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DispatchBulletinPolicy

by The Phoenix Empire of Rizorien. . 355 reads.

TWP New player Guide by the Minister of Education (Revised 2nd edition)

Hello TWPers! (those of you who live in the West Pacific)
Now, I'm sure those of you who are new are scratching your heads right about now. You just joined the West Pacific and you are not sure what to do.

"What is this???"

"How the heck to I even get started?"

Things like that. Let me tell you that those are valid questions and I will be answering them in time.
First off, who am I? I'm not just some invisible guide who magically pops up out of thin air. My name is Rizorien, otherwise known as Riz. I live over in Rizorien where I occasionally write RP stuff and generally chill :p. I am the Minister of Education. My job is to educate new players like yourself about TWP and its customs, history, and things. I love doing this but I really should get a life lol.

So, off to what YOU are supposed to do. I know it sounds overwhelming but trust me, it’s not. After all, you have 'ol Riz here to help you out, so don't worry! Just read the guide I have put together and follow my simple, easy to read instructions!

First of all, please note what you are getting into. NationStates is a Nation Simulation game where we simulate government. Once you create a nation, you have the authority to govern it as you see fit. You can answer issues to change your laws and ordinances. More info on that is in this thing over here.

Your Survival Guide
to NationStates
(or How to look really , really smart)
Abridged Edition

This guide contains basic and advanced information
pertaining to the game-play in NationStates,
with Page 2 dedicated to The West Pacific.
In the following pages you will find links to all kinds of
'how-to's', who's who, what to generally expect
and what is expected of you.
A lot of this information is currently
scattered across the game
in various locations
and some are external links,
like to off site forum threads,
but all have been collected here
in one convenient location.
This is still very much a work in progress
and by no means is it being touted as 'complete',
however, there is a lot of game useful information presented.

Meant as a 'guide' for newer players
and a reference for the rest of us.




Shall we get started?



Page 1
Basic game rules/questions/how-to (beginner)

Page 2
The West Pacific (Dispatches specific to TWP)

Page 3
How-To, game mechanics/tools/codes(formatting)/Tips & Techniques

Page 4
Dispatches - player created (tips/guides/techniques)





If you found any part of this guide useful,
Please give it a 'Like/Upvote'.This puts the guide higher up
the list of dispatches and more people can reference it.
Thank you very nice!


Read dispatch

Now, NationStates is partially governed by a body named the World Assembly (WA). In this body, resolutions are passed that all regions must recognize, but only the nations that are a part of the WA must abide by them. Don’t worry that being a member of the WA will adversely affect your nation, though. How you answer issues has a much greater impact … and there are big advantages to joining the WA. Only members of the WA may vote on the resolutions. Also, being in the WA allows your nation to gain influence much more quickly and provides for more opportunities for advancement in The West Pacific. You can find the WA's homepage over here. page=un
Now, onto TWP specific things.

A region is a specific community of nations in NationStates where we retain a government. This government is specific to that region, with its own elected officials and Delegate, which is the leader. The Delegate in our case is Saint Mark, otherwise known as Halo Rahl. He’s a great guy and will kindly answer any questions you may have! But ahem that’s my job so let's not get ahead of ourselves. ^-^ Anyways, a region is independent of the WA in that it makes its own decisions within its government, while inter-regional issues that affect everybody are handled by said WA. The government here at TWP is a Meritocracy, which basically means the more you do the more you will be rewarded. You might hear that term floating around. In our elections we choose individuals via majority voting to a position. More on what those positions are later. To vote in our elections, you must become a citizen of TWP. That is more than maintaining a nation here. Similarly to the WA you must register to do this. It can be done here at: http://www.westpacific.org/forums/index.php?/topic/2708-step-one-fill-out-the-information-form/ Once you do that, go over to: http://www.westpacific.org/forums/index.php?/topic/2707-step-two-citizenship-oath/ To take our oath of citizenship. Please note that you must have a forum account to fill it out. Our Delegate Halo will confirm you in roughly 1-5 business days. Once you complete these two steps you are done! You are a citizen of TWP officially and you have full voting privileges.
Also please note that you will see the following boxes that ask you to join a group:
The West Pacific Armed Forces (TWPAF)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Corp (FA)
The West Pacifican Newspaper Staff (TWPNS)
Ministry of Recruitment and Citizenry Staff (R&C)
Ministry of Internal Affairs Staff (IA)

Those are the different groups that are accepting volunteers. At the head of each group is an elected or appointed official. I will sum up what each group does, so you can make an educated decision.

(TWPAF)

Current leader:Kawaii Schoolgirl
What they do: Here we at TWP conduct raiding, which is an in game mechanic that involves taking over other regions, whether it be for fun or for other purposes. We use the endorsement system (a system where the most endorsed person becomes the Delegate of a region) to invade and rapidly endorse each other to gain control of a region. Our military may also be called upon to defend the region or its allies. It’s a lot of fun, and members can rise in rank to become officers within our military. Yes, TWPAF is what we speak of when we talk about “military”

(FA)
Current leader:Arkadia Universalis

What they do: Ever wanted to become a diplomat? Well now’s your chance! At the FA we enlist your help and make you a diplomat to foreign regions. They deal with a lot in inter-regional dynamics and are a terrific asset to TWP. It can be a place with a lot going on depending on the time and climate of inter-regional politics. If you are interested contact Ark for more details.

(TWPNS)

Current leader: Nrevyw
What they do: If you are wondering, then yes, TWP has its own newspaper! We write about things going on within the region and feature interviews with prominent residents. It's a lot of fun to read! Actually the editor (Nrevyw) is looking for reporters to help him write things. I’d do it but I’m too busy ahem writing this. ^-^ Contact him for more details.

(R&C)

Current leader: Alchera ( nation=alchera)
What they do: So you know how I am in charge of education for you new people? Well (at least for those from another region originally) who do you think is in charge of actually getting you to stay here in the first place? These guys! At the R&C the name of the game is recruitment. This Ministry actively aim to enlist players to join and serve in TWP. If you love to be a campaigner then this is for you! The R&C creates and runs recruitment drives and could use your help.The R&C also makes sure player stay active and engaged within our offsite forums and facilitates positive connections within the community. Contact Alchera for more details.

(IA)
Current leader: Bran Astor

What they do: Internal Affairs is all about involvement. Here we have community events such as Holiday observances and Haiku days, Punday Mondays, and special events. They love to have fun! The IA also supports the TWP community through various festivals, propaganda, and membership opportunities.If social involvement and community spirit is your thing, then what are you waiting for? The IA is always looking for new volunteers to help. If you want more details contact Bran Astor.

SEE ALSO:

Contacts for the groups mentioned above:
We have an active discord channel over at https://discordapp.com/invite/C8PAEvR . This is where, most of the time, you can find the contacts mentioned above in the volunteer group list. Also you can find me there if you have any questions @Rizorien. I will be listing the above contacts with both their nation name and discord name.

TWPAF is:
Kawaii Schoolgirl
@Kawaii KA Wintony

FA is:
Arkadia Universalis
@Ark

TWPNS is:
Nrevyw
@Aether

R&C is:
Alchera ( nation=alchera )
@WaR

IA is:
Bran Astor
@Bran Astor

And there you have it! Once you are finished choosing from your position(s) please take a look at

The Manners of Governance of The West Pacific

Preamble

We, the nations of The West Pacific, heartily believe in the supremacy of the Delegacy and in-game mechanics of the region. We believe that the residents of the region determine the Delegate through daily endorsements. The Delegate will exercise in-game power as they see fit.

Delegate and Guardians

1. The Delegate of The West Pacific has all sovereign authority over the in-game region and the off-site government of The West Pacific and shall have the final say on all relevant decisions. The Delegate shall select their successor at a time of their choosing.

2. The Delegate shall appoint nations from The West Pacific to serve as Guardians. Guardians shall maintain a high level of endorsements and influence in the region and will serve as protectors of The West Pacific against risks to the sovereignty and security of the region and maintain civility on the RMB and off-site properties. Guardians may resign at any time or the Delegate may eliminate, replace, or add to the number of Guardians as they see fit.

3. All interregional treaties will be negotiated and ratified by the Delegate and Guardians.

4. Guardians may be assigned other duties to serve the region as determined by the Delegate.

5. In the event of the Delegate ceasing to exist, resigning the position or giving away his nation to a third-party without previously having selected a successor, he will cease being recognized as the Delegate and a new Delegate will be chosen by the remaining Guardians.

Citizenry

1. All residents of The West Pacific will have the right to citizenship providing that they declare citizenship via an oath on the off-site forum, maintain a nation in The West Pacific and satisfy one of the following three requirements. (a) Maintain a World Assembly (WA) member nation in TWP which endorses the Delegate. (b) Maintain a WA nation in another region and disclose that nation. (c) Maintain a WA nation in TWPAF or a foreign military and disclose that foreign military. A citizen will be in good standing if they maintain citizenship and post at least once per month in the off-site forum.

2. Citizens, in good standing, will automatically be allowed entry into the Hall of Nations the governing body of The West Pacific.

3. Residents may not be made citizens during an on-going election cycle.

Hall of Nations

1. All citizens will be allowed one vote in all governmental referenda and elections that are brought before the Hall of Nations.

2. The Hall will elect a Speaker who will represent the Hall of Nations in discussions with the Guardians or Delegate.

3. The Speaker will serve a three-month term.

4. The Speaker may designate a Deputy Speaker as needed to fulfill the duties of the position. The Speaker may dismiss the Deputy Speaker at their discretion.

5. All votes unless otherwise noted will be decided by a simple majority of voting nations. There will be a five-day public discussion thread on all voting. It will be followed by a three-day voting period. All elections for officials will have a three day standing period, followed by a three day voting period. This six-day period shall be referred to as the election cycle. The Speaker will moderate all votes unless they concern the Speaker, in which case a member from the Hall of Nations will be appointed to moderate the vote. Residents who become citizens during a voting period may not cast a vote during that particular voting period.

6. The Delegate may ask the Hall for opinions and votes on various NS related topics and events as they occur in the region. Any citizen may also bring legislation to vote in the Hall which may not infringe the rights and responsibilities of the Delegate or the Guardians as realized by the in-game mechanics and/or listed in this document.

7. The Hall may propose changes to The Manners as they see fit provided that a 2/3 majority of voting nations, rounded up to the nearest integer, has approved the changes. However, only the Delegate may make any changes.

Hall of Peers

1. The members of The Hall of Peers shall be only those citizens of The West Pacific that are deemed by The Delegate to hold an active title of peerage.

2. The granting and withdrawing of peerage is the sole prerogative of the Delegate.

3. The Delegate is always considered the peer of first precedence, but does not vote in or lead this Hall.

 4. The Chancellor of The Hall of Peers is appointed by The Delegate, serves at the Delegate’s pleasure and leads the actions of this Hall. The Chancellor also votes with the other peers.

5. Decisions of The Hall of Peers are determined by a simple majority vote of all peers. Those peers who have not voted by the close of the voting period are considered to have abstained. Abstentions do not affect the outcome of the vote.

6. Time periods for all business of this Hall, such as hearings, trials and voting, are determined on a case-by-case basis by the Chancellor.

 7. The Hall of Peers shall serve two roles. It will be the standing jury of The West Pacific, as outlined in the Judicial section of The Manners, and will act as an advisory body to The Delegate on Gameplay matters.

Ministries

1. The Delegate will distribute governmental business as needed and it will be handled through various ministries. The Delegate will create or take away new ministries as needed. A brief description will be added or struck from The Manners correspondingly.

2. The Delegate will appoint the leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Military Affairs. These Delegate-appointed ministries will have a deputy minister that will be elected by the Hall of Nations.

3. All other ministries will be elected by the Hall of Nations. They will serve a three-month term. They may resign or be terminated by the Delegate before the end of their term. Ministers may serve unlimited terms. The Delegate may replace a Minister at any time for any reason.

4. Any minister may appoint assistants as needed to fulfill the duties of the position.

5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be appointed by the Delegate. They will have an elected deputy minister that will assist in day-to-day operations of the Ambassadorial corp and report back to the Hall any news necessary. The Foreign Affairs Minister will manage the Ambassadorial corp and prepare monthly Foreign Affairs updates that will go out to embassies.

6. Military Affairs Minister will be appointed by the Delegate and will serve as the Commander of The West Pacific Armed Forces (TWPAF). They will engage in maintaining a force of soldiers along with recruiting and training new soldiers. The Commander is tasked with day-to-day field operations, and shall work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Delegate to meet the needs of the region. The Commander will appoint soldiers into ranks appropriate for experience, service, and availability. A Sergeant-At-Arms will be an elected Deputy Minister by the Hall and will aid the Commander and inform the Hall of goings on in the military. Furthermore, the Sergeant-At-Arms will also work internally in The West Pacific to check for endorsement cap violators.

7. The Ministry of Recruitment and Citizenry will reach out to residents of The West Pacific to encourage them to become citizens, participate in the military, newspaper, ambassadorial corps, and other governmental activities. The office will keep statistics of citizenship and recruitment activities.

8. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will work to promote cultural and other West Pacifican activities to citizens and residents, and encourage participation in such activities. When an activity will be open to members of other regions, the Internal Affairs Minister will work with the Foreign Affairs Minister to promote those activities to other regions. They will moderate the Role Play section of the off-site forum, appoint an editor for “The West Pacifican” newspaper, and gauge the interest of the citizenry of various events and run new events based on citizen interest.

9. The Ministry of World Assembly Affairs will maintain a presence in the on-site World Assembly forum and off-site TWP forum presenting relevant information to the citizens of The West Pacific. The WA Affairs Minister will be required to present their opinions on all GA and SC resolutions and poll residents to get suggestions as to how the Delegate should vote on resolutions. This should be completed in the off-site forum before the proposal reaches the floor for voting in the WA.

10. The Ministry of Education will collect, create, and maintain educational materials to help West Pacificans learn about their region and the NSverse. The Ministry will establish, develop, and oversee a body to record and pass down to future generations a factual history of the region while facilitating educational discourse and learning. The Education Minister will work in collaboration with the Foreign Affairs Minister to promote the sharing of knowledge and educational ties with allies of The West Pacific.

Judicial

1.  The Hall of Peers shall function as the standing jury of The West Pacific.

2. The Delegate or their appointee is the sole gameside judge of The West Pacific. In this role, they may accept or set aside the verdict of The Hall of Peers. Only the Delegate may deliver a sentence.

3. The Hall of Peers may develop their own procedural rules, as long as they do not conflict with The Manners and are assented to by The Delegate.

 4. The Delegate and the Guardians may ban, eject and banject nations from The West Pacific for breaking on-site rules, for uncivilized behaviour in the region, for attempting to forcibly change or undermine the Delegacy, or for any other violation to The West Pacific way of life. The Code of Conduct of The West Pacific shall serve as a useful guide to the accepted behavior of members of The West Pacific; however, the Delegate and the Guardians discretion are not limited by this document.

5. If a citizen is banned, ejected or banjected they may appeal to The Hall of Peers through a written request to The Delegate. If The Delegate so chooses, they may then direct The Chancellor to convene The Hall of Peers to hear the appeal. Non-citizens have no right to appeal.

6. All criminal and civil disputes of The West Pacific, whether they occur in any of its on-site or in its off-site locations, will be heard by this body. Only The Delegate may refer cases to this body.

7. A Criminal and Civil Code and other legislation may be established by the Hall of Nations and approved by the Delegate to provide for laws for all properties owned, operated and recognized by the Delegate of The West Pacific.

Etiquette of the Hall of Nations

Section 1: Decorum

1. The Speaker brings proposals to the floor, facilitates discussion and conducts voting.

2. If the Speaker is unavailable, the Delegate or his designee will act as Speaker until they become available.

3. All discussion shall be conducted in a considerate, collegial manner.

4. If the Speaker feels that a citizen is not behaving in a manner consistent with the decorum that is expected, that citizen will be warned. If they continue to transgress, the Speaker may remove their offending posts and remove the offending citizen from that discussion.

Section 2: Legislative Procedure

1. Any citizen may bring a proposal to discussion before the Hall of Nations, by posting it in the appropriate forum.

2. A discussion period of five days, beginning at the time a proposal is posted, will be required before any proposal may be motioned to vote by a citizen. Another citizen must second the motion before the proposal can be brought to vote by the Speaker.

3. A proposal may be withdrawn by the citizen who submitted it, any time before the voting period begins. A proposal that has been inactive on the floor for fourteen days without discussion, and has not been motioned to vote and seconded, will be withdrawn from the floor by the Speaker.

4. All votes shall take place for three days. Voting citizens may vote "aye," "nay," "abstain," or votes of clearly similar intent.

5. Abstentions may not be used to determine the outcome of any vote.

6. In elections, nominations do not require seconding, but must be accepted or declined by the nominee.

7. The Speaker may only cast a vote to break a tie.

Section 3: Amending The Etiquette

The Etiquette may be amended by a 2/3 vote, rounded up.

Read dispatch

That concludes my first official dispatch as Minister of Education. I hope you found it helpful! I will be creating more content as i have the time. So stay tuned. Cya!
-Rizorien

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