This is going to be a short post as I have to leave very soon, but I will be back around the 29th of September. I'm going to visit my family for a few days and then I've got urgent things to deal with straight from Wednesday to Sunday so it's going to be a difficult week.
Got some good news, I have written an issue for NationStates 2 and shown it to the NS2 development team who loved it and it'll be put into the game sometime around tomorrow. The CEO of OMAC Industries asked if I could write them on a regular weekly basis. I haven't said yes or no to this yet, but if I do then you can expect to see many more NS2 issues going into NationStates 2 regularly. It does mean that I'll have very little time to do NS1 issues, but don't worry I'll do my best to do both at once! It's just going to take me longer to do NationStates 1 issues.
Finger crossed the week goes well! See you in a week.
21 September 2008
08 September 2008
My First Impressions Of The NationStates 2 Beta
SPOILER WARNING: I'll be going into some detail about things I've encountered in NationStates 2 like issues and such. If you don't want to know about it, you may not want to read any further. This isn't a review for NationStates 2 as such, more of a series of musings.
NationStates 2 has been released in beta form for about two weeks now, so I'm going to have a brief look at the various aspects of this game and give my general opinion on what's good, what's bad, what could be improved, etc.
OK, let's make our way down the sidebar. First up are issues:
Issues
NationStates 2 issues are quite, quite different from NS1 issues:
NS1 issues are heavy on satire and looking at how different people have different opinions on what should be done on a wide range of topical issues.
NS2 issues are much more slanted to the wacky side of issues than anything else... the other day I had an issue about a crimewave of attacks by ninjas which, amusing as the idea is, is difficult to take seriously. You can't really impose your own morals on a premise so silly.
I've got about seven issues in my pile (there's no 'dismiss all' button. Maybe there will be in the future, I rather hope so.) so let's take a look at one of them:
Before I talk about the contents, I have a few small remarks to make about presentation: the options don't have 1., 2., and 3. before them and there's not much to separate the options from the issue description but an [Accept] button. It doesn't look as neat and clear as NS1 issues do when it should look better.
Few things to note: my nation in NS2 is called Meticulous Care and its newspaper is The Hebdomadal Gabfest.
This particular issue isn't so bad, you've got a for, an against, and a compromise (which comes as the first option - an unusual place to put it. Ideally you want to make the most direct solutions the first ones read an- never mind, I'll be here forever), but I think the issue description could have been done differently.
This description seems a tad clumsy to me. "Is marijuana possession a criminal offense?" Well, for that particular nation the question's been answered earlier in the same sentence where it points out that possessors have been fined and jailed. The question should have been "Should marijuana possession be a criminal offense?" but even then, there's no good explanation why it's even being brought up. Why is the government interviewing the newspaper's authorities? It makes no sense. If I were to write this description, it would have been something like this:
There, it's clear as to the issue and it even includes the national newspaper (which is used profusely in NS2 issues for some reason). It has the added bonus of being ambiguous as to whether recreational drug use is legal or not. This means that you can take any stance on it and still get the issue later if you change your mind. If it's affirmed that it's already illegal, then countries where marijuana use is legal won't be able to get it.
While the NS2 issues aren't bad, they're still not very good and I think they could definitely be improved.
National Summary
Here's my national summary for Meticulous Care:
All in all, it's not bad! One problem though is that because NS2 has two sidebars at both sides of the screen, all the text is squashed into mammoth paragraphs. It's a little off-putting. One obvious boon though is that you can add your own paragraphs to the nation's description (mine's the one that begins 'Meticulous Care was built on...') which is really liberating, and the roleplayers are going to love it. I also like that other notable events in your nation's history are inserted automatically (see the last two lines in the description). Looking at the second paragraph, I notice they put a hyphen into antibiotics. Whoops. There're a few other typos, but I'm not here to nit-pick. Moving on.
Dossier
The dossier is very good, you can order nations by name, last login, population, etc. which I approve of. No complaints here, though it would be nice if it had the little header explaining what the dossier is for, like in NS1 for the benefit of new players. I have noticed that a lot of the features don't have much explanation with them except through the blue question mark buttons.
Telegrams
This feature needs more work. At the moment there is no option for deleting telegrams (single or multiple), or blocking senders. In NationStates 1, you're presented with the option to send telegrams the moment you view another nation. In NationStates 2, you have to click 'Send [whomever] a telegram' which is tucked away in the sidebar. I think it's a shame that in a political simulator (and politics is, at its most fundamental, persuading through communications) that this essential feature isn't more prominent.
Trade
I like trade in NationStates 2 very much. Here's the trade FAQ for those wanting to follow what I'm about to say.
The trade page is broken up into sections so here's a rundown:
Trade news
The latest information about what trade relations you've made. Tellaria just set me to partner.
Trade relations
This shows you what trade relations you have with other nations. I'm neutral with everyone at the moment so there's nothing here, but you can rearrange nations in this list by name, population, etc.
Your GDP vs. Your Set Trade Relations
This shows you your nation's Gross Domestic Product in comparison with nations you've got trade relations with.
Others' Trade Status to you
This shows a list of other nations' trade status to your own nation.
Your GDP vs. Nations with Trade Relations Set to You
This show's your nation's GDP in relation to nations who have trade relations to you.
Trades
This tells you what the latest trades your nation made with a little clipboard symbol bearing either a plus or a minus at the side to show whether you made a surplus or a deficit with the trade. Mine are mostly minuses though my cement industry appears to be flourishing. Go cement!
There's also a number of clipboards showing how many goods you yourself consumed before trading. Mine includes this:
'You consumed 3.00 million units of your own dancing monkeys to satisfy food.'
I'm not sure what to think of that.
Total Goods Produced Yesterday
A list of the goods produced and a line graph indicating how much of each has been made over time.
Surplus After Trade
This shows which industries have a surplus after trade and how much.
And that's it for trade. There's a lot of information there but it's presented in a manner which is, quite frankly, only half-comprehensible.
Most of the information is parlayed through line graphs with no explanation as to what the numbers on the axes represent. Only so many lines are visible and no explanation is given to why these lines are shown and others are not. Another problem is that often the lines for different things are the same colour so there's no way to tell which is which without hovering over the nametag at the bottom. The numbers also use commas instead of decimal points ($13,85 instead of $13.85 for instance) which makes no sense to me at all.
Trade in NS2 is done top-level management style with no micromanagement which I approve of. It sets NS2 apart from other trade simulators which, unless you're pretty canny, will burn you alive in Statistics Hell. So I like trade, but it needs better presentation.
Economy
Again, this section is split into sections, so I'll guide us through:
Government Spending by Branch
Wow! A pie chart! I can understand that, well enough, though it's still got the whole commas-instead-of-decimal-points thing. This section shows what percentage of your budget is going towards different departments. I like this a lot, it means I can keep track of where my government's funding is being wasted most. Which is... healthcare and welfare right now.
Yesterday's Cash Flow
This shows how much money is being put into trades, if I'm right.
All of it, by the looks of things.
Total Needs Yesterday
Shows how much demand there is within my nation for verious amenities (food, clothing, energy, etc.).
Unsatisfied Needs Yesterday
Shows how much unsatisfied demand for various amenities there is in my nation. Right now there's a lot.
Yesterday's Average Market Price for Goods
This shows how much goods are going for by value of your nation's currency (which will always be represented by the dollar sign [$]). A brief glance at the list indicates that automobiles are the most valuable asset on the world market currently, whilst we're all practically drowning in ballistics (or at least, that no-one wants them). The second worst is... cement! NOOOOOO-
Anyway. Looking at these last sections, I can't help but think that they're more useful to decisions you're making when dealing with trade. Do you really want to have to swap between both pages while doing that? It makes more sense to me to put them all together. Also, it'd be helpful if you could rearrange the goods by value, name, etc. for easy reference.
Alliances
Ah, alliances. Alliances is where NS2 really comes to the fore as the possibilities here are endless. This is where the core gameplay exists.
Alliances are like NS1 regions: nations come together, bound by a common interest usually, and build up an organisation with laws and diplomatic relations aimed at furthering its interest. It'll be interesting to see which alliances become the strongest.
Alliances can be of two types: alliances and continents. Nations on the same continent are brought together simply by geographical closeness.
Continents are like NS1 regions. When you create your nation, it gets plonked in a random continent on a random world (mine is World 3). Continents have a description, forum, an elected moderator (like a delegate in NS1) and that's about it.
The continent I'm on is called Blanchfield (Lord knows why) and with some prompting I've encouraged other Blanchfield nations to get to know each other so we can create a proper alliance (which we have done now). The alliance is just getting on its feet, but let's take a look.
The alliance is called The Dyriiad Federation as its HQ is based in the capital of the alliance's founder, Theyst.
Alliances are highly customisable, much more so than continents, which is really wonderful. So let's take a look at what makes an alliance:
Name
Obviously.
Description
Here you can write up what your alliance is all about. Blanchfield simply has 'Blanchfield is a continent of contrast.' for now (oldtime NSers should get the reference).
Forum
Individual alliances all have their own in-game forums which is really great, it's something that many have been hoping for in NS2. They're simplistic, but good enough for most I should think.
Alliance News
Shows the latest happenings in the alliance (members joining, rank changes, etc.)
Alliance History
Lets you record anything about the alliance's history that you want.
Nominations
Some ranks (which I'll elaborate on later) are elected positions. You can nominate yourself, or endorse someone else's nomination here.
Alliance Laws
This is where those with the power can write up the rules for members to abide by, much like writing up WA proposals for the World Assembly in NS1 but less onerous. Laws are proposed, and then voted upon. If they get more FOR votes than AGAINST votes then they're passed and take pride of place in the list of enacted laws. This is a great way for alliances to acquire their own distinctive flavour.
Alliance Ranks
This shows what ranks members may have. The ranks are fully customisable (by whoever has a rank that lets them customise ranks anyway) so different ranks have different powers within the alliance from inviting new members to promoting/demoting members of lower ranks or editing the alliance's description.
In short, I like alliances, which is good because they're just about the most important feature of NationStates 2. I don't know if this has been addressed or not, but it would be good if there was a page that allowed you to read all enacted laws at the same time without having to click on each one and read them separately. My one major gripe though is that alliances don't have messageboards like NS1. The forums are all well and good, but they're not as immediate as messageboards are. To put it simply, forums are like meetings and messageboards are like conversations. They're more casual and therefore more accessible. I think messageboards would be a good complement to alliance forums.
Espionage
Meticulous Care is not an ambassador nation, so I don't know much about how espionage works in the NationStates 2 beta.
Browse Nations
A list of all nations in your world. You can rearrange the list according to name, population, GDP, etc. but there is no search function which is quite annoying. I'm sure that will be sorted at some point though.
Diplomacy
This page shows what diplomatic relations you have with other nations, what diplomatic relations other nations have with you, and the latest changes in diplomatic relations.
But what is diplomacy in NS2? It's basically a measurement of how friendly nations are with each other. You can be White (ally), Green (peaceful), Blue (neutral), Yellow (alert), Orange (hostile). At some point there will also be Red and Black which will be there for NS2's war function (which is yet to come). Diplomatic Statuses besides White, Red, and Black are purely there for public show, or, diplomacy. Neat, huh?
I like the diplomacy in NS2, it's very accessible.
And that's it for the sidebar. I'll look at two more things before I give my Grand Conclusion *fanfare*
Nation creation
I liked the nation creation system. It was like NS1's except better. More initial questions, and more things to customise: you can pick a national newspaper, a predominant terrain, and, at last!, a capital city. One thing that is puzzling is that you have to be an ambassador to have a custom flag. I don't know why you'd have to pay to do something in NS2 that you could do in NS1 for free. Shouldn't it be the other way round? But nevertheless, I do like the nation creation system.
I'd like to see you be able to create a name for your national leader and perhaps even supply a picture. That would be neat.
Presentation
NS2 is styled in a more complicated way than NS1 but it suits it. I really like the artwork by Karl Tiedemann. It's absolutely perfect for the game.
Grand Conclusion
I like NationStates 2 a lot, but there's definite room for improvement. Some features are very good but need more work (alliances for instance), and some features are sorely lacking (search functions). I'm sure NS2 will be great once it's out of the beta stage, but I do have some concerns about how playable some aspects of the game are going to be in the long run. I'm not sure what the point of the commendations and trophies are either. Surely they're just two words for the same thing?
I also think worlds should have more interesting names than World 1, World 2, etc. It's hard to grow a community around something with such an uninspiring moniker.
---
There we go, now some smaller news:
NationStates 2 released another 4000 beta keys, which means more players. Expect even more to be released soon!
There is a new NationStates 1 issue.
More first impressions of NationStates 2 from regulars of the NationStates 1 General forum.
AND OH MY GOD FORUM 7 IS BACK.
NationStates 2 has been released in beta form for about two weeks now, so I'm going to have a brief look at the various aspects of this game and give my general opinion on what's good, what's bad, what could be improved, etc.
OK, let's make our way down the sidebar. First up are issues:
Issues
NationStates 2 issues are quite, quite different from NS1 issues:
NS1 issues are heavy on satire and looking at how different people have different opinions on what should be done on a wide range of topical issues.
NS2 issues are much more slanted to the wacky side of issues than anything else... the other day I had an issue about a crimewave of attacks by ninjas which, amusing as the idea is, is difficult to take seriously. You can't really impose your own morals on a premise so silly.
I've got about seven issues in my pile (there's no 'dismiss all' button. Maybe there will be in the future, I rather hope so.) so let's take a look at one of them:
"Jailing people for pot, is like... bad."
The Hebdomadal Gabfest Editorial: As more and more marijuana users are fined and jailed, our editors ask, "Is marijuana possession a criminal offense?" We interview The Hebdomadal Gabfest's top authorities on the subject.
"Marijuana use is a disease, not a crime" asserts noted physyician Doctor Danny. "Decriminalize this 'pot' and increase the health budget to steady our people when they stumble.".
[Accept]
"Dude, marijuana isn't a disease, it's a path to enlightenment!" says noted Libertarian Alex Truberg. "Make it legal and take some of these cop pigs off the streets, man. What I do to my body is my... wait, what was I talking about?"
[Accept]
"We need to beef up our police force to deal with this growing crime spree. Marijuana is illegal for a reason." says Drug Elimination Agency Officer Irons. "It affects people's memories, and makes them paranoid. If we don't nip this in the bud, they could form some kind of druggy army and kill us all!"
[Accept]
[Dismiss The Issue]
Before I talk about the contents, I have a few small remarks to make about presentation: the options don't have 1., 2., and 3. before them and there's not much to separate the options from the issue description but an [Accept] button. It doesn't look as neat and clear as NS1 issues do when it should look better.
Few things to note: my nation in NS2 is called Meticulous Care and its newspaper is The Hebdomadal Gabfest.
This particular issue isn't so bad, you've got a for, an against, and a compromise (which comes as the first option - an unusual place to put it. Ideally you want to make the most direct solutions the first ones read an- never mind, I'll be here forever), but I think the issue description could have been done differently.
The Hebdomadal Gabfest Editorial: As more and more marijuana users are fined and jailed, our editors ask, "Is marijuana possession a criminal offense?" We interview The Hebdomadal Gabfest's top authorities on the subject.
This description seems a tad clumsy to me. "Is marijuana possession a criminal offense?" Well, for that particular nation the question's been answered earlier in the same sentence where it points out that possessors have been fined and jailed. The question should have been "Should marijuana possession be a criminal offense?" but even then, there's no good explanation why it's even being brought up. Why is the government interviewing the newspaper's authorities? It makes no sense. If I were to write this description, it would have been something like this:
The pro-marijuana organisation 'My Body, My Choice' has been at the centre of debates on recreational drug use after they accidentally set their clubhouse on fire during a 'conference'. The Hebdomadal Gabfest has used this to highlight their latest editorial on whether marijuana should be legal or not.
There, it's clear as to the issue and it even includes the national newspaper (which is used profusely in NS2 issues for some reason). It has the added bonus of being ambiguous as to whether recreational drug use is legal or not. This means that you can take any stance on it and still get the issue later if you change your mind. If it's affirmed that it's already illegal, then countries where marijuana use is legal won't be able to get it.
While the NS2 issues aren't bad, they're still not very good and I think they could definitely be improved.
National Summary
Here's my national summary for Meticulous Care:
The Allied States of Meticulous Care is a huge, moderately restrictive nation, remarkable for its harmony between citizens and politicians. Its population of 67.55 million citizens are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion. The average national tax rate is 28.00%.
A multitude of tap, swing, and hip-hop schools have added classes for the lesser primates. Air-freshener salesmen peddle their wares to fish-scented patrons. Doctors are known to prescribe nothing but anti-biotics. Drilling structures tower over the land. It's rumored that gangsters have been thanking cement manufacturers for their quality production of "shoes." Sports cars have been spotted peeling rubber on the roads.
Lack of food has made the Atclan starvation diet all the rage. Nudity has lost a lot of its appeal due to the abundance of flesh from the clothes shortage... or maybe it's just the frostbite. With such a dire shortage of medical supplies many mothers are delivering at funeral homes to save on transportation costs. The country has become famous for its well stocked silos of materials feeding industries all that they require. Housefires are up 240% as the black-outs have households returning to candle light. Highly skilled professionals are quitting their jobs and becoming fast-food drones as the transportation shortage makes commuting impossible. More and more elite officers are graduating from military training. The country is known for its new renaissance of entertainment art.
Meticulous Care's fearless leader resides in the nation's capital of Juniper City, making grand decisions typically with a pet slime beast curled-up on the carpet.
Meticulous Care was built upon the blood of bureaucrats, pen–pushers, and narrow–minded busybodies everywhere. Their skulls make up the great throne in the Palace of Dread in Juniper City. Blood–curdling screams are a constant reminder of the danger that lurks round every corner.
Please visit the gift shop!
Meticulous Care was founded on the 20th of August, 2008.
Meticulous Care became Moderator of Blanchfield on the 25th of August, 2008.
All in all, it's not bad! One problem though is that because NS2 has two sidebars at both sides of the screen, all the text is squashed into mammoth paragraphs. It's a little off-putting. One obvious boon though is that you can add your own paragraphs to the nation's description (mine's the one that begins 'Meticulous Care was built on...') which is really liberating, and the roleplayers are going to love it. I also like that other notable events in your nation's history are inserted automatically (see the last two lines in the description). Looking at the second paragraph, I notice they put a hyphen into antibiotics. Whoops. There're a few other typos, but I'm not here to nit-pick. Moving on.
Dossier
The dossier is very good, you can order nations by name, last login, population, etc. which I approve of. No complaints here, though it would be nice if it had the little header explaining what the dossier is for, like in NS1 for the benefit of new players. I have noticed that a lot of the features don't have much explanation with them except through the blue question mark buttons.
Telegrams
This feature needs more work. At the moment there is no option for deleting telegrams (single or multiple), or blocking senders. In NationStates 1, you're presented with the option to send telegrams the moment you view another nation. In NationStates 2, you have to click 'Send [whomever] a telegram' which is tucked away in the sidebar. I think it's a shame that in a political simulator (and politics is, at its most fundamental, persuading through communications) that this essential feature isn't more prominent.
Trade
I like trade in NationStates 2 very much. Here's the trade FAQ for those wanting to follow what I'm about to say.
The trade page is broken up into sections so here's a rundown:
Trade news
The latest information about what trade relations you've made. Tellaria just set me to partner.
Trade relations
This shows you what trade relations you have with other nations. I'm neutral with everyone at the moment so there's nothing here, but you can rearrange nations in this list by name, population, etc.
Your GDP vs. Your Set Trade Relations
This shows you your nation's Gross Domestic Product in comparison with nations you've got trade relations with.
Others' Trade Status to you
This shows a list of other nations' trade status to your own nation.
Your GDP vs. Nations with Trade Relations Set to You
This show's your nation's GDP in relation to nations who have trade relations to you.
Trades
This tells you what the latest trades your nation made with a little clipboard symbol bearing either a plus or a minus at the side to show whether you made a surplus or a deficit with the trade. Mine are mostly minuses though my cement industry appears to be flourishing. Go cement!
There's also a number of clipboards showing how many goods you yourself consumed before trading. Mine includes this:
'You consumed 3.00 million units of your own dancing monkeys to satisfy food.'
I'm not sure what to think of that.
Total Goods Produced Yesterday
A list of the goods produced and a line graph indicating how much of each has been made over time.
Surplus After Trade
This shows which industries have a surplus after trade and how much.
And that's it for trade. There's a lot of information there but it's presented in a manner which is, quite frankly, only half-comprehensible.
Most of the information is parlayed through line graphs with no explanation as to what the numbers on the axes represent. Only so many lines are visible and no explanation is given to why these lines are shown and others are not. Another problem is that often the lines for different things are the same colour so there's no way to tell which is which without hovering over the nametag at the bottom. The numbers also use commas instead of decimal points ($13,85 instead of $13.85 for instance) which makes no sense to me at all.
Trade in NS2 is done top-level management style with no micromanagement which I approve of. It sets NS2 apart from other trade simulators which, unless you're pretty canny, will burn you alive in Statistics Hell. So I like trade, but it needs better presentation.
Economy
Again, this section is split into sections, so I'll guide us through:
Government Spending by Branch
Wow! A pie chart! I can understand that, well enough, though it's still got the whole commas-instead-of-decimal-points thing. This section shows what percentage of your budget is going towards different departments. I like this a lot, it means I can keep track of where my government's funding is being wasted most. Which is... healthcare and welfare right now.
Yesterday's Cash Flow
This shows how much money is being put into trades, if I'm right.
Money available for trade: 45.49 million electronic walnuts
Money remaining after trades: 0.00 million electronic walnuts
All of it, by the looks of things.
Total Needs Yesterday
Shows how much demand there is within my nation for verious amenities (food, clothing, energy, etc.).
Unsatisfied Needs Yesterday
Shows how much unsatisfied demand for various amenities there is in my nation. Right now there's a lot.
Yesterday's Average Market Price for Goods
This shows how much goods are going for by value of your nation's currency (which will always be represented by the dollar sign [$]). A brief glance at the list indicates that automobiles are the most valuable asset on the world market currently, whilst we're all practically drowning in ballistics (or at least, that no-one wants them). The second worst is... cement! NOOOOOO-
Anyway. Looking at these last sections, I can't help but think that they're more useful to decisions you're making when dealing with trade. Do you really want to have to swap between both pages while doing that? It makes more sense to me to put them all together. Also, it'd be helpful if you could rearrange the goods by value, name, etc. for easy reference.
Alliances
Ah, alliances. Alliances is where NS2 really comes to the fore as the possibilities here are endless. This is where the core gameplay exists.
Alliances are like NS1 regions: nations come together, bound by a common interest usually, and build up an organisation with laws and diplomatic relations aimed at furthering its interest. It'll be interesting to see which alliances become the strongest.
Alliances can be of two types: alliances and continents. Nations on the same continent are brought together simply by geographical closeness.
Continents are like NS1 regions. When you create your nation, it gets plonked in a random continent on a random world (mine is World 3). Continents have a description, forum, an elected moderator (like a delegate in NS1) and that's about it.
The continent I'm on is called Blanchfield (Lord knows why) and with some prompting I've encouraged other Blanchfield nations to get to know each other so we can create a proper alliance (which we have done now). The alliance is just getting on its feet, but let's take a look.
The alliance is called The Dyriiad Federation as its HQ is based in the capital of the alliance's founder, Theyst.
Alliances are highly customisable, much more so than continents, which is really wonderful. So let's take a look at what makes an alliance:
Name
Obviously.
Description
Here you can write up what your alliance is all about. Blanchfield simply has 'Blanchfield is a continent of contrast.' for now (oldtime NSers should get the reference).
Forum
Individual alliances all have their own in-game forums which is really great, it's something that many have been hoping for in NS2. They're simplistic, but good enough for most I should think.
Alliance News
Shows the latest happenings in the alliance (members joining, rank changes, etc.)
Alliance History
Lets you record anything about the alliance's history that you want.
Nominations
Some ranks (which I'll elaborate on later) are elected positions. You can nominate yourself, or endorse someone else's nomination here.
Alliance Laws
This is where those with the power can write up the rules for members to abide by, much like writing up WA proposals for the World Assembly in NS1 but less onerous. Laws are proposed, and then voted upon. If they get more FOR votes than AGAINST votes then they're passed and take pride of place in the list of enacted laws. This is a great way for alliances to acquire their own distinctive flavour.
Alliance Ranks
This shows what ranks members may have. The ranks are fully customisable (by whoever has a rank that lets them customise ranks anyway) so different ranks have different powers within the alliance from inviting new members to promoting/demoting members of lower ranks or editing the alliance's description.
In short, I like alliances, which is good because they're just about the most important feature of NationStates 2. I don't know if this has been addressed or not, but it would be good if there was a page that allowed you to read all enacted laws at the same time without having to click on each one and read them separately. My one major gripe though is that alliances don't have messageboards like NS1. The forums are all well and good, but they're not as immediate as messageboards are. To put it simply, forums are like meetings and messageboards are like conversations. They're more casual and therefore more accessible. I think messageboards would be a good complement to alliance forums.
Espionage
Meticulous Care is not an ambassador nation, so I don't know much about how espionage works in the NationStates 2 beta.
Browse Nations
A list of all nations in your world. You can rearrange the list according to name, population, GDP, etc. but there is no search function which is quite annoying. I'm sure that will be sorted at some point though.
Diplomacy
This page shows what diplomatic relations you have with other nations, what diplomatic relations other nations have with you, and the latest changes in diplomatic relations.
But what is diplomacy in NS2? It's basically a measurement of how friendly nations are with each other. You can be White (ally), Green (peaceful), Blue (neutral), Yellow (alert), Orange (hostile). At some point there will also be Red and Black which will be there for NS2's war function (which is yet to come). Diplomatic Statuses besides White, Red, and Black are purely there for public show, or, diplomacy. Neat, huh?
I like the diplomacy in NS2, it's very accessible.
And that's it for the sidebar. I'll look at two more things before I give my Grand Conclusion *fanfare*
Nation creation
I liked the nation creation system. It was like NS1's except better. More initial questions, and more things to customise: you can pick a national newspaper, a predominant terrain, and, at last!, a capital city. One thing that is puzzling is that you have to be an ambassador to have a custom flag. I don't know why you'd have to pay to do something in NS2 that you could do in NS1 for free. Shouldn't it be the other way round? But nevertheless, I do like the nation creation system.
I'd like to see you be able to create a name for your national leader and perhaps even supply a picture. That would be neat.
Presentation
NS2 is styled in a more complicated way than NS1 but it suits it. I really like the artwork by Karl Tiedemann. It's absolutely perfect for the game.
Grand Conclusion
I like NationStates 2 a lot, but there's definite room for improvement. Some features are very good but need more work (alliances for instance), and some features are sorely lacking (search functions). I'm sure NS2 will be great once it's out of the beta stage, but I do have some concerns about how playable some aspects of the game are going to be in the long run. I'm not sure what the point of the commendations and trophies are either. Surely they're just two words for the same thing?
I also think worlds should have more interesting names than World 1, World 2, etc. It's hard to grow a community around something with such an uninspiring moniker.
---
There we go, now some smaller news:
NationStates 2 released another 4000 beta keys, which means more players. Expect even more to be released soon!
There is a new NationStates 1 issue.
More first impressions of NationStates 2 from regulars of the NationStates 1 General forum.
AND OH MY GOD FORUM 7 IS BACK.
02 September 2008
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Beta Keys
Hello everyone, I've been terribly busy recently. SAAS buggered up my student loans application, so now I may have to wait three weeks to get it processed. Also, the bank sent me a new card which promptly either got lost in the post or stolen by a bastard postman. It's been a fun few weeks, certainly.
Anyway.
There's been a lot of fuss over these keys because people have been too excited to read. So here's how to get a beta key:
1. Pre-register your NS1 nation.
2. Cross your fingers and wait patiently.
That's it. The beta keys are handed out RANDOMLY so don't kick and scream because you haven't been given one. The idea is that more and more keys will be handed out as time passes and the site is debugged and improved.
In other news, the NationStates 2 forums have been rejiggered into an arrangement that actually makes sense.
I am also working on a new issue for NS1 (if you're wondering, I have nothing to do with the issues in NationStates 2). Events have delayed me from touching it these last two weeks but I'll get on it soon.
I'm a bit dozy right now so my take on NationStates 2 as it is so far will have to wait until the next post.
Anyway.
There's been a lot of fuss over these keys because people have been too excited to read. So here's how to get a beta key:
1. Pre-register your NS1 nation.
2. Cross your fingers and wait patiently.
That's it. The beta keys are handed out RANDOMLY so don't kick and scream because you haven't been given one. The idea is that more and more keys will be handed out as time passes and the site is debugged and improved.
In other news, the NationStates 2 forums have been rejiggered into an arrangement that actually makes sense.
I am also working on a new issue for NS1 (if you're wondering, I have nothing to do with the issues in NationStates 2). Events have delayed me from touching it these last two weeks but I'll get on it soon.
I'm a bit dozy right now so my take on NationStates 2 as it is so far will have to wait until the next post.
19 August 2008
NationStates 2 Invite-Only Beta Launches
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.
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.
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.
31 July 2008
OpenId On NationStates
I have to be frank and admit I'd never heard of OpenId before now, but those who do know about this handy internet device can learn more about its NationStates application here. There's also a discussion about it in the Technical forum.
In other news, the forums have some new member titles which has prompted a long discussion. I think the new titles are vastly superior to the old ones, though I'd have preferred there not to be any postcount-based titles and just call everyone 'member'. But the hordes of the General forum probably feel differently.
I've also involved myself with another two small enhancements of NationStates. One is related to the description of a nation's population. Once your population goes over one billion, it's described as massive, when it starts out it's referred to as tiny, and there's a bunch of others too. Well, I thought, since we now have nations pushing twelve (thirteen?) billion, it's high time we revised those descriptors. So I edited the code and sent it off to the admins. If the boss approves, we'll see some new descriptors, and some new parameters for the old ones.
The second feature is something that was suggested to me by e-mail by one of our players New South Hell. It also deals with descriptors, but more specifically the ones following 'renowned/remarkable/notable for its' on the spotlight page. Like this:
The Holy Hippocracy of Sirocco is a massive, economically powerful nation, renowned for its compulsory vegetarianism.
NSH sent me a whole bunch of ideas for new descriptors. This was something I'd actually been planning to do for a while because it's a very easy enhancement to add to the game. NSH did all the hard work though, so why not use it? I refined the list and added the appropriate code for the admins and sent it off. If anyone else would like to submit new ideas for new descriptors, I'll be very happy to compile a new list for submission to the admins. Just send me an e-mail at sirocco@nationstates.net
I don't know when we'll see these changes. Keep an eye out.
In other news, the forums have some new member titles which has prompted a long discussion. I think the new titles are vastly superior to the old ones, though I'd have preferred there not to be any postcount-based titles and just call everyone 'member'. But the hordes of the General forum probably feel differently.
I've also involved myself with another two small enhancements of NationStates. One is related to the description of a nation's population. Once your population goes over one billion, it's described as massive, when it starts out it's referred to as tiny, and there's a bunch of others too. Well, I thought, since we now have nations pushing twelve (thirteen?) billion, it's high time we revised those descriptors. So I edited the code and sent it off to the admins. If the boss approves, we'll see some new descriptors, and some new parameters for the old ones.
The second feature is something that was suggested to me by e-mail by one of our players New South Hell. It also deals with descriptors, but more specifically the ones following 'renowned/remarkable/notable for its' on the spotlight page. Like this:
The Holy Hippocracy of Sirocco is a massive, economically powerful nation, renowned for its compulsory vegetarianism.
NSH sent me a whole bunch of ideas for new descriptors. This was something I'd actually been planning to do for a while because it's a very easy enhancement to add to the game. NSH did all the hard work though, so why not use it? I refined the list and added the appropriate code for the admins and sent it off. If anyone else would like to submit new ideas for new descriptors, I'll be very happy to compile a new list for submission to the admins. Just send me an e-mail at sirocco@nationstates.net
I don't know when we'll see these changes. Keep an eye out.
24 July 2008
OMAC Interviews Max Barry
Check it out: http://blog.nationstates2.com/2008/07/q-and-a-with-ma.html
In other news, the world page buggered up today because the 'featured region' feature glitched. The randomly chosen region that turned up was deemed inappropriate, so we renamed the region causing a giant error message to distort the page. Ah, c'est la vie.
In other news, the world page buggered up today because the 'featured region' feature glitched. The randomly chosen region that turned up was deemed inappropriate, so we renamed the region causing a giant error message to distort the page. Ah, c'est la vie.
23 July 2008
More Forum Work
The changes to the forums are becoming more obvious now with the introduction of ads right in the middle of every single thread. I'm using a Firefox browser which blocks ads, so I'm not affected too much, but of course there're a lot of people who are. Here's some threads where the new changes are being discussed:
Wilgrove's NSG thread
Chaotic Nightmare's Technical thread
Rambhutan's open letter to OMAC
The general consensus is that the ads are obnoxious and in-your-face, interrupting the narrative flow of threads, especially the ones in the roleplay forums. But if we're going to have OMAC pay for the expensive hosting of NationStates and its forums, not to mention the development of NationStates 2, then I think it's something we're going to have to put up with. Oh, and the ads sometimes link to very inappropriate material. If you see any of these ads, please report them to Jolt.
If you really can't bear the ads then download the Firefox browser here.
NoScript and AdBlock are the best add-ons for blocking online adverts I am told.
Finally on the subject of changes to the forums, if anyone has anything to suggest to the Jolt admins about what they'd like on the forums, or are coming across any bugs, then I recommend this forum: Suggestions/Bugs/Feedback
Feel free to comment your opinions on this blog too, I rather miss knowing that anyone reads this thing.
Remember that many changes are forum-wide and can't actually be forum-specific, like the member titles. You know, the annoying descriptors like 'Pimp' and 'Honorary Spam Forum Owner'. Any changes to those happen to all of Jolt's members, not just us. So remember that what you want may not be possible.
Also, NationStates 2 now has its own great big forum for everyone to have fun with, as I subtly mentioned in my last post.
In other news, two of the seven new World Census rankings have appeared, which I'm pleased about. For those who missed them, they were 'Laxest Drug Laws' and 'Most Godforsaken'.
There is also a new issue.
Wilgrove's NSG thread
Chaotic Nightmare's Technical thread
Rambhutan's open letter to OMAC
The general consensus is that the ads are obnoxious and in-your-face, interrupting the narrative flow of threads, especially the ones in the roleplay forums. But if we're going to have OMAC pay for the expensive hosting of NationStates and its forums, not to mention the development of NationStates 2, then I think it's something we're going to have to put up with. Oh, and the ads sometimes link to very inappropriate material. If you see any of these ads, please report them to Jolt.
If you really can't bear the ads then download the Firefox browser here.
NoScript and AdBlock are the best add-ons for blocking online adverts I am told.
Finally on the subject of changes to the forums, if anyone has anything to suggest to the Jolt admins about what they'd like on the forums, or are coming across any bugs, then I recommend this forum: Suggestions/Bugs/Feedback
Feel free to comment your opinions on this blog too, I rather miss knowing that anyone reads this thing.
Remember that many changes are forum-wide and can't actually be forum-specific, like the member titles. You know, the annoying descriptors like 'Pimp' and 'Honorary Spam Forum Owner'. Any changes to those happen to all of Jolt's members, not just us. So remember that what you want may not be possible.
Also, NationStates 2 now has its own great big forum for everyone to have fun with, as I subtly mentioned in my last post.
In other news, two of the seven new World Census rankings have appeared, which I'm pleased about. For those who missed them, they were 'Laxest Drug Laws' and 'Most Godforsaken'.
There is also a new issue.
20 July 2008
Forum Work
There's been a little rejigging of the forums. At the bottom of the screen is a list of all players viewing forums, a counter of how many are viewing each individual forum, and even those viewing the same thread as you. It's quite nostalgic, reminds me of the pre-Jolt days, though the mods' names aren't green this time. We're just plain black. Like civilians. Ah, I jest. Thread displays are now a bit more customisable, and you can send little messages to forum users directly by clicking on their names in the forum. You can even befriend them. Aww. I have a feeling that, as a mod, being able to receive messages directly from anyone clicking my name on the forums may either be really useful or bane of my thread-prowling life. But I survive well enough with the same sort of thing happening on NationStates with telegrams. Out of all the mods, I'm the one with a link to my nation strewn about the site most. Now, moving on, the NationStates 2 forum is missing... oh my god, it's gone! It's the end of days! What will we do now?! Oh, wait. There it is. In a new home.
If you want to discuss these latest developments, check out this thread by Ifreann.
If you want to discuss these latest developments, check out this thread by Ifreann.
17 July 2008
New World Census Rankings
After some brainstorming I designed some new world census rankings for possible addition to NationStates. I am pleased to announce that [violet] has coded (and enhanced) most of these and put them in for me. So keep your eye on the World page. There are seven new rankings that could crop up any day.
General Forum Purge
At some point in the near future, a great whopping bunch of posts and old threads are going to be excised from the General forum. So if there's anything you want to save then direct your attentions to these threads:
Tell us which threads you want archived here.
Comments and discussion goes here.
In other news:
I did a quick tally and I have edited 113 issues and written 4. So out of the 230 issues NationStates has at the time of writing, I'm responsible for over half of them. Go me!
Tell us which threads you want archived here.
Comments and discussion goes here.
In other news:
I did a quick tally and I have edited 113 issues and written 4. So out of the 230 issues NationStates has at the time of writing, I'm responsible for over half of them. Go me!
12 July 2008
Behold: The Tourism Industry!
About five weeks ago, I went through all the old issues fixing as many typos and bugs as I could find (I'm 99.99% sure I found all the bugs) and on top of that, added a new feature to the game. It's only recently that players have noticed the new feature which is, of course, a new industry. Yes, along with the other seventeen industries, NationStates now has a tourism industry which is a very important business in many parts of the world today. I reckon this addition will maybe make players think twice before choosing particular options...
There is no World Census ranking on the tourism industry yet, but there will be soon. In the meantime, if you have any requests for other World Census rankings you'd like to see then send me an e-mail, telegram, or whatever and I'll consider it.
In other news, in startling (and slightly maddening) contrast to my own failure to garner any interest in an NS meet, the New York NationStates Meet is progressing in leaps and bounds. If you're in the area, check it out.
Oh, and I've put a new issue into the game, NationStates' two hundred and thirtieth no less. Enjoy!
There is no World Census ranking on the tourism industry yet, but there will be soon. In the meantime, if you have any requests for other World Census rankings you'd like to see then send me an e-mail, telegram, or whatever and I'll consider it.
In other news, in startling (and slightly maddening) contrast to my own failure to garner any interest in an NS meet, the New York NationStates Meet is progressing in leaps and bounds. If you're in the area, check it out.
Oh, and I've put a new issue into the game, NationStates' two hundred and thirtieth no less. Enjoy!
07 July 2008
02 July 2008
The NS2 Beta Is Here!
As of Monday, the beta for NationStates 2 has launched, and I'm afraid that's pretty much all I'm allowed to say on the subject, except that there's a post about it on the NationStates 2 blog.
I've had a grand total of zero replies on the Scottish NS meet so I'm thinking it's not going to happen. It's a shame but I guess everyone lost interest.
This is also the blog's three hundredth post. Not bad.
I've had a grand total of zero replies on the Scottish NS meet so I'm thinking it's not going to happen. It's a shame but I guess everyone lost interest.
This is also the blog's three hundredth post. Not bad.
29 June 2008
NationStates 2 Beta Approaches...
I think everyone's excited about the latest post on the NationStates 2 blog. Those fortunate individuals chosen to be testers should remember how privileged they are and not leak information to anyone, and those who aren't testers should be responsible enough not to hassle those who are for details.
Moving on, to those interested in the Scottish NS meet I have sent telegrams so please reply. Anyone interested should let me know what time would be best for them (from 27th July onwards to August) and where would be best for them (Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, or Edinburgh). Also I'd like to know where you would be prepared to go to if your favoured city is not ultimately chosen.
Those who frequent the World Assembly will notice two changes. There is no longer a Bookkeeping category and there is no [repeal this resolution] button on the first WA resolution by Maxtopia.
In regards to the first change, I thought it was high time we removed it because we never came to any agreement as to what the Bookkeeping category should cover and so we've just been deleting any proposals submitted under that category. This is both a waste of our time and highly confusing for our players. Perhaps at some later date we'll reintroduce the category but only when we know what it's for.
The reasons for the second change is rather obvious, we can't let the resolution founding the World Assembly be repealed because that would completely undermine an entire section of the site and a great big chunk of the gameplay. We were never sure what we'd do if everyone had voted against the resolution to begin with, but thankfully that didn't happen. Before now we'd been deleting these repeals which, again, was a waste of our time and confusing for the players.
A lot of people have been complaining of problems with the forums. All I can say is bear with us for a while: we're hoping to have it resolved soon.
Moving on, to those interested in the Scottish NS meet I have sent telegrams so please reply. Anyone interested should let me know what time would be best for them (from 27th July onwards to August) and where would be best for them (Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, or Edinburgh). Also I'd like to know where you would be prepared to go to if your favoured city is not ultimately chosen.
Those who frequent the World Assembly will notice two changes. There is no longer a Bookkeeping category and there is no [repeal this resolution] button on the first WA resolution by Maxtopia.
In regards to the first change, I thought it was high time we removed it because we never came to any agreement as to what the Bookkeeping category should cover and so we've just been deleting any proposals submitted under that category. This is both a waste of our time and highly confusing for our players. Perhaps at some later date we'll reintroduce the category but only when we know what it's for.
The reasons for the second change is rather obvious, we can't let the resolution founding the World Assembly be repealed because that would completely undermine an entire section of the site and a great big chunk of the gameplay. We were never sure what we'd do if everyone had voted against the resolution to begin with, but thankfully that didn't happen. Before now we'd been deleting these repeals which, again, was a waste of our time and confusing for the players.
A lot of people have been complaining of problems with the forums. All I can say is bear with us for a while: we're hoping to have it resolved soon.
25 June 2008
Possible NationStates Meet In Scotland
I've decided that since we've had all the UK NationStates meets in England, to which is too far away for me to travel, it would be prudent to organise my own Scottish one. So, anyone interested should check out this thread and let me know if you'd be willing to come. Once we've got a sizeable number of people (anything bigger than three would be good enough I think) we can start deciding the all-important where-and-when of things.
21 June 2008
OMAC Buys Jolt
Gadzooks! I, along with everyone else, was very surprised to hear about the sudden takeover of our forum hosts by the people developing NationStates 2. Either OMAC have much more investment than I previously suspected or Jolt was much cheaper.
So what does this mean?
Well, it explains why there was no hurry to go shifting our forums somewhere else because they're exactly where they're supposed to be. It also means we should see the improvements we've long been waiting for - better controls, better interface (i.e. one that works) and at long last we should be able to free up all the old account names so that players can create nations with the names they want instead of being told that they were reserved by someone who maybe played for a few days many years ago.
If we do get this then all nations that died more than a year ago and weren't deleted by moderators (too much potential for confusion) will have their names unreserved. That was the old plan anyway, things may be changed this time around, we'll just have to wait and see.
The second big change we've all seen is the great big advert at the top of the screen, and obviously I'm not talking about the ads for Max's books. Some may see this as a sad departure from the whole ethos NS had as this wee site created by an author wanting to sell his books without the usual corporate influence, but NationStates is expensive to host and it's perhaps surprising that this hasn't happened before now.
Just remember that the ads are about cost limitation, not turning NS1 into some sort of money-making machine. I think if we were given the choice between a pay-to-play NationStates 2 and a free NationStates 2 with some adverts (which will probably/hopefully become a bit more targeted at some point - I think we've all seen 'The Naughty Button' whatever that is) then most would pick the latter.
In other news, my computer has collapsed again and if I can't get it fixed I'm going to have to wait until autumn before I can (possibly) get a new one. All in all this means I will have less time to moderate and edit issues. It also means that I can't come on to IRC. Sorry 'bout that. In the meantime, I've put a further three issues into the game. The whole 'save up a bunch and then release' thing will just have to wait for another time. Enjoy!
So what does this mean?
Well, it explains why there was no hurry to go shifting our forums somewhere else because they're exactly where they're supposed to be. It also means we should see the improvements we've long been waiting for - better controls, better interface (i.e. one that works) and at long last we should be able to free up all the old account names so that players can create nations with the names they want instead of being told that they were reserved by someone who maybe played for a few days many years ago.
If we do get this then all nations that died more than a year ago and weren't deleted by moderators (too much potential for confusion) will have their names unreserved. That was the old plan anyway, things may be changed this time around, we'll just have to wait and see.
The second big change we've all seen is the great big advert at the top of the screen, and obviously I'm not talking about the ads for Max's books. Some may see this as a sad departure from the whole ethos NS had as this wee site created by an author wanting to sell his books without the usual corporate influence, but NationStates is expensive to host and it's perhaps surprising that this hasn't happened before now.
Just remember that the ads are about cost limitation, not turning NS1 into some sort of money-making machine. I think if we were given the choice between a pay-to-play NationStates 2 and a free NationStates 2 with some adverts (which will probably/hopefully become a bit more targeted at some point - I think we've all seen 'The Naughty Button' whatever that is) then most would pick the latter.
In other news, my computer has collapsed again and if I can't get it fixed I'm going to have to wait until autumn before I can (possibly) get a new one. All in all this means I will have less time to moderate and edit issues. It also means that I can't come on to IRC. Sorry 'bout that. In the meantime, I've put a further three issues into the game. The whole 'save up a bunch and then release' thing will just have to wait for another time. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
