Yes, NationStates 2 is one step closer to a baying public! Those who applied to be on the beta now have a chance of taking part in the game in its (still early) stages. Remember that the game isn't finished yet and new features are still being added.
A random five hundred applicants will be given keys to access the game. Remember to make sure you register with the e-mail address in your NS1 settings or you won't be able to use the nation name you (presumably) registered. Those, like the dunce I am, who already made this mistake will have to wait for the admins to fix this for us.
Gradually, more people will be invited until the open beta is launched. Then, soon, the game will be complete, excepting the odd enhancement and bug fix every now and again.
NationStates 2 Blog announcement
I've created a nation called Meticulous Care until I can get Sirocco. I'll maybe post my views and comments on NS2 within the next few days. In the meanwhile, check out the new NationStates 2 FAQ. It is very exciting.
19 August 2008
14 August 2008
NationStates YouTube Video Round-Up
NationStates, being a text-based game, does not exactly lend itself to the creative thinking that goes into making YouTube videos.
Nevertheless, there are those that have tried.
Cordova - A Memory: I am not entirely sure what all this is about, but the sad mournful music accompanied by pictures of handsome young men, various images from NationStates, forum posts, and other random images gives an effect which is oddly hilarious.
Hitler vs. Raiders: your founder can't help you now.
NationStates Issues Commentary: this is genuinely interesting (to me at least), one of our users, Kushin Los, has decided to document the progress of his nation on video camera by reading issues aloud and evaluating his decision. It's rather odd to hear something you've written being recited by a complete stranger half a world away. Check them out, just don't expect the video to be as interesting as the audio.
I've set up a thread in the Got Issues forum for anyone wanting to comment on these videos.
Nevertheless, there are those that have tried.
Cordova - A Memory: I am not entirely sure what all this is about, but the sad mournful music accompanied by pictures of handsome young men, various images from NationStates, forum posts, and other random images gives an effect which is oddly hilarious.
Hitler vs. Raiders: your founder can't help you now.
NationStates Issues Commentary: this is genuinely interesting (to me at least), one of our users, Kushin Los, has decided to document the progress of his nation on video camera by reading issues aloud and evaluating his decision. It's rather odd to hear something you've written being recited by a complete stranger half a world away. Check them out, just don't expect the video to be as interesting as the audio.
I've set up a thread in the Got Issues forum for anyone wanting to comment on these videos.
NS2 Name Reservation
If you worried that you might not get your favourite nation's name for the eagerly-awaited sequel, then fear no longer - we have name reservations. Simply follow the instructions on the link in the middle of your nation's spotlight page and make sure you're using the e-mail address you want to confirm your reservation in your settings.
You can find more news on this with these links:
NationStates News
NS2 Weblog
Also, you can join the discussion about the NS2 reservations in the Technical forum.
You can find more news on this with these links:
NationStates News
NS2 Weblog
Also, you can join the discussion about the NS2 reservations in the Technical forum.
09 August 2008
Sisters Of NationStates
Two posts in one day! Who'da thunk it.
OMAC Industries, which owns NationStates and is developing NationStates 2, has also acquired some other games which I thought I'd mention here. I'm neither encouraging or discouraging anyone to play these, just sharing some information about the other gaming sites in the OMAC 'family'.
First off, the two Swirve games:
Earth: 2025, a contemporary nation simulator which first rose to prominence in 1996 or so. In it you can build alliances, wage war, and other numerous national management things. They also have forums.
Utopia is more of a fantasy-orientated nation simulator, in which you can be a specific fantasy race (elves, dwarves, etc.) and ally with or wage war against other 'kingdoms'. Their forums can be read here.
The most recent acquisition of OMAC's is a game called Trukz, a 'trucking simulation' where you take the role of a lorry driver, transporting goods from one place to another. Their forums are here.
Trukz was invented by Kevin Marks, the creator of Cyber Nations. I'll let that sink in for a moment.
In other news, NationStates has been, quite frankly, ripped off by the makers of a FaceBook application called Nations. Not so much as an 'inspired by'. It's rather similar to the whole Scrabulous affair (if you don't know about it, look it up).
I'm not aware of any intent to complain officially about the application, and there probably isn't any need to do so. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
OMAC Industries, which owns NationStates and is developing NationStates 2, has also acquired some other games which I thought I'd mention here. I'm neither encouraging or discouraging anyone to play these, just sharing some information about the other gaming sites in the OMAC 'family'.
First off, the two Swirve games:
Earth: 2025, a contemporary nation simulator which first rose to prominence in 1996 or so. In it you can build alliances, wage war, and other numerous national management things. They also have forums.
Utopia is more of a fantasy-orientated nation simulator, in which you can be a specific fantasy race (elves, dwarves, etc.) and ally with or wage war against other 'kingdoms'. Their forums can be read here.
The most recent acquisition of OMAC's is a game called Trukz, a 'trucking simulation' where you take the role of a lorry driver, transporting goods from one place to another. Their forums are here.
Trukz was invented by Kevin Marks, the creator of Cyber Nations. I'll let that sink in for a moment.
In other news, NationStates has been, quite frankly, ripped off by the makers of a FaceBook application called Nations. Not so much as an 'inspired by'. It's rather similar to the whole Scrabulous affair (if you don't know about it, look it up).
I'm not aware of any intent to complain officially about the application, and there probably isn't any need to do so. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
Of Avatars And Paedophilia
Absolutely not in combination though!
I've been doing little NationStates-related things this last week due to RL difficulties. I'm poor, living costs in Aberdeen are high, jobs are ludicrously thin on the ground, my rent's been increased, things in my flat keep breaking, and my loan application for the coming year was pitifully small because the application forms are as easy to follow as a VCR instruction booklet that's been translated from Japanese. I've got a lot of phone calls to make in regards to this.
Anyway, the forums have undergone some more changes, the most immediately obvious one being that not only mods may have avatars now. Is this a good or a bad thing? Well, there's a discussion concerning it in Moderation. For us mods it's another thing we'll have to police, so players should try to restrain themselves from using anything offensive.
Also, the NationStates 2 forum has been expanded to have the same subforums as NationStates 1. This is a strange move by OMAC since no one's actually played the game yet. The big question of course is do we really need two General forums? God forbid!
The Paedophilia thread in General has, understandably, caused some controversy as to whether we should be allowing our users to discuss such a harrowing subject. Last time we had a thread on this we suddenly attracted a number of pro-paedophilia posters who were unnerving and unwanted to say the least, so we stopped that thread in its tracks. This time round, however, the debate seems to be progressing with actual reasoned discussion without users agressively trolling on the subject (both advocation and condemnation) which I'm pleased about. We will not support a thread that devolves into the promotion of paedophilia, obviously, but we see no reason to stop people from talking about it.
To put things simply, we're OK with people debating whether it's excusable to like children sexually, but we don't want our users debating about whether it's excusable to act upon it because it's not, and we don't want that sort of thing on our forums. It doesn't sit comfortably with our policies and attracts people we have no interest in attracting.
I'd like to say more issues are on the way, but until I've got past all the financial difficulties I'm facing, I can't do anything.
I've been doing little NationStates-related things this last week due to RL difficulties. I'm poor, living costs in Aberdeen are high, jobs are ludicrously thin on the ground, my rent's been increased, things in my flat keep breaking, and my loan application for the coming year was pitifully small because the application forms are as easy to follow as a VCR instruction booklet that's been translated from Japanese. I've got a lot of phone calls to make in regards to this.
Anyway, the forums have undergone some more changes, the most immediately obvious one being that not only mods may have avatars now. Is this a good or a bad thing? Well, there's a discussion concerning it in Moderation. For us mods it's another thing we'll have to police, so players should try to restrain themselves from using anything offensive.
Also, the NationStates 2 forum has been expanded to have the same subforums as NationStates 1. This is a strange move by OMAC since no one's actually played the game yet. The big question of course is do we really need two General forums? God forbid!
The Paedophilia thread in General has, understandably, caused some controversy as to whether we should be allowing our users to discuss such a harrowing subject. Last time we had a thread on this we suddenly attracted a number of pro-paedophilia posters who were unnerving and unwanted to say the least, so we stopped that thread in its tracks. This time round, however, the debate seems to be progressing with actual reasoned discussion without users agressively trolling on the subject (both advocation and condemnation) which I'm pleased about. We will not support a thread that devolves into the promotion of paedophilia, obviously, but we see no reason to stop people from talking about it.
To put things simply, we're OK with people debating whether it's excusable to like children sexually, but we don't want our users debating about whether it's excusable to act upon it because it's not, and we don't want that sort of thing on our forums. It doesn't sit comfortably with our policies and attracts people we have no interest in attracting.
I'd like to say more issues are on the way, but until I've got past all the financial difficulties I'm facing, I can't do anything.
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