NationStates Jolt Archive

Given that www.nationstates.net has been around for just over a year an a half now, we can probably say that it is one of the big internet success stories of recent times with hundreds of thousands of users (potentially a million by end of 2004? Who knows?).

Thus I was just interested in trying to find out how this thing has really developed in my capacity as a social and political researcher (and Nationstates addict)- so I'd just like to find out:

1) Has anyone met and made new friends because of the Nationstates game and forums? Has anyone even found romance with another Nationstates player?

2) Has anyone's political beliefs been influenced by forum topics; has it affected how your nation acts? Have things said in the forums actually made you question your own values or have they reinforced them? This question is to find out how things said by someone who might be thousands of miles away can directly influence a person's behaviour, and what dichotomies (oor err long word) have resulted, so if something someone has said has really riled you, does it influence how you play the game and what you look for in the forums?

3) What topics draw your attention? Do you go for an interesting headline, something topical and relevant to that day's news events? Do you look for postings by another user whose views you are familiar with or whom you know personally? Have 'cliques' of like-minded posters appeared on the forums or is any topic open to the views of anyone?

4) In the game itself, have you remained within the default region (The South Pacific) or moved to another? Or have you created your own regions? Why?

5) When choosing options in 'issues', do you deliberately choose the option that matches your own beliefs closest, or do you just play to make your economy, civil rights and political freedoms strong? Do you feel bad when your nation doesn't make the top 10 'world rankings'?

6) How many countries so far have Nationstates players? The USA, UK, Canada are obviously well represented- but any Venezuelans or Mauritanians, for example? Meanwhile, have any country's net censorship laws stopped anyone from accessing Nationstates or the forums?

7) What's the best thing (in your opinion) about this site? Is there a future for Nationstates?

Im not so sure anymore.

Ive been playing since May of last year,a nd these days im seeing my region struggling to keep 50 people in it.
Even the hard core players are simply losing interest.
There just isnt enough to keep them entertained.

Poll vote: "I'm new here" (less than a month)

1)No

2)No (don't browse the forum much, just check the "hot topics" listed in the main site's nav)

3)Interesting headlines

4)Created my own region for me and my friends to play in.

5)Choose options that match my own beliefs

6)USA player

7)Deciding on issues is the best thing about this site. NationStates has a future, but is in some serious need of upgrades, including features, server capacity, and instructions.

Poll vote: "I'm new here" (less than a month)

1)No

2)No (don't browse the forum much, just check the "hot topics" listed in the main site's nav)

3)Interesting headlines

4)Created my own region for me and my friends to play in.

5)Choose options that match my own beliefs

6)USA player

7)Deciding on issues is the best thing about this site. NationStates has a future, but is in some serious need of upgrades, including features, server capacity, and instructions.

Poll: 3months today, I believe.

1. I would say I met new friends, but no romance as of yet.

2. Influenced, but not dramatically altered. More refined. Things do really get me angry, and I'll generally type out a hasty flame ridden response, but usually I'll not send it at the last second.

3. Every topic draws my attention, particularly political.

4. I created my own region.

5.Matches my own beliefs.

6. GB player.

7. There can be a very strong future for NS, probably more so when we are on Jolt. I think many people stay away from the forums because of the difficulties. I don't have a firm favourite thing about this site, but it is a tie between the political discussions, and the RP'ing.

Im new here.

1) Has anyone met and made new friends because of the Nationstates game and forums?

I have met people who are friendly, I havent really been here long enough for them to be friends.

2) Has anyone's political beliefs been influenced by forum topics; has it affected how your nation acts?

Ive seen a few stupid posts (namely one today about someone saying they are going to kill billions of people in the name of Christianity) and some interesting ones, but life changing? No.

3) What topics draw your attention?

Wars! I like the politics surrounding them as well as the strategy involved. They are also generally interesting RPs

4) In the game itself, have you remained within the default region (The South Pacific) or moved to another?

I moved to Democratica. I dont know why really. Its not very active so I might leave.

5) When choosing options in 'issues', do you deliberately choose the option that matches your own beliefs closest, or do you just play to make your economy, civil rights and political freedoms strong? Do you feel bad when your nation doesn't make the top 10 'world rankings'?

I play for the RPing and all of the politicis that surround it.

6) How many countries so far have Nationstates players? The USA, UK, Canada are obviously well represented- but any Venezuelans or Mauritanians, for example? Meanwhile, have any country's net censorship laws stopped anyone from accessing Nationstates or the forums?

Errr... my schools net censorship rules prevent me from looking at storefronts at school.

7) What's the best thing (in your opinion) about this site? Is there a future for Nationstates?

RPing and the way it is inter-meshed with the original game. Of course there's a future! With this many players it wouldnt be allowed to close down.

1) Has anyone met and made new friends because of the Nationstates game and forums?

Not in RL.

2) Has anyone's political beliefs been influenced by forum topics; has it affected how your nation acts?

Yes, I went from further right than Bush to an anarchist.

3) What topics draw your attention?

Political or sexual ones.

4) In the game itself, have you remained within the default region (The South Pacific) or moved to another?

I have moved to Anarchy

5) When choosing options in 'issues', do you deliberately choose the option that matches your own beliefs closest, or do you just play to make your economy, civil rights and political freedoms strong? Do you feel bad when your nation doesn't make the top 10 'world rankings'?

Choose based on my beliefs.

6) How many countries so far have Nationstates players? The USA, UK, Canada are obviously well represented- but any Venezuelans or Mauritanians, for example? Meanwhile, have any country's net censorship laws stopped anyone from accessing Nationstates or the forums?

My school doesn't seem to censor this site.

7) What's the best thing (in your opinion) about this site? Is there a future for Nationstates?

Number of people to talk to.

-----------------------------------------
"But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality."
Free your mind! (http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/bright/berkman/comanarchism/whatis_toc.html)
I like big butts!

http://www.angelfire.com/mo3/terrapvlchra/images/steatopygia.jpg

Hmmm.... interesting.....

1.) No, not in RL. I have one friend who plays NS that I know of, though, none have been found via Nation States that I've met in person.

2.) No. Maybe minor semantic things, but, on the bigger scale, nothing

3.) Political topics, and sports if they appear. I'll also check out the randomly named topics that could be anything, I stay away from the spam though.

4.) I've been in Paradoxia, where a group of posters from another Forums (Paradox Entertainment forums) are, and we actually have two regions - Paradoxia and Eutopia, although Paradoxia is the new and more active one. I'm also in TheGulch, because I like the people there.

5.) I usually match my own beliefs. Occasionally I won't, since obviously the game takes things a bit more extreme than you would, and there's not that many choices - often between a few extremes. My economy generally stays in the top two, while my Civil Rights and Political Rights fluctuate anywhere between Excellent/Very Good to Below Average, depending on what issues I get. Sometimes I even curb my rights down in order to get back to a Capitalist Paradise, since I can't stand being an Inoffensive Centrist Democracy or a New York Times Democracy.

6.) From the USA.

7.) The forums.

Hmm I been here 11 months, today. June 1 would be 12 :roll:

1)I made new friends online. No one that I met in real life

2)I've learned alot from reading general threads 8)

3)Depends...

4)I've done it all. Made new regions, stood in some regions, moved, moved, moved again...

5)For old issues, I change it all the time. For new I choose the ones that match my beliefs. I could care less about rankings :P

6)I don't know :?

7)Uh........I don't know.

Only one from 2002 that voted? Damn I feel isolated now....

1) i've made friends but no romances

2) my beliefs have stayed roughly the same

3) I usually only posts in the humor topics in the general forum

4) I created my own becuase I have my own views on how to best run a region.

5) I mostly chose what i believe. But every once in a while i like to pat the stats.

6) not that i know of

7) The best part is the online community that connected with your nation.
Yes, there is definately a future for nationstates.

1) Has anyone met and made new friends because of the Nationstates game and forums? Has anyone even found romance with another Nationstates player?

Yes, I have made several friends on NS, and yes, indeed, I have found this so-called romance with another NS player. *chuckles*

2) Has anyone's political beliefs been influenced by forum topics; has it affected how your nation acts? Have things said in the forums actually made you question your own values or have they reinforced them? This question is to find out how things said by someone who might be thousands of miles away can directly influence a person's behaviour, and what dichotomies (oor err long word) have resulted, so if something someone has said has really riled you, does it influence how you play the game and what you look for in the forums?

Yes, political beliefs have influenced my thoughts. I rejected the notion that gay marriage should be forbidden, I began accepting socialism (though not much more than gov't owning several industries). Otherwise, no, and I've let my own opinions be voiced out here. Right-wing propoganda riles me. :P

3) What topics draw your attention? Do you go for an interesting headline, something topical and relevant to that day's news events? Do you look for postings by another user whose views you are familiar with or whom you know personally? Have 'cliques' of like-minded posters appeared on the forums or is any topic open to the views of anyone?

I tend to load up topics discussing Kerry vs. Bush, and that sort of thing. I don't really know anyone personally here anymore, so I'm not affected by the thing that would make others click on their friend's links.

4) In the game itself, have you remained within the default region (The South Pacific) or moved to another? Or have you created your own regions? Why?

I can't rightly remember the region from whence I came (I founded this nation in 02-October-2003), but I have moved around many times, and I have settled back in The South Pacific, a region that I've been at many times, and which I now consider my home.

5) When choosing options in 'issues', do you deliberately choose the option that matches your own beliefs closest, or do you just play to make your economy, civil rights and political freedoms strong? Do you feel bad when your nation doesn't make the top 10 'world rankings'?

I deliberately choose the options that match my beliefs closest, though often times I find it hard to choose between two choices, and that is when certain conflicting sides of me both come out. Also, I've never been at the top 10, nor do I believe that I will, so I don't take concern in that.

6) How many countries so far have Nationstates players? The USA, UK, Canada are obviously well represented- but any Venezuelans or Mauritanians, for example? Meanwhile, have any country's net censorship laws stopped anyone from accessing Nationstates or the forums?

I wonder that myself.

7) What's the best thing (in your opinion) about this site? Is there a future for Nationstates?I would say that the best things are the forums, mainly because I don't take much interest in anything else. I don't RP, and I don't do inter-regional politicks. (I spelled it with a 'k' on purpose.) I believe that there is a future for NationStates, and the outlook is good, because of the move to Jolt. Also, I can't wait for NS2. And as soon as I can obtain a Paypal account or other, I'd pay for it.

And that's my £0.02... err, $0.02 to this topic. (Ich bin ein American.)

I am coming up on one year soon.

1.I have met a few poeple I call friends here, and I met the Love of my life here.

2.My political beliefs haven't been changed. I have been exposed to some more extemist beliefs.

3.What draws my attention are the humorous topics mostly, and those that I have a direct opinion on. I am not very political, but what opinions I have, I tend to hold strongly.

4. I have largely remained in Hell, however I have spent time in other regions, usually to help out some friends prevent region crashing. I have also had puppets in various places.

5. I chose my options as I would running a nation in the real world (for Big Jim P) and dismiss them for my puppets. I don't worry about my rankings too much.

6.USA, so I can't help there. One of the thing I like about Ns and the Internet in general is being exposed to different cultures around the world. I get plenty of American opinion/culture. To me, it is interesting interacting with Different cultures and beliefs.

7. The best thing about NS (other than what I said Above)? I would say, now, Is watching the New Players doing the same things I did when I first started. We were ALL n00bs at one time.

Hail Satan!
Jim

1) Has anyone met and made new friends because of the Nationstates game and forums? Has anyone even found romance with another Nationstates player?

I have made quite a few friends in my time here (roughly13.5 months) and yes, even found romance, although it didn't last.

2) Has anyone's political beliefs been influenced by forum topics; has it affected how your nation acts? Have things said in the forums actually made you question your own values or have they reinforced them? This question is to find out how things said by someone who might be thousands of miles away can directly influence a person's behaviour, and what dichotomies (oor err long word) have resulted, so if something someone has said has really riled you, does it influence how you play the game and what you look for in the forums?

My political and economic philosohpy has changed radically over the course of my time here. I've been influenced both by other forum members and by reading I have done independently of NationStates but inspired by conversations I've had here. There have been a few instances where single conversations have had a profound effect on my behavior and the behavior of my nation, though in the end I've maintained a pretty steady trend throughout.

3) What topics draw your attention? Do you go for an interesting headline, something topical and relevant to that day's news events? Do you look for postings by another user whose views you are familiar with or whom you know personally? Have 'cliques' of like-minded posters appeared on the forums or is any topic open to the views of anyone?

Pretty much every topic interests me as long as the people in it are willing to think, which is a depressing rarity around here sometimes. I would say that people definitely group themselves based on ideologies within forum conversations. Many people go into discussions with a side chosen and with expected allies and enemies and are unwilling to change their stance to create compromise or to argue against an "allies" point of view even if they disagree with it.

4) In the game itself, have you remained within the default region (The South Pacific) or moved to another? Or have you created your own regions? Why?

I created my own region both as a place where people I know in person can come and hang out and as a way to create a political unit for the socioeconopolitical ideology I subscribe to.

5) When choosing options in 'issues', do you deliberately choose the option that matches your own beliefs closest, or do you just play to make your economy, civil rights and political freedoms strong? Do you feel bad when your nation doesn't make the top 10 'world rankings'?

In my main nation I try to stick to my own beliefs and answer the way I would answer if actually presented with these challenges, but in other nations I've tried to do different things including maxing out my stats (never made it, got 1 away, but never made it all the way).

6) How many countries so far have Nationstates players? The USA, UK, Canada are obviously well represented- but any Venezuelans or Mauritanians, for example? Meanwhile, have any country's net censorship laws stopped anyone from accessing Nationstates or the forums?

There are a number of other nations represented, but I can't say what they are. The only one's I'm sure of are the three you mentioned, Australia, and Romania. I'm also fairly sure that no one has been blocked because of the laws of their country, but there have been a few cases where large groups have been blocked by IP because of abuses at the hands of single users. Entire ISPs have had to be blocked cutting off both the desired and undesired elements.

7) What's the best thing (in your opinion) about this site? Is there a future for Nationstates?[/quote]

The best thing was the thoughtful discussion. Now the best thing is probably the multitude of issues, even though some of them have no good options.

Ich bin ein American.

Don't make the same mistake JFK made... Ich bin American.

1) Has anyone met and made new friends because of the Nationstates game and forums? Has anyone even found romance with another Nationstates player?

No and no, though there are some mighty dandy people here :D

2) Has anyone's political beliefs been influenced by forum topics; has it affected how your nation acts? Have things said in the forums actually made you question your own values or have they reinforced them? This question is to find out how things said by someone who might be thousands of miles away can directly influence a person's behaviour, and what dichotomies (oor err long word) have resulted, so if something someone has said has really riled you, does it influence how you play the game and what you look for in the forums?

My beliefs haven't really changed since I've been here, though I've been forced to elucidate them more eloquently which is rather a boon. I've never really been riled because I'm a mod in the other Forum I frequent, so instead I'm rather relieved when I realise I don't have to moderate every third post :D

3) What topics draw your attention? Do you go for an interesting headline, something topical and relevant to that day's news events? Do you look for postings by another user whose views you are familiar with or whom you know personally? Have 'cliques' of like-minded posters appeared on the forums or is any topic open to the views of anyone?

I tend towards philisophical questions, stuff directly concerning the UK or Nazi Germany, or stuff I've just heard about myself. Seeing certain players being the last poster in a thread will usually hook my attention too. I've seen a couple of blatant clique battles ("No, the political group you support smells funny!") but I don't think I've ever been in one. I look for players I like and who have a flair for being sensical, I don't mind if they disagree with me or not. The aforementioned political mudslinging seems petty/ridiculous and tends to make me just completely ignore a thread.

4) In the game itself, have you remained within the default region (The South Pacific) or moved to another? Or have you created your own regions? Why?

I moved into the Rum and Monkey region because it's the region of most of my alternate-forum chums :D We made our own so that we wouldn't be too influenced by what everyone else in a region wanted and because we're special children.

5) When choosing options in 'issues', do you deliberately choose the option that matches your own beliefs closest, or do you just play to make your economy, civil rights and political freedoms strong? Do you feel bad when your nation doesn't make the top 10 'world rankings'?

I just want a nice little dictator with a population that understands its place in a glorious Volksgemeinschaft. I went for this route because most of the issue options won't come close to matching what I'd choose so I went for what seemed an incredibly funny idea :D

6) How many countries so far have Nationstates players? The USA, UK, Canada are obviously well represented- but any Venezuelans or Mauritanians, for example? Meanwhile, have any country's net censorship laws stopped anyone from accessing Nationstates or the forums?

Buggered if I know. :D I'm from flipping Wales.

7) What's the best thing (in your opinion) about this site? Is there a future for Nationstates?

That it's a forum with some fairly intelligent people in it, most of whom I disagree with and most of whom also tend to be the nicest.

1) Has anyone met and made new friends because of the Nationstates game and forums? Has anyone even found romance with another Nationstates player?
I tend to think of forums and chat rooms and the like as something my computer does, like Rancor or Zork, and there aren't really people talking on my computer...
That being said, there are some people who I've formed respect for and on rare occasions actively acknowledged each other, but other than that I feel more or less anonymous. I don't know that people actually remember me from post to post. Maybe it's because I don't have a name....

2) Has anyone's political beliefs been influenced by forum topics; has it affected how your nation acts? Have things said in the forums actually made you question your own values or have they reinforced them? This question is to find out how things said by someone who might be thousands of miles away can directly influence a person's behaviour, and what dichotomies (oor err long word) have resulted, so if something someone has said has really riled you, does it influence how you play the game and what you look for in the forums?
There are poop throwers on all sides of all issues. Not to start the thread spiralling off topic, but I have lost a great deal of respect for the right. Generally I held the notion that everyone wanted what was best and differed on what that might be, but the more time I spend here the more I find those that identify themselves as 'the right' tend to want whats best for themselves and screw everyone else. While this is not universally true, it is common enough that I've become disheartened. Even the extremists on the left are doing it for the good of others, even if it is misguided or potentially harmful (granting the possibility) the motivation is easier to handle.

3) What topics draw your attention? Do you go for an interesting headline, something topical and relevant to that day's news events? Do you look for postings by another user whose views you are familiar with or whom you know personally? Have 'cliques' of like-minded posters appeared on the forums or is any topic open to the views of anyone?
I do look for political topics. Both sides of those arguments (my previous answer not withstanding) tend to eventual post enough resources to make it relatively easy look at both sides of the argument. If someones interpretation of events or view is different than mine, I'm forced to be able to articulate that difference in opinion, which is vital. You have to challenge your own beliefs (that doesn't always mean you change them).

4) In the game itself, have you remained within the default region (The South Pacific) or moved to another? Or have you created your own regions? Why?
I live in a region created by the loose art community I work with, named after a fictional town me and my co-writer came up with to discuss small town NorCal life. There are poets, artists, theorists, etc. Most of them have fallen off due to lack of interest. I stay on because the internet is wasted on me.

5) When choosing options in 'issues', do you deliberately choose the option that matches your own beliefs closest, or do you just play to make your economy, civil rights and political freedoms strong? Do you feel bad when your nation doesn't make the top 10 'world rankings'?
Right before all the new issues started to come up I had stopped checking my puppets and they died. Now I wish they still existed. I chose the issues based on the philosophy of the nation they where for. In the nameless place it bounces from what I would want to curiousity. I have never made the top 1000, so I'm not too upset when I don't make the top ten.

6) How many countries so far have Nationstates players? The USA, UK, Canada are obviously well represented- but any Venezuelans or Mauritanians, for example? Meanwhile, have any country's net censorship laws stopped anyone from accessing Nationstates or the forums?
There are players from asian countries. I really don't know.

7) What's the best thing (in your opinion) about this site? Is there a future for Nationstates?
The people (you know, the ones my computer makes up?). It's interesting to see how people think in areas I can't be bothered to go to. (and most the people wouldn't talk to me normally, as I look like a giant hippie or a thug, depending how sheltered you are-I and those who know me do not think I look the least bit scary, to the point where it's kinda funny)
Sure, except I don't know how invested Max can really be in keeping it going. This was just to promote his book, I imagine he'll want to move on eventually. The site is costing someone money...

I've been here a year in a few weeks.

It seems like only yesterday 8)

1) Yes i made a couple of friends

2) Sort of

3) I go for the interesting headline

4) When i started i bounced around through about 8 regions created 2

5) I go for my beliefs, i dont care about rankings

6) Dont know

7) The RP and the forums

I'm a new player here, as I joined in early March/late February. I don't remember which...

1) No, I haven't been here long enough, and school kinda detracts from my RP time.
2) I mainly reply to other people's posts, but no, my beliefs really haven't been changed by what has has been said on these forums. In fact, if anything, they've been strengthened. If someone posts something that I feel strongly about one way or another, I will try my best to make myself heard (provided the forums won't give me the "Cannot Find Server", "No post mode specified", or "Invalid_session" crap :x ).
3) I read anything and everything that captures my attention. It doesn't matter who wrote it. However, I am partial to well-constructed, structured posts w/correct spelling and good usuage of punctuation.
4) I moved into a friend of mine's region since he was the one that introduced me to the game in the first place. However, he's basically stopped playing, and I'm looking for a new region. Any takers?
5) I try to mirror my own beliefs as close as possible (pro personal rights and freedoms, pro socialist aims), but I'm also interested in making my country strong. That means I also try to jack up my economy as much as possible. However, with my large government, I try to increase the tax rate, too. For the most part, I decide with my personal beliefs.
6) US female (actually, I'm Chinese-born)
7) It has to be a split between participating in the well-done RP's (not the crappy ones...you all know of which types I speak of...) and in the discussions on the General Forum. It's rather enlightening to see in long discourses what other people think about various topics.

1) Has anyone met and made new friends because of the Nationstates game and forums? Has anyone even found romance with another Nationstates player?

Yes and no. Met some really nice people. Have a few enemies.

2) Has anyone's political beliefs been influenced by forum topics; has it affected how your nation acts? Have things said in the forums actually made you question your own values or have they reinforced them? This question is to find out how things said by someone who might be thousands of miles away can directly influence a person's behaviour, and what dichotomies (oor err long word) have resulted, so if something someone has said has really riled you, does it influence how you play the game and what you look for in the forums?

What a great question. Yes, my political beliefs have been influenced. They have been made stronger from the reasons the other side say you should agree with them. The rash actions/reactions,of people who claim to be in agreement with their party's thinking, have shown me that I should do everything possible to support my political beliefs

3) What topics draw your attention? Do you go for an interesting headline, something topical and relevant to that day's news events? Do you look for postings by another user whose views you are familiar with or whom you know personally? Have 'cliques' of like-minded posters appeared on the forums or is any topic open to the views of anyone?

How about watching for someone to post to avoid the area.

4) In the game itself, have you remained within the default region (The South Pacific) or moved to another? Or have you created your own regions? Why?

Started one to have a region where like religously minded people could go.

5) When choosing options in 'issues', do you deliberately choose the option that matches your own beliefs closest, or do you just play to make your economy, civil rights and political freedoms strong? Do you feel bad when your nation doesn't make the top 10 'world rankings'?

Usually stay true to myself, as long as one of the answers come close.

6) How many countries so far have Nationstates players? The USA, UK, Canada are obviously well represented- but any Venezuelans or Mauritanians, for example? Meanwhile, have any country's net censorship laws stopped anyone from accessing Nationstates or the forums?

I know Japan has.

7) What's the best thing (in your opinion) about this site? Is there a future for Nationstates?[/quote]

Lack of fair moderation. Keeps the views from straying too far from what is allowable.

I've been around since November 2002.
1) Has anyone met and made new friends because of the Nationstates game and forums? Has anyone even found romance with another Nationstates player?I haven't, but I think some have.
2) Has anyone's political beliefs been influenced by forum topics; has it affected how your nation acts?No for me.
Have things said in the forums actually made you question your own values or have they reinforced them?Both, although in general, if anything, my views are reinforced (by the people questioning them).
if something someone has said has really riled you, does it influence how you play the game and what you look for in the forums?I'm more likely to click on a thread if it's a name I respect or am ICly hostile toward (something that draws me back into the international field usually OOCly offends me (offend is not the correct word...), as well)...So sort of.
3) What topics draw your attention?Mmm...Religion threads if the title isn't so...interesting that I won't bother reading it, "Save me from this other nation!" threads, "I am abusing my citizens!" threads, and some RL political threads.
Do you go for an interesting headline, something topical and relevant to that day's news events?Not often.
Do you look for postings by another user whose views you are familiar with or whom you know personally?Look for? No. Click on more often? Yes.
Have 'cliques' of like-minded posters appeared on the forums or is any topic open to the views of anyone?Yes, but I'm not in any of them.
4) In the game itself, have you remained within the default region (The South Pacific) or moved to another?Moved.
Or have you created your own regions?No.
Why?I moved because I was invited to an interesting region and was tired of ALMOST being delegate of The Pacific. (As a not-yet-UN member I stood up to the delegate at the time and actually managed to gain (trade for :oops:) quite a bit of support.)
5) When choosing options in 'issues', do you deliberately choose the option that matches your own beliefs closest, or do you just play to make your economy, civil rights and political freedoms strong?At first the former, now the latter. The new issues messed up my nation...
Do you feel bad when your nation doesn't make the top 10 'world rankings'?No; making up excuses is so fun. :D
6) How many countries so far have Nationstates players? The USA, UK, Canada are obviously well represented- but any Venezuelans or Mauritanians, for example? Meanwhile, have any country's net censorship laws stopped anyone from accessing Nationstates or the forums?I do not know.
7) What's the best thing (in your opinion) about this site? Is there a future for Nationstates?Hmmm...I have no answer for now.

December 19, 2002......that makes over 16 months of playing NS.

indeed my political view have changed. before nationstates I was a progressive conservative, after than a left-leaning centrist and have finally defined myself as liberal.

i'm moving west!!

I created this nation during the large influx of new nations in the last two weeks of december, 2002. I found out about it via a link on the C&C Generals forums, where I hung out only because it was the main C&C hub of that time, not because I was particulary interested in that C&C game. Generals sucks :P

Given that www.nationstates.net has been around for just over a year an a half now, we can probably say that it is one of the big internet success stories of recent times with hundreds of thousands of users (potentially a million by end of 2004? Who knows?).

Well...there are about 120.000 existing nations, with maybe 10.000 who have posted on the forums. I think you are a bit optimistic :)

Thus I was just interested in trying to find out how this thing has really developed in my capacity as a social and political researcher (and Nationstates addict)- so I'd just like to find out:

1) Has anyone met and made new friends because of the Nationstates game and forums? Has anyone even found romance with another Nationstates player?

No, and no.

2) Has anyone's political beliefs been influenced by forum topics; has it affected how your nation acts? Have things said in the forums actually made you question your own values or have they reinforced them? This question is to find out how things said by someone who might be thousands of miles away can directly influence a person's behaviour, and what dichotomies (oor err long word) have resulted, so if something someone has said has really riled you, does it influence how you play the game and what you look for in the forums?

Not really, although I did become somewhat more interested in politics.

3) What topics draw your attention? Do you go for an interesting headline, something topical and relevant to that day's news events? Do you look for postings by another user whose views you are familiar with or whom you know personally? Have 'cliques' of like-minded posters appeared on the forums or is any topic open to the views of anyone?

I mostly look if I'm interested in the title and who posted it. If someone well-known posts an uninteresting headline, I'll probably still look at it. (NS, not General)

4) In the game itself, have you remained within the default region (The South Pacific) or moved to another? Or have you created your own regions? Why?

I created the CnC Universe after a few days, where many C&C fans who made a nation later flocked to. It now contains ~40 nations, but at it's peak it had 80.

5) When choosing options in 'issues', do you deliberately choose the option that matches your own beliefs closest, or do you just play to make your economy, civil rights and political freedoms strong? Do you feel bad when your nation doesn't make the top 10 'world rankings'

Nah, because it usually does :lol:

I answer issues the way the Brotherhood would if they existed :wink:

6) How many countries so far have Nationstates players? The USA, UK, Canada are obviously well represented- but any Venezuelans or Mauritanians, for example? Meanwhile, have any country's net censorship laws stopped anyone from accessing Nationstates or the forums?

I could tell you, but I'm afraid the black helicopter people will go after me :shock:

7) What's the best thing (in your opinion) about this site? Is there a future for Nationstates?

There's a future certainly, with the new server coming soon more people wil join us :P

1) Has anyone met and made new friends because of the Nationstates game and forums? Has anyone even found romance with another Nationstates player?

Nope. I have introduced friends to nationstates, but nationstates hasn't yet introduced friends to me.

2) Has anyone's political beliefs been influenced by forum topics; has it affected how your nation acts? Have things said in the forums actually made you question your own values or have they reinforced them? This question is to find out how things said by someone who might be thousands of miles away can directly influence a person's behaviour, and what dichotomies (oor err long word) have resulted, so if something someone has said has really riled you, does it influence how you play the game and what you look for in the forums?

Nationstates has certainly made me think harder about my beliefs, which are not complete because I'm only 15. I think I've been pushed even further left in some ways than I already was, for instance I used to support the legalisation only of cannabis but now I reckon that pretty much all drugs should be legal, but in other, fiscal, matters I have been pushed slightly to the right - until I talked to The Global Market, I didn't understand any real reason for capitalism other than greed, but I'm now prepared to accept that some of its basic principles are sound, when regulated. I haven't changed drastically though.

3) What topics draw your attention? Do you go for an interesting headline, something topical and relevant to that day's news events? Do you look for postings by another user whose views you are familiar with or whom you know personally? Have 'cliques' of like-minded posters appeared on the forums or is any topic open to the views of anyone?

Mostly I'm in the UN forum, and I generally go for things that I feel strongly about one way or another. When I get the chance, I argue against religious hardliners, because people who attempt to impose their ethics on entire populations through law, with no real justification other than their holy book, really anger me.

4) In the game itself, have you remained within the default region (The South Pacific) or moved to another? Or have you created your own regions? Why?

I set up a small region with some friends of mine.

5) When choosing options in 'issues', do you deliberately choose the option that matches your own beliefs closest, or do you just play to make your economy, civil rights and political freedoms strong? Do you feel bad when your nation doesn't make the top 10 'world rankings'?

With my main nation (this one) I try to go for things that match my beliefs, although it hasn't gone quite as I would have liked (I stupidly banned free enterprise and haven't been able to get it back, and my tax rates are far too high - I think the results of the issues system have a tendency to exaggerrate your beliefs, effectively giving something like a charicature of your political beliefs)

6) How many countries so far have Nationstates players? The USA, UK, Canada are obviously well represented- but any Venezuelans or Mauritanians, for example? Meanwhile, have any country's net censorship laws stopped anyone from accessing Nationstates or the forums?

UK. I can get here from school, though occasionally a forum topic is blocked.

7) What's the best thing (in your opinion) about this site? Is there a future for Nationstates?

I'm not sure about the best thing. I guess it's the UN and its forum - although the tendencies of the sheep get annoying, there's interesting debate in the forum. I don't RP, and I'm not very involved in the General forum. I think there is a future for nationstates - I know I'm thoroughly addicted, and I think a lot of other people are too.

I've been coming here since near the begining, But I ditched the game pretty soon and started coming straight to the forums.

I stick to general but wander into Forum 7 from time to time..

You're not allowed to make that sound casual. Its olny been around for half a month!