The Macabees
13-05-2008, 22:01
[Note: Hey, everyone else has one. >_> ]
13 May, 2008
Greetings International Incidents,
In less than one month, on 12th June, I will have completed five years of role-playing on NationStates. Throughout those twelve years I have met more people worth tallying on this game, and with most of them I have had quite the pleasant experience. I have seen it all and done it all, including good role-plays,^1 bad role-plays, the world at war series, the NSDraftroom (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?act=idx), and much more. In my five years I have gone from writing with little imagination^2 to being a fairly good role-player, and from being a backwater nation to what I consider myself a fairly well-known player. Unfortunately, I did miss out on a lot of things, including the Amerigo-Slave War^3 and other role-plays which were completed before my time. Then again, I was fortunate enough to join when players such as Tahar Joblis,^4 Agnosticium,^5 and others were willing to role-play with newer nations such as myself. In fact, my desire to write long, detailed posts probably was borne from experiences in role-playing with Agnosticium during the 'world war series'. For example, World War XI is probably my 'turning point' in posting quality.
Since then, I have focused more on International Incidents and have had pleasant experiences with a number of role-players. Between 2005 and present I have formed a comfortable role-playing circle with other great writers such as: Stevid, Independent Hitmen, Athiesism,^6 Safehaven2,^7, Damirez, Space Union, Hailandkill, Mekugi and others which I have forgotten temporarily, and will be ashamed of when they speak up. Fortunately, this circle is still growing and may soon incorporate 'new' role-players, such as Vetaka, Yanitaria and Moorington.^8 I have had great experiences with players which may not consider themselves part of this 'circle' and may not want to be part of it, including: Automagfreek,^9 Questers/Hogsweat, Doomingsland, et cetera. All of these players, as indicated, have played their part in making my experience on NationStates so enjoyable. Because of them, I don't consider my five years on these forums as a 'waste of time' - and, for other reasons, as well, which are far more academic.
NationStates, in my humble opinion, has because the best game on the internet due to its versatility, making it enjoyable despite its age. It has outlived other games^10 and has kept its popularity, despite some fowl ups and its age, and will probably continue to do so until it ends its existance. I, personally, plan to remain in the community for quite some time. Regardless, on NationStates I have been able to write, debate, 'design weapons', discuss history and military strategy and draw. It's one of the few games that allows you to do one thing when you get bored of the other and still remain relevant to the game. On that note, it's one of the few games that you can't get bored of. As suggested by my timespan here, I have been playing NationStates through my last two years of high school [16 & 17 years of age], my first (hopefully) two years of university [18 & 19], my year of doing absolutely nothing [20] and will hopefully be around for my near future [perhaps the Spanish Army]. I haven't and have yet to be bored of NationStates and I think many players can share a common experience with me, in this respect. I have aluded to this above - NationStates has been an indisputable aid to my writing ability and my ability to think creatively, apart from Wikipedia.^11
Admittedly, 'older nations' - such as myself - are counterproductive when it comes to guiding 'newer nations' to role-playing well. This comes as a product of elitism, the lack of patience and the lack of care. In my opinion, this is a fault and it must be corrected. It must be noted that there are several role-players which are not like this, including Stevid, who do much to make this forum a much better place. Over the past months I have been attempting to guide myself to helping new players how to write better by actively role-playing with them, and the Fedala Accord was largely created with this in mind. Hopefully, over the next years I will accomplish this with much more success and perhaps persuade fellow colleagues to choose a similar path of thought. I hope to this through both International Incidents and the NSDraftroom, despite the latter's overbearing image as the nexus of elitism on NationStates - a reputation I had no interests in establishing, when I 'founded' the Draftroom.^12 Regardless, I think that the Draftroom has also done quite a bit in helping new members learn and expand creativity. Despite having an overbearing obsession with 'realism' (it is a design critique forum) it also suggests to new players to put more detail in their work. In the end, the effort one might learn to put in their write-ups is translated over to their role-plays; I can speak from personal experience.
These forums influence on my writing has allowed me to achieve partial success as a writer elsewhere, including a number of Draftroom Informatives (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=1515), AllEmpires (http://www.allempires.com) and even ARMOR Magazine. Hopefully, continuing writing on here and elsewhere I will be able to publish more in professional magazines on my one true love - history and military technology (specifically, tanks). But, despite my authorship elsewhere, NationStates remains the one true place I really enjoy writing in and I will never stop unless these forums cease to exist, no matter what level of 'success' I can reach in the future. I hope that this is a sense which many other people agree with me on, and hold true for themselves, as well.
In short, I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful experiences and time they have allowed me to have on these forums and in this game. I give my respect to those who have influenced me beyond recognition,
- Jon Catalán, the man behind 'The Macabees'
1. For example, A Passion Play (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=439156).
2. My original role-plays were huge directives, based on Hitler's directives during the Second World War; see: World War IX, Archives.
3. The Amerigo Slave War was perhaps one of the few large-scale role-plays which was actually completed, other than A Passion Play and others I might not know about.
4. Still present as the moderator 'TJHairball'.
5. Unfortunately, a deceased nation at this point.
6. Deceased.
7. Same situation as above.
8. Despite my categorization of these players as 'new', they have actually been role-playing for quite some time. In fact, I have had prior experience with Moorington in 'A Modern World'.
9. What happened to that role-play we were supposed to have? :confused:
10. Games like Starcraft excluded. :D
11. I no longer write for Wikipedia for a number of reasons, including the fact that the majority of my source material remains in the United States while I live in Madrid, and that I do no like my work edited. Notable articles that I have 'written', or at least contributed the majority of to, include: [url](featured), [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzer_I]Panzer I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-26) (good article), Ch'onma-ho (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%27onma-ho) (did you know?) & electrothermal-chemical technology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrothermal-chemical_technology) (did you know?). I may, at a future date, make an entry for the Verdeja light tank and the Leopard 2E when I have the time and patience, and work until they reach featured status.
12. The original Draftroom was founded by Sarzonia, and so credit for the idea must go to him, and only him.
13 May, 2008
Greetings International Incidents,
In less than one month, on 12th June, I will have completed five years of role-playing on NationStates. Throughout those twelve years I have met more people worth tallying on this game, and with most of them I have had quite the pleasant experience. I have seen it all and done it all, including good role-plays,^1 bad role-plays, the world at war series, the NSDraftroom (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?act=idx), and much more. In my five years I have gone from writing with little imagination^2 to being a fairly good role-player, and from being a backwater nation to what I consider myself a fairly well-known player. Unfortunately, I did miss out on a lot of things, including the Amerigo-Slave War^3 and other role-plays which were completed before my time. Then again, I was fortunate enough to join when players such as Tahar Joblis,^4 Agnosticium,^5 and others were willing to role-play with newer nations such as myself. In fact, my desire to write long, detailed posts probably was borne from experiences in role-playing with Agnosticium during the 'world war series'. For example, World War XI is probably my 'turning point' in posting quality.
Since then, I have focused more on International Incidents and have had pleasant experiences with a number of role-players. Between 2005 and present I have formed a comfortable role-playing circle with other great writers such as: Stevid, Independent Hitmen, Athiesism,^6 Safehaven2,^7, Damirez, Space Union, Hailandkill, Mekugi and others which I have forgotten temporarily, and will be ashamed of when they speak up. Fortunately, this circle is still growing and may soon incorporate 'new' role-players, such as Vetaka, Yanitaria and Moorington.^8 I have had great experiences with players which may not consider themselves part of this 'circle' and may not want to be part of it, including: Automagfreek,^9 Questers/Hogsweat, Doomingsland, et cetera. All of these players, as indicated, have played their part in making my experience on NationStates so enjoyable. Because of them, I don't consider my five years on these forums as a 'waste of time' - and, for other reasons, as well, which are far more academic.
NationStates, in my humble opinion, has because the best game on the internet due to its versatility, making it enjoyable despite its age. It has outlived other games^10 and has kept its popularity, despite some fowl ups and its age, and will probably continue to do so until it ends its existance. I, personally, plan to remain in the community for quite some time. Regardless, on NationStates I have been able to write, debate, 'design weapons', discuss history and military strategy and draw. It's one of the few games that allows you to do one thing when you get bored of the other and still remain relevant to the game. On that note, it's one of the few games that you can't get bored of. As suggested by my timespan here, I have been playing NationStates through my last two years of high school [16 & 17 years of age], my first (hopefully) two years of university [18 & 19], my year of doing absolutely nothing [20] and will hopefully be around for my near future [perhaps the Spanish Army]. I haven't and have yet to be bored of NationStates and I think many players can share a common experience with me, in this respect. I have aluded to this above - NationStates has been an indisputable aid to my writing ability and my ability to think creatively, apart from Wikipedia.^11
Admittedly, 'older nations' - such as myself - are counterproductive when it comes to guiding 'newer nations' to role-playing well. This comes as a product of elitism, the lack of patience and the lack of care. In my opinion, this is a fault and it must be corrected. It must be noted that there are several role-players which are not like this, including Stevid, who do much to make this forum a much better place. Over the past months I have been attempting to guide myself to helping new players how to write better by actively role-playing with them, and the Fedala Accord was largely created with this in mind. Hopefully, over the next years I will accomplish this with much more success and perhaps persuade fellow colleagues to choose a similar path of thought. I hope to this through both International Incidents and the NSDraftroom, despite the latter's overbearing image as the nexus of elitism on NationStates - a reputation I had no interests in establishing, when I 'founded' the Draftroom.^12 Regardless, I think that the Draftroom has also done quite a bit in helping new members learn and expand creativity. Despite having an overbearing obsession with 'realism' (it is a design critique forum) it also suggests to new players to put more detail in their work. In the end, the effort one might learn to put in their write-ups is translated over to their role-plays; I can speak from personal experience.
These forums influence on my writing has allowed me to achieve partial success as a writer elsewhere, including a number of Draftroom Informatives (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=1515), AllEmpires (http://www.allempires.com) and even ARMOR Magazine. Hopefully, continuing writing on here and elsewhere I will be able to publish more in professional magazines on my one true love - history and military technology (specifically, tanks). But, despite my authorship elsewhere, NationStates remains the one true place I really enjoy writing in and I will never stop unless these forums cease to exist, no matter what level of 'success' I can reach in the future. I hope that this is a sense which many other people agree with me on, and hold true for themselves, as well.
In short, I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful experiences and time they have allowed me to have on these forums and in this game. I give my respect to those who have influenced me beyond recognition,
- Jon Catalán, the man behind 'The Macabees'
1. For example, A Passion Play (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=439156).
2. My original role-plays were huge directives, based on Hitler's directives during the Second World War; see: World War IX, Archives.
3. The Amerigo Slave War was perhaps one of the few large-scale role-plays which was actually completed, other than A Passion Play and others I might not know about.
4. Still present as the moderator 'TJHairball'.
5. Unfortunately, a deceased nation at this point.
6. Deceased.
7. Same situation as above.
8. Despite my categorization of these players as 'new', they have actually been role-playing for quite some time. In fact, I have had prior experience with Moorington in 'A Modern World'.
9. What happened to that role-play we were supposed to have? :confused:
10. Games like Starcraft excluded. :D
11. I no longer write for Wikipedia for a number of reasons, including the fact that the majority of my source material remains in the United States while I live in Madrid, and that I do no like my work edited. Notable articles that I have 'written', or at least contributed the majority of to, include: [url](featured), [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzer_I]Panzer I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-26) (good article), Ch'onma-ho (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%27onma-ho) (did you know?) & electrothermal-chemical technology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrothermal-chemical_technology) (did you know?). I may, at a future date, make an entry for the Verdeja light tank and the Leopard 2E when I have the time and patience, and work until they reach featured status.
12. The original Draftroom was founded by Sarzonia, and so credit for the idea must go to him, and only him.