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«12. . .37,96937,97037,97137,97237,97337,97437,975. . .44,43044,431»

Say hello to The Pacific's newest residents: RC Cola 96, Cherumbria, Terra amissae animarum, RC Cola 91, Urvalida, RC Cola 90, RC Cola 87, Foucault yourself, RC Cola 80, Sdvafsgasfg, RC Cola 78, Katestate, Gamerinian, RC Cola 68, Nova valley, Socialist states for a communist utopia, RC Cola 58, RC Cola 53, Sdamoklurty

This is an automated message.

Hello, how do i create my own region?

Referenda are held for every conceivable government action, tourists outnumber citizens two to one, wilderness-dwelling hermits are surprised to find railway stations on their front doorsteps, and new pilots are regularly reminded that they are more expendable than their planes.

Say hello to The Pacific's newest residents: Sao paulo do sudeste, Whee23, Wheeland, Spyto, Goldenbadger, The mighty country, More barbarians somehow, Grad utah, Among us tycoon, Dudastaver, Thered dockey islands, Shamala, Facist occupied united states of america, Mcorange

This is an automated message.

Children must be board certified to append "Jr" to their name, the nation's children are known for being even more apathetic and cynical than their parents, dinner parties often end in politically charged fist fights, and young people suspect their parents might be a little bit stupid.

Say hello to The Pacific's newest residents: Tloa, Puppet state of the real roblox empire, Verknavia, Ste elueepes, Continental shuck and yoop, Western plooff cium

This is an automated message.

hello everyone!

Sky point

Post by Anarvolk suppressed by End666.

lets debate the holocaust

Let's not.

Casvikistan

Tloa wrote:hello everyone!

Welcome to Nationstates! Here’s some helpful guides to assist you in getting started! Feel free to ask any questions.

-
New Pacific Order
-

Welcome to The Pacific (TP) and the New Pacific Order (NPO)! Whether you are a newly founded nation or an experienced NationStates player looking to make the Pacifican community your home, there is something here for everyone. This introduction to life in the New Pacific Order will help you learn about our community, rules, and governance so you can discover everything we have to offer. NationStates is first and foremost a social game so to get the best experience it is of the utmost importance that you participate more than just logging in from time to time for answering issues.

If you have any questions about or suggestions for this guide, feel free to message East Durthang or any other leadership official.

Getting Started

Now on to business! There are four important first steps you should take when starting out. Click on each item to view more information and a detailed tutorial.

  1. Join the World Assembly and endorse East Durthang - Joining the World Assembly (WA) and endorsing East Durthang is the easiest way you can help the region out by strengthening regional security. WA membership also allows your nation to vote on international legislation.

  2. Join our Discord server - Here members chat about NationStates, share their artistic and culinary creations, play other games together, and much more. The majority of Pacifican activity can be found on our Discord server making it something you do not want to miss out on.

  3. Join our regional forum - The forum is home to most government activities and announcements and a broader range of roleplaying activities than can be found in the regional message board (RMB) roleplay. Here you can roleplay more than just nations and even organize brand new RPs if there is not one to your liking.

  4. Apply for citizenship - Becoming a citizen is key to participating in regional affairs. Citizenship grants you to access private forums and Discord channels and allows you to join positions to become involved in the regional government.

Becoming Involved

After settling in there is more you can do to become involved in the region and its community to get more enjoyment out of your time in NationStates.

  • Job Fair - We offer a wide variety of government departments available for citizens to join. Become a diplomat and represent the region. Write articles about NationStates and real life for our media publications. Enlist in the regional military to help protect our home and advance our interests abroad. Organize social events for fellow region members to participate in. Not only can you help improve the region by doing so, you can also make new friends along the way!

  • Roleplay - We offer a multitude of roleplaying opportunities between our active regional message board roleplaying and free form offsite forum based roleplaying, similar to the style of most Internet RP forums.

  • Trading Cards - Through our Trading Card Program, we hold regular NationStates trading card raffles, giveaways, and pull events. We also provide advice for getting into the trading card minigame as well as assistance with acquiring cards.

  • Events - We hold regular community events and activities including writing competitions, art competitions, trivia nights, gaming sessions, voice chats, and more.

Information and Policies

The following are a series of important information and policies pertaining to our operations and organizational structure.

  • Leadership Officials - You may contact any of these people should you have any questions or concerns.

  • Charter - The Charter of the New Pacific Order defines our government system.

  • Endorsement Cap - Explanation of our endorsement cap policy.

  • Civil Code - The Civil Code details a series of infractions considered inappropriate etiquette for regional message board posting, nation descriptions, and other such matters. Make sure to follow these rules!

  • Foreign RMB Posting Standards - Conduct guidelines for posting on other regions' Regional Message Boards.

  • Frequently Asked Questions - Contains a series of common questions and their corresponding answers.


Read dispatch


Intro :
This is the official Roleplay Guidebook for the Pacific's Regional Message Board (RMB). It forms the base on which nation capabilities are set, ie the mechanisms of the RP, and also contains concepts unique to this RMB Roleplay. Information about the Roleplay and its IC universe can be found in the Roleplay Portal.

Why the need for a Guidebook:
As more & more members joined the roleplay, some of which didn't have prior experience, the necessity to have atleast a basic common set of rules or guidelines was realised.
While the RP goes on fine, conflicts arise; either due to misinterpretation or by dissatisfaction. The rules are designed to prevent this.

Uniformity for all players is also necessary, and since NS already gives stats for our nations, they have been adapted for roleplay with appropriate modifications. This is one of the main purposes of the guidebook.


The Guidelines :

  1. Nation Statistics
    All nation stats shall be taken from NationStates (NS) only, and the standings of all nations shall be based on these stats.
    The following stats are considered critical :

    • Population - Taken as 0.1 times NS population for all, except new & ancient nations. So a nation with 1 billion NS wise would be converted to 100 million.

      • Till 50 million : Considered as a constant 5 million.

      • 51 million to 15 billion : Considered as 0.1Χ(population).

      • Above 15 billion : Considered a constant 1.5 billion. (That is the maximum population achievable by 0.1Χpop.)

      A player may opt for a population lesser than what the formula gives them, and/or reduce the growth rate, if one so wishes.

    • Economy - As it is. The value of money is relative, so the economies are not unrealistic. The various levels of economy are already categorised by NS (from Imploded to Frightening).

      Converting currency is a simple. Divide your economic output by another's. The result will give its currency in yours. Example :
      Nation1: Economic Output- 500 trillion C1s
      Nation2: Economic Output- 1000 trillion C2s
      Conversion (by nation1): 500χ1000=0.5
      So 0.5 C2s = 1 C1, or 1 C2 = 2 C1s.
    • Defense Forces - Equivalent to a nations military strength. War Bearing is for a general idea with Enforcer as a standard.

      1. -∞ to 1,000 : Protectorate
        Military doesn't figure in the nation's economy. It is dependent on others for even the most basic protection (like Coast Guard). Moderately stable.
        War Bearing : Nothing. Depends on Protector Nation.

      2. 1,001 to 3,000 : Struggler
        Barely able to defend oneself, such nations are highly unstable. Difficult to contain rebellions or militant groups.
        War Bearing : Very Low. Easy to overpower.

      3. 3,001 to 6,500 : Contender
        A rising nation. Usually engaged in arms races, their military is in the nascent stages. Have to choose between exerting influence or self defence. Uncertain Stability.
        War Bearing : Low. Vulnerable to Surprise Attacks.

      4. 6,501 to 8,000 : Enforcer
        Developed military. Good defence capabilities. Capable of using military to further its goals internationally. Stable.
        War Bearing : Moderate. Can withstand attacks, but takes time to recover. Vulnerable to consecutive wars.

      5. 8,001 to 12,000 : Protector
        Powerful Military with much to spare after self defence. Engage in alliances and have protectorates to increase their clout. Very Stable.
        War Bearing : Good. Can defend & attack simultaneously. Multiple or frequent wars can defeat it.

      6. 12,001 to 18,000 : Warlord
        Very Powerful Military. Fearless nation. Can sustain independently. Stable. Frequent wars may cause rebellions.
        War Bearing : High. Can engage multiple nations simultaneously. Prolonged multi-front wars can weaken it.

      7. 18,001 to 25,000 : Dominator
        Extremely Powerful Military. Arms based economy. Frequently uses military internationally. Extremely Stable.
        War Bearing : Very High. Multiple wars required to affect it considerably.

      8. 25,001 to ∞ : Juggernaut
        Unstoppable. Militaristic society. Has presence throughout the world. Frequently uses brute force. Legendary Stability.
        War Bearing : Extremely High. Multiple wars barely affect it.

    • Scientific Advancement - As it is. Certain technologies require appropriate levels of Scientific Advancement.
      The laws of Physics are immutable. Any technology that transcends them is forbidden. So no FTL, Time Manipulation, Infinite Energy/Matter, Alternate Universes, and the like. Contact Samasbhi if you're uncertain of where your technology lies.

      • -∞ to 0 : Primitive (Till Industrial age)

      • 1 to 50 : Basic Tech

      • 51 to 100 : Moderate Tech

      • 101 to 150 : T1 Modern Tech (Cold War)

      • 151 to 200 : T2 Modern Tech (Millennial)

      • 201 to 250 : T1 Near Future Tech (Prototyping and small scale testing)

      • 251 to 300 : T2 Near Future Tech (Commercial mass scale implementation)

      • 301 to 350 : T1 Intermediate Future Tech (Prototyping and small scale testing)

      • 351 to 400 : T2 Intermediate Future Tech (Scientific and military implementation)

      • 401 to 450 : T3 Intermediate Future Tech (Commercial mass scale implementation)

      • 451 to 500 : T1 Far Future Tech (Prototyping and small scale testing; Planetary)

      • 501 to 600 : T2 Far Future Tech (Scientific and military implementation; Planetary)

      • 601 to 650 : T3 Far Future Tech (Commercial mass scale implementation; Planetary)

      • 651 to 700 : T1 Technocracy (Prototyping of global scale tech; Spacefaring)

      • 701 to 750 : T2 Technocracy (FFT Scientific and military implementation; Spacefaring)

      • 751 to 800 : T3 Technocracy (Nationwide deep FFT integration & global operational capability)

      • 800 to ∞ : Stagnant Singularity. (Highest tech penetration and scale. No further advancement possible.)

      Legend :

      • Primitive — Everything until the Industrial age, 2650 UC (350 BCE) onwards.
      • Basic Tech — Comparable to RL WW1.
      • Moderate Tech — Comparable to RL WW2.
      • Modern Tech — Equivalent to RL Cold War for T1 and Millennial Tech (you're witnessing this era IRL) for T2.
      • Near Future Tech — Viable tech that is being researched now; the technology being prototyped or better. Expected to be operational in 40 years or less.
      • Intermediate Future Tech — Plausible Hypothetical Concepts. Prerequisite technology exists. Estimated to be invented in 100 years or less.
      • Far Future Tech — Implausible yet believable Hypothetical Concepts. Not sure of viability, since based on NFT & IFT inventions, but has proposed approaches.
      • Technocracy — FFT, but on the spacefaring and global scales. Technology permeates most aspects of life.
      • Singularity — You are the Technology. Having reached the pinnacle, the focus has shifted to other aspects such as global welfare, world philosophy, or stability.

    • Influence - Shall only be considered for nations newly introduced to RP. The rest have eventually gained (original) influence in the RP.

    • Human Development Index - As it is. Determines the development of a nation.

      According to the NS Human Development Index -
      1. 0-25 : Dystopian (Barbaric)

      2. 26-50 : Underdeveloped

      3. 51-65 : Lower Developing

      4. 66-80 : Upper Developing

      5. 81-95 : Developed

      6. 96-100 : Utopian (Alpha Nation)

    Other important characteristics :

    1. Government Type -
      One can adopt any government type that they want, irrespective of whether it is available in NS as a classification.
      But the NS classification should be relevant. For instance an Inoffensive Centrist Democracy can't call itself a Heirarchial Monarchy. One can have any pretitle one wants, unless it explicitly contradicts your government form.
      Anyone choosing a unique &/or self designed government system must describe it accurately in a factbook. This should also (at least) loosely be relevant to the NS classification.
      In short, one should attempt issues such that you form the government as per what you have chosen to adopt.

    2. Geography, Climate, & Location -
      All of these should be mentioned in factbooks, only if one desires to RP with these factors. Location is relatively important, with respect to other roleplaying nations.

    3. Puppets & Lore Nations -
      Any or all of the above should be mentioned in relevant factbook dispatches if one wishes to RP with them, with adequate descriptions regarding relations, history, government type, & such.
      Lore nations are entities which were previously sovereign, but are now part of a player controlled nation. Usually made for lore, they exist as vassals, principalities, or non-sovereign states/provinces.

      Everyone is requested to not create more than 2 puppets for roleplaying (1 for MegaVerse), even if casual, as it crowds the roleplay and may create confusion if not depicted properly. Note that this applies only to roleplaying. Non RPing puppets are inconsequential. (See Mandate M04.)

    4. Non-Player-Controlled Nations -
      These constitute nations present in the Mega Verse (RP universe) but not controlled by any single player and existing as independent entities. Any player can use it to generate events, but no one can destroy it or do major damage without a realism approval from the Overseer. Minor incidents, or speculative plotlines are permitted, which assume NPC intentions and even enact them. Any use of NPC nations is public & open to all. They are not to be used in Solo Plots, to prevent confusion.
      Currently, the Mega Verse has East Lebatuck as an NPC nation.

  2. Policies

    • Policies is the latest feature introduced in NS gameplay, which helps us track landmark decisions that have major repercussions on the nation. The policies are also dependent on issue choices, like NS stats, but are different from the stats themselves. They are just characteristics of one's nation, so there is no "superior or inferior policy". Policies just present a players opinions and nation preferences.

    • Yet, one usually finds a few policies that are later undesirable or of the "when did I install this!" type. Some of these greatly affect how the nation is run. And hence, for the RP, one is allowed to ignore one policy in order to avoid complications, grumbling, and a skewed nation.

    • The number of policies available is limited. So a few factors may not have appropriate policies. For instance, one may have a custom designed government type, but policies mainly cater to various democracies, monarchies, and dictatorships. So such policies may also be modified with proper explanations (factbooks) and then used for the roleplay.

  3. Actual Interaction
    This entails the actual roleplay, consisting of news posts, transnational communication, & such. The following protocol should be followed to greatly increase the authenticity of the roleplay :

    • Consent - If one nation wants to post the results of an incident/exercise/decision/war, or anything which involves other nations, then that nation will have to take their consent before posting details regarding them. For instance, if a nation at war with another wants to destroy an enemy carrier, then it will have to take the other nation's consent (telegram) before posting.

      This doesn't apply to situations when one nation is significantly powerful or better disposed than another and has previously warned about the consequences.

    • Timeline - This concept comes in useful when multiple nations are involved in crucial parts of a plot. The owner of the host nation in which the plot is ongoing, or the plot creator are ideally the timeline controllers. All others should take their Consent before altering times, but consent of other participants may also be required.
      So one can't just say, "15 days later" and do a post when others still want to continue in the current time era.
      This consent type can be bypassed by making arrangements with the host nation / plot participants, but this is the default protocol.

    • Realism - Care should be taken to ensure that realism is always maintained in all scenarios. For instance, an "extremely brave" coast guard ship can't defeat a destroyer singlehandedly.
      Official exchanges and responses of nations should be appropriately worded. Don't say "Why did you ban oil from my country ?" or "You can defeat me only in your dreams" while in character.
      All RMB roleplay should compulsorily use NS stats as mentioned above, for uniformity's sake.

    • Representation - Nations in an active roleplay should post content either officially from the government,via news media or stories. Else, one can always be in RPing mode and not require the above but instead use OOC (Out Of Character) when posting out of the roleplay. The same applies to the reverse, with IC (In Character) to be used. Content pertaining to M04 should compulsorily use the IC marker.
      One can also authorize another nation to post news about its internal events, with the rules of Consent being applied.
      Any content without proper representation is a mark of improper roleplay & stands to being voided, as it is a cause for confusion.

    • InterPlayer Control Relations - While players can set up mutual IC relations involving one as protectorate/vassal/similar and the other Overlord, such arrangements have some prerequisites to be considered for the MegaVerse:

      1. The same activity levels are required from all players for admission into the MegaVerse, irrespective of their IC predicaments (vassal, protectorate, federation, city-state, or otherwise).

      2. Vassal players may opt to limit RP to internal affairs, but should take cognizance of international events and respond to other nations as required (especially when MegaVerse nations approach them). Else the plots are considered Isolated Plots.

      3. It is the suzerain's responsibility to take a stand on every international event, so that their vassals can act accordingly.

      4. In the event that the suzerain player is unable to fulfill Point 3, they will be banned from having vassals for 2 months, and only reinstated if their activity is acceptable after that. The former vassal will turn sovereign and assume full responsibility of plot activities. They may take up a different Overlord after one month.

      5. In the event that the vassal player is unable to fulfill Point 2, they shall be put in the Tentative RPer list, and given a second chance with 1 month deadline. The suzerain or any other players may assist here. Failure will result in removal from the MegaVerse.

    • Telegrams & RMB Posts - Roleplay is primarily expected to be carried out in the RMB. So telegrams are to be used for consent, queries, OOC discussions, and the like. It may be used for RPing too, but any such plots & their events will not be considered MegaVerse (canon).
      Liking RMB posts has nothing to do with the RP. Liking does not stand as an IC response and intends to instead promote friendliness among the RPers. Yet, liking posts can stand for approval when consent comes into picture. If a nation that you included in your RP likes the post, you can consider its OOC approval.

  4. Types of Roleplays
    There are mainly two types of Roleplay: Active and Passive. Most players use either one of these two. While there may be a few 'hybrid' ones, the assigned guidelines of atleast one shall definitely fit such players.

    1. Active Roleplay : This type of roleplay is what most newbies think roleplaying is about. It involves the participating parties communicating both IC (In Character) and OOC (Out Of Character) with no communicating guidelines, simultaneously. The story is not discussed previously, and is rather made up on the spot by each player, for their own characters (or nations).
      It requires all the players to be online simultaneously, and respond to others posts, to carry forward the RP. Realism is usually ignored as the only motive of most such RPers is having casual fun, usually resulting in hundreds of posts in a day.
      Such RPers are not mandated to use all the aforementioned rules like consent and realism if you use Active RP casually, but are advised to use the Statistics for preventing godmodding and harassment.

    2. Passive Roleplay : The more advanced, refined type of roleplay. This type of roleplay has the participants posting events and conditions of their nations/characters. The story is taken forward by other nations who post their reactions and the events' repercussions. This type of RP proceeds in a planned way, and the plot is frequently discussed before posting to refine the story. The language used in Passive RP is also considerably more professional that Active RP. While this RP is too done for fun (obviously), those opting for Passive RP gain satisfaction from accurateness, realism, and detail imbued in the roleplay. Such RPers are mandated to use the Statistics as well as other rules of realism, interaction, consent, & others. In fact, this roleplay automatically integrates the rules, without which it won't work smoothly & fairly.

  5. Types of Plots
    Plots categorisations arise due to varying RP genres, and storyline limitations which cause either participation restrictions or Guidebook deviations.

    1. MegaVerse Plots
      Plots which are open to all MegaVerse roleplayers are the MegaVerse Plots. These plots follow RP rules (this Guidebook) in detail, and so do all the participants. The plots take place in the MegaVerse, the universe where all roleplaying nations exist simultaneously; and the events occurring in one nation are recorded as a part of its history. Players can make RP posts referring to any & all other players in the Mega-Verse, without taking participating consent; essentially inviting them to act on their posts. Regardless, all other rules of consent remain unaltered. All plots by members of the MegaVerse are by default canon and open to the rest of the MegaVerse. Plots that would require all other nations to act, referred to as Global Events (like an apocalypse scenario) require Overseer approval.

    2. Isolated Plots
      Plots whose storyline is limited & dependent on the events of one nation (player), with others being reactionary participants are Isolated plots. Up to five nations are permitted to have an Isolated plot. RP Guidelines are followed, but stats may be only loosely adhered to. Events occurring in such plots shall be considered in nation history only if the plot follows RP Guidelines. Plot initiation (creation) permission isn't required, but it is recommended that you inform the Overseer beforehand.

    3. Solo Plots
      Plots which have only one participant, with or without one's puppets, are Solo Plots. Other players are forbidden from reacting to these plots. Following RP Guidelines is optional for nation stats and advancement. Events occurring in such plots shall only be recorded in nation history if the plot follows RP guidelines. Plot initiation permission is not required.

  6. The Mandates
    Every system needs a set of rules that are to be followed by all. Even for a roleplay, this is the surest way of preventing system abuse, hence reducing conflicts and wasting time in endless debates. The Mandates are just such a set of rules that all RPers need to follow. They are so designed that there would be almost no ramifications on the RP itself, so nothing would change. Rather, they would only augment the approach towards the RP, and set up a code of conduct.
    The Mandates have been designed keeping in mind the Civil Code (M01), so no worries about code violations.

    1. M01 - Civil Code
      Under no circumstances (IC and OOC) must any roleplayer violate the Civil Code. Code violators shall be penalised as per protocol. Penalties include banishment from all of RP and/or even the region itself.

    2. M02 - PacificaRegion in Roleplay
      Concepts of secession from the Pacific, or of rebelling against the government are not permitted in any roleplay. Roleplayers are advised to only make nominal use of the region in RPs.

    3. M03 - Unsuitable Content : Material
      Some content is not conducive to a healthy RP suitable for everyone, and usually dampens moods. Such content involves description of : Graphic violence (detailed body damage & the like), 'Gross things' (bodily discharges & the like), Heinous crimes, Barbarism (cannibalism, human sacrifice & the like), Tortures, Effects of lethal weapons, Erotica, and related things.
      Roleplayers are asked to not indulge in describing any of the above. While mentions are occasionally permitted as per situations, excessive use &/or descriptions of such content is not allowed and would incur penalties.

    4. M04 - Unsuitable Content : Conceptual
      While a player nation has complete freedom to RP as any culture & ideology, care needs to be taken to ensure that the content is depicted as strictly IC. RP of radical notions requires being especially careful to avoid OOC offense. Players are advised to do so with fictional elements rather than RL ones, wherever applicable.
      Examples of what does not work:

      • Believers of [ideology] are animals.

      • IC: All of [ethnicity] should be killed!

      • My master race nation shall eradicate all others!

      This is a big NO. Such posts shall be interpreted as personal views and the player will be penalised for violating M01. Simply appending an IC tag doesn't make a post roleplay either. A plot is essential.
      We RP as nations, and our posts should always reflect that. Examples of what can work instead:

      • IC: The Empire of [nation] condemns [ideology/culture] in the strongest of terms and wishes to have no association with anyone harbouring elements who support it.
      – Ministry of External Affairs

      • IC: Commander [name] has always despised [race/community]. He sees them as a violent people only concerned with self interests. Rumours speak of him plotting to cleanst the nation of them when the old king dies.

      These express either the official stance of a nation, or the views of a character. The indication of a plot/motive is also crucial for distinguishing IC from OOC. To ensure this, M04 establishes that:

      1. Excessive RP (and description) about discrimination/hate/harrassment of an RL culture/ideology/people constitutes an OOC malice and is ground for penalties as per M01.

      2. All RP posts of the nature described in this mandate shall always follow the Representation section.

    5. M05 - Puppets
      Regulating puppets is essential to prevent godmodding by entire puppet coalitions formed by a single player, thus imbalancing the RP and dispiriting others.
      All role players are permitted to only have one puppet for Mega-Verse RP purposes, with proper references to the said nation being a puppet. This also applies to fictional puppet-nations which aren't actual NS nations, as they are equally important from an RP point of view.
      Nevertheless, considering the amount of efforts that go into constructing ones main nation itself, it is adviced to not create a puppet unless one is confident of maintaining consistency in quality.
      All puppets shall have a cap on their stats. That is, their stats can't rise beyond a certain limit, to prevent imbalance.

      • Human Developing Index : 65

      • Scientific Advancement : 150

      • Defence Forces : 3000

      • Economy : Half of the main nation's economy.

      • Industries : None greater than the equivalent of the main nation's primary industry. And only one industry worth economic consideration.

The guidebook is dynamic, and actively updated with modifications and additions as the need arises. If you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me.
Support the Guidebook by upvoting this dispatch!Green arrow above the number at the top right.

Read dispatch


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— WELCOME — | — BASICS — | — GAMEPLAY — | — GLOSSARY —
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— WELCOME — — BASICS — GAMEPLAY — GLOSSARY —
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||| WELCOME ||| | ||| WHAT IS NATIONSTATES? |||
·

If you found this guide helpful, please upvote the dispatch to help others find it
Welcome to NationStates!

This guide will help if you are a new player to this game or an experienced player looking to expand your knowledge of NationStates.

This guide aims to help you:

  • Prepare you for the limitless possibilities;

  • Find out the varying aspects of this game; and

  • Manage your nation.

This guide is reasonably long, and as such, it is recommended that you refer to the table of contents to aid you in locating the specific information you may desire.

Before this guide begins, I would like to personally express thanks and credit to Testlandia, Euroslavia, and Goddess Relief Office who have kindly provided commendable information and tips to this guide.[1]


What is NationStates?

NationStates is a multiplayer online text-based game which simulates a government setting. It was created by author LinkMax Barry and was released on the 13th of November, 2002 as a means of promoting a novel Jennifer Government. The game has currently 223,380 active nations in 23,734 different regions.[2]

Players (under the guise of their nation) operate their own country by making decisions that have an impact on the economy, society, and culture of their people. The object of the game is to lead a country in the way the player finds the best. At the start of the game, the player chooses a few basic characteristics including the name of the country, flag, motto, currency, national animal, and style of government. Answers to a short questionnaire determine the initial ratings of the country's civil, economic, and political rights. The nation's population starts at five million and increases every day automatically with play.


||| WELCOME ||| ||| BASICS ||| ||| GAMEPLAY ||| GLOSSARY |||
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||| ISSUES ||| | ||| TELEGRAMS ||| | ||| POPULATION ||| | ||| DOSSIER ||| | ||| SETTINGS ||| | ||| PEOPLE, GOVENMENT, & THE ECONOMY ||| | ||| ANALYSIS |||
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Issues

Issues are political decisions that players make, which shape their nations as a result. The choices a player makes on issues directly affect the nation's civil rights, economic, and political freedom levels, as well as the national tax rate.
As time progresses, issues will determine the type of government a nation has, with the game categorizing the type from 'Democratic Socialists' to 'Psychotic Dictatorship'.

A player can decide how often he or she wishes to receive issues by accessing the settings page and choosing from a list of options under the sub-heading New Issues. The options available for selection are:

  • None;

  • One per weekday;

  • One per day;

  • Two per weekday;

  • Two per day; or

  • Vacation Mode (prevent a nation from receiving new issues and extending period after which a nation will be deleted for inactivity, from 28 days to 60 days).

Depending on the options a player selects, they will achieve varying ratings relating to their nation's Economy, Political Freedoms, and Civil Rights (visible on a nation's homepage).

A nation's government type is determined by an algorithm which calculates a nation's civil liberties, economic, and political freedoms and based on this result, allocates the nation a government type appropriate to that nation. There are 27 government types, ranging from Scandinavian Liberal Paradise to Iron Fist Socialists to Psychotic Dictatorship.

To view how many nations there are of each government category, please see the data compiled by Farengeto and provided in the below spoiler (data accurate as of the 8th of June 2020).

[align=left][font=Avenir, Segoe UI][size=110][/size][/font][/align]

Government Category

Nation Count

Percentage

Inoffensive Centrist Democracy

52643

23.58%

Democratic Socialists

16958

7.60%

Iron Fist Consumerists

16719

7.49%

Anarchy

15750

7.06%

New York Times Democracy

15130

6.78%

Psychotic Dictatorship

13611

6.10%

Father Knows Best State

11356

5.09%

Civil Rights Lovefest

10677

4.78%

Moralistic Democracy

9530

4.27%

Left-wing Utopia

7038

3.15%

Liberal Democratic Socialists

6700

3.00%

Corrupt Dictatorship

6489

2.91%

Capitalist Paradise

5626

2.52%

Corporate Bordello

5236

2.35%

Left-Leaning College State

4705

2.11%

Corporate Police State

4241

1.90%

Scandinavian Liberal Paradise

4198

1.88%

Authoritarian Democracy

3556

1.59%

Compulsory Consumerist State

3056

1.37%

Right-wing Utopia

1933

0.87%

Capitalizt

1598

0.72%

Iron Fist Socialists

1494

0.67%

Conservative Democracy

1005

0.45%

Free-Market Paradise

935

0.42%

Libertarian Police State

901

0.40%

Tyranny by Majority

820

0.37%

Benevolent Dictatorship

772

0.35%

Mother Knows Best State

546

0.24%

[The following information has been kindly provided by Goddess Relief Office and reproduced here with his express permission. You are invited to read this guide to different issue types for more comprehensive information on this subject.]

NationStates has five different categories in which issues are organized into; general, population-based, issue options, statistics, and special issues.

  • General issues:

    General issues form the majority of issues that a nation will receive. Issues of this type are randomly generated with there being no precondition to receiving them.

    Examples of general issues include:

  • Population-based issues

    Population-based issues are those which can only be unlocked by a nation's population. If a player chooses to dismiss issues of this type when he/she received them or chooses an option that he/she may later regret, the player will still be able to receive population-based issues. However, the player will receive the specific issue later and not immediately after dismissing it. Through such issues, a player will be granted the ability to edit the player's capital city, leader, and national religion.

    Examples of population-based issues include:

  • Issue-option

    Issue-option is only unlock-able when a nation chooses a specific option to one issue. The result of the issue and the effect of the decision on the nation will be a catalyst for an Issue-option issue.

    Examples of issue-based issues include:

  • Statistic-based issues

    Statistic-based issues can be unlocked when a nation has reached a pre-determined statistic relevant to the issue. Depending on how a player chooses to lead his/her nation, different statistics will apply to the nation. For example, a nation which is led in a dictatorial fashion will most likely receive an issue which relates to tyrannical nations, for example, the issue Too Low on Laws, Says Citizens. However, a nation that has high political freedoms would not receive such issues.

    Examples of statistic-based issues include:

  • Special issues

    Special issues do not occur often and are a rarity. For example, World Assembly Woes are only unlock able by member-states of the World Assembly.

    Similar to special issues, there are easter egg issues which reward nations with a unique badge to be displayed on nations' main page. There are several easter egg issues available. However, the methods of attaining them vary. For a more detailed discussion on easter egg issues, please refer to this discussion.


Telegrams

Telegrams are private messages that can be sent between players. When a nation is founded, it will receive approximately two dozen telegrams from regions seeking to recruit new nations.

A player can choose to filter telegrams he/she receives by accessing Telegram Preferences. There are four categories a player can select:

  • Recruitment: Recruitment telegrams are sent by nations attempting to convince players to join their regions.

  • WA Campaign: WA proposal authors may send WA-member nations telegrams of this sort to lobby for a player's vote.

  • Region (official): Founders and (if allowed) World Assembly Delegates may send regional telegrams without the need for stamps. Unless selected, these telegrams will be sent to every nation residing in the region.

  • External: External telegrams are sent using stamps and in-which the author had not pre-selected the telegram label of 'recruitment' or 'campaign'.

A player may choose to block particular nations from sending him/her telegrams. A player may add a nation to the Ignore List by writing the nation's name in the search box of Telegram Preferences. Alternatively, the player can click on a telegram's timestamp which will link to a page showcasing the individual telegram, with there being a 'Block Sender' link near its bottom-right.

NationStates is a free game however there are upgrades available to a player. One such upgrade is an Inbox upgrade which is part of packages: Supporter, Postmaster, and Postmaster-General.

    Supporter will:
    • remove ads (for faster page loads);

    • reward with a supporter trophy for your nation page;

    • last forever;

    • permanently reserve nation name; and

    • give a player a 'warm, fuzzy feeling of supporting NationStates.'

    Postmaster:

    • includes the aforementioned benefits of Supporter;

    • expand folders to hold a 100 telegrams each (up from 20 telegrams);

    • create 3 additional custom folders; and

    • create a 'deleted items' folder which will retain a maximum of 100 deleted telegrams.

    Postmaster-General:

    • includes the aforementioned benefits of both Supporter and Postmaster;

    • expand folders to hold an unlimited number of telegrams;

    • create an unlimited number of custom folders; and

    • includes 500 telegram stamps.

Telegram stamps allow players to send multiple telegrams at one single time. Normally, a player would only be able to send a telegram to a maximum of eight nations. Mass telegrams using telegram stamps can reach substantial numbers of nations quickly and easily and provide Delivery Reports which detail who has received a telegram and who has not.

A player can personalize the telegram sent by applying %NATION% to the text of the telegram. This will automatically translate to the nation's name when he/she receives it.

    Similarly a player can select a particular group to receive the telegram:
    • region: <Name> will send a telegram to every nation residing in the region listed.

    • tag: New<Number> will send telegrams to the aforementioned number of newly founded nations.

    • tag: Refounded<Number> will send telegrams to the aforementioned number of refounded nations.

    • tag: NewDelegates<Number> will send telegrams to the aforementioned number of new World Assembly Delegates nations.

    • tag: Delegates will send a telegram to the every Delegate.

    • tag: WA will send a telegram to the every nation who retains current membership to the World Assembly.

    • tab: All will send a telegram to every nation in NationStates.

    • tag: Welcome will send an automatic greeting to new arrivals in their region. However, telegrams of these sort can only be sent by a Founder or Delegate of a region.


Population

A newly-founded nation in NationStates begins with a population of 5 million. Every 24 hours, the population of a nation increases. The higher the population rises, the greater the population increases per day, up until the population reaches 62 million.

The population of a newly-created nation increases by 1 million per day.

The population of a nation is related to the descriptor of its size. As a nation's population increases, it progresses through a series of size descriptors, which are: fledgling, tiny, small, large, very large, huge, massive, colossal, and gargantuan. As a nation's population increases, it eventually gains several new custom nation traits, including the capital city (250 million), the nation name pretitle (500 million), the nation's leader (750 million), and the national religion (1 billion).

[align=left][font=Avenir, Segoe UI][size=110] [/size][/font][/align]

Population Mark

Change(s)

5 million

The starting population, with the population size descriptor 'fledgling', and a population growth rate of 1 million per day.

7 million

The population size descriptor changes to 'tiny'.

10 million

The population growth rate increases to 2 million per day.

20 million

The population size descriptor changes to 'small'. The population growth rate increases to 3 million per day.

32 million

The population growth rate increases to 4 million per day.

40 million

The population growth rate increases to 5 million per day.

50 million

The population size descriptor changes to 'large'. The population growth rate increases to 6 million per day.

62 million

The population growth rate becomes randomly variable, ranging from 5 million per day to 7 million per day. The population growth rate does not change after this.

100 million

The population size descriptor changes to 'very large'.

200 million

The population size descriptor changes to 'huge'.

250 million

The nation can receive the issue to create a custom-named national capitol.

500 million

The nation name pretitle changes from multiple-choice to a custom text field. The player may submit issues from now on, at the issues page.

750 million

The player will have the option of stating the leader of their nation as well as attributing the national motto to said-individual.

1 billion

The population size descriptor changes to 'massive'. The nation can receive the issue to create a custom-named national religion.

5 billion

The population size descriptor changes to 'colossal'.

10 billion

The population size descriptor changes to 'gargantuan'.


Dossier

A nation's dossier is a compilation of brief information on other nations & regions which a player can select. It allows the player to easily move between nations/regions the player considers of interest and can be a useful tool in maintaining track of puppet nations a player may have.

The brief information provided in the dossier is limited to the nation's name, the nation's WA category (for example, left-wing utopia), when the nation was last active, the region in which the nation resides, and the WA status of the nation (whether the nation is a member of the World Assembly).

Similarly, the dossier provides brief information on regions that players choose to feature in their dossier. The information is limited to the name of the region, the population of the region, and the name of the region's World Assembly Delegate.

Another feature is Advanced Dossier. This feature allows for greater control of the nations which feature in a player's dossier. As opposed to having to independently select nations, a player can upload a text file to NationStates featuring nations' names. Alternatively, a player can download a text file that contains the identity of the nations in the dossier.


Settings

The settings page allows a player to modify aspects of his/her nation. A player can set the currency, motto, demonyms, national animal, et cetera. The settings page also provides players with the opportunity to change their nation's password, flag, and select banners.

Banners are a rotating, targeted, customizable, unlock-able set of images on the nation's page. There are over 250 banners, which unlock upon achieving various feats, such as developing a strong economy or reaching high levels of political corruption. There are also custom slots for uploading a players' own images, once they have reached particular population levels. For a full list illustrating every banner achievable, you are invited to Linkview this collection.


People, Government, & the Economy

People: A pie-chart and accompanying percentages illustrating the leading causes of death throughout a player's nation, for example, old age.

Government: An illustration and accompanying percentages showing the distribution of your budget, for example, education, environment, healthcare, public transport, and administration. The illustration also details the amount of a player's currency and the percentage of the player's total gross domestic product (GDP) spent on government expenditure.

Economy: An illustration of the division of the public, private, and state-owned sectors. Here, a player can also read the total GDP of the nation and the GDP per person.


Analysis

Each day, there are two updates in NationStates. The major update occurs at approximately 00:00-01:00 Eastern Standard Time/Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EST/EDT). The minor update occurs at approximately 12:00-13:00 EST/EDT. Due to a large number of nations and regions, these updates may take an hour.

In the major update, NationStates generates a World Census Report on a particular subject and will rank all nations and regions from highest to lowest. Such topics include 'Most Extreme', 'Most Cultured' and 'Best Healthcare'. If a nation scores highly in these reports, the player may expect to be rewarded with either a silver or gold badge which will feature on the main page of the player (top 10% and 5%, respectfully).


||| WELCOME ||| BASICS ||| ||| GAMEPLAY ||| ||| GLOSSARY |||
·
·
·
||| REGION ||| | ||| WORLD ASSEMBLY ||| | ||| ROLEPLAY ||| | ||| BBCODE |||
·

Region

In NationStates, regions is to a nation how a real-life country/city is to a person. It is a community of nations which generally incorporates at least five basic social values that all regions, regardless of their ideological foundation, are expected to provide and uphold for the benefit of their citizens. These values are security, freedom; order; justice; and welfare. This is not to say that there are no regions in whom's founding ideals differ from those stated. There are thousands of regions in NationStates, each with its own personality and direction, for example, a Pokemon-themed region, a Communist region, or a democratic region.

Different regions have different focus points, some choose to be specifically themed with a general-purpose whilst others are just a casual gathering place for nations. The defining aspect of regions is their home-pages (which you can locate by clicking on a region's link). The regional home-page showcases a wide range of customizable features:

  • World Factbook Entry;

  • Regional flag;

  • Dispatches;

  • Regional tags;

  • Embassies;

  • World Census Report;

  • Regional polls; and the

  • Regional Message Board (RMB)

Nations can select the region they want to belong to by various means; accidental stumbling upon, specific searches, recruitment telegrams, looking at regional tags, etc.

For a comprehensive guide to "Building a region", you are invited to view this forum thread.


World Assembly

Given the international diplomacy theme which underpins NationStates, an important aspect of the game is an institution called the World Assembly (WA) formerly known as the United Nations. This is a fairly large component of the game and therefore this guide will detail it under sub-sections (highlighted in bold)

Membership to the World Assembly is entirely voluntary. A player may choose to join this organisation and in doing so, gain them in-game functions of being able to endorse other nations as well as receive endorsements. However, the player also submits their nation to the effects generated by various WA proposals. This may have an inadvertent effect on a nation's statistics, for example, their military situation (ability to construct nuclear weapons may be limited by a WA General Assembly resolution). A player can choose to join the World Assembly by clicking on the 'Apply to join' button in the World Assembly page.

Delegate are elected by a region to serve as their representative at the World Assembly. Unlike ordinary members, they can approve newly-suggested resolutions. Delegates may also have administrative control over their region, though this is entirely dependent on the settings decided with the region's creation.

Becoming a delegate can be an easy or difficult process, depending on the circumstances. To be elected, a nation needs endorsements (a minimum of two) from the majority of members in their respective regions. Whilst a region composed of said-nation and a friend(s) can guarantee the nation the delegacy, larger regions with a vast collection of players are often much more challenging. Not only must the nation convince people to support their cause (and potentially have the current delegate demoted), the nation needs to hold this position by respecting the demands of the region.

Gaining endorsements, you've decided to join a bigger region with little to no support from friends, here are a few tips to receive the endorsements needed: (note: the following is the author's own opinion)

  1. Patience is a godsend. Don't expect to march in some random region and have endorsements thrown at you. You need to prove your place.

  2. Get friendly with some of the other nations, people who you can count on to support your ascent to power.

  3. If they have one, find out about the current delegate. Is he well-liked? Does he listen to the nation's wishes? Does he abuse his power? Use this to your advantage...

  4. NationStates truly is a game of politics and roleplaying. To that end, feel free to blackmail and bribe your peers.

Councils, the World Assembly is divided into two entities; the General Assembly and the Security Council [3]:

The General Assembly is concerned with passing international law: resolutions to improve human rights, environmental standards, and the like. They have an immediate and material effect on all WA member nations, and can change your laws and category. For example, if you are a protectionist nation, and the WA passes a resolution promoting free trade, you may find your nation becoming abruptly more capitalist.

Broadly speaking, the General Assembly does not concern itself with individual nations or regions, but humanity as a whole. It has a vibrant roleplaying community in the General Assembly forum, which debates and drafts legislation.

The Security Council, on the other hand, is very much about specifics. It passes resolutions that Condemn or Commend particular nations or regions, and authorises Liberations, by removing a Delegate's authority to set a regional password (usually to restore order following its capture by invaders). Compared to the General Assembly, it is more concerned with gameplay (regional politics, invasions) than roleplaying.

Both Councils function similarly in that they accept proposals, which enter the voting floor to be voted on as resolutions. Each Council may have a resolution at vote at the same time.

To vote for a resolution, click on its link within the World Assembly tab. You'll be taken to a page giving you the full details, including the category, resolution number, and who proposed the resolution. Below that, you'll find a complete explanation, with the option of voting For or Against.

To pass your own resolution, you need at least two endorsements from members of your region. Once you have those, you can propose your resolution to the World Assembly. However, before people are given the chance to vote on it, it needs to be approved by 6% of the World Assembly Regional Delegates. If it reaches the necessary number of approvals, it will be brought onto the voting floor, where all members of the WA can make your resolution law, or fail to pass it. (note: the following is the author's own opinion)

When you decide to pass your resolution, you have two choices. You can create a brand new one, or you can attempt to repeal an old one.

Creating a new resolution is basically one that does not currently exist. If you do so, make sure you look through all previous resolutions. There's nothing more embarrassing than attempting to introduce laws on toilet paper which already exist...

If you too are angered about the increase of tax on tea bags, then you have the chance to get things changed! You can vote to re-appeal a resolution, which will render the resolution in question null and void. This is normally when old laws conflict with new methods.

Tips on Passing a Resolution:

  1. Gather up support within your region. If it was proposed by someone, all the better!

  2. Spread the word on the forums. There is a section dedicated to the discussion of resolutions. You can make friends and get some critique on your law, which will let you make the edits necessary to give it an air of professionalism.

  3. Don't get too frustrated if your resolution doesn't make it to the voting floor. You can always try again.

Influence is a game-determined categorisation applied to each nation. A nation's influence is a measure of how 'well-respected' a nation is considered in its current region. Nations earn influence in a region the longer they remain there, and the more WA endorsements they have accumulated. When a nation leaves, though, its influence in that region will begin to decline.

Influence serves an important gameplay purpose. The ability of WA Delegates to eject and ban nations from their region, and to password-protect it, is limited by their Influence. Delegates consume some of their Influence to exercise their power, so the more often the Delegate uses their influence, the more difficult it is for them to wield those powers in the future.

When a nation moves to a region, it does not influence within that region. Nations accrue influence in a region by remaining in the region, and by receiving endorsements from the region’s members. Arguably, being a member of the WA has no value unless the nation gains endorsements, the more endorsements one gets, the more influence one will accrue.

The regional influence is equal to the sum of the national influence of all its members (updated each game-update (refer to Analysis)), and is displayed as a ranking on a scale ranging from ‘moderate’ to ‘Extremely High’.

The national influence ranking (ranging from ‘Minnow’ to ‘Hermit’) is determined by the ratio of national influence to total regional influence and the previous WA update.

Influence levels achievable

[align=left][/align]

Influence Level

31

Zero

30

Unproven

29

Hatchling

28

Newcomer

27

Nipper

26

Minnow

25

Sprat

24

Shoeshiner

23

Page

22

Squire

21

Apprentice

20

Vassal

19

Truckler

18

Handshaker

17

Duckspeaker

16

Envoy

15

Diplomat

14

Ambassador

13

Auxiliary

12

Negotiator

11

Contender

10

Instigator

9

Dealmaker

8

Enforcer

7

Eminence Grise

6

Powerbroker

5

Power

4

Superpower

3

Dominator

2

Hegemony

1

Hermit


Roleplay

[The following advice has been kindly provided by Euroslavia and reproduced here with his express permission. Should you wish to further explore this dynamic aspect of NationStates, you are invited to read the many roleplay guides available in the forum.]

Welcome to 'Getting Started with Nationstates'. This (advice) will provide the basic framework for general rules and learning and all things in regards to how to properly Role Playing in the International Incidents and Nationstates forums. The following is merely a snippet of advice, please visit this forum thread for more comprehensive information and advice relating to roleplaying in International Incidents.

  • Work things out OOC: First piece of advice is fairly simple; you will find that when you start a roleplay with a nation you may have combat with, you will find that most of the time you will both have different technologies and ideas on how the roleplay will go. As such it’s important to work out any problems OOC before you start the RP. You can do this in MSN, telegram or even in a separate thread… if you don’t do this you may waste a lot of time arguing with the other nation over the power of your weapon, why they aren’t taking enough damage and so on.

  • Spelling, Grammar and Format: This is a quick addition, but basically if you want to be understood you should make it easier to read for everyone else. You should try and make sure that you’re spelling it reasonable, your grammar is ok and your format makes it easy for people to read. The best way to achieve this is to use a program like Win Word to spell check your post and maybe even point out some grammar problems.

  • Its freeform baby!: Yeah, I know I should have pointed this out earlier, but it goes without saying. You can RP anything you want and there is little anyone can do about it. Remember, while you can roleplay anything, you can also ignore anything. So while you can RP your nation being the best in the universe, everyone else can ignore such a claim and choose not to RP with you. That’s the beauty of freeform, and it’s the greatest frustration. This is why you should be reasonable.

  • Be descriptive: This isn’t really as important, but it makes the thread a whole lot better. The more description you put into it, the more interesting it is to read and the more you will enjoy the roleplay on the whole.

  • Have fun: It gets forgotten a lot of the time but Nationstates is just a game; albeit an addictive game which takes a lot of time and effort for some people. The important thing is to have fun; if you are not having fun then you should try something else. Tired of having wars with everyone? Chill out and try something else, make peace with those you fight or have a peace conference… that way you automatically have a character/diplomatic roleplay.

To garner more information on general roleplaying, the author strongly recommends a visit to the forum thread Roleplaying Tips and Suggestions.

Roleplaying in NationStates is such an exciting and fun aspect of the game, as such, there are thousands of people all around you who would be happy to help you, you need only ask. Similarly, if you are stuck on something or would just like a bit of advice here and there, the forum contains dozens of guides and helpful tips. Always remember, the world is full of possibilities and you are only limited by your imagination.


BBCode

Players not accustomed to formatting may have noticed custom markup tags being used in the regional message board, the NS Forum or in Dispatches. These custom markups help to format a text to make it bold, italics, add images, add url, etc. These are known as BBCode or Bulletin Board Code.

BBCode or Bulletin Board Code is a lightweight markup language generally used internet-wide format posts in blogs and message boards.
The BBCode tags usually have a beginning and ending tag similar to HTML. BBCodes are usually indicated by the square brackets [ ] and contain a keyword within the [] tag, and the ending tags have the same keyword with a backslash ” / ” preceding the keyword. These BBCodes are parsed during the run-time to produce HTML or XHTML that can be understood by the browsers. It should be noted that players need to nest the tags properly as otherwise, it might not work.

[The following information has been kindly provided by Testlandia and reproduced here with his express permission. The following list is not exhaustive. To view the full list, please consult with this dispatch, the Complete List of NSCodes.]

These BBCode-like tags can be used in Dispatches, Telegrams, Regional Message Board (RMB) posts, Regional World Factbook Entries (WFEs), and World Assembly proposals. Not all tags are valid for all message types: see below.

Name

Validity

Code

Result

Bold

Everywhere

[b]Nation[/b]

Nation

Italic

Everywhere

[i]States[/i]

States

Underline

Everywhere

[u]online[/u]

online

Strike

Everywhere

[strike]game[/strike]

game

Background

Dispatches

[background=#0080FF]text highlight[/background]

text highlight

Background-block

Dispatches

[background-block=yellow]Block highlight[/background-block]

Block highlight

Size

Dispatches

[size=150]Guide[/size]

Guide

Font

Dispatches

[font=Newtimesroman]John Smith[/font]

John Smith

Nation

Everywhere

[nation]Amerion[/nation]
[nation=short]Amerion[/nation]
[nation=short+noflag]Amerion[/nation]
[nation=long]Amerion[/nation]

Amerion
Amerion
Amerion
The 😈 Admiral General 👿 of Amerion

Region

Everywhere

[region]the South Pacific[/region]

the South Pacific

WA proposal

Everywhere

[proposal=chester_pearson_1421530135]War Crimes Tribunal[/proposal]

War Crimes Tribunal

WA resolution

Everywhere

[resolution=GA#2]The Rights and Duties law[/resolution]

The Rights and Duties law

Spoiler

Everywhere

[spoiler]Hi[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Greetings]Hi[/spoiler]

Hi
Hi

Link

Dispatches & WFE

[url=http://maxbarry.com/]Max Barry[/url] created NationStates

LinkMax Barry created NationStates

Anchor

Dispatches

[anchor=A][/anchor]The anchor will be placed here

[url=/page=dispatch/id=444406#A]Anchor link[/url]

The anchor will be placed here

Anchor link

Image

Dispatches

[img]https://i.imgur.com/9h8jAdi.png?1[/img]

Quote

RMB & Dispatches

[quote=amerion;100000]Oppa Gangnam Style[/quote]

Amerion wrote:Oppa Gangnam Style

List

Everywhere

[list][*]Bullet
[*]List[/list]
[list=1][*]Number
[*]List[/list]
[list=a][*]Alphabetical
[*]List[/list]
[list=I][*]Roman
[*]Numerals
[*]List[list]

  • Bullet

  • List

  1. Number

  2. List

  1. Alphabetical

  2. List

  1. Roman

  2. Numerals

  3. List

    Unformatted text

    Everywhere

    [pre]You bold like [b]this[/b]!
    [/pre]

    You bold like [b]this[/b]!

    Color

    Dispatches & WFE

    [color=red]Red text[/color]
    [color=#0431B4]Blue text[/color]

    Red text
    Blue text

    Alignment

    Dispatches

    [align=right]Right-aligned[/align]
    [center]Center-aligned[/center]
    [align=left]Left-aligned[/align]

    Right-aligned
    Center-aligned
    Left-aligned

    Indentation

    Dispatches

    [tab=10]This is an indent[/tab]

    This is an indent

    Horizontal Line

    Dispatches

    [hr]


    Box

    Dispatches

    [box]This is a box[/box]

    This is a box


    ||| WELCOME ||| BASICS ||| GAMEPLAY ||| ||| GLOSSARY ||| |||
    ·
    ·
    ·
    ·

    Term

    Definition

    Ban

    An act which prevents a nation from entering a given region.

    Cease-To-Exist (CTE)

    The deletion of a nation after a period of inactivity lasting 28 days or 60 days if vacation mode is set. A nation can be 'refounded' by the owner by login.

    Eject

    An act of ejecting a nation from a region. This can be performed by the Founder (with cost to the nation) or by the Delegate (with an influence cost incurred on the Delegate). Nations who have been ejected will relocate involuntarily to The Rejected Realms.

    Feeders

    Regions that new nations are founded in. Sinkers include The Pacific, The North Pacific, The South Pacific, The West Pacific, and The East Pacific.

    Founder

    A nation who 'founded' the region and hence is the original inhabitant. The Founder, depending on access to the administration panel, has the power to ban, eject, banject nations, change tags, suppress RMB posts, change the flag, construct and close embassies, and change the World Factbook Entry.

    Sinkers

    Regions that nations returning to the game, or in the case of The Rejected Realms are ejected from a different region go to. Sinkers include Lazarus, Osiris, Balder, and The Rejected Realms.

    Out-of-Character (OOC)

    Post of this sort is used to convey messages unrelated to the roleplay, such as informing fellow players that you will be out of town for a week and therefore will not be online in NationStates.

    Puppets

    Nations created to be used secondary to the primary nation. Some players choose to use puppet nations as WA nations while others choose to use it to boost a region's population. Reasons vary and there is nothing wrong with creating puppets for one's purpose.

    Regional Message Board (RMB)

    A chat function visible in a region (scroll down the region's homepage). This aspect allows nations to communicate and displays their flag as well as allowing them to 'like' others' messages and quote them.

    Telegrams

    A private messaging system that acts as emails for NS.

    Warzones

    Regions which have no founder and cannot be refounded. In these regions, ejections/bannings do not incur an influence drain on the Delegate but can only last a limited amount of time. Warzones include Warzone Airspace, Warzone Africa, Warzone Europe, Warzone Asia, Warzone Australia, and Warzone Sandbox.

    World Assembly

    An institute of global governance in NationStates, similar to the United Nations in real-life.

    World Assembly Delegate

    A nation who possess the largest number of WA endorsements in the region, thereby allowing it to represent the region in the World Assembly.

    World Factbook Entry (WFE)

    World Factbook Entry is an area visible at the top of a region's homepage which describes the region, etc. Typically, it would state members of the region's governing entity, links to an offsite forum, etc.

    References

    [1] Testlandia, Euroslavia, and Goddess Relief Office contributed whole information towards sections regarding Bulletin Board Codes, Roleplay, and Issue Types, respectfully.

    [2] Exact figures may fluctuate over time as new nations are founded and existing nations are ceasing-to-exist.

    [3] This information on World Assembly Councils was sourced from Frequently Asked Questions.

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    The NationStates Guide
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    Read dispatch



    ➼ Raiding, Defending, and Military Gameplay
    From the NationStates FAQ:
      "There are two types of war games that have been developed by the NationStates community. One is regional invasions, where nations attempt to move into another region and topple the Regional Delegate; the other is an in-depth role-playing game that takes place in the International Incidents forum."

    This guide focuses on the war game that concerns out-of-character NationStates mechanics, regional invasions and defending. To learn about the in-character Role Play warfare, see the stickies in the International Incidents forum.

    Military Gameplay is the conflict between regions or organizations (a coalition of regions or individuals) who fight for control over the World Assembly Delegacy (and therefore gain control) of other regions. The fundamental actions of gameplay are raiding (seizing control of the WA Delegate position of a region by force) and defending (interfering with raider groups and protecting regions from raider attack).


    ➼ About This Guide & Resources
    This guide was written to replace the former "Complete Guide to Military Gameplay" written by myself (King Nephmir II) in 2014, and as a replacement for the Basics of Military Gameplay written by Naivetry in 2011.

    The Forum version of this guide can be viewed here, and is open for questions and feedback. Questions regarding what comes next and more about Gameplay can be asked in the Gameplay Advice Thread. There is also a thread for asking about NationStates history here, and a thread for looking for specific raider/defender regions here. Or, you can read this helpful guide about building your own region by Consular and start your own gameplay region!

    ▲ Please upvote this dispatch if you find it helpful! ▲



    ➼ What is Raiding?

    Raiding is when a group of people use a nation with World Assembly membership to forcibly assume control of a region's WA Delegate position. Delegates are elected during two daily occurring updates, or every 12 hours, based on the nation in the region that has the most World Assembly endorsements from other WA nations.

    If there is a tie in endorsements, the nation that has been in the region the longest of the tied nations is elected as the WA Delegate.


    ➼ Why Raid?

    Raiding is done for many purposes. Some regions raid to further a NationStates cause or real life ideology (or to fight one), and some raid just for the fun of raiding. Raider regions typically don't attack each other and usually ally with each other on the battlefield, though there have been instances in the past of some regions being exceptions to this. Typically, regions that raid for the sake of raiding are just called "raider" regions, while those that raid to further an ideology are known as "imperialist" regions. Regions that fit into neither category are "independent" aligned. Raiders that aren't affiliated with any organization can be considered "mercenaries".


    ➼ How to Raid

    Since it is against the NationStates rules to have more than one nation in the World Assembly at a time, raiding regions requires multiple people working together in order to seize the WA Delegacy. While there are many forms of raiding (as described in the next section, "Types of Raiding"), all forms of raiding require the same mechanic of seizing the WA Delegacy.

    During one of the twice daily updates, every region in the world is updated, alongside all nations within it. Every region displays the last time it updated underneath the founder/delegate names:

    Hovering over this will give you a precise time the region updated last. Since both updates do not have the same update time, this value is accurate for the next day around that time, and can be used to jump into a region before it updates and seize the WA Delegacy by surprise (note that there are ways of calculating a more accurate time and adjusting for variance in the update. An explanation of this can be found in the "Advanced Mechanics" section).


    ➼ Types of Raiding

    There are four main types of raiding:

    Tag raiding: A form of raiding involving the brief capture of multiple regions during an update. No harm is inflicted upon the tagged regions other than changing its appearance (flying the raider's flag, banner, and World Factbook Entry (WFE)). Tag raiding is used primarily as a form of training with the added benefit of advertising the raider region and those involved in the raid. To tag raid, everyone creates several spare nations, and moves them to a late updating region. This is known as a "jump point". Since every nation in the world can only update once per update period, everyone endorses the raid leader, known as the point, and jumps into the target region at the same time right before it updates, seizing control of the WA Delegacy. The leader makes himself a Regional Officer, and all nations resign from the WA, and switch WA membership to a new nation in the jump point. This process is then repeated for as many targets as desired before the jump point itself updates the remaining nations. This process is often accelerated by both (1) pre-applying to the World Assembly on all puppet nations - you can have only 1 WA nation at a time, but you can have as many WA acceptance emails as you wish ready and waiting. These links in the emails are good for 28 days (2) custom keybind scripts/extensions can be used to bind keys to actions, so that scrolling and clicking is not necessary. Ensure you do research in the Technical forum before attempting to make your own tools!

    Stealth raiding: When raiders use undercover puppet nations to infiltrate a region without being detected by enemies, disguised as a Native (a member nation of a region). These undercover nations are known as clean puppets, since they cannot be traced back to a raider nation or any raider region. A dirty puppet is the opposite, a nation that can be traced back to a raider, which cannot be used for stealth raids and can compromise the entire operation. Dirty puppets are used for tag raiding. When the time is right, the region is secretly seized or occupied and then destroyed.

    Coup: A form of stealth raiding, secretly assuming control of a region (typically using political means or elections), and strategically capturing it using native and/or secret raider endorsements. Coups can take months, even years to pull off, and typically involve gaining the trust of the active region members and occupying the region in secret for awhile to build up influence (further detailed under "advanced mechanics").

    Occupation: The open capture of a region supported by raider endorsements, known as a "pile". Raiders openly hold onto a region for weeks, or even months, often with the end goal of completely destroying a region and permanently refounding it under raider control.


    ➼ Destroying Regions

    If a region updates without any nations in it at its time of update, it will be deleted from the game ("cease to exist", or CTE). The region name is then free to be refounded, granting it a raider controlled founder account with permanent control over the region. Not every raid has the end goal of regional destruction, however there have been many high profile regions destroyed in the past.

    Refounding is risky, however, as anyone can intercept it by moving into the region (if there is no password pre-imposed) or by refounding the region first. It is a high risk, high reward maneuver.

    "Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt." -Sun Tzu, The Art of War



    ➼ What is Defending?

    Defending is when a group of nations move to a region to seize the WA Delegacy and defend it from raids, support a native member of the region's Delegacy, or to restore a region's history after a tag raid.

    For tools on restoring a region's former state before a raid, see the "References and Tools" section at the end of this guide!


    ➼ Why Defend?

    Regions defend other regions as a means of making NationStates as much of a raider free environment as possible, and to prevent regional history from becoming lost to the mists of time. Much like raiding, everyone has their own individual reasons and backstories for defending, and some simply defend for the fun of defending.


    ➼ How to Defend

    Spotting is the act of watching for suspicious activity utilizing the Activity Page to gain the advantage of noticing raids or invasions before they begin, so that troops may be mobilized to prevent or stop a raid in its early stages.

    This page can also be filtered to watch for specific happenings (tracking nation movement, endorsements, and WA membership) during the update, so that the forces may activity intercept raids or aid allies in doing so (typically combined with a browser extension that adds keyboard shortcuts for further increased response time).

    It is always helpful to have all of your switcher puppets prepared in a late updating region ahead of time, all applied to join the World Assembly, so that they may be used at a moment's notice.


    ➼ Types of Defending

    There are 2 main forms of defending:
    • Detagging: A form of defending involving the brief capture of multiple raider tagged regions during an update. The regions are then reverted back to their original native state using a variety of tools, included at the end of this guide. Detagging is used primarily as a form of training and/or when there are no raiders actively raiding. If there are raiders actively raiding, defenders can instead go for an interception, and prevent tag raids from happening in the first place. Since every nation in the world can only update once per update period, everyone endorses the leader, known as the point, and jumps into the target region at the same time right before it updates, seizing control of the WA Delegacy. The leader makes himself a Regional Officer, and all nations resign from the WA, and switch WA membership to a new nation in the jump point. This process is then repeated for as many targets as desired before the jump point itself (a late updating region used to store puppet nations in for the sake of using multiple nations an update) updates the remaining nations.

    • Liberating: the act of seizing a region occupied by raider forces en masse, removing the raiders occupying the region, and restoring it back under native control. This can be done by a mass group of defenders endorsing leaders in a jump point, then jumping into the occupied region as it updates, or by jumping in and endorsing an active native or pre-placed defender puppet.
      The act of cross-endorsing and repeatedly jumping into a region without enough updaters every update with the intent to update as many defenders in the region as possible to expend raider influence totals is known as an attrition run.

    Defenders can also protect a region from being raided initially by stationing themselves in a region and endorsing the native delegate and Regional Officers.


    ➼ Refound Interception

    If all else fails, and raiders are close to refounding a region, defenders can attempt to snipe the refound attempt by creating a region with the same name as the raiders empty the region to delete it. If successful, this will instead grant the region over to defender control, allowing defenders to reinstate the native community and have access to the founder account to protect against future raids.

    For information on preventing raids in region, see the "Regional Security" section.

    "Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain."
    -Sun Tzu, The Art of War



    ➼ Founder vs. Founderless Regions

    Every region in NationStates can be divided into two categories: regions with founders, and regions with no founder (tagged as "founderless" regions). Regions without a founder are either game created regions (see below), regions founded before founders were a concept in the antiquity years of NationStates such as the region Nationstates, or a region that had a founder that ceased to exist from inactivity. If a founder ceases to exist (or leaves the region), the WA Delegate position is automatically granted executive authority (the ability to access all regional controls and create Regional Officer positions), even if the ability wasn't granted to the WA Delegate while the founder was present in the region. This leaves the region potentially vulnerable to raids if not defended properly. To protect a founderless region, see the section "regional security").

    Founders have complete control over their regions, and can freely use regional controls, including appointing Regional Officers (ROs), restricting WA Delegate powers, banning and ejecting nations, and imposing a password free of influence charge and without any cooldowns.

    WA Delegates have control over founderless regions, but are restricted still to appointing 1 RO per 26 hours in office (up to 12 total), an influence charge for banning and ejecting nations, a hefty influence cost for imposing a password, and a 1 second cooldown between nation bans and ejections. Appointed ROs have to spend twice as much influence to complete actions, making banning the WA Delegate difficult to impossible to do. The 1 second ban cooldown also applies to all nations with access to regional border controls, and is shared by the whole region.


    ➼ Warzones & Game Created Regions

    "Game created regions", or GCRs, are founderless regions created by the game to serve a variety of purposes. There are currently 16 GCRs, including 5 Feeders, 4 Sinkers, and 7 Warzones.

    Feeders are regions where newly founded nations appear, consisting of the following regions:
    The Pacific
    The North Pacific
    The South Pacific
    The East Pacific
    The West Pacific

    Sinkers are regions that do not spawn new nations, but spawn nations in a different way:
    Osiris - "restorer" type sinker that restores nations that ceased to exist previously.
    Balder - restorer
    Lazarus - restorer
    the Rejected Realms - Also known as a "catcher" region, since banned nations arrive in the region

    Warzones were initially created before regional influence (a type of "currency" that is used to ban/eject and password protect regions) was a mechanic many years ago, as a way to provide raidable regions to deter regional destruction by raiders. This idea, however, ultimately failed, since Warzones themselves cannot cease to exist and therefore cannot be destroyed. In Warzones, there is no founder, and bans are temporary, expire, and cost no influence to carry out (as influence in Warzones is "frozen" as if the region was just created).
    Warzone Africa
    Warzone Airspace
    Warzone Asia
    Warzone Australia
    Warzone Europe
    Warzone Sandbox
    Warzone Trinidad


    ➼ Frontiers

    All regions fall under one of two categories: standard or frontiers. A standard region has a governor that has full access to regional controls without the need to spend any influence, while a frontier has no such position, and the elected WA Delegate has full control over the regional controls (limited by influence). Both forms of regions have different benefits and drawbacks, and is up to each region to decide which is best for them.

    Standard regions may designate a successor to the governor, who takes over in the event that the governor resigns or ceases to exist. Governors are also able to switch the region status to frontier, abdicating their position and giving the WA Delegate more powers after a 2 week period (to allow ample time to prevent raider take over or to stop a coup or revolt). Likewise, a WA Delegate may switch to a standard region, and become governor after a 2 week waiting period.

    Frontiers are at risk of internal coups and raids more frequently, but are also able to spawn in newly founded nations (much like feeder regions), allowing more regional growth than a standard region provides. Additionally, the Security Council can pass an "Injunction", a proposal that restricts a region's ability to transition between region types, to help combat foreign aggression.

    "Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak." -Sun Tzu, The Art of War



    ➼ Founders & Encouraging WA Participation

    WA members have the power to raid, defend, and prevent raids from happening in the first place. The more WA members a region has, the more "weapons" it has to protect against raiding, simply through the endorsement mechanic. The more endorsements the WA Delegate has, the more endorsements are needed to raid the region, and the more influence the Delegate obtains every update (which is used to impose a password and ban + eject nations).

    Having the founder nation present in a region with a non-executive Delegacy (the Delegate cannot access regional border controls) are the best means of preventing raids when possible.


    ➼Using WA Endorsements

    There are various ways regions can use endorsements to protect their region and make their region as strong and "raid-proof" as possible.

    Endorsement caps, or "endo cap", is a limit on the number of endorsements a WA member of the region may hold. The endo cap is usually set anywhere from 2 (the amount needed to submit WA proposals) to anywhere around 50% of that of the WA Delegate's endorsements. Obviously, the Delegate and Vice Delegate (if applicable) are exempt from the endo cap. Some regions make a small endo cap for those not endorsing the delegate and a larger one for those that do, to provide extra incentive to endorse the delegate.

    Some regions choose a different means of defense. Instead of an endo cap, in which power is focused on the current delegate, some regions prefer to freely allow members to "endo swap" (giving an endorsement to another nation in the hope of receiving an endorsement in return) or "endo tart" (giving an endorsement to another nation along with a telegram asking for an endorsement in return) to obtain high levels of endorsements, usually with the limit being just short of whatever the WA Delegate's endorsements are.

    This slightly increases the chance of a coup, however if the region is under a coup, the delegate cannot ban or eject a lot of WA members with high endorsements (ejecting one or two would deplete the influence supply of the Delegate). This makes destroying or holding the region difficult and the rogue Delegate can be easily overthrown, especially given the lower endorsement margin between WA members and the Delegate.

    The total amount of endorsements swapped divided by the total amount of endorsement swaps possible (recorded as a percentage) is known as endorsement saturation. Higher levels of endorsement saturation restrict delegate powers, but spread out the influence rapidly, while lower levels of endorsement saturation increase delegate powers and decrease the influence spread.


    ➼ Regional Passwords

    Delegates can spend a large amount of influence to password protect a region (Founders are able to do this with no influence cost). This will prevent nations from entering your region that do not know the password. This should be use with caution however, as anybody you invite afterwards will have the password, alongside everyone in the region if you select the option to "show residents the password". This will also stop community growth, and is only recommended as a means to protect an active community from being raided by conventional means.
    "The greatest victory is that which requires no battle." -Sun Tzu, The Art of War



    ➼ WA Liberations

    The Security Council can be used as a means for natives across many regions to provide support for defenders and natives currently experiencing a raid.


    A WA Liberation (not to be confused with defender "liberation" of a region) is a proposal that the world can vote on through the Security Council that can target a region (typically that of which is being occupied by raiders), and remove the ability to password protect a region, leaving it vulnerable to defender liberations and harder to destroy without interference.


    ➼ Declarations, Commendations, and Condemnations

    Commendations are typically used to award nations that contribute significantly to NationStates or defending.
    Condemnations are typically used to warn nations of exemplary leaders in the raiding community.

    Declarations can be used for a variety of different effects, and are not necessarily limited to just raiding/defending.

    Neither commendations, condemnations, nor declarations, however, provide any sort of gameplay advantage or technical effect.


    ➼ More SC Information

    For more information on the SC, check out the pins in the Security Council forum. For future SC proposal type developments, see the technical thread here.
    "In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity." -Sun Tzu, The Art of War



    ➼ What are Updates?

    There are two game updates each day. At this time, nations update (national population increases, change in regional influence occurs, etc.) However, they don't all update at the same time. The following is a list of all that takes place during the update, in no particular order:
    • National population increases.*

    • A New Featured World Census Report is Issued.*

    • A new featured region is selected.*

    • World Assembly resolutions finish voting and new ones arrive (at the beginning of update).

    • Influence increases (or decreases, for a nation that has left the region or regions that have influence decay).

    • Inactive nations and empty regions cease to exist.

    • WA endorsements are verified and new WA Delegates are elected, if necessary.

    *Major Update only

    Each update is known as the following:

    • 12:00AM-1:30AM EST - this is known as the Major Update, since it not only updates the nations and regions, but compiles a WA Census Report, chooses a new featured region, and updates the population of each nation.

    • 12:00PM-1:00PM EST - this is known as the Minor Update, since it is generally shorter than the Major Update and only does a basic update of the nations and regions.

    Eastern Standard Time is used since update times are affected by daylight saving's time. To see the times in your time zone, try a Linktime zone converter.

    Over the course of the update, each region updates, one by one, back to back in rapid succession. During this time, nations are updated within the region (one by one, right after each other back to back in less than a second each) in order of how long they've been present within the region, with the long time residents updating first and newer arrivals last.

    During these times, the endorsements are also recounted within the region. The nation in the region with the most World Assembly endorsements at this time becomes the region’s WA Delegate, and all nations gain influence.

    Each region updates at a specific time within this time frame, and can only update once per update. Likewise, each nation can only update once. Therefore, once a nation updates, it can no longer be used during the course of that update for raiding or defending purposes. Once a region updates, it cannot be updated again until the next update.

    Regions change update time slightly both as an intentional feature and in some cases server strain. This is known as "variation" in the update time, and is in place to make it more challenging to jump into a region precisely as it updates, leaving room for defenders to react to raiders more often.


    ➼ What is Influence?

    Regional influence is a numerical value attached to your nation that rises based on how long you've been present within a region and the number of endorsements you have. Regional influence only applies to the total amount of influence within a single region, and is independent from the amount of influence in any other region in the world. All nations gain 1 influence per update, plus an additional +1 influence per endorsement received every update. A nation's influence can be seen here, as measured in Soft Power Disbursement Rating (SPDR).

    A large amount of influence is needed to impose a visible password on a region (a password visible to all residents), and a very high amount of influence is needed to impose a hidden password.

    Banning and ejecting nations also consumes influence. It costs 1/2 of that nation's influence to ban them (example: you have 60 SPDR, and the nation you want to ban has 30 SPDR. It would therefore cost you 15 SPDR to ban them, leaving you with 45 SPDR remaining), and 1/3 of a nation's influence to eject them. Planning out influence is key to a successful operation!

    A nation's regional influence level is just a general descriptor of how much influence a nation has in comparison to the total influence pool in the region. There are 31 influence levels:

    Regional influence levels (lowest to highest)
    1. Zero
    2. Unproven
    3. Hatchling
    4. Newcomer
    5. Nipper
    6. Minnow
    7. Sprat
    8. Shoeshiner
    9. Page
    10. Squire
    11. Apprentice
    12. Vassal
    13. Truckler
    14. Handshaker
    15. Duckspeaker
    16. Envoy
    17. Diplomat
    18. Ambassador
    19. Auxiliary
    20. Negotiator
    21. Contender
    22. Instigator
    23. Dealmaker
    24. Enforcer
    25. Eminence Grise
    26. Powerbroker
    27. Power
    28. Superpower
    29. Dominator
    30. Hegemony
    31. Hermit


    ➼ Sleepers

    Leaders and officers of raider and defender regions typically maintain sleeper networks, or a large batch of puppets infiltrated across many regions (hundreds, or even thousands) to pre-emptively gain influence.

    Establishing and upkeeping a sleeper network is crucial to becoming, quite literally, influential across NationStates. This expands the organization's reach, whether it be for raiding or defending regions, and can turn the tide of an operation.

    After a week of not logging into a nation, however, it will stop gathering influence, so be sure not to leave the nation unattended. Nations Cease To Exist (CTE) after 28 days, or 60 days in vacation mode. For tools for maintaining a sleeper network, see the "References & Tools" section at the end of this guide.

    "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win." -Sun Tzu, The Art of War



    ➼ Additional References
    • FAQ - A great place to get an overview of what NationStates is about and learn the general NationStates rules.

    • NationStates API - Nation and region data open for public use for tool development and gathering data.

    For more references and information about this guide, see the "Introduction" section!


    ➼ Tools
    • NationStates++ - A browser extension for NationStates that is no longer supported, but still works (as of January 2022) for logging into and keeping up with puppet nations.

    • Old Login Script - A guide to running and using a login script written awhile back to keep up with puppet nations. May or may not still be functional, but written by admin.

    • LinkNSLogin-Web - A newer login script website.

    • AugustinAndroid v2 - A Discord bot for NationStates.

    • LinkNationCogs - Another Discord bot for NationStates.

    • LinkNSHistory - A way to look back into a region's history.

    • LinkWFE Index - Recover a region's WFE after it has been raided.

    • LinkRegion Flag Archive - Recover a region's flag after it has been raided.

    • LinkBreeze++ - A tool that allows keybinds to be used for tagging/detagging.

    • LinkSpyglass - An Excel script used for finding update times and triggering.

    • Activity Page - Don't underestimate the usefulness of the in-game activity page, especially for defending.

    [!] All of these tools are maintained for public use by a variety of raider and defender regions. Tools that require installation: use at your own risk! If you're not sure about a tool or don't trust it, don't use it. Any tool that breaks site rules will be promptly removed from this guide.


    ➼ Proposed Ideas & Discussions

    "Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust." -Sun Tzu, The Art of War
    Read dispatch



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    Disclaimer: This guide is intended to be for the benefit of all players/regions. Have fun reading! :)

    If you found the guide helpful, please upvote this dispatch to help others find it!
    2006 bears,Afer america,Aliberd,Amataraxia,Anarchic zyrixia,A-n-c-a-p-i-s-t-a-n,Anexian,A not-too test nation,Atherses newistan,Athesomestonland,Auradianon,Avalaise,Baczylowo,Bannic,Beardsmen,Being nice,Ber onjohvikole,Bohemic states,Brassica,British brker neprichma,Brohaven,Broken10,Broken11,Broken12,Broken13,Broken14,Broken15,Broken17,Broken18,Broken19,Broken20,Broken21,Broken22,Broken23,Broken24,Broken25,Broken26,Broken27,Broken28,Broken30,Broken31,Broken32,Broken36,Broken37,Broken38,Broken39,Broken40,Broken41,Broken42,Broken43,Broken44,Broken45,Broken46,Broken47,Broken48,Broken49,Broken5,Broken52,Broken53,Broken54,Broken55,Broken56,Broken58,Broken59,Broken6,Broken60,Broken61,Broken63,Broken64,Broken66,Broken68,Broken69,Broken7,Broken70,Broken71,Broken73,Broken74,Broken75,Broken76,Broken77,Broken78,Broken8,Broken81,Broken82,Broken85,Broken86,Broken87,Broken88,Broken89,Broken9,Broken90,Broken91,Broken92,Broken94,Broken95,Broken97,Broken98,Cadelasia,Capitalistic zyrixia,Card collector of flags,Card kingdom of the dark world,Carter hall hawkman,Challonertew,Cipotania,Cloburger,Crappy kingdom,Croveno,Cybernetic darkness,Czar monarch,Daurion,Dellestant,Democratic cortontyrakaahark,De-nation,Dingsbumistan,Disappearing dissenteria,Don dangamers,Dottie 00300,Dottie 00301,Dottie 00302,Dottie 00303,Dottie 00304,Dottie 00305,Dottie 00306,Dottie 00307,Dottie 00309,Dottie 00310,Dottie 00311,Dottie 00312,Dottie 00313,Dottie 00314,Dottie 00315,Dottie 00316,Dottie 00317,Dottie 00318,Dottie 00319,Dottie 00321,Dottie 00323,Dottie 00324,Dottie 00325,Dottie 00326,Dottie 00327,Dottie 00328,Dottie 00329,Dottie 00330,Dottie 00332,Dottie 00333,Dottie 00336,Dottie 00337,Dottie 00338,Dottie 00339,Dottie 00340,Dottie 00341,Dottie 00342,Dottie 00343,Dottie 00344,Dottie 00345,Dottie 00346,Dottie 00347,Dottie 00348,Dottie 00350,Dottie 00352,Dottie 00354,Dottie 00356,Dottie 00358,Dottie 00359,Dottie 00360,Dottie 00363,Dottie 00364,Dottie 00365,Dottie 00366,Dottie 00367,Dottie 00368,Dottie 00369,Dottie 00370,Dottie 00371,Dottie 00372,Dottie 00373,Dottie 00376,Dottie 00377,Dottie 00378,Dottie 00379,Dottie 00380,Dottie 00381,Dottie 00382,Dottie 00384,Dottie 00385,Dottie 00386,Dottie 00387,Dottie 00388,Dottie 00389,Dottie 00390,Dottie 00391,Dottie 00392,Dottie 00395,Dottie 00397,Dottie 00398,Dottie 00399,Drampan farmer iii,Ducklavia,Dunt campie,Dunzz,Empire of the winged bears,Fancy Soo Dancy,Fatherless,Feshaece,Fittianialand,Gamanoro,Gangstaria,German zeuntre,Gudarium,Heavnlish,Hiranfarus,Irneca,Jiet,Jopka2,Just dibilicus,Kaernlor,Karnam,Kirearolbecangous,La comarca,Laithlind,Leapcor Services,Lichitinstein,Lukash scanhur,Masycosia peopia,Metabots,Middle aca freixiland,Mideland,Mister boombastic land,Monotany,Mortiz,Mothtopia,Muryo,National soviet russia,Newington,New south godland,New uk,Nfs10,Nfs6,Nfs7,Nfs9,Nice try land,Nigeal,Nikiar,Northern birbtopia,Nukestan,Ocemon,Pink saviours,Pizzacktopia 2,Pocoliland,Podgornoye,Purscoigia,Quipplebop,Republic of ivor,Ronisado,Rtewig-empire,Sau anterstadisti,Seagull isles,Seas mur pacestroopia,Second gilead,Sengambom,Senia marnis,Serendipce,Siberian socialist republics,Smunkmephika,Smurf griddy,Sondrovia,South day thed,Spicefarm 9,Stopieland,Tankmanzed,Tchanscillador,The baltic lands,The followers of the southern star,The land of the free peeps,The merchants guild,The second syndicate,The socialist communist international,The Ultimate Leaf,The vangelotopia,Thon Bensarda,Thytrousersa,Tongui,Tqai,Trezariaa,Troens land,Tropikal,Twangy108,United federation of beans,Vistzerland,Vorolovka,Vrommiani,Waldoo,War Dogs DCXCIV,War Dogs DCXCV,War Dogs DCXCVI,Wasteckell,White palace,Whywhywhy2hy,Willi temna,WL Plate Islands,

    .

    Trading cards? What's that?

    The Northern Light wrote:

    Trading cards are NationStates' own trading card game. You can generate, trade, and collect cards representing other nations, with each card having its own rarity and value. There is a whole dedicated market where you can buy or sell cards, and compete to rise through the rankings for most valuable decks, as well as increase the value of your nation's own card. Or, you can simply create your own themed collections, e.g., your friends, enemies, regionmates, best flags, and anything else you can think of!

    Why should I start trading?

    Given that players from many regions (including The North Pacific, The West Pacific, The East Pacific, The Pacific, The Rejected Realms, 10000 Islands, and Texas, to name a few) have actively been involved with cards, deciding to get involved with this field will open players to an entirely new community to explore! (And yes, even game administrators, issues editors, and moderators are heavily active.) Of course, not just the wide-ranging community is to take note of, but you're also entitled to making a name for yourself, whether by collecting the most cards of a specific theme, achieving one of the most valuable decks to ever grace the leaderboard, possessing the most bank out of any player, or by becoming a philanthropist whom continues to serve as an example of pure generosity (people have actually done this in the past)!


    Whoa. Sounds cool! But how do I start?

    Each player has a (roughly) 20% chance to obtain a card pack from answering an issue. Answering these daily will reward you several packs, and the maximum you may store per nation is 9. You will know if you won a card pack by scrolling to the bottom of the screen right after answering an issue, as seen here:

    ... or by answering all your issues, going back to your nation's main page, and clicking on the card logo:

    ... in order to check whether you've won any packs! Each pack contains 5 cards, and some might already have bids placed on them. If you wish to quickly gain some cash, sell the card to that bidder, especially if said bid happens to be over junk value!

    Junking is the act of trashing your card (done by clicking on the card and pressing "junk"; note that cards from rare rarity and upwards will require confirmation before junking) in order to accumulate a set number of "junked bank". This varies by rarity, with commons yielding a junk value of 0.01 bank, uncommons a value of 0.05 bank, and so forth. Players typically do this in order to quickly generate bank (since selling a card at auction takes a minimum 1 hour) and instantly pay for a card. Do this if you're short on time!

    Of course, sometimes you won't immediately get a card you want. If you're caught in this situation, you are able to do the following: A) lodge a standing bid with the bank you have and wait for someone to notice, B) telegramming an owner of that card, or C) by posting on the card forum to have people quickly check whether they can sell a copy!

    Once you gain a card (whether from buying or simply opening packs), assuming you wish to actually keep the card (and not junk/sell it), you can then A) start a collection (done by clicking "Create a collection" at your nation's card page and adding cards to said collection) and/or B) view the cards you have in your deck, and you may even use deck filter buttons to narrow down the list of cards you possess in case you want to view specific ones!

    Finally, it's important to know that all nations possess an official deck limit for how many cards each nation may store. Once you reach said limit, you must consume a certain amount of bank in order to expand your current capacity, otherwise gifting becomes unavailable and your nation will be restrained from opening further packs (though you may still purchase more cards from auctions).

    Expanding your capacity increases by the squared exponent of every whole number (i.e. 1, 4, 9, 16, etc.), and purchasing the Site Supporter badge from the store grants you double the permitted capacity (along with doubling the capacity you gain each time your limit's expanded).

    To give you an idea, here is a table of the expansion costs for (both) regular users and Site Supporters (brought to you by Valentine Z):

    Without Site Supporter

    With Site Supporter

    Cost

    Cumulative Cost

    50

    100

    Automatically given to all players

    None

    100

    200

    1

    1

    150

    300

    4

    5

    200

    400

    9

    14

    250

    500

    16

    30

    300

    600

    25

    55

    350

    700

    36

    91

    400

    800

    49

    140

    450

    900

    64

    204

    500

    1000

    81

    285

    550

    1100

    100

    385

    600

    1200

    121

    506

    650

    1300

    144

    650

    700

    1400

    169

    819

    750

    1500

    196

    1015

    800

    1600

    225

    1240

    850

    1700

    256

    1496

    900

    1800

    289

    1785

    950

    1900

    324

    2109

    1000

    2000

    361

    2470

    The list goes on, naturally. Don't think that this is the maximum number of cards you can store!


    Any particular tools to help me trade?

    Yes, actually! There are several useful player-created features to utilize at your convenience:

    1. List of Cards in XML - Created by active code junkie and trader Ballotonia, this downloadable file contains an index for every single card in the game! In total, there are an estimated 180000 cards (per season), so use this list if you are aiming for a massive collection! [Note: it is highly advised that you download a text editor such as Sublime in order to better read this file.]

    2. Card Queries Page - Created by (another) code junkie + trader 1 very fast endotarter, this tool allows players to look up cards of a particular type, including card rarity, badge type, government type, and more. Use this if you don't feel like manually searching for what you need!

    3. Card Market Watch - Another creation by 1 very fast endotarter, this document serves to actively track the statistical data regarding the entire card market, including auction activity, every legendary's combined market value, the total amount of cards currently pullable, and just how generous the gifting has gotten; all of these are noted daily and recorded up to its date of creation (i.e. July 7, 2019).

    4. LinkGoldretriever-Web - Created by Java enthusiast Racoda (and inspired from the original version by Valentine Z), this open source application will (automatically) output the total amount of bank + deck value (along with, should you input the password for each nation, the number of unanswered issues and unopened packs) for each nation listed! As to how it's done, 1) go to the website, 2) input the name of your nation(s) (if you have multiple accounts, press the "Enter" key each time you list a nation's name to add new lines), and 3) press "Start". [Note: if you wish to also calculate the number of unanswered issues + unopened packs per nation, you must ensure that the mode is set to "Auto" to enable the feature and then list both the nation's name & password and separate the two with a comma.]

    5. NationStates Card Management Queue - Created by long-time user Anozia (and later expanded upon by traders Destructive Government Economic System and Racoda), this script utilizes the Tampermonkey extension (instructions on how to use the script + extension being found here) in order to allow many features, including 1) the saving of specific (or all, when using the Card Queries tool) cards to a queue for selling/gifting when needed, 2) the addition of a cards icon at the top of your nation's page (clicking on the icon will conveniently redirect you towards the deck page), and 3) the removal of the nation-name from Season 2 cards (when the lower half of the card is clicked) to allow full access to the flag appearance of the cards! [Note: the script version that you must use to access these features is within this post, as provided by Evrigenis.]

    6. Firefox Containers - This guide - written by code expert Racoda - goes over an extension specifically made for the Mozilla Firefox browser, with said extension allowing you to trade/farm cards on multiple tabs simultaneously! Racoda's guide may take a while to understand, but it will definitely prove to be one of the most beneficial tools if you plan on utilizing multiple nations for card purposes!

    Final thing, please note that using a script that automatically performs card-based actions (including answering issues to obtain card packs, placing bids/asks, or junking cards) has been ruled illegal, per Eluvatar's and [violet]'s respective announcements, so if you plan on developing any of these tools... you'll probably realize that none of the players will actually use them. Other than that, have fun with coding!


    Special thanks to Destructive Government Economic System for writing the entire guide!
    Read dispatch


    Marzo zingaro

    Nice guides

    Anarvolk No discussion about Politics is allowed in the RMB.
    The Holocaust is NOT debatable. Consider this your first warning.

    Say hello to The Pacific's newest residents: Kuyanosa, Sinjok dependent administrative region, Frosty empire, Kolestes, Somnifilia, Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon, Erezyaka

    This is an automated message.

    Gassian union

    The Gassian Union has transitioned to Nuclear Power, this is after Renewable energy has been accused of failing to deliver enough energy during the night and winter, when it is most needed.

    Gassian union wrote:The Gassian Union has transitioned to Nuclear Power, this is after Renewable energy has been accused of failing to deliver enough energy during the night and winter, when it is most needed.

    I feel like more nations need to embrace nuclear energy because it is super safe and far better than other options like coal and oil.

    Polinasia is ranked 113,165th in the world and 3,406th in the Pacific for Healthiest Citizens, with 2 bananas ingested per day.

    Looks like we are running out of Bananas to give! ;-;

    Dushina wrote:I feel like more nations need to embrace nuclear energy because it is super safe and far better than other options like coal and oil.

    Massive social stigma against it, because people are afraid it’ll become the next Chernobyl, even if it’s irrational.

    Gassian union

    Haven and Sanctuary wrote:Massive social stigma against it, because people are afraid it’ll become the next Chernobyl, even if it’s irrational.

    Bruh most modern Nuclear Reactors are unlikely to have a Chernobyl-like disaster. Also it would be helpful in replacing Russian gas.

    Haven and Sanctuary wrote:Massive social stigma against it, because people are afraid it’ll become the next Chernobyl, even if it’s irrational.

    Yeah that is the main problem with it, it sucks that innovative technologies get set back years by rare and preventable causes.

    Gassian union wrote:Bruh most modern Nuclear Reactors are unlikely to have a Chernobyl-like disaster. Also it would be helpful in replacing Russian gas.

    As I said, even if it’s irrational. If you tried calmly telling a crowd of people that, they wouldn’t believe you.

    Good morning RMB.

    Today, my classes start. I have Nanoscience and nanotechnology from 10 to 11, then International law from 1 to 2, then Quantum physics from 2:30 to 3:30

    True Europa State wrote:Good morning RMB.

    Today, my classes start. I have Nanoscience and nanotechnology from 10 to 11, then International law from 1 to 2, then Quantum physics from 2:30 to 3:30

    Good luck on becoming a robot lawyer..

    You guys haven't forgot me right?

    Dushina wrote:Good luck on becoming a robot lawyer..

    A robot lawyer that can transcend time, space, and physics

    True Europa State wrote:A robot lawyer that can transcend time, space, and physics

    And you might even have a chance at your own TV show.. I'm sure they need a pitch right now on Netflix or something.

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