Disclaimer: The following is the opinion of a single user based on the experiences they have had/ the problems they have noticed during their extensive exploration of the forums in their current state.

I hope I don't get to much flame for this O.o

The Following is my personal responses/reccomendations to each of the points contained within the FP of this thread. Keep in mind that while I have read the entire thread, responding to all of the opinions contained within here would be ridiculous. So this is all you get xD:
Bold = Op Statements
Unbolded = My Reponses

As I'm sure everyone knows we have a huge activity problem that needs to be sorted ASAP. Activity on the forums is drying up fast and even RMB activity is slowing down. Though some of this could be blamed on a slow down in NS right now, as this does happen during certain times of the year I don't all of it can. I'm going to say what I think are the current problems and how we can then solve them. Then I hope that we can have a large discussion and as a community work out how we can solve this activity issue.

While I personally agree with the appalling issue of Forum Activity. I do not support the idea of advertising it so publicly. However, due to the fact that it HAS been publicly advertised I now get to shove my opinion down everyone's throat. So I won't complain too much. Just know that I personally think that the majority of activity issues can/could have been solved through productive discussion and brainstorming in a simple meeting of the admins. The fact that our administration was capable of building this system proves that it is more than capable of fixing the issues that have developed within said system. As a citizen this topic seems rather rushed and disorganized. Almost as if a single high ranking user saw an issue and instead of discussing it with the proper personnel in an organized fashion, just kind of decided to through it at the public to deal with xD. (Again this is an opinion, no one needs to get salty about it.)

Problems

1. We're taking new nations for granted.

I think for too long now, we've just thought that because we're a feeder region we're going to get lots of new active members and everything will be fine. It's clearly not fine. UCR are thriving right now and I point to the likes of Europiea, Albion and so on. Our welcoming telegram doesn't tell me about the Fellowship Programme or the SPSF, it's not that inspiring it doesn't tell me why I should say in TSP and it doesn't recommend turning off recruitment TGs.

There is one thing that is being assumed here: That people read recruitment/welcoming Telegrams. I know for a fact that the first thing that I did on this sight was block the bloody things. I personally believe that we have no reason to worry about people joining TSP. What we should be worrying about is keeping them and getting them on the forums.

(note: while some users may read recruitment tele's/welcoming tele's. I am positive that the majority of new users have a TL;DR mind set when approaching these things) (note#2: I may be wrong, but I highly doubt it)

IMO there are several ways to efficiently keep people in TSP and get them active on forums, but first we need to be aware of something:

There will be users with NO interest in joining Regional Forums or participating in anything but the rmb AND THAT IS FINE. We should NOT be punishing new nations for choosing not to join our forums.

If we want to maximize the amount of new nations that join our forums and become citizens upon landing in TSP we will need a few things:

1: A mini right up that acts as a sales pitch. This is referred to as a hook when righting a book. Or a platform when advertising a campaign. This is the first step that should be taken. Ex:

Hello and Welcome to The South Pacific! If you don't already know the first thing you should be doing is blocking those pesky recruitment telegrams that are filling up your Inbox! Click Here (link to a 'how to' on telegram preferences) to find out how to do that! Finished? Good! The next step is enjoying NS! Go solve some issues and watch your nation grow and diversify as you unlock achievements, banners and a bunch of other really cool stuff!

But if you really want to get into the meat of NS then what you need to do is join The South Pacific Forums! It is full of all different kinds of members from our glorious region! You can join the Military! Pew Pew Pew! Pass Legislature! Democracy! Or even join the creative side of our diverse community in our RP Section! The possibilities are endless! Click Here to Join!

2: The First thing any new member should see when clicking that link to our forums is an Introduction. An even better way to implement this is to have the Link take you directly to the introductory Topic.

This topic should immediately open up with a link to our registration page, followed by and advertisement for citizenship that contains a link to the Application forum page(the citizen app page should link back to the intro page for user ease), and then finishes off with a break down of all the different things you can get involved with on our forums. The Fellowship programme topic accomplishes this but I honestly think that it could be better summarized and even re organized to present itself better. These Forums offer three main things

RP, Military involvement, Government involvement

Lay out each immediately after the citizen application section of the intro. Each should contain a link to an introduction into each respective area. This is key properly summarized and well organized introductions that are informative, but not TL;DR worthy will increase involvement exponentially. Right now it is up to the user to get involved, I say it is up to us to get the user involved.

I have SO MANY suggestions as to how we can improve our forums in regards to user ease, but this is getting into TL;DR territory so I'll stop here and


2. Our Forums aren't interesting

We have sooooo many threads that we just keep using over and over and they just look old and forgotten. I'm talking about the Fellowship, Citizenship SPSF application threads. They look old, we need to update them. Plus we have lots of old threads that aren't used any more in places like the University, the roleplay centre, RA the Assembly that just discourage people from getting involved. Plus for some reason people just don't seem to want to join the forums (as highlighted in the recent poll and even if they do join they aren't getting involved.

I disagree the Forums are extremely interesting, just unorganized and in need of a bit of housecleaning.

3. Regional Affairs is slowing down

RA is taking a huge hit right now. There aren't many members and nothing is being done. There has not been a single SJ, Onion, Real Time, RS or anything since the start of this term. RA is a key part of keeping TSP active and it needs to be active for TSP to thrive.

This can be directly related to the current lack of user friendliness our forums currently contain. If we simply advertise properly and re organize ourselves we will see this fix itself.

Solutions

1. Everyone counts

We have to take up a new attitude and stop taking new nations for granted. Lets be welcoming to all new nations and I think to do that we need a mentor programme. There have been many failed attempts by RA to set this up in the past however I really do think we need one if we want TSP to continue to thrive. We also need to make our welcoming TG interesting and fun. It should tell me about all the different opportunities I'll get by being a member of the forums or just a resident of TSP. So including things such as the SPSF, the Fellowship, the LC, and our regional chat would be great. It should also say why TSP is different so including things such Cake VS Pie would be great as well as recommending to people they should turn off requirement TGs.
Mentor programs are unnecessary, the forums can mentor new users for us if set up properly.

2. Lets find out why the forums aren't interesting

Together lets create a survey to find out why people aren't joining the forums or if they are why they aren't getting involved. And with that new information lets CHANGE so we can get new members involved. I also think we should update and change some of the old threads. I mean the FP application is compactly out of date. It's small things that add up and make a big difference.

Again, The Forums ARE interesting! They just need to be organized.

3. Speed it up again

Yes we may be low on members however we can't just sit in the corner and sulk about it. The original FP had just the then Minister, the Del and three other members involved, myself included. However we still got things done maybe not a lot but things soon sped up. As we did stuff people got interested and wanted to get involved, and things just took off from there.
See my suggestions above.

Other ideas

I think we should invite players from Europiea to visit our forums and RMB to see what they think is up and how we could improve. Whenever I hop on the Europiea forums there are loads of people online, there is also something to do as the forums are active and the RMB is also active. I think we could learn a lot from them and other thriving regions alike.

I also think we should do more cultural events both here and in other regions. Things such as flash mobs, Flying circuses, a few festivals, small competitions and other events. This would generate activity and if we do it in different regions people might think "Hey TSP sounds like a lot of fun I'll move there or create a puppet there and get involved."

This is a huge problem we face and these are just my ideas I think we should all share and discuss our own ideas and thoughts. We can only get through this if we all work together and not fight between each other.

Taking advice from other reasons isn't necessary, our regional administration is more than capable of accomplishing this task.

Inter-regional events are a fantastic Idea!

And the problem isn't super huge! It is really easily fixed! All we need is housecleaning! I promise!!

I think what Serres is trying to say is good. No need for crazy stuff, just changes to other stuff that makes it interesting.
And I agree with whoever said that a change to the law is not going to change activity issues

(01-05-2016, 11:28 PM)Zak6858 Wrote: I think what The Future Greatest General of The South
Pacific is trying to say is exactly what we need to do. No need for crazy stuff, just changes to other stuff that makes it interesting.
And I agree with whoever said that a change to the law is not going to change activity issues

Awe shucks, thanks for the support!!

;P
xD

The Serres Republic makes some good points.

It doesn't matter how much you streamline the forums or how fun of an intro you write. (Let's do that anyways, though.) The government and the military are the two lifebloods of the forum, and this is the status of those for a new player:

1. New players don't get to make a difference. Influence flows up, and stays there, and our consensus tradition makes it incredibly difficult for an unknown variable like a new player to really influence the government. New players get to earn influence by working for older players, and maybe get a shot at replacing them when those old players feel like stepping down. There are only a handful of examples of new players actually having a significant impact on the government (through elections or the Assembly), without riding the coattails of entrenched players or being propped up by them. (I only got into the Cabinet because Belschaft counselled me to run for Chair, for example.)

I think that would probably be the case in a lot of regions, given the nature of small communities. But we aren't helping ourselves by being closed off to simple majority rule.

2. Our military has sucked and will continue to suck, compared to regions that are dedicated to R/D. We have no really skilled military players, and even if we did, we have no military base and no purpose. Nobody really wants to admit that. Every time we've put our hopes in the military, the long-term view has been pretty disappointing.

(01-05-2016, 11:03 PM)sandaoguo Wrote: It's not "against" anything. It's how constitutional conventions work. The purpose is to start anew, otherwise you should just amend. I we hold a convention and have the same old Charter and laws to fall back on, all that's going to happen is people like you (and don't take that offensively) -- moderates, I guess -- setting the terms as all we need to do is "tweak" the Charter. And suddenly an event where we're supposed to think outside of the box becomes limited by existing conventions and traditions. A constitutional convention simply becomes a plain old omnibus amendment. That's exactly what happened with the last GC.

It's flat out again the current set of laws. You don't get to throw them out because you feel it. Period. End of story. I'm not going to going around with you about this. If we can't think outside the box while we have a stable government, we're certainly not going to do it without one.

Again, you're squandering the consensus we have right now by insisting that everything needs to go your way to radical change. We've tried having a contentious space here and people didn't like. Or are we conveniently ignoring that? So let's make this system work.

I think Serene has some good ideas and some housecleaning would do wonders. But there's no reason we can't use the current consensus to make our current system more workable.

Finally, I'll throw out that I think it the job of all elected officials to foster new growth from newcomers. That's not "riding on someone's coat tails" but allowing them to reimagine the region for themselves. This is why we have a stable set of laws and why we have a stable government — so we have a moving system that people can move into new positions.

(01-06-2016, 05:35 PM)Tsunamy Wrote:

(01-05-2016, 11:03 PM)sandaoguo Wrote: It's not "against" anything. It's how constitutional conventions work. The purpose is to start anew, otherwise you should just amend. I we hold a convention and have the same old Charter and laws to fall back on, all that's going to happen is people like you (and don't take that offensively) -- moderates, I guess -- setting the terms as all we need to do is "tweak" the Charter. And suddenly an event where we're supposed to think outside of the box becomes limited by existing conventions and traditions. A constitutional convention simply becomes a plain old omnibus amendment. That's exactly what happened with the last GC.

It's flat out again the current set of laws. You don't get to throw them out because you feel it. Period. End of story. I'm not going to going around with you about this. If we can't think outside the box while we have a stable government, we're certainly not going to do it without one.

Again, you're squandering the consensus we have right now by insisting that everything needs to go your way to radical change. We've tried having a contentious space here and people didn't like. Or are we conveniently ignoring that? So let's make this system work.

I think Serres has some good ideas and some housecleaning would do wonders. But there's no reason we can't use the current consensus to make our current system more workable.

Finally, I'll throw out that I think it the job of all elected officials to foster new growth from newcomers. That's not "riding on someone's coat tails" but allowing them to reimagine the region for themselves. This is why we have a stable set of laws and why we have a stable government — so we have a moving system that people can move into new positions.

there fixed. A warning to all those who don't want to hear it! Another opinion that belongs solely to me will soon be posted on this thread! But first I must socialize with humans! Away!!

In Response to Sandaoguo. I ask us all to remember that these statements are all opinions! (Even if I may think them to be entirely correct ;P)

It doesn't matter how much you streamline the forums or how fun of an intro you write. (Let's do that anyways, though.) The government and the military are the two life bloods of the forum, and this is the status of those for a new player:

I have two problems with this opening paragraph. Firstly I completely disagree with your statement regarding the unimportance of Streamlining and your use of the adjective 'fun' does nothing but belittle and extremely useful advertisement tool that will both raise new activity and create future veterans for TSP.

Secondly, You have completely forgotten about the RP Forums. This avenue of gameplay is one that many NS'ers find to be their go to. In fact NS is just as often used as a roleplay setting platformer as it is a nation management simulator. You must appeal to all three areas and a fun, equality focused, and relaxed environment is the only kind that will allow you to do this. The first step must be streamlining, because if we don't get the people on to our forums than it won't matter how much we revise the management system. No one will be here to enjoy it anyways.


1. New players don't get to make a difference. Influence flows up, and stays there, and our consensus tradition makes it incredibly difficult for an unknown variable like a new player to really influence the government. New players get to earn influence by working for older players, and maybe get a shot at replacing them when those old players feel like stepping down. There are only a handful of examples of new players actually having a significant impact on the government (through elections or the Assembly), without riding the coattails of entrenched players or being propped up by them. (I only got into the Cabinet because Belschaft counselled me to run for Chair, for example.)

I think that would probably be the case in a lot of regions, given the nature of small communities. But we aren't helping ourselves by being closed off to simple majority rule.


Your statement begins correct, however I believed that instead of missing the nail with your hammer you instead showed up on the wrong jobsight, with the wrong tools, in the middle of a season unfit for your type of work to accomplished. (that little sentence train was fun to write, don't judge me for it xD)

The real reason that any new player would feel unheard, or unable to make a difference in any kind of game would have to have something to do with those in power themselves. I honestly believe that if those in power changed their mindset and simply listened to citizens when making decisions, or went even further and actively involved them, we would see a huge increase in citizen morale. Which, as far as I can tell, is the issue you are highlighting. Citizens do not want to participate because they feel locked in a system they have no say in. Is this correct?

Since this is a break down of your entire post I will not wait for a response and simply assume I am right, as The Future Greatest General of The South Pacific ought to do.

It is, at the end of the day, up to the higher ups to give those disgruntled citizens say. Mind you, not everyone can be pleased, but a happy medium can be met. For example when I posted my original reply to this thread WITHIN FIVE MINUTES another member pm'd me with the following message

"I legit had a massive face palm after your first paragraph in that topic. But it was a good post. Just don't expect them to listen to you much. Someone might reply a bit. But You're a citizen, which in some people's minds here is that you don't count.

The sad reality of the players here "


The fact that a member even thinks this, whether it is true or not, is appalling. This is an issue that must be addressed and based on what I have seen, it is an issue with THE SENIOR PLAYERS. (Damn This must have been how Lenin Felt... O.o The fear is real)

I will not name the player that sent this pm, that would be a complete betrayal of the privacy of our conversation. Also, nameless player who shall remain anonymous I apologies if I crossed a line mentioning this, I felt it necessary to mention.

So, perhaps instead of Rethinking OUR SYSTEM we should be re thinking how our senior players view the new citizens of TSP. In a Democracy EVERY OPINION MATTERS. Even the opinions that belong to the newest member listed on the bottom of our Forum page, BTW WELCOME TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC The Kingdom of Brythonis  SHOUT OUT!!!!

NOW! IF Senior members prove unwilling to adopt a proactive mindset regarding this suggestion I would further suggest adopting a new government policy that limits the amount of terms a nation can hold a Senior Parliament position for. This limit would only be needed for very high ranking officials and the amount of times one could hold a position would be directly correlated to the height of said position (Higher = Less times)


2. Our military has sucked and will continue to suck, compared to regions that are dedicated to R/D. We have no really skilled military players, and even if we did, we have no military base and no purpose. Nobody really wants to admit that. Every time we've put our hopes in the military, the long-term view has been pretty disappointing.

Well as the Future Greatest General of The South Pacific I would first like to say that I would be more than willing to whip our Military into shape....


SIKE! I THINK SIBERIAN IS DOING FINE AND JUST NEEDS SOME HELP!!

As far as I can tell the only real issue our Military faces is inactivity(It has been two weeks since we have performed an op and I am not even listed as a soldier yet! Update that people!). As for having a goal. That sort of thing is something that should be cooperatively decided on by both Siberian and Hilleville. The two high ranker's of Military and Politics need to put their minds together, decide on a long term goal, and then pitch it to the other higher ups. After that it is entirely up to the Military to see that goal reached.

If we want to see an increase in military strength and skill we need two things

Members

And Training.


As for Members my previous post's points can easily be applied in a way that increases military numbers efficiently and effectively.

And when it comes to training I would recommend creating broad and easily accomplished training missions on known warzones in order to teach our troops the basics. (this would also have the happy side effect of increasing our Region's control in the world. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA- I mean uh I am totallly nooot bent on world domination haha.... xD) We could even intentionally release these Warzones to known raiding groups with the intent of retrieving them in a new training op shortly afterwards.

ALSO It is absolutely ridiculous that Siberian is the one responsible for recruitment. His position should be entirely dedicated to planning and organizing the Military in a way that will see future growth and current success, Lower Executive positions in the military should be given clearance for recruitment so as to lower the work load and increase the possible recruitment number.

Again THESE ARE ALL MY OPINIONS!!

And while I may think I am right, you may not. So feel free to rebut, just don't get nasty with me.

I will make a simple note here Regarding my point on Senior players.
Remember that this is an opinion.

I may be wrong and If I am please feel free to prove me such!

By doing exactly what I said you should do in my point !!!!

(Naw but for real, If I am honestly incorrect here please let me know and provide some examples, for both me and the others that feel this way too, in which senior officials have acted in ways that disprove my point.)

I guess that would depend on your definition of 'senior player'.

Being in the Cabinet for a third (technically fourth) term, yet only been active on the forums for a little over a year: would I be considered as such? Would a player such as Imkitopia, who hasn't been on the forums nearly as long but holds the Vice-Delegacy be considered new?

I'm not debunking your argument(s), just looking for the solid definition of 'Senior Player'.