NationStates Jolt Archive

I only just found out about/joined NationStates earlier this week, and already I'm falling in love with the community I've been observing here on the forums. As a fairly experienced text RPer/boards RPer/free-time writer, the basics of these forums are fairly familiar. But before I jump head-first into things, there were a couple of questions I wanted to ask for anyone out there to try and help me answer, so my little country doesn't step on any toes.

1.) How exactly does map placement work? None of the stickies I saw or read through seemed to answer that. It clearly matters, as several threads I read commented on this or that not being logically sound due to violating someone else's air space or what-not when attempting something in relation to an attack on some other country.

2.) At what point would it be considered 'right' to join the international stage in any capacity? I've been biting my tounge for a few days now since I assumed a country of merely 5 million would be hard pressed to do much of anything worth noting.

3.) Part of my desired backstory for Arageist is that it was formerly two seperate kingdoms in the days of old, and following a nightmarish war that nearly eliminated the population of both the remnants united under a single flag. How would be best to jibe this with the pre-existing NationStates Earth(s)?

4.) Another part I desired to have was limited access to magicks in the modern era; i.e., the former countries Arageist had been had an understanding and functional theories of how magic worked, but in the light of the horrible war, those who knew and most of their texts were destroyed, leaving the people with only loose bits of data and a few lower key finished products. As a result, if they want to use it again, they have to effectively reverse-engineer what exists based on they know and can learn through experimentation. This, much like anything else I am planning, will take some time and would be fun to RP out. And best of all, if I'm in a trade or war situation with a country that doesn't want Magic, or doesn't want Modern Tech, or whatever I happen to have, then the more stretched resources gives me an excuse to rationalize that it still exists, but is currently being retooled or what-not so heavily that the other must be relied on solely. That way, I can RP with more folks more freely while not having to rewrite my backstory every week depending on who wants to RP with me. But I had heard tell a lot of folks were VERY anti-Magic on the boards. Would I be stepping on too many toes for this to work?

5.) Where would I be capable of placing a document that has the history and notable persons of Arageist? And for persons of note and name, can I tweak fluid time so I don't have to write up a whole new set of folks every fifty days or so? On a whim, I wrote up a list of about 68 actual personalities in Arageist that run it or give it flavor, and I'd really like to NOT have to rewrite that list every two or three months. Is this even an issue that comes up at all?

I thank, in advance, any person- even if it should be only one person -who responds to this in an effort to help me get my feet on the ground.

Till Our Swords Cross Again,
~Arageist~

1.) How exactly does map placement work? None of the stickies I saw or read through seemed to answer that. It clearly matters, as several threads I read commented on this or that not being logically sound due to violating someone else's air space or what-not when attempting something in relation to an attack on some other country.

You can decide everything what you have in your nation within reason. Volcano's, swamps, plains, rivers, mountains... That's your choice. Changing regions doesn't make you change maps if you RP, but sometimes regions require (if you RP on their off-site boards) you pick a spot on the regional map or you give your own map to be added to the regional map. Such is the case in my region. Violationg of someone's airspace only really happens when you are an active player in II (International Incidents) or NS (NationStates). But you have to tell you are doing it, otherwise nobody knows.

2.) At what point would it be considered 'right' to join the international stage in any capacity? I've been biting my tounge for a few days now since I assumed a country of merely 5 million would be hard pressed to do much of anything worth noting.

Just do whatever you want, but don't annoy the giants until you have either a (small) group of friends you can count on. Just don't do any of the 'n00bish' stuff like building many nuclear weapons, declaring war on the world, attacking much bigger nations, using many smileys etc. Be yourself or participate in peaceful RP's, start a diplomacy roleplay or such. It's best to establish yourself in a region and know how the game works before starting to play. It's also very good you have read the stickies; something not many new players do!

3.) Part of my desired backstory for Arageist is that it was formerly two seperate kingdoms in the days of old, and following a nightmarish war that nearly eliminated the population of both the remnants united under a single flag. How would be best to jibe this with the pre-existing NationStates Earth(s)?

Your nation is new, so nobody tells you what happened before you joined. A nation of mine, for instance, has been occupied by French and British colonists in a war before I joined. Write a story on your nation's history to give your fellow players more insight in who you are, your policies etc. It's up to you where you do this, in either II or NS.

4.) Another part I desired to have was limited access to magicks in the modern era; i.e., the former countries Arageist had been had an understanding and functional theories of how magic worked, but in the light of the horrible war, those who knew and most of their texts were destroyed, leaving the people with only loose bits of data and a few lower key finished products. As a result, if they want to use it again, they have to effectively reverse-engineer what exists based on they know and can learn through experimentation. This, much like anything else I am planning, will take some time and would be fun to RP out. And best of all, if I'm in a trade or war situation with a country that doesn't want Magic, or doesn't want Modern Tech, or whatever I happen to have, then the more stretched resources gives me an excuse to rationalize that it still exists, but is currently being retooled or what-not so heavily that the other must be relied on solely. That way, I can RP with more folks more freely while not having to rewrite my backstory every week depending on who wants to RP with me. But I had heard tell a lot of folks were VERY anti-Magic on the boards. Would I be stepping on too many toes for this to work?

Magick and magic are very accepted things in the NationStates RP forum, because International Incidents is the home of modern era roleplays. If you want to make a roleplay which contains magical beings, add the [Fantasy] tag behind your thread title, so people know what do with it. Players being anti-magic on this forum is bull, most people don't really care about it or prefer to stick with future tech or modern or medieval or whatnot. Some of the best players are fantasy/modern. If you are at war with a player who doesnt recognize magic, then you have little choice but to accept it, if you are the one attacking him. However, if you are attacked then you may decide how to defend yourself. But again, godmodding is easily done in a modern/fantasy enviroment. Godmodding is having an unfair advantage, using puppets, posting someone elses losses. Just doing things other people have never agreed on or telling what happens to someone elses stuff. Refusing to take losses is also godmodding.

5.) Where would I be capable of placing a document that has the history and notable persons of Arageist? And for persons of note and name, can I tweak fluid time so I don't have to write up a whole new set of folks every fifty days or so? On a whim, I wrote up a list of about 68 actual personalities in Arageist that run it or give it flavor, and I'd really like to NOT have to rewrite that list every two or three months. Is this even an issue that comes up at all?

International Incidents or Nationstates, whichever you prefer. If you don't want to rewrite it, edit your post and add/remove whatever you want. Fluid time is exactly what it is: fluid time. In wars a real-life day is an NS day, in some RPs one day is a thousand years. Fluid time is best to be left undiscussed, because every RP has its own timespan. Some wars last months, while some last only days.

Hope this helps!

Really... This does belong into nationstates, not into gameplay. I can just see Crazy Girl screaming bloody murder (again) because RPers are invading her gameplay forum :P

2.) <snip>Ummm... 'Anytime'? Having an insignificant population/ economy/ military doesn't mean that one has insignificant diplomats *Peers at the Vatican*

4.) <snip> *Isn't*

Anyway, personally, I think this sounds a tad like a continuity problem. It works, but... Meh. Just do what you want, and whoever doesn't like it... Screw 'em.
5.) <snip>Fluid time is a gnerally accepted concept. So, yeah, keep 'em as long as you want.

And... A Background thread in either RP forum or an article in NSWiki (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki).

It's also very good you have read the stickies; something not many new players do!
*Thinks that most strickies are utterly pointless, but maybe that's just him, and he shouldn't rant about it, here*

Magick and magic are very accepted things in the NationStates RP forum, because International Incidents is the home of modern era roleplays.Ludicrous. II has tons of space opera.

Granted, magic seems to be rare, there...

If you want to make a roleplay which contains magical beings, add the [Fantasy] tag behind your thread title, so people know what do with it.Reading the post is usually enough to find out...

If you are at war with a player who doesnt recognize magic, then you have little choice but to accept it, if you are the one attacking him.nlikely to happen. I mean, why attack when you have no previous contacts (And you can't have those contacts when you're not recognised)?

[quote]But again, godmodding is easily done in a modern/fantasy enviroment.[/uote]Just as easy as elsewhere. Oh, and I'm fairly certain that he knows what a godmode is :P

Welcome to NS. I've not been here long myself and tend to post mostly in NS. II seems to me (big disclaimer here ) to be more diplomacy and warfare than NS, which seems to be heavily character RP. but you find some of either in both.

Cats Keep is in the region Fatal Terrain, and honestly as to where it is in relation to nations not in FT I have no idea. And as my people have both magic and psionics it doesn't really matter.

Stop biting your tongue - just causes pain - and dive in - find a rp that you think suits your style, contact the gm to see if its possible to get in, and if they say yes, go for it.

Wikis are great things to have ( yes I know I should get mine up )

Thanks for all the help so far, everyone. I'll get to work finalizing some of my history/character concepts, upload them to that NSwiki, and then get to hunting for an RP to get into. Again, seriously, thank you, and I hope to see you around on the forums.

Till Our Swords Cross Again,
~Arageist~

Really... This does belong into nationstates, not into gameplay. I can just see Crazy Girl screaming bloody murder (again) because RPers are invading her gameplay forum :P

She'll just have to get over it then. NationStates is for IC things or threads directly relating to IC things. This thread clearly is neither. It's a general question about how to play the game. Questions about how you play the game are exactly what the Gameplay forum is for...hense its title.

She'll just have to get over it then. NationStates is for IC things or threads directly relating to IC things. This thread clearly is neither. It's a general question about how to play the game. Questions about how you play the game are exactly what the Gameplay forum is for...hense its title.Odd. Sticky seems to disagree. (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=301573)
[/hijack]

*grumbles*

Well I'll get on it then. We seem to have conflicting rules.

It's a general question about how to play the game. Questions about how you play the game are exactly what the Gameplay forum is for...hense its title.
Correct but for one partial word.

"It's a general question about how to roleplay the game."

OOC roleplay questions still belong in NS, or more-often in II. Gameplay is for how things work in the game, in invasions, in region-play, etc. Roleplay OOC still belongs in a Roleplay forum.

Roleplay OOC still belongs in a Roleplay forum.

But don't both Roleplay forums have subtitles which say "[In-character]" ? Now, I understand if a certain RP has an OOC thread relating to it, or if for some reason a thread is better handled OOC (like a list thread), but wouldn't a bunch of newbie questions distract from the roleplay which is taking place?

...as opposed to the Gameplay forum, which is full of newbie questions?