nearby Calgary, it was annexed to form what became modern day Kanada. Now, Sundeonian Nationalists have taken up arms against the Kanadian Government and retaken Fort Sean. This has caused the Malorian Emperor to send 3,000 soldiers to Kanada, a controversial move that sparked massive debate in the nation. Kanada is not the only nation in the Northeast that is undergoing turmoil, Prydania has just left a civil war that has damaged the nation. The nation, which was under Syndicalist Dictatorship, has been challenged by the traditional monarchy which ran the nation. This conflict has scarred the nation and hurt the people of Prydania drawing ire from the Pan-Gotic Union (PGU). Prydania, a nation of Gotic heritage, was in dire need of humanitarian aid. As this was the case, the reached out to the PGU for help. The PGU offered Prydania observer status in the organization, and many PGU nations have provided aid to Prydania. This has allowed the nation to begin the slow recovery process. In the negotiations sub forum, threads have seen a spike in activity as well. The most active organization in this past month has been, without a doubt, the PGU. This past month, the current Chancellor of the PGU (Jorgen Arnad, Goyanes) has appointed Jaever Staufenberg of the Hastfradic League as his Deputy Chancellor. Additionally, as has been stated before, they accepted the nation of Prydania into the PGU. Along with the admittance of Prydania to the PGU, a proposed humanitarian intervention may soon occur as many nations are already independently providing aid to the nation. The next most active organization this month was the Iterian League. An organization founded after a war which tore apart the continent of Iteria, the Iterian League serves as a nonaggression pact and a forum on issues facing the continent. While the organization was founded back in the 1980s, the thread was created just this month and recently held elections for the Chairman of the Directorate (the governing organization of the league). Irad Yasur of Iraelia won the election, and she appointed Yoshihama Tokaji of Takashima as her Deputy Chairman. They are set to have their first legislative session at the beginning of September. The last major organization which has been active this month is the Phoenix Union. With the return of Syrixia (who was the Grand Presiding Officer), an election for the new Grand Presiding Officer was held. The candidates were from Sil Dorsett and the Equestrian Commonwealth. The candidate from Sil Dorsett won the election, making their representative the new GPO. Finally, this month, there was activity in regards to international sports. Grand Prix International, a car racing tournament in Eras, is set to begin soon. Sixteen groups from around the world will compete in the racing tournament. While the tournament has seen a lot of inactivity and setbacks, the tournament groupings have been finalized, and the races are set to begin shortly. This has been Roleplay Reel #2. [Image: tnl_game2.png]Discord Analysis #2 by Scorch, Minister of CommunicationsThis column does not represent the views of the Government of The North Pacific. Last issue, we discussed the use of Discord within the feeder regions. This issue, we are going to look at how regions communicated before Discord and how Discord came to be the dominant form of communication in NationStates. After regional governments and communities began to form, they needed to find an easy way to communicate with other NationStates players. These communities began to use IRC, and it quickly became the most popular way to communicate offsite in NationStates. I asked a long time NationStates player SillyString about what made IRC appealing to regions. She responded with “Low barrier to entry? Anyone can join, it’s not “owned” by any one person. If you get banned from a channel, you can just make your own. Easy to use and can be used on basically all platforms.” While IRC remained the dominant offsite form of communication for years, it did face some rivals. Early on, AIM and MSN Messenger would be the main rivals to IRC. Later, Skype started to become popular in some regions. Most of these other platforms failed to compare with IRC regarding accessibility and functionality. However, different regions would embrace these new platforms. TNP would continue to use IRC while Skype became popular with raiders. Even with these rivals, IRC would continue to be the most popular way to communicate up through 2015. The switch to Discord would start in late 2015, and one of the regions to first use Discord was The Kingdom of Alexandria. In a previous interview with Lord Ravenclaw (the founder of The Kingdom of Alexandria and former Delegate of The North Pacific), he stated that “... I started promoting Discord in November of 2015, starting with Alexandria. Gradually other regions tried it out for themselves, regions which shared some relationship with Alexandria, so Albion and Europeia were early adopters, The South Pacific at the end of the year, and TNP followed when I had the mean to promote it here (when I was Delegate).” He became Delegate of TNP in January of 2016. By this time, Discord was rapidly gaining popularity, but it had not quite passed IRC in use. It didn’t take long though. By late 2016, Discord had become the most popular way to communicate in NationStates. When people started to become more familiar with Discord, regions began to experiment with new functions like voice chat. Now, some regions, including TNP, even have a radio show on Discord. We currently have the Northern Broadcast Service (NBS) that hosts a radio show on the TNP server. More regions started creating Discord servers, and it has now grown to become a staple of NationStates. The multitude of features makes it appealing to just about everyone. You can join a channel, create your channel, voice chat, create bots, and maybe even video chat soon. Next issue, we will continue to look at Discord by focusing on how Discord has changed NationStates, and how it has impacted major events. [Image: tnl_for3.png]An Interview with IndieGirlby Kasch, Vice Delegate The following interview took place on the 25th of June 2016 and ended on the 27th of June 2016. I don't know if many people reading this will know IndieGirl (a.k.a Poe/Poester), but I am very lucky to have, even if it were only for a few months. The interview was going to be included in Issue IX of the Northern Lights, but never got posted. I've included this article so that it gets the chance to be seen as it would have been, and I hope that one day IG herself can see this. Kasch: Welcome, IndieGirl! Firstly, I'd like to thank you for taking part in the interview, and I hope we can get a lot of interesting things from this. IndieGirl: My pleasure! Glad to be here. Kasch: Let's get this started. First question, how do you think TNP as a region has changed and developed since your founding as a nation in this community? IndieGirl: Oh, I think it has changed in a multitude of ways. Of course, off the bat, there are tons of brand new players (to me) that I have yet to be acquainted with. One thing you have to know is that, for a high percentage of my infamous post-count, I was never much of a mover-and-shaker. I think initially, I brought a lot of drama to TNP when I first showed up. I was starting college, 19, with the mindset of a 19-year-old. I had actually heard about NationStates on a poetry forum that I had been writing at for a while. A fellow writer had recommended it and I decided to check it out. Luckily, my nation - Creepugnasia? I think that was the first one - was born in TNP, and I never really left. I did what most players always do. You address all your issues, make your flag, change your currency, animal, and motto a few times, and then start poking around the RMB. The in-game forums were too overwhelming for me, I felt like I'd get lost in the shuffle, so I saw the link to the off-site forum, Ol' Blue (it wasn't called that at the time) and went to poke around. I was fascinated by the RP opportunities and hadn't done much previously, but as a creative, quiet type, and a writer, I was drawn to the world-building potential of the game, and the characters. Magicality, Nastic, Tresville, Blackshear, OPArsenal, Twoslit, Wilkshire, Flemingovia, Nem, Sydia... they were a few of the players I met and interacted with right away, and I enjoyed the interactions immensely. Got a bit carried away with it, actually, and a friend and I created a whole houseful of teenage girl characters to play around as on the forum. Poe was the opportunity to be myself in a way that I think most teenagers avoid being IRL at that age, to try and fit in or whatever. She was my chance to be exuberant, outgoing, ridiculous, flirtatious, etc. And I took it and ran with it. I was always more involved with the RP and OOC sections of the forum than any of the politics. At the time, really, gameplay-wise, it seemed all you could do was invade or defend, or write resolutions. We had some structure, but things weren't as...delineated...as they are now. As far as TNP government went, there was far less depth and breadth to it than there is now. No extensive history of amendments and court proceedings. It was far less organized, but it was fantastic in spite of the...chaos. I fell in love with the opportunity to meet people from all over, to make friends and get to know them. We had imaginary houses, pool parties, kissing booths, bar fights, discussions about music and philosophy and nothingness. AIM chats and countless nights up super late just spamming the OOC so fast that by the time you posted in the "Describe the Person Above You" thread, three other people had already posted. There was a whole gang of us who really just "hung out" on the forum and avoided the politics. We had what we really wanted - friends. We were fine with Pope Hope and the ADN and the NPA (I don't even remember if it was called the NPA at the time) running around defending other regions and ousting invader spies... There were the politicians and the militia and the community... and I was buried completely in the community. And it was wonderful. And then, in real life, I went on vacation with my family, and when I returned, I found my online "home" had been attacked. My nation was in the Rejected Realms. UPS Rail had stolen the delegacy, I felt personally affronted, and outraged on behalf of my friends and the destruction of the sanctuary that our TNP home was. My patriotism kicked in fiercely, out of nowhere. I joined the NPA. Spent nights in the group AIM chats with Thel D'Ran and everyone else trying to figure out how to take our home back. It was during those chats that Thel and I coined the term "endotarting" for the first time, trying to figure out what to call spamming TGs the long, slow way to all the nations endorsing UPS Rail, shamelessly begging them to un-endorse him and endorse our Delegate-In-Exile. That was really my first run-in with the politics and mechanics of invading and defending. And I was surprised at how passionately I felt about the politics. About the people involved, when we found out that UPS Rail was Sir Paul, the Pacifican. The Pacific had done something unforgivable when they invaded us. I despised them. I'm fiercely competitive by nature, and the values that matter most to me are loyalty, kindness, and justice - and I felt like all three of them had been attacked at the same time. I wanted revenge, I wanted to restore order, but I didn't feel like I could do much of anything to fix what had happened. I didn't have any "1337 H4XX0RZ" skills like the ADN spies had... so I offered my spamming services, and that was it. Spammed and tried to keep up the morale, keep the OOC alive. At least we had the forum. After the UPS Rail invasion was when things really began to change, and those changes snowballed through Great Bight, and the civil unrest and division that happened in the wake of that. A lot of people - my friends - left. The ones who stayed wanted to order and safety, a way to find restitution against those who did us wrong, to stop those things from ever happening again. Naturally, the credit for the organization and expansion of the government goes to the politicians and leaders on the forum, and I don't really count myself among them. I don't think I ever really have. The last few times I have come back over the years, the biggest change that I noticed, is that post-Great Bight and the forum move, we threw up walls and halls and rules and defenses so fast, and out of so much... paranoia, almost? As complacency settled back over the region and the forum community, we withdrew into our shells a bit. If that makes sense? The tide was back out. And looking through the forum, it feels like we have many marble halls that sit empty, unused now that the zealous, overabundance of caution has ebbed. We don't need to use them, and so we don't. There are voices you can feel behind closed doors, but mostly the edifices we built are full of echoes and ghosts. Safety and order bring complacency, but they also bring stagnation, boredom. When people get bored, they leave. They abandon things halfway through. Sometimes I am nostalgic for the chaos that we had in those early days. The blissful ignorance that let us create and play because we didn't have to worry about failure. Didn't have to worry about "legal" repercussions. I think sometimes that our lust for invincibility did serious damage to our sense of humour. And I have definitely been guilty of growing bored and wandering away more than a few times. I hope I don't offend anyone, and I might be completely wrong in that. Honestly, I haven't been active enough in the last few years to really know if the things I sense are the truth, or merely my false perceptions. I'm sad that I've missed the opportunity to observe and interact with this great community continuously as both it, and I, have grown. But I feel the winds of change have shifted. As I read (slowly but surely!) through the threads and events that I have missed in recent times, I do see community, friendship, imagination, creativity, growth, goodness, humour, and light. The OOC and the RP sections feel active and rich to me in a way that they haven't since those early days. The North Pacific feels like a land of opportunity again. I find myself drawn to participate and give back to a place that gave so much to me in times that I truly needed it. There are ways to progress and feel true kinship. The active community that TNP is, currently, feels more welcoming and hopeful than I have seen in a long, long time. I'm overjoyed to have come back at this time. Moreover, I am optimistic at the prospect of finding many new, dear friends among you. Kasch: Thank you for the response. I'm sure that will give for good reading! Now, onto the next question. To settle things down after such a brilliantly detailed answer, can you describe The North Pacific in just one sentence? IndieGirl: Hrmm... that's a tough one! I think... The North Pacific is, no matter the iterations it has been or may become, a bastion as bright and hopeful as the people who belong to it. Kasch: Another fantastic answer! Now, since the appointments to cabinet have recently been made by our WA Delegate, Lord Ravenclaw, it would only be right that I ask a question on that topic. What plans do you have for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs over the next four months? IndieGirl: I have so many ideas! But a select few that I want to get started on right away. I don't want to give away any big surprises, but I will say that I am planning on assembling a Culture Council, that I envision will be a round table of representatives from each area of TNP's rich culture, areas that currently exist, and areas that I would like to see created and embraced during the length of my term. Once I have organized and outlined the council positions I'd like to start with, then I will be posting those seats as open executive staff positions for people to apply to. I am thrilled about The Northern Cup and the new Stadium that we have built - I can't wait to see what we choose to name it. And I am excited to see how my national team fares during The Cup. I think we have a strong roster of players, but the competition seems pretty fierce. I look forward to seeing many sporting events occur now that the Stadium has given us a prominent location for them. I think sporting events, especially, give newer players less familiar with RP a great opportunity to test the waters. And I think it's high time we had a good party or two around here. I imagine there will be a quite formal celebration once the Stadium's christened with its official name. I really want to give members the opportunity to serve in and shape a variety of community events, both regional and worldwide. If anyone has ideas for ways to do that, I welcome them with open arms. Your ideas - no matter how small or elaborate - will always have my ear, and I will do everything I can to make the best of them happen, and happen well. Kasch: It is great to see such a passionate and dedicated Minister! Once again, a fantastic answer. Now, I know we've already spoken about your history and career in The North Pacific, but I'd like to get a bit more information on it. If you could bring back one nation from your time in this game, who would that be and why? It could be anyone who you have met on NationStates or in TNP. IndieGirl: Oh, now that's not fair. I don't think I could ever pick just one! Can I choose three? If I could pick three to come back and be full-time active again, I would have to say Blackshear, Sydia, and DD (Democratic Donkeys). Mostly because I think those fellas were fantastic at being involved in multiple areas of the game, both on and off the forum. And their wit, humour, tastes in music, and willingness to indulge my ridiculousness are greatly missed. I interact with them on occasion in other online places (since they all live so far away from me)... but those interactions are merely smoke and bywords, a far cry from the conversations and interactions we would have here in The North Pacific. Kasch: I hope that one day they do make a full return to the community, it would be great to hear from them! Now, staying on the topic of history, let's ask: What is your earliest/furthest back memory of TNP? IndieGirl: When I met Blackshear for the first time in Ozworld's Cafe. Magicality was sitting at a table flirting with OPArsenal while Tresville was passed out under the table. BS made me an off-menu Dr. Pepper float and offered me a job. Kasch: Sounds like quite the entrance! We've been focusing heavily on the past here, so let me throw you a curve ball. From the current Nations in TNP, who do you believe could or will succeed Lord Ravenclaw in the next election? You can pick multiple nations if needed. IndieGirl: Me! Hahaha...soooooo kidding. I am not sure I feel entirely informed enough to make an educated guess, but I think Bootsie, r3n, or Plemby would serve well, and seem popular and active enough. Personally, I've always hoped to be around for another Flemingovia delegacy... Kasch: Good choices! Now that we have spoken a bit about the Delegacy let's focus on some of the lesser known people of our past. Who has had the biggest influence on you/taught you the most in NationStates/TNP? IndieGirl: I don't really think any of the players who taught me the most about the game have been lesser-known. DD, Sydia, Flemingovia, Blackshear, Thel D'Ran, Ananke, were all great mentors/friends/influences. Anytime I have a real question about something game-related that I can't just Google, though, I go ask Eluvatar. In my mind, Elu is the proverbial sage at the top of the mountain who sees and knows everything going on in the valley below. Kasch: What are you most proud of doing concerning NationStates and TNP? IndieGirl: Hrmmm... I mean, achieving 28k forum posts is no mean feat. I was inactive for the last, what, 3 years? And I still average 7 posts per day or something like that? Crazy. The post count isn't the thing I'm the most proud of, no, but it's a big part of what I AM most proud of, which, looking back through the years, is really just all of the little things, you know? The daily posts and interactions that helped to build and contribute to a community that was worth defending, worth fighting for, worth trying to improve and be proud of. People don't work or stay for a bunch of fancy rules and elaborate buildings... the things worth belonging to and keeping are the community and the bonds of friendship that tie us together and help us stand united when troubles do come. I like to think that my personality and my enthusiasm helped to significantly contribute to making The North Pacific a place that people wanted to visit, and ultimately stay and get involved. Kasch: Nice answer! I think that's about all I have to ask you, it's been great to have you on here! I hope we can arrange another interview like this at some point in the future. Everyone, I've been Kasch, and this has been our new Minister of Cultural Affairs, IndieGirl! Thank you all for coming along! IndieGirl: Thank you so much for having me, it's been lovely! Kasch: You're welcome, I wish you luck for your next term as Minister, and I hope everything goes to plan. Goodbye!
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[Image: tnl_pol.png] September General Elections by Brend0g, Min. of Communications The final General Elections of the year again proved very interesting with the vice delegate race proving to be tightly contested. For those new to the election cycle in TNP, every four months we have the General elections in which the Delegate, Vice Delegate, Speaker of the Regional Assembly (RA) and Attorney General are elected. With Pallaith being the incumbent, having the advantage, it was not surprising that Pallaith won the elections. Fellow candidates vying for one of the most influential positions in TNP and NS were Skittleyflakes and Kyoki Chudoku. Pallaith had the overwhelming support of the citizens. Pallaith's incumbent advantage helped him massively and ran on the platform of continuing the synergy and collaboration between ministries in his last term. Furthermore, he campaigned on the increased opportunities that TNP has his wiliness to go for it, yet keeping our independence and the identity of the region. Kyoki Chudoku campaigned on improving collaboration and averting conflict. Also, to make TNP a welcoming place, to better teach newer players how everything operates, to create a greater sense of regional unity and to give people entertainment along the way. Without any experience and knowledge of existing players and the foreign policy of The North Pacific, it was hard for Kyoki Chudoku to win. Her candidacy highlighted issues not perceived before such as the constant barrage of recruitment telegrams to be acknowledged and mitigated by her opponents. Finally, Flakey was the last candidate, and his platform was 'TNP is corrupt. I want to make TNP great!' With no experience and evidence, it was unsuccessful. With both opponents vastly inexperienced, Pallaith would win by a landslide of 64 votes, 89% of those voted. The Vice Delegate race was the most exciting of the four officials being elected, with two major contenders, the incumbent Kasch and former Home Affairs minister Siwale. Kasch ran on experience, dedication, and activeness presenting a platform of continuing the public disclosure of the Security Council (SC) and continuing with events and the interaction between SCers and gameside. His opponent Siwale had a new approach to the Vice delegacy and thus had new ideas; requiring SCers to be citizens, trying to raise endorsements of the Delegate, Vice Delegate, and the whole SC through telegrams and endorsement goals. Finally, the last candidate was Hong Kong who inexperienced and a limited platform. Both candidates had competing ideas, but ultimately Siwale won with a close margin of 54%, 28 votes Owenstacey stood for re-election as Speaker of the Regional Assembly (RA), on the simple platform of keeping the Office active and consistent through numerous deputies and weekly RA digests. Unsurprisingly with no other candidates, he won with 64 votes. Finally, the office of the Attorney General (AG) Darcania stood for re-election on the platform of being active, some experience and knowledge of the TNP law. The contender was Midir and ran just because he wanted to change, and the end of Darcania’s numerous terms in the AG office. Unsurprisingly again, Darcania won with a landslide of 93% or 64 votes again. Ultimately TNP saw a return of most officials to their respective offices, Palliath to the Delegacy, Owenstacy to the Speakership and Darcania to AG office while the Vice Delegacy had a new face, Siwale. We look forward the January elections next year where there will be an exciting race for Delegate at least, with Palliath’s two terms coming up to an end. [Image: tnl_cult2.png] Roleplay Reel #3 by Iraelia, Citizen While roleplay always experiences important monthly changes, this month has been especially important in TNPRP as we held a Roleplay Convention. This event allowed for members of The North Pacific to discuss aspects of world building, pose questions to the moderators, and suggest reforms to the way roleplay occurs in Eras. Many different people participated in the event, role players and otherwise, but let us not forget the events that transpired in the actual canon of Eras. In National RolePlay, the most impactful event was the Solidarity role play. Solidarity tracks the current ongoings of Cogoria, a communist nation on the Phoenix Strait, and it's relation to the Phoenix Union (PU) and Strait. It discusses the attitudes of the citizens Post-Crown Conflict, and also deals with a new trend that is the rising militarism in Cogoria. Ever since Oktobergrad was destroyed by Scallendovia, the people of Cogoria have been cautious of the PU in particular and foreign powers in general. As a result, they have begun a program to build several Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs) with which to deliver nuclear warheads. In addition to this, they have finally debuted their power armor, which allows one man to fight with the strength of ten in combat. This comes at the drawback of physical harm to the wearer, but the Cogorian government has successfully hidden this fact while working on the means to improve it. To top off their militaristic rise, they have ordered round the clock patrols of the Strait and have demanded concessions from the PU for what their members (Scallendovia) did during the Crown Conflict. As of now, the PU has opted to draft a formal statement on the matter and begin a path to reconciliation. This has come as a disappointment to the nation of Maloria (a PU member), whose people have become incredibly cautious about their increasingly more aggressive neighbor. In Negotiations, several things have occurred recently. The most important being the current activities of the PU. While the PU has yet to officially respond to the testing of several MIRVs and Power Armour by Cogoria, they have voted to address Cogoria on the events that transpired during the Crown Conflict. However, it is most likely that the PU will deal with Cogorian aggression once they have formally apologized and compensated Cogoria for the events of the Crown Conflict. One organization that saw an unusual spark in activity was the Trillium Compact, an alliance of democratic nations across Eras. A recent message was sent by the representative from Ceretis affirming his support of the prospective members. This means that a formal meeting may finally be called regarding the invitees, wherein a vote will occur. Finally, The Iterian League continued it's activity, with the Directorate passing a General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. A vote is currently being held on a resolution regarding travel between League member states. Finally, we can cover the results of the Roleplay Convention thus far. Many different topic areas came up during the debate, but these following were the most prominent; Continent Names, Time Zones, Geography, the Solar System, and Fantasy-Realism disconnect. On the issue of continent names, the convention all but ratified the names for Iteria and Meterra, the continents upon which Plembobria and Sasten reside respectively, as they are commonly used as canon. However, the northwestern continent, the dueling northeastern continents, and the southeastern/western continent had several proposals. The continent upon which Arrandal resides has been proposed as either Avignia (meaning phoenix), Craviter (roughly translates to crowned land), and Cavitria (a bastardization of Craviter). Three names have been proposed for the northwestern continent, all corresponding to the Gotic people which inhabit most of it; they are Gothas, Gothis, or Gathas. The continent on which Xentherida and Ceretis occupy has been proposed to be called Collandris, and has yet to receive a competitor. The Southwestern Continent has been suggested as Icenia, a name upon which all active role players on the landmass have agreed, and Kian/Kianza has been proposed as the name for the continent upon which McMasterdonia and Thenaca reside. As of now, no name is official. On the topic of time zones, it seems there is no consensus on a complete map of world time zones, but many role players have supported the idea of having an Eras version of Greenwich Mean Time based around the nation of McMasterdonia. This has faced opposition from some people, and an alternative has been proposed to run a line down the center of the map to determine the meantime. Meanwhile, the debate on geography has been decisive, with most role players agreeing that geography should be established between role players. Another fun idea that has been proposed was a solar system. Syrixia recently suggested that we establish a solar system for all those who wish to do space exploration with their nation. While it has seen some initial pushback, the debate is currently inconclusive. Finally, we have the Fantasy-Realism Disconnect. Many nations on Eras like to engage in some form of fantasy role play, be it dragons or faeries or what have you. This has been tolerated for the most part, but a recent uptick in the fantastical has led to a debate on the extent of which fantasy should be allowed in Eras. So far, many people wish to maintain the status quo in regards to the policy towards High Fantasy, but sentiment has swung against the favour of science fiction. But the fact is, no regulations will come into place unless the people wish to regulate other players themselves. In the words of Lead RolePlay Moderator Madjack, "Ultimately, I think it depends on how willing people are to let things go by." In summary, the role play convention has been incredibly productive thus far and looks as though it will remain to be until the end of the week-long extension. This has been Roleplay Reel #3. [Image: tnl_legb.png] Regional Assembly Highlights by Brend0g, Min. of Communications Considering the general elections taking half the month, we have seen decent activity in the Regional Assembly Similarly, with last month, two more motions to admit Pallaith and Bootsie to the Security Council occurred, strengthening it to eight members. Bootsie's admission to the Security Council passed overwhelming with 29 voting aye, 2 nays and 8 abstaining. Furthermore, Palliath's acceptance to the Security Council also passed overwhelmingly with 34 voting aye, 3 nays and 4 abstaining. Many bills are going to vote, more Security council motions, with Plemboria's and Kasch's, the Citizenship Security Evaluations Amendment. Other bills are under discussion, Reforming the Penal Code, Leave of Absence Removal Bill and Amendments to the Line of Succession. Overall we have seen many Security Councillors being admitted and continues the trend from last month. [Image: tnl_game2.png]Discord Analysis #3 by Scorch, Deputy A.GThis column does not represent the views of the Government of The North Pacific. In the previous issue, we focused on what came before Discord and how Discord became the prominent form of communication in NationStates. This issue we will be looking at how Discord has affected NationStates gameplay. Many regions now use Discord for more than just basic communication. Regions have multiple servers, usually including a general server, military server, and government server. Many in-game decisions are discussed on Discord before they are ever executed on the NationStates site. Executive decisions are talked about on Discord, and the executive staff in regions also communicates through Discord. Another aspect of NationStates that Discord is a part of is military actions. Many raiders and defenders now use Discord to communicate about their missions. This includes the discussions between military leaders, initial planning of the operation, the gathering of military members, the explanation of the operation, and the execution of the operation. Without a communication platform like Discord, many military operations would be made much more difficult. The final aspect of NationStates that we will be discussing today are coups. Discord logs have now become a viable source of evidence that has been used as a defence in coups. In a recent incident in Lazarus, both sides were using Discord logs to show why their actions were justified. Some recent coups have been planned and orchestrated through Discord. As Discord continues to grow, this trend will likely increase. Discord has become a part of nearly every part of NationStates. Not only is it the easiest way to communicate, but it also has many features that other communication platforms do not, allowing it to become even more useful and accessible. We will continue to see the use of Discord in planning military actions, government action, and citizen communication. [Image: tnl_for3.png] Monthly Memoirs by Atlae, Deputy Min. Home Affairs Monthly Memoirs is back for September! This month’s theme was the September 2017 General Election (see General Election Results, written by Brend0g). The responses showed the variety and diversity in opinion we have as a region. Here are those questions: Quote:Quote: 1. Did you vote in the September 2017 General Election? Here were our responses: Quote:abcMinister1. Did you vote in the September 2017 General Election? Quote:Brend0gMinister1. Did you vote in the September 2017 General Election? Quote:KaschMinister1. Did you vote in the September 2017 General Election? Quote:ZeekDeputy Speaker1. Did you vote in the September 2017 General Election? Quote:Great Bights MumAdministrator Emeritus1. Did you vote in the September 2017 General Election? Quote:FlakeyResident1. Did you vote in the September 2017 General Election? Quote:OwenstaceySpeaker1. Did you vote in the September 2017 General Election? [Image: tnl_for3.png] The Spotlight #6: An Interview with Owenstacey by Owenstacey & Kasch, Speaker & Min. Foreign Affairs. Kasch: Welcome, Owenstacey! You're the 6th person to appear on the exclusive interview segment *the Spotlight*. How does it feel? Owenstacey: Well, thank you for having me, Kasch. It feels great to have the chance to put myself across to the region so people can get to know me a little better. The Spotlight has interviewed some of the top North Pacific citizens, so I feel honoured to be a part of that list. Kasch: Now, the first question. How do you feel about the most recent election? Owenstacey: I believe it went as well as it could have for me. Okay, I was the only one that stood for Speaker, but I can only beat whatever is in front of me. I'm thrilled to have won the majority that I did because it shows that so many people have faith in me and for what I have been doing. However, I would have liked more to have taken an interest in the race and other people to be enthusiastic and give it a go as there is no harm in running. Kasch: The election was relatively recent, but now let's go all the way back. Owen, for those who don't know you, tell us your backstory in the North Pacific. Where did you come from? Owenstacey: Well, I started back in August 2016 when I founded in The North Pacific. I then spent about the first-week answering issues before I decided to join the offsite forum. Then I joined the Diplomatic Corp as soon as I got my citizenship because I wanted to get involved with other regions. Praetor really helped me settle in and find my feet as an ambassador and shaped my first days in The North Pacific and create my path for the future. Kasch: Could you give us a little more information about your time as Speaker? Owenstacey: Sure. It all started after I lost the election in May to Bootsie. He went inactive soon and left me to run the office on my own because I had no power to appoint Deputies as I was one myself. I feel that this time cemented my love for the Office. Then after Bootsie eventually resigned I won the Special election and was officially appointed Speaker. This was really special for me because it showed that all of the hard work in the month previously had shown. Then for the rest of that term, I worked alongside my Deputies, Crushing Our Enemies, Abbey and abc to try to get the Office more active and more efficient. Kasch: You have had a sparkling career so far! We all want you to keep doing this well. Next question, who is a role model in this community for you? Who do you look up to? Owenstacey: For me it has to be Pallaith or Crushing our Enemies (COE). Since I joined the Speaker's Office as a Deputy under Pallaith, he has helped me and guided me along my way and got me to where I am now. During the time under Bootsie when I was working on my own, he was always there if I needed him and he was the one that kept me going when I wanted to give up. Even now, when I am Speaker, and he is Delegate, we still talk often, and I know he is there if I have any queries. COE has also helped me so much since I got involved with the Speaker's Office and has always been there if I needed any help. He also chose to come back to the Office and help me rebuild, which I think shows how dedicated he is and how much the Speaker's Office means to him and me just wish I could have the dedication and determination he has. Kasch:What is the most important thing that you have learnt as Speaker? Owenstacey: I don't know what the most important thing I've learnt is because I've learnt so much. But if I had to choose one thing it would have to be having patience when things are hard. Kasch: Going forward, what tips do you have for potential Speakers? Owenstacey: I definitely have a couple of tips. One of them is to start early. If you have an interest in the Legislature, don't wait, get involved in any way you can so you can start learning as soon as possible. My second tip is don't give up. There will always be times when you want to give up and quit. Don't. If you want it, you have to chase it. I'm not going to lie, there have been many times when I wanted to quit, but it was the determination that led me to continue that has got me to where I am now. Kasch: Regarding NS and the North Pacific, where do you see yourself in a year? Owenstacey: To be honest, I don't know where I see myself in a year, so much can change. If I asked myself when I started, I would never have said I would be Speaker of the Regional Assembly but here I am. The only thing I'm sure of is I will still be in The North Pacific, just in what capacity I don't know. Kasch: Interesting, do you see yourself ever moving into another government position? And if so, which position can you see yourself in next? Owenstacey: I can see myself moving into another government position at some point; I just don't know when. And which position, I can see myself running for Vice Delegate, then maybe Delegate at some point, but I don’t know when that will be. Kasch: Oh, really? I think you should go for it! If you had to pick a dream cabinet, who would be in it? Owenstacey: That is a really hard question as there are so many amazing citizens to choose from, but if I had to choose I would have Sil Dorsett as my Minister of World Assembly Affairs. Sil has done amazing work with the ministry since stepping up to the role, and I'm sure with grow in coming times. My Minister of Foreign Affairs would have to be Lord Ravenclaw; he has been huge in his work for the region and during his time as Delegate. Even now he is still quite active in the ministry so that I couldn't look past him. Gladio would have to be my Defence Minister. The work he has done this term and previous terms to rebuild the NPA and make it as active as it is now is a testament to how hard he loves the ministry and how important he would be to my Cabinet. My Culture Minister would be Mcmasterdonia. The work he has done in the past, and the plans that are in place for this term shows how much it can grow on last term so, Mcmasterdonia would have to be my Culture Minister. My Minister for Communications would have to be you, Kasch. The work you did in your term as Minister in getting it to the level of activity it is at now is hugely impressive, and I feel that you would be perfect for the role again. Finally, my Home Affairs Minister would have to be Siwale. The work Siwale did last term in getting the ministry active and working on recruitment as well as the Forum mentors and keeping both sides very active is something I would want and Siwale would be able to do it very well. Kasch: Great choices! What would you say your greatest strengths and weaknesses are? Owenstacey: My greatest strength has to be my determination and dedication shown after running the Speaker office on my own for a month and not giving up. My weakness, experience. Okay I have tons of experience with TNP law and the legislative branch but if I was to move over to the executive branch at some time, I have only held one role in the executive branch, Deputy WA Minister for a short time, so I would be at a disadvantage compared to their people who may have held roles in that side of government. Kasch: And so what made you start playing NationStates? Owenstacey: Before I started playing Nationstates I had spent quite a while trying to find a political simulation game to play and really get my teeth into. Then one day I found Nationstates, created what is my main nation Sheppey and the rest is history. Kasch: Sounds like a similar story to many other players, of all the things you have done in NationStates, what are you most proud of? Owenstacey: It's got to be getting elected Speaker at the Special election. It summed up how far I have come and proved that I had the backing of the citizenry to go forward. Kasch: Who has been your most influential mentor in NationStates so far? Owenstacey: It has to be Praetor. From when I first started playing and got involved with the FA ministry I received so much advice and inspiration from him. He gave me the passion for Foreign Affairs I have now. Even after he came back from his break, I continued to talk with him, and he continued to help me move forward. Kasch: If everyone else was to CTE, which six nations would you save? Owenstacey: This is such a hard question. The first Nation I would have to would be Lord Ravenclaw. The amount of work he has done for the region is so inspirational, and I could not imagine a region without him. The second would be R3naissanc3r. He has done so much work for the region and has developed us so far forward as well as creating so many tools to make our lives easier, so R3n would have another one.My next nation I would save is Mcmasterdonia. Again for very similar reasons as Lord Ravenclaw, Mcmasterdonia has done so much for the region, I could not think of anyone else that I would want to save. Pallaith would be my next nation to save. One of the people I have looked up to for so long. He has done so much for the region since he joined I would have to save him. Another nation would have to be Crushing Our Enemies. I can't think of many people that have done as much for one branch of government as COE. I would need someone that could help get the Legislature back on track after the CTE's, and I cannot look past him. My final choice would be Zvyetskistaahn. Zvyet did so much for the Speaker's Office in his huge tenure as Speaker and I know he would help in so many ways. Kasch: Finally, what other region do you find most interesting? Owenstacey: It would have to be The Pacific. This is probably because they have for so long not been one of our allies but we are now starting to get close to them, so they way they run their region interests me and is one of the reasons I also chose to be the TNP ambassador to The Pacific. [Image: tnl_mil.png] North Pacific Army Bulletin by Yuno, Citizen On September 2nd, 1. Gladio 2. Zazumo 3. Agadir 4. Iraelia 5. Otto IV 6. BluieGamer purged and exorcised populations of depraved rogues from across NationStates. One day later, 1. Agadir 2. BluieGamer 3. Gladio 4. QD 5. Zazumo 6. Sinabix went on an ultimate Pass/Death mission, following BluieGamer and Agadir into battle, the two soldiers were to lead their battalions. They set timer bombs and released their warcry as they wrecked the burning invaders and freed the regions from their puppet state controls. BluieGamer and Agadir are hereby promoted to Lieutenant [Image: lieutenant.png] and awarded the ribbon of Officer for their heroic actions [Image: officer.jpg]. As for private Sinabi, General Gladio was proud to elevate Sinabi to Private First Class. He was a fast learner and the top quality among privates, and with time he will undoubtedly advance. Days later, on the 9th of September, the cleansing of the pillaged and polluted villages of Dankville, Nepots, and Belaus were performed by 10 of the most eminent military leaders. North Pacific Soldiers: 1. Gladio 2. QuietDad 3. AgadirI 4. Zazumo 5. Malphe 6. Cimmerien 7. Zeek 8. Sinabix 9. BluieGamer 10. Minesearch Only two days later, and another 3 were cleansed: The Mountains to The East, Tristique, and Excellus. And once again, 10 sizable nations combined militaristic forces. 1. Gladio 2. QuietDad 3. Lozinak 4. Malphe 5. Zazumo 6. Otto IV 7. Zeek 8. Agadir 9. Bluie 10. Sinabix Unable to suppress their sheer raw power, they invaded the Warzone Australia, eliminated all dissenters, destroyed infrastructure, and confiscated all gold and resources. Lozinak earns his place to be with Agadir and BluieGamer in the Lieutenant Corps: [Image: lieutenant.png] [Image: officer.jpg] Exhilarated by victory, only 24 hours later, the NPA set off to emancipate six more countries!: 1. The Ezraltonian Region of World Affairs 2. Kiklandian Blackhole 3. Republic of Isolation 4. Star Trek United Federation of Planets 5. The Enchanted Forest of Summertom 6. Somewhere over the Rainbow These were the NPA military nations that performed such an action: 1. Gladio 2. Zazumo 3. QuietDad 4. Malphe 5. Darcania 6. Otto IV 7. BluieGamer 8. Agadir (Hint: If you want to be one of us, join the NPA.) Gladio and NPA's bloodlust still not sated, 24 hours later they straight up released TEN REGIONS, breaking their speed record despite their large numbers and the difficulties that are associated with transporting sheer large armies. These are the regions the North Pacific Army exterminated malicious leeches from: 1.Regional Gaggle 2.The Southwark Keys 3.RDG Lancashire 4.Ecommunists 5.Z Fighters 6.The Globalist World 7.Puppet and Abandon Nation Dumps 8.PC World 9.Boston 10.Menterra II The heroes of this one are as listed: 1.Gladio 2.QuietDad 3.Zazumo 4.Lozinak 5.Agadir 6.Malphe 7.Sinabix This heartbreaking victory fascinated thousands of nations across the North Pacific, inciting hundreds more to enlist in the premier Army. Unfortunately, the General accepts only the shrewdest, most tactical and impregnable of nations. He sent hundreds of nations to fight wars, saving countries Umbra and EAEA. 8 victors emerged: 1. Gladio 2. QuietDad 3. Zazumo 4. Malphe 5. Sinabix 6. Cotook 7. BluieGamer 8. Goyanes Gladio proudly awarded these soldiers with NPA rations, and Goyanes with a Lieutenant promotion, and an Officer medal. He is to join the four other newly minted Lieutenants of this month, as future generational leaders. [Image: lieutenant.png] [Image: officer.jpg] Obviously still bloodthirsty immediately after vetting through thousands of recruits by death, Gladio decided to transfer total control of his ARMY to his fresh-meat Lieutenant (who was promoted mere 24 hours ago) Goyane, to have another go at it 24 hours later, ("it" being nuclear warfare.) Leading the forces himself, he and the 7 NPA Soldiers: 1. Gladio 2. Darcania 3. QD 4. Cotook 5. Malphe 6. Zazumo 7. Goyanes decimated the criminals of Confederacy of Pan Austronesian States, and Cascendra, freeing the innocent residents from enemy slave labor. It was an exhausting battle. Very exhausting, all the soldiers came out bloodied, some were amputated and harmed. All of them were hospitalized. It took them 5 days to recover, but no more than that, because they were needed and demanded back on the field. And they stacked up their weapons, gunpowder, tanks, armory, rations, and joined the next emergency fray of sensitive, critical territories.The North Pacific Army combined forces with TEP, TWP, Osiris and UK, and INVADED JAPAN. 1.Gladio 2.Zazumo 3.Sinabix 4.Goyanes 5.Malphe 6.Otto IV 7.BluieGamer 8.Agadir 9.BMWSurfer 10.Cimmerien 11.Radicaster 12.Lozinak 13.Yalkan 14.Darcania 15.QuietDad 16.Sasten It was a powerful raid, they got what they wanted out of Japan, and allowed Japan to remain unharmed after their fresh surrender. Stocking up their supplies, the 7 of the NPA left to save more regions that needed a dictatorial revolution. 1. Warren2020 2. La Mesa Redonda 3. The Northern Pacific Ocean 4. Kosovo 5. Europia 6. Suequlla These are the 7 perspicacious soldiers: 1.Gladio 2.QuietDad 3.Otto IV 4.Malphe 5.Agadir 6.Zazumo 7.Darcania Almost one country per soldier. Having done one INVASION, the NPA was more power hungry than they were before, and conquered Warzone Africa, re-established dominance over Warzone Australia, and destroyed Fascist State, a violently extremist ideological region. They also saved the UDN while they were at it. 9 NPAers took part: 1. Gladio 2. QuietDad 3. Darcania 4. Malphe 5. Sasten 6. Agadir 7. Goyanes 8. BluieGamer 9. Zazumo They wanted one more raid, so precisely 2 days later, on the 23rd of September, the North Pacific Army and the West Pacific Armed Forces teamed up to invade annex The Union of The Axis Powers, and successfully. Simultaneously, The North Pacific performed two side missions to rescue Belaus and The Federation of Mira. Lieutenant Lozinak, the newest Lieutenant, was the soldier who ordered, oversaw, organized and lead the army into the the liberations. These are the soldiers who contributed: 1. Lozinak 2. Goyanes 3. Malphe 4. Agadir 5. QuietDad 6. BluieGamer 7. Cimmerien 8. Gladio 9. Zazumo Goyanes, not to be outshined by his fellow lieutenant, also led 9 North Pacific Nations into the jingoistic crusade: The occupation of TNWO, the executions of the reprobates of Futhead, The Fascist Territories, and TNWO. These are the NPA soldiers who exerted their combat poweress: 1. Cimmerien 2. QuietDad 3. Zeek 4. Agadir 5. Bluie 6. Otto IV 7. Malphe 8.BMWSurfer 9. Goyanes And with that concludes today: 1. Gladio 2. Agadir 3. Zazumo 4. Malphe 5. QuietDad The last five, who rebuilt the demolished ruins that the Roman Empire had incinerated. XParliament Fritteria The Greater Empire The Christian States Social Democratic Coalition Union of The World Socialist Republics United Entities of Equality The Islamic Imperial Colonies Gotta Love Appreciation Try It and See It THE LAST OP OF SEPTEMBER, on the 28th at Minor Update time, the top brass leadership of the North Pacific Army spearheaded the seizure of Warzone Sandbox. Minister of Defense Gladio, General QuietDad, Lieutenant BluieGamer, Lieutenant Zazumo, Lieutenant Malphe, and Lieutenant Agadir conquered this marshal field, and emerged from the war - victorious. The Northern Lights: Beauty in Truth Publisher: Pallaith :: Executive Editor: Brend0g:: Managing Editors: Kasch and Iraelia:: Graphic Artist: Imki + SillyString The Northern Lights is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific. |
But in all actuality, I give NS about 2-3 hours per day on average scrolling through the forums, talking on Discord, and carrying out my duties as a DM. I also occasionally go on OOC binges spending up to 2 hours at a time trying to count to 10 without being interrupted by Siwale.| Users browsing this thread: |
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