Please distribute the latest issue of The North Star to your assigned regions as soon as possible. If the BBCode can be posted on their TNP embassy subforum, then please do so, but if not then you can just post a link to the dispatch. Report in this thread as usual when you have completed the task.
If you encounter any difficulties, contact Minister of Foreign Affairs @Chipoli.
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[b][color=#1D2C7C][size=200]Issue XXXVI[/size][/color][/b]
[size=125][i][b][url=https://www.canva.com/design/DAGHjDWBDJg/b6VgGw45gGewtVZ6qJ2xuQ/view?utm_content=DAGHjDWBDJg&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor]Magazine Version[/url][/b][/i][/size][/center][hr]
[box][b][size=175]Editor's Note[/size][/b]
[align=justify][size=110]Dear readers,
This issue came out two months late, and I deeply apologise for that. The NS April blackout adversely affected our publishing schedule, and our Ministry staff had commitments elsewhere in TNP or real life. Due to activity issues, the Ministry has decided to combine the available articles of TNS April and May into a single edition with four articles and one interview.
Consistently producing a high-quality newspaper edition on NS is a challenge, even more so under the pressure of deadlines. I like to praise our designers, writers, and editors in every Editor's Note because they have truly earned it. Their dedication and skills help make the production of quality TNS issues possible, and I truly appreciate them for each and every one of their contributions.
Before you begin, I have a personal announcement to make. Due to my appointment as Minister of Defense and real-life circumstances, my availability to design new TNS magazines will be significantly reduced. Therefore, I have asked the Ministry's leadership for another person to take charge of TNS's designing work from now on. Thank you to my readers, who have appreciated and enjoyed my designs. It was an honour for me to help make TNS the new TNL.
In this combined edition, we will review public opinion towards former Delegate Kaschovia's second term from the results of the all-citizen TNP Census, and examine the events of the hotly contested May General Elections. After that, you can read our report on the Lennarts Awards and lastly, Kaschovia himself will share with us some reflections on his two terms as Delegate, while Simone makes a special appearance as our interviewee in this Spotlight Interview.
Thank you for reading and may you enjoy this edition.
Yours truly,
[nation]Picairn[/nation]
[b]Deputy Minister of Communications[/b][/size][/align]
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[box][anchor=ARTICLE1][b][size=175]May General Election[/size][/b][size=120][tab=10]by [nation]Picairn[/nation][/tab][/size][/anchor]
[align=justify][size=110]As former Delegate Kaschovia could not run for re-election due to term limits, the General Elections opened up to a highly competitive race for the Delegate seat in early May, when all candidates fiercely competed for voter support through aggressive direct message (DM) campaigns. After five days of bitter struggle, Simone won a surprise victory over Robespierre (Francois Isidore) to become TNP’s next Delegate, despite the latter’s attempt at a Reopen Nomination campaign. In the race for the Speakership, candidate Cloud (Marlducro) successfully defeated incumbent Speaker AraFuttio (Arawi) and took over as our new Speaker. In contrast to these upset victories, Vice Delegate Chipoli held onto his position and defeated Quero (Queroquestan), a new candidate, by a large margin.
[b]Delegate[/b]
Former Delegate Kaschovia was ineligible to run for a third term due to term limits mandated by the Constitution. With his inevitable departure from office and the lack of a clear successor, numerous candidates were put forward by the citizenry when the nomination period opened on May 1st. In the end, Simone and Dreadton accepted their nominations for Delegate, while Robespierre declared his candidacy. The race would eventually come down to a close competition between Simone and Robespierre, with Dreadton trailing behind.
The first to run their campaign was Robespierre, a former Delegate, an accomplished NPA General, and Minister of Defense at the time of the election. Robespierre is a highly experienced soldier and official, having served in various government positions since 2019. In his platform, he advocated for a decisive leadership style, biweekly war reports to the Regional Assembly, and a more assertive stance on foreign policy.
Robespierre also unveiled his plans for each ministry, some of which were particularly ambitious. In Communications, the Design Team would be tasked to produce ministry-specific infographics for promotion and recruitment, NBS Radio would enjoy active participation from Robespierre himself as a host and panelist, and regional publications like TNS and TNN would be promoted and discussed more widely to improve their engagement. Culture would see the creation of new festivals with our friends and allies, increased events in the TNP Discord server, and a new regional playlist. Both Defense and Home Affairs under his direction would focus on recruitment as their top priority, with retaliatory and offensive recruitment methods against our enemies potentially being deployed. Aside from taking a firmer stand on foreign policy, Foreign Affairs would continue its work on the Network Visualisation Project, a program to create an interactive visualisation of our diplomatic network. For World Assembly Affairs, commendations for TNPers would move forward, a new WA Symposium would be hosted, and targeted repeals of our enemies’ WA resolutions would be made a priority.
Second in line was Simone. Having served in the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs since February 2022, he was (and still is) a highly accomplished WA author with over 40 WA resolutions at the time of writing. Key promises in his platform included an enlarged cabinet, stronger recruitment, additional Culture events, more awards and honours for staffers, and further RA input in TNP’s war direction.
Similar to Robespierre, Simone proposed several ambitious plans for each ministry. Under his direction, Communications would publish a weekly newspaper to give quick updates on election results, staff changes, and war reports, and its publications would be more widely distributed to increase readership. Culture would oversee a massive expansion in festivals with TNP’s friends and allies, daily events, games, and polls. For Defense, improved recruitment and additional honours would be implemented, and negotiations with our enemies TCB and BoM would only be conducted with our allies’ and the RA’s approval. In Foreign Affairs, a comprehensive review of our relationship with other feeder regions would be launched, and ambassadors would need to promote our publications, radios, lectures, and other activities abroad more frequently. Home Affairs would receive additional resources to assist its recruitment efforts, and cultural events would play a key role in driving up recruitment to TNP. Finally, World Assembly Affairs would accelerate its efforts to commend TNPers and host the next WA Symposium.
In addition to these plans, Simone also laid out his proposition to enlarge the cabinet. TNP University would be brought back under a more informal system, and its Chancellor would serve in the Cabinet. A new Radio Host position would be created – also a member of Cabinet – to manage NBS Radio, where interviews, casual podcasts, music, and town halls would all be hosted. Last but not least, a TNP Archivist would be charged with compiling historical data as TNP’s official historian, and they would have the privilege of participating in the cabinet as well.
Our third and final candidate was Dreadton, a sitting Court Justice, former Vice Delegate, and former Minister of Culture and Radio, among other positions. His campaign, aptly named “The Art of War,” placed a complete focus on prosecuting the war to its fullest extent, eschewing the traditional campaign format of unveiling plans for each ministry. He advocated for capitalising on TNP’s strengths to build coalitions, reach out to potential allies, and aggressively expand the NPA’s scope of operations by tagging and Delegate-tipping our enemies and their allies.
As the election unfolded, the competition between Robespierre and Simone turned nto a fierce struggle as both candidates fought for every vote they could get. Simone personally messaged many citizens to ask for their votes or to clarify their concerns. Initially very close, the gap between Simone and Robespierre widened in favour of the former towards the last days of the election. Robespierre then launched a re-open nominations campaign in the hopes of restarting the election and published a 40-minute video criticising the policies and actions of his opponent, which was negatively received by many citizens. In the end, the RON campaign failed to achieve a majority and Simone ultimately became the winner with 58.14% of the vote to Robespierre’s 41.86%, putting an end to a heavily contested election. Dreadton only won 17.44% of the vote in the first round and was eliminated; his votes were then redistributed to the other two candidates.
Simone’s victory was a surprise to many citizens and foreign observers of TNP’s elections. Speculations have been made but this author believes that he won thanks to a combination of more Culture events and aggressive personal campaigning.
[b]Vice Delegate[/b]
The incumbent Vice Delegate Chipoli is a familiar face to many TNPers, having won his first term as Vice Delegate in the May 2023 General Elections and served as Minister of World Assembly Affairs prior to that. After Gorundu’s resignation in August 2023, he became Acting Delegate and was Delegate-tipped by TCB and BoM, an attack to which the Regional Assembly responded accordingly with a declaration of war. He was then replaced by Fregerson after losing the Delegate race in the September 2023 elections but made a triumphant return in January 2024, having been elected as Vice Delegate once more.
Now campaigning for his third term, Chipoli unveiled a series of initiatives, some old yet others new. The currently-under-construction Security Council Survey would be reviewed and finalised, biographies of each Security Councillor would be added to the existing SC Handbook, and weekly endorsement events would continue to be organised. A new focus on community engagement is emphasised for the new term: frequent Town Halls would be hosted where the public could ask questions about Chipoli’s agenda, project progress, and the current situation in TNP. Trivia sessions, AMAs, and Hunger Games simulations would also be hosted on the RMB, and Gameside Advocates would play a part in promoting his other projects and activities. Finally, polls would be used as an additional method for community engagement, and Vice Delegate Chipoli would cooperate with Culture to brainstorm new ideas for polls.
The other candidate, Quero, did not post a campaign platform. The election ended with Chipoli winning an overwhelming majority of 96.15% to Quero’s 3.85%.
[b]Speaker[/b]
The Speaker race received less attention than the Delegate race, but it was no less interesting with an upset victory. After a round of nominations, the election came down to a contest between three candidates: incumbent Speaker AraFuttio, former Speaker Cloud, and a new election candidate, Noscar.
AraFuttio promised to draft a bill to clarify the RA rules with assistance from Deputy Speakers in order to fix procedural mistakes that transpired during his term. Annotations to the Legal Code would also be explored to educate less experienced deputies. Additionally, the Speaker’s Guides would finally be completed, the RA Digests would continue to be published weekly with more detailed reports, and a rota system for deputies would be introduced.
Cloud, on the other hand, believed that a bill to clarify the RA Rules would not be necessary, instead favouring a Guidelines thread explaining how the rules work. Nevertheless, he was receptive to the idea of adding annotations to the Legal Code and promised to continue the publication of weekly RA Digests, albeit with the monthly detailed stats report discontinued.
Noscar was a new face in the Speaker election. Despite their inexperience, they stated that they were willing to learn from more experienced people and expand their knowledge. They also supported the continuation of the RA Digests and said that they would appoint a few deputies to advise them on their decisions.
In the end, Cloud successfully won the race with 61.33% of the votes, replacing incumbent Speaker AraFuttio, who only won 32%. Noscar gained 6.67% of the votes, but despite their defeat went on to join the Speaker’s Office as a new deputy Speaker under Cloud’s leadership.[/size][/align]
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[box][anchor=ARTICLE2][b][size=175]End of Last Term Census[/size][/b][size=120][tab=10]by [nation]Picairn[/nation][/tab][/size][/anchor]
[align=justify][size=110]As former Delegate Kaschovia’s second term came to an end in early May 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs launched another region-wide Census in order to determine public opinion towards his administration.
Similar to last year, the new Census asked its respondents to judge the performance of high-ranking members of the government in eleven multiple-choice questions, with three more questions inviting suggestions for improvement.
Census takers were presented with six options to accurately reflect their opinions: strongly approve, approve, disapprove, strongly disapprove, neither approve nor disapprove, and unable to judge, the last of which is treated as an abstention. Out of 147 citizens to whom the Census was sent, 52 answered the form, a response rate of 35.37%.
[b]Former Delegate Kaschovia – 73%[/b]
Our former Delegate achieved a high 73% approval rating, a noticeable rise from his previous 62.9% approval in the last Census. However, the results between the two Censuses may not be directly comparable due to differences in sample size and population (27 residents vs. 52 citizens).
Nevertheless, with the difficult transition behind him, Kaschovia’s second term was as energetic and accomplished as the first.
An incomplete list of his administration’s achievements last term can be summarised as follows: a military victory in Warzone Trinidad, a coordinated expansion of sanctioned raider regions by the MGC in response to the attack on Europe, a forum embassy with The Region That Has No Big Banks, a brand new Northern Chess League, the introduction of the manual recruitment bot which dramatically improved recruitment in Home Affairs, the consistent production of new TNS editions, and continued regional dominance in the WA.
[b]Vice Delegate Chipoli – 73.1%[/b]
Vice Delegate Chipoli were viewed as favourably as former Delegate Kaschovia with an equally high approval rating of 73.1%. Chipoli presided over a peaceful term as Chair of the Security Council (SC), and during that time he continued to diligently publish weekly Vice Delegate’s Reports, declassify SC threads, and perform citizenship checks.
With relative stability returning to the region, he outlined his new priority for the next term in his re-election platform: connecting with the broader community by scheduling Town Halls, RMB’s Q&A sessions, and polls for the public to get a glimpse into the activities of the SC and the Vice Delegate. His strong approval rating was well-reflected in his near-unanimous re-election.
[b]Delegate’s Ministers – 63.4%[/b]
The Ministers’ (or Cabinet’s) overall performance was positively received with a respectable 63.4% approval rating, including 51.9% of respondents approving and 11.5% strongly approving. A large minority (26.9%) was neutral towards the Cabinet by choosing the “Neither approve nor disapprove” option, while 9.6% were unable to judge. Many commenters called for more cultural events, further RP outreach, improved communication between the Ministries, and more engagement with new staffers, giving them a chance to prove themselves.
[b]War Performance – 53.9%[/b]
Opinions were divided on how the administration handled the war last term, with 53.9% approving, 26.9% neither approving nor disapproving, 9.6% disapproving, and another 9.6% unable to judge. Some commenters expressed their concerns that the government was too passive in its approach, and asked for cooperation with allies to address the challenges. One citizen in particular requested “more disclosure of what the goals of the war will be.”
[b]Former Minister of Defense Robespierre (Francois Isidore) – 65.3%[/b]
Robespierre ended the term with a good approval rating of 65.3%. Capitalising on Comfed’s success in rejuvenating the NPA last year, Robespierre led the newly energised army to victorious anti-fascist operations in Valdosta, Hellish Dominion of Abysmal Torrent, and Ardenia. In February, two joint detag operations with TWPAF and the NPO proved a great success, and March saw the NPA’s greatest victory of the term in its capture and occupation of Warzone Trinidad. Only 7.7% of respondents disapproved of his performance.
[b]Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Comfed – 84.6%[/b]
Comfed won this year’s Census as the Minister with the highest approval rating, replacing Robespierre (as Minister of Communications) last year. 84.6% of respondents viewed his performance favourably and there were no disapprovals, a highly impressive accomplishment. His tenure oversaw the admission of The League & Concord into the MGC and the formation of the Committee on Foreign Relations – a central forum for the government’s foreign policy advisors. However, he also faced several difficult changes in TNP’s foreign relations, namely the departure of TWP and the NPO from the MGC and the repeal of the North-East Security Treaty between TNP and TEP.
[b]Former Minister of WA Affairs Simone Republic – 75%[/b]
Simone Republic remained popular as a Minister with an excellent 75% approval rating, carrying over his success from last year. Under his leadership, TNP continued to hold onto its dominance in the GA, with 17 out of 18 GA resolutions coming from TNP/WALL. Information for Voters (IFV) dispatches were also issued regularly with technological assistance from Magecastle. Similar to Robespierre, only 7.7% of respondents expressed their disapproval.
[b]Former Minister of Home Affairs Lionsroar – 65.4%[/b]
Lionsroar received a favourable approval rating of 65.4% for his productive performance as Minister of Home Affairs. His enthusiasm and dedication energised the Ministry and turned it into a workhorse. Recruitment efforts were greatly improved with the introduction of the manual recruitment bot, newcomers were regularly contacted and mentored, and several dispatches were redesigned and updated. Towards the end of his term, however, he abruptly resigned his position as Minister of Home Affairs & Lead Gameside Advocate and retired from TNP entirely. Mourning the loss of a competent and energetic Minister, former Delegate Kaschovia appointed this author as Lionsroar’s replacement with only six days left before the term ended. Fortunately, I managed to keep it afloat and completed several unfinished projects before leaving office.
[b]Former Minister of Culture Nutmeg The Squirrel (The Anddoran Commune) – 38.4%[/b]
Unfortunately, Nutmeg’s term as Minister of Culture was met with the lowest approval rating among the Ministers. Public opinion was split over their performance with 38.4% approving, 30.7% disapproving, 13.5% neither approving nor disapproving, and 17.3% unable to judge. Many commenters demanded more cultural events and interaction beyond Discord, with one asking to continue making available to the RMBers some of the big activities on the forum and Discord like the Lennarts and Delegate’s Day.
Responding to a request for comment, Nutmeg cited the understaffing issue as the primary cause for the Ministry’s underperformance. “We have now only eleven staffers counting me," they said. “Activity has been awful.” The shortage of active staffers in the Ministry hindered its performance and hampered the execution of additional cultural events.
[b]Former Minister of Communications Ruben (Halsoni) – 52%[/b]
Minister of Communications Ruben was regarded with a 52% approval rating, second to last among the Ministers. 15.4% of the respondents disapproved of his performance, 19.2% neither approved nor disapproved, and 13.5% were unable to judge. Under his direction, five TNS editions, three TNN issues, and two NBS Radio episodes were published throughout the term. Unfortunately, he was unable to revive TNL, TNP’s highly-prized regional publication.
On another note, my contribution to TNS as its Executive Editor was well-regarded, with one commenter complimenting “Really really great work from Picairn on TNS this term.” Thank you to those who appreciated my service, I’m proud to say that I have contributed to making TNS the new TNL. Sadly, as alluded to in the Editor’s Note, my new appointment as Minister of Defense and real-life circumstances mean that I will no longer be able to handle the design for future TNS editions from now on. I have notified the Ministry’s leadership of this decision, and I would like to thank all of you for enjoying my work.
[b]Former Lead Gameside Advocate Lionsroar – 55.7%[/b]
Lionsroar’s performance as Lead Gameside Advocate had less approval than his Ministerial one. Commenters cited the need for stronger and quicker moderation on the RMB against spammers and trolls, and more Gameside Advocates on the RMB but less spam from them. Two respondents asked for fewer rules and more lenient enforcement of the RMB Guidelines, while some were content with the RMB staying the same.
Lastly, there were miscellaneous requests for a separate public polling channel in TNP’s Discord server, a recruitment drive for the Executive Staff, more RP outreach, appointment of more Admins, an easier way to be added to the roleplay map, additional questions about the Speaker in the next Census, more Discord cultural events, etc. One commenter wrote “vibonia better” (a mistaken assertion), “That Comms guy is pretty cool” from another (perhaps an allusion to former Minister Ruben), and the last one replied: “I will live in TNP for the rest of my life.” To that commenter, I only wish to say: Same.[/size][/align]
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[box][anchor=ARTICLE3][b][size=175]2024 Lennarts Awards Open[/size][/b][size=120][tab=10]by [nation]Kaschovia[/nation][/tab][/size][/anchor]
[align=justify][size=110]The Lennarts are always a wonderful opportunity for nations all across The North Pacific to share their gratitude and experiences from the Year gone by with the rest of the community.
This Year, former Minister of Culture NutmegTheSquirrel organized the events with twelve awards in mind. These were, in no particular order: Article of the Year, Roleplayer of the Year (Eikþyrnir Award), Character of the Year, NPAer of the Year, Father Figure of the Year, Best Flag, Most Active, Rising Star, TNPer of the Year, Vault of Knowledge, Quote of the Year, and the Golden Heart Award.
Nominations for each of the awards was open from May 1st until the 13th, with over one hundred nominations being made across all of the awards. Without further ado, let’s go through each of the awards and talk about this year’s nominees!
[b]Article of the Year[/b]
[i]“This Award is for the pieces of writing that simply can't be ignored. Nominees for this award have created RolePlay posts, factbooks, worldbuilding posts, and more. Beautifully written and styled, they deserve to be shown to the region as evidence of what the best writing can look like.”[/i]
By the end of the nomination period, five articles had been nominated for the award on all varieties of topics, including articles from satirical news publication Greitbart, RP overviews, and worldbuilding posts. The vote is yet to take place on this specific award.
[b]Roleplayer of the Year[/b]
[i]“This Award is to celebrate the most outstanding members of our RolePlay community. Nominees for this Award consistently show effort through their writing, their ideas, and their aspirations. These people are masters of RolePlay, and can create masterpieces.”[/i]
Many prominent roleplayers were nominated for this award, with Gojira leading the pack on four nominations.
[b]Character of the Year[/b]
[i]“This Award is to celebrate the greatest characters of RolePlay, and their authors. Nominees for this award have made text spring to life in the form of characters, artfully written in stories that we can get invested in. Their characters are skilfully crafted, and deserve to be recognised as such.”[/i]
Six roleplay characters were nominated by two nations, with Gojira also picking up a nomination in this category as well.
[b]NPAer of the Year[/b]
[i]“This Award is for members of the North Pacific Army who have displayed excellence throughout their service. Nominees for this award are reliable and hard-working, doing their duty for the NPA and The North Pacific.”[/i]
This award saw a wide variety of nominations, from former MoDs Comfed, Robespierre, and Icarus, to newer faces such as the current MoD Picairn and Warrant Officer Matzerati. Generals Zazumo and Koopa were also nominated. It’s fair to say the vote for this category could be very close.
[b]Father Figure of the Year[/b]
[i]“This Award is for members of The North Pacific who show an example. Nominees for this award are people to idolize and look up to, willing to help those in need. They are people to aspire to be like.”[/i]
The two primary nominees for this category were Pallaith and Ethnon, both on four nominations, while names like Yalkan, Picairn, Baby Duckies, Satreburg and Zandos, were also thrown into the ring, the last three nominated via the gameside.
[b]Best Flag[/b]
[i]“This Award is for the creator of the best nation flag. Nominees for this award excel in crafting their flags, making artworks to stare at in wonder, and certainly worth memorialising.”[/i]
There were quite a lot of self-nominations for this award, though Gojira did again pick up the most with two. It’ll be interesting to take a look at these flags when the category comes to a vote!
[b]Most Active[/b]
[i]“This Award is for members of The North Pacific who are always active and available. Nominees for this award consistently show activity over the wide variety of TNP's spaces, and can always be seen out and around the place.”[/i]
There are a lot of nations who this category could easily be awarded to, but based on the nominations, the frontrunners are Ayuzh with six nominations, closely followed by Laforeia and Lionsmeow (no longer in TNP). More than five other unique nominations were made.
[b]Rising Star[/b]
[i]“This Award is for the more recent members of our community who have shown themselves to be especially talented and capable members of TNP. Nominees for this award are those who have joined The North Pacific since January 2023, and have displayed talent and commitment to the region.”[/i]
The two frontrunners for this award are Picairn and Halsoni, with four nominations each, while Arawi follows with two. Singaporen Empire, The Teutonic Kingdom and The Great Furrican Empire were nominated by gameside residents.
[b]TNPer of the Year[/b]
[i]“This Award is for the most upstanding member of The North Pacific. Nominees for this award display values central to this region, and represent everything the community strives to be.”[/i]
The nomination leader for this award is former two-term Delegate Kaschovia, with five. Pallaith, Laforeia, and Lionsmeow both saw two nominations each, while Simone, Vanguard, Ethnon, and Madjack all recieved one.
This award was the most recent to be awarded in The North Pacific, with Kaschovia getting 37 votes, followed by Laforeia on 25.
[b]Vault of Knowledge[/b]
[i]“This Award is for members of The North Pacific who hold a wide selection of knowledge and experience. Nominees for this award are able to provide advice on a wide variety of topics, and can be relied on for their expertise.”[/i]
Long-time TNPers like Eluvatar, Pallaith, Sil Dorsett, Madjack, GBM, and Ethnon collectively received the largest share of nominations, while newer names relative to those older nations, such as Comfed, Halsoni, Lionsmeow, Dantek, Gojira, and Xanditer were also nominated. In the end, Ethnon won the vote with 57 votes, while Pallaith came in second with 9.
[b]Quote of the Year[/b]
[i]“This Award is for the author of the most memorable thing said this year. Nominees for this award have said something so funny, so inspiring, so weird or so interesting that it just deserves to be remembered.”[/i]
Only two nations were nominated for this award by gameside residents - Dantek and Griddyland.
[b]Golden Heart Award[/b]
[i]“This Award is for the members of TNP who always brighten up the day with their joyful attitude and kindness. Nominees for this award display a kind attitude, and brighten up the day. They make us feel happy, and are willing to talk or to help when needed.”[/i]
By far the most nominated nation in all of the awards categories was Laforeia for the Golden Heart award, with ten nominations! Ethnon followed behind with four. Laforeia won the award with 72 votes to Ethnon’s 31 and Ayuzh’s 10.
The vote for TNPer of the Year is still ongoing, with many more categories still yet to come.[/size][/align]
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[box][anchor=ARTICLE4][b][size=175]A Case For Optimism[/size][/b][size=120][tab=10]by [nation]Kaschovia[/nation][/tab][/size][/anchor]
[align=justify][size=110]Eight months can feel either like a lifetime or like a matter of weeks depending on what you’re doing and whether you’re enjoying it. There is not a position more true to that statement than the delegacy. While closing addresses can help us understand someone’s experience in the position through an official lens, it is not very often we get personal accounts from those formerly in the position, even more so as recently as myself. Even if this inspires perhaps one newer member to run in the future, then this’ll have served its purpose. But ultimately, I hope that these remarks might help to push back against the idea that being the Delegate of The North Pacific is more stress than it is worth, or even like having a part-time job, and provide such an account to whomever may find it interesting enough to read.
I’d like to say my overall return to activity in The North Pacific last began in April of 2023, which to an extent is true, but it really began back in 2022 at the end of summer when I’d taken on the position of Minister of Culture under former Delegate Pallaith. As much as I loved being back in the region and cabinet, at the time I’d just moved to university and found myself swamped with illness, deadlines, and the general stresses of such a drastic change in life, so by October I had resigned and decided to take a hiatus. Despite the setback, I had yet again caught the NationStates bug and kept in mind that I wanted to return properly when life would permit it.
I finally did in March the following year, applying for citizenship and the executive staff. At the time I think I just wanted to get back into roleplaying and writing issues here and there, but when the events of April hit the region, there was really no going back. I’d been swept up in the storm of gameplay again, and this time it showed no signs of quieting down. The community was galvanized by what transpired to be the extortion of former Delegate Hulldom, so I’d seen one delegacy fall in quick order already. Then, to my surprise at the beginning of Gorundu’s time in the position, The Wellspring happened in the wake of the Frontier and Strongholds update. Watching the regional population explode as we realized it was the first proper frontier ever is still one of my favorite moments in NS. I was so inspired that I felt I needed to write about it, and so The North Star publication returned, which eventually led to the revival of Communications.
The months before the September 2023 General Election felt like normality and unchanging expectations. I’d picked up a Deputy Speakership here and a Deputy Ministership there, but despite my success in bringing back the Ministry of Communications and leading it into a revived era, I’d landed right where I always have within the executive mix. I had no issue with that, I feel I’ve done enough work in that area to continue enjoying it for the rest of time, but there was a part of me that wanted to believe I could do more.
As we all know, the region went through some pretty rough times in the months before the election and it was fairly unclear who would submit their bids for the various positions. While I did reduce my activity in the wake of my resignation during former Delegate Gorundu’s term, feeling burnt out and in need of recuperation, there was a part of me fixated on all of the issues I had noticed building up. I’d seen constant provocation from the likes of the Brotherhood of Malice and The Communist Bloc, faltering technology, low executive engagement, diplomatic turmoil, and once Gorundu had resigned facing recall, leaving Chipoli to take the reins as Acting Delegate, we didn’t have an elected Delegate either. So in the end, I decided to throw all caution to the wind and just go for it.
Now, I don’t want anyone to think being Delegate is easy, because it really isn’t. It requires constant diligence and careful thinking. It also requires exactly as much time management and record-keeping as one might expect. There were times over the last eight months that I really felt the pressure and overwhelming importance of the position, but despite this, there are some genuinely pleasant aspects to the position that aren’t celebrated so often after the fact.
[b]Representing Thousands[/b]
When I first joined NS, the idea that I could possibly be elected to represent thousands of individual nations seemed so distant a goal that I mostly put it out of my mind in favor of other objectives. I’d write an issue here, an article there, and generally just do whatever I felt I wanted to do. But when I was elected in September, the weight of over 6,000 nations behind me was palpable… It was really something nobody can prepare you for. For some it might be overwhelming, but for me I was just in awe. I felt it most whenever I’d vote in the World Assembly, because when you see the distribution of delegate votes skyrocket in either direction solely because of your vote, it puts in perspective how large The North Pacific is compared to basically ninety-nine percent of all other regions. Then to remember that you’re the person representing such a vast community is just a great feeling.
[b]Sharing Your Vision[/b]
Everyone has ideas about how to make our region a better place. We all see challenges differently and naturally we all come up with nuanced solutions. As Delegate you can share your vision with the rest of the community and see change happen in real time. It’s even better when that vision is met with excitement and ambition, particularly from those who are ambitious enough to help carry it forward.
But it is also a lot more than that, because a lot of the time we fail to comprehend all of the interconnected systems which set The North Pacific apart. There are countless moving parts which always need monitoring, from IFVs and recruitment, to cultural events and diplomatic distributions, everything is always happening. Seeing that vision start to come together, overcoming the setbacks, and feeling the effects of it is one of the most rewarding things this game has to offer.
For example, I’d been pushing along the process of getting recruitment technology working again, which mostly involved pestering the technologically-inclined among us, and when it all came together and worked, I knew I’d contributed to long-lasting, positive change. The delegacy can make that happen.
[b]A Place In History[/b]
I personally love researching the stories of past delegates, as can be seen in any of my series Echoes: The Past Delegates Series (shameless plug). There are an endless number of variables that make anyone’s time as Delegate unique, and mine absolutely fell under some of the most extreme and unprecedented.
To be the first wartime Delegate in over fifteen years, after the recalls of the two delegates prior, at a time when The North had been facing and continues to face levels of foreign aggression not felt in years, in the midst of a technological collapse of great complexity in regards to crucial regional tools, not too long after the breakdown of the Aurora Alliance with The South Pacific… oh, did I mention the Frontiers and Strongholds update yet?
The point is, the delegate is directly exposed to all of the changes this game goes through in their most unforgiving and unpredictable states, and is expected to chart the course. Now, I’m not saying all of this because I think I did a perfect job of dealing with all of those elements, because I didn’t, but it speaks to the myriad of ways that NationStates can continue to challenge and constantly change around you. There’s something genuinely awesome about being a part of all of that.
[b]Deepening Connections[/b]
A lot of NationStates analysts might point to the paramount importance of gameplay, politics, and diplomacy as key factors for the success of any one individual or region throughout the years, but for me I believe what makes a region or individual truly successful is the depth of the connections formed within. Without the wonderful individuals who I maintained communication with throughout both terms, none of this would have been worth it. And while there were definitely real challenges to face, I could not possibly have faced them alongside the region without those friendships. Ultimately, whether we want to believe it or not, NationStates is at its core more of a social game than it is a political simulator and I think most players would agree that it is the connections they have made over the years and the memories they have formed which continue to make NS worth playing.
In my personal experience, at least, that could not be truer. As much as I enjoy all of the other aspects of the game, I think it’s the community you fall into that determines what you truly get out of it.
These things are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to some of the best things about leading The North Pacific. It's time we changed how we see the delegacy overall and learn to appreciate the position in all of its nuance and chaos, because in the midst of what most of us feel to be the least enjoyable sides of the position, are some of the greatest and most rewarding moments NationStates has to offer.
At the end of the day, someone has to do it, and if we can generate a more positive attitude around what it means to represent The North Pacific despite all of those challenges, there's no limit to how far our next generation of regional leaders will take us.
[b]So, what next?[/b]
Well, I’m back into the executive fold for now. I’ve been appointed and confirmed as an Election Commissioner and taken Deputy Ministerships in Communications, Defense, and Culture. Overall, I’m just pursuing whatever interests me day to day. I generally think that’s exactly how NationStates is supposed to be played: no endpoint, just constantly evolving interests wherever the road takes you. You’ll likely find me tinkering away trying to get some broken resources working, occupying myself with each of the tasks present within the ministries, or writing stuff like this. Just how I have always liked it.[/size][/align]
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[box][anchor=ARTICLE5][b][size=175]Spotlight Interview with Delegate Simone[/size][/b][size=120][tab=10]by [nation]Kaschovia[/nation][/tab][/size][/anchor]
[align=justify][size=110][b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]Hello everyone and welcome to The Spotlight Interview Series. Our guest for this issue of the Spotlight will be none other than 35+ WA author, former Minister of World Assembly Affairs, and current Delegate of The North Pacific... Simone Republic! It's great to have you here, Simone.
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]Thank you for interviewing me.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]We usually begin these interviews by asking about the origins of a player in NationStates, but these last few weeks, I think, should be highlighted first. For the context of our readers, you were elected Delegate of The North Pacific about a month ago, succeeding myself in the role. How have you found this first month or so in the position?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]I think the cabinet including myself is fully focused on delivering our platform of Change for All of Us in The North Pacific. For example, Radio under Koopa has several interview episodes ready and one released already, Daily Events are back, The Northern Notes are now weekly, and most important of course we have the Pride Prom starting on 10 June!
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]Could you perhaps tell us a little bit more? You've quite boldly assembled one of the most interesting and expansive cabinets of any Delegate the region has seen - so how are those extra positions, beyond the Radio Master Koopa (who deserves great credit for taking on our broadcasting portfolio), faring in their new responsibilities?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]I think everyone is faring great. It takes a bit getting used to how I work - my preferred style is to not box myself in and seek advice from as many people as I can before I reach a decision, including those that don't agree with me (possibly especially from those that don't agree with me) - so I added more advisors including yourself and a number of experienced professionals like ROM to meet in cabinet.
My model is more like the British cabinet where there is a more fluid number of ministers as well as ministers with more fluid roles such as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster or First Secretary State - it's dissimilar to the American model where there is a fixed number of secretaries and then some minor variations on whether the heads of certain departments like the Small Business Administration are attending cabinet.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]Your approach to assembling a cabinet is absolutely something that has set you apart from past Delegates. Conversely, what have been some of the challenges you've had to meet or overcome over the last month? Taking on the responsibilities of Delegate is no easy task at all - how have you experienced that?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]Well, the League of Christian Nations was a unforced blunder on my part - I was not aware of the homophobic and bigoted posts on their RMB and made a number of quick and erroneous decisions based on incorrect and incomplete information. Otherwise I would say that having a larger group of advisors - including yourself obviously - with immense experience have provided tremendous support in my career thus far as delegate.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]Okay, we've spoken a bit about the beginnings of this term, but I want to take a step back. For those who might not know your story in NationStates and subsequently The North Pacific, can you tell us how you found the game, then TNP, and what your story has been so far?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]Well, my story was fairly straight forward. I joined NationStates in July 2019, when I had some free time. I was waiting to start a new job in August 2019, after my non-compete expired. I always liked political games such as Shadow President (CyberJudas) so I thought I'd give NationStates a try. I tried Ars Regendi before (that's obviously been shut down) but found that boring. When I joined NationStates, I spawned in The North Pacific. And that was basically it. During June 2020 (so when Covid was making us all isolate to some extent etc), I started to play NationStates beyond answering issues, and I ended up becoming a citizen of TNP. After that, I gravitated towards the World Assembly forum, since that's more of my personal interest. I was a prolific commentator in the forum, then became a staffer, then became a prolific author myself, and then became Deputy Minister under Chipoli, and Minister under you.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]You definitely seem to have created this ubiquitous presence and success in the World Assembly which can only be admired. What is it that you enjoy about the process of authoring resolutions and doing it so consistently over the years?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]I write a lot of legal related memos for compliance of existing laws for work reasons, so it's nice to try to create my own laws for once. The topics I write about tend to be ones where I have some real life knowledge but I did some research on the same topic beforehand.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]Were there any other areas of the executive you were at some point interested in? Which ones and why?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]I didn't really have the opportunity because I was quickly promoted from DM to EDM and then Minister for MoWAA. And because I am an active author at the same time, that took up most of my free time.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]That makes sense. Do you think once your delegacy is over you'll go back to WA exclusively, or do you think that you will explore other ministries?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]I haven't thought that far ahead yet.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]That's understandable. Here's something I usually ask those who I interview: who has been your greatest mentor(s) and or inspirations in your time on NS? What did they do to help you get to where you are now?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]I'd say it's a combination of many people because I had a fairly diversified experience. Hulldom for example taught me how to write Information for Voters for MoWAA. Some of the writing techniques in the GA were from Imperium Anglorum and Kenmoria. Obviously the current Cabinet (including yourself) is giving me great advice on a wide range of matters.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]Understandable! Here's an interesting question, given you have over 35 WA resolutions passed to date: which was your favourite? Or, to phrase it slightly better, which one are you most proud of and why?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]My usual answer is GA#690, because although it was submitted under my name, Imperium Anglorum wrote it. The serious answer is that I don't have one. As my writing skills improved, I don't like some of my older ones as much, but some newer ones were also not to my liking due to compromises that I had to do for various reasons such as accomodations for past resolutions or the fact that there are RP and other communities in NSGA. Some of the stuff becomes really weird.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]Interesting, I think many people would agree that the current state of the WA is quite centralized, with yourself and the likes of The Ice States and others making up most of the passed resolutions. Do you think the lack of unique authors is an issue, and if so how do you believe it could be rectified? How far do you believe the complexity of WA resolution standards affect such an issue?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]I think it's merely a coincidence, with a lot of authors having moved on to other parts of NationStates - they are still in the game but have moved to other parts. New authors like Bisofeyr are emerging quickly as well. For example, Imperium Anglorum's output is down in the WA but in GA Gensec his output is up, having had to do five rulings in the first quarter of 2024, whereas he did five rulings for the whole of 2023. Kenmoria and The Ice States have also joined GA Gensec. GA Gensec has been making a lot of much-needed updates to the ruleset since December 2023 and I understand that's taken up much of their time.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]I see. Here's a question I always find very interesting in these interviews: what's your favorite thing about The North Pacific, and why?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]I don't know actually. I've never been elsewhere so it seems difficult for me to compare with other regions.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]There must be something that you like the most about TNP.
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]Well, I like that we are a vibrant democracy and with good opportunities for a career in the game. If I had spawned in a dictatorship frontier or whatever, I probably would have left for another region like TNP.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]Yeah, I mean you've been around for quite some time now, relative to most of our members, though some of our delegates have been around for over 20 years! Which delegate, past or contemporary, do you admire the most? If you've read up about their histories, that is.
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]I think it's hard to make judgments on delegates from before my time (I am coming up on five years here), obviously I never crossed paths with them in any governmental capacity, and I am not sure how much reading their histories help me understand them. The game has also evolved a lot and the challenges have differed massively from delegate to delegate. I think you had your own set of challenges as delegate, so did Ghost, so did McM, and so forth. It's hard to say who is particularly good or admire the most because I tend to think that different delegates had different circumstances so it's never like-for-like. Barack Obama had different challenges to Bill Clinton, as US presidents go.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]That’s a fair assessment. Do you think you’ll go for a second term in September?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]It depends on my availability then. I am quite a bit older than the average NS player (despite having less experience in game, since I only joined five years ago). So family, kids and work needs are obviously more important for me. Of course it also depends on whom the other candidates are at that time. So far I don't think I have had any problems with jiggling the delegacy with my full time work, family, kids, vacations, travels etc. And I am still submitting GA resolutions.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b]It's good to hear that NS hasn't taken over too much of your real life, it can happen all too easily and especially in the Delegacy. I have just one final question for you before we wrap this interview up: what motivates you the most in your position each day?
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]I am trying to make The North Pacific a better place than I found it. I don't know if I'd get a second term (or if I am available for one) so I am trying to make as many (hopefully positive) changes as possible during my term.
[b][color=green]Kaschovia: [/color][/b] Well, thank you for being on the show! It's been a pleasure talking to you.
[b][color=red]Simone: [/color][/b]Thank you.[/size][/align]
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[color=white][b][size=150]Thank you for reading![/size][/b]
Publisher: [nation]Simone Republic[/nation] | Editor-in-Chief: [nation]Arawi[/nation] | Executive Editor: [nation]Kaschovia[/nation][/color]
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[center]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.
[b][url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1114798]Index of Issues[/url][/b]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/aicYay1.gif[/img][/center]If you encounter any difficulties, contact Minister of Foreign Affairs @Chipoli.
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