NationStates Jolt Archive

[first off, I'd like to note that, I realize this forum is suppose to be 'in-character' but this seems to be closest subforum to put this in]

Here's what I'm wondering, how should one go about developing a history and background for one's nation?

I've been interested in role-playing my nation, but I'm not sure how to develop my nation in preparation for role-playing, or even story telling. Earlier this year, for a political science project, we had to create a fictional nation, and it's various attributes, which, naturally, I did, but I'm not sure I did a very good job at it. To further complicate matters, I have been sort of hoping to have a nation with a more normal form of government, if only because I feel my system is rather...unrealistic.

My question to you is, how does one develop your nation(s) background? base on real history? Just make it up as you go along? No one cares so I should just shut up? (probably)

well, i dont know whether this helps, but i used my imagination for the majority of my nations backround story...you could try that, or, as you said, base it on history.

well, i dont know whether this helps, but i used my imagination for the majority of my nations backround story...you could try that, or, as you said, base it on history.

We'll I imagine I'd have to use my imagination to a degree, but I'm just curious, for example, how one would justify/validate, a king's claim to rule.

When I first created my nation I decided I wanted to base it on Communist Romania.

I decieded I wanted my nation to be a backwards isolated corner of europe and a tiny country wedged between Romania and Bulgaria.

Basically Bulgislavia was apart of romania till 1919 after world war 1 when it got independence. I actually havnt established a history for this period

I did establish that a pro nazi government was installed during world war 2 and then the Soviets liberated the country and installed a communist government in 1946 where a stalinist leader ruled from 1946-1959 where he died in a suspicious plane flight over soviet airspace. The party ruled jointly from 1959-1962 where a young firery stalinist was elected to rule where he led the country for 46 years

Bulgislavia survived the 1989 revolutions and famine occured in the country

The long serving leader died in a thread early this year in March after 46 years in power. He was succeeded by a reformist who after 2 months was ousted in a coup by stalinists where a psycotic husband and wife ruled over the country only to be toppled by foriegn forces 3 months later. A provisional government came to power but a civil war toppled them and Now new communists are in power and thats where they are today.

Your beginning thread could be like the corination of your new king or whatever in your independent country and from there threads can establish a history. Have you done a fact book for your country

So i guess my nations history and backstory is really based on real events. it just makes it easier in my opinion

[first off, I'd like to note that, I realize this forum is suppose to be 'in-character' but this seems to be closest subforum to put this in]

Here's what I'm wondering, how should one go about developing a history and background for one's nation?

In an attempt to give you slightly more constructive advice than Kjo...

How you frame your nation is entirely up to you. There are no standard frameworks, and just about any framework can be used so long as you can justify it.

My two nations perhaps represent one potential extreme of how to approach the issue.

The Archregimancy is a Orthodox Christian theocracy, loosely modelled on real life Mount Athos, and inhabited almost solely by several billion celibate male monks.

I get away with this because:

A) The Archregimancy is an autonomous province of the older and larger Holy Empire of Alasdair I Frosticus, and serves as a vast seminary for the latter nation.

B) Both the Archregimancy and the Holy Empire exist in the 'Dreamed Realm', a plane of existence outside of ordinary reality where reality is malleable, time is non-linear, space isn't necessarily three-dimensional, and not every citizen is necessarily a real person; both nations are constantly dreamed into existence by tens of thousands of praying monks.

There's more back story, but it essentially demonstrates how I've justified the clearly unreal parts of my nations through an elaborate and consistent back story.

Other nations have written several hundred years worth of highly-elaborate back story to justify their RPs. One of the more famous is Pantocratoria (use the search function to find some of his posts), whose nation is (simplifying hugely) a highly baroque linear descendent of the Byzantine Empire.

But many people get by with only a basic framework that may or may not tie into any real world example.

Many people try and maintain some sort of connection between RP and their front end Nationstates nation; many would find it hard to justify arguing that their nation is a totalitarian dictatorship when Nationstates is claiming that they are in fact a civil rights lovefest. But even that can be a matter of taste, and can also depend on who you're RP'ing with. Nations involved in war and diplomacy can sometimes place more of an emphasis on the NS nation than nations involved in sport.

In other words, go out there and have fun. You're only limited by your imagination.

The above post summed a lot of it up rather well. I'll simplify my response with 'it is what you make it'.

Your nation is how you write it, how you present it, and in many cases, how others perceive and receive it in rp.

Don't let it overwhelm you all at once - I don't think many came up with -everything- all at one time. Most of us have slowly developed and fleshed-out our nations as we've gone along, answered questions about it as they've come up, or been thought of, etc.

Start with an idea that appeals - at least one solid concept - and build on it from there, and I think you'll do just fine. Best of luck, hope you enjoy the play and have fun with the nation creation. :)

To expand on the previous comments, Check out the NSwiki (http://www.nswiki.net/index.php?title=Main_Page) (just click on the word NSwiki, It'll take you right to the main page) and just click on the nations tab at the top of the page and randomly pick some nations to view. Some won't have hardly anything written, some will have a few paragraphs or an entire page; while quite a few will have pages and sub-pages of history about their country. I think it'll give you an idea as to how in-depth you'd like to have your country's back-history and quite possibly give you some ideas as to how you'll create it. Like Dread Lady Nathicana said "it is what you make it".