Interviews with some old timers

Kiwi

TNPer
Old Timers in The North Pacific

For the wonderous Flag Day celebration we have interviewed a selection of prominent TNPers about their time in our great region.

Yaorozu

What do you love about the region the most? Here is my starting feeder region, and I like TNP because o f that.

What do you think the region needs to improve on? I have no idea. More knowledge of haiku, maybe?

Do you think that one particular nation in our regions history has had an influence above all others and if so which nation? Before the introduction of influence cappng in feeder regions, GBM san was most influenial, I think.

What was your favourite event or moment in TNP to date? First Zombie Day.

What was your least favourite event or moment in TNP to date? Mass ejection by usurper.

Why is your forum activity the way it is? Sadly, English is not my mother tongue and so checking the forum is rather difficult for me.

Flemingovia

What do you love about the region the most?
I used to love the fact that TNP stood for something unique among the feeders. Now I do not recognise much distinctive about it. The deep blue of TNP has faded to grey.

What do you think the region needs to improve on?
Our laws are too complex and inflexible. All too often the tail wags the dog, and we are prevented from doing sensible things without weeks of drafting legislation. A classic example was the recent farce where we could not correct a simple numbering mistake without legislation. I remember the day when we got on fine without a constitution at all – in fact, a lot of our regional life was much more vibrant back then! So I have always regarded these laws as a sort of optional bolt-on to the region, rather than its life blood.

Do you think that one particular nation in our region’s history has had an influence above all others and if so which nation?
No. TNP is a community, and lots of people have contributed to making TNP what it is. There are a lot of contenders: Wilkshire, Nastic, McMasterdonia – but I would not want to exalt one above others.

What was your favourite event or moment in TNP to date?
the morning I came downstairs to find that there had been some move called “puppetmaster” that had liberated TNP from Great Bight. Until then, we had spent ages fighting what many considered to be a lost cause.

What was your least favourite event or moment in TNP to date?
The day I came downstairs to see a thread where the NPA announced that it had undertaken its first ever raid. I felt deeply ashamed at that moment to be part of TNP, and glad that many of the nations I had known in the past in TNP were no longer around to see what we had become. And that sense of shame has not left me with every new announcement. I think that was the moment I started to feel detached from TNP.

Why is your forum activity the way it is? i.e. why have you been an ardent member of the forum community or simply remained as an avid RMB follower?
TNP is a drug. I have tried to go cold turkey, but I can’t. As the region shifts further and further from what it once was, I feel increasingly that I am not part of the community here. I suspect that one day I will not be bothered to look at the forum, and that will be the beginning of the end of the road for me. I sense that day may be fairly soon, the way things are going.

Any further comments about your time in TNP or TNP itself.
It was a fun ride, once. I wish more of you could have been there.

Romanoffia

What do you love about the region the most? One of the best things about TNP is that there is actually a 'persistant' group of people - that is, a group of people that have been long term residents (some of us have been here for something like 12 years). We also have a very active forum - probably one of the best in all of NS.

What do you think the region needs to improve on? We need to retain more nations in the region. By that I mean we need to encourage more new nations to stay in TNP and get involved on the forum.

Do you think that one particular nation in our regions history has had an influence above all others and if so which nation? That's a tough one to answer. We've had good nations and bad nations who have influenced the region for better or worse.

What was your favourite event or moment in TNP to date? My personal favorite moment/event was when, despite everyone saying it couldn't be done, I convinced Gatesville to pull out of TNP.

What was your least favourite event or moment in TNP to date? Least favorite moment? Several of them - every time a Rogue Delegate cropped up. :D

Why is your forum activity the way it is? i.e. why have you been an ardent member of the forum community or simply remained as an avid RMB follower? I keep involved on the forum mainly because I care about the region and generally hold some kind of government position.

Any further comments about your time in TNP or TNP itself. I'm looking forward to at least another 12 years in TNP!

Grosseschnauzer

What do you love about the region the most? Its long fought for tradition and history as a Constitutional democracy.

What do you think the region needs to improve on? Educating the more recent arrivals on our history and traditions, some of them are disrespectful of that, and don't understand how important that is in making TNP what it is.

Do you think that one particular nation in our regions history has had an influence above all others and if so which nation? Of those who were here since my arrival (my 10th anniversary is at the end of this year), it has to be Tresville/Cisco.

What was your favourite event or moment in TNP to date? My personal favorite event was my three terms as head of government (two as prime minister and one as Delegate).

What was your least favourite event or moment in TNP to date? Arriving at the beginning of the Pixiedance reign of terror.

Why is your forum activity the way it is? i.e. why have you been an ardent member of the forum community or simply remained as an avid RMB follower? As an admin and former head of TNP government it would be hard not to be active as much as my time and energy permit. I have other interests in RL and online that I have to attend to far outside of NS.

Thel D'Ran

What do you love about the region the most?I spent an enormous amount of time and thought (between April and September of 2004) on ways to contribute to and help improve TNP. It's really quite remarkable that many of the graphics I created for the region are still in use. I still actually have the Photoshop files that were used to make the map of the region.

I have met and am still friends with more than a handful of wonderful people from NS, though most of that's online and via Facebook or AIM.

What do you think the region needs to improve on? If everyone remembers it's a game - and one made by consensus among the players - that's probably a great start.

Do you think that one particular nation in our region's history has had an influence above all others and if so which nation? Though it may seem odd to say so, I was never very deeply involved with the history or politics of the region as an entity. My primary concern was that TNP be a community that helped provide a mutually enjoyable experience for the players who called it home.

What was your favourite event or moment in TNP to date? Both of my favorite events in the game stem from the map. There was a time when my ability to post had become restricted and that meant map updates couldn't happen as frequently as the region had come to expect and that I was comfortable with.

At that time the banner was hosted by a friend of mine and we simple changed the url to a satirical animation. I simply refused to "fix" it until my access was restored to what it had been. Unfortunately, I think the satire is lost to the deeper recesses of the internet archives. I was told it was a big hit in The Pacific and The East Pacific.

The second map moment was during the UPS Rail period. I changed the map to show just one territory - in brown - with the name "UPS Rail" and the slogan "What can brown do for you." Sir Paul actually messaged me privately saying it was one of his favorite images inspired by the game.

What was your least favourite event or moment in TNP to date? My least favorite events were the ejections during coups. They're quite frustrating and more than a little rude.

Why is your forum activity the way it is? To be honest, I don't still play beyond trying to keep Thel D'Ran from CTE.

Punk D

What do you love about the region the most? The divergent personalities.

What do you think the region needs to improve on? Nothing really. When you put together a hodgepodge group you're bound to have conflict. But, I like conflict and thus TNP is always interesting to me.

Do you think that one particular nation in our regions history has had an influence above all others and if so which nation? I'd say no. But if you had a gun to my head then the nation that has had the most influence on TNP is cathyy. She was a poor delegate who took things too personally. She gave her nation to someone who terrorized the region for some time. Out of those ashes arose the system of government we have today. None of this happens if cathyy was a decent delegate & never handed her nation to Gracius Maximus.

What was your favourite event or moment in TNP to date? The puppetmaster event of 2004 that removed Great Bight. That was impressive.

What was your least favourite event or moment in TNP to date? You know, when I lost the delegate election to Flem and was not selected as an admin of the new boards in 2005. Both of those were tough to swallow given what I had done in the region. Truth is though, I'm more disappointed in myself for taking a break from TNP after those "losses" than anything. In politics, the best politicians are able to leverage losses and use them for wins in the future. I'm disappointed that at some point in 2006 I didn't become TNP delegate when I most certainly would have been a viable candidate. Instead it wouldn't be until 2010 that I became a feeder delegate.

Why is your forum activity the way it is? i.e. why have you been an ardent member of the forum community or simply remained as an avid RMB follower? I guess I just like TNPers. I always have, probably always will.

Any further comments about your time in TNP or TNP itself.
I can't believe how long ago Puppetmaster, NPD, cathyy, IP, and all that stuff is. Time flies.
 
Kiwi:
What was your least favourite event or moment in TNP to date?

The day I came downstairs to see a thread where the NPA announced that it had undertaken its first ever raid. I felt deeply ashamed at that moment to be part of TNP, and glad that many of the nations I had known in the past in TNP were no longer around to see what we had become. And that sense of shame has not left me with every new announcement. I think that was the moment I started to feel detached from TNP.
Because I enjoy using people's own words against them at a later date...

50 Shades of UDL:
She was Anastasia Steele, proud member of the North Pacific, and the North Pacific army.

Her eyes closed and she gulped. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps as she moved her nation out of the North Pacific. She had done it! Whatever the consequences, she was going to raid

Oh how times and opinions change. O tempora o mores!
 
Ummm ... I think you need a bit of a lesson in how to distinguish between fiction writing and memoirs.

Your point would be stronger if you could find something I wrote that implied a support of raiding that was not a piece of erotic fan fiction.

In case you did not get it, 50 shades of UDL was a work of fiction, written with humorous intent. My opinion of raiding and raiders has not changed at all over the years.
 
Oh, I know, I just enjoy bringing it up. Also, slightly ironic that you would mock UDL for trying to force Pure Defending down TNP's throat and then get all upset when NPA doesn't purely defend.
 
If I were to guess, I would say it is because it is okay for TNP to choose to defend but not for an external organization to place pressure on us. Just a guess though :P
 
Punk D and Thel added!

Thanks to all the players that contributed by taking the time to answer. I apologise that some were unable to be added because those players felt they were too busy or had other things going on :) This is completely understandable as RL > NS!

Enjoy reading.
 
This was really fun to read!

I especially enjoyed flemingovia's interview. I too sometimes feel that over-legislation has become the focus in many regions, particularly the South Pacific. Regional affairs, beyond the assembly, are not really valued as much as they should be in terms of being the central way to engage people.

Also power to creativity! I'd love to read this fictional humor piece mentioned.
 
flemingovia:
Knock yourself out 50 Shades of UDL can be found at the following links.

(for the sake of Gracius Maximus, this is a work of fic-shun, and should not be taken to give hints as to the genuine viewpoint of the author. Remember: fic-shun, fic-shun, fic-shun.

http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/6941351/2/#new
http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/single/?p=8074763&t=6984638
I know Flemingovianism is dead in TNP but I am not certain I am comfortable with you invoking my name in this manner as a replacement.
 
flemingovia:
Knock yourself out 50 Shades of UDL can be found at the following links.

(for the sake of Gracius Maximus, this is a work of fic-shun, and should not be taken to give hints as to the genuine viewpoint of the author. Remember: fic-shun, fic-shun, fic-shun.

http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/6941351/2/#new
http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/single/?p=8074763&t=6984638

That was funny, flemingoavia. Certain defenders and certain raiders really need to rediscover their humorous side.
 
You know, if you look at people who have been in NS and/or TNP for 10 years or more, it can be concluded that to last a long time in NS one must either have a really good sense of humor or no sense of humor at all. Nothing in between seems to suffice. :lol:
 
I liked what Yy4u said to me one time on that subject:

"Anyone that has played for more than 5 years is crazy. Those that have played since the get-go are criminally insane."
 
Romanoffia:
You know, if you look at people who have been in NS and/or TNP for 10 years or more, it can be concluded that to last a long time in NS one must either have a really good sense of humor or no sense of humor at all. Nothing in between seems to suffice. :lol:
My parents said I was born serious.

:eyebrow:
 
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