NationStates Jolt Archive

I debated whether to do a commemorative post for my two year anniversary of playing NationStates. Much has happened in the time since I wrote my piece marking one year of this game. Not all of the events that happened since then have been events I will remember fondly, as quite frankly, a lot of things went down that were downright unpleasant.

However, I'm going to do what I can to focus on the positives that have happened between NS birthdays. Some of the good things that fell between 22 March 2005 and today include what I hope has been the ongoing evolution of my nationstate from its beginnings as a series of answers in the Nation Creation page to a cyber place with a back story and characters who drive it. It includes two wars, one a brutal defeat at the hands of Doomingsland's forces and one a hard-earned draw as Sarzonians stood toe-to-toe with the Reavers and fought back. It includes friendships either born or lost, characters who have moved up and moved on. People who have come and gone.

The game has included efforts to approach different sorts of roleplays, from economic depressions to conferences that reach some kind of resolution to the ongoing search for alternative fuels. It's included new developments of weapons and new characters to test and use those weapons in combat. It's included more and more book purchases and more browsing the military history section of area bookstores. It's included countless IMs where I've either plotted the latest war plans or searched for feedback on my latest naval design.

When I ultimately decided to write this, I thought back to the balance of two years. Eventually, I realised that the good outweighs the bad as far as I'm concerned with this game. The appeal of creating a world and being part of that world and finding out how others perceive your nation's place in that world is just too intoxicating, too mesmerising for me to just walk away from this game or games like this. Writing about the ongoing dilemma that my characters face in the day-to-day lives of a nation of over 4 billion souls is just too fascinating to stop.

When I first started, Automagfreek was the unquestioned hyperpower in the minds of many NSers. People just didn't mess around with AMF. Period. In the two years since I started this game, things have changed. People now list a series of nations that have more power or influence than others. I saw Ramissle use four names of military powers who might be able to invade successfully if they did so simultaneously. That to me is a sign that this NS world is no longer the plaything of one country. It's a place where several nations wield power. Frankly, that's a better world to live in because no one backs down just out of fear of one bogeyman.

I don't know if there's a point to memory threads like this one, but if there is, I guess it gives the writer an opportunity to reflect on what this game means to him or to her. Perhaps there's a sense of catharsis that comes from the clack of the keyboard at an hour of the night when someone ought to be asleep that just cannot wait for the writer to finish that last sentence. That may be true of many different forms of writing, but that seems to be a good enough explanation for me.

Indeed Sarzonia. I look forward to my aniversary.

In your two years here, and I'm sure a lot of newbies ask you this, have you ever heard of Jagada. Besides this post of coarse. :p

Congratz, Sarzonia. You belong to the highest class in my list of RP'ers, with Praetonia, AMF and The Macabees to name few. The Naval Strategy thread you made with Praetonia was one of the first threads I noticed when I first checked what might this International Incidents-thing actually mean, and the great writing and effort put into this imaginary world of imaginary nations made me think there's perhaps something in this NS that could be worth further investigations.
Though I haven't, unfortunately, RP'ed with you (except some embassy-thingies and buying ships) I have read few of those you have been in and have great respect for your writing and story telling skills. Hopely I will some day have the honour of sharing a serious RolePlay with you.

the seph man has been on ns for 2 years as well

Nice one, Sarz. Trust me when I say I'm glad you've stuck around. And remember, keep up the good work.

And you just reminded me that Taldaan is two years old in less than three weeks. And this is post 1,300! Yay!

I been her for 4 months!! wooooo

jk aside

congrats on the anniversary

I will be official with 2 years this September.


Damn, it's been that long already?

Great post Sarzonia, it captures the essence of Nationstates, I.I., and RP'ing in general. But I think we all wonder, where does the time go?

On a personal level, pretty soon I will be one year old, and my nation created as a joke of sorts, has turned into a sprawling populace that I take seriously. Times change and so do the players on NS, but it is nice to see the constants and the greats stick around. Again, nice job.

Cheers to you!

Not to nitpick, Sarz, but technically it'll be two years tomorrow..... ;) Congrats anyway. I have to say you're at least one of our better RPers (being a professional writer helps though).

I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary with Czardas, almost exactly one month ago in fact. [/attention whore]

Congratz to you Sarzo, having RPed On and off with you for the past two years was fun, oh and It's me Illior, (once again back from my usual sebaticle from ns as said in my sig) and I can't even remember how long i've been playing... I think maybe 3 years in june... but anyways, congrats and may your RP experience be good for as long as you decide to spend on NS...

Congratulations! I've only started a few months ago, but find rping here, too, to be a fascinating experience.

Well congrats Sarz, you know i spent two and a half months planning a suicidal war against you, then i end up in a war against The Parthians instead.... What the hell am i going to do with those 4.5 million ASMs i bought to send the ISN to the bottom....
I digresss, anyway congrats on your anniversary

What everybody else said.

Congrats on Two Years of RP'ing! Guess I got a while to hit that mark...

I remember AMF, GDODAD its rise and its eventual collapse... We were the boogeymen

I remember AMF, GDODAD its rise and its eventual collapse... We were the boogeymen

Good ol' Boogeymen.

Two years in sept to for me. Grats Sarz

I've got a bit more than a week til my one year anniversary. Can hardly wait :).

I've got a bit more than a week til my one year anniversary. Can hardly wait :).

Happy early anniversary, Velkya. Ah, and check your telegrams.

My AIM is is my profile on Jolt, so is my MSN.

Many congratulations to you Sarzonia. Here's hoping your'e around for many more.

My AIM is is my profile on Jolt, so is my MSN.

Hmm...never saw that there...this opens up interesting avenues.

Febuary 16, 2005 was my join date. Ah, its been one year already. And amazingly, I've yet to win a friggen war since I've been here. Lol.

Febuary 16, 2005 was my join date. Ah, its been one year already. And amazingly, I've yet to win a friggen war since I've been here. Lol.

Welcome to my world. Every time I'm close to winning a war, the person I'm fighting usually diseappears and doesn't reply, and the thread dies.

But no...when I lose...they're always there. Pisses me off.

Fuck yeah, man.

Bastards.

Ah.. 2 years.. a bookmark that I never got round to celebrating (well not RPtime wise anyway) Congrats, man.
*Matt_Shipwrighter salutes Sarzonia.

Congrats, Sarz. I too have had much fun RPing with you, and I can't wait till we get this next war started :P *hints at upcoming RP*

*sniff* I remember when our fleets first clashed and I pasted you. Now? You're supplying me with pretty much my entire navy.

THEY GROW UP SO FAST!

In your two years here, and I'm sure a lot of newbies ask you this, have you ever heard of Jagada. Besides this post of coarse. :p
Yeah, you're the crazy Christian fundamentalist nation, right? :p

Ah... Grats man.

Yeah, you're the crazy Christian fundamentalist nation, right? :p
Wasn't that Doomingsland? :p

(And I bet you've never heard of Devlyn. Although my other nation, maybe...)

(And I bet you've never heard of Devlyn. Although my other nation, maybe...)
Not until you were trying to design an arsenal ship. ;)

Febuary 16, 2005 was my join date. Ah, its been one year already. And amazingly, I've yet to win a friggen war since I've been here. Lol.

I have been on for a year, too. And won a couple of major battles, one was with an enemy that became an ally (RALM). But I have never won a war by myself, always will an ally or two.

Back on topic. Congratulations, Sarzonia, for you two years on NS. Hope you have many more.

Thanks for the well-wishes everyone!

Yeah, you're the crazy Christian fundamentalist nation, right? :p

:rolleyes: You mean former Crazy Christian Fundamentlist Nation. Thanks to some alliances, I've found myself a Kraven Slave States on the borderline of extinction.

But hey! I was known by the 'high-brass' nonetheless! I have acended to semi-greatness. :D

But hey! I was known by the 'high-brass' nonetheless! I have acended to semi-greatness. :D
Remember, your characters and my President had a run-in a few weeks back. I remember things like that. :p

*sniff* I remember when our fleets first clashed and I pasted you. Now? You're supplying me with pretty much my entire navy.

THEY GROW UP SO FAST!
The master became the apprentice, eh?

The master became the apprentice, eh?
The student becomes the teacher. :cool:

Yeah yeah. Keep rubbing it in that I suck at combat. And design. And...

*goes back to working on his automatic 11" gun*

almost three years...... damn its been a long time. I almost forgot about time. I feel old.

July 3 2003....

Congrats on the anniversary, Sarz. I still got a few months before big year Numero Two.

Not until you were trying to design an arsenal ship. ;)
Which reminds me, whatever happened to the NS Draftroom boards? I can't access them for some reason.

Which reminds me, whatever happened to the NS Draftroom boards? I can't access them for some reason.
There's currently a problem with all s13 boards. The data center decided to start working on them without telling the Invisionfree people and Invision's support staff are waiting for word on when they'll be back up.

So it's not just you.

Congratulations, Its a big feat to maintain ones presence in a Forum for so long and not to find it repetative, I've been here before on another forum a while ago...

As for Kraven, it is my First birthday next month, and which will coincide with my Rebirth and the Return of Kraven! Bwaahahaa!

happy 2 years of ns, ive forgotten how long ive been here, as my forum join date is about a month late.

About 4/3 months till mine, i might try and get my nation fully revamped/renewed by then. Thats my celebration.

NS has really changed me and changed itself in the year+ ive been here. My new ooc looks, ideas and actions. and the IC, designing various guns, planes tanks and ships.
From CM - to DA to VE to DEAT. I was a member of the First Internationale from the schism to the end. I made a couple of small scale Rps, but now spend most my IC time on the draftroom. I've never really seemed to "make it" on NS II but thats ok, i just want to lie low and make weapons.
The Style of RPing has changed. From the oldskool Genocide, condemn, attack style to something more complicated.
Im sure if you asked anybody here who the real oldies were they wouldnt remember. DPUO, TIOR, Hallad, Hataria.

Yes, I think I've been exposed to just about everything except Forum 7. :p

What was Forum 7 about?

I'll let one of the old timers answer that one. ;)

Isn't that the so-called 'unexisting' forum that the Mods hang around in...? :confused:

Anyways, congrats Sarz. I hope to be able to RP with you once, maybe...

On the original server when the forums were hosted on the same site as NS, the forums were numbered "forum.cgi/forum=1", "forum.cgi/forum=2" and so on. The seventh forum, however, was missing, prompting a good deal of speculation on what it actually was. I believe that was the secret moderation forum (where the mods would discuss moderation issues and such). Later on, when the servehr was transfered to phpBB and the numbering changed, the admins established a "Forum 7" for speculating about Max Barry, [violet], and suchlike, in memory of the urban legend that developed around the original server. After the move to Jolt, Forum 7 ceased to exist and was replaced by the Jennifer Government forum (which almost nobody uses anymore), IIRC, but it apparently lives on as a spam/speculation forum on the Social Spam Alliance.

Yeah, I've been here longer than I appear. :p

Wasn't that Doomingsland? :p

(And I bet you've never heard of Devlyn. Although my other nation, maybe...)
There's more than one crazy Christian fundementalist nation in NS :)