Sopo
TNPer
Produced By: JayDee
With the approval of the Senate, Europeia officially declared war against the New Pacific Order (NPO) on November 26, 2018. A war in NS is very different in comparison to their RL counterparts. There’s a lot less bloodshed and a lot more words flung around at the opposition. To get a better idea of the future of this war, Rachael sat down with Altino and Sopo, Pharaoh of Osiris and President of Europeia respectively, and two major leaders of the war against NPO.
More than anything, this is a war of ideologies. The ideology of Francoism, which labels UCRs as inferior to GCRs and a stain on the NS world. Francoism is the governing ideology of NPO and they have used this ideology to justify their sabotage of regional stability in UCRs and GCRs alike. To give a better insight on Francoism and it’s dangers to NS is Johnny Costello.
What the Hell is a War?
Interview By: Rachael
Rachael: For newer players to the game, what are NS Wars like?
Altino: Well, this is my first NS War! I've only been playing NS for a couple of years, I think your guess is as good as mine. Osiris and Antipac are handling this war in particular on a few levels, but the most important one has been the PR stage, which on a forum based game is I think the loudest stage we have to offer. Are there WA shenanigans and military plans going on? Yes, of course. But the part of this war that's been the most consuming is in informational integrity while fighting an enemy that is not concerned about what is true. Antipac is spending time trying to get the truest version of this story out to Pacific natives so that they can decide their own loyalties and respond to their governments' actions in the way that they deem most appropriate. That's a bit of a grind, but we're doing it.
It's sad to see natives being banned from their own region for asking the wrong questions, but they were only going to be NPO indoctrinated anyway. Better to go ahead and ask their questions now, then move on to regions that handle their business with a bit more integrity.Rachael: What's more important in an NS war? Pen or sword?
Altino: That depends on the War. Take TBH's attempt to return Topid to St Abbaddon, for example. The Pen was certainly important, and TGs sent out by both NPO and Topid brought in a few extra pilers for both sides to subsidize their holds - and had TBH taken St Abbaddon, the Pen would have been their weapon of choice when the battle was inevitably brought to the World Assembly. At the end of the day, though, that was a pile-off. No amount of screaming on either side would amount to anything if they didn't have the numbers. Our current situation, however, began with information, and information is our greatest weapon in it.
Rachael: What do you expect from this war?
Altino: I expect NPO to either realize that it cannot exist as a deceitful, subversive state with its hands in everyone's cookie jars anymore or die trying. NPO has thought itself invincible for over a decade and spent years infiltrating our regions, getting caught, saying sorry, and hitting the refresh button on their whole routine. No one in their government should be trusted. They treat their citizens as expendable, while at the same time pressing NPO loyalty into all of their minds. They preach about the superiority of GCRs and danger that Userites pose to us, while infiltrating and attempting to control the GCRs themselves. If we gain nothing else from this war, I hope to create a NS where this kind of destructive duality can no longer exist and that all GCRs will unite together against it.
Rachael: Why did you feel it was important to bring Osiris into this war?
Altino: Osiris had to be brought into the war to protect itself. As long as NPO is allowed to go on believing that it's entitled to the Sinkers - that we are property of the Feeders - we will never be safe. NPO has abused every GCR in the game, and for our own independence and in support of the sovereignty of our fellow GCRs, neutrality wasn't an option. Sitting idly by will only allow NPO's cycle to continue. We cannot let that happen.
Rachael: What was the biggest event that led you to believe going to war was best?
Altino: If NPO had been more inclined to honesty, I would not have bothered them. Frankly I'm an easygoing person, I prefer to work within my own borders, and with so many friends in NPO, I would like to be able to take the path to forgiveness. When pressed, though, NPO has spouted a constant stream of lies and misdirections. You can't convince me that you won't be dangerous to my region in the future if you won't admit that you were dangerous in the first place. They just kept telling lies, and then more evidence would come out to refute what they were saying, and at a certain point the lies themselves became aggressions that had to be reacted to.
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Rachael: For newer players to the game, what are NS Wars like?
Sopo: Honestly? This is the first one I've really been involved with. The last war that I really recall even thinking about was between The New Inquisition and The Founderless Regions Alliance, where TNI essentially just raided FRA-associated regions. I've never seen anything like this particular conflict, and the various avenues in which it has been fought this far have already surprised me. We've seen a lot of commitment from multiple regions now against the NPO and because of the passion behind it, I don't expect this war to be like any of its predecessors.
Rachael: What's more important in an NS war? Pen or sword?
Sopo: In this case especially, I would say the pen. We can't reasonably raid the NPO. A lot of this war will be fought by informing NPO citizens of what their government has done and convincing them to leave. The propaganda coming out of the NPO thus far has been strong, and they've avoided putting it in places easily accessible to the NS community at-large, making it harder to counter. We have to convince everyone, whether it be NPO citizens or people who doubt the justness of this war, that we are in the right and that the NPO can't be allowed to move past this without serious concessions.
Rachael: What do you expect from this war?
Sopo: I expect a lot of proxy battles over regions such as St. Abbaddon and other regions that might be important to the NPO. I expect a condemnation of The Pacific and other WA/SC moves to name and shame the NPO. I expect continued diplomatic pressure on the NPO, not only from regions at war, but also from regions who have made demands that have not yet been met, such as Lazarus and The North Pacific. Many regions not actively engaged in war have nonetheless decried the actions of the NPO and canceled treaties or closed embassies. We need to continue to build the pressure. I expect a lot of scapegoating and insincere apologies from the new NPO emperor and his government as the citizens of NPO and high ranking officials continue to shirk any responsibility and blame us for finally calling out their insidious behavior.
Rachael: Why did you feel it was important to bring Europeia into this war?
Sopo: Europeia is a strong, democratic UCR at the forefront of Independence. We are exactly the kind of region that the NPO wants to bring down and subjugate. We've seen how they've treated our friends and allies, such as The North Pacific and The Black Hawks. While empowering Francoist rhetoric and labeling us as "userite subversives," they have been the true subversives all along. They have weaponized their Francoist ideology against UCRs and GCRs alike. I couldn't sit idly by and allow their behavior to go unpunished when it is clear threat to our region and all we hold dear.
Rachael: What was the biggest event that led you to believe going to war was best?
Sopo: The discussion of war began with the NPO's declaration of war against The Black Hawks, as it put us directly into their line of fire. While that along with their past behavior and continued anti-UCR rhetoric and actions was enough on its own, we had no choice when the subversives in Osiris were revealed. That was the real nail in the coffin, and, as it turns out, was only the first in a deluge of revealed misdeeds. Though our treaty with Osiris ended earlier this year, the NPO's actions there proved what a real and present danger they are to NationStates.
Why the Hell is a War?
Written By: Johnny Costello
The Political ideology we all love to hate, hate to love and my word is it mind control if I ever saw it. Corrupt classlessness and this idea of revolution can all spark this notion in most minds that dunk their toes into political debacles.This ideology is known as Francoism, the founding political belief that now runs the New Pacific Order. Francoism is the belief that User created regions exist solely to exploit the Game created regions of natural resources, better known as nations, or actual people who play Nationstates with all of you. The August Revolution, the pivotal turning point in the NPO founding of the political belief system know exclusively as Francoism. While we now know Francoism by the terms; feederites, userites and…. circle jerk?
While circle jerk may be a laughable term now used by former Consul Pergamon, a leader in The Pacific; it may not be the term intended to describe Francoism. Francoism is, contrary to the idea of saving the feeder regions, a toxic and spiraling ideal that could change the fate of gameplay as we know it. The Pacific says that we as opposers to their beliefs are a danger to their survival, and consequently we are; but no doubt is Francoism a danger to our survival as well. If The Pacific has their way we'll have no userites left to explore interregional political simulation and will consequently hold any upward movement in creating your own dream here in Nationstates to a solid halt before even reaching the planning stages.
The Pacific further has held no dignity in supporting their ideals on the world stage. This is proven by the Pathos flooded statement given by Pergamon who said, “I do not want to save any PR, I do not want to save any face. Go dancing in circles and continue to masturbate like you would do anyways.” Not many logical arguments have this emotional driven explosion from a regional leader which only suggests the fundamentals of this ideology is a hindrance to the growth of the Nationstates community and a net loss to the community this game intends to create.
