Altys
Registered
- Pronouns
- He/Him
- Discord
- Altys#4138
⤆ ⤇ ↺ ☖ | Secure | https://epns.mon.gov.caek/issue/2023/9.html
.
.
EPNS September 2023 Edition
Featuring a new experimental idea of including sidebar content pieces.
HOME | LATEST | ARCHIVES | STAFF
Contents:
Month of September
During the month Government activity mostly focused on outreach efforts and NDay preparations (though we'll get to that later in the article!). With elections nearing, reach outs to RMBers, who generally do not vote in elections, were made. An information ping in the RMB Cafeteria Discord server was posted and discussions about elections started in the server, and some players were directly DMed or telegrammed. In other projects,
Vussul successfully tested their RMB bot early on in the month, and now waiting to be reviewed by other regional coders to be put online again. Discussions on how to better centralize and simplify/give an update to the regional awards also happened, with a proposal being discussed in the Magisterium as of now.
When it comes to events, we hosted our monthly Hunger Games on September 17th, inviting The Rejected Realms for the occasion! This time
Zidium won the Games, though the player who ended with the most kills was Battania, totaling 7, including several double or triple kills. As usual, this edition featured many tributes teaming with each other, though the “wholesome nights”, times during no tributes die, were not to be seen. One night even featured a quadra kill thanks to an explosive set off by tribute Ninetales. Another point to note in this event is the extreme rat behavior displayed by both this edition’s winner, and runner-up 
Visionary Union, who always found their way teaming up with other tributes to try and stay alive throughout the event. Behaviour which sadly paid off.
Another major event hosted this month was a Civilization VI multiplayer game where members from all four Lausanne regions which featured interesting custom city names from players like the Ottoman Empire's Vehemently[F-WORD]ingville or the English Empire's cities all having "Shadow" in their name. Other events include somehow NDay faction ANAL’s acronym ending up being the name for a river, the Ottoman Empire constantly fighting hordes of barbarians while hiding in the corner, the German Empire getting bullied by several other civilizations, and of course always waiting for that player who takes ages to finish their turn.
Finally, the big happening of September was NDay! Like the two last editions, TEP took part in the faction Anime Nations Against Liberals where I myself was a High Commander alongside another TEPer! The faction was allied to the Starlight Brigade, made by friends over from Refugia, and the Jellyfish Elite Fighting Force. Together we first fought against the menacing Horsemen of the Apocalypse (HotA) alongside the two remaining major factions, before fighting those same two for the rest of the event! The faction’s plan was simple: survive and stay on the leaderboard no matter the place. We knew may HotA die, our allies and ourselves would be outnumbered, and slowly out-scaled by our enemies who bolstered both superior puppet numbers and superior numbers of World Assembly Member nations, which were recently buffed in the event. Thus ensued a delaying action where, by the end of the event, most of our faction’s puppetmasters (people who control dozens or hundreds of nations for the event to bolster their strength) and regular were running out or had already run dry of resources, but not without ensuring our place on the leaderboard, in the 3rd position! This event the faction’s great feats included keeping 0 radiations well into the event, holding off four massive 120k (or more) nuke barrages launched against us (with help from allies!), and managing to set a new record for the highest number of intercepted nukes at 782622! You can also find the very cool graph I make after each NDay showing how strong our puppetmasters were during the event in the spoiler below (special shoutout to both Narvatus and Timiskrane who both nearly intercepted 100k nukes each!):
That concludes big Government happenings for this month! Now good luck to those running in the October Delegate Election!
Elections in October!
Next month we’re having General Elections for who to select as our next Delegate! Due to uncertainty related to IRL commitments, and my belief that it’s time for the position to see someone new take over to both introduce new ideas and keep the current Government momentum, I will not be running for re-election. Maybe another time in the future, who knows! Until then, I’ve loved my time in the position and would’ve in fact liked to continue if external factors didn’t impair my ability to do so, but it is what it is!
There are a ton of people who’ve helped me during this 8-month journey where a lot was done, from successfully moving the Executive to the main server and reigniting interest in Government to seeing EPNS come back in full force, without forgetting the many redesigns and updates provided to our documentation, the monthly Hunger Games, and more! However, to me, my crown jewel will be how the relationship between many RMBers and the Government changed over my two terms. I’ll definitely miss the fancy pastel pink color in RMB Cafe and all TEP servers though!
I’d like to give a special shoutout to Eunopiar,Vussul, and 
Merlovich, all of whom have done a lot during my terms and without whom they wouldn’t have been as successful as they were. We would not be anywhere near where we are without them!
The East Pacific is a lovely region. I haven't been around long here but I know that much. It's full of great people and some pretty handy guides for newcomers. Of course, I am by no means a native to the region. I've been a member of The North Pacific for quite a while, and I've had quite a different experience.
Heading north of The East Pacific, we arrive at the slightly colder region of The North Pacific. Home to a lot of people, it's very easy to meet new people. The RMB has spurts of inactivity but is generally active. There have been several complaints about the Gameside Advocate Team posting too many ads, but these claims can be ignored. After all, it's very difficult to get RMBers to participate in government. You may find yourself in great circumstances with RMB rules under revision. Enforcement is strict, so a slight loosening of the rules is great for any visitors.
Heading away from the RMB now, we reach the expanse that is the forum. A must-have for any person seeking to rise the ranks of the region, you will be able to find anything there. From halls of spam games to the archives of great Delegates of the past. It's a great way to introduce yourself, and although less active, a good place to chat as well.
The final stop of our little tour is the Discord. Activity here is even lower and there isn't much to see. It is the event hub of the region though with announcements about flag competitions coming out weekly.
After stopping by the Discord, we reached the end of our tour. Swinging by the embassy with The East Pacific, we arrive back in the greenest Pacific.
Why not have a little look at The North Pacific sometime? Maybe not now, but sometime in the future. You might just find some interesting things and some friendly faces.
Sidebar Content
It has been an extraordinary four months for EPNS. EPNS went from being dead to active and maintaining strong activity for four months straight. I want to take a minute to write a short article, reviewing EPNS' progress and setting ideas for a potential future.
To list off the achievements of EPNS quickly, we have never had such a dramatic shift in any Ministry. From a Ministry that was dead to lively in a matter of weeks. EPNS has also been blessed with an abundance of authors and a wide range of topics. RMB and Urth representation has been a core part of the new EPNS. The new graphics look wonderful. And enthusiasm for EPNS has never been greater; the last three issues are the three highest-voted issues of all time.
These are spectacular achievements but I always want to get things to go further.
I want to reach out to the RMB and Urth communities and see if they are willing to write articles from their spheres. I've also been experimenting with sidebar content; the short little pieces that slot in between articles and add some flavor to EPNS. I think that this should undergo further testing. FA participation in EPNS has also been an idea I've wanted but haven't been able to get done to any significant extent. FA policy articles would be a great addition for our domestic audience to read. Lastly, EPNS lite, a short version that goes between each EPNS Issue is also something I want. This is primarily to keep the RMB community up-to-date with the government.
To the future Minister, I hope you can continue the glory afforded to EPNS and work on the suggestions I've made.
Have you ever found yourself wide awake at 3 a.m.? Your EPNS article is due in 6 hours and you’ve left it to the last possible moment? That’s weird because I definitely haven’t.
Hello everyone, I thought I’d keep this month's article brief, and simple. Something laid back and hopefully useful to the newbies out there. Today marks my fifth anniversary on NationStates, and I’ve definitely learned my fair share of things along the way. I’ve experienced more than I ever imagined when I first wrote ‘Merlovich’.
If you’re reading EPNS for the first time, perhaps you’re new to TEP, perhaps even a newbie in another region looking in. Here are some brief tips from me to you on how to make the most of your time in RMB RP.
Get To Know Everyone
While it might be daunting at first, these may end up being the individuals you look back fondly upon in five years, perhaps they remain close friends, or perhaps you’ve conquered worlds together. By and large, our RMB community is one of the most diverse and welcoming groups I know. Everyone was in your shoes once, even me, desperately trying to impress the veterans and making some of the worst world-building you’ve ever seen.
Ask For Advice
One of the best things I ever did was approach the veterans of Valsora for advice. I remember fondly several individuals I now consider friends who took me under their wing and showed me through the process of worldbuilding, roleplaying, and how to navigate IC events. Countless people have walked this path before you, and their advice is invaluable.
Don’t Expect Immediate Success
I remember when I first joined Valsora waaaaay back in 2018, I thought I had the map in the palms of my hands. I saw the titans of the map, Sarkis, Kampf, Arpino, Lala. I thought I’d be them soon enough, but that’s very rarely the case. Progress on most RP worlds is slow, you might get burnt out and things will inevitably slow down from your initial burst of energy. Don’t worry, these things take time. Enjoy the buildup and make the most of being the underdog, the new kid on the block. Before you realize it, you’ll be sitting pretty wondering where the time went.
There’s More To NS Than RP
This one took me a while to realize, I was buried in RP for the better part of 4 years, only popping my head up every once in a while for the occasional N-Day or government drama. There is so much more to this game than just roleplaying, whether it be the R/D scene, taking part in government, the card system, N-Day and Z-Day, regional events, and offsite communities. There’s a whole different world out there full of just as inviting and welcoming individuals, don’t be scared to dip your toes into something new if roleplaying ever gets stale. I’ve absolutely loved my time so far in government, I never thought I’d be here, and yet I am.
Separate IC And OOC
One problem I notice all too often even today is the mixing of Out-of-character and In-character discussions. The way you act as a person and the way your nation acts in character are two very different things, you don’t need to make them the same. If you get into a debate, make sure you don’t turn an IC squabble into a genuine OOC fight. At the end of the day, this is just a game, and most of the squabbles I’ve had in my time have ended up totally pointless. I look back on them now wondering why I wasted so much time on them, you needn’t make the same mistake. Split your IC and OOC personalities and pick your battles.
That’s where I’ll leave it today, please check out the other articles written by amazing individuals, likely made days before mine because they don’t leave things till the last minute. I’m going to finish this sentence before I pass o-
[ CONNECTION TERMINATED ]
Sidebar Content
Featured TEPWiki article:
Federated Komina of Central Irnac
A page on a nation selected by East Malaysia
Scene: The end of the Philippine Revolution. At this moment in time, the revolutionary government was only able to unite Luzon, with the Visayas creating their own government, and Mindanao unwilling to comply. In other words, the Philippines as we know it did not exist, as it was instead a fragmented series of nations, each with its own government. To summarize the political situation of the time, the Malolos Republic faced multiple external threats, like the Americans unwilling to leave Manila, as well as internal threats, like the inability of the revolution to truly unite the Archipelago. At this moment in time, a problem occurs: Should the executive retain power over the government or the legislature?
This question is more complex than it appears, as the aforementioned factors complicate the political situation. Proponents of the Executive branch argue that due to American forces, what the Philippines needed was a strong leader with advisors to aid him, to retain unity for the Philippines. He also argues that giving more power to the legislature would lead to an oligarchy. This claim is not without merit. At the time, many among the legislature were "rural elites", rich and powerful landowners from across the Philippines. Proponents of the Legislature-led model argue instead that a legislature-led government allows a more democratic regime, through the election of the Assembly, which is more in line with the goals of the revolution.
In the end, the Legislature was the victor in this struggle. The President still retained the ability to veto laws, however the Legislature was allowed to create the Permanent Commission whose job is to remove members of the Judiciary and Executive, including the President himself, if they deem it necessary. This ended up being a grave mistake. The hubris of the Malolos Republic, its failure to defend against American colonization, and its strengthening of a corrupt, elitist power structure (landlords versus farmers) that plagues our society to this very day serve as a warning to modern democratic societies.
What does the Malolos Republic have to do with the democracies of NationStates? At this moment in time, the Magisterium holds similar amounts of power to the legislature of the Malolos Republic, due to two factors: 1, the culture behind TEP, and 2: the checks and balances that aid the Magisterium. In other words, by looking back at the Malolos Republic, we can see the dangers of our current political system.
It is well documented that the best way to become a part of TEP's government is to first join the Magisterium. Because of this, it has become essentially the center of government movement: if local politics is what you want, the Magisterium is where you want to be. It is from the Magisterium where several key members of our government come from: Shadow, me, Aurora, and even CyberiumShadow. This is largely the byproduct of the accessibility of the Magisterium, which isn’t a problem by itself. After all, I would never have gotten into TEP and NS as a whole if the Magisterium was not open. However, this culture of an open and active Magisterium becomes concerning when we consider the checks and balances that exist to keep the balance of power between the branches of government.
Five different interactions occur between our four branches - the Executive, the Magisterium, the Praesidium, and the Conclave - and these interactions are where we can find TEP’s checks and balances. A more detailed explanation of these interactions can be found in the UTEP article, however, to summarize:
The Executive’s main form of interaction with other branches involves the appointment of the members of that branch or the vetoing of laws presented by the Magisterium. The Conclave’s main form of interaction with the Executive and the Magisterium relies on becoming the creator of a “common law”: striking down Executive policies and laws that conflict with either Concordat or existing legislature, as well as creating precedents that can supplement those laws. The Praesidium has only one worthwhile interaction to discuss, which is its ability to remove the Delegate from on-site power entirely. Finally, the Magisterium can: override the veto powers via a 3/4 majority (which is easy to achieve), override any precedent formed by Conclave via passing laws that overrule it (and remove Arbiters for “abuse of power” - a vague term), and vote on the Arbiters and Viziers whom the Delegate nominates.
From these interactions, one thing is clear: the Delegate is under heavy checks and balances from all sides of the government, from the Magisterium to the Viziers to the Conclave. It is concerning to me that the one elected position that we have is also the position that has the heaviest bindings to bear. With these checks, it becomes difficult to see how the Delegate's so-called ultimate power can actually be ultimate. From here, I conclude that the center of the government (that is, the real powers of government) cannot be in the executive, as it is that very executive that holds so many checks against it.
Where, then, is the center of government? One can argue that it is the Praesidium, due to their mass amounts of power on-site. However, this power should be considered separate from our government, as we must not rely on "bigger-army diplomacy" to participate in government (that is simply a chance for a coup). We are then left with two branches: the Magisterium, and the Conclave. Of these two, I argue that the Magisterium is more likely to be the center of government, because of the very culture: the Open Magisterium that we prize.
The Conclave is, indeed, very powerful. 4 individuals can interpret the law, and by doing so shape it according to their understanding of the law. However, this process is *reactive*: that is, they cannot do it as they desire, but rather only when requests are made. In contrast, the Magisterium is *proactive*: they can pass laws as they want, after all, it is their very job. Due to the open and active culture of the Magisterium, they effectively can shape the laws as they deem necessary. And, if they are united enough, they have the tools necessary to combat the other branches to force laws through, which is a dangerous ability to have. This folly of concentrated, unchecked power can once again be seen with the example of the Malolos Republic. By putting the legislature in such a position of power, they passed laws that benefited themselves and did nothing for the people they were supposed to be serving.
I am not saying that this will happen here in TEP. I am, however, arguing that the Magisterium has the possibility of using its power to this end. Aren't people still angry with the Citizenship amendment, which they say is too complex? Have people not claimed that the Magisterium has become too closed off? In fact, this problem is exacerbated by the fact that we aren't an elected legislature, meaning we don't even maintain the illusion of democracy. The Magisterium is open, yes, but not to non-WA nations, who face an onslaught of prying questions and a vote before they can be admitted. The only form of accountability the Magisterium has comes from the Conclave, who themselves are appointed only with the approval of the Magisterium!
To that end, I would like to propose a two-pronged solution.
First, the Delegate should be given more power. I have always been a proponent of allowing executive orders to maintain legal weight, and it is precisely because it allows the Delegate a first-hand ability to affect the laws of the East Pacific, as well as allow Conclave the ability to legally interpret the Executive Orders as, again, a check on the power of the Executive (which is tempered by the fact that they may participate in the execution and creation of policy, which contributes to the legal structures of TEP). In short, we should allow the Delegate to be our first aid, the one to pass policies to fix small issues that may occur, and the one to take a proactive stance in place of the Magisterium. We do not need the full force of the Magisterium to fix every single issue that we may have. By giving the Executive the ability to affect the laws of the East Pacific, they can be able to flexibly respond to issues that are occurring by executing the laws that they are supposed to execute, such as rules in the RMB.
Second, shifting the Magisterium away from proactive stances to a largely reactive role to major issues. A lot of what we've seen discussed and legislated are minor issues, issues that don't actually matter all that much, nor truly require the attentive eye of the deliberative Magisterium. The Magisterium must focus on the bigger problems, the problems that require large amendments to our current laws, or new laws entirely. Solutions to these problems must be slow, deliberate, and careful. We should not say that we can just "amend the law after", we've already seen the issues of that with our citizenship amendment. The Magisterium must be the slowest body of government, both so that our laws can be given the care needed, and so that the other branches can do their jobs without the overbearing power of the Magisterium impeding their action.
The crux of this issue has always been about democracy. We have claimed, time and time again, that The East Pacific is a democracy. Tell me, is there democracy when our only elected position has so many checks against them? Is there democracy when our Magisterium can force laws through if they wish? Is it democracy if our legislature does not represent our people? This issue is much, much more difficult to solve than with my essay, or any of my proposals in this essay. It is, perhaps, one of the greatest contradictions of our government: a democracy with one elected position, a Magisterium that can overrule the government. With the advent of the relatively recent amendments to the Concordat, disallowing the Conclave to overturn Concordat amendments, we must ask ourselves this: how many Citizens who voted for that amendment were Magisters? How many weren’t?
Hello and welcome to the Foreign Newsstand. We in The East Pacific’s Foreign Affairs server can see the news updates from our friends and allies abroad, but you, dear reader, may not have that privilege. For the purposes of sharing interregional news, we’ve developed this quick Newsstand to summarize the goings-on of our diplomatic partners in other regions. Here are the events of September:
On August 27th, at major update, updaters from The Communist Bloc (TCB) and the Brotherhood of Malice (BoM) jumped into The North Pacific (TNP), one of the oldest and regions in NationStates, and a treatied ally of The East Pacific. Due to TNP’s high endorsement count—the highest in the game, no less—it is practically impossible for any raiders to seize the delegacy for themselves. Instead, TCB and BoM carried out what is known as a “delegate tip”, wherein they poured all of their endorsements onto a native with a high endorsement count, in this case then-Acting Vice Delegate Pallaith, until they were illegitimately and unwillingly elevated to the delegacy.
While a delegate tip is far from the most damaging of raids, it is nonetheless a direct attack upon TNP, and was viewed as an act of war by its leadership. In their statement posted two days after the delegate tip, Taking a Stand, then-Acting Delegate Chipoli condemned “the latest and most significant of a long series of belligerent and hostile actions intended to spite and antagonize The North Pacific”, and called upon the wider NationStates community to “challenge [TCB and BoM’s] ever-changing and inconsistent narratives meant to poorly explain away their juvenile antics”. Though TNP’s leadership plainly accused TCB and BoM of committing an act of war, they did not respond in kind… at least at that time. Instead, TNP extended sanctions to the belligerent regions and stated that such actions “will not be tolerated under any circumstances”.
Following the aforementioned statement, which many both inside and out of TCB and BoM interpreted as a promise of war, several of TNP’s treatied allies, such as the International Democratic Union and Stargate, were targeted by the Brotherhood of Malice with the express intent of goading TNP into declaring war. Souls, Shadowmaster of the BoM, proclaimed in the Brotherhood of Malice’s embassy thread: “Collateral damage to TNP's allies will continue until a declaration of war is presented as promised.” And although TNP had not yet declared war at this time, TNP’s military branch—the North Pacific Army—participated in invasions and holds of Warzone Trinidad (a region with which TEP shares an embassy) and more recently Solidarity, citing their closeness to BoM and TCB respectively as large factors in their decision-making.
On September 27th, The North Pacific’s leadership brought three motions to vote in the Regional Assembly, TNP’s citizen legislative body. The first was to recognize a state of war between TNP and TCB; the second was to recognize a state of war between TNP and BoM; and the third was to allow the NPA to engage in Class B prohibited actions against TCB, BoM, their subregions, and their military supporters. (In TNP’s legal code, Class B prohibited actions are defined as: applying a password and/or banning or ejecting nations native to a region.)
On October 1st, the votes for the third motion were counted. The Regional Assembly voted overwhelmingly—48 to 2—to allow Class B prohibited actions against TCB, BoM, and affiliated regions. Later, on October 4th, the votes for the first and second motions were counted. The Regional Assembly voted strongly in favor of declaring war on TCB and BoM, 46 to 14 and 44 to 16, respectively. Several hours after the counting of the final vote, Kaschovia, the current elected Delegate of TNP, posted an official declaration of war with The Communist Bloc and the Brotherhood of Malice—titled To War. Included at the end of the declaration was a statement addressed directly to TCB and BoM:
To the Communist Bloc and the Brotherhood of Malice: you’ve been dreaming of this moment, caught up in your web of rhetoric, itching with anticipation for a war with the North, but it’s time to wake up and face the real consequences of your aggression. You cannot expect us to do nothing while you directly attack our region and our allies, and blatantly violate our sovereignty. You cannot expect to do these things and remain unscathed and unchallenged, nor can you hold the world ransom and expect it to let you have your way with it. We carry with us the undying flame of democracy, one that has fueled our independent spirit for two decades and united thousands of North Pacificans against adversity and against anyone who dares challenge our way of life. It is the bedrock of our community, inseparable from who we are. And that flame is not ours alone, but one that we have always sought to share with the world. Not only will we carry it with us in this war, but we will bring it to every nation who believes in the same values and principles that we hold dear, and is willing to fight for them. You are only now beginning to realize that this fight isn’t just with us, and it is not the same thing as slinging mud and taunting us in gameplay. You will face the judgment of the world and the hundreds of nations you have antagonized and victimized for over a year. It is not just The North Pacific who is taking a stand and fighting back today, and it will not solely be our victory when you are but a mere footnote in this game’s history.
Seemingly true to their word, not long before this edition of EPNS was planned to go live, TNP’s close ally, Europeia, joined them in publicly declaring war. Their statement, In Solidarity, lambasted TCB and BoM for, among other things, having “continued to antagonize us and likeminded regions, [and] showing no regard for decency as they callously violated the sovereignty of our allies and partners.” It’s not all too hard to guess which partner they’re referring to. Now, this is a new development, and we can’t yet predict how things will end. But one thing is for sure: No matter which side you’re on, things just got a whole lot more interesting.
Sidebar Content
Featured historical RP:
All that glitters is not gold
The Magisterium has had a lot of activity since the last article. I will only cover the most important things to have occurred since then.
Firstly, the Citizenship system has been overhauled. The naming convention has been changed. Citizens are now Residents and Registered Voters are now Citizens. All nations are now Residents. Those who had previously filed an application to be a Registered Voter and had attained it are now Citizens. This change was introduced to reduce the confusion surrounding names, make the naming convention more regular as it exists across NS, and make the naming scheme more useful for recruitment purposes. All Residents are afforded the same rights as they did when named Citizens. They are protected from being ejected without reason and have the right to appeal government action against them, as it existed before.
The way Citizenship applications are processed has also been changed. Now, the form to apply is slimmer, requiring only the resident and WA nations followed by a ratification of the Concordat, the OP is more concise, and the way of verification has changed. Whereas before applicants had to send telegrams to Citizenship Officials to verify, Citizenship Officials now have to telegram applicants. This makes the process significantly easier for new nations.
Secondly, there is a proposal for a new awards system. This award system is a hierarchical system with three levels of distinction for activity. In addition, the awards system would document all awardees in a dispatch that would be pinned to the regional front page. RMB and Urth awards would also get recognition in this pinned dispatch. The old system would be replaced by the new system. This is under active discussion. The discussion can be found here.
Thirdly, the Provost elections have been concluded. CyberiumShadow has been re-elected as Provost.
Fourthly, EPSA is now permitted to grief regions if the region has been greenlighted by the administration team's Regional Administrative Office, a part of the administration team meant to work with the government in necessary sectors.
That is all for the important Magisterium news.
The SEWER system for proscription remains in discussion. Upon comments by Viziers, key aspects of the system are to be changed, lowering the number of categories and thus simplifying the system. When the Grand Vizier enacts these changes, the SEWER discussion will turn into a proposed policy with legal effect granted by the Standing Orders of the Praesidium, but the nature of the matter necessitates deliberative action, not swift action, the latter of which is reserved for matters of pressing security.
As per previously covered structural reforms instituted by Commissioner Marrabuk, the Eastern Pacific Police Service has seen its first promotions. Distro-Spartica has been named Superintendent of the EPPS (SUP), three ranks below the Commissioner and two below the ex officio Vizier members, who are styled Deputy Commissioners under the new system. Vulbania, better known as Evan Rikuta, has been promoted to the office of Assistant Superintendent (ASP). Membership documentation was swiftly updated following these promotions.
On the side of Voter Registration, matters which fall to the Grand Vizier, the Praesidium has seen much change and action. Following the passage of an amendment to the Concordat, which reverted name conventions to the traditional “Resident” and “Citizen”, the application was updated. The Citizenship application, as it now serves, was later simplified per the suggested draft of Magister Vussul. Alongside a further amendment to the Citizenship Act by the same Magister, this allowed for a streamlined process which now remains in place. Per the same amendment, all Viziers, not just the Grand Vizier and Police Commissioner, serve as ex officio “Citizenship Officials.” Per the procedures within the Citizenship Act, the Grand Vizier additionally nominated Vulbania to the office, a nomination currently under Magisterium consideration.
Throughout September, Grand Vizier Aivintis has granted citizenship to 16 residents of The East Pacific. Furthermore, 7 clerical changes to the citizenship roster were processed. On 27 September, the first citizenship audit of the newly restored system and the new Grand Vizier’s term was performed. 14 citizenships were lost at the end of the 48-hour grace period, although 4 more citizens adjusted according to the proper procedures, saving their citizenship from removal. So far, two of the revoked citizenships have been regained through an additional application.
Finally, here's this month Endorsement Tracker!:
.
.
EPNS September 2023 Edition
Featuring a new experimental idea of including sidebar content pieces.
HOME | LATEST | ARCHIVES | STAFF
Contents:
- Delegaltys' Final Update
- Nutmeg's Pacific Travel Guide
- EPNS In Review
- TIPS FROM AN OLD MAN
- The Soul of Government
- The Foreign Newsstand
- The North Pacific Goes to War
- The Key Magisterium News
- Praesidium September Update
Month of September
During the month Government activity mostly focused on outreach efforts and NDay preparations (though we'll get to that later in the article!). With elections nearing, reach outs to RMBers, who generally do not vote in elections, were made. An information ping in the RMB Cafeteria Discord server was posted and discussions about elections started in the server, and some players were directly DMed or telegrammed. In other projects,
Vussul successfully tested their RMB bot early on in the month, and now waiting to be reviewed by other regional coders to be put online again. Discussions on how to better centralize and simplify/give an update to the regional awards also happened, with a proposal being discussed in the Magisterium as of now.When it comes to events, we hosted our monthly Hunger Games on September 17th, inviting The Rejected Realms for the occasion! This time
Zidium won the Games, though the player who ended with the most kills was Battania, totaling 7, including several double or triple kills. As usual, this edition featured many tributes teaming with each other, though the “wholesome nights”, times during no tributes die, were not to be seen. One night even featured a quadra kill thanks to an explosive set off by tribute Ninetales. Another point to note in this event is the extreme rat behavior displayed by both this edition’s winner, and runner-up Visionary Union, who always found their way teaming up with other tributes to try and stay alive throughout the event. Behaviour which sadly paid off.Another major event hosted this month was a Civilization VI multiplayer game where members from all four Lausanne regions which featured interesting custom city names from players like the Ottoman Empire's Vehemently[F-WORD]ingville or the English Empire's cities all having "Shadow" in their name. Other events include somehow NDay faction ANAL’s acronym ending up being the name for a river, the Ottoman Empire constantly fighting hordes of barbarians while hiding in the corner, the German Empire getting bullied by several other civilizations, and of course always waiting for that player who takes ages to finish their turn.
Finally, the big happening of September was NDay! Like the two last editions, TEP took part in the faction Anime Nations Against Liberals where I myself was a High Commander alongside another TEPer! The faction was allied to the Starlight Brigade, made by friends over from Refugia, and the Jellyfish Elite Fighting Force. Together we first fought against the menacing Horsemen of the Apocalypse (HotA) alongside the two remaining major factions, before fighting those same two for the rest of the event! The faction’s plan was simple: survive and stay on the leaderboard no matter the place. We knew may HotA die, our allies and ourselves would be outnumbered, and slowly out-scaled by our enemies who bolstered both superior puppet numbers and superior numbers of World Assembly Member nations, which were recently buffed in the event. Thus ensued a delaying action where, by the end of the event, most of our faction’s puppetmasters (people who control dozens or hundreds of nations for the event to bolster their strength) and regular were running out or had already run dry of resources, but not without ensuring our place on the leaderboard, in the 3rd position! This event the faction’s great feats included keeping 0 radiations well into the event, holding off four massive 120k (or more) nuke barrages launched against us (with help from allies!), and managing to set a new record for the highest number of intercepted nukes at 782622! You can also find the very cool graph I make after each NDay showing how strong our puppetmasters were during the event in the spoiler below (special shoutout to both Narvatus and Timiskrane who both nearly intercepted 100k nukes each!):
That concludes big Government happenings for this month! Now good luck to those running in the October Delegate Election!
Elections in October!
Next month we’re having General Elections for who to select as our next Delegate! Due to uncertainty related to IRL commitments, and my belief that it’s time for the position to see someone new take over to both introduce new ideas and keep the current Government momentum, I will not be running for re-election. Maybe another time in the future, who knows! Until then, I’ve loved my time in the position and would’ve in fact liked to continue if external factors didn’t impair my ability to do so, but it is what it is!
There are a ton of people who’ve helped me during this 8-month journey where a lot was done, from successfully moving the Executive to the main server and reigniting interest in Government to seeing EPNS come back in full force, without forgetting the many redesigns and updates provided to our documentation, the monthly Hunger Games, and more! However, to me, my crown jewel will be how the relationship between many RMBers and the Government changed over my two terms. I’ll definitely miss the fancy pastel pink color in RMB Cafe and all TEP servers though!
I’d like to give a special shoutout to Eunopiar,
Vussul, and Merlovich, all of whom have done a lot during my terms and without whom they wouldn’t have been as successful as they were. We would not be anywhere near where we are without them!The East Pacific is a lovely region. I haven't been around long here but I know that much. It's full of great people and some pretty handy guides for newcomers. Of course, I am by no means a native to the region. I've been a member of The North Pacific for quite a while, and I've had quite a different experience.
Heading north of The East Pacific, we arrive at the slightly colder region of The North Pacific. Home to a lot of people, it's very easy to meet new people. The RMB has spurts of inactivity but is generally active. There have been several complaints about the Gameside Advocate Team posting too many ads, but these claims can be ignored. After all, it's very difficult to get RMBers to participate in government. You may find yourself in great circumstances with RMB rules under revision. Enforcement is strict, so a slight loosening of the rules is great for any visitors.
Heading away from the RMB now, we reach the expanse that is the forum. A must-have for any person seeking to rise the ranks of the region, you will be able to find anything there. From halls of spam games to the archives of great Delegates of the past. It's a great way to introduce yourself, and although less active, a good place to chat as well.
The final stop of our little tour is the Discord. Activity here is even lower and there isn't much to see. It is the event hub of the region though with announcements about flag competitions coming out weekly.
After stopping by the Discord, we reached the end of our tour. Swinging by the embassy with The East Pacific, we arrive back in the greenest Pacific.
Why not have a little look at The North Pacific sometime? Maybe not now, but sometime in the future. You might just find some interesting things and some friendly faces.
Sidebar Content
It has been an extraordinary four months for EPNS. EPNS went from being dead to active and maintaining strong activity for four months straight. I want to take a minute to write a short article, reviewing EPNS' progress and setting ideas for a potential future.
To list off the achievements of EPNS quickly, we have never had such a dramatic shift in any Ministry. From a Ministry that was dead to lively in a matter of weeks. EPNS has also been blessed with an abundance of authors and a wide range of topics. RMB and Urth representation has been a core part of the new EPNS. The new graphics look wonderful. And enthusiasm for EPNS has never been greater; the last three issues are the three highest-voted issues of all time.
These are spectacular achievements but I always want to get things to go further.
I want to reach out to the RMB and Urth communities and see if they are willing to write articles from their spheres. I've also been experimenting with sidebar content; the short little pieces that slot in between articles and add some flavor to EPNS. I think that this should undergo further testing. FA participation in EPNS has also been an idea I've wanted but haven't been able to get done to any significant extent. FA policy articles would be a great addition for our domestic audience to read. Lastly, EPNS lite, a short version that goes between each EPNS Issue is also something I want. This is primarily to keep the RMB community up-to-date with the government.
To the future Minister, I hope you can continue the glory afforded to EPNS and work on the suggestions I've made.
Have you ever found yourself wide awake at 3 a.m.? Your EPNS article is due in 6 hours and you’ve left it to the last possible moment? That’s weird because I definitely haven’t.
Hello everyone, I thought I’d keep this month's article brief, and simple. Something laid back and hopefully useful to the newbies out there. Today marks my fifth anniversary on NationStates, and I’ve definitely learned my fair share of things along the way. I’ve experienced more than I ever imagined when I first wrote ‘Merlovich’.
If you’re reading EPNS for the first time, perhaps you’re new to TEP, perhaps even a newbie in another region looking in. Here are some brief tips from me to you on how to make the most of your time in RMB RP.
Get To Know Everyone
While it might be daunting at first, these may end up being the individuals you look back fondly upon in five years, perhaps they remain close friends, or perhaps you’ve conquered worlds together. By and large, our RMB community is one of the most diverse and welcoming groups I know. Everyone was in your shoes once, even me, desperately trying to impress the veterans and making some of the worst world-building you’ve ever seen.
Ask For Advice
One of the best things I ever did was approach the veterans of Valsora for advice. I remember fondly several individuals I now consider friends who took me under their wing and showed me through the process of worldbuilding, roleplaying, and how to navigate IC events. Countless people have walked this path before you, and their advice is invaluable.
Don’t Expect Immediate Success
I remember when I first joined Valsora waaaaay back in 2018, I thought I had the map in the palms of my hands. I saw the titans of the map, Sarkis, Kampf, Arpino, Lala. I thought I’d be them soon enough, but that’s very rarely the case. Progress on most RP worlds is slow, you might get burnt out and things will inevitably slow down from your initial burst of energy. Don’t worry, these things take time. Enjoy the buildup and make the most of being the underdog, the new kid on the block. Before you realize it, you’ll be sitting pretty wondering where the time went.
There’s More To NS Than RP
This one took me a while to realize, I was buried in RP for the better part of 4 years, only popping my head up every once in a while for the occasional N-Day or government drama. There is so much more to this game than just roleplaying, whether it be the R/D scene, taking part in government, the card system, N-Day and Z-Day, regional events, and offsite communities. There’s a whole different world out there full of just as inviting and welcoming individuals, don’t be scared to dip your toes into something new if roleplaying ever gets stale. I’ve absolutely loved my time so far in government, I never thought I’d be here, and yet I am.
Separate IC And OOC
One problem I notice all too often even today is the mixing of Out-of-character and In-character discussions. The way you act as a person and the way your nation acts in character are two very different things, you don’t need to make them the same. If you get into a debate, make sure you don’t turn an IC squabble into a genuine OOC fight. At the end of the day, this is just a game, and most of the squabbles I’ve had in my time have ended up totally pointless. I look back on them now wondering why I wasted so much time on them, you needn’t make the same mistake. Split your IC and OOC personalities and pick your battles.
That’s where I’ll leave it today, please check out the other articles written by amazing individuals, likely made days before mine because they don’t leave things till the last minute. I’m going to finish this sentence before I pass o-
[ CONNECTION TERMINATED ]
Sidebar Content
Featured TEPWiki article:
Federated Komina of Central Irnac
A page on a nation selected by East Malaysia
Scene: The end of the Philippine Revolution. At this moment in time, the revolutionary government was only able to unite Luzon, with the Visayas creating their own government, and Mindanao unwilling to comply. In other words, the Philippines as we know it did not exist, as it was instead a fragmented series of nations, each with its own government. To summarize the political situation of the time, the Malolos Republic faced multiple external threats, like the Americans unwilling to leave Manila, as well as internal threats, like the inability of the revolution to truly unite the Archipelago. At this moment in time, a problem occurs: Should the executive retain power over the government or the legislature?
This question is more complex than it appears, as the aforementioned factors complicate the political situation. Proponents of the Executive branch argue that due to American forces, what the Philippines needed was a strong leader with advisors to aid him, to retain unity for the Philippines. He also argues that giving more power to the legislature would lead to an oligarchy. This claim is not without merit. At the time, many among the legislature were "rural elites", rich and powerful landowners from across the Philippines. Proponents of the Legislature-led model argue instead that a legislature-led government allows a more democratic regime, through the election of the Assembly, which is more in line with the goals of the revolution.
In the end, the Legislature was the victor in this struggle. The President still retained the ability to veto laws, however the Legislature was allowed to create the Permanent Commission whose job is to remove members of the Judiciary and Executive, including the President himself, if they deem it necessary. This ended up being a grave mistake. The hubris of the Malolos Republic, its failure to defend against American colonization, and its strengthening of a corrupt, elitist power structure (landlords versus farmers) that plagues our society to this very day serve as a warning to modern democratic societies.
What does the Malolos Republic have to do with the democracies of NationStates? At this moment in time, the Magisterium holds similar amounts of power to the legislature of the Malolos Republic, due to two factors: 1, the culture behind TEP, and 2: the checks and balances that aid the Magisterium. In other words, by looking back at the Malolos Republic, we can see the dangers of our current political system.
It is well documented that the best way to become a part of TEP's government is to first join the Magisterium. Because of this, it has become essentially the center of government movement: if local politics is what you want, the Magisterium is where you want to be. It is from the Magisterium where several key members of our government come from: Shadow, me, Aurora, and even CyberiumShadow. This is largely the byproduct of the accessibility of the Magisterium, which isn’t a problem by itself. After all, I would never have gotten into TEP and NS as a whole if the Magisterium was not open. However, this culture of an open and active Magisterium becomes concerning when we consider the checks and balances that exist to keep the balance of power between the branches of government.
Five different interactions occur between our four branches - the Executive, the Magisterium, the Praesidium, and the Conclave - and these interactions are where we can find TEP’s checks and balances. A more detailed explanation of these interactions can be found in the UTEP article, however, to summarize:
The Executive’s main form of interaction with other branches involves the appointment of the members of that branch or the vetoing of laws presented by the Magisterium. The Conclave’s main form of interaction with the Executive and the Magisterium relies on becoming the creator of a “common law”: striking down Executive policies and laws that conflict with either Concordat or existing legislature, as well as creating precedents that can supplement those laws. The Praesidium has only one worthwhile interaction to discuss, which is its ability to remove the Delegate from on-site power entirely. Finally, the Magisterium can: override the veto powers via a 3/4 majority (which is easy to achieve), override any precedent formed by Conclave via passing laws that overrule it (and remove Arbiters for “abuse of power” - a vague term), and vote on the Arbiters and Viziers whom the Delegate nominates.
From these interactions, one thing is clear: the Delegate is under heavy checks and balances from all sides of the government, from the Magisterium to the Viziers to the Conclave. It is concerning to me that the one elected position that we have is also the position that has the heaviest bindings to bear. With these checks, it becomes difficult to see how the Delegate's so-called ultimate power can actually be ultimate. From here, I conclude that the center of the government (that is, the real powers of government) cannot be in the executive, as it is that very executive that holds so many checks against it.
Where, then, is the center of government? One can argue that it is the Praesidium, due to their mass amounts of power on-site. However, this power should be considered separate from our government, as we must not rely on "bigger-army diplomacy" to participate in government (that is simply a chance for a coup). We are then left with two branches: the Magisterium, and the Conclave. Of these two, I argue that the Magisterium is more likely to be the center of government, because of the very culture: the Open Magisterium that we prize.
The Conclave is, indeed, very powerful. 4 individuals can interpret the law, and by doing so shape it according to their understanding of the law. However, this process is *reactive*: that is, they cannot do it as they desire, but rather only when requests are made. In contrast, the Magisterium is *proactive*: they can pass laws as they want, after all, it is their very job. Due to the open and active culture of the Magisterium, they effectively can shape the laws as they deem necessary. And, if they are united enough, they have the tools necessary to combat the other branches to force laws through, which is a dangerous ability to have. This folly of concentrated, unchecked power can once again be seen with the example of the Malolos Republic. By putting the legislature in such a position of power, they passed laws that benefited themselves and did nothing for the people they were supposed to be serving.
I am not saying that this will happen here in TEP. I am, however, arguing that the Magisterium has the possibility of using its power to this end. Aren't people still angry with the Citizenship amendment, which they say is too complex? Have people not claimed that the Magisterium has become too closed off? In fact, this problem is exacerbated by the fact that we aren't an elected legislature, meaning we don't even maintain the illusion of democracy. The Magisterium is open, yes, but not to non-WA nations, who face an onslaught of prying questions and a vote before they can be admitted. The only form of accountability the Magisterium has comes from the Conclave, who themselves are appointed only with the approval of the Magisterium!
To that end, I would like to propose a two-pronged solution.
First, the Delegate should be given more power. I have always been a proponent of allowing executive orders to maintain legal weight, and it is precisely because it allows the Delegate a first-hand ability to affect the laws of the East Pacific, as well as allow Conclave the ability to legally interpret the Executive Orders as, again, a check on the power of the Executive (which is tempered by the fact that they may participate in the execution and creation of policy, which contributes to the legal structures of TEP). In short, we should allow the Delegate to be our first aid, the one to pass policies to fix small issues that may occur, and the one to take a proactive stance in place of the Magisterium. We do not need the full force of the Magisterium to fix every single issue that we may have. By giving the Executive the ability to affect the laws of the East Pacific, they can be able to flexibly respond to issues that are occurring by executing the laws that they are supposed to execute, such as rules in the RMB.
Second, shifting the Magisterium away from proactive stances to a largely reactive role to major issues. A lot of what we've seen discussed and legislated are minor issues, issues that don't actually matter all that much, nor truly require the attentive eye of the deliberative Magisterium. The Magisterium must focus on the bigger problems, the problems that require large amendments to our current laws, or new laws entirely. Solutions to these problems must be slow, deliberate, and careful. We should not say that we can just "amend the law after", we've already seen the issues of that with our citizenship amendment. The Magisterium must be the slowest body of government, both so that our laws can be given the care needed, and so that the other branches can do their jobs without the overbearing power of the Magisterium impeding their action.
The crux of this issue has always been about democracy. We have claimed, time and time again, that The East Pacific is a democracy. Tell me, is there democracy when our only elected position has so many checks against them? Is there democracy when our Magisterium can force laws through if they wish? Is it democracy if our legislature does not represent our people? This issue is much, much more difficult to solve than with my essay, or any of my proposals in this essay. It is, perhaps, one of the greatest contradictions of our government: a democracy with one elected position, a Magisterium that can overrule the government. With the advent of the relatively recent amendments to the Concordat, disallowing the Conclave to overturn Concordat amendments, we must ask ourselves this: how many Citizens who voted for that amendment were Magisters? How many weren’t?
Hello and welcome to the Foreign Newsstand. We in The East Pacific’s Foreign Affairs server can see the news updates from our friends and allies abroad, but you, dear reader, may not have that privilege. For the purposes of sharing interregional news, we’ve developed this quick Newsstand to summarize the goings-on of our diplomatic partners in other regions. Here are the events of September:
- The Order of the Grey Wardens (consulate) has selected West Chimore as the Featured Warden.
- Carcassonne (embassy) has released the ideological statement “On Wastelands,” clarifying Frontierist principles and adding onto the previous statement “On True Frontiers,” by Community (consulate).
- Kanta Hame has stepped down as Field Commander of the military of 10000 Islands (treaty), the Ten Thousand Islands Treaty Organization. Flying Eagles has been appointed as their replacement. Woonsocket, a former Chief Executive of 10000 Islands, has also returned to Command.
- The Holy Utopian Empire (consulate) has opened its legislative forums to facilitate the democratic processes of their region.
- The region Solidarity, jointly operated by the governments of the members of “NSLeft,” including The Communist Bloc, has been invaded by the League and Concord, with other defender and independent allies, in retaliation for the attack on The North Pacific.
- The Holy Utopian Empire has passed a new Constitution, and is undergoing elections for the office of Prime Minister.
- Releasing the statement “To War,” The North Pacific has declared war on The Communist Bloc and The Brotherhood of Malice. Following suit, the “In Solidarity” has seen Europeia announce their own declaration of war, which they had passed earlier.
On August 27th, at major update, updaters from The Communist Bloc (TCB) and the Brotherhood of Malice (BoM) jumped into The North Pacific (TNP), one of the oldest and regions in NationStates, and a treatied ally of The East Pacific. Due to TNP’s high endorsement count—the highest in the game, no less—it is practically impossible for any raiders to seize the delegacy for themselves. Instead, TCB and BoM carried out what is known as a “delegate tip”, wherein they poured all of their endorsements onto a native with a high endorsement count, in this case then-Acting Vice Delegate Pallaith, until they were illegitimately and unwillingly elevated to the delegacy.
While a delegate tip is far from the most damaging of raids, it is nonetheless a direct attack upon TNP, and was viewed as an act of war by its leadership. In their statement posted two days after the delegate tip, Taking a Stand, then-Acting Delegate Chipoli condemned “the latest and most significant of a long series of belligerent and hostile actions intended to spite and antagonize The North Pacific”, and called upon the wider NationStates community to “challenge [TCB and BoM’s] ever-changing and inconsistent narratives meant to poorly explain away their juvenile antics”. Though TNP’s leadership plainly accused TCB and BoM of committing an act of war, they did not respond in kind… at least at that time. Instead, TNP extended sanctions to the belligerent regions and stated that such actions “will not be tolerated under any circumstances”.
Following the aforementioned statement, which many both inside and out of TCB and BoM interpreted as a promise of war, several of TNP’s treatied allies, such as the International Democratic Union and Stargate, were targeted by the Brotherhood of Malice with the express intent of goading TNP into declaring war. Souls, Shadowmaster of the BoM, proclaimed in the Brotherhood of Malice’s embassy thread: “Collateral damage to TNP's allies will continue until a declaration of war is presented as promised.” And although TNP had not yet declared war at this time, TNP’s military branch—the North Pacific Army—participated in invasions and holds of Warzone Trinidad (a region with which TEP shares an embassy) and more recently Solidarity, citing their closeness to BoM and TCB respectively as large factors in their decision-making.
On September 27th, The North Pacific’s leadership brought three motions to vote in the Regional Assembly, TNP’s citizen legislative body. The first was to recognize a state of war between TNP and TCB; the second was to recognize a state of war between TNP and BoM; and the third was to allow the NPA to engage in Class B prohibited actions against TCB, BoM, their subregions, and their military supporters. (In TNP’s legal code, Class B prohibited actions are defined as: applying a password and/or banning or ejecting nations native to a region.)
On October 1st, the votes for the third motion were counted. The Regional Assembly voted overwhelmingly—48 to 2—to allow Class B prohibited actions against TCB, BoM, and affiliated regions. Later, on October 4th, the votes for the first and second motions were counted. The Regional Assembly voted strongly in favor of declaring war on TCB and BoM, 46 to 14 and 44 to 16, respectively. Several hours after the counting of the final vote, Kaschovia, the current elected Delegate of TNP, posted an official declaration of war with The Communist Bloc and the Brotherhood of Malice—titled To War. Included at the end of the declaration was a statement addressed directly to TCB and BoM:
To the Communist Bloc and the Brotherhood of Malice: you’ve been dreaming of this moment, caught up in your web of rhetoric, itching with anticipation for a war with the North, but it’s time to wake up and face the real consequences of your aggression. You cannot expect us to do nothing while you directly attack our region and our allies, and blatantly violate our sovereignty. You cannot expect to do these things and remain unscathed and unchallenged, nor can you hold the world ransom and expect it to let you have your way with it. We carry with us the undying flame of democracy, one that has fueled our independent spirit for two decades and united thousands of North Pacificans against adversity and against anyone who dares challenge our way of life. It is the bedrock of our community, inseparable from who we are. And that flame is not ours alone, but one that we have always sought to share with the world. Not only will we carry it with us in this war, but we will bring it to every nation who believes in the same values and principles that we hold dear, and is willing to fight for them. You are only now beginning to realize that this fight isn’t just with us, and it is not the same thing as slinging mud and taunting us in gameplay. You will face the judgment of the world and the hundreds of nations you have antagonized and victimized for over a year. It is not just The North Pacific who is taking a stand and fighting back today, and it will not solely be our victory when you are but a mere footnote in this game’s history.
Seemingly true to their word, not long before this edition of EPNS was planned to go live, TNP’s close ally, Europeia, joined them in publicly declaring war. Their statement, In Solidarity, lambasted TCB and BoM for, among other things, having “continued to antagonize us and likeminded regions, [and] showing no regard for decency as they callously violated the sovereignty of our allies and partners.” It’s not all too hard to guess which partner they’re referring to. Now, this is a new development, and we can’t yet predict how things will end. But one thing is for sure: No matter which side you’re on, things just got a whole lot more interesting.
Sidebar Content
Featured historical RP:
All that glitters is not gold
The Magisterium has had a lot of activity since the last article. I will only cover the most important things to have occurred since then.
Firstly, the Citizenship system has been overhauled. The naming convention has been changed. Citizens are now Residents and Registered Voters are now Citizens. All nations are now Residents. Those who had previously filed an application to be a Registered Voter and had attained it are now Citizens. This change was introduced to reduce the confusion surrounding names, make the naming convention more regular as it exists across NS, and make the naming scheme more useful for recruitment purposes. All Residents are afforded the same rights as they did when named Citizens. They are protected from being ejected without reason and have the right to appeal government action against them, as it existed before.
The way Citizenship applications are processed has also been changed. Now, the form to apply is slimmer, requiring only the resident and WA nations followed by a ratification of the Concordat, the OP is more concise, and the way of verification has changed. Whereas before applicants had to send telegrams to Citizenship Officials to verify, Citizenship Officials now have to telegram applicants. This makes the process significantly easier for new nations.
Secondly, there is a proposal for a new awards system. This award system is a hierarchical system with three levels of distinction for activity. In addition, the awards system would document all awardees in a dispatch that would be pinned to the regional front page. RMB and Urth awards would also get recognition in this pinned dispatch. The old system would be replaced by the new system. This is under active discussion. The discussion can be found here.
Thirdly, the Provost elections have been concluded. CyberiumShadow has been re-elected as Provost.
Fourthly, EPSA is now permitted to grief regions if the region has been greenlighted by the administration team's Regional Administrative Office, a part of the administration team meant to work with the government in necessary sectors.
That is all for the important Magisterium news.
The SEWER system for proscription remains in discussion. Upon comments by Viziers, key aspects of the system are to be changed, lowering the number of categories and thus simplifying the system. When the Grand Vizier enacts these changes, the SEWER discussion will turn into a proposed policy with legal effect granted by the Standing Orders of the Praesidium, but the nature of the matter necessitates deliberative action, not swift action, the latter of which is reserved for matters of pressing security.
As per previously covered structural reforms instituted by Commissioner Marrabuk, the Eastern Pacific Police Service has seen its first promotions. Distro-Spartica has been named Superintendent of the EPPS (SUP), three ranks below the Commissioner and two below the ex officio Vizier members, who are styled Deputy Commissioners under the new system. Vulbania, better known as Evan Rikuta, has been promoted to the office of Assistant Superintendent (ASP). Membership documentation was swiftly updated following these promotions.
On the side of Voter Registration, matters which fall to the Grand Vizier, the Praesidium has seen much change and action. Following the passage of an amendment to the Concordat, which reverted name conventions to the traditional “Resident” and “Citizen”, the application was updated. The Citizenship application, as it now serves, was later simplified per the suggested draft of Magister Vussul. Alongside a further amendment to the Citizenship Act by the same Magister, this allowed for a streamlined process which now remains in place. Per the same amendment, all Viziers, not just the Grand Vizier and Police Commissioner, serve as ex officio “Citizenship Officials.” Per the procedures within the Citizenship Act, the Grand Vizier additionally nominated Vulbania to the office, a nomination currently under Magisterium consideration.
Throughout September, Grand Vizier Aivintis has granted citizenship to 16 residents of The East Pacific. Furthermore, 7 clerical changes to the citizenship roster were processed. On 27 September, the first citizenship audit of the newly restored system and the new Grand Vizier’s term was performed. 14 citizenships were lost at the end of the 48-hour grace period, although 4 more citizens adjusted according to the proper procedures, saving their citizenship from removal. So far, two of the revoked citizenships have been regained through an additional application.
Finally, here's this month Endorsement Tracker!: