NationStates Jolt Archive

I've been on this site 583 days. That's 18 months. A whole helluva lot longer than Max Barry expected anyone to stick around, that's for sure.

But over that 18 months, I've seen a lot. From insane spammers posting tub-girl and goatse to a world war to world shaking alliances crumbling to dust. I watched as the imfamous Omnicaust happened and I watched as over half the nations from our 'generation' vanished one by one.

Oh, some are still around. Steel Butterfly, for example, is still here but is more or less retired. Others are much older, like Menelmacar or Amerigo and are active IC at times. But there are so many gone...

Sniper Country, Magic China, Klamath, Kitsylvania, Marathon, Perrier... some loved, some despised and some you new players have never heard of.

The site has gone through many changes, the switch to Jolt the best of them, despite the fact that much of the oldest database was allready purged by that point, taking with it the classic threads of this site. Now there's only the memories of the participants to tell the stories and every month, we lose more and more of them.

I remember all the allies I had in the original GDODAD(pre-UWB incident) and look for them now... over half are gone. Most of the rest are so scattered and so much time has gone by that they don't seem to remember me. A few of the big names do, like the Brotherhood of Nod and The Silver Turtle. Others, like Klamath, are long gone and now I find myself in a familiar postition...

It's the early morining hours, I'm the only one awake in the house and in the background, Hendrix is playing. As I sit at the living room computer, staring at the screen in boredom, I get up and walk around the quiet apartment, thinking about the days I speak of above. As I sit back down, I start to type this stuff out. I've actually written such a thing five times in the past two weeks... just I either get too bored to type anymore or I spend too mucg time on it and the forum eats it.

Not tonight though... tonight, in the midst of a Purple Haze, I post my rememberances on the past 583 days, for you to read, ignore or just point and laugh at....

The first thing I rememember is Midnight. The older players will know that name in some fashion or another, be it as ally or enemy. A GDODAD region, I was a proud member. I was even prouder to be in the GDODAD. As one of the few privleged with the Population Bug, I used it to make myself one of the strongest enforcers of the organization. I'll stop there and explain the Population Bug for you new players.

The Pop. Bug is the best bug I've ever had with a game. What it was, exactly, was a bug in the system that gave some nations more issues than the maximum two a day. I was recieveing at times ten a day. I was gaining 20 million people in a single day. As I approached 850 million though, a moderator tried to fix my 'problem with the site' and killed off 200 million people and eliminated my Pop Bug. I was pissed.

Anyway, moving on, I saw the GDODAD's end coming and bailed out. This was an OOC decision more than IC, as at the time the GDODAD was being goaded into conflicts left and right, which were then blamed on them. In my resignation thread, I stated OOC that the reason for my leaving was not that the alliance was dying, but the fact that I was personally being assaulted verbally by the Anti-GDODAD nations and I told them that if this was the kind of tactics they use to destroy their enemies, that they would be the only ones left on teh site. I almost left because of those players.

Then I saw something amazing, staggering and stupifying. The Ubercaust. Sometimes called teh Omnicaust, it was the single most deadly war in NS history. Garisson II interfered in a Midnight civil war and nuked the rebels with 5,000 nuclear missiles. He killed a region and nearly 1.5 trillion people. And got away with it. He had sanctions against him, but those were piddly amounts even then.

Over time, things become a blur, as do the next few months. I became a space nation. I had five star systems and fleets that could zip about the galaxy with no trouble. Then... I got bored and moved back to earth, as many otehrs did. But unlike them, I didn't ignore the fact I left. I didn't ignore FTL, though it was removed from my ships(except for a renegade fleet).

Then came my CO-RP days, developing my ability to manipulate a story. My nation went without a war for months and the closest thing I got was an annexation of a nation I owned, then let die.

Now? Now, I am going to have my first real war since my GDODAD days... AMF vs Crimmond. One for the archives, for sure.

In all that time, I watched friends come and go, Klamath to becoming the Uber-Spammer, Marathon to a mod smackdown, Sniper Country to several owners and eventual deletion and Kitsylvania. The man who was always mistaken for a chick and the most famous pacifist on NS to deletion. I miss them all and just wonder who will miss me when I finally go off into the proverbial sunset and my nation is deleted.

I could name several that would if I did right now.. but a year from now? They could all be gone. So I could vanish unnoticed or in a blaze of glory. WHo knows which it will be or which would be better. To quietly exit or to take as many with you as you could?

And as Jimi sings "And so castles made of sand melt into the sea, eventually..." I leave you to take my words as you will.

You shall be remembered. An RPer of the past, where it was not about the numbers, but in the writing. You had the fastest wit, nerves of steel and a tongue adept at all fields, from conflict to peace, from negotiations to chewing someone out.

Your are simply the master of the humorous one liner. You blend sarcasm with satire, people laugh whenever you cast judgement, yet know that you speak the truth about the injustices and silliness or just plain stupidity by the persons involved.

You added spice and flavor to all the threads you partake in. Which in itself is no mean feat considering your high post count, combined with a good reputation, few enemies and a sterling RP record.

You are part of the Old Guard, the cherished ones who were free to burn holes in the sky and live life without a care. When a personal word of bond meant more than any international treaties or UN resolution.

You are one of the original who maintained his integrity and spirit from the first to the very last in all that you do and who you are.

You leave now in the twilight of Nationstates, to take your place among the Pantheon of Legends Past, the glory days of what was and could never be again.

You leave us now secure in your belief that you have made your mark on Nationstates, that life will still go on, in its own warped way, but that your destiny and the destiny of this humble environment must take separate paths.

You leave us... And the world shall now become a dimmer place for it.

You and I have never gotten along too well... Well, ever. But I shall miss you. Should you ever decide to come back, we shall always welcome you back with open arms, our love and most importantly, the respect you've earned through all these months.

That.....was beauitiful Crimm, if not just a little sadding.

Although I am not as old as you, I too have felt loss on these forums. The other day, the last former member of the ASN besides myself was deleated. That alliance was formed within hours of my nation's creation. The Alliance of Smaller Nations, which bosted about 15 members at it's hight, all dead now with the sole exception of me. All of my sister nations, dead. Even Novus Italia, with whome I had my closest alliance from the begining is gone. I am all alone now, and it's well........lonly.

Elara could be consitered a sister nation as well, seeing as he was founded mere hours before me. We fought agenst each other in his 1st civil war. He is not deleated, but he is inactive, and for the most part, retired.

Rukemia, my old nemesis, is now gone. Just like all the others.

Even nations younger then me. Where is Zoir these days? Or LRR? I see only young nations these days, with the exception of a select few, including yourself, Crimm.


Crimmond, you have my upmost respect on NS. There are few others whom I hold in such high regard. AMF, Steelbutterfly, to name the others (Damned Peoples, when he was around). You made NS funny. You made me laugh.

If you go....well.....then I guess yet another one bites the dust. The APTO would loose a fine member. Makes me wonder how much time I have left myself.

I salute you, Crimmond. And if you do deside to kick the bucket....then I'll give you a Jello-y send-off. I shall remember you always, as a freind and a damn good RPGer.

I'll see you in the NS equivelent of Avalon, for my work on this forum is not yet over.

LRR is involved in my Space RP that you've never gotton around to joining.

Mete: Uh... thank you for the up and down praise. I only wish I knew who you were...

And both of you have gotten the wrong idea from my post. I'm not planning on leaving this site for a long time. I was mere talking exostenstialy about what would happen when I did.

Look at the 'old gaurd nations' though. How many are left? A few mods and a few hardcore RPers. The rest, even hardcore RPers, are gone or leaving. Perhaps they'll return when Max and Salsua finish NS2. What's the deadline now? 2010?

oh....right. Could I have that link agian, please? :p

*twitches...* I feel for you Crimmond, as it so closely mirrors the experiences I've had... Half of my allies during my first six months of NS are gone, the other half have become my enemies or have grown distant... My original home region of Middle Earth has been overrun by n00bs... My worst enemy in which I fought the worst war that I ever fought is... I have seen enemies and allies drop like flies, while n00bs multiply like bunnies... The sadnes..... :(

Although I've gained new allies and joined new alliances (6 at last count), I feel sad about the fate of many who have departed...

-----

I grieve for the IADF, a visionary alliance for the future, which convulsed twice before it finally died...

I grieve for an overrun Middle Earth...

I grieve for a decaying NationStates...

I grieve for the loss of friends and enemies...

I grieve for the countless souls that my nation has killed and the casualties that we've suffered...

I grieve...

Hmmmm, this place of sound and fury... I say, leave yourself open to coming back after awhile, I did.

Ahh. Another 03-03 nation. I'm not creative and was never any good at RP'ing but I know what you mean about missing the old timers. About 95% of the nations that were resident in my region when I arrived are gone and of the "old" ones who are left, most don't log in or post on the boards much anymore. I miss the early days when NS was the wild wild west. It's calmer and more regulated now which, I suppose, is nice for the n00bs but heck, it was more fun when the gunslingers walked the earth, unafraid of the long finger of DEAT. I can still see the flag of the 100 Nations of Conquest waving over the Heartland. . .now that was an adrenaline surge even tho' I was never an invader. Yeah, and I miss the points of view that Sniper Country, Magic China, Klamath, Kits and Marath[i]on, Distributed Thought brought to the forums. The other thing I miss is regular posting by the nations that are now mods. It was more interesting when they were conversationalists rather than regulators!

Its more regulated now!?! What with all the n00bs running around? :headbang:

Nationstates changes, its about change. No sense getting lost reminiscing about the good old days.

Also, why is it when someone mentions the GDODAD they *always* forget me! :mad: I was like the invisible member or something.

I didn't forget about you. I didn't mention you anymore than I mentioned Sigma or Bajon. You're still RPing, but none of you had a large impact on me. And you should know I wouldn't have forgotton you. I spent a week or so with you and Jesus in that one region, after all.

Yeah I wasn't complaining to you that you forgot me in particular, it was just a general thing. Really, i don't seem to have much of an impact on anyone round here, and that sometimes disappoints. Then again, for other people's sakes its probably a good thing. Still sometimes I feel like I'm just posting shit nobody cares about or reads and that people are just waiting for me to give up and leave.

That kind of thought insures I will be here until someone pries my cold dead hand off the mouse and quits the browser. :sniper:

And now another era starts for me. I've left the APTO, along with others, some of which made another region.

This may move Crimmond into another era of bloodletting, as the only pssible leaders availible are:

Administrator Delta. Current leader and seeking revenge on his own government for betraying him.

Lady Lara Tian. Former Empress, presumed dead until recently and overall open to manipulation by the military.

Imperial Party Leader Riok Oran. Former Overlord of Baggera, missing until after Crimmond annexed Baggera and Delta became permanant leader.

Delta is mentally unstable, Lara is easily twisted into a puppet and Riok is just plain evil.

A new era for Crimmond and a new era for my own life here on NS. Perhaps the last, perhaps not. Eras can last for quite a long time...

I wish you luck, Crimmond. May your future be brighter than it has been in the APTO. We will all miss you greatly and you are always welcome back in the APTO.

Click the thread in my info, there is nothing retired about me. :)

As the founder of Midnight and the one time face of GDODAD, I surely remember all the things you mentioned. As for this Crimmond vs. AMF war...where the hell is the link? I haven't seen either of you for ages.

How did Middle Earth get overrun?
Is any of it left?

Click the thread in my info, there is nothing retired about me. :)

As the founder of Midnight and the one time face of GDODAD, I surely remember all the things you mentioned. As for this Crimmond vs. AMF war...where the hell is the link? I haven't seen either of you for ages.

Here ya go Steel.

Love lost in a hail of gunfire (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=358209)

Ya, getting me on that road of sad memories, ya bastard. :p

My first nation ever was Mankind United, my first ally ever was Marathon. I'm sure Marathon's still out there in another incarnation....somewhere. :(
I was an original founding member of WMNK, I made the notorious "Is Kits a Chick?" thread, which he never forgave me for, and I think I flamed Perrier and Magic China more than anybody else. Well, maybe not...
Then there was so many nations, I never was able to stay put with one country for too long. I like to start over with fresh ideas and fresh concepts. The Catholic Confederation, Darkseed, Crimson Sparta, those were all me at some point. Those, and others less worth mentioning. Well, after almost a year of playing NS, I finally settled down with Presgreif. And its been a year since then....wow.

I've made a alot of friends in that time, and alot of friends have, unfortunatly, become enemies. And I'm still waiting for Crimmond and Steel Butterfly to come back home to GDODAD....boohoo. :(

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/archive/index.php/f-1220.html

Ya, getting me on that road of sad memories, ya bastard. :p

My first nation ever was Mankind United, my first ally ever was Marathon. I'm sure Marathon's still out there in another incarnation....somewhere. :(
I was an original founding member of WMNK, I made the notorious "Is Kits a Chick?" thread, which he never forgave me for, and I think I flamed Perrier and Magic China more than anybody else. Well, maybe not...
Then there was so many nations, I never was able to stay put with one country for too long. I like to start over with fresh ideas and fresh concepts. The Catholic Confederation, Darkseed, Crimson Sparta, those were all me at some point. Those, and others less worth mentioning. Well, after almost a year of playing NS, I finally settled down with Presgreif. And its been a year since then....wow.

I've made a alot of friends in that time, and alot of friends have, unfortunatly, become enemies. And I'm still waiting for Crimmond and Steel Butterfly to come back home to GDODAD....boohoo. :(

Your first problem was your alliance with Marathon

second...lol...you guys still active in GDODAD or am I still infamous?

Here ya go Steel.

Love lost in a hail of gunfire (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=358209)

Many thanks

I just thourght that I would shed a different shade of light onto this thread.

I am an early 04 nation. Soon, within two months, I will be celebrating my first birthday. Many of my original allies, British Communists, Muggles and Animals, Samballoka, these names mean nothing to many people but rest deep in my heart, are gone. The times of GDODAD, the UWB, the world wars, all came before me, yet I hear the names in these hallowed halls. Now, I live in an age of giants, with names such as Automagfreek, Chellis, Pantera, Crimmond, all of these, who had the fortune to come before and now dominate.

And myself?

I am not recognised. I can write as well as, in my opinion, the very respected players on the forums. Yet, not a proportion of the fortune, grace and respect that others gain comes to me. Overshadowed, overlooked, unappreciated. That is my existance, and as such I will remain.

*fades into the darkness*

You do mean over two months, right?

Word of advice, Momanguise, don't brag about your writing. Do Pantera, AMF, and others talk about how good their writing is? No.

People will recognize you once you've posted enough high caliber writing for a fair number of people to read. AMF, Pantera and others have been on this site for a long time and they've posted a lot. That's how they've garnered such respect and have such a large following.

Finally, never get discouraged.

In truth, I don't usually think along that mindset. Just a rant along the lines of my overly augmented feelings. Also, others don't 'brag' (as you so delightfully put it) because they don't need to. I just feel like a failure sometimes. Bah humbug.

And yes, it is three months. Now I know why I failed maths.

Thanks for the comments anyway though.

No problem.

I just thourght that I would shed a different shade of light onto this thread.

I am an early 04 nation. Soon, within two months, I will be celebrating my first birthday. Many of my original allies, British Communists, Muggles and Animals, Samballoka, these names mean nothing to many people but rest deep in my heart, are gone. The times of GDODAD, the UWB, the world wars, all came before me, yet I hear the names in these hallowed halls. Now, I live in an age of giants, with names such as Automagfreek, Chellis, Pantera, Crimmond, all of these, who had the fortune to come before and now dominate.

And myself?

I am not recognised. I can write as well as, in my opinion, the very respected players on the forums. Yet, not a proportion of the fortune, grace and respect that others gain comes to me. Overshadowed, overlooked, unappreciated. That is my existance, and as such I will remain.

*fades into the darkness*

Have you heard of my nation? I doubt it. Not only does quality of writing come into play, but but one must also take into account success of RP, who you RP with, and in what I assume to be our case, where you RP. I mostly RP in the NationStates forum, and in the far-future time period. The names you mention seem to be mostly present and spend alot of time in the International Incidents forum.

My advice to you: do as I did if you chose to be respected for the sole reason of "it works". I eventually got into character-oriented RP's a lot more than other ones. I made sure my RP's had predestined plotlines and invited others to RP with me the "middle" of the RP. I had the beginning and ending figured out ahead of time. This tactic, while far from being the only one, gives the RP a sort of movie-like read to it if done right...and is very interesting to those who gloat about other's skills as well as good writers themselves.

To be honest with you, now that I think about it, I'm sure my "fame" went down nation to nation wise as I retreated from the forefront of the international community into a more secluded roleplaying group...however my interest in NationStates went way up, and I'm convinced that Plot-Driven Character-Oriented RP's are why I stayed at NationStates...unlike other roleplaying communities that I left due to lost interest.

[/rant]

Presgreif: I may be returning to the old days soon enough... it all depends on my choices in the comming weeks.

Steel: This is how out of touch I've become. I hadn't known you were still around at all until I looked here today... You make a good point about CO-RPing. It's what kept me here so long and is what got me a following I never knew I had.

AMF: A night or so ago, I was talking with another NS player and realized, as I told them, that you are the only reason I decided to stay on NS. I was on my way out... no-one seemed interested in my RPs, no one seemed to want to RP with me and not one person seemed to be able to follow my RPs. Then you showed an interest in me and then started the war RP. Thank you.

And on that note: Goodbye all... for I must go out of town.

Presgreif: I may be returning to the old days soon enough... it all depends on my choices in the comming weeks.

Steel: This is how out of touch I've become. I hadn't known you were still around at all until I looked here today... You make a good point about CO-RPing. It's what kept me here so long and is what got me a following I never knew I had.

AMF: A night or so ago, I was talking with another NS player and realized, as I told them, that you are the only reason I decided to stay on NS. I was on my way out... no-one seemed interested in my RPs, no one seemed to want to RP with me and not one person seemed to be able to follow my RPs. Then you showed an interest in me and then started the war RP. Thank you.

And on that note: Goodbye all... for I must go out of town.

When you return, you must check out this thread: http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=7541458#post7541458

I'd like to add that this sort of historical reminiscence makes for a really good read. Thanks to Crimmond for the topic. Unabashed plug - this points towards exactly the sort of historical material we're hoping to find in NSwiki (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page).

Fact is, starting to RP in the highly developed worlds of NationStates is not for the weak of spirit. There's a steep learning curve. Roleplay is typically a poor spectator sport, and finding a way to slip into an existing ongoing story would tax even the best author / players. Consequently, having a concise history of the relevant nations, along with useful details of the crux points of different wars, alliances, and dalliances is extremely handy for the new player. There are over 50,000 threads in NS and I.I. - where do you start? I've only stepped in a couple of times myself, and am probably totally unknown to most roleplayers.

Any roleplay will necessarily need to be dynamic in terms of active players and nations. Real life has a nasty habit of intruding, as do silly things like server issues (which caused me to take a five-month hiatus, pre-Jolt). We all just need to find a balance between the leaving players and the jarring effect of changing players midstream. It can happen. It just takes work.

AMF: A night or so ago, I was talking with another NS player and realized, as I told them, that you are the only reason I decided to stay on NS. I was on my way out... no-one seemed interested in my RPs, no one seemed to want to RP with me and not one person seemed to be able to follow my RPs. Then you showed an interest in me and then started the war RP. Thank you.

And on that note: Goodbye all... for I must go out of town.


Don't be gone too long bro. To tell you the truth, our war is one of the few things keeping me on this site.

Don't be gone too long bro. To tell you the truth, our war is one of the few things keeping me on this site.

would it make you feel better if I declared war on you in the meantime? :p

*shakes fist* Shameless plug Fris! And Steel! :p

I'll be back right after Thanksgiving. Don't worry.

I believe there is about three days age gap between our nations (I'm not entirely sure, since the date lost the day after the move to Jolt), and I too remember the "good old days." I may not be as active nor well known as Crimmond, AMF or many other old/respected nations, but I have been here, all along.

The Mindset means a lot to me. The back-story I have for this nation is enough to fill several volumes, but I simply don't have enough time anymore to put it down on paper (or screen). That said, I feel the plotlines - hundreds over months and months - are beginning to merge: The Mindset's story is ready to end. Some 5000 years of history, and not any time to express it.

Ah well, good luck to you and all that poo.

I believe there is about three days age gap between our nations (I'm not entirely sure, since the date lost the day after the move to Jolt), and I too remember the "good old days."

21 March 2003.

Presgreif: I may be returning to the old days soon enough... it all depends on my choices in the comming weeks.

Wooohooo! :D

Your first problem was your alliance with Marathon

second...lol...you guys still active in GDODAD or am I still infamous?

Ya well, I don't see how my being allied to Marathon was a problem.

Yes, we guys are still active in GDODAD. And no, you're not still infamous. Actually, nobody, other than myself, even cares about you.

Hmm, I've just had a quick glance through the thread and it does bring back memories (before my various nations faded away - and this one was certainly not my most used), particularly of two of my friends' nations, I wonder if anyone remembers Hive Fleet Imodius (now at Uni) or The V Corporation (still around, but I haven't seen him in about a year).

Anyway, after a ressurection I find myself amazed at the nations that have vanished - Sniper Country and Kitsylvania in particular, and also at those who have retired out of the limelight - Steel Butterfly in particular.

I particularly remember a few of the wars that the GDODAD had with one of the other major blocks (CDA or something, I think), which made for good reading.

Anyway, Im going to stop here bfore I get too depressed.

Don't vanish Crimmond, damnit, I only just got back!

Regards,
The Holy Christian Empire of Isam/The Nomadic Republic of Sann

At the risk of Hijack
this is kind of related
http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=377136

I'm no RPer (I haven't the patience), but it looks like a whole new world. For newbies it will seem quite intimidating I'm sure. I'm just wondering, has anyone thought of fighting out the wars on like Civ III or something, as this would add another level to the game, and possibly allow some of us who cannot write prose a dead mongoose would want to read into these hallowed halls. Just a thought.

I made sure my RP's had predestined plotlines and invited others to RP with me the "middle" of the RP. I had the beginning and ending figured out ahead of time. This tactic, while far from being the only one, gives the RP a sort of movie-like read to it if done right...and is very interesting to those who gloat about other's skills as well as good writers themselves.When I plan an RP (or even sometimes a post that I'm not sure will become an RP or not), I have a storyline generally plotted out. Sometimes, I can get creative with the outcome or the way to get to the outcome, but I have certain things mentally mapped out in my mind before I click submit. You don't need to plan every single detail, but at least have specific ideas about what you want to accomplish and how you want to get there.

...allow some of us who cannot write prose a dead mongoose would want to read ...
Now you've got my mind stuck on the possibilites of writing material appropriate for dead mongeese. Thanks bunches, GT.

Um... We're seriously getting off topic here... :rolleyes:

Yes...

I don't check in a while and this happens.

Fah, I don't even know the off topicers.

Anyways, I remember a time when there was only one Earth... What the hell is with these damned multiple earths (five at last count), anyway... This is just ridiculous... :headbang:

Agreed...
At least have the decency to go and control another planet/system damnit!

*Dances 'cos he doesn't have to worry about controlling planets or systems...nomads are such good fun*

It seems that the Multiverse theory isn't enough for players nowadays. Well, consarnit, it's good enogh for us old duffers from early 2003, so why can't these new fangled nations stick with what works?

My solution to anyone horning in on Poland, Czekloslovokia, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia is to either treat them as a rebel faction and annhilate them or just plain ole' ignore them.

And if they want a planet to RP on, make another one! I have never seen a planet outside of Sol on NS that has more than one nation on it.

Silly n00bs. Earth is for Veterans! ;)

Firstly, that post was moi depressing. Just the thought of all the great RPers we have now eventually leaving and the *gasp* n00bs controlling the world. Also, I never really experienced the good old days but they sound a hell of a lot better than what we got now.

As for nations outside the Sol System, I am one and I fough several bloody wars for my planets. So...Ha..Then again I don't really count cause I'm also active in the Sol System, ah well.

That's why I about 35-40 millon light years from Earth!

And if they want a planet to RP on, make another one! I have never seen a planet outside of Sol on NS that has more than one nation on it.

The Alpha Centauri system has 16 nations in it, and I doubt that they have 16 planets.

Silly n00bs. Earth is for Veterans! ;)

I resent that.

Fah! AC has been ignored for at least eight months.(They tried to blow up Mars once!) They don't count.

you know, its funny. You blow up an entire star cluster (the Neo Atlantians), no one cares. You blow up a terraformed 2nd rate planet (Mars, in relation to class M planets), and your labled as a godmodder for life....... :D

Besides that, we've seen a nation claim a population of 2 trillion... Which has now been lessened to 50 billion... Damned The Fedral Union...

*brave little Valinor flag goes up*

I'm still here! Even if we did only seem to meet on opposite sides of conflict Crimmond (the Shadow War in Knootoss comes to mind) I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. And it's nice to remember the days when the GDODAD actually meant something, rather than just being a very, very pale shadow of the thirteenth reincarnation of the last great GDODAD.

Also be noted that the Alpha Centauri recognized by most of Mars is the the Valinor version....

The great alliances can't operate like they once did. The members have populations greater than world census reports from a decade or so ago. They also have too many members. It used to be that strength was in numbers. The GDODAD of old had about onehundred members and twenty active ones. Both those numbers have tripled. The alliances have just grown too large and have become so obese that they can't function.

So they work in quiet, waiting for a day that they can emerge, but will never come on NS. When NS2 is launched, the GDODAD, Reich and all the others will be revitalized in the new medium.

That would also apply to the APTO and the ESUS...

The APTO lost all it's main members. It won't recover for a long while.

Well, a lot of members are still in it, i.e. New Genoa and Pantera...