[reploidproductions]
04-09-2003, 06:11
Rather than have two stickies clutter up the top of the board, I'm putting the info for both chats into one sticky thread =) Yay, no more people asking "Where's the chat room?"!
*ahem* Anyways, there are several different servers on which Nationstates IRC chats are held:
Gamesurge:
IRC SERVER: irc.gamesurge.net
Port:5555, 6666, 6667, 6668, 6669, 7000
#NationStates : For NS chat
#TheModCave : For contacting mods on short notice
irc://irc.gamesurge.net/#nationstates
irc://irc.gamesurge.net/#themodcave (emergency mod contact)
Rizon:
IRC server: irc.rizon.net
Ports: Presumably same as above and below
#nationstates : For NS chat
irc://irc.rizon.net/NationStates
Thead about it (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=592901)
Espernet:
IRC SERVER: irc.esper.net
Port:5555, 6666, 6667, 6668, 6669, 7000
#NationStates_General : For NationStates chat specifically for General forum posters
#Nationstates_Politics : For Real Life Political Discussion
#NationStates_Technical : The IRC equivelent of the Technical Forum
#NationStates_Underground: Started by California and Alaska, described as being something of a hybrid of
#unitednations : For discussion of UN related matters.
#NationStates_Diplomacy : For discussing international diplomacy
#InternationalLeadersLounge : For roleplay - recently reopened
#nationstates_rp : Another spinoff channel for roleplaying.
#sport : IC discussion about Nationstates sports, particular the World Cup series.
#internationalincidents : Channel for folks who frequent the International Incidents forum.
#nationstates_2: Channel for the discussion of the upcoming sequel to Nationstates. For those interested in serious discussion of NS2 topics, ideas, and other things.
#nationstates2: Basically the #nationstates_general for NS2. Also, the unofficial linux channel.
irc://irc.esper.net/#internationalincidents
irc://irc.esper.net/#internationalleaderslounge
irc://irc.esper.net/#nationstates_gameplay
irc://irc.esper.net/#nationstates_general
irc://irc.esper.net/#nationstates_outcasts
irc://irc.esper.net/#nationstates_politics
irc://irc.esper.net/#nationstates_rp
irc://irc.esper.net/#nationstates_technical
irc://irc.esper.net/#nationstates_underground
irc://irc.esper.net/#nationstates_2
irc://irc.esper.net/#nationstates2
irc://irc.esper.net/#ns
irc://irc.esper.net/#sport
For further assistance, I have an old FAQ (http://rpstudios.ian-justman.com/junk/how.html) that I wrote for another website that contains a very thorough walkthrough for mIRC.
Hopefully that covers everything =)
~Evil Empress [Rep Prod] the Forum God
Lookit! I found a way to keep my forum admin sig line rhyming like my game mod sig line! =D
Kaukolastan
26-08-2004, 07:55
K-stan's Handy-Dandy Disclaimer:
This thread is based upon the assumption that you will be participating in character-oriented, story-oriented, or story-style-combat role playing. As such, it is aimed at improving that genre of role play. If you prefer to run storefronts, numbers-based role play, or other forms of forum activity, you may find this guide of less importance.
Still, it could not hurt to read it, could it?
Quick and Easy Steps to Better Writing
You write and write and write, and no one cares, or they don't give good reviews. You're getting angry, you want more respect. Here's some easy steps to get an exponential improvement in RP quality, and therefore, in respect you get:
Write everything for an RP or story in MSWord, or OpenOffice, or some other good word processor. (I really recommend MSWord). This will correct spelling and grammar errors... at least most common ones.
Paragraph your works. The rules of paragraphing are simple: Change paragraphs with every topic, and change with every speaker. This means, that whenever someone new starts talking, you need to change paragraphs. Observe this made up scene: "Turn left!" Declared John, pointing to the map. "I think the restaurant is over there."
"I can't see it in this fog!" Stated Bob as he leaned over the wheel.
"So, how about those gas prices?"
"What about 'em?"
"They're high." This may seem to stretch a post out, but it greatly improves readability, and adds a professional look to your posts. This is one of the least used and most abused mechanics rule in NS.
DON'T WRITE IN CAPS IN AN RP. Writing in all capitals is a bad technique. Instead, use italics to emphasize a point. You type "[ i ]" to start an italic style, and "[ /i ]" to end it (without the quotes, obviously, and no spaces). In this way, the word "big" becomes big. This is much nicer to read.
When typing a character's thoughts, put them in italics, and treat them like dialogue when it comes to paragraphing. This means, whenever you change speakers, or "thinkers" in this case, you need to change paragrpahs. An example: Since the italics command "i" did not work, I substituted the bold command "b". In normal writing, use italics instead of bold.
The commander turned from the window. So, it is done, then? His fist clenched. All is lost now, and we cannot save this dying world.
This is allowed, because only one character, the commander, has thought dialogue.
The door behind him opened. "Sir?" the officer asked. "Do you have an order?"
When another character, the officer, speaks, the paragraph changes.
"Pull the fleet back." Damnit, we have to retreat. The commander turned back to the window. "We need to regroup."
The commander can both speak and think in the same paragraph, as it still one character having dialogue.
In his mind, he felt the tingle, the psychic call from his bonded partner. You have failed us.
No, I have not. I shall return here, victorius.
You had better.
Like spoken dialogue, mental dialogue changes paragraphs with each new "speaker".
Do not abbreviate in your writings. The phrase "et cetera" is not just "etc". Absolutely, do not put "u"... write "you", and so on.
Do not use numbers. If you need to say "13", type "thirteen". Disclaimer on this at bottom of Advanced Section.
Never, ever, ever, put chat-speak into your writings. Keep "LOL" and "WTF" in your chats.
The exception to this rule is titles and proper names. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration can be called NASA, and America Online Instant Messenger can be called AIM. The Secretary of State could be SecState, and so on. If the abbreviation is commonly used as the name, such as these listed, or NSA for National Security Agency, then it can be abbreviated.
On "I": whenever the word "I", as in self, appears in writing, it is capitalized.
Seperate OOC (Out of Character) and IC (In Character) statements. Notate your writing as such: OOC: Where did those tanks come from, Kaukolastan? I thought you didn't even have armored divisions left!
IC: The thunder of the tanks treads shook the ground... <insert huge post here> ... The guns thundered.
OOC2: If you goofed, just ignore this post, and we'll do something else. If not, this is my response.
Dividing topics. This is pretty simple. If you have a post, and you have to cover multiple topics, such as explaining about two characters, miles apart, you need to make this clear. An easy way to shift the focus of a post is to do insert a break with "****", "----", or just about any string of characters. It would look like this:The fires in Alexinberg were raging, and they showed no sign of stopping. The sirens... <this goes on for however long>.
---------------------------------------------------------
Thompson stepped off the bus into New Kerindan, looking at the glint of the city towers... <this continues>.
Now, if you really want to be spiffy, you can add "media tags" that give away the location, like the text at the bottom of the screen in a TV show: Alexinberg
0600 Hours
The fires in Alexinberg were raging, and they showed no sign of stopping. The sirens... <this goes on for however long>.
---------------------------------------------------------
New Kerindan
0700 Hours
Thompson stepped off the bus into New Kerindan, looking at the glint of the city towers... <this continues>.
Do not put smileys into IC posts. Your president, warlord, or Joe Blow the Dock worker is not going to turn to his confidante and proudly state, " :D " or " :cool: ", much less " :mp5: " or " :sniper: ".
Please, only you can stop the smiley whoring.
Please God, stop the uber-signatures. There is nothing more distracting in an RP than this kind of post:
IC: I oppose this research.
----------------------------
LOOK I HAVE A SIGNATURE!
IT'S SO HUGE!
HERE, HOW ABOUT SOME SMILEYS?
:mp5: :sniper: :sniper: :mp5:
HERE'S SOME LINKS:
www.somethingawful.com
www.theonion.com
I LOVE ALL CAPS! I HAD AN APPLE FOR BREAKFAST!
MY FAVORITE BOOK:
"Call me Ishmael... <insert entire contents of Moby Dick here>"
Please, keep your signature down to one or two lines. A lot of RPers, even good ones, have the never-ending signatures, and it's really annoying.
A note on signatures. Underneath "Additional Options" - "Miscellaneous Options" you have the choice to:
[x]Show your signature
[x]Automatically parse links in text
[x]Disable smilies in text
If you must keep the uber-signature, make sure you uncheck "show your signature" when posting in RP's.
On quoting: Quoting is good, but don't quote the entire content of a three page post. Rather, just quote the post, delete the insides, and replace it with "-snip-" or some other phrase, and reply to it.
Trouble Words
-They're = Contraction of "They Are": "They're turning left."
-Their = Possive of "They": "Their accomplishments make them proud."
-There = Location: "Go over there."
-To = Preposition: "Take this road to the fork."
-Too = Adverb, giving degree: "There is too much here."
-Two = Number: "There are two of them."
-Your = Possessive of "You": "Is this your dress?"
-You're = Contraction of "You Are": "You're a moron."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advanced Section: More Depth Available Here
On Apostrophes
The loveable apostrophe (') is used to show possession and to create contractions, where two words are combined into one. Here's some examples:
Contractions
They would = They'd
He would = He'd
She would = She'd
It would = It'd
They will = They'll
He will = He'll
She will = She'll
It will = It'll
They have = They've
He has = He's
She has = He's
It has = It's
Can not = Can't
Is not = Isn't
Has not = Hasn't
Have not = Haven't
Will not = Won't
Would have = Would've
Could have = Could've
Now, this does not (doesn't) cover all the contraction, but it is (it's) more than enought to get the point across. When typing formally, try to avoid using contractions, but they are perfectly fine inside of character-dialogue.
(As a little note, using contractions in writing is one of my personal bad habits, so if you want to go dig up some and embarass me in this thread with my own screw-ups, go right ahead. ;) )
Possessives
For most nouns, simply adding 's is enough to show possession.
Jacob = Jacob's
Susie = Susie's
Spot = Spot's
Spots (plural of "spot") = Spots'
With the plural noun, the apostrophe came after the s, not before it.
NOTE: Pronouns are different.
He = His
She = Hers
They = Their(s)
It = Its
Who and Whom
When dealing with "who" and "whom", remember that "who" is the subject, while "whom" is the Direct Object. In other word, "who" commits and action, while "whom" receives the action. For example:
“Now, who carried that vase?” Here, ‘who’ is the subject as ‘who’ is carrying the vase.
“Now, he carried whom?” Here, ‘whom’ is the direct object; ‘he’ is carrying ‘whom.’
“Whose vase is this?” Here, ‘whose’ is being used as a possessive; ‘who’ owns the vase.
Prepositions
Prepositions are words that indicate a relation between the object they refer to, and the verb. These include words such as"to" and "at". They are used as such:
"Drive to the store." Here, "to" gives a direction on where to drive.
"Take a turn at the light." Again, the preposition "at" indicates a location.
In general, it is bad form to end a sentence in a preposition, such as:
BAD:
"Where did you come from." The preposition "from" is ending the sentence.
CORRECTED:
"From where did you come?" This sounds odd, but it is more grammatically correct. Most people, however, do not talk like this, so in-character dialogue is fine in the "bad" form.
A Note on This "Rule":
-The rule of not ending sentences in a preposition was invented as a parallel to Latin, and is actually more of a tradition. Some phrases, written "correctly" are quiet stilted, such as Winston Churchill's famous statement: This is the sort of English up with which I cannot put.
Obviously, then, some degree of adjustment must be made.
Disclaimer on the Numbers
As I mentioned earlier, you should type out numbers instead of writing the numerals. This will never be wrong. There is some argument about what the cut-off is for having to write out the word form (go ahead and read the thread to see all the theories). If you choose to take the easy way and simply write a numeral string, please remember that characters will never speak in numbers. That is, no matter how large a number may be, it must be written out in dialgue. For example:
61,320 soldiers waited. - OKAY
"Sir, we have 61,320 soldiers waiting!" - NO NO NO
"Sir, we have sixty-one thousand, three hundred twenty soldiers waiting." - OKAY
Remember, it is always better looking to write it out, unless you're making an OOC list.
Beyond Mechanics: Writing Style
Once you've mastered the mechanics of writing, you can hit the aesthetics. This is where the slag and steel comes apart, so don't worry about this unless you already know how to convey your points effectively. This is probably more important than just mechanics, but without the mechanics under command, good style would be just like trying to run a Corvette with a Model T engine.
Showing, not Telling.
When you wish to convince your readers of a scene or character, don't just state the situation or status. Instead, paint a picture of what's happening.
This is "telling": Harry is an evil person.
This is "showing": Harry watched quietly as the woman thrashed in the water. He counted silently in his head until she reached the surface again.
"Oh my God!" cried a man passing by. "She's drowning! Aren't you going to help her?"
Harry turned and favored the man with an icy glare. "Why should I? What's she ever done for me?"
Which of these two scenes is going to convince the reader that Harry is indeed a bad person?
Painting the Scene.
The correct use of descriptive words can create a much more potent scene than simply rote action. Take this scene, for instance:
Basic Action: John looked outside. It was snowing. John decided to put on a sweater before he left for work.
Expanded Scene: The snow was quickly blanketing the ground, and the simple thought of it made John shiver. Perhaps his father was right. Working outdoors did have its disadvantages. Still, John could never imagine himself behind a desk, wasting his life away filling out forms and generally pushing papers. Throwing on a sweater while banking on the false hope that it wouldn't be cold in the freezing winds, John ventured out into the wilderness, locking his front door behind him.
Once again, the difference is quiet obvious, and doesn't take that long to do. (Steel Butterfly, who contributed this, claims to have written the long scene in under five minutes.) A small investment of time will pay off greatly.
Over-stating
It is possible to overdo your description. This scene speaks for itself.It is clear from the haunted look in the man's burning eyes that he has studied and mastered the dark arts of magick, and his eyes burn darkly.
-Taken without permission from Elf Only Inn, then taken from Treznor with implied permission.
There is such a thing as too much, when it gets redundant.
TLC
Give your posts tender-love-and-care. It will show.
Euroslavia
24-02-2005, 16:55
The Nationstates Forum
NOTE: Discussion of the other stickies can continue on in their original threads, listed below.
Announcements
Regional Recruitment topics belong in GAMEPLAY, not NationStates! (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=416470)
Other Nationstates Stickies
Nationstates IRC Chat (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=278619)
Want More Respect on the Forums? (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=352036)
The Officially Big NationStates Ship Comparison Chart™ (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=395472)
Roleplaying Suggestions! (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=406680)
The Nationstates Forum (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=400312)
The Nationstates Forum, in a lot of respects, is very different from the other RP'ing forum, International Incidents. In here, you'll find more individual RP's, fantasy RP's, space RP's, diplomatic RP's, etc. There are a few similarities, such as wars, alliances, and that sort of thing.
Nationstates Orientation!
If you're new to NS, check this thread out first. It'll give you an idea on where to start, and the many things that you can do while you're here.
Nationstates Orientation (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=398818)
For a more detailed listing of the RP's that take place in the Nationstates forum, check this out, and feel free to add your own!
[NationStates RolePlay Guide and Listing] (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=8312730#post8312730)
For information on various parts of NS' history, both regional play and RP, check out...
A Brief History of Everything (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=297680)
The Many Kinds of RP's in NS
Good RP's
Fantasy RP's-
An Inquiry into the Nature of Vampirism (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=397032)
Another thread that isn't finished, but is a very good read. The author is Akaton, which has proven to be a very good RP'er in fantasy aspects. Also noted is Tarlachia, who is also known for their amazing fantasy RP's.
The Moment of Silence... (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=375470)
This RP isn't finished yet, but Tarlachia and Reformed Velmora are the main RP'ers in this thread. They are two of the best RP'ers in the NS Forum, of Fantasy RP's.
Assington Vampires III: Underworld (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=357294)
Assington's RP is well organized, describing each of the characters in the beginning, so that everyone else can understand what is going on. This RP is very well written.
Xenos Flare (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=370173)
The author is Kaukolastan. This RP, which also includes Imitora, is another of the extremely well written fantasy stories.
War RP's-
Dissension of a Weary Core (Steel Butterfly Civil War: Part 3) (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=334413)
Steel Butterfly is one of the best RP'ers that we've seen here in the NationStates forum. Also noted is Tappee and Canada-Germany, who RP'ed this thread with Steel Butterfly. If you're interested in getting ideas for your own civil war, I suggest reading this one.
Diplomacy-Related RP's-
Coronation, Carnivale, and Chicanery (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=358706)
Dread Lady Nathicana is a political superpower in the very least. Her diplomacy skills are almost impossible to match, whether she wants to admit it or not. This thread is a definite read for those of you who are new to the NS forum, or the game itself.
Space RP's-
Rock the Casbah (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=393259)
This RP isn't finished yet, but its a good read so far. Lunatic Retard Robots is the author of this Space RP, as he is known as one of the better space RP'ers in NS.
Horror RP's-
Realm of the Risen II: Angel's Holocaust (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=7827049)
Another RP by Steel Butterfly. This is the second RP in the series. Horror RP's tend to come around in spurs, in the NS forum. This thread is a very good read!
Western RP's-
A Saloon Story (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=382301)
One of the few Western RP's out there. It's a very interesting read and stacked with some amazing RP'ers.
Miscellaneous RP's-
Ladies of Nationstates Underwear Auction (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=304232)
This couldn't exactly fit under any of the other categories, but hey, its a good read for anyone. :)
And indeed, Ladies of Nationstates Panty Auction!! Rare goods! (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=383718)
Table of Contents
A. Helpful Threads for Your Military
B. Official Lists
C. Miscellaneous Threads
D. NationStates DoGa Contests
E. NS National News Networks
F. NS Factbooks
G. Alliances/Pacts/Associations
H. Helpful Offsite Threads
I. NS Sports
Helpful Threads for Your Military
The Officially Big NationStates Ship Comparison Chart™ by Knootoss
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=395472
The many ships of NS! Check this thread out to compare and contrast, and choose which one you like better!
Economy, Militaries, and Invasions - More things to know by CSJ
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=297064
CSJ put together quite a guide for everyone about your nations economy, the titles, and what they mean, and what you should know about the military and invasions. Check it out, it's very well written!
Things you should know about aircraft by CSJ
http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=322078
There are certain things that everyone should know about aircraft, and exactly how they work. Check this out if you plan on having some good air force battles.
Some things you should know about tanks by CSJ
http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=288671
Again, there are things that everyone should know about tanks and exactly how they run. It describes the armor, weapons, special features, and the future of tanks.
Some info on naval vessels by CSJ
http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=292413
Very detailed description of speed, conventional vs. nuclear, displacement, battleships in modern times, and extra links to other sites for information.
What Logistics Is… by The Evil Overlord
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=275828
Looks at the realistic way of things when it comes to your military and war. Very good read for those of you who want to get involved in a lot of wars, or for those of you who don't know much about the military.
Making a Military
http://www.geocities.com/thecitizensdefencealliance/making_a_military.html
Spacetech- Orbital Mechanics by The Evil Overlord
http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=278778
Descriptive piece by TEO about satellites, how to shoot them down, the planets orbit, and launching out of Earth's orbit, into space.
[un]Official Lists
.::The New Official List of National Leaders::.
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=327933
Official List of National Capitals
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=351543
List of Nations' Web Domain Extensions (TLDs)
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=382149
The NationStates Complete Encyclopedia
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=346486
Miscellaneous Threads
On power and wank [A theory of NationStates] by Knootoss
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=369284
Good suggestions on how to avoid over-wanking, and how making yourself look too powerful can ruin your reputation.
Diplomacy FAQ
http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=274640
Everything you need to know about diplomacy is right here.
Any Way in Which You Would Not Ignore Nukes in War (OOC Thread)
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=348674
Many nations describe exactly why they ignore nukes in war, and what could happen to make a nuclear attack legitimate so that they wouldn't ignore it.
The NS-related software and spreadsheet thread
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=372637
Here's a helpful guide for GDP calcs, election generators, and military calcs, as well as score generators for Sports RP's.
Species Catalogue
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=396063
There are many species within the NS universe. Here's a guide to some of them, so far.
NationStates History (Major Wars)
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=5626417&postcount=3
Here is a description of the major wars that have engulfed NS, as a whole.
2004 Writing Challenge
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=373695
A writing challenge took place in 2004, with a limit of 5,000 words. There are some amazing short stories in here that you should check out!
NSWiki!
http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
NSWiki is still growing at an enormous rate. Create a page for your nation, your region, and anything else you think would help! Make sure though, that everything is at a neutral perspective, and be sure to check out ways that you can help the site out.
International Mall
http://s6.invisionfree.com/International_Mall/index.php?
A massive Mall of storefronts. Register yourself here, and purchase whatever you would like.
NationStates DoGa Contests
The first official NationStates DoGa Contest!
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=365987
The second [un]official NationStates DoGa Contest!
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=373564
The third [un]official NationStates DoGa Contest!
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=379408
The fourth [un]official NationStates DoGa Contest!
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=395947
The fifth official Nationstates DoGa Contest!
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=414344
[u]NS National News Networks
Iraqstan
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=275662
NS Factbooks
Aztec National League, The- http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=281681
Chimaea- http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=306324
Infantry, The- http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=381928
Krioval- http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=395359
Resquide- http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=387758
Serenity State- http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=382706
Tarlachia- http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=378209
Twelve Colonies, The- http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=388733
Alliances/Pacts/Associations
International Alliance of Defense Forces (IADF)
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=396876
AEGIS Pact
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=396132
Interplanetary Defense Pact
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=337905
The Trade Network Association
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=392054
S.P.E.C.T.R.E.
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=387582
The Empire of One
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=382268
The Triumvirate of Yut
http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=5033004&postcount=1
Non-Democratic Alliance
http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=277559
Knootian International Stabilization Treaty
http://s7.invisionfree.com/KIST/index.php
Helpful Offsite Threads
Global Security
www.GlobalSecurity.org
Resources on all the military/intel stuff you can think of.
The CIA World Factbook
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
The title speaks for itself. Learn more about RL nations, and come up with ideas for your own NS factbook!
Federation of American Scientists
http://www.fas.org/main/home.jsp
More RL resources, in this case what could be classified as Near-Future tech.
Nationmaster
http://www.nationmaster.com/
Compare RL nations' statistics on almost anything you can think of, from agriculture to military.
Modern Firearms & Ammunition
http://world.guns.ru/main-e.htm
Has plenty of technical info for Firearms and Ammunition.
MILAVIA - Military Aviation
http://www.milavia.net/home.htm
Reports and images of military airplanes and forces.
Haze Gray & Underway
http://www.hazegray.org/
Historical and current information and pictures about naval military.
[u]NS Sports
Firstly: How do you get scores for NS Sports? (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=384722)
Consolidated NS Sport thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=8302961#post8302961)