NationStates Jolt Archive

Economic Legends of NationStates
Interview Series, Recorded Spring/Summer 2006

We all play NationStates for slightly varying reasons. Some of us do it casually; some of us are more die-hard. Some play up the politically aspects, while others role-play the rise and fall of empires, and some are only here to socialize.

But some among us are here to win.

What does winning constitute, in a game where no objective has been defined? What action can a nation take to achieve fame for its accomplishment, when no accomplishment is held above any other? Certainly Francos Spain set one example in his time, achieving it by political machination and aggressive play. While he left behind a memorable legacy, however, it is not measurable as a quantity on any objective scale – it cannot be weighed against the performance of any other player. Does such a thing – can such a thing, in NationStates – exist?

I believe there is at least one measure whereby a player’s determination and effort can by measured against his/her fellows, and laurels earned for hard work and intelligent effort. It is a public record in plain sight, where individual performance is measurable against that of all competitors. This scale, of course, is the UN rankings.

In particular, a specific subset of UN rankings captures the result of a determined will set forth by a particular brand of players who dedicate themselves like none others toward a goal. Their progress towards that goal is measured by these reports, and weighed against the achievements of their fellows. These rankings are not the result of accident. Only the most persistent among them will prevail over all others in these - the rankings measuring economy.

Civil rights and political freedoms have their place, and their degree of merit. The ‘Most Religious’ nations have shown dedication of a particular kind, directed towards a specific goal. But nations aiming for economic superiority are more far-reaching in their accomplishments, scoring well across multiple rankings – if they play well. The competition is fierce. The goal is to be the best in the NationStates world. Only a handful can do it with any consistency.

These players deserve the admiration of those of us who view NationStates as a game that rewards stubborn determination, regular maintenance, consistency, directedness, and will-not-die steadiness. I have selected and interviewed ten nations among those whom I believe best capture these traits. They have done – and continue to do it – better than most anyone else.

I sent my initial requests for interviews based first upon two criteria: can this nation achieve a number one ranking in the world in an economic category? Can it consistently be ranked in the top twenty for all economic categories? Surprisingly few could. I had to expand the scope. Who was most impressive in what they did manage to accomplish? Who was unique? Who stood out?

Conducting the interviews was a challenge. The request telegrams I submitted were inevitably lost multiple times amongst the junk mail that all top ranking nations regularly receive. It was an exercise in stubborn determination in itself – on my part to send, resend, and resend the requests; on their part to find the time and make the effort to reply. Over the course of several months most of them, eventually, did.

The result was the following ten interviews posted in Feudal Japan’s regional forum, which I will now share with the community at large in hopes that you find them as interesting to read as I did. What kind of player does it take to maintain one of these nations? The variety may surprise you. What kind of personality lives behind that so-familiar flag? Frequently, it’s not who you think.

The world of NationStates is always in flux, and the competition, as stated above, is rampant. Today’s pre-eminent players may not be tomorrow’s, just as today’s were not yesterday’s. I can only capture this moment in time – this subset of those I tend to view as the pre-eminent players of NationStates – but I do so as a tribute to all those past, present and future who have proven or will prove capable of obtaining the ultimate prize – economic masters of the NationStates world.

Dedication: to the players who so graciously agreed to the interviews; to the memory of Santa Barbara who deserved to be interviewed, and Cosmovania, who ceased to exist as I was seeking to obtain an interview (may the disabled helper-monkeys rest in peace); and lastly to the region of Feudal Japan, that continues to endure my manic fascination with economic reporting.

Lord KoZ of the Knights of Zion
Shogun of Feudal Japan & Tenka Fubu
Okurasho (Dept of Finance), Feudal Japan
a.k.a The Industrial Syndicate of Cecrow

Economic Legends of NationStates #1
Interview with Suffraly of The South Pacific

Postdate, Feudal Japan Forum: 2006-02-23

I've begun sending requests for interviews to pre-eminent players of Nationstates whose nations score phenomenally well in world economic rankings. Some may delete these as typical spam, but some I hope will gift us with a response. Suffraly's response was an especially pleasant surprise. As noted below, Suffraly is a very reclusive player.

Suffraly: This is a unique telegram. I get mostly flames and requests to join other regions everyday... but I'm always glad to get telegrams from intelligent people like yourself who are simply curious. I'll honor your request and answer your questions. I hope I don't disappoint you too much, I honestly don't think I do much in this game, really.

KoZ: Your population suggests you've been playing NationStates for about 3.5 years now. Is that accurate?

Suffraly: To tell you the truth, it's been so long I don't know anymore. I remember being introduced to the game by a friend I haven't talked to in years... so who knows? Maybe it has been 3.5 years; I can't say.

KoZ: Was it your objective from the beginning to dominate UN economic rankings with this nation?

Suffraly: Nope. When I started out, I set out with 3 nations, all incredibly different. Suffraly was the one I wanted to be an oppressive economic superpower. The other one I wanted to be incredibly liberal, and the last to resemble America somewhat. The other two I could never get ranked, so I abandoned them. Suffraly though became a consistent ranker with economy-related themes. So I stuck with it alone and liked how it developed into what it is today.

KoZ: Are your responses to daily issues consistent, or do you still adjust them from time to time?

Suffraly: I keep them consistent, trying to favor economy while crushing civil rights and political freedoms as much as possible.

KoZ: Which issue (if any) have you found it most difficult to choose the right response for?

Suffraly: Good question. I usually find economic related questions vs. giving people certain rights to be the most difficult. I like keeping economy high while controlling the populace (i.e. have no rights)... but there are issues that offer economic gain while at the same time give rights to certain people, like issues concerning corporations and rights of criminals (sorry, can't think of their names ATM). I remember for a while, I kept deciding on an issue that freed criminals to be working members of society. It's created a crime rate I can't decrease, no matter how hard I try nowadays. Hmm, I'm probably deciding on some things wrongly...

KoZ: Do you believe that a low civil rights ranking is required to obtain high economic ranks in the UN reports?

Suffraly: I'd say no (seeing that Myrth and Tailorius already offer good counterexamples) ... but IMO, it sure helps a whole lot. I believe efficiency stems from denying the populace to do anything else but work...!

KoZ: What do you tell other nations who ask you for advice to help improve their rankings?

Suffraly: I don't. Honestly, I ignore most telegrams asking me for advice. I don't want to sound like some know-it-all ass who knows what he's talking about, because I’m not. I'm simply a player like everyone else ... that's why I don't give advice.

KoZ: Which competitors do you have the most respect for? (e.g. Myrth? Nak Nak? Grendels?)

Suffraly: If you haven't noticed already, I'm a nation that likes to keep to itself. I usually log in once a day for about 5-10 minutes to answer issues. So I don't really try to compete or create rivalries with anyone. But nations I do notice many times are nations like The Hateful Hating Hated Haters of Hatred, Santa Barbara, The Grendels, Sketch, and The Holier-than-thou Empire of FeministBioengineering.

KoZ: With so much already accomplished, what goal(s) does Suffraly still look forward to achieving?

Suffraly: To continue being a silent economic ranker in Nationstates . Thanks for the opportunity to have this interview. I hope you or others find this boring info about myself interesting.

KoZ: *Thanks Suffraly for the interview.*

Economic Legends of NationStates #2
Interview with The Grendels of Wysteria

Postdate, Feudal Japan Forum: 2006-02-27

If you have ever seen a flag featuring a running grey wolf on a black and yellow background, then you have heard of The Grendels. They are one of the most pre-eminent nations of Wysteria, a region which over time has collected probably the highest concentration of economic powers in all of NationStates. If you aren't ranked among the top 100 of the world, you won't make their region's top ten in a UN economic ranking.

Grendels: Paws extended in Friendship; The Indomitable Borderlands of the Grendels thanks [The KoZ] for your sense of diplomacy and agrees to this interview.

KoZ: Your population suggests you've been playing NationStates for almost four years now. What brought you to the game, and how did Wysteria come to be your region of choice?

Grendels: Wysteria was founded by a bunch of friends who were RPing in a D&D Campaign. The region was named after the campaign, because it was the easiest name for a region that everyone would be able to agree on. The region’s founder came across this site in a gaming forum and passed word of it along to a ton of other people.

KoZ: Was it your objective from the beginning to dominate UN economic rankings with this nation?

Grendels: I don’t think anyone could have predicted what the NationStates system would grow into. I originally created this nation as a parody of the Corporate Police State that was occurring under the Bush regime. I think a lot of players out there make the mistake of thinking that a nation state is reflection the player’s politics or so I’ve noticed by most of the telegrams I get. Only when more nations showed up in Wysteria and I began competing with Auravia, and then later with Sketch, did I begin setting my sights higher.

KoZ: Are your responses to daily issues consistent, or do you still adjust them from time to time?

Grendels: There have been some adjustments and not all of them have gone well. I decided at one time to take partial democracy (i.e. show democracy where you only had one party on the ballot) but even this had my nation’s issues overwhelmed with political issues and no economic ones. It took six months to reverse this decision and a lot of damage had been done to my rankings by that time. While my rankings may still look impressive to many, I’m still rebuilding from that recession. I’ve also undertaken experiments with civil rights, so long as they don’t interfere with the growth of the economy.

KoZ: Which issue (if any) have you found it most difficult to choose the right response for?

Grendels: A lot of the new issues have stumped a lot of people out there, including myself. Sometimes I’m even tempted to answer them with another nation first because they make absolutely no sense and I don’t want a badly written issue to destroy my nation. Like what happened to so many other people with the Flag Burning Issue that resulted in Anarchy and a 100% tax rate overnight. I used to be the Bread Basket of the Nation States World but I probably made a mistake on the Agriculture issue by going with the desperadoes and gold mining choice.

KoZ: Do you believe that a low civil rights ranking is required to obtain high economic ranks in the UN reports?

Grendels: No. But answering issues and getting unexpected answers can destroy your ranking.

KoZ: What do you tell other nations who ask you for advice to help improve their rankings?

Grendels: Be the nation you want to be. If you’re a Left Leaning Liberal State, don’t try to compete economically with a Corporate Police State, because you can’t. Two issues a day, time, and focus are required by nations seeking to be on top of the UN Reports. Don’t expect to get very far in the World rankings until you’ve been around for about a year, either.

KoZ: Which competitors do you have the most respect for? (e.g. Myrth? Nak Nak? Suffraly?)

Grendels: I’ve probably had more contact with more of the top economic superpowers than most. My contact with other world economic powers has brought a lot of them here [i.e. Wysteria] and having such a concentration of them here has brought others to Wysteria. That and the economic competition in this region have made others step it up to become world economic superpowers. Sketch, Santa Barbara, Tailorious, Koffee, Treznor, Cosmovania, Garrison II, the Centauri, and Tremalkier all reside in Wysteria. I challenge you to find any other region out there with that kind of clout in the world market. Nak Nak spent a couple of months in the region, before going back to the Pacific and gathering some other economic powers to him there. Other than that, I’ve exchanged telegrams for Hatred and I enjoy occasionally reading his replies to stupid telegrams he gets. I’ve really had no contact at all with Myrth, Suffraly, FeministBioengineering, or Neo-Industria. Although I have to say that Neo-Industria should do them self a favour and get a decent flag.

KoZ: With so much already accomplished, what goal(s) do The Grendels still look forward to achieving?

Grendels: I will continue to strive to be foremost amongst my economic rivals and get back to number 1 in the World, as I wile away my time RPing in the Wysterian Forum.

Signed - Yarooo, Gnoll Warleader and Benevolent Dictator for Life; The Indomitable Borderlands of the Grendels

KoZ: *Thanks Grendels for the interview.*

Economic Legends of NationStates #3
Interview with Myrth of The Pacific

Postdate, Feudal Japan Forum: 2006-03-01

Myrth was a logical choice for the third interview of this series. As mentioned below, they have begun to give Suffraly a significant run for their money in the ongoing battle for first place economic rankings. It will be interesting to watch this nation over the next few months, given their declared goal for the future (see last response, below). The following interview is dedicated to Ghaard Allamia [of Feudal Japan], who reserves his greatest admiration for nations that respect civil rights.

KoZ: Your population suggests you've been playing NationStates for approximately 3.5 years. What brought you to the game, and what was the inspiration for the name you chose?

Myrth: I was linked to the game from another forum I frequented at the time. I've been playing since December '02, one month after the game was created. My name is simply a corruption of the word 'mirth'.

KoZ: Was it your objective from the beginning to dominate UN economic rankings with this nation?

Myrth: It wasn't from the beginning, but after about a month of playing I decided to go for it.

KoZ: Yours appears to be a politically active nation. Is there any correlation between this and Myrth's economic pursuits, or are they mutually exclusive goals? Do they occasionally interfere with one another?

Myrth: Although they are exclusive pursuits, the fact that I am usually in the top 10 is useful as I can use it to bring attention to a particular cause.

KoZ: Are your responses to daily issues consistent, or do you still adjust them from time to time?

Myrth: I occasionally adjust my responses to some of the issues, depending on what industry needs boosting the most and whether my civil rights have declined.

KoZ: Which issue (if any) have you found it most difficult to choose the right response for?

Myrth: Several of the military-related issues are difficult to respond to, as they often require sacrificing civil rights for an economic boost.

KoZ: Most economic powers have fought to contain their civil rights. Has maintaining a high civil rights ranking caused you difficulty in your obtaining high economic ranks in UN reports?

Myrth: It is sometimes difficult to maintain high civil rights whilst keeping my economy up; however, having been a Game Moderator, I understand the issue system better so it is easier.

KoZ: What do you tell other nations who ask you for advice to help improve their rankings?

Myrth: There isn't really any particular piece of advice I can give. With a lot of the issues it's fairly easy which ones will boost your economy; however, there are numerous ambiguous ones.

KoZ: Which competitors do you have the most respect for? (e.g. Nak Nak? Suffraly? The Grendels?)

Myrth: Suffraly has an impressive economy and it has taken me a while to start overtaking them in the rankings. Nak nak has managed to maintain numerous nations with powerful economies, so he usually has a nation in the top ten in each Pacific.

KoZ: With so much already accomplished, what goal(s) does Myrth still look forward to achieving?

Myrth: My ultimate goal is to be #1 in all the economic rankings. Hopefully it won't take me too long to achieve this with the increases I've been making recently.

KoZ: *Thanks Myrth for the interview.*

Economic Legends of NationStates #4
Interview with Neo-Industria of Gamingforce

Postdate, Feudal Japan Forum: 2006-05-01

Neo-Industria consistently ranks among the top ten economic powers of NationStates, and is perhaps equally renowned for its insistence upon using the default flag. [Edit: Neo-Industria has updated their flag since this interview.] Recently, Lord KoZ approached NI for an interview:

NI: I rarely even answer most telegrams, but since yours was written in real English and not the usual 'telegram English' I get, not to mention it probably took you more than 30 seconds to write it and that it was free from the usual references to my sexual preferences and/or bodily functions - quite the opposite in fact - I guess I'll answer it. So, here we go.

KoZ: What originally brought you to play NationStates, and what was the inspiration for the name you chose?

NI: I found out about the game on an Internet forum and decided to try it out. It’s as simple as that. Over time it became part of my daily routine to check on my nation, and it still is today. As for the name I chose, it was the name on one of my cities in Sim City 4, an industrial wasteland built to eclipse even the original Industria in term of industrial capacity.

KoZ: Curiosity compels: have you always used the default flag for your nation?

NI: Yes. I've often thought about making my own flag, but then I remember that I'm awful in all things art, so much that I'm barred by a UN Security Council resolution from ever using Photoshop. Or Paint. So I kept the default flag.

KoZ: What attracted you about Gamingforce, the region you have chosen to inhabit?

NI: It was the first region I moved to, created by the people from the forums where I'd been introduced to the game. Originally it was much larger, but with time our numbers dwindled and now only a few large nations remain.

KoZ: Was it your objective from the beginning to achieve high UN economic rankings with this nation?

NI: Not quite; my main objective was to dish out oppression to the unwashed masses. The economic clout was just a nice side-effect, which I can use to build up my police/military forces in order to oppress more people and increase my economic clout further. That's my idea of a sustainable economy.

KoZ: Are your responses to daily issues consistent, or do you still adjust them from time to time?

NI: Depends on the issue. Some of them are fairly straightforward, so I'm consistent in the way I answer them. Others, I have to choose between beefing up my economy or my military, so I tend to alternate.

KoZ: Which issue (if any) have you found it most difficult to choose the right response for?

NI: Those that end up hurting my economy or my military no matter what choices I make are usually those I have a hard time answering. More often than not, I just dismiss them.

KoZ: What do you tell other nations who ask you for advice to help improve their economic rankings?

NI: I've said earlier I rarely answer telegrams. So I guess the answer is, "nothing" - although, I have threatened a number of nations with extinction a few times before when I'm bored. The kind that threaten me with a 'nuke', but don't realize I use nuclear weapons as a mean of riot control regularly.

KoZ: Which economic competitors do you have the most respect for? (e.g. Myrth? Suffraly? The Grendels?)

NI: I've never talked to any other economic powers; in fact, I rarely talk to nations other than those in my home region. I do admit, however, that I've checked out The Hateful Hating Hated Haters of Hatred's answers to the telegrams he gets, when he posts them in his home region. I might get a chuckle or two out of those depending on my mood at the time. I suppose it's a form of respect?

KoZ: What goal(s) does Neo-Industria still look forward to achieving?

NI: Motto says it all: World Domination. Or rather, I want to destroy this world. Then on its ruins I'll build the greatest empire of all times, and crown myself Emperor! For the good of mankind, of course. There you have it: an interview with the ruler of Neo-Industria, soon-to-be ruler of this planet.

KoZ: *Thanks Neo-Industria for the interview.*

Economic Legends of NationStates #5
Interview with Hatred of PvP Nation

Postdate, Feudal Japan Forum: 2006-05-11

The nation of Hatred is, perhaps surprisingly given its name and motto, one of the most approachable among the top economic powers of NationStates. It is essential to treat this nation with respect, however, to avoid becoming a subject of humbling ridicule on the PvP Nation regional message board! We were honoured to receive the following reply to our request for an interview.

KoZ: What originally brought you to play NationStates, and what was the inspiration for the name you chose?

Hatred: Let's see ... you know, I don't even remember. It's been so long. I think I was just bored and thought it'd be funny to be the King of Hate. Originally I was going for "Hate" but it was taken. Second choice, Hatred, I got.

KoZ: Is there a 'softer side' to the nation of Hatred?

Hatred: I'm not sure I follow. Hatred is, essentially, supposed to be the worst place ever: horrible craggy landscapes, no freedom, masses of poor supporting the few wealthy. There's no soft side because, by design, it was suppose to be an insane nation.

KoZ: What attracted you about PvP Nation, the region you have chosen to inhabit?

Hatred: This one's easy - I was on the web board that the region was based around.

KoZ: Was it your objective from the beginning to achieve high UN economic rankings with this nation?

Hatred: No. I don't think I really had an objective at first, honestly. I was mostly playing opposite spectrums. I had a hippy nation named "Procrastinasia." It died when I didn't log in for a month. I kept meaning to ...

KoZ: Are your responses to daily issues consistent, or do you still adjust them from time to time?

Hatred: For the most part, yes. They are consistent.

KoZ: Which issue (if any) have you found it most difficult to choose the right response for?

Hatred: The only hard ones are deciding between two moral 'goods'. Honestly I can't think of one off the top of my head.

KoZ: What do you tell other nations who ask you for advice to help improve their economic rankings?

Hatred: I usually am cordial to those who are so to me. I generally don't answer the questions though as, honestly, I've not done anything secret. Just cater to pro-business answers.

KoZ: Which economic competitors do you have the most respect for? (e.g. Neo-Industria? Suffraly? Myrth?)

Hatred: Is it a competition? I honestly don't pay much attention to the other Top Ten nations. I do occasionally message them with "Good luck handling all the spam." I guess that doesn't really answer the question, though. The bottom line is, I guess, I don't know them really. I don't RP so I don't get involved in the crazy politics.

KoZ: What goal(s) does Hatred still look forward to achieving?

Hatred: I'm not really a goal setter. I guess I just look forward to getting all the spammers to think before they hit the button. I guess that's probably too much to ask.

KoZ: *Thanks Hatred for the interview.*

Economic Legends of NationStates #6
Interview with Cellularia of IMP

Postdate, Feudal Japan Forum: 2006-05-26

The Holy Empire of Cellularia, nation of the Norwegian flag, is an 'innocent' among the world's top economic powers, having arrived there largely by happenstance and mostly oblivious of how well it is faring amidst more competitive players. It made for a rather unusual interview, given that most of the questions came as a surprise and were largely irrelevant to Celluria's style of play.

KoZ: What originally brought you to play NationStates, and what was the inspiration for the name you chose?

Cellularia: I don't remember what brought me to NationStates, but I think it was a friend of mine that happened to be a fan of Max Barry.

KoZ: What attracted you to the region of IMP? Has this always been the home of Cellularia?

Cellularia: I also don't remember. I think I just chose the first region that gave me an invitation.

KoZ: Was it your objective from the beginning to achieve high UN economic rankings with this nation?

Cellularia: I don't really have any "objectives" other than to try and maintain the nation's status as a "corporate police state" through my answers to the daily questions.

KoZ: Are your responses to daily issues consistent, or do you still adjust them from time to time?

Cellularia: My answers are always consistent. I always answer every issue exactly the same way every time. I never ignore any issue, and I have it set to give me the maximum number of issues each day.

KoZ: Which issue (if any) have you found it most difficult to choose the right response for?

Cellularia: Usually I just pick the most awful answer in terms of granting rights or giving kickbacks to the corporations :-p

KoZ: What do you tell other nations who ask you for advice to help improve their economic rankings?

Cellularia: Most other people don't ask for advice, they just spam me with a request to join their region without even reading through my nation profile.

KoZ: Are there any economic competitors that you have especial respect for? (e.g. Suffraly? Myrth? Hatred?)

Cellularia: I honestly don't really pay much attention to the world rankings and such. I guess I think of my nation like a pet; it's like a Tomagotchi or something similar. Also, I can say that as far as the website advertising for Max Barry's books goes, it worked for me, since I bought Jennifer Government, and since I liked that, I bought both Syrup and Company.

KoZ: *Thanks Cellularia for the interview.*

Economic Legends of NationStates #7
Interview with Nak Nak of The Pacific

Postdate, Feudal Japan Forum: 2006-06-13

Nak Nak, ruled by a Dutch player, is a familiar sight across the Pacific regions with several of its puppets also performing well in economic standings, and maintains a high visibility on the political front. This was a particularly challenging interview to achieve, since Nak Nak is an extremely busy player and had difficulty sparing the time. Fortunately, stubborness was met with generosity.

KoZ: What originally brought you to play NationStates, and what was the inspiration for the name and flag you chose?

Nak Nak: A chat site I was frequently visiting 4 years ago pointed NS out to me and I was hooked instantly. To "nak" (a Dutch word) was a thing I did frequently at that time so hence the name 'Nak Nak'. I now have the old NPO flag as a sign of respect to the Old Pacific, but normally I use a picture of Ché [Guevara], who in my eyes was a great man.

KoZ: Please explain to our readers, many of whom are new players: who was Franco, and what was Nak Nak's relationship with his nation?

Nak Nak: Franco is considered as the founder of The Pacific and the greatest NS player ever. He helped me with getting a delegacy some years ago. As a sign of respect towards him I moved to The Pacific 1.5 years ago.

KoZ: Is Nak Nak first and foremost a political power, or an economic power?

Nak Nak: Economical

KoZ: Was it your objective from the beginning to achieve high UN economic rankings with this nation?

Nak Nak: Nope, but Nak Nak was high in the rankings from the beginning and I liked to see my nation in the top 10 world list, so I did and do my best to keep it there.

KoZ: Which issue (if any) have you found it most difficult to choose the right response for?

Nak Nak: That depressed teenager issue.

KoZ: There appear to be many subsidiary Nak Nak nations that also perform well economically. Are all of them under your control? If so, to what purpose are they primarily dedicated (e.g. higher profile for Nak Nak; greater political influence; etc)?

Nak Nak: They’re all under my control and they indeed suit the purpose of getting a higher profile for Nak Nak. I have a colony in every Pacific [feeder region] and they dominate the lists over there.

KoZ: What do you tell other nations who ask you for advice to help improve their economic rankings?

Nak Nak: To be very, very undemocratic. It gets you the best economic ratings.

KoZ: Which economic competitors do you have the most respect for? (e.g. Myrth? Suffraly? The Grendels?)

Nak Nak: Grendels and Myrth

KoZ: What goal(s) does Nak Nak still look forward to achieving?

Nak Nak: To be in the top 10 with Nak Nak and my 3 colonies.

KoZ: *Thanks Nak Nak for the interview.*

Nak Nak: You're welcome, and sorry for the delay.

Economic Legends of NationStates #8
Interview with Evil Cookies of (the region of) Evil Cookies

Postdate, Feudal Japan Forum: 2006-06-21

Possessing one of the more memorable names among top economic contenders, Evil Cookies is not consistently in the top ten, but succeeds often enough and comes close enough that they were more than deserving of an interview:

KoZ: What originally brought you to play NationStates, and what was the inspiration for the name you chose?

Evil Cookies: I cannot exactly recall how I came across NationStates in the first place. It's likely that I was linked through some forum and created a nation to test it out. As for the name, well, I just tried to think of something that didn't make much sense. At the same time that I created Evil Cookies, I also made another nation (Shamboria). Since that one had a somewhat more serious name, I went for a wacky approach on my other one.

KoZ: Many of the UN rankings place Evil Cookies in the top ten. Was it your objective from the beginning to achieve high UN economic rankings with this nation?

Evil Cookies: Most definitely not. When I first joined, the UN-rankings were for me just a fun thing to check out. I never really figured I'd be on them (as a matter of fact, at that time I didn't expect to keep playing for this long).

KoZ: Not only is your economic performance impressive, but you have also produced a rather sizeable and successful region. Is the region of Evil Cookies as old as its namesake nation, or did you reside elsewhere prior to creating it?

Evil Cookies: Together with a bunch of friends from another forum, my first stay was our own region, called 'Das Forum'. When people slowly left, and the region fell into decay, I took up some invite for another region (can't remember which one). I didn't like being in a region with 100+ users however, there were too many people for me and everything just felt chaotic. That's when I came up with the idea to create a region with the same name as my nation. I don't really know what I was hoping for, I just left joining open for anyone and hoped for the best. Eventually people started joining (me and other nations ranking high in various UN-rankings probably made people notice us) and now we have a somewhat solid group of members.

KoZ: Are your responses to daily issues consistent, or do you still adjust them from time to time?

Evil Cookies: Since my views for the nation never really change, one would think that the responses would stay the same. While that is true for some issues, on other issues I vary between two choices. Other times, I abandon my old responses entirely, and go for something else. The issue regarding the Harry Potter'ish book is one example. For a long time my response to this was to listen to the religious ones and burn the books. I figured that was pretty evil and thus a good choice to make. Fairly recently I realized that this didn't make much sense at all, since in all other religion-related issues I am strongly against them. Taking their standpoint in one issue and in none of the others didn't seem logical, so I switched my response.

KoZ: Which issue (if any) have you found it most difficult to choose the right response for?

Evil Cookies: Well there are a number of issues that don't have enough variation of responses, those I usually have some trouble with. ‘Put The Phone Down On Cold Calling’ for example, where the choice is to either ban telemarketing/door-to-door salesmen (which wouldn't be all that great for the economy) or supporting them with government funds, which I do not really want to do either. The way I see it, all issues should have a middle road. Right now I'm just dismissing those kinds of issues when they come up, and they seem kind of pointless.

KoZ: What do you tell other nations who ask you for advice to help improve their economic rankings?

Evil Cookies: Mostly basic stuff. Read the issues and all the responses carefully and make sure that you understand completely what the issue is about, and what consequences the different responses will have. I also usually point out that while it is possible to get a good economy and have a nation that is "good", it is certainly easier to get a good economy if you do not care about the workers' condition and so forth.

KoZ: Are there any economic competitors that you have an abiding respect for or contact with? (e.g. Hatred? Treznor? Nak Nak?)

Evil Cookies: I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that I have very little contact with nations outside the region (apart from the usual people asking for help and threatening to kill me, that is). The latest one I can think of is that a few months ago we were in contact with other regions regarding a conflict with some small-time region that had been spamming around. But I don't think any of them could be called economic competitors.

KoZ: What goal(s) does Evil Cookies still look forward to achieving?

Evil Cookies: Gaining back positions, for starters. Over the last year or so, I've lost several positions in various rankings. While I've gone higher in others, these old rankings should not be impossible to bring together with the new ones.

KoZ: *Thanks Evil Cookies for the interview.*

Evil Cookies: It was my pleasure!

Economic Legends of NationStates #9
Interview with Tailorious of Wysteria

Postdate, Feudal Japan Forum: 2006-06-21

Tailorious is the second interview among the nations of Wysteria, which has collected the largest concentration of top economic contenders in all of NationStates. It was very difficult to choose amongst so many candidates for this interview, but Tailorious appears to have shown the best track record recently (next to the Grendels) in UN top ten economic standings.

KoZ: What originally brought you to play NationStates, and what was the inspiration for the name you chose?

Tailorious: I was a member of a Star Wars Galaxies player assocation called The CONSORTIUM (TCON). Someone on the TCON forums posted about this new little thing called NationStates, and how they had started a TCON region. I thought it sounded fun, so I joined. My chosen profession for TCON was to be a tailor, and I was very known for that, so I become Tailorious.

KoZ: The economic competition in Wysteria appears to be extraordinarily stiff. Is this what first attracted you to the region?

Tailorious: After a couple of years, Tailorious and my alt, Chrono Triggeria, were the only nations left in the TCON region. Tailorious got an invitation from Santa Barbara to join a new region called the Free Trade Zone. It was going to be a region of economic superpowers, so I went and joined, since the TCON region was dead. After FTZ dissolved, I went to its successor, The Tradelands. That died too, so I went to another economic powerhouse, Wysteria, as it was nice to be amongst nations of equal standing.

KoZ: There is remarkable similarity between your flag and Treznor's, as well as the economic performance of these two nations. Would this interview be better titled as "Interview with Tailorious and Treznor"?

Tailorious: I chose this flag a long time ago because I thought it looked the simplest and most interesting. I have no relation to Treznor whatsoever. I think he just photoshopped the Hong Kong flag (which is what I use) because he liked it but didn't want a default flag. That's purely conjecture, however.

KoZ: Many of the UN rankings place Tailorious in the top ten. Was it your objective from the beginning to achieve high UN economic rankings with this nation?

Tailorious: In SWG, TCON was always supposed to be an economic superpower, so I tried to make Tailorious follow in that path. Early on, maybe for my first three or four months, I would answer all questions with what I really thought was the best answer, and only be cold and ruthless in economic ones. After that short period, I started answering all questions in whatever way I thought would help my economy. Oh, and for the love of god, don't join the UN. I was actually the UN Delegate for TCON, and it screwed with my ratings a lot.

KoZ: Are your responses to daily issues consistent, or do you still adjust them from time to time?

Tailorious: My answers are very, very consistent. There are only a couple of issues where I'm unsure which response has the best economic impact, but I think I've got them figured out.

KoZ: Which issue (if any) have you found it most difficult to choose the right response for?

Tailorious: I really hate the robot/factory workers issue. On the one hand, I can see how allowing the robots would be best. On the other, I can see how the implementation of robotic devices in workers would be best.

KoZ: What do you tell other nations who ask you for advice to help improve their economic rankings?

Tailorious: You know, you'd be surprised how little mail I get. I never post in the forums, and practically never even on the Wysteria message board, so I don't make myself very noticeable outside of world standings. I barely even get spam, not that I'm complaining. When I do get legitimate mail, I always tell them that the key is to be consistent over time. You need to really focus on just one or two aspects of your country. It could be military/economy, civil rights/birthrate, whatever, but don't spread yourself thin.

KoZ: Are there any economic competitors that you have a particularly abiding respect for? (e.g. Suffraly? Myrth? The Grendels?)

Tailorious: As I said before, I don't really talk a lot to other nations. I respect all other nations that score well in world standings, since I know how hard it is to get there. My alt, Chrono triggeria, is finally getting into double digit ratings in the world, so I still know the challenge of working up the ladder.

KoZ: What goal(s) does Tailorious still look forward to achieving?

Tailorious: I'd really like to be #1. I've never been #1 in the world for anything, which is frustrating. I think I've been #2 in publishing and furniture restoration, and the latter of those hasn't been compiled in a long time, so maybe next time I'll finally reach the apex. That being said, I'm more than happy to be high on the rankings for most economic ratings.

KoZ: *Thanks Tailorious for the interview.*

Economic Legends of NationStates #10
Interview with Torontonias of The ESUS

Postdate, Feudal Japan Forum: 2006-08-11

Although in comparison to other nations interviewed Torontonias is perhaps a lesser economic power in the world view, he does succeed at an occasional top ten appearance - one of several fortunate nations with the ability to occasionally find themselves ranked among the giants.

KoZ: What originally brought you to play NationStates, and what was the inspiration for the name you chose?

Torontonias: It was a friend, who had a friend who was already playing the game back in May ’03. I thought to myself "Wow, this is a first, a chance to run your own country and blow up stuff!" So off I went, thinking there was some sort of mechanic for trade and military endeavors in the game. I was only mildly repulsed by the free-form structure of the game, and I quickly became a member of the UN and *attempted* to get involved. However, this was in the day when structure was coming into place of the "100 million" rule, where nations with less than said population didn't really have much significance, so I had to wait a while.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't live in Toronto. However, I did live there for a significant portion of my life, so when I had to come up with an "original" name, Torontonia was my first thought. It was taken, so I tacked an "s" onto the end and it was all good.

KoZ: Are you able to share a brief summary of ESUS (Extra Solar Union of Systems) history, dating from when you joined?

Torontonias: My old standby, the "FT Alliance of Legend" as I like to style it. The ESUS has been the longest active Future Tech Alliance in the history of NationStates, other than the Triumvirate of Yut. Although we may fade into obscurity for months at a time, we have very active offsite forums with a bustling OOC and IC community. Torontonias joining the ESUS was the miracle that almost wasn't. Until then, I was personally floundering in interest for the game because I couldn't break into the community. More experienced nations (ironically most of them are long deleted) didn't recognize my ideas, and it was very frustrating. "Starcon" rejected me due to tech-level. The ESUS was activity-based, and I got in by the skin of my teeth.

The ESUS technically doesn't exist anymore; it was disbanded after a period of inactivity. It was recreated a few months later as the Restored-Extra Solar Union of Systems, and I was re-invited along with all original members. I remain one of the few "originals" representin’ the old ESUS. I didn't do much in the alliance but trade tech for a while. Torontonias took on a much more dominant role when the Alliance broke out in civil war and I led the "Traditionalist" faction. That has carried on in the current ESUS-GFFA War. On top of that, I have made most of my NS friends via the ESUS. When I joined the Alliance, I found it to be staffed by friendly and helpful people.

KoZ: Many UN rankings place Torontonias in the top twenty. Was it your objective from the beginning to achieve high UN economic rankings with this nation?

Torontonias: Surprisingly, no it wasn't. My goal from the very beginning was to achieve the UN status of "Free-Market Paradise", a title that less than 2% of all NS nations currently hold. I achieved this earlier this year, back in March I think, but it only lasted about a week. I'm more commonly a "Right-Wing Utopia". It doesn't really reflect my style, and also garners me a lot of "Bush sucks, you Bush lover!!!111oneone" telegrams, which can get aggravating. However, to get high freedoms I find you have to pick the same results on many issues, which is what gets you high rankings in general and leads into the next question...

KoZ: Are your responses to daily issues consistent, or do you still adjust them from time to time?

Torontonias: My responses to daily issues (I receive two daily) are usually pretty standard. I always side with the economy and political freedoms. I try to keep Civil Rights low. However, I do go "hog-wild" with issue-picking sometimes, especially when I get the same one over and over again (such as the Language Issue, or the Desertification issue).

KoZ: Which issue (if any) have you found it most difficult to choose the right response for?

Torontonias: That's tricky, although I'd have to say the "Fillibustering" issue. No matter what option I pick, I always shoot my Political Freedoms in the foot. I have yet to figure out the "right" choice. The "Military in Space" issue is a close second, just because I like all the options, so sometimes I randomize my choice. I usually choose to fund more education and peaceful exploration. Some people tell me they dismiss issues. I don't; I have yet to dismiss a single issue in the three years I've played this game, for that precise reason: it's a game. You can fix what you break ... eventually.

KoZ: What do you tell other nations who ask you for advice to help improve their economic rankings?

Torontonias: I don't get that question very often, and I remember asking it myself in the "Issues" sub-forum. I find that the best advice to give is: think of the economy. Which of the issue responses sound like they’re screwing your economy, and which ones seem like they help it? If you have a choice, let the economy do its thing. For issues supporting industries, pick the choices that let companies do whatever they’d like to boost economic freedom. Restricting and regulating it sinks the freedom. Be warned, though: managing one category (e.g. economy) exclusively can sink both of your other rankings. But I find that the game builds "capital" on your choices; I can usually pick two or three "bad" economy choices without consequence, now that I've supported it for so long.

KoZ: Which among NS's greatest economic powers do you have the most abiding respect and/or admiration for?

Torontonias: I would have to say it's a split between Kanuckistan (who is also in the ESUS Alliance) and Eli, who is in your "The New Meritocracy". If I had to selectively pick one, it would be Eli. He invited me to my first region, although it was really more of a mass-invite, and helped me to learn the ropes. Although I lost contact with him the first few months, I did always have a respect for his 'Frightening' economy, which helped spur me to get my own. He's also one of the oldest nations of NS now.

KoZ: What long-term goals does Torontonias look forward to achieving?

Torontonias: Most of my long-term goals have already been achieved. I have a Frightening Economy; I was a "Free-Market Paradise" (no matter how brief a time it was); and I am now one of the oldest nations in NationStates, up there with the big dogs and outlasting many of my June 2003 founding brothers. However, I still play for the love of the game. It is mainly for RP reasons that I stick around. I'm currently compiling my nation's history in my Alliance Wiki (http://wiki.esusalliance.co.uk/index.php?title=Torontonias). As well, I stay for the glory of being "Player Since 2003" and the resulting telegrams that ensue.

I do have economic goals based on that blasted Thirdgeek calculator. Since I realized it existed, I’ve been the top ranking nation in my region for trade DEFICIT, always higher than two trillion dollars - kind of unnevering. I've also fallen from grace when it comes to my currency exchange, as well as my GDP.

Signed - The Corporate Autocracy of Torontonias (now with new flag and seal!)

KoZ: *Thanks Torontonias for the interview.*

What Have We Learned?

At the same time as being a series of interviews, this has also served as an informal survey about how the most economically powerful nations do what they do. Consequently, we can draw a few conclusions:

* Obtaining a ‘Frightening’ (maximum level) economy is mandatory.

* Set issues frequency to ‘two per day’, and respond to them every day.

* Select responses to issues that clearly favour industrial representatives.

* Issues lacking a response that will have a predictably favourable result should be either dismissed or tested with a puppet nation and the results observed.

* UN membership tends to be detrimental, in the experience of these players. None of the interview subjects have membership (note: The Blackguard of The South Pacific, an interview prospect I did not succeed at contacting, is a UN member).

* Nations that ignore/downgrade political freedoms and civil rights tend to have the easiest path to economic success. This suggests that a ‘Corporate Police State’ will have the least trouble outperforming other types economically.

* There is some evidence to suggest that responses are tallied cumulatively when determining world rankings. If this is true, persistently logging in to answer the maximum number of issues and answering them with the correct response consistently will reward players who make the effort to do so.

* There is some evidence to suggest that population plays a factor, since all top-ranked economic powers in the NationStates world are very large (multiple billions of citizens). Alternatively, this may simply be a consequence of the previous point.

* No conclusions can be drawn based on these interviews about the economic impact of tax rates, crime rates, granting funds for public works, or the maintenance of a large military and/or police force.

NSTracker Survey (2006-08-15)

The following list describes the four largest areas of investment by the ten interview subjects, according to NSTracker (http://nstracker.retrogade.com/index.php):

Suffraly (Corporate Police State)
Law & Order (39%) Defense (38%) Commerce (28%) Transport (2%)

Grendels (Compulsory Consumerist State)
Defense (39%) Commerce (36%) Law & Order (19%) Education (4%)

Myrth (Benevolent Dictatorship)
Defense (49%) Commerce (26%) Law & Order (15%) Education (5%)

Neo-Industria (Corporate Police State)
Defense (48%) Law & Order (29%) Commerce (23%)

Hatred (Corporate Police State)
Defense (58%) Law & Order (30%) Commerce (12%)

Cellularia (Corporate Police State)
Defense (38%) Law & Order (36%) Commerce (20%) Transport (5%)

Nak Nak (Corporate Police State)
Defense (48%) Law & Order (28%) Commerce (23%) Transport (1%)

Evil Cookies (Corporate Police State)
Defense (66%) Law & Order (12%) Commerce (9%) Admin (7%)

Tailorious (Capitalist Paradise)
Commerce (80%) Education (20%)

Torontonias (Right-Wing Utopia)
Law & Order (46%) Education (37%) Commerce (11%) Transport (5%)

Conclusions:

* Although there is an overwhelming tendency by these nations to support their military and police force, as Tailorious demonstrates it is not a requirement. Rather, it may simply be a predilection of these players’ preferences. The most that can be said is that strong military support does not interfere with economic performance.

* With the exception of education and a small amount of support for transportation (e.g. road building and expansion), none of these nations invests in significant public works projects (e.g. health care, welfare programs, social welfare, environment).


[End of 'Economic Legends of NationStates' Interview Series]

Comments?

Nicely done! :)

Of course, I'm a Wysterian, so I might be biased.

Nice. I vote for Myrth. :-)

Nice. I vote for Myrth. :-)

I'd be interested to know which nations others believe I have overlooked in this series of interviews, or whether everyone agrees these were the ten most deserving? There were at least three others I attempted to contact who didn't reply, before I was able to meet my quota.

Ask The Grendels. I'm pretty sure he keeps a list of his competitors. At least, he does of the first three pages of the Wysterian economic rankings, as he writes a report about how each nation improved or slipped every time the UN does an economic ranking. I wouldn't be surprised if he kept an eye on the rest of the world.

As for names, well, I wish today was a economic ranking day. There are a couple of nations I would recommend, but I can't quite remember their names.

I'll try to get back to you.

I'm a member of Wysteria as well (Cecrow) and I enjoy reading Grendel's reports on the forum. Haven't made page one yet, but I've beaten Sketch a couple of times ...

The others I attempted to contact were Spiney Norman, The Blackguard and Feministbioengineering (who pledged on two occasions to reply, but either was unable to or lost my contact information).

I've a list of another twenty or thirty candidates I'm considering for additional interviews; it's people's opinion on the most deserving order to conduct them in that interests me most.

Shame I forgot to adjust my rivals economies downwards before I resigned as a moderator.

I have a few nations that are pushing their way up the economic rankings, but with so many superpowers sitting in the top 1%, I am skeptical that I'll be able to break the Top Ten in any economic category.

Feministbioengineering - that's who I was trying to think of earlier.

It rolls off the tongue eventually, you just have to practice a bit. :p

Today is Largest Mining Sector, the first economic report since I published the interviews on this forum:

Hatred - 1st in the world
Neo-Industria - 3rd in the world
Suffraly - 5th in the world
Myrth - 7th in the world
Grendels - 8th in the world
Nak Nak - 9th in the world
Evil Cookies - 10th in the world
Cellularia - 14th in the world
(Koffee, a Grendels puppet, I think - 20th in the world)
Torontonias - 25th in the world
(Techno, a Nak Nak puppet - 26th in the world)
Tailorious - 27th in the world