As part of this year's event, we wanted to highlight the various delegates matched up in each round. This first elimination fight pits some big names against each other, and includes some of our most recent delegates.
First Constitutional Era
Stars of Sky (Pope Hope): May 27-August 19, 2005 (84 days)
The caretaker delegate pending the implementation of the new constitution, and puppet account of the ADN forces that liberated TNP from Pixiedance...kind of. The account was actually controlled by both Pope Hope and Unistrut, though the difference in their posting styles was night and day, and Pope Hope's approach was definitely favored, which is why eventually she went solo on using it. Unistrut's posts evidently brought suspicion to the account when it had made some progress getting deeper into Pixiedance's government, causing it to be banned from the region. They formed the region Stars while banned, gathering resistors to Pixidance from TNP, and Stars of Sky began update surfing to maintain endorsements for an eventual return to TNP. As already covered in Lungwallabad's entry, Pixiedance's decision to resign UN and a mistimed ejection allowed Stars of Sky to be unbanned, where they returned to TNP as the caretaker delegate for the time it took TNP to decide its future. This was the time when the constitutional convention was held, and four different versions of TNP's government tried to claim the region. Stars of Sky remained until the decision was made, the region ratified their constitution of choice, and a new delegate was elected.
Second Constitutional Era
Flemingovia: August 19-November 13, 2005 (86 days); N/A; October 20, 2010-January 19, 2011 (90 days)
The 1st, 12th, and 16th elected delegate of the second constitutional era, he also served in many other capacities including the 3rd and 6th prime minister. Definitely one of the major heroes of the region and a founding father. He was one of the tireless champions during Great Bight and then Pixiedance's coups, the second requiring everything he had when things got dark. He was the one who organized the North Pacific Underground and returned the community to Old Blue, eventually developing the community-in-exile into the North Pacific Confederation with the help of Grosseschnauzer. The constitution they drafted eventually became the one that successfully won over the others in the constitutional convention, though some would come to regard that as a mistake. The return to Old Blue was short-lived, however, due to continued interference from Twoslit, and soon TNP migrated to the forum that would host the community the longest until it too required a migration in 2018.
Flemingovia would butt heads with a lot of players over the years, always striving for simplicity and common sense over getting caught up in obtuse rules and procedures, which appeared to be beloved by rivals like Grosseschnauzer. When he became the 3rd prime minister, Flemingovia was elected in a run-off, and accused of being an ADN puppet. He confronted these accusations head on, and focused on engaging the community and forging an identity as a feeder, with less focus on political or military action until those areas could grow into their own and fully recover from the coup. That said, he did believe that pulling out of the ADN and ceasing active defensive operations took away the NPA's drive and left it aimless, so he wanted to avoid the other extreme of being an isolationist region. He was especially concerned with fixing and cleaning up the laws, which continued to get tangled and messy, and would throughout the majority of subsequent governments.
His second election to prime minister, as the 6th, also in a run-off, proved to be a challenging one as problems with The Lexicon continued to mount. When The West Pacific went through troubles of its own, he had been accused of taking a side despite TNP's efforts to remain neutral. Now, with a feeder summit underway, he had an opportunity to solidify stronger relations with TWP through a bilateral treaty, especially as a larger multi-lateral effort looked unlikely given the feeders' relations with The Pacific. Despite an unendorsement campaign, and the revelation that Lexicon agents planned to rig the next election, Flemingovia had the Regional Assembly applications of Lexicon players suspended, and turned down a proposed peace deal given TNP did not consider itself to be at war with The Lexicon despite their claims that they were at war with TNP. When Equilism was itself couped by Westwind, he was the staunchest advocate for starving its new government of legitimacy despite a desire by many in the government to stay neutral, and closed the embassy with them. When his successor seemed to entertain talking to the new government, he ferociously objected, turning the cabinet against the idea and denying official recognition to Imperial Equilism.
By the time Flemingovia was elected delegate a second time, the first to defeat an incumbent delegate who sought re-election, the delegacy was the center of power in government. Aside from appointing the officers, however, Flemingovia was unable to do much else, suffering technical issues and personal tragedy, forcing him to resign the delegacy after 37 days, and before he even had a chance to take the in-game sea, making him also the first delegate to resign from office (this discounts Dalimbar and Westwind, who resigned after they had couped and maintained the delegacy beyond the point where an election should have taken place). Flemingovia's return to the delegacy nearly two years later would be under very different circumstances. Following the disastrous one-two punch of JAL and New Kervoskia leading again to a second JAL coup, Flemingovia stepped up again, facing JAL in a pivotal election which saw the highest turnout that year (the previous delegate elections had 10 and 12 votes total, and the most recent election, a special election for speaker, saw 4 total votes for Dalimbar, who ran unopposed). The issue of the day was whether TNP's system had to be entirely scrapped as a failure, and all candidates, including Flemingovia, agreed that was the course to take. Flemingovia promised to do it honestly, without a coup, but ran on anarchy and dismantling the government as TNP knew it, and he was elected on that platform. Due to personal life obstacles again, he was unable to fully realize this vision, leaving TNP with little working government infrastructure, barely a single active admin on the forum, and no direction as a region. He also failed to take his oath and maintain RA membership, forcing the RA to consider recalling him, and even after he renewed these things there was still the technicality that they had not been done in time; nevertheless, the RA let it go. Flemingovia realized he would need to break his promise not to coup to do away with the organized government, and allowed it to stand while he focused on RMB activity and better WA engagement. The result of his experiment in anarchy left him rather unpopular with several key TNPers and inspired the speaker, Dalimbar, to run against him despite his history as a rogue delegate. Flemingovia tried to challenge him on those grounds, but was unsuccessful. He became the second incumbent delegate to lose re-election, and the system as we knew it continued for another year until it was reformed again.
Emperor Matthuis: February 10-12, 2007 (2 days); October 21-26, 2007 (5 days)
The outgoing vice delegate who became an accidental delegate for 2 days at the end of GBM’s second term as delegate due to an endorsement campaign and the involvement of Gatesville, NPO, North Pacific Destroyers, and Lexicon agents Limitless Events and Eluvatar. While he cooperated with GBM to return her to the delegacy, it is speculated this was possibly only because he didn’t think he had the support for a successful coup. He would get it again for 5 days during GBM’s third term as delegate, this time working with the same people who bumped him there the first time instead of working with the government, until he ejected his endorsers and then took the delegacy in TRR, being backed by an unhappy Gatesville. I wasn't around back then but I observed that he was quite involved in the government for a while before he became another rogue, and not even one of the better known ones, and I have to say I was surprised to see him take that turn. Because it is not entirely known if the first period was an aborted coup or not, I personally don't give him credit for being a rogue delegate who successfully couped twice. Instead, I give that distinction to the next guy on this list.
Durkadurkiranistan (JAL): September 26, 2009-March 3, 2010 (157 days)
The 14th delegate and eventual rogue delegate, and the only rogue delegate to successfully get a second shot at being rogue when he overtook Ermarian and Groovistan at the end of New Kervoskia's term. Until this point, former delegates coming back for another run had traditionally won, yet JAL managed to defeat Former English Colony (Eras) in her last run for the office. This is less impressive when you consider the vote was 9-6, a sign of TNP's dire straits going into 2010. JAL was a standard delegate for the entirety of his term, until he banned 2,000 nations on his final days in the delegacy in the first half of New Kervoskia's term. His edited on the World Factbook Entry and regional flag also violated moderation standards, causing NS moderators to delete his nation and end his delegacy. A cursory look at the region under his administration shows the same problems that would come to plague New Kervoskia, though he did keep his promise of making TNP an Islamic republic if he won, and kept it within the constitution.
By the time JAL had his new nation, Durkadurkiranistan II lurking around, things in the region had gotten much worse. He ran for delegate again exactly a year since his last election, promising to coup the region if he won. When that didn't work, he simply overtook the top endorsement spot and began interfering with the government's attempts to get the proper officials in place, including Blue Wolf. But contemporary accounts seem to suggest this did not happen immediately after he took the delegacy, but that he waited a bit before enacting the purges. It was remarked by many at the time how short his coup was, suggesting it may have been another few days rather the entirety of the time he held the in-game seat. There were signs of trouble from the start: Groovistan revealed himself to be an innocent endotarter who did not wish to be delegate and would happily hand it over when the time was right, which prompted JAL and other players, including Unibot, to unendorse him and allow JAL to take the delegacy. Unibot later expressed regret for this when he saw how inefficient JAL was at managing both the in-game delegacy and his coup. At a low point, JAL appealed to the NS forum for more nations to endorse him, prompting TWP's Darkesia to offer to make TNP a colony to teach it how to administer itself. Blue Wolf overtook JAL in endorsements and paved the way for Flemingovia to take the delegacy again.
Blackshear: April 18-23, 2004 (5 days); March 17-September 28, 2011 (194 days)
The 18th delegate, during the pre-constitutional era as well as the second constitutional era in a happy coincidence, the first vice delegate to serve as acting delegate, and the first delegate to be elected in a special election. Blackshear was also the only delegate from the pre-constitutional period to be elected under one of the two constitutions. Like other earlier delegates, there really is nothing to show as to what Blackshear's delegacy was like in the early days, though given it was only 5 days it seems he likely didn't have a chance to show what he could do, and it's been suggested he was called away by real life issues at a bad time, much like several of the other delegates over the years. What we do know is that he is credited with the original constitution, the one that TNP approved and Magicality intended to sign before she fell ill and UPS Rail showed up. It was famed for being short and to the point, a major contrast from the constitution that would define the second constitutional era, and which would ultimately be significantly revised to the one we use today.
Blackshear assumed the delegacy in the second constitutional era following Dalimbar's resignation, and sought to avoid the inactivity problems with cabinet members by only appointing individuals to specific jobs as needed. He went on to run and win an elected term as delegate, but the forum is scant on records from this period, though it appears the major controversy of the day was JAL's very long trial for his misdeeds the last time he held the delegacy, and Flemingovia's argument that JAL was not afforded the same forgiveness other former rogues received. Blackshear denounced the TNP court system as a joke but correctly identified that he was unable to personally get involved in the matter. His critique of the court went on to serve as more controversy, but as it was the end of the term, nothing more came of it.
Prydania: June 23-October 4, 2020 (102 days)
The 38th delegate, and one notable for being the most prominent roleplayer delegate, considering he had basically no background in gameplay matters. Prydania was fortunate, or unfortunate depending on your point of view, to take office during a relatively peaceful and quiet time in the game. Despite being elected in the highest turnout election in history, it was a modest win, and the first to utilize recently changed election law to allow for instant runoff voting. During his administration the foreign ministry did an extensive study on the collapse of relations between The East and West Pacifics, and he made an effort to work with regions formerly targeted by the Civil Defence Siren for their ties to fascism which claimed to be reformed, and see if the list could be updated to recognize where improvement had been made. He was best known for being a good mediator and leader, who managed his team well and was always the adult in the room.
Foreign events were not really a factor during this term, but Prydania shined when it came to domestic matters. Prydania's bonafides as a former Culture minister and roleplayer really showed as his government worked on keeping people busy with fun activities they could do with a variety of friends and allies. The cards guild flourished under his watch, growing to the point it would become its own ministry in the next administration. The comms ministry continued to have a great output, with an emphasis on roleplay given his status as a key roleplayer in the region. The second World Assembly Symposium was managed by his WA minister, with a roleplay symposium organized and planned to follow. Pacific-Con was launched and concluded early in his term, and a sequel festival with The South Pacific to one that had been done three years earlier, A Drop in the Ocean, was also concluded.
Kaschovia: December 16, 2023-May 25, 2024 (161 days)
The 46th delegate, known for having one of the longest transitions in TNP history (taking the in-game seat on December 16 after having been elected in September), but ultimately securing a second term. Unlike some recent delegates, acting or elected, Kasch was a long-time member of the community and had served in most every possible role one could have been in over the previous 8 years, including multiple stints as minister in nearly every ministry (a few of which he would go on to serve post-delegacy), member of the Security Council, and Vice Delegate, the latter two of which were when he was only 15. Kasch was delegate when the region officially went to war with The Brotherhood of Malice (BoM) and The Communist Bloc (TCB) following their invasion of the region, and the early response was incredibly successful, culminating in the successful capture of Solidarity in early October. High Command in the NPA was expanded to allow much-needed new talent to get things going again, after an initial burst of activity following the declaration of war. The militia soared and continued to give new players opportunities to get involved, though the military activity dramatically fell off by the end of his delegacy as no viable targets after Warzone Trinidad could be found. Kasch also took office at a time when the collapse of our tech and the frontiers and strongholds update really started to diminish the region. Fixing the tech was a major goal, and in the end he singlehandedly took on the rebuilding of the World Assembly Development Program (WADP). Nevertheless, endorsements continued to fall, necessitating a change in laws to make handling them easier with the new environment.
Kasch also looked to fortify alliances, not only because of TNP's diminishing state but because the war effort demanded it. The League & Concord first agreed on a non-aggression pact, then joined the Modern Gameplay Compact (MGC). Unfortunately, TNP also lost its alliance with The East Pacific due to their decision to pull the treaty over the invasion of a warzone with which they had an embassy, which was hit repeatedly while they pointedly took no action to assist or aid TNP in its struggle with the regions who attacked it. Kasch did much better with communications, as it had always been his strength in his prior ministry work, and TNP produced more radio shows and publications than it had in months. There were still early signs of trouble, however, as summer came around. The numbers continued to drop and staff engagement lost the excitement that initially came from the war. The situation would have to be carefully managed, but Kasch was out of time and also increasingly busy, leaving the region to make a very important decision in the subsequent election that saw the start of what could be considered a short-term impatience with incumbents.
Picairn: November 9, 2024-January 16, 2025 (67 days)
The 48th delegate, and the first delegate to win as a result of a re-opened nomination, in one of the closest races in TNP history defeating a five-term former delegate. It would also be his best showing, as he would go on to lose re-election and the subsequent election too, becoming only the fourth sitting delegate to lose re-election but the first to lose to a non-former delegate. That being said, Picairn's was a rapid, meteoric ascent. From being a strictly gameside player until TNP was invaded the year before his delegacy, he distinguished himself as one of the government's best staffers in Home Affairs and one of the NPA's finest soldiers, serving as a leading officer in the early days of the war with BoM and TCB, and eventually becoming the head of both Home Affairs and then Defense. Picairn was one of the few to step up to run in a RON campaign for delegate when one of the only two candidates in the race suddenly dropped out. Despite facing much more experienced players, he ran a fierce campaign and managed to win. What was initially expected to be a long transition also ended earlier than anyone had expected, causing an initial plan to explore once again separating the head of state and head of government roles in the delegacy to be scrapped.
Under Picairn, recruitment was expanded, with some of the best manual recruitment numbers that had been seen since the Frontiers and Strongholds update occurred. TNP accelerated a trend that had been growing and took its first official National Sovereigntist position with respect to the World Assembly. Raiding was also greatly expanded in terms of military activity, in an effort to boost turnout and engagement in the NPA. Blue Wolf formed The Commandos, a dedicated raiding team which was intended to find viable targets in the war effort. The NPA was unfortunately largely sidelined in piling efforts for friends and allies, including The Wellspring and Carcassonne, and later The Outback. Restrictions on raiding activity were suspended entirely with a blanket exemption for fascist regions, allowing The Kerberos Collective to be refounded. Sophia, originally on the shortlist for a military strike, cut its treaty with Sparkalia and was the most significant victory the MGC sanctions had seen. The frontier Talonia joined the MGC, and TNP was able to successfully negotiate a treaty with the Augustin Alliance and normalize relations with Lone Wolves United, thanks to their partnership in securing The Outback, one of the two new sinkers that was created during this period. There were challenges too. Picairn had to contend with the treachery of his second foreign affairs minister, which came out of secret peace talks he had authorized with BoM to see if a peaceful resolution to the war could be found (it could not). One of the NPA's missions involved a quorum raid, something he loosened by repealing the delegate directive on quorum raiding, but The Kodiak Republic was hit and Picairn was too slow to reach out to patch things up, causing the UCR to publicly rebuke TNP and force an apology. Additionally, the continued effects of major gameplay changes saw the continued sapping of activity and engagement from staff, and his efforts to turn around a mismanaged staff left by his predecessor did not achieve noticeable gains by the time the next election took place in January. Picairn was the victim of the same anti-incumbency sentiment which swept him into office and swept him out just as quickly. That trend seemed to have been beaten by May, when he sought a rematch against the one who beat him, only to lose again.
