Cabinet AMAs

RMB Question from The Lancerian Empire: Question for Tomb: What is the most difficult part of your job? What is the easiest part of your job?

Well, Kidding, the most difficult would probably be the manual recruiting part. We have (HA ministry) have sent at least 2,000 manually sent telegrams to nations in The North Pacific, and even though it's just copy and paste, it gets tiring
Easiest part would probably be the joy of looking at some of the members you have mentored become involved in TNP and prosper.

RMB Question from Democatic Donkeys: Question for Tomb: Why are you such a pleasant person?

Well, DD, there are many answers to this one, but you know, it's all about the genes
In reality though, I really try to treat everyone nicely, because that's how I want to be treated.

RMB Question from Sauceistan: Question for Tomb: You said you send telegrams manually. How do you choose which nations to send them to? Is it random, or do you target certain types of nations?
What other methods do you use to recruit?


That’s a very good question Sauce and I’ll be more than happy to answer it for you.
We choose which nations to send the telegrams to based on our goal. So for example, if we wanted to make sure that every WA nation is aware of the fact that we have an active WA ministry that could help them draft WA resolutions and that votes upon how we stand as a region in the WA, then we are most likely to target all nations who have WA status. Same goes if we are helping the NPA with recruiting new soldiers. However, there are times, when we do information answering rounds. This is where we try to contact most nations in TNP to ask them if they have any questions, comments, concerns, etc. And the same applies when we do recruiting rounds for members to join the RA, DU, Executive Staff, etc. And as far as other methods go, we found out that this one is probably the best. It keeps our ministry busy and constantly working and running, and it has proven to actually work. The increased activity in RA, DU, Executive Staff, and others stands evident to the fact that it’s actually successful.
I have personally done forum-based recruiting for our HA Staff before, but that’s something that I have done personally and not as a whole ministry.

I hope that answers your question

~ Tomb

RMB Question from Alunya: Questions for the Home Affairs Minister:

What is the url of a publicly available list of mentors visible to forum guests?

Are mentors identified by areas of expertise (legislative procedures, court filings, role play, raiding/defending, etc.)?

Would you describe the Home Affairs Ministry's outreach to long term residents to avail themselves of these expert resources?

Would you describe the Home Affairs Ministry's outreach to long term residents to make themselves available as expert resources?

>^,,^<
Alunya


1. Unfortunately, there is no list of mentors available to the public. We do have about 4-5 mentors and I can assure you that each one of them is very capable of teaching and mentoring new forum members.
2. No, we do not specialize our mentors. The reason behind that is that usually new members who join the forum do not have a specific role that they want to seek. So our mentors show them the general picture, provide them with the info and resources necessary, and help guide them to finding their interests.
3. and 4. Yes, our Ministry has "outreached" many senior members and experienced members in the region to come and become mentors. We did that at the beginning of r3n's term when we did not have as many mentors, and the results were good for the most part. Eventually though, the Executive Staff was established and anyone who wanted to be a mentor could apply which made getting experienced mentors much easier. We do contact ALL new forum members and mentor them once they join our forum. And when a member feels they don't need the mentor anymore, all they have to do is let their mentor know.

Question from Egalotir: What is your favorite type of cheese and why?

If you were Delegate what would your first course of action be?

Are you team Jacob or team Edward?

1. Hmmm... hard one, but probably cheddar cheese I would say. As far as why goes, well, because I like it like that

2. If I was to be delegate, my first action would probably be to make sure that I have the most endorsements in the region. I would really want to hold the in-game delegacy right when I get elected.

3. Probably leaning to team Jacob, but I am not a huge fan of Twilight.

Thanks for the question Egalotir and feel free to ask more!

Question from Cronaal: If you could rate our delegate out of 10, what would you say?

Can I give him 11/10?

Question from Syrixia: If something was spread about you that made many nations in TNP distrust you, what would you do to disprove this?

That's an unexpected question, but I would say the truth. At the end of the game, this is a game. The point is to have fun. So to lie or manipulate to cover up your mistakes is really foolish and unnecessary.

I hope that answers your question, Syrixia

Question from mcmasterdonia: You know that I really like you tomb, you have done an excellent job. Have you considered running for Delegate?

If you were looking back on your time here a year from now, what would you most like to have achieved in that time? (I.e in the next 12 months from today).

How would you describe your RL political ideology?

McM, it is an honor to hear that from you. Thank you.
I couldn't have done it without your help along with r3n's and Gladio's help.
Right now, I am not thinking about running for Delegate, though.
I am, however, considering running for VD in Jan. 2015. But these are just thoughts at the current time.

12 months from now, I do of course plan to continue my work in Home Affairs. I look forward to getting more nations onto our forum, to mentor them, and be proud seeing them prosper here. In addition to that, I would probably achieved the rank of General in the NPA and have contributed to the NPA in greater capacities. And finally, I hope that I would have been elected to the post of Vice Delegate or maybe Delegate by the end of the 12 months.

My RL political ideology would most likely be democratic socialism. I am still young though, and I do know that, so it might change over time. But the idea of democratic socialism is something that I grew up with and that I am influenced by.

I hope that answers your questions McM and feel free to ask all you want

~ Tomb

Question from SillyString: What's the worst part about working for r3n? The best?

If you could no longer be Minister of Home Affairs, who would you want to replace you out of everybody in TNP?

If you were delegate and r3n were your minister, what ministry would you put him in? Why?

Do you consider yourself aligned with the IRCabal or with the Oligarchy?

1. The best part of working for r3n is the fact that he is really easy to work with and get along with. He never gets tired of teaching you and he’ll accept the mistakes you make in a really good spirit. I am thankful for him being my boss!
The worst part? Well, you know, I am one of those individuals who are really happy with his boss and jobs, so there’s no worse part

2. I’m very content with my position as Minister of HA, but if that were taken away, I would seek the seat of the Vice-Delegate.

3. If I was delegate and r3n agreed to serve in my cabinet, first of all, I would be honored. And secondly, as he has much experience, I would let him choose where he wants to serve. I am 100% sure that he would exceed in all ministries, but if he wanted me to pick for him, I would give him Home Affairs.

4. I am TNPer from the beginning and a TNPer to the end. Other than that, I do not have any alignments.

I am sorry for my late reply, and I hope that answers your questions, Asta

~ Tomb

Question from SillyString: #2 didn't really answer the question I asked.

Oh, my bad, Asta.

I would want r3n to replace me if he wasn't delegate, but if he is delegate, I would recommend, my long time deputy, Andrew.

~ Tomb

Question from Lord Nwahs so when will you coup

As soon as you coup.

Question from Cronaal McM or HMS

You can't make me choose! McM and r3n have both been wonderful delegates. I miss McM's delegacy and I will miss r3n's very much. I think r3n has done an amazing job filling the shoes of McM. I remember when he was first elected that everyone expected the new delegate to not compare to McM and just be that delegate that was overshadowed by his predecessor. And r3n never let that happen.

But yeah no preference. Both are the best.

Question from Lord Nwahs impossiburu mcm is bestest

Anyway how do you think the development of the DU is going?

I think the DU is developing really well and I think it will continue to grow. Hopefully we'll have a rival organization soon to compete with and that will start further activity. I also have full confidence that Scandigrad will continue to improve the union.

Question from mcmasterdonia: Are you a raider or a defender? Or something else?

I would say I'm centrist. I don't support random raiding that destroys communities but I believe raiding is important for pursuing regional interests. And defending can be used for regional interest as well.

Question from mcmasterdonia: How long have you played NationStates for? I recall when you joined us with Malvad, was Malvad your first nation?

I have played NationStates for two and a half years and it will be three on April 26 I think. I'm pretty sure I joined the forum on the same day I started playing so I just go with that date. And yes Malvad was my first nation. I just had a different username when I first joined.

Question from mcmasterdonia: Could you explain what your grand vision is for the Ministry of Culture?

To make it the most well known and successful ministry. The roleplay area is the most active I have ever seen it and I want this to continue. I also want the university to be consistently active with new events or classes. So I guess my grand vision is to keep activity up and continously improve what I can.

Question from mcmasterdonia: Noting your campaign for Vice Delegate - what would you have done differently if you were running again? Do you think that the work you've done with the Ministry of Culture could have been used to enhance your candidacy in the election?

Mentioning more of my work probably would have helped with my campaign. If I ran again I would most likely tell more about my work and try to make sure that everyone knows who I am and what I believe. I'm not always very open or public.

Question from mcmasterdonia: Considering that, have you considered running for Delegate & what a Malvad Delegacy would look like? Similar to the question I asked Tomb, but where would you like to be/what would you like to have achieved in the next 12 months of your time in NS?

I have considered running for delegate. I'm not confident in what my delegacy would look like though. I've enjoyed both yours and r3n's policies and I would probably continue those. But I probably won't run anytime soon. Which leads into the next question. In 12 months I want to say that the Culture Ministry is in the best place it has ever been. Both Lennart and Lord Nwahs are excellent examples of the best ministers I have seen. I want to be remembered like they are and make this ministry great. I also would like to join the security council at some point. And being Vice Delegate would be nice.


I hope that answers all your questions.

Question from Sauceistan I sorta know already, but what stuff do you have planned for the remainder of the term?

I'll make a list:

• The Lennarts
• Another culture week event would be nice
• More University activity of some sort
• Continued rolepay activity

That's the basics and hopefully more will be added.

Question from SillyString What's the worst part about working for r3n? The best?

r3n's a great delegate. I don't really think there is a worst part.

The best part would probably be that r3n is very interested in every ministry and contributes so much to each to keep them active and developing.

Question from SillyString Boo. I wanted to hear juicy gossip!

There isn't any gossip though. At least as far as I know.

Question from The Democratic Republic of Tomb Gladio, how many missions have you participated in total?

I have participated In 117 missions to date of which 112 are successful.

Question from SillyString GLADIO HOW THE HELL DO YOU GET SO MANY UPDATERS.

I'm afraid I cannot reveal any military secrets.

Question from Mcmasterdonia Gladio! Why so awesome?

Have you considered running for Delegate? What would a Gladio Delegacy look like?

What would you like to achieve in your next 12 months in the North Pacific?

I haven't given It much thought running for delegate however I am considering running for either Vice-Delegate or Speaker In the next 12 months.

Question from SillyString What are the best and worst parts about working for r3n? I want juicy details! No getting out of it with "r3n is great there's nothing bad".

I'm afraid I do not have a satisfactory answer for your question, sorry

Question from Democratic Donkeys How bad do you think my breath is right now? A little backstory... I brushed my teeth this morning and then had a "grande" coffee on my way into work. It has been about half an hour since I finished the coffee. I have no mints...

Very bad, you should get some mints as soon as possible!

Question from Lord Nwahs Why are you so hawt :3

ikr

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42 If you had to go into RL battle with any NPAer, who would it be and why? And can you make General McMasterdonia and Lieutenant Elvutar come back to active service? For nostalgia purposes it would be awesome to update with them

Tough question! There are quite a few NPAers that I would go to a RL battle with, but I will have to choose McMasterdonia, why? Because McM Is the one who recruited me Into the NPA and If It weren't for him I wouldn't be here , we've been on many operations together and I have known him for a long time now.

McM and Eluvatar are already on active duty, McM organised his own operations and Eluvatar has participated In a few detags and warzone raids not that long ago

Question from Malvad If you had to quit as minister of defense, who would you want to have replace you?

There are quite a few people that could potentially replace me If I had to quit, however I would like to give a chance to some of our "younger" members like Tomb for example who has been doing an excellent job

Question from Syrixia Who do you think is your favorite nation in TNP? Least favorite?

I don't have a favorite/least favorite TNP nation, atleast for now

RMB Question from Democatic Donkeys: Where do you live exactly? What's your Instagram and snapchat nickname? Get into my social media sphere.

I live in Perth. I don't have an instagram and I deleted my snapchat account a few months back.

RMB Question from Democatic Donkeys: Will you activate a snapchat account so I can snap you? I want to share with you.

Not sure if serious - I'll see if I can recover my old account.

RMB Question from New haven america: Is double posting good?

How bout triple posting?

Or maybe even quadruple posting?

No, no and NO.

If I am Delegate again, I will definitely be cracking down on that nonsense.

New Haven America for RMB guardian <3

RMB Question from Kalti: McMasterdonia, since double and triple posting is frowned upon... is double, triple, or quadrupole quoting acceptable?

Yes. You are allowed to quote as many posts as you like.. As long as it is all contained in the one post.

RMB Question from Cronaal: Are you smexy

I am the smexiest.

RMB Question from New haven america: How much McM can an McM if an McM can McM?

Also, Secks. That is all.

|: |:

no srs questions ;=;

RMB Question from Cronaal: McM, whats 15 divided by 69 times 100030304839658389399593958384.
No calc.

I decline to answer, on the grounds that it might incriminate me.

RMB Question from Lord Nwahs: Why do you hate me

mcm: I don't! I <3 you long tym.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Why are you obsessed with lions?

Why are you so obsessed with Rand Paul?

I am not obsessed with them, but I do like them. I think we should do what we can to protect them.

I adopted the lion avatar, as a one off, and I ended up keeping it for quite a lot longer than I had expected. After that, people started to associate the lion with me, so I decided to keep it up.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Will you ever run for delegate again? After playing nationstates for two years what do you find most challenging? Whats the easiest? (Either game side or forum side) what do you know about zeta's DDoS attack? Is it Isis? N. Korea? Or the Oligarchy? Do you ever cringe when you see my name pop up as the most recent poster? Could you ever see us being "mates"? I.E. Friends.

1) Probably. It depends if I felt that I could offer the best vision for the next four months of government.

2) Hmm. That is a good question. I'll think on that one for a bit and I'll get back to you this afternoon sometime.

3) The easiest - I think the communicating aspect. I love that part, I love posting on the RMB, sending and receiving telegrams, giving endorsements etc.

4) I literally no nothing about it. It could be any of those things, or all of them.

5) No, I don't cringe. I've definitely faced far worse questions and far worse posts in my time in this region. There are a couple of people who I do cringe when reading their posts, but they are not in TNP and I mainly feel that way when I visit the Gameplay forum.

6) It has been said that I see the best in everyone, sometimes to my own detriment. I don't think that is necessarily accurate, but I try to see the best in all people and try to help/work with everyone, for the betterment of the region. I like you PWL, and I appreciate your enthusiasm and we do not always agree on things.

As I have said before, in a democratic region, disagreeing with people is going to happen on a regular basis. There is not a single person who I agree with on every issue. My oldest mates in this region I have had furious disagreements with over the couple of years we have been playing.

Whether we are mates or not - really depends on you. I think you take the disagreeing side too personally sometimes, which is not my intent. I try to be mates with everyone in this region. Being mates or friendly with most people in the region, makes it infinitely easier to bring people together when necessary. I've found that extremely helpful when I was Delegate, and many things required mediating.

Question from Malvad: Three questions from me:

1. If you had to quit as minister who would you want to have replace you?

2. What is your dream team TNP government? That includes delegate, VD, cabinet, speaker, and judicial.

3. Do you like me?

1. There are lots of excellent Diplomats in the region. Obviously I believe r3naissanc3r was an excellent Minister of Foreign Affairs when I was Delegate. Sanctaria did well in my first term off office as well. If I were to resign right now though, I think Eluvatar would be the best replacement - in terms of diplomatic contacts and respect internationally.

2. Clarification - am I serving as Delegate? Or do you mean as a member of the region?

3. I'm surprised by these questions, I thought I had a reputation for loving everyone Yes, I like you. I think you have done a fantastic job as Minister of Culture and I have really enjoyed watching you develop as a player in this region. I think if you play your cards right and work on the campaign side, you could find yourself in one of the big two seats in the next 12 months

Question from Lord Nwahs: Okay serious questions:

1. Are you running for the Delegacy come January?
2. Two years in TNP - have you considered moving elsewhere?
3. Critique the work of your fellow cabinet ministers.

1: You may well think that, I couldn't possibly comment.
2. Nope. Even in my most frustrated days, I knew that I wouldn't enjoy moving elsewhere. I think I've been here for about three years in-game.
3: Punk D - needs to be more active, we haven't seen much out of Communications during his tenure.
Malvad - I have no criticisms of his work on the forum, but I think a growing presence for him on the RMB would benefit the Ministry and his future career in TNP. I have been particularly impressed with his strong work ethic where the DU and roleplay is concerned.
Tomb - I have no criticism of Tomb, I am in awe of his hardwork in the Home Affairs Ministry. Though some RMB activity would not hurt either - but his constant sending of telegrams balances that out significantly.
Gladio- What a powerhouse! I trained and mentored Gladio and I am so pleased to see him as the head of our Army. He has done an incredible job and I am sure he will continue to do so in the months ahead. I wish I could deploy with him sometimes.
r3naissanc3r - Fantastic Delegate, fantastic Minister of WA Affairs. I enjoy working with r3n, and we regularly bounce ideas back and forth of one another. He loves a good debate and is always open to new ideas. I am thankful to have had r3n as our Delegate and glad to have worked with him for so long. ps: I hate him.
Crushing Our Enemies - new member of the cabinet, but I am sure he will do an excellent job as our Vice Delegate and Minister of Security.

Question from Malvad: Member of the region.

And I know you have a reputation for loving everyone. It's just nice to hear opinion.

Hmm. Okay.

Delegate - This is a hard one, because I think we've had a ton of great Delegates. That said, I would love to see GBM or Erastide hold the office again. I would just like to see what their style was like for the office of Delegate and how they would govern the region.
Culture - I would like to see what Flemingovia could do with the role, but my old favourite is likely Lennart. I love everything about Lennart. But I also loved the work of Nwahs and Malvad! Too hard to choose
Defence - Gladio, hands down.
WA Affairs - I think r3naissanc3r has done the best job we've seen in WA Affairs recently, so I would go with him.
Foreign Affairs - A hard one, I think Eluvatar, r3naissanc3r and SillyString could all do a good job in this area. So could Lord Ravenclaw, but he is busy elsewhere at present. If I had to choose one, I think I would pick Eluvatar.
Communications - COE! COE! COE! I would love to have Iro back in the Ministry, probably as COE's deputy, but I think he is gone for good.
Home Affairs - I would stick with Tomb, if Tomb wasn't available, I would either try to find a new member to serve in this position or I would go with experienced hands like r3naissanc3r.

I will have to tell you all that I love you more often. It appears that you are all emotionally needy

Question from Lord Nwahs: Anything you'd do differently in a future McM delegacy as compared to your previous experiences in the office?

I would have more involvement in the NPA, including the directions of operations, and the approval process for the Minister of Defence's proposed operations. Last time I didn't offer enough oversight, which was a criticism I accept unreservedly.

Question from Severisen: Why did you do it?

Why wouldn't I?

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Can you give the Northern Hemisphere summer back now? Kthx.

No. Never.

Question from Eluvatar: What was your most embarrassing moment in TNP?

Where do I start?
The time my nation was deleted.
The time that I sent out a campaign to help Tim gather endorsements that asked people to endorse him to protect the region against "security threats" and tens of nations were more responsive to Oh My Goodness Gracious campaign and started to accuse me of lying to them. I lost a significant amount of endorsements as a result of this.
The time that I decided to have cabinet elections, where Govindia was elected, and I could not vote myself in those elections as I had not yet received my ballot. That one vote would have prevented him from being elected, and I determined that Govindia was too much of a threat to allow to serve in Cabinet and appointed Romanoffia instead. The embarassing part was more that I hadn't been able to vote, I stand by the final decision and would do it again if necessary.

Question from Cronaal: rate me out of 10 and say why.

10 - because you are always active on our RMB and are becoming more active in our RP culture on the forum.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Do you know what 'code orangutan' means in Eluvatar's forum title? And is it classified NPAF secrets or are you allowed to tell us?

I think I have some idea what it is about. I don't think it would be classified, and Eluvatar might tell you if you ask him.

Question from plembobria: 1. Does RL experience affect your policies in TNP? How and why?

2. Are you interested in running for public office IRL?

3. What position in TNP that you haven't filled would you be interested in filling?

4. Do I smell funny to you?

1. Experience informs everything we do or say. I think that it has affected it to a certain extent - I believe in giving everyone a fair go, in accepting mistakes, and trying to see the good in people.

2. Yes, I am. Hopefully one day.

3. Maybe one day I could have a go as Speaker of the RA, or as Minister of Culture.

4. Very smelly.

Question from Egalotir: Who's your favorite Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs? <3

You, of course
Question from Cormac: Boxers or briefs?

Briefs.

Question from Democratic Donkeys: When will you give me your snapchat?

Soon bbe.

Question from Democratic Donkeys: Why do you dislike double posts?

You know why! I don't mind them so much on the forum, especially where election campaigning is concerned.

I dont like them on the RMB because it is unnecessary. It clogs up the viewable page of the RMB with posts from the same person one after another. The RMB is often the first thing new nations see, I want the flow of conversation to be active and vibrant. I want the RMB to look clean and friendly.

Double posting on the RMB not only clogs it up it makes it look ugly. It pushes the posts of others off the rmb (unnecessarily) and it is generally spammy.

Question from Bentla: What's your favourite fruit?

That's a hard one, I love most fruits.

If I had to choose one, I would say it would be a peach.

Question from The Democratic Republic of Tomb: McM, if there were 3 people that helped you reach the success you have reached (for me it would be McM, r3n and Gladio), who would those 3 be?

That's a toughie. There were a lot of people who helped when I first started - if I had to pick three I would chose Eluvatar, Blue Wolf II, and then a toss up between Romanoffia and Flemingovia for third place.

Question from Eluvatar: What is the capital of Burkina Faso?

How does The North Pacific differ from most other regions?

How silly is this project of mine?

1) Ouagadougou
2) We could talk about this all day. In short, the North Pacific offers an incredibly strong and robust democratic government that is rivaled by none, it offers a huge amount of opportunity for new players who want to learn. Ambition is encouraged and supported, rather than feared and hindered. Our "old guard" take a step back, helps to keep the region secure, but do not use their position to threaten or manipulate the government of the day. I think the North Pacific is the greatest region in NationStates.
3) It is very Eluvataran of you - that is to say, it is quite silly, but well intended

Question from Eluvatar: What does EluvaTarian mean to you?

Above all else, it means well-intended. Depending on the context that it is applied in, it can also been kind-hearted and friendly.

At other times it can mean unnecessarily complex or wordy, or even a bit over the top.

Above all else it means a little bit unintentionally silly

Question from SillyString: What is the worst part about working for r3n? What other parts do you hate?

You have no idea, SillyString. Where do I start? Will you be my confidante? Can I complain about r3n endlessly to you in this thread, and do you promise that he will never know?

Dear me, where are my manners? This is for you to ask me questions, not the other away around.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I GO THROUGH.

I hate r3n.

Question from The Democratic Republic of Tomb: McM,

How many terms have you served as a delegate, McM?
And have you served as VD before?

~ Tomb

I have been elected Delegate on four occasions. The first time, I was elected at a special election in November and then served untli January. I then sought re-election and I won easily, but I had to step down in March for personal reasons. I then ran for Delegate again in 2013 at the conclusion of the term of Jamie Anumia, winning the general election, and then winning reelection. In total I have been elected 4 times, but realistically, I have probably served about three terms in terms of the number of days in office.

I served as Vice Delegate on one occasion. I was the Vice Delegate for the first term of Delegate Eluvatar's 2012 time as regional Delegate. It was a fantastic opportunity for me, as I was overtly ambitious, but also very dedicated to improving the region. Eluvatar helped to support me and allowed me to have a very wide role in his executive team. In my opinion, I believe that it is very important that the Delegate involve the Vice Delegate - especially if they are a new player.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Crust or no crust?

On bread? Crust. On anything else, no crust, if you know what I mean.

Question from plembobria: What notable things did you accomplish during your terms as Delegate?

What is your vision for the future of TNP?

Do you like me?

1) Well, I don't really like talking about myself that much, but I'll do the best I can. When I first joined the region in 2012, the region was relatively quiet, it was well known for being extremely coup prone and for having a ridiculous constitution and court that at times held the region back. There was a real lack of regional pride, it existed amongst older members, sure, but the majority of players who were in the region at the time, did not consider TNP to have been their priority region and I do not believe that there was a strong sense of regional identity amongst these players. The region was extremely divided, with many informal factions forming, and paranoia and accusations of bad character were thrown back and forth around the region as much as possible. The first cabinet I served in, while proactive, was extremely inefficient, and simply helped to continue the view that the North Pacific was a chaotic and overly legalese region, and that their executive government, was primarily to blame for this.

When I came to office, I did as much as I could to bring different people together and getting them to work side by side again. I worked hard to change the make up of our community, working on continuing the work I started as Minister of Defence, in bringing more native WA nations onto our regional forum. My government was active, efficient, and proactive. It provided for the good government of the region, without descending into chaos or into a bitch fest. For the first time since I had join, I believed that the region was truly united after my first term as Delegate. I helped to restore pride in our regional community, I helped to restore the excellent reputation of the North Pacific on the world stage - as a significant world power that deserved to be respected both diplomatically and militarily. Culturally, the sense of regional pride began to develop, with many people realising that the North Pacific was not the coup prone region that it was in the past, but a region that had grown in maturity - culturally, politically and diplomatically.

I worked hard to make people feel that they belonged here, that the North Pacific would be a home that they could be proud of. A home that would help to provide for their experience of NationStates. A home that would encourage them to achieve their goals, one that would support them and open as many doors for them as we possibly could. Finally, I felt that people realised that it meant something to be North Pacifican.

In my opinion, my greatest achievement was the community building aspect. I believe that I learned a lot from Eluvatar as my Delegate and mentor, I knen that I would be a trustworthy ear and a fair voice for the people of our region. I believe that the hard work I put in during every term I served as Delegate, along with that of my cabinet, showed that the community was stronger, more active, and more respected, than it had been in years.

2) That is a good question. I believe that the direction of this government has continued the strong work that started several years ago now. It is hard to know where the region could be in another year from now, but I certainly hope that the future of the North Pacific, is one that continues to support, encourage, and mentor new nations who join our region. We need to remember that as a game created region, we have the potential to play a very significant role in what every new nation sees when they first join this game. I hope that the North Pacific and the Delegate's of the future take this role seriously, and that they continue to develop our native community, and that they always govern and lead with that community in mind.

3) Yes, I like you

Question from Yrkidding: What is the toughest part of your job? What is the easiest? What is the hardest decision you've had to make in any office you've held and (if not easily apparent) why was it such a hard decision? And a follow-up to that, would you make the same choice today that you did then?

1) The toughest part in this term at least, has been some of the immaturity we see abroad. The Delegate and I have a very strong working relationship with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and I believe it is accurate to say that he would agree with that assessment. Over the past twelve months we have seen some rather surprising acts taken by various regions and by various leaders that we have found to have lacked tact and to have been largely immature and silly. We take a sensible and mature approach to our diplomatic policy. We recognise that every region has it's differences, that those differences do no inherently mean that we need to attack or degrade their politics or culture . Additionally we take the view that not every little bit of drama requires the interference or involvement of the North Pacific. I think that too often we see people who have their fingers in too many pies, and they simply try to get involved in all manner of drama in as many regions as possible - even if the diplomatic link between that region and their home region is tenuous at best. I sometimes find putting up with that immaturity rather tough.

2) The easiest would be the communication aspect. I love talking to people. Over the years in the North Pacific, I have developed close bonds with many people from various regions - big and small. I like talking to these people. These bonds would be crucial if anything were to happen to the North Pacific, and say, we were to find ourselves with a rogue Delegate. It is the bonds and relationships that the North Pacific and the senior members of the government have with other regions and individuals, that would have a significant effect on what would happen in such a situation. It also means that often the North Pacific Government is well aware of events in NationStates before they actually happen or before they go public. This means that we are able to make an informed decision well before other regions have heard about it. (At least this has happened quite a few times).

3) The hardest decision on a personal note was resigning as Delegate during my first time in the seat. It was a difficult time for me in life, but I enjoyed being the Delegate so much - and wanted to achieve so much more. I would definitely resign again, but I might have held the Delegacy until elections - to prevent unnecessary banjections of 10ki members and the closure of relations between the two regions . But in those circumstances, I made the right choice.

Question from Syrixia: What came first, the chicken or the egg?

The chicken!

Question from Gladio: 1) What will happen to you If you fall Into a black hole ?

2) How do dogs perceive time ?

3) Can dogs look up ?

I would die.
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/dogs-perceive-time1.htm
Yes.

Question from Romanoffia: Do you prefer kangaroo roasted over the barbie or baked in an oven?

Slice it real thin, season with salt & pepper and cook it on the barbie. No question.

Question from Lord Ravenclaw: How could you? :-/

I didn't do it! It is all a lie!!

Question from SillyString: What is your favorite kind of pedantry?

I am a very pedantic person. It is hard for me to pick a favourite kind of pedantry.

In-game, I am very pedantic towards multiple-posts. I will make an exception for the Delegate or on Zombie Day for people coordinating the crisis. It is unacceptable every other time.

In RL, I am very pedantic about cleanliness. I am very pedantic about dining and eating etiquette. Don't even get me started on that.

Question from Lord Ravenclaw: Kazmr said differently.

So I repeat, how could you? :-/

I already told you - I misinterpreted what Ministry of "Foreign Affairs" was. I thought I was supposed to have affairs in foreign lands.

Question from mcmasterdonia: Can you read my palm?

How do you think the North Pacific is today, in comparison to how it was two years ago?

How do you think your time as Minister of Communications has gone?

I'll try.

I see a young lady in your future who is also a part of your past. When you've been thinking no, I say Yes! Yes! Yes!

TNP today is a better place than two years ago. I think we have a lot of new people who bring a lot of vitality that the region was missing a couple of years ago. I also think we've had a good run of delegacies as well that have fostered a community that is more open than even two years ago.

My time as Min. Com. hasn't been great. Indeed, yesterday afternoon I was in a RL meeting where the comment was "I don't think Don [punk's RL name] doesn't want to do the project, but he just doesn't have the resources/time to do it." Sadly, for the last 7 months this has been a common motif for me and it's the case here as well.

I've got some ideas for me to do some quick hit communications but so far I think you and r3n have done the job more than I have. There's still some time though to improve and I need a break from the RL so I hope this can be it.

Question from Lord Nwahs: Are you going to re-apply as a RA member soon?

Apparently I will have to.

I guess I forgot that just voting in anything doesn't count towards the requirement. Thought I had voted in the Figh bill but looks like I missed it.

Question from The Democratic Republic of Tomb: Have you ever been delegate of TNP before?

Nope. The closest I came was in 2005 after TheMinister's reign. Flem and I were in a delegate race and he won. I haven't run for delegate of TNP since. I don't see it in my future either. I was delegate of TWP for a time and it takes a lot of time. I had it back then, but not even close now although I'd love to be a feeder delegate again, it really is a lot of fun dealing with everything you have to deal with.

Question from Cronaal: Me or Syrixia.

You since you asked first!

Question from Eluvatar: Why did you charge me with Treason as well when Blue Wolf accused me of Espionage?

I try to put my time as AG way back in my mind, but I think I thought the crime fit the definition of "treason" at the time and so I went with it. I'd truly have to go back and look at log files to see if there was anything else, but typically back then I'd look at the various criminal acts and see what was applicable in any given situation.

Question from plembobria: What have you accomplished in your term as Minister of Communications?

Not getting fired which I attribute to our delegate's patience!

Question from Eluvatar: If you don't remember, the reason can't have been very important.

Is Massachusetts the best state or the greatest state?

Neither.

I'm a Jersey kid. I'm not a fan of MA. People don't like to say hi and everyone is always in a hurry.

Question from Syrixia: My question for Punk: If you were to take over NS, what would you do first to improve it and why?

That's easy. Eliminate Influence.


I'd like the playing field to be more fair for insurgencies within regions. Right now it really isn't which lowers the level of politicking within the game.

Question from Democratic Donkeys: Can you get me a job?

Sure can, deputy!



Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Should I start DeMarco Murray or Justin Forsett in the Fantasy football playoffs? My RB2 in said league is CJ Anderson I am 11-2 and have the #1 playoff seed.

Another easy one....Demarco Murray.

Eagles held him to his lowest rushing total this year. He's got something to prove.

What's more...you better run for your life the same week you break up a marriage. Woops!!

I didnt see that. Yes Murray has been my rb1 all season getting about 30 fantasty points a game. It was 2 weeks ago though when they played new york that he was the 3rd lowest scoring RB with 30 some odd points. CJ anderson got 50 some points and Forsett set on my bench against New Orleans and put up 50 some fantasy points.

To turn this into an AMA punk D question:

Do you agree or disagree that having 3 starting calibre running backs for the playoffs is not necessarily a bad thing? Or will it lead to roster tinkering too much and cause me to crash and burn in the playoffs?

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: I didnt see that. Yes Murray has been my rb1 all season getting about 30 fantasty points a game. It was 2 weeks ago though when they played new york that he was the 3rd lowest scoring RB with 30 some odd points. CJ anderson got 50 some points and Forsett set on my bench against New Orleans and put up 50 some fantasy points.

To turn this into an AMA punk D question:

Do you agree or disagree that having 3 starting calibre running backs for the playoffs is not necessarily a bad thing? Or will it lead to roster tinkering too much and cause me to crash and burn in the playoffs?

Having too many good RBs is never a bad thing. Undoubtedly, one will get hurt.

Question from Scandigrad: Messi or Ronaldo?

Messi...and not even close.

Question from Cronaal: Simpsons or Futurama.
The ultimate choice.

You know I enjoy Futurama more than I enjoy the Simpsons.

But, I am a child of the 80s and recall the early Simpons from the Tracy Ulman Show and I can't vote against them.

Question from mcmasterdonia: Francis Underwood or Selina Meyer?



Francis Underwood is my favorite character.

To me, FU (hahahahahaha) is Gracius Maximus on t.v. Except GM is probably more ruthless.

FU is by far my favorite character and I hope in the new season they give him a foil who is his equal. My hope is for Remy to take up that position.

Question from Lord Nwahs: Scrabble or Boggle?

Scrabble. Boggle is boring.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Monopoly or LIFE?

Tough one.

I'll go with monopoly but only if playing with people who like to wheel and deal. The monopoly purists ruin it sometimes when I play but it's awesome trading Boardwalk for St Charles to cover a massive debt.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Do you feel the TNL/communications is in competition with the Private media area? Why or Why not? Do you feel constraint by being a governmental communications agency in that you must always present the government in a rosey light? Is that a requirement? Is there ever any room for gossip and "rag"/"tabloid" articles in the communication ministry?

For me I feel if the Communications ministry is to editorialize, then it must be from the perspective of the government. I don't think doing otherwise is plausible.

As for competition, no I don't feel there's competition with others in TNP who want to put out rags or tabloids. The more people reading the more vibrant the community at large.

RMB Question from The Republic of Kitt: I've been meaning to ask, how and why did you pick your wonderful name?

My first (nine years ago) and for a few years only region in the game was a British-themed region. Probably unsurprisingly, its military was modelled after the RL Royal Navy. It also had a tradition that all of the Navy's members would have a "flag nation" named after an RL ship of the Royal Navy, to be used in publications and other formal events. HMS Unicorn was my own flag nation, named after this fine vessel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Unicorn_(1824) . It's also my second oldest nation.

I don't recall any particular reason why I picked HMS Unicorn for my flag nation. I think I was going through a list of ships of the Royal Navy, saw the name, and thought it sounded cool.

b]RMB Question from The Republic of Kitt:[/b] Interesting, what is it like being delegate? is there anything you find cool or fun in the job?

It is a very exciting and also very hectic job! There is a huge number and a huge variety of minutiae you need to attend to and which must happen. At the same time, you need to keep the big picture in mind - you can't spend an entire term dealing with minutiae, because then nothing important will happen.

As I posted in response to a similar question on the forum, what I enjoy the most about being delegate is how it enables me to contribute in all areas of TNP, and interact with all of its members regardless of background and interests. This is something that you can also do to some extent without being delegate, but not as directly, as thoroughly, or with the same impact.

Another aspect that I have found surprisingly fun is the in-game part of the job. I admit I originally expected that in-game activity beyond endotarting would be dull, and I'd just need to do it as a duty. It turned out to be one of the most exciting aspects of the job.

RMB Question from SillyString: r3n, what IS the most boring aspect of the job if not having to talk to everyone here?

Rejecting embassy requests would be very near the top of boringness, if not at the top. In good part, that's because it requires me finding the standard rejection telegram template among 30 pages of mass telegrams

RMB Question from McMasterdonia: Also - when I was Delegate, I was able to just hurriedly click all of the "reject" buttons and it would reject them all at once. No need to reload the page or anything, made things much easier. But as I understand it, that is no longer possible.

For RMB observers to understand the context, I posted on IRC this follow-up to the embassy frustrations:

"<@r3n> another reason why it's boring is because the NS page requires that you reject one, then reload and scroll down to the embassy section, reject another, reload and scroll down once more, and so on"

RMB Question from SillyString: r3n, what is mcm's favorite type of pedantry!?

That's easy: anti-multi-post pedantry.

Question from mcmasterdonia: What do you most enjoy about being WA Delegate?

What do you most enjoy about being Minister of WA Affairs?

Do you like to gossip?

What I enjoy the most about being delegate is how it enables me to contribute in all areas of TNP, and interact with all of its members regardless of background and interests. This is something that you can also do to some extent without being delegate, but not as directly, as thoroughly, or with the same impact.

What I enjoy the most about being Minister of WA Affairs is the interaction with our WA nations and the interregional campaigning - when I get the chance to do the latter. I also enjoy the informal contests with friendly delegates to vote first and the thrill of stacking/stomping the largest vote in the game, but arguably that would go under my role as delegate, not minister.

I love to gossip! Both in RL and in NS, I gossip a lot and I enjoy it immensely. However, I like to think that I gossip responsibly. I can keep secrets and confidential information, and share information only as appropriate. I believe most of RL and NS associates acknowledge this. Maintaining such a degree of responsibility and finding similarly responsible gossiping partners is very important for preventing gossiping from turning into bitter infighting in your social circle.

Question from Syrixia: What came first, the chicken, the egg, the redneck, Cerberus, or Peter Griffin?

Pea Tear Gryffon came fist.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Why do you hate freedom?

Because I'm an ebul imperialist.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Is Beige your favorite color or favoritist color?

I impose beige on my underlings to make them feel insignificant.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: If you suddenly went rogue who whould you banject first? Romanoffia or SillyString?

SillyString. It'd create the false impresion that the coup is not controlled by the IRCabal, and allow it to last longer.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Can you write me a brief poem describing your challenges as delegate?

No. Sorry, I have zero poetry skills. Would prose work?

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: What will you do when your term is over?

Honestly, I don't know yet. There are two main reasons for that: First, I am not certain what my RL will look like - my current mid-term horizon of RL plans happens to end at around the same time my term ends. Second, the combined heavy loads from RL and NS are quickly making me very fatigued, and I need to balance my desire to contribute to the region from other roles with the need to rest.

Question from SillyString: Who is your favorite gossip partner?

In NS? It's hard to pick one, I have plenty I enjoy a lot. It also varies with time. Currently, I'd say mcm - our cooperation as the Delegate-MoFA couple for almost a year now means gossiping a lot.

Question from SillyString: What is your favorite coffee?

Quad-shot latte. If you're asking about specific blend of espresso, that's hard to answer as at least here in the US I haven't investigated the blends themselves. From local cafes, I'd say whatever blend Crema Cafe uses.

Question from Crushing Our Enemies: Do those two large seals up there make you feel better about the smaller things in your life?

They're certainly useful compensation for other shortcomings in life, real or NS.

Question from plembobria: What important thing(s) have you accomplished as Delegate?

I'll leave that answer for my end of term speech. Trust me, I have a big one planned .

Question from plembobria: Why does MCM hate you?

Love quadrangles have that effect.

Question from plembobria: Do you like puppies?

No. Not a big fan of pets in general.

Question from plembobria: What is your favorite color colour?

Blue, by far.

Question from plembobria: Does RL experience influence your policies in TNP? How and why?

It does, in several ways.

The skills I use in game are the skills I have honed in RL. I believe that I am a good presenter and effective writer, and that I am good collaborator. I also consider myself a fairly logical person. All these are to a large extent the result of the training I have received in my profession, which emphasizes these aspects. I like systematic and evidence-based approaches to problem solving - again a result of my RL job.

A big part of my NS career has been writing laws and devising government systems. My preferences for these are informed by the laws and governments I have experience with in real life. However, this also works the reverse way: NS has been very helpful in terms of exposing me to cultures, political or otherwise, that I had very little if any contant with in RL, and helping me to develop insights into them and appreciate them.

Question from plembobria: Do you like me?

I do. You are a consistent contributor to several aspects of the region, and seem eager to explore, learn about, and contribute to more.

Question from plembobria: How many woody woodpeckers would a woodpecker peck if a wood pecker could peck woody woodpeckers?

-- compiler error: maximum number of iterations to track exceeded --

Question from plembobria: How do you say "The vending machine is broken, and I don't have any quarters. May I borrow your sledgehammer?" in Greek?

"?? ???????? ?? ?? ??????? ????? ????????, ??? ??? ??? ??????? ???????. ????? ?? ???????? ?? ?????????? ???;"

Note that "???????" technically means dimes, but the exact equivalent, "?????????????", is not something you would hear often in spoken Greek. Note also that I didn't use greek quotation marks, as I can't find how to input that character on my macbook keyboard...

Question from plembobria: Why?

Why not!

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Have you thought about editing the in game regions WFE (world factbook entry) to include not only the Del VD and top council members in the LOS, but to include a link to all Security Council members in game nations, as well as links to the Justices in game nation, the Speakers, and AGs? And ministers?

I know on the forum there is the government page, but not all TNPers are on the forum, and wouldnt it be nice for all tnpers in game to know who is representing them? (Also It might show there are more opportunities then one thought and get more game based players to join the forum)

I considered linking a list to SC members, and decided against it. It will result in people not bothering to click the dispatch and therefore not endorsing anyone.

The kind of information you describe is much more effectively provided through dispatches. I promised in my campaign that I will create an organized "regional handbook" dispatch to contain all this information. I have not forgotten about this promise. It is a project I have undertaken personally, so it's moving slow, but it will be done before the end of the term. In the meantime, we rely primarily on heavy telegramming, individual dispatches, and plenty of RMB posts to get this information out - with good results.

Question from SillyString: How much of what has been accomplished over your term is due to your ministers and their ideas and their drive, and how much of it has been your ideas and your pushing them to succeed?

I think it's a healthy mix. If you look at my two campaigns, I think most of my targets, both in terms of general objectives and itemized promises, have been implemented (there are some exceptions, discussed below). That's a sign that my ideas are strongly present in the Cabinet's overall direction.

At the same time, there are quite a few initiatives that have come up during the term that were not present in my campaign. And in other cases, the implementation of campaign items has been quite different than what I originally expected. These are all the Ministers', and also the Executive Staff's, individual drive.

Question from SillyString: If you were not delegate, which ministry would you want to be minister of? If you could not be a minister of any ministry, what would you want to do?

Hmm, hard question. As I said in another answer, the thing I enjoy the most as delegate is that I can contribute everywhere. I think I would select the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From executive areas, FA is the one that I've consistently enjoyed the most throughout my nine years in the game. Moreover, because of the nature of the job, it is a Ministry where the Minister plays a very dominant role.

Outside the Cabinet, I'd like to serve as Vice Delegate at some point. This is primarily because I believe the SC is currently underutilized - we can make a lot more out of the institution and its members.

Question from Malvad: Critique the cabinet.

I won't answer this question, because I'd like to reserve it this critique for my end-of-term speech. I already promised one above.

Question from plembobria: What is your vision for the future of TNP?

I like to think of TNP as the region of good superlatives. We have a decent collection of indisputable ones in terms of game stats - largest population, most WA nations, largest endorsement count, largest endorsement rate. I believe we have a few in terms of forum community aspects (or if not the superlative, we have the "one of the" versions): most active legislature, most active forum, most democratic, strongest military, most diplomatically credible, most open.

What I want to see TNP have is the overwhelmingly largest collection of good superlatives among all NS regions. And I think we're making steady progress towards that point.

Question from punk d: What was the most unexpected bit of gossip you've heard over your career? Something that made you just say, "wow I never saw that coming" Names and dates can be changed to protect the guilty!

There was a certain past delegate-hopeful/delegate-elect (not 100% which off the top of my head) in another region who I later learned was a plant from an enemy region. That person eventually became inactive before assuming the delegacy, so nothing happened publicly. But it was quite surprising to hear, based on my own knowledge of that person.

I'm sorry, I know that's the generic scenario of like every second gossip, but I can't get into more details .

Question from Acoustic Siberia: Given you hold the single largest vote in the WA, what are your policy priorities for the coming term?

I am not going to drastically change how the Ministry operates in the remaining of the term (not the coming term, as I cannot run for another). My focus is going to remain on making sure that the impact of TNP's vote is maximized by voting early and rallying the NP national vote, and by providing venues for discussion, analysis, and voting on the forum.

There is another area that I want to focus on in the remaining month, which I discuss in your next question.

Question from Acoustic Siberia: On a scale of extremely successful to superbly outstanding, how would you rate the achievements of WALL so far?

I am not sure if the scale is an accident or an attempt at sarcasm. Regardless, I would call it mediocre. The WALL has been useful for bringing WA discussion and expertise to the forum. This includes yours and Mousebumples' contributions, and of course the WA 101 course. It has also been very useful for coordinating voting and campaigning on items where there is agreement between member regions.

Some other important aspects of the WALL, such as public advertising and recommendation drafting, have not happened successfully. This is in part because of what seem to be fundamental disagreements between ambassadors on several of these aspects; and in part because other policy items, unrelated to the WALL or WA in general, have been taking away the ambassadors' time. There is still a month in the term, and I am going to focus on addressing these issues, so that these aspects of the WALL are implemented successfully.

Question from SillyString: What particular shade of beige is your favorite beige? Names are preferred, but hexcodes accepted.

I like the more white-ish ones. From those listed in the Wikipedia article, "cosmic latte" is my favorite.

Question from SillyString: What color is actually your favorite color?

Didn't I answer this above? In any event, it's blue.

Question from SillyString: If you could snap your fingers and be delegate of any other region for a day, what region would you choose?

10KI. I know, what an unsurprising answer (unless you were expecting me to say NPO ). It's not just the number of endorsements. For me the main attraction is the very unique culture of 10KI that I have never had any contact with. Being delegate would help me explore that (though in the scenario you describe, I'd probably be forcibly and immediately removed ).

Question from SillyString: Also I have a question JUST for WA Minister r3n: What is the worst part about working for Delegate r3n? Is he terrible to you?

Delegate r3n is such a meanie to me . He forces me to write everything for him and never gives me any credit.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Why were you at Toys R' Us instead of Delegating and doin' your job?

incriminating image

Woops, you caught me. I swear, I was there for very srs bsns .

#r3call2014

Question from SillyString: Please opine on Dmitri!

I wrote him a full letter, two whole handwritten pages! You still need details?

Question from Lord Nwahs: 1) Which office that you have yet to hold in TNP would you like to dabble with?

I mentioned above that I'd like to serve as VD at some point, to do some development (not software development) work in the SC.

Question from Lord Nwahs: 2) Which is the best piece of legislation you think you have passed in TNP?

Question from Lord Nwahs: 3) Anything in your Delegacy so far that you've regretted?

Not changing the format of TNL sooner. I think the rebranding and content refocus of the newspaper have both been successful. But we have failed in terms of frequency. In my second campaign, I mentioned that I believe this is because of the long-issue format, and that I would be addressing this by changing the format to single-article publications. I believe I have correctly identifyed the cause, but I have yet to implement the change. At this point, I do not think it is going to happen before the end of the term, so that campaign promise won't be delivered upon.

Question from SillyString: What type of penguin is your favorite? Which would you most like to eat for dinner?

Probably the Emperor Penguin (boring, I know, but that's my inner imperialist). I love eating penguin christmas cookies for dinner, and for any other meal for that matter.

Question from mcmasterdonia: Do you agree with the assessment that I provided the other day that Penguins are like frozen Pigeons, or the one NES used, where he said that they were more like frozen rats?

Allow me to offer one of my own. I'd say penguins are the lions of Antarctica.

Question from SillyString: If you can't remember her gender, how can we trust you in the delegacy?

#r3call 2014

Hey, it's not my fault that you confusingly give male names to female cats. I call for Gross Misconduct.

Question from Lord Nwahs: You still haven't answered my second question

Woops! Apologies, I missed it in the huge list.

Question from Lord Nwahs: 2) Which is the best piece of legislation you think you have passed in TNP?

If the Citizenship Bill passes, it'll be that one. Among things already enacted, and assuming we exclude treaties and include procedures, I'd say the RA rule rewrite. I can't claim sole credit for that, Asta and COE made tremendous contributions to it.

Question from Lord Nwahs: Bonus: What games do you play outside of NS?

Nowadays none. I used to play some Age of Empires 2, often with other NSers. About two years ago, I occasionally (like, once every three months) played some Heroes of Might and Magic 3. And that's about it for the last 6 years.

Question from SillyString: Why won't you play AOE2 with me anymore? ;_;

My free time unfortunately is much more limited than it used to be back in summer. But beyond that, you may recall that last time we tried to play, I couldn't get my AoE laptop to work.

Question from SillyString: Would you be willing to share what you think is the single best thing about each of your ministers?

mcm: Trusty and juicy gossip partner (very important for FA ).
Gladio: Extremely effective.
Malvad: Very imaginative.
Tomb: Very cordial, gentle, and open-minded.
punk d: Argumentative.
COE: Perfectionist.

I think these characteristics are good matches for their respective Ministries, which is why I picked them and why they've been so good .

Question from SillyString: If you had to be NS married to a single other GCR delegate, which GCR delegate would you want it to be, and why?

I guess Rach. We've had the same NS husband, so we can sympathize with each other.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Why am I up soo late when I have to be up in 5 hours to be ready to be at work by 8AM?

NS is addictive.

Question from SillyString: How does it feel, knowing COE has more seals than you do?

It's part of a well-planned conspiracy to have COE replace me as delegate.

It's frankly outrageous. Unacceptable. I feel betrayed. I think I have no choice left. I resign in protest.

The above statement is in jest and has no legal force. It may not interpreted as an official resignation of r3naissanc3r from the office of the delegate.

Question from SillyString: On a scale of 1 to 10, what did you have for breakfast?

8. Granola yoghurt, a fruit cup, and my favorite 4-shot latte. The fruitcup was below average though, hence the 8.[/b]

RMB Question from Democatic Donkeys: A Question for the new AMA participant Crushing Our Enemies! What is your favorite aphorism?

"If it ain't broke, don't break it; anything can be improved."

RMB Question from Democatic Donkeys: What is your favorite Nietzsche? Could you say the title in German?

I'm quite partial to Beyond Good and Evil, though Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a close second. I can indeed say them in German, but I could not translate them from memory.

RMB Question from Dutchyland: do you agree that girls who wear leggings are very important

All girls are important.

RMB Question from Cronaal: McM or r3n

Trick question - they're the same person!

RMB Question from SillyString: Are leggings pants?

Only if they have pockets.

RMB Question from SillyString: What's your favorite acronym? Initialism?

Probably something German - they have very good acronyms. Gestapo, perhaps? As for initialism, that's easy: COE.

RMB Question from Cronaal: Jeggings or Leggings

Another trick question, as jeggings are a specialized form of leggings, so it is not a true choice. Even so, leggings, I suppose.

RMB Question from Cronaal: Twerking or Shuffling

Shuffling. Everyday.

RMB Question from New haven america: Is sleep real?

Yes.

RMB Question from Democatic Donkeys: What is your favorite episode of Dawson's Creek?

Never watched it.

RMB Question from Ahlulbayt: Is it okay to trust people in a different reigion?

You can trust anyone you want for any reason you want, and it is ok!

RMB Question from Democatic Donkeys: Who is your favorite comedian?

Oh man, I like so many...probably Louis CK, though I also consider Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais to be current favorites.

Question from Lord Nwahs: 1) Who is the best TNPer, and why is it SillyString?

SillyString was my deputy when I was Speaker. Best is a very difficult term when it comes to NS players - it's less like ranking athletes and more like ranking scholars. But SillyString is definitely one of my favorites.

Question from Lord Nwahs: 2) When will you coup r3n?

That remains to be seen.

Question from Lord Nwahs: 3) (serious question) Given your time in TNP, serving in many different portfolios, is there anything that you wish you did better?

I wish I had been better able to manage the court as Chief Justice.

Question from plembobria: What is your favorite color.

I don't have a single favorite color. It varies between blue, green, and purple.

Question from plembobria: What office in TNP that you haven't held are you interested in holding?

If you asked me a few weeks ago, I'd have said Vice Delegate...hmm...I suppose Delegate, but not for a good long while from now. I don't think I'm ready to be delegate yet. I need to learn a lot more about the executive first.

Question from plembobria: Paper or Plastic?

Paper.

Question from SillyString: You know, I have logs of a time when I was your sole favorite. What happened? Where did we go wrong??

[Favorite] and [Favorites] are not exclusive sets you know

Question from SillyString: When are we couping? How are we couping? Why are we couping?

That remains to be seen.

Question from SillyString: If you had to choose between TBH and TNP, what would you do?

O_O I don't want to hurt any feelings by answering this one.

Question from SillyString: What's it like, being so close to the delegacy and not couping? Is it excruciating?

part 1
part 2
part 3

Question from SillyString: Cats or dogs?

I'm a cat person, but dogs are quite nice too.

Question from SillyString: Snakes or serpents?

I confess I don't know the difference.

Question from SillyString: What's the biggest controversy you've ever been involved in on NS? In TNP? What controversy do you wish you'd been involved in?

I'm gonna have to save this one for later. I'm sleepy and it's complicated and has many parts.

Question from SillyString: If you had to resign as Vice Delegate tomorrow, who would you want to take your place out of everyone in TNP?

These hypothetical questions are cruel. Umm...probably McM since he already has the necessary endocount and is at the highest level of readiness of any SC member, in my opinion.

Question from SillyString: Have you ever had a puppet hidden in 10KI?

No, but my cousin, Crushing Our Enemies, has. In 2005, he signed up for the Black Hawks Intelligence Agency and, as a training assignment, was implanted in 10KI on an information-gathering mission.

Question from Eluvatar: If you become Acting Delegate, will you order me to pile in a raid in Warhammer 40000?

If I became acting delegate, I would defer to the Minister of Defense on matters of military deployment.

Question from SillyString: You've worked for r3n a couple times now - as Communications Minister over the summer, and now as Vice Delegate. How soon after you started did he begin to heap cruelties on you?

Basically, r3n's treated me like sh*t from day 1.

Question from SillyString: Why do you keep going back?

answer

Question from SillyString: What's the worst part about having him as your boss?

Probably all the sexual harassment.

Question from SillyString: Inversely, what's the best?

I get three potty breaks per day, so that's pretty cool.

Question from Eluvatar: Which enemies did you crush today?

Greed. Selfishness. Hypocrisy.

Question from SillyString: Which of your friends were helpless casualties of such crushing?

Ambition. Pride.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Do those two three large seals up there make you feel better about the smaller things in your life?

I just like the knowledge that I have more seals than r3n does.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Edit: Also are you a Carolina Panthers Fan? What do you think about CAAAAMMMMM?

I am something of a Panthers fan, but I don't watch football a whole lot. From what I've seen of Cam Newton, he seems like a good football player, and he can play a hell of a lot better than me so I don't go in for criticism or blame.

Question from SillyString: What question do you want us not to ask?

This one.

Question from SillyString: What's the biggest controversy you've ever been involved in on NS?

That is classified.

Question from SillyString: In TNP?

I've been involved in a lot of controversies in TNP, but controversies here don't really get big. None of them stand out in my mind as "the biggest." A few that I can recall:

• When I started enforcing WA tracking requirements as Speaker and took steps to remove RA members who did not have a WA nation on file with the registrar.
• Petitioning for Punk D's removal from the admin team
• Revoking indefinite leaves of absence as Speaker and requiring end dates to be specified when requesting leave.
• Removing Romonoffia as moderating justice of TNP v Grosse
• Legislation to remove WA tracking requirements
• Legislation to implement Vice Delegate blocks on RA applicants

Those are off the top of my head. None of them are really big controversies, though.

Question from SillyString: What controversy do you wish you'd been involved in?

The controversy over the alleged governmental non-governmental group created to do something nefarious involving Blue Wolf.

Question from Eluvatar: Is there such a thing as too much influence?

No.

Question from Eluvatar: Why or why not?

If it seems like someone has "too much" influence, it's usually really because everyone else doesn't have enough.

Question from SillyString: What is your favorite knot?

Sheep shank.

Question from SillyString: What is your favorite fractal?

The Mandlebrot Set.

Question from SillyString: What is your favorite type of precipitations? Least favorite?

Favorite: snow. Least favorite: wintry mix.

Question from SillyString: If you were to coup TNP, what nation would you ban first (ignoring influence restrictions)? What nation would you feel guiltiest about banning?

For some reason, you seem to love asking questions that try to make me hurt people's feelings. The second one is unanswerable, because I wouldn't ban anyone that I would feel guilty about. If I decided to ban someone, I would have a guilt-free rationale for doing so. I might feel sorry for someone, but not personally guilty.

Question from plembobria: Do you wanna build a snowman?

Nah, I've never really been into building snowmen.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Do you like me as a political role player?

Yes. You participate actively, and make debate more interesting.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: As a RL person?

I don't really know you as a RL person.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Do you see us ever crushing enemies together?

Probably not - see my next answer.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Do we have the same kind of enemies?

I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I don't really have any enemies.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: You are apparently some big shot in TBH, why havent you served TNP militarily to protect her intrests abroad and promote safetyness and security at home by joining the NPAF?

First off, I think you have me confused with my similarly-named cousin. Secondly, I am philosophically opposed to participating in defending and detagging operations, and don't wish to personally identify with a military that engages in those sorts of missions, regardless of whether I would be compelled to participate in them or not.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Will you ever join the North Pacific Army? Why or why not?

I joined the Regional Guard for a little while when I had a WA nation in TNP and the Guard was still around. I doubt I will ever join the NPA, because I don't see it ever becoming an explicitly raider military. In the meantime, I will continue to applaud its excellent work abroad.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Should TNP institute compulsory military service of 6 months for all new nations?

Hell no.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: When you stage s coup of TNP with TBH and SillyString will military service be compulsary?

That remains to be seen.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Even if they offer raiding missions, you still do not see yourself participating?

I refer you to my previous answers.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: Do you feel the Security Council and NPA share similar goals? Does the Military work with the Executive Branch in charge of security (MoRS, VD, SC)? Or even though they have similar aims to protect the region they each just sort of do their own thing? Does the defense and security ministries liason with each other? Should they ever? Can they?

I do not feel that the mission of the NPA and the mission of the SC are very similar. The SC exists to keep the delegacy secure, while the NPA asserts our military mission abroad. In the event of a rogue delegate, I would expect the NPA to remain in TNP and endorse the rightful delegate, and put their forces at the disposal of the Security Council.

Question from SillyString: Is there any conflict between your rejection of all things defending and your sworn oaths to defend TNP? Please explain.

I just doubled checked the RA oath and the oath of office, and there's nothing in their about going out and preventing or undoing the work of raiders. I certainly see no conflict.

Question from PaulWallLibertarian42: What does your forum avatar (the gavel coming down on the little guy) symbolize to you? And why did you pick it?

My first avatar on the TNP forum was the Black Hawks flag. I caused a little controversy with that when I first ran for Speaker, so I pledged to change it to something else when I got elected. So once I became speaker, I looked for something that suited my name and my job. I definitely wanted something that depicted someone being crushed, and given the position I was in, "crushed by a gavel" seemed most appropriate. I looked around on google for a while until I found one. I also considered:
this avatar

Question from SillyString: What about in the scenario where raiders raid TNP?

I still see no conflict. What are you getting at?

Question from SillyString: Seems pretty straightforward to me.

If raiders raid TNP (or try to), your philosophical objection to defending, or preventing raids, or undoing raids will stand opposed to your responsibilities and oaths to TNP.

If you don't see a conflict there, I would ask you to explain how you do not.

Ah! When it's your own region, I don't consider it defending. I place actions to liberate oneself in a different class of military gameplay that I call resistance. It is not included in my opposition to defending.