[DRAFT] The Spotlight #20 for TNS IX

Robespierre

The MacMilitant
Pronouns
He/him
TNP Nation
Francois Isidore
Discord
themacmilitant
Robespierre: Good evening, TNP! Today, I’m joined by General Zazumo of the North Army! Zaz, how are you doing on this fine day?

Zazumo: I'm just fine. Thanks for reaching out. How are you? Getting getting used to the minister life yet?

Robespierre: Haha, I’m doing quite well actually. Have enjoyed a few days of vacation since leaving the Midwest this past Friday, now I’m on the east coast! Ooh, those midnight major update times... It’s great to hear that you’re doing fine. Now, as we do with most interviewee’s on the Spotlight, let’s start out with a couple of basics: The name Zazumo - any ideas as to where its origins lie?

Zazumo: Lol if it does I've since forgotten. I thought it sounded cool at the time. Guess I just wanted a name as weird as I was.

Robespierre: That’s fair enough, have you been in the game for a while by this point or was the North Pacific your first ever region?

Zazumo: I vaguely remember leaving TNP early to join The Realm of Unrestricted Science. Those were very early days. I learned soon after that TNP was the world's largest region and I really want to be involved with such a large community. I've been stuck here since.

Robespierre: When it comes to NationStates aren’t we all ‘stuck’? :P But hey, the good news is that when it comes to the warm and welcoming regional community that we have here in the North Pacific it makes the job of being stuck a lot easier doesn’t it?

Zazumo: Oh absolutely, I only regret not being active Gameside sooner. For all the negatives many people instantly assume about the RMB, there's so much awesome to it as well. Mainly the people. There are so many folks on the RMB that make my day.

Robespierre: Oh really? You mention Gameside activity, and that actually brings up something I wanted to talk to you about. I know you’re a Gameside Advocate as well in addition to being on the NPA’s High Command, what’s it like having the opportunity to interact with some of our newest nations?

Zazumo: It's interesting. Obviously, you'll meet less than friendly people or trolls occasionally. But then there are newcomers who stay. People who have become a regular part of the community since joining. And that's fantastic. I don't consider it an opportunity. It's literally why I play the game. Oh and also cards.

Robespierre: You guys are quite integral parts to the integration process, especially when it comes to the transition from the RMB over to the forums. Once you get them there the rest is history, but how difficult is it to steer newcomers in the right direction while also having your own personal favourite sets of activities in the region?

Zazumo: We regularly advertise the off-site community throughout the day. We can only point them there. We can't make them join. It doesn't for me personally get in the way of other things since I'm already on the RMB slacking off.

Robespierre: That’s true, you can’t make them join - obviously. But, I definitely think it helps that we have active GAs such as yourself who are comfortable on the RMB and willing to be patient with those who have questions. In my mind, it really sets the tone for our community’s integration process really should be about, wouldn’t you agree?

Zazumo: I think that's accurate. You have to bear in mind that anyone new can be a young person. So patience is sometimes very necessary. cough Not naming names. cough But most importantly you gotta remember you're playing a game.

Robespierre: Of course, and at the end of the day that’s exactly what we’re all participating in: a game. I know a lot of times newer nations will start posting on the RMB with what can be seemingly-early stage RP posts; does that ever give off the indication that they may want to participate in either Strangereal or Eras? What role do the Gameside Advocates have in identifying what a newer players interests might be? Because you can point them to the forums, but if they’re interested in one specific thing then what are some signs to look for when deciding if they’d be a good fit?





@Pallaith said that once posted here we'd use snippets from this part of the interview I conducted to formulate a new format for the Spotlight. Consider this assignment unfinished and in need of work, but off the direction of the Minister of Communications I went ahead and posted it here to retain the part of the interview that I did get.
 
This month Zazumo is in the spotlight. Zazumo has served three times as the Minister of Defense under Siwale, taking a small break during Siwale's second term before coming in at the end to relieve Loz. He currently serves as a Gameside Advocate in Fiji's government. When asked to describe Zazumo in five words, his peers said that he was ‘competent, friendly, smart, active and a good teacher.’ He's also a lot of fun and brings positive energy to the region wherever he goes, and I was very pleased to get the chance to speak with him. He had a lot of interesting things to say, but he's very busy and we didn't want to stop talking to him, so the following is only part 1 of my interview.

Robespierre: Good evening, TNP! Today, I’m joined by General Zazumo of the North Army! Zaz, how are you doing on this fine day?

Zazumo: I'm just fine. Thanks for reaching out. How are you? Getting getting used to the minister life yet?

Robespierre: Haha, I’m doing quite well actually. Have enjoyed a few days of vacation since leaving the Midwest this past Friday, now I’m on the east coast! Ooh, those midnight major update times... It’s great to hear that you’re doing fine. Now, as we do with most interviewee’s on the Spotlight, let’s start out with a couple of basics: The name Zazumo - any ideas as to where its origins lie?

Zazumo: Lol if it does I've since forgotten. I thought it sounded cool at the time. Guess I just wanted a name as weird as I was.

Robespierre: That’s fair enough, have you been in the game for a while by this point or was the North Pacific your first ever region?

Zazumo: I vaguely remember leaving TNP early to join The Realm of Unrestricted Science. Those were very early days. I learned soon after that TNP was the world's largest region and I really want to be involved with such a large community. I've been stuck here since.

Robespierre: When it comes to NationStates aren’t we all ‘stuck’? :P But hey, the good news is that when it comes to the warm and welcoming regional community that we have here in the North Pacific it makes the job of being stuck a lot easier doesn’t it?

Zazumo: Oh absolutely, I only regret not being active Gameside sooner. For all the negatives many people instantly assume about the RMB, there's so much awesome to it as well. Mainly the people. There are so many folks on the RMB that make my day.

Robespierre: Oh really? You mention Gameside activity, and that actually brings up something I wanted to talk to you about. I know you’re a Gameside Advocate as well in addition to being on the NPA’s High Command, what’s it like having the opportunity to interact with some of our newest nations?

Zazumo: It's interesting. Obviously, you'll meet less than friendly people or trolls occasionally. But then there are newcomers who stay. People who have become a regular part of the community since joining. And that's fantastic. I don't consider it an opportunity. It's literally why I play the game. Oh and also cards.

Robespierre: You guys are quite integral parts to the integration process, especially when it comes to the transition from the RMB over to the forums. Once you get them there the rest is history, but how difficult is it to steer newcomers in the right direction while also having your own personal favourite sets of activities in the region?

Zazumo: We regularly advertise the off-site community throughout the day. We can only point them there. We can't make them join. It doesn't for me personally get in the way of other things since I'm already on the RMB slacking off.

Robespierre: That’s true, you can’t make them join - obviously. But, I definitely think it helps that we have active GAs such as yourself who are comfortable on the RMB and willing to be patient with those who have questions. In my mind, it really sets the tone for our community’s integration process really should be about, wouldn’t you agree?

Zazumo: I think that's accurate. You have to bear in mind that anyone new can be a young person. So patience is sometimes very necessary. cough Not naming names. cough But most importantly you gotta remember you're playing a game.

Robespierre: Of course, and at the end of the day that’s exactly what we’re all participating in: a game.

In the next part we discuss scouting RP'ers on the RMB and finding players who may be interested in other parts of the community, as well as Zaz's history with R/D and his rise in the NPA. Plus I get to the bottom of his legendary feud with Aerilia and I ask him what everyone is dying to know: just who is Aber? Don't miss it!



I still think future spotlights may benefit from interspersing commentary/narrative with the interview, but this was a solid approach given our time constraints. I hope the teaser also drives some interest, but ideally we would only cut an interview in half if it was too long, not because it's unfinished, so hopefully we don't have to pull this particular stunt again. I would advise future spotlight interviewers to do some research and come prepared with a briefing of the interview subject specifically so we have a bit more meat for times like this. Barring last minute objections or comments, I consider this good to go.
 
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