Here's what I've got so far. I'm trying not to sound like I drowned myself in Koolaid but it comes from the heart. Maybe I can tighten it a bit, it's a little on the long side, about twice as long as the minimum word count. The background may take longer than is necessary, so help me cut it if that's what we need.
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Every single player in NationStates begins their journey in the most populous and influential regions in existence. When we arrive we are new, wide-eyed and awestruck by their size and the number of players interacting. The regional officers look imposing with all their endorsements, the RMB is bustling and we probably don’t know any other people there, and to top it all off, within minutes the recruitment telegrams have stuffed our inboxes. It can be very intimidating. While a lot of nations decide to stay in the region, most take a good look at those telegrams and make the first important choice in this game.
My first nation in this game was Ghostopolis, and I spawned in The North Pacific. A few friends in another online group got into NationStates and showed me the site. I had no clue how any of it worked, outside of a few tips those friends gave me. One of the things they mentioned was that all players start out in a GCR, and to hear them tell it, if I decided to stay put I would be swimming in an ocean where I would be one of many schools of fish, destined to be eaten or outswam by the sharks and whales that resided there. I came to believe that if I wanted to take the game to a level higher than answering issues and voting in the WA, I would have to aim for a small pond or a large lake where I could swim freely and be counted as a valued part of the region. So I left, choosing one of the regions who reached out to me.
These regions make a lot of promises: activities, a shot at political success, a friendly and welcoming community. I figured the odds of that would be better in one of the other regions, but I figured wrong. My first region was small but was an elite club of people who knew each other longer than they knew me and didn’t seem much interested in letting in anyone new unless they were carbon copies of the people in charge. We had rp but alternative viewpoints were not welcome. We had elections but the outcomes were predetermined. Following their rigid ways and playing along with all their ideas meant that innovation could not take root, and there was very little reason for anyone to do much. I left for another region within the year, completely burned out from the experience. I answered issues and voted in the WA, but that was it. My second region was a good one, and I could have had a lot of fun there, but I was so disappointed by the experience and still intimidated by the idea of incorporating myself into another group of strangers who were all friends that it took me almost two years to get invested in the game again.
The region you choose matters. You can travel around looking for a better fit, but even if you find it, you may not be ready or able to appreciate it. The people who enjoy this game the most are the people who make an effort and get involved. There can be a lot of trial and error in NationStates, and that word trial is important. You have to try, but so does the region. The North Pacific put all the tools at my feet, and I just had to decide to pick them up. I have been a citizen of TNP for less than a month and I am blown away by the experience. I have found here what I thought I could not when I was a newcomer. Where else could a new arrival have a platform like The Northern Lights, let alone be appointed a minister so quickly? Everyone I met has welcomed me with open arms, they put up with my dumb jokes and my endless questions. All I had to do on that first day was stop by the forum and start posting. I could have enjoyed this game so much more from the start.
I absolutely vouch for TNP and admit that my friends led me astray, and all my worst assumptions about them when I joined were wrong. TNP is not just another GCR, it is a fantastic, open, encouraging region. I could write another paragraph of positive words, but that isn’t enough. You have to experience it for yourself. Sign up, take a look around, visit Discord. There are no limits to what you can do (follow the laws though, please!) or what this region can do if we all take a leap of faith together. I don’t think I will ever run out of things to do here, and I definitely don’t have any incentive to stop. I’m not presumptuous enough to claim to speak for all new nations in the region, but I wanted citizens old and new to hear from one of the new guys for a change. I for one appreciate the work the veterans and architects put into the region as it exists today, I appreciate the outreach, your friendliness, your helpfulness, your patience. It goes somewhere, it makes a difference. If you’re new like me, take advantage of your new region’s effort, and give back to them. This will make everyone’s game so much better and you’re here to play aren’t you? So let’s play some NS.
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Every single player in NationStates begins their journey in the most populous and influential regions in existence. When we arrive we are new, wide-eyed and awestruck by their size and the number of players interacting. The regional officers look imposing with all their endorsements, the RMB is bustling and we probably don’t know any other people there, and to top it all off, within minutes the recruitment telegrams have stuffed our inboxes. It can be very intimidating. While a lot of nations decide to stay in the region, most take a good look at those telegrams and make the first important choice in this game.
My first nation in this game was Ghostopolis, and I spawned in The North Pacific. A few friends in another online group got into NationStates and showed me the site. I had no clue how any of it worked, outside of a few tips those friends gave me. One of the things they mentioned was that all players start out in a GCR, and to hear them tell it, if I decided to stay put I would be swimming in an ocean where I would be one of many schools of fish, destined to be eaten or outswam by the sharks and whales that resided there. I came to believe that if I wanted to take the game to a level higher than answering issues and voting in the WA, I would have to aim for a small pond or a large lake where I could swim freely and be counted as a valued part of the region. So I left, choosing one of the regions who reached out to me.
These regions make a lot of promises: activities, a shot at political success, a friendly and welcoming community. I figured the odds of that would be better in one of the other regions, but I figured wrong. My first region was small but was an elite club of people who knew each other longer than they knew me and didn’t seem much interested in letting in anyone new unless they were carbon copies of the people in charge. We had rp but alternative viewpoints were not welcome. We had elections but the outcomes were predetermined. Following their rigid ways and playing along with all their ideas meant that innovation could not take root, and there was very little reason for anyone to do much. I left for another region within the year, completely burned out from the experience. I answered issues and voted in the WA, but that was it. My second region was a good one, and I could have had a lot of fun there, but I was so disappointed by the experience and still intimidated by the idea of incorporating myself into another group of strangers who were all friends that it took me almost two years to get invested in the game again.
The region you choose matters. You can travel around looking for a better fit, but even if you find it, you may not be ready or able to appreciate it. The people who enjoy this game the most are the people who make an effort and get involved. There can be a lot of trial and error in NationStates, and that word trial is important. You have to try, but so does the region. The North Pacific put all the tools at my feet, and I just had to decide to pick them up. I have been a citizen of TNP for less than a month and I am blown away by the experience. I have found here what I thought I could not when I was a newcomer. Where else could a new arrival have a platform like The Northern Lights, let alone be appointed a minister so quickly? Everyone I met has welcomed me with open arms, they put up with my dumb jokes and my endless questions. All I had to do on that first day was stop by the forum and start posting. I could have enjoyed this game so much more from the start.
I absolutely vouch for TNP and admit that my friends led me astray, and all my worst assumptions about them when I joined were wrong. TNP is not just another GCR, it is a fantastic, open, encouraging region. I could write another paragraph of positive words, but that isn’t enough. You have to experience it for yourself. Sign up, take a look around, visit Discord. There are no limits to what you can do (follow the laws though, please!) or what this region can do if we all take a leap of faith together. I don’t think I will ever run out of things to do here, and I definitely don’t have any incentive to stop. I’m not presumptuous enough to claim to speak for all new nations in the region, but I wanted citizens old and new to hear from one of the new guys for a change. I for one appreciate the work the veterans and architects put into the region as it exists today, I appreciate the outreach, your friendliness, your helpfulness, your patience. It goes somewhere, it makes a difference. If you’re new like me, take advantage of your new region’s effort, and give back to them. This will make everyone’s game so much better and you’re here to play aren’t you? So let’s play some NS.