[For Release] The North Star XXXVII

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[b][color=#1D2C7C][size=200]Issue XXVII[/size][/color][/b]

[size=125][i][b][url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gYipbzwlnkYvgJbab3kHp6Fao2DSFaHi/view?usp=sharing]Magazine Version[/url][/b][/i][/size][/center][hr]

[box][b][size=175]Editor's Note[/size][/b]

[align=justify][size=110]We're back for another edition of The North Star! I hope you enjoyed the last one. We're really pleased with the progress of the publication this term and our aim is to continue putting out high quality issues each month covering the big issues.

In this edition of The North Star, we discuss the repeal of the Aurora Alliance, which saw The North Pacific's Regional Assembly vote in favour of passing a motion to dissolve our alliance with The South Pacific. We also cover the recent chess arena event held alongside The West Pacific, which saw competitors face off against each other for victory on Lichess. After that, we'll be discussing the ways of the executive in our region, and highlighting some of the progression pathways made available to newer players upon joining. Penultimately, we cover some of the first delegates of The North Pacific in the pilot edition of Echoes: The Past Delegate Series, with a focus on Nastic, Treenudity, and The Twoslit Experiment. And finally, I'll be interviewing Skaraborg about his election as Speaker going into this term.

As our second official release of TNS since the start of the term, we're making great headway toward a successful term. I hope you enjoy this edition!

[nation]Kaschovia[/nation]
[b]Minister of Communications[/b][/size][/align][/box][box][anchor=AAR][b][size=175]Aurora Alliance Repealed[/size][/b][size=120][tab=10]by [nation]United States of Dictators[/nation][/tab][/size][/anchor]

[align=justify][size=110]The repeal of the Aurora Alliance treaty has been one of the most significant events The North Pacific has experienced in recent memory and has reshaped the region's Foreign Affairs for the foreseeable future.

[b]The Extortion[/b]

This incident dates back to early April, right as Hulldom crossed the half-way mark on his first term as Delegate of The North Pacific. A diplomatic statement from Lone Wolves United (LWU), a raider organisation, was posted on the NationStates Forums, titled “Statement on the Closure of Embassies with the North”.

In the statement, LWU wrote, among other things, that Delegate Hulldom had been threatened and coerced into voting against multiple WA proposals that seeked to recognise historic and outstanding members of LWU. These threats came from HumanSanity, who, at the time, served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in The South Pacific (TSP), one of NationStates’ most well-known defender regions. HumanSanity implied that TSP and a number of other defender regions, namely The League, 10000 Islands and The Order of Grey Wardens, would vote against any WA proposal that seeked to recognise TNPers, unless Hulldom voted according to their will, which was to vote against any proposal that was deemed beneficial towards raiders.

The responses that followed were of shock and disgrace towards TNP and specifically Hulldom’s administration. Shortly after the statement was posted, Minister of Foreign Affairs Wymondham resigned from his position, stating that his warnings were constantly ignored by the Delegate. Internally, many TNPers had already called for the resignation, or recall of Hulldom as Delegate, and non-TNPers had expressed disappointment towards TNP and moreso, towards the defenders.

[b]Resignation of Hulldom[/b]

TNPers and non-TNPers alike fretfully waited to hear Delegate Hulldom’s response to these damning allegations, which he delivered shortly in the form of a resignation as Delegate of The North Pacific, as well all other government official positions he had held in TNP. In his statement, he believed that TNP cannot, without support from defenders, operate anymore. He also called for less cooperation with raider organizations.
People weren’t particularly appalled by the resignation, it was an expected move, and in their eyes, it was the right move from Hulldom. Regardless, it was a momentous event in TNP history. As the last time a delegate resignation occurred was in 2015, nearly a decade ago.

[b]Gorundu becomes Acting Delegate[/b]

Immediately after his resignation, the Security Council wasted no time in re-establishing order. Gorundu, serving as Vice-Delegate at the time, was instated as Acting Delegate and Siwale, the second in line for VD succession, was instated as Acting Vice-Delegate. The following day, Gorundu released a statement in which he stressed TNP’s independent stances, away from R/D battles. He also announced the appointment of a new Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a new Advisor to the Delegate. St George/MadJack and Pallaith, two very well-known and well-experienced former delegates of TNP.

[b]Statement from the Defenders[/b]

As Gorundu went on to assume the powers and responsibilities of the delegacy. In the Nationstates Forums, the regions, TSP, TGW, XKI and TL all collectively signed a statement titled “Response to the Allegations by Lone Wolves United”. In it, they did not deny the allegations, further confirming it. Not only that, but the statement also notes that the NPA had withdrawn from a liberation operation and the defenders’ attempts to communicate with TNP officials were ignored, however, the statement also later says the NPA had later re-joined the operation. It goes on to say that Delegate Hulldom’s administration had not communicated well with TSP or the defenders.

The statement was not received well by not only TNP but rather the entirety of non-defender NS Gameplay. Most of the hatred stemmed from the fact that the regions involved showed no signs of remorse in the statement, and in fact doubled down on the threats. As expected, the original signatories to the statement retracted shortly after receiving the backlash. 10000 Islands, The League and The Order of Grey Wardens all posted formal apologies and retraction from the statement, TSP, although took the longest, did also post an apology. TSP’s role in the whole affair received particularly more attention than the rest of the defender regions due to HumanSanity being the original extorter and orchestrator. Resulting in their resignation as Minister of Foreign Affairs in TSP.

[b]The Statement on Transgressions[/b]

With the executive leadership back in order, Gorundu and his cabinet focused on the main problem – addressing the threats from defenders. In a statement, titled “Response to Recent Defender Transgressions”, Delegate Gorundu, joined by Minister St George and Adviser Pallaith, briefly addressed the situation and announced measures that TNP would take, including:
[list][*]Suspension of North Pacific Army (NPA) operations with the military forces of The South Pacific, The League, The Order of Grey Wardens and 10000 Islands.
[*]Suspension of talks of a non-aggression pact with The League.
[*]No additional diplomatic agreements with TSP, TGW, XKI and TL.
[*]Cancellation of all cultural events with TSP, TGW, XKI and TL, with suspension on future events.[/list]

Gorundu made it clear in the statement that he nor the government had sought to cease diplomatic cooperation with said regions. However, he also made it clear that TNP’s WA votes are to be used in accordance with the region's interests and their internal vote. While TNP may be interested in helping out an ally or a worthy cause, the region’s internal votes are to be considered first and foremost. Additionally, Gorundu noted that TNP would continue to evaluate the regions’ behaviors to ensure that they had lived up to the promises made in their apologies.

[b]HumanSanity back in Cabinet, TNP initiates Repeal of Aurora Alliance[/b]

And with that concluded, many people thought that that was the end of the saga and that moving forward the regions could have an amicable relationship. All the regions involved returned to normal for the most part. However, one month later, when all was thought to be normal, TSP threw a curveball at TNP in the form of a re-appointment. Prime Minister of TSP, ProfessorHenn, had re-appointed HumanSanity to the cabinet, but in a slightly different position, as the Minister of Regional Affairs (MoRA).

This decision, as expected, was not received well in TNP, or by anyone in Gameplay for that matter, in TSP’s embassy thread, people saw this re-appointment as a sign that TSP did not feel any compunction for their actions. Furthermore, it invited rumors of whether a deal was made between the government of TSP and HumanSanity when they originally resigned. The thread went back and forth as TNPers argued and prominent TSPers counter argued.

Meanwhile, in TNP, people saw this appointment as a contradiction of TSP’s promise to improve. They were fed up with the TSP government, including now elected Delegate Gorundu, who released a statement officially announcing that he would present the Aurora Alliance treaty to the Regional Assembly for reconsideration and repeal. This was not an easy decision by Gorundu; he had engaged in talks with TSP for weeks prior to presenting this motion and it became clear to him that nothing further could have been done. He had hoped that if the repeal were to pass, it would only serve as a temporary ending of the alliance, and that both regional leaders' would regroup and repair the relationship, with the goal of re-establishing the treaty down the road. Gorundu wanted the repeal to serve as a pavement for a fresh start and an even stronger relationship than before. It seemed to be the best way to heal, given how saddened people were about what had happened.

The Regional Assembly discussion, for the most part, was in support of repeal, although there were some vocal opponents of the repeal, they were far and few in numbers, which would later be reflected as the treaty went to vote a few days later.

The voter turnout was 66, the highest in recent years, with a sizable 43 voters in favor compared to the handful 11 in disapproval, a notable 13 voters also abstained from the vote.

And with that, the Aurora Alliance treaty was officially repealed, ending a decade long pact between NationStates’ two largest democracies and changing both regions' foreign relations for the time-being, it will sure be interesting to see the future of the relations between these two regions, especially in this new NS age of Frontiers/Strongholds.[/size][/align][hr][/box]

[box][anchor=IRCA][b][size=175]TNP-TWP Interregional Chess Arena[/size][/b][size=120][tab=10]by [nation]Kaschovia[/nation][/tab][/size][/anchor]

[align=justify][size=110]On the 25th of June, The North Pacific and The West Pacific hosted an interregional chess arena for members of both regions to battle it out with one another over the chess board. 17 players took part in total, making 7,831 moves across 122 games in three hours. The games were 5+3 Blitz, which meant each player had five minutes to make their moves, with three seconds added on for every move they made.

Berserk time controls were also allowed, meaning players could lower their own time limit by half for double points. This ultimately meant the best players in the arena could afford to sacrifice two and a half minutes against weaker opponents, quickly racing to the top of the rankings board before many of the other players had won two or three games.

The top player, by a large distance, was FrontierJustice, who amassed a staggering 87 points over 27 games. Not only did they secure the highest win rate with 87%, but also the longest unbeaten streak in the event with 17 games won or drawn consecutively, 24 won in total, and only three losses. FrontierJustice, who declined to share his nation when asked, finished with a final rating of 1892, which ended up being 444 points higher than the average rating across all players.

In second, behind our mysterious top player, was Unshleepd, who managed 44 points in 21 games with 13 wins, 1 draw, and 6 losses. He commented after that the "atmosphere was truly exceptional" within the event, and that "the chat was brimming with positivity." Unshleepd elaborated that they'd enjoyed some "really engaging games," believing the next tournament "is only a matter of time." However, he did mention that the only aspect of the event that could be improved in future iterations was the separation of the higher and lower-ranked players so the competition could be as balanced as possible for all players.

In third place, tied for points with Unshleepd, was Lemsrow, with 13 wins and 6 losses. The tie was achieved because Lemsrow had simply played more berserk games, with a four-game winning streak to end the event earning him 25 points alone out of the 44 total. Unsurprisingly, many of the higher-rated players performed better as the event went on as they became more comfortable with their styles of play, opening habits, and endgame proficiency. Lemsrow took notable victories against Unshleepd, Giovanniland, and ItzOrangeSteve.

The average win rate across all players was 47%, which is largely to be expected as the much higher-rated players acquired top-percentile win rates, balancing out the players with lower percentile win rates, resulting in a middle-ground figure.

Interestingly, the only player to beat Frontier Justice more than once was ItzOrangeSteve, who did so fairly comfortably. Although they finished fourth with 36 points, a podium finish could have been theirs if they'd played more games in the berserk time mode to pick up extra points against lower-rated opponents more consistently. Overall, the top six positions were fiercely contested.

The fifth and sixth places were closely contested by the Delegate of Lands End, Deims Kir, and Giovanniland, the event organizer and former Delegate of The West Pacific, earning 32 and 28 points, respectively. Deims Kir pulled off impressive victories over FrontierJustice and Unshleepd, while Giovanniland held his own against a majority of the top five. From seventh to seventeenth place, points dropped from 20 quickly down to 2 at the minimum, with the win rate mostly below 50% except for seventh-place El Fiji Grande at 64%, who would’ve almost certainly placed higher if they’d managed to play more games.

So who did better between The North and The West? Well, because the Lichess usernames didn’t help all that much in identifying specific nations, a comparison between the regions is only speculative at best. From the nations we do know, The West Pacific had three players in the arena: The Perfection Isles (ItzOrangeSteve), Giovanniland, and Inner Ryxtylopia. The North Pacific, on the other hand, had six: Kaschovia, Francois Isidore, El Fiji Grande, Lemsrow, Bobberino, and Unshleepd. So, of course, looking at it like that, The North Pacific did better, but only due to a numerical advantage. If you judge the performances by the final rankings, however, Giovanniland and ItzOrangeSteve ranked higher than four of TNP's players, accumulating more points between the two of them than those four TNPers combined. Of course, the performances of Unshleepd and Lemsrow tip the scales significantly further in the direction of the North, with the overall points tally at 145 for TNP and 71 for TWP.

Chess is a game that never goes out of fashion. For hundreds of years, players have been exhausting complicated lines of moves and delivering sweet checkmates, all in the name of fun. The North Pacific seems to share that sentiment. With the creation of the TNP Chess Club recently behind us and participation in an interregional chess event, it begs the question: what might the future hold? I think there’s a lot of potential for chess tournaments and events in the future, and I hope TNP can share in it as much as TWP has over recent months. It’s a great way of meeting and talking to players from other communities, and it keeps the neurons in your brain firing, which is always good.[/size][/align][hr][/box]

[box][anchor=TWOE][b][size=175]Ways of the Executive[/size][/b][size=120][tab=10]by [nation]Comfed[/nation][/tab][/size][/anchor]

[align=justify][size=110]The executive branch of The North Pacific is the most active part of the government. It handles everything from foreign affairs and World Assembly resolutions to culture, integration, and a lot more in between. Taking charge of the executive is the dream of many a TNPer, which is why joining often acts as the perfect stepping stone for many to make their mark on the region in all kinds of ways.

[b]The Delegate[/b]

Since I'm a totalitarian centralist autocrat at heart, we're starting from the top and the centre. The delegate is the head of state and government. Unlike most members of the government, they actually have to do their job because if they don't, things will be bad. They have ultimate hiring and firing power, pick the members of the Executive Council and some other bodies that we'll get to, and command of the North Pacific Army. 

The delegate is also the in-game World Assembly delegate, though since this requires transitioning from anywhere between zero to 800 endorsements all the way to around 1000 after the election, some delegates take longer to get there than others. During the transition, the former delegate is still around but has to take orders from the legal delegate who was just elected. The new delegate gets to tell the in-game delegate how to vote on WA resolutions or how to lick the tar off the new delegate's Porsche.

The delegate gets to veto all laws coming from the Regional Assembly, but the Regional Assembly is allowed to override that veto by a two-thirds majority. The delegate also has some fun powers, like the ability to propose treaties and declarations of war against other regions. If the delegate suddenly vacates office because they resigned, were recalled, were removed by the Court for some crime, or for some other reason, the vice delegate becomes acting delegate.

[b]Executive Council or Cabinet[/b]

The Executive Council, which I will refer to henceforth as the Cabinet, is the group of people who run the government. Every government ministry, effectively a department, is run by a minister who is appointed by the delegate for the delegate's term.

Usually the ministries are pretty constant because changing them requires restructuring an entire section of the executive branch. The most recent changes are the merger of the communications and radio portfolios into a media portfolio, the merger of the media portfolio into the culture portfolio, and then its separation from it again into what is now the Ministry of Communications.

But it's not a crowd exclusive to ministers. Delegates like to mix things up with other positions like "Chief of Staff." Also common are "Advisors to the Delegate," who are people appointed by the delegate to serve as official advisors and are sort of part of the cabinet but who are legally excluded from most of the rules that apply to ministers, like the rule that they can't also be judges or the Speaker.

[b]Deputy Ministers and Ministries[/b]

Now we're getting to the content that I know you're here for: staffing. Most ministers, with the exception of the Ministry of Defence/North Pacific Army, which I will get to, have a basic setup: deputy ministers and staff.

Deputy ministers are handpicked by the ministers, usually with the approval of the delegate, to help them run their ministries. This could involve managing a specific portfolio, using essential scripts and tools, advising the minister, or nothing specific.

Staff are not appointed; rather, they apply for their jobs. Staff do the actual work. Their duties are what they sign up for, but you can't actually make them do actual work because this is a volunteer game, so a lot of the ministers' job is to get their staff motivated to do the work.

[b]So What Ministries Are There?[/b]

There are seven ministries in total.

Home Affairs is responsible for recruiting nations to The North Pacific and getting them to do stuff like join the forums, the discord server, get citizenship, and join the executive staff. Think of Home Affairs as recruitment plus integration.

Culture keeps the community ticking with events like games, movie nights, and bigger events like festivals. It also promotes regional roleplay and oversees the regional message board, a task fraught with peril.

Communications does media. For example, the magazine-style text publication The North Star, a publication on government and regional happenings, The Northern Light, a more in-depth publication, and a radio/podcast-type show called the Northern Broadcast Service.

World Assembly Affairs handles everything related to the World Assembly except for getting people to join it, which is the vice delegate's job. It discusses WA resolutions, issuing "Information for Voters" (IfV) documents for every resolution that comes up for vote.

Cards handles the region's trading cards programs and oversees the Cards Guild, from games involving cards to distributing cards as rewards for various activities.

Foreign Affairs handles relations with other regions. This reporter questions why the title of Minister of Foreign Affairs couldn't be better rendered as the "Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians," but was kicked out of the diplomatic building and did not receive an answer.

[b]What About the North Pacific Army?[/b]

I've been deliberately excluding the NPA up to this point because of how significantly it differs from the structure of the rest of the government. The NPA conducts military gameplay operations, which basically involve seizing or defending the position of World Assembly delegate of other regions.

At the top things are the same. There's a Minister of Defence and their deputy ministers. However, the Minister of Defence also has the High Command, which is a group of experienced, high-ranking officers in the NPA who advise the delegate and minister of defence, and are actually appointed by the delegate to serve indefinite terms. Deputy Ministers of Defence are members of the NPA High Command ex officio.

There's also the officer corps, which are the people responsible for running operations. Operations require a person to, in essence, lead and time them and others to cross-endorse to defend or seize the position of World Assembly delegate, which is why more complex leadership structures are in place for the NPA than any other part of the government.

Finally there are good old NPA soldiers, the entry-level people. They participate in operations. Having a large number of NPA soldiers is absolutely essential for the NPA to be effective, and the NPA's effectiveness underpins in large part the effectiveness of the policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Being an NPA soldier is also a position of higher trust than the rest of the government, so checks for membership are more rigorous. It's easy to join, though.

Like making sausages or laws, that's everything you never wanted to know about the executive branch. From police actioning to delegate directiveing to World Assembly voting, the executive branch has the greatest influence on the day-to-day experience of every TNPer than any other part of the government.
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[box][anchor=ECHOES][b][size=175]Echoes: The Past Delegate Series (2003)[/size][/b][size=120][tab=10]by [nation]Kaschovia[/nation][/tab][/size][/anchor]

[align=justify][size=110]NationStates was a vastly different place in early 2003 than it is today, and so was The North Pacific. In the earliest days of the World Assembly, which was then referred to as the United Nations, a handful of nations within The North Pacific held the position of delegate in quick succession, mostly for a day or two, and then vanished into obscurity without further mention. Back then, the position of delegate was assumed much less democratically than we are all familiar with today. In essence, whoever had the most endorsements would become the delegate, and the burden of proof would fall upon them to show that they could lead the region forward. Of course, it’s easy to understand now why these times were rife with instability, political schemes, and drama with the delegacy up in the air. The limited gameplay mechanics of antiquity are a fraction of what we see today, and yet the struggle for power has remains the same. Unfortunately, any delegates before the oldest known records have been lost to time, and so we can only begin where we have available information. Even then, record-keeping has been and always will be imperfect, but I've tried to tell the story as accurately as possible.

We will likely never know when our first recorded delegate, Mikestonia, came to power, although as the likes of Kandarin and Nastic could attest, Mikestonia was the first delegate they could remember. Estimates of this period indicate Mikestonia took the position on any date between the 11th of January and the 11th of February 2003. It is mentioned on the first forum that he left the position on the 12th of February 2003, after "around a month," gathering 485 endorsements in total before being replaced the day after. Nastic, soon to be delegate, described him as "completely useless", and "only interested in being delegate", elaborating that he "would not log on for days and then wouldn't do anything when they did." This sort of delegate was not uncommon in the earliest months of The North Pacific, with the position unelected and free to take for anyone who could gather enough support.

Following this trend, our next recorded delegate, Cote de Tombolo, rose to power for just a single day with 536 endorsements. Nastic described Cote de Tombolo in much more favourable terms as a "great bloke", who was "delegate for one day and quit." The trend of short-lived delegates came to an end with the rise of Nastic himself.

Nastic was most likely founded on the 3rd of January 2003 in either the Pacific or TSP, moved to The North Pacific sometime after the 10th, and rose to the delegacy just over a month later on the 13th of February. According to the dates, Nastic held the position for a total of 157 days over four periods between February and December 2003, which at over 4 months makes him the first to complete what is in modernity considered a full term as Delegate. This longevity for the time is a testament to his popularity within the region, as he would spend most of 2003 in the position.

This period of The North Pacific's history was not free from controversies, nor did the delegate effectively try to mitigate them. Nastic, the delegate at the time, would intentionally resign his UN membership simply to give other players a chance at the position. This happened with ZeroPositive and two other nations, which went just as well as you would expect. ZeroPositive, in particular, was given the position on the 28th of April 2003, having acquired approximately 400 endorsements before Nastic left the region, making him the Delegate. Nastic did eventually return and came within ten to fifteen endorsements of ZeroPositive, which is when the unthinkable happened: he ejected and banned Nastic over what he believed were conspiracies that Nastic, alongside the Rejected Realms Army, were planning to subvert the region.

A beloved former delegate and core member of the community was now exiled, and people were furious. The Twoslit Experiment posted a thread on the archived Jolt forum titled "Bring The Principality of Nastic back to The North Pacific," which saw dozens of players rally behind Nastic, pressure ZP to unban him, and campaign for the removal of ZeroPositive's endorsements. The backlash ZeroPositive faced was insurmountable and unrelenting. Despite the controversy, ZP apologised and admitted poor judgements, eventually unbanning Nastic, who retained the delegacy a day later. Whether or not the apology was genuine in the face of such criticism, we cannot know, but this was the first of many times The North Pacific would have to band together to protect the region. The Twoslit Experiment would describe the events in January 2004 as "our much less extreme version of the current Francos Spain affair."

The North Pacific had weathered its first real storm and could at last enjoy the proceeding calm. Nastic held the delegacy effectively up until August after the ZP controversy, with two notable deviations along the way. They weren't anywhere near as controversial, but they were worth noting all the same. Firstly, Nastic handed over the delegacy again on the 20th of May 2003, this time to a nation named Uugyana, but quickly realised they'd quit the game. Uugyana added their name to a growing list of one-day delegates, and the region moved on almost instantly. Secondly, a nation named United Individuals took the position for around a week going into June of that year but must not have done much because the only account of their time in the region comes from ancient recordkeeping. We can reasonably say Nastic was the player everyone accepted as the delegate during this time, even if it changed hands multiple times throughout the first year.

Nastic handed over the delegacy to Treenudity on the 7th of August, but like those who came before, there is not enough information available from this specific time period to properly understand how the position would have been filled outside of the fragments we do have. We do know that Treenudity was the first known female Delegate of The North Pacific. The old guard of 2003 delegates, Nastic, Treenudity, and The Twoslit Experiment, all made the effort to reach out to new nations when they first joined the community, paving the way for the next generation of players to lead the region. She'd go on to help write some of the earliest forum rules in 2005 alongside the likes of Wilshire, Magicality, and Sydia. Treenudity is recorded to have held 645 endorsements from 4,826 nations around the same time that Francos Spain had taken control of the Pacific. Also mentioned by Westwind in an interview response about his favourite GCR delegates, and as one of Flemingovia's most missed TNPers on the forums, her legacy will be remembered most favourably for how she helped the community grow towards the end of an unstable year.

The Two Slit Experiment (TSE) rose to the delegacy on the 28th of September 2003, replacing Treenudity. Although you might think he'd have waited until he was actually delegate to start getting things done, on the 27th of September, TSE created the very first TNP forums, marking the beginnings of a brand new era. No time was wasted in moving the gameside population across to the forums, and before long it became the birthplace of a vibrant Out-Of-Character scene, the foundation for the regional forums used so ubiquitously today, and the stage upon which future governments would shine. If that wasn't enough, TSE also founded the North Pacific Army, an institution that still exists and serves the region to this day. As Eluvatar wrote in their dispatch "The North Pacific Army", the NPA was "composed of those TNP nations who had rallied to the cause of freeing the Pacific from Francos Spain and his New Pacific Order..."

The coup of the Pacific only further highlighted the importance of security and endorsement counts for each delegate, and as TSE himself put it on the 31st of December, 2003: "One of the obligations of the delegate is the responsibility to keep his endorsement levels up by campaigning." He elaborated that "when the delegate has enough endorsements, the members feel more at ease that we are not likely to find ourselves at the mercy of a Francos Spain."

The impact TSE had in his first two months as delegate, from September to November 2003, is almost unbelievable. Alongside Nastic and Treenudity, the old guard persisted through the chaos of the early days of NationStates and carried the region out into the light with a forum, a military, and a stable delegacy to show for it. The likes of Magicality, Wilkshire, and Sydia all aimed to follow in their footsteps, knowing it would eventually be up to them to carry the torch. The year rounded out with Nastic (as NASTIC 2) taking the delegacy for a month while TSE struggled with internet issues. Despite the uncertainty around the position at the time, it is truly astonishing how a culture of trust had been cultivated and how it did not matter who ended up as delegate, but only that they kept the best interests of the region in mind. It was through this that the region we know as The North Pacific today came to be, because a group of people who enjoyed simulating their own countries blindly trusted each other when they had every reason not to. Little did they know how soon this culture of trust would come back to bite them. That, however, is for the next installment of the Past Delegates Series. 

I hope you've enjoyed this deep dive into the first year of TNP's history, and I look forward to researching and writing more of these down the line![/size]
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[box][anchor=INTERVIEW][b][size=175]The Spotlight 35: Interview with Speaker Skaraborg[/size][/b][size=120][tab=10]by [nation]Kaschovia[/nation][/tab][/size][/anchor]

[align=justify][size=110][b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: Hello! My name is Kaschovia, and we're back again with another edition of the Spotlight Interview Series, where we talk to some of The North Pacific's best and brightest! This time, I am honoured to welcome our recently re-elected Speaker of the Regional Assembly Skaraborg to the show!

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: Ooh, I don’t know if I fall into the category “best and brightest “, but thank you very much for having me on the show! It’s really fun to be here! 

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: I'm sure many would describe you as such, myself included. So, let's start with the most obvious topic - the elections! How do you feel having been reelected as Speaker, and how did you feel about the election in general?

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: I feel honoured to have been elected Speaker again. It is a receipt for me that I met the standard expected of a Speaker last term and I am grateful that I have the continued trust of the citizens to serve in this role. Serving as speaker is incredibly fun so I am happy for this opportunity!

It might not have been the most dramatic or competitive election, but I thought the election in general was a fun one since both Gorundu and Chipoli were elected to their positions for the first time and they are exceptional people who deserve to be where they are and I definitely think they are doing and will continue to do well in their roles.

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: I'm sure Gorundu and Chipoli will appreciate your kind comments! You say being Speaker is fun, what do you enjoy most about the position?

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: I enjoy everything to be fair, but if there is something particular I like the most, I would say I enjoy the role as Speaker because it has given me a broader knowledge of the laws of The North Pacific and I have enjoyed solving legal problems (for example like the one we had recently where Legal Code 6.1.10 came in conflict with Legal Code 9.3.16). But we rarely get any issues like that so what I like the most with the day to day work as Speaker is probably handling and counting votes. I get a lot of satisfaction from that, which may seem weird because it is quite a bit of administrative work. But I find it fun and it is always great fun to help out in the region! Also having a great team of deputies, makes the experience as Speaker even more fun.

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: I can attest to the fact that learning about the laws of The North Pacific can be an extremely interesting and rewarding process, and I am glad that you're enjoying the position so far! But let's now take a step back. What's your story in NationStates, Skaraborg? How did you get to where you are now?

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: I could go on for too long about my history and probably will so you better get your reading glasses on! 

I was founded in April 2020 out of curiosity. It was a spontaneous google of “create your own nation” I had during a boring Tuesday evening at home. I was immediately hooked by answering issues and got involved on the regional message board where I got to know lots of friendly people. I joined The North Pacific because it was the largest region at that time and I therefore thought it would be a quite active region. I became heavily involved and still today am today heavily involved in the music competition TNPV (The North Pacific Vision) which basically is a monthly TNP music competition that resembles Eurovision.I am a big fan of Eurovision so helping out and doing something that was close to my heart really got me more involved in Nationstates. Apart from joining a few ministries my first government role was being a Gameside Advocate and after two terms of that I think one of the more defining moments of my NS career happened. It was when I ran for Speaker the first time. Basically I wanted to help TNP out in my way and the Speaker’s office looked very fun to handle and I wanted to implement my own ideas for the office. It was also a way to introduce myself to everyone who hadn’t previously encountered me in the region. Although I lost,  I would say it was the most successful and brave moment in my career because I didn’t know what the reactions to a totally inexperienced person running would be and how my choice to run would turn out. In the long run it was great! I became a deputy and then ran again and lost in probably one of if not the tightest election TNP has ever had. I’ve continued staying involved in the region as chairman of TNPV, Minister of Home Affairs and now finally Speaker. By pursuing things that interests me and that I am passionate about has lead to where I am today!

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: It's really cool to hear that you began your journey in TNP mostly on the RMB! I went straight to the forums for the most part. As for your term as Speaker so far, how do you think it's gone in terms of the performance of the office? What are you particularly proud of, and what do you think could have been done better so far? The Regional Assembly has been fairly busy over the last few weeks, so there's been a lot to keep on top of!

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: This term, I am very happy with the activity of the staff. Citizen Applications are handled quickly, votes are delivered on time and everyone in the office is playing their part to make sure the above is reality. Although last term was good, I think that we have improved even more in those areas (delivering votes on time , processing citizenship applications etc.) . So I am really happy with this term so far. The negative part is probably that we missed to reject two applications in May, something we didn’t do last term. But it’s a learning experience and it’s something we will make sure doesn’t happen again. But overall I am very pleased. 

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: It's good to know you're feeling positive about this term so far, [b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]. What is your reasoning behind having such a large group of Deputy Speakers? I understand the office requires a lot of administrative oversight and there are many tasks that can be delegated, but do you think having such a large group has yielded any benefits so far? And in that line of reasoning, have any of the deputies particularly impressed you this term, and why? 

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: I wanted to have a bigger team to be able to improve the efficiency of the office. It was not however the intention at the start of the term to have this many deputies! But there was a lot of interest to become deputies and I don’t see any disadvantages in having many deputies so I decided that a large group could work and I think this term shows it has. We have stepped up when it comes to delivering votes on time, processing applicants etc. I think we definitely would not have been better off without any of the deputies we have. There are definitely some that take a larger amount of work like Cloud with the applications and now that the sheet isn’t working properly, Sil Dorsett, but everyone has provided assistance and help to the office at multiple times and I am really grateful for that. Everyone plays a part in the office

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: I think it's totally fair to provide the opportunity to learn about the Speaker's Office to as many interested deputies as possible, it keeps the leadership cycle fresh and allows for new ideas. It's interesting you mention the sheet not working anymore. To what extent has the breaking of certain key tools affected the function of the office overall? It seems I have spoken to all previous guests this term about this issue, and yet it persists throughout many different areas of the region.

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: We can’t check if the citizens have met the posting requirements on the forum or rmb and we can’t see if government officials have met the activity level. Luckily Sil Dorsett has been able with their own code to solve these issues, which I am grateful for. But relying on one person to do the status checks forever won’t work and therefore we need a way to fix the sheet so everyone can do the citizenship status checks. If only I was any good at technology that would definitely be something I would try to fix, but I am absolutely terrible at it so for now I’ll have to trust Sil.

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: Having seen activity from within the discussions on putting together solutions for these issues, it seems Sil is really working hard to figure it all out, which I massively respect. But looking forward, what would you like to see change within the Speaker's Office? Beyond the issues of the day, is there anything specific you can envision being introduced which could take the office to the next level? We've spoken about this term, but in terms of the future of the position, what could that possibly look like perhaps a year from now? Or will things remain mostly the same?

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: Obviously our sheet needs redoing since it isn’t working properly. My main goal of the term is to continue producing and updating the Speaker’s guides in a couple of weeks. This office is quite straightforward and most of the time there is a right and a wrong. So to have guides put out will make it easier to learn how to complete all the administrative tasks as well as to remind yourself to make sure you’ve completed all steps. It was something I thought lacked when I first became deputy and with law changes the current guides are a bit out of date and need updating. I think that will prevent any mistakes in the office and take it to another level. If I had any more ideas on how to improve the office I would definitely try to implement them but at the moment I am very happy with how the office is functioning (except for the dysfunctionality of the sheets) So I think in a year a lot of the tech we have today will either have been revamped or replaced so the office can operate as efficiently as possible. Depending on future law changes, the office will also change, but I have it hard to see operate any other way otherwise.

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: It sounds like you know what needs to be done, and for that I have confidence in your office to do the job! We've spoken quite a bit about the Speaker's Office specifically, but now I'd like to focus on something else. Granted you eventually do give way for someone else to take the position of Speaker in future terms, where do you see yourself going after that in The North Pacific? Do any positions specifically appeal to you, and why?

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: There are so many opportunities it’s hard to choose! I think a first step will be to increase my activity in the executive staff and provide more help to the different ministries. Not being Speaker will allow me to also focus more on other things such as TNPV and maybe just chatting and hanging around on various platforms such as discord, rmb and forums. I definitely haven’t made a decision, but I can’t see myself leaving TNP any time soon. If there was one elective position that I find very cool, it is  being justice. I find myself reading a lot of things to do with law in my free time at the moment and I have familiarised myself quite a bit with TNP law as Speaker. But I am very new to the world of law and I would probably suck at it so I won’t be pursuing that in a while lol. 

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: It's interesting the overlap between the Speaker's Office and the judiciary branch of the region, and it makes sense that would be a natural area of interest for you given the responsibilities of the position you're in. Now speaking of the TNPV and the RMB, and as someone who seems to be quite involved in the gameside areas of the region, I have noticed quite the uptick in RMB-focused events and culture, which is really cool to see! How important are those gameside areas for getting people involved in the government and the executive, and should we perhaps work more with those areas to organize cultural events in the future?

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: TNP has one of the most active rmbs on NS so there is definitely potential to engage the Gameside even further. TNPV always gets over 20 participants and usually quite a lot more. Last autumn we have had as many has 63 or something similar if I recall correctly. I would personally like to see more Gameside events. Why not rmb trivia or other games on the rmb! I think what you need is simple events to engage the public. The basics of TNPV is pretty simple since you just send in a song link and then listen to other songs. I definitely think the government could host similar events and advertise them well because just like TNPV, it will increase engagement. Engagement is positive for the region and all of the ministries.

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: The activity of the RMB never ceases to impress me, and if only some of them would come join the executive... regardless, there's a lot of potential there I think needs realising. Okay, so in terms of your journey in NationStates, has there been one player in particular who has been a great mentor to you? Someone who you have learned a lot from, and who you look up to?

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: I don’t know if I have ever had a “mentor” but I’ve had people who have definitely helped me along the way. I became great friends with a like six months older nation than me called Republica Guilleana and we basically hang around and they founded TNPV, we got involved as GAs together and we basically helped each other out and chatted and roleplayed together. We basically parted when I ran for Speaker and they half retired from nationstates though. In my campaigns for Speaker I would say Pallaith has definitely been very supportive and I wasn’t planning on running in the January elections until they asked me about it. I don’t think I’ve ever had an idol in real life or in Nationstates. I admire a lot of people in TNP for different reasons. Picking one is difficult when you learn a lot from many different people. I realise I try to learn and do things in my own way and not follow someone else’s footsteps. If I had to give you a more clearer answer then I’d say Republica Guilleana. Although they were also young to Nationstates, they showed me around when I was a newcomer and I really appreciate it

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: It's really awesome that you had someone who followed a similar path in those first few months in TNP and helped you along the way. I remember back in 2016 (wow) I had a lot of players who really encouraged me and entertained all of my ideas. That is such an important part of what makes our region successful. Now, in terms of NationStates itself, rather than the government of The North Pacific, what is it you enjoy most about the game? It could be issues, cards, resolutions, anything, but what about NationStates is it that you really enjoy more than anything else?

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: I was not expecting to talk so much about TNPV as I have done and it really shows what an important part that competition has played in my NS career. It’s definitely the thing I enjoy the most on NationStates. But since you were asking for I presume one of NS’s mechanics I would say I mainly enjoy answering issues to get cards! I don’t know about you, but I find it quite satisfying to see my NS stats improving,  getting rewarded for it with a pack of cards and there are some very interesting dilemmas you can encounter. I do enjoy N-day and Z-day as well! They are very fun!

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: I've been getting into the cards scene a little bit more recently and I do still enjoy answering issues and ranking up my national statistics almost 8 years after I created my nation, granted there have been a few periods of inactivity in between! If you could speak to someone wanting to join The North Pacific to try and get them to join the region, what would you say? What, in your view, makes The North Pacific different to all other regions?

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: Oh! This question takes me back to my time as Minister of Home Affairs when I basically had to answer the question you just posted on a regular basis. I’d say one of the best things about TNP is the diversity. It’s one of the most active regions and has something for everyone. We’ve got the cards guild for cards interested, an amazing set of Roleplay maps for the rp interested. We have the executive staff with a great variation of things to do from serving as ambassador in another region to hosting a Music Monday event! There is always something for everyone, no matter how laid back or how much work you want to do! That makes TNP stand out from any other region.

[b][color=blue]Kaschovia[/color][/b]: Well, thank you so much for joining me on this edition of the Spotlight, Skaraborg! You have been a wonderful guest, and I wish you all the best of luck for the remainder of the term!

[b][color=red]Skaraborg[/color][/b]: Thank you very much! It’s been wonderful speaking to you! I wish you the best of luck as well![/size]

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[box][center][b][size=150]Thank you for reading![/size][/b]

[size=100][U][B]The North Star[/B][/U][B]:[/B] [I]Lighting The Way To The Truth[/I]
Publisher: [nation]Gorundu[/nation] | Executive Editor: [nation]Kaschovia[/nation]

[I]The North Star is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and is distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs externally and the Ministry of Communications internally. 
Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.[/I][/size]

[B][URL=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1114798]Index of Issues[/URL][/B][/CENTER][/box]