NationStates Jolt Archive

Hello, please excuse the newbie post...

I am new to NationStates and would like a few questions answered. First of all, my name has dashes on either side because the name was already taken. Yet when I search for it on the country list, no entry appears. Does this mean it's some old nation that has become inactive? If so, can I ever use the name without the dashes?

Secondly, I like role-playing, but this seems a little overwhelming right from the start. Is there a kiddie pool where I can get my feet wet before interacting with 130,000 other people all at once?

Thanks for whatever help you can give me on this. I look forward to being a productive member of the world community.

First of all, my name has dashes on either side because the name was already taken. Yet when I search for it on the country list, no entry appears. Does this mean it's some old nation that has become inactive? If so, can I ever use the name without the dashes?
The name 'Illyria' has been used by a nation that subsequently died, and as such the name is still classed as taken. However, in a news release a while ago [linky] (http://www.nationstates.net/news/2004/12/07/index.html#million) Max decided to release the names of all nations deleted over 18 months ago. More than that, I couldn't tell you. If you wanna know about RP'ing, then check out the stickies in II or NS, cos I don't know squat.

You won't be able to change you're nation name, so if you really want 'Illyria', then you'll just have to let -Illryia- die when you bag the original. Happy hunting

you can either join in the massive RP's in the Jolt forums, or if you join a largeish regionwith its own forums, you can quite often join in that regions own RP's which involve far less that 130000 people! there are many regions to choose from, just take your pick really

There are a few groups of new nations around that have their own RPs, I think, although I couldn't really direct you to any because I pay them little attention. Many new nations start by doing little threads like this (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=407326&page=1) which advertise themselves a little, but largely keep out of the affairs of others. Other people (myself included) just start by posting small, non-committal posts in the RPs which are open to anyone to join - maybe just a "diplomatic statement" on where you stand in the matter, or whatever comes naturally. It's entirely up to you, just ease yourself in as you wish.

BTW, you don't need to worry about being overwhelmed by 130,000 RPers. A lot of NS nations are puppets (i.e. secondary nations run by someone with several nations already), and of all of our players, perhaps 2-5,000 are active RPers. Most roleplays do not get more than a few players involved, so you needn't worry about being drowned out.

Thanks for the help and advice. I'll take it to heart.

If you find yourself awed by Nedalia's professionalism and don't want to go into your country's stats, economy, etc, right now, or if you'd rather RP as an individual first, try a few posts on your region's 'civil headquarters' board. You might comment on your nation's position in the latest UN survey, or ask others about their nation's name, motto or animal. Once you get your feet wet it's easy.

Some regions RP on their off-site forums, too. If they have one, it'll usually be near the top of the Region page, under the World Factbook Entry. Your founder or your regional delegate should be willing to help you.

If you want really in-depth advice, read through some of Euroslavia's tips at this address:

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=8541047#post8541047

and read the stickies at the top of NationStates and International Incidents.

But if all that info's off-putting, just look for any threads that have titles with words like 'bar', 'party', 'ball', 'celebration', 'ambassadors', or 'diplomacy' and jump right in. You can tell how far a thread's progressed by looking at the number of posts made to it. If it's only got 2,3,4 ..., it's just started and you'll be able to ease into it. Or you could check out the decor in the UN Strangers' Bar; it's always got new people wandering in and out.

You can view "Invitation Only" RPs but don't post to them.