by Max Barry

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The South Pacific RMB

WA Delegate: The 🍪 Tropical Biscuit Paradise of Aumeltopia (elected )

Last WA Update:

World Factbook Entry

🌴 Welcome to the South Pacific ~ Haere mai ki te tonga! 🌴
The oldest democracy in NationStates and the region where the party never ends!

🛡️ Please join the World Assembly and endorse Delegate Aumeltopia, along with all members of the CRS!

⚠️ Find out why this is really important!

👶 New to the South Pacific? Start here!

🏛️ LinkEmbassy Requests │ 🛃 Endorsement Cap │ 🛂 RMB Rules

WA Delegate
The 🍪 Tropical Biscuit Paradise of Aumeltopia
Prime Minister
The NaNo Bot of Nakarisaune
Minister of Regional Affairs / CRS Member
The One-Winged Etymology Shark of Erinor
Minister of Foreign Affairs / CRS Member
The Valkyrian Republic of Qvait
Minister of Military Affairs
The Chiefdom Matriarchy of FiHami
Local Councillor
The Saucy Suzerain of Auphelia
Local Councillor
The Amerion For Supreme Leader 😈 of Proctethia
Council on Regional Security Member
The Amerion-4-Supreme-Leader 😈 of Amerion
Council on Regional Security Member
The Swiftly Tilting Land of Tsunamy
+ 3 more
  1. 8

    GA Recommendation Dashboard: Vote FOR 'Ban On Forced Blood Sports' | OWL

    Bulletin → Campaign by Office of WA Legislation . 141 reads.

  2. 19

    SWAN Award Volume #23

    Meta → Gameplay by Southern World Assembly Initiative . 214 reads.

  3. 11

    Delegate Election: July 2020

    Bulletin → News by Tsunamy . 84 reads.

  4. 15

    The Southern Journal - Monthly Digest - June 2020

    Bulletin → News by Erinor . 113 reads.

  5. 7

    About the South Pacific Coral Guard

    Meta → Gameplay by Council on Regional Security . 193 reads.

  6. 1,718

    NationStates Guide

    Meta → Reference by Amerion . 73,997 reads.

  7. 62

    Welcome to the South Pacific: A guide to playing the game and getting involved in the region.

    Meta → Reference by Erinor . 9,004 reads.

  8. 204

    The Southern World Assembly Initiative

    Meta → Gameplay by Southern World Assembly Initiative . 24,384 reads.

  9. 22

    Join the South Pacific Special Forces!

    Meta → Gameplay by SPSF Tidal Force . 956 reads.

  10. 317

    Coronavirus (COVID-19) Informational Dispatch

    Meta → Reference by Amerion . 6,424 reads.

  11. 16

    RMB Rules and Etiquette

    Meta → Reference by The TSP Local Council . 778 reads.

▼ 8 More

Embassies: The North Pacific, The East Pacific, the Rejected Realms, 10000 Islands, Spiritus, The Union of Democratic States, Conch Kingdom, Wintreath, The Order of the Grey Wardens, Forest, Hell, Lazarus, NationStates, Albion, Equilism, Gay, and 15 others.Versailles Isle, Knowhere, South Pacific Trading Company, Europe, South Pacific, the West Pacific, the Pacific, PacificCon, Warzone PacificCon, Thalassia, Osiris, The South Pacific WA Voting Center, Eniwhere, Psomewhere Over the Rainbow, and Government Island.

Tags: Anti-Fascist, Casual, Defender, Democratic, Egalitarian, Fantasy Tech, Featured, Feeder, Feminist, Founderless, Future Tech, Gargantuan, and 13 others.General Assembly, LGBT, Map, Modern Tech, Offsite Chat, Offsite Forums, Outer Space, Regional Government, Role Player, Security Council, Snarky, Social, and World Assembly.

Regional Power: Extremely High

The South Pacific contains 8,373 nations, the 3rd most in the world.

Activity • History • Administration

Today's World Census Report

The Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector in the South Pacific

World Census analysts extensively tested concept muscle cars in empty parking lots in order to estimate which nations have the largest auto industries.

As a region, the South Pacific is ranked 9,670th in the world for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector.

NationWA CategoryMotto
1.The Incorporated Entity of Harmonious PaperclipsIron Fist Consumerists“Insufficient experience to get experience”
2.The PS2 Puppet of PterodoriaCompulsory Consumerist State“Stop reading my motto!”
3.The PANDA of Pencil Sharpeners 2Inoffensive Centrist Democracy“Stop reading my motto!”
4.The Republic of NarsoraDemocratic Socialists“Peace,Freedom and Compassion”
5.The Confederacy of City States NationInoffensive Centrist Democracy“Terra novum et caelum”
6.The Grand Royal Duchy of AschenburgCapitalizt“Sit Nomine Digna”
7.The Amazonian Empire of The Amazons DaughtersInoffensive Centrist Democracy“Tous pour un et un pour tous”
8.The Desert Hellhole of TremulistanCorporate Police State“Faith sets you free”
9.The Green and Holy Union of LuvazarIron Fist Consumerists“In Zin Confidimus.”
10.The Seafood Paradise of KohrArCompulsory Consumerist State“With oysters we thrive!”
1234. . .837838»

Regional Poll • Eurovision 2020

The Saucy Suzerain of Auphelia wrote:Unfortunately, Eurovision 2020 was cancelled (though the Dutch had won, so were not missing much). Fortunately, that doesnt mean we have to wait a year for some lovely songs. Enter Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Helmed by the comedian Will Ferrell and the always brilliant Rachel McAdams, this film not only gave a touch of silliness, but several excellent (mostly fictional) songs to assuage the agony of going an entire year without ruthlessly tearing down other nations (Arcade should never have won) have been granted to us. The only question now is this: which song reigns supreme?

Voting opened 1 day 22 hours ago and will close . Open to all nations. You cannot vote as you are not logged in.

Recent polls: “Where in the World is Alice Parker?” • “Pure Evil” • “More Pride” • “Pick A Door” • “New Local Councillor” • “Pride”

Regional Happenings

More...

The South Pacific Regional Message Board

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↑ Older Messages

The Fwoofy Federation of Rabbitz

*Hops onto the RMB*

Hewwo everyone!

Melicorium

The ペコペコ of Kerlodia

Rabbitz wrote:*Hops onto the RMB*

Hewwo everyone!

おはよ、ウサギさん！
(Good morning, Rabbit!)

Rabbitz and Melicorium

The Fwoofy Federation of Rabbitz

Kerlodia wrote:おはよ、ウサギさん！
(Good morning, Rabbit!)

Ah yes...

Timezones

Melicorium

The AMERIONFORSUPREMELEADEROFTSP of Melicorium

Rabbitz wrote:*Hops onto the RMB*

Hewwo everyone!

Good evening, thy Fwoofiest Chair!
———————
Ryans World sucks
Welcome! *Tips C2 Cap* Have a greeting from Proctethia, one of our Local Councillors.

Proctethia wrote:Hullo, and welcome to TSP - The South Pacific! I am Proctethia, one of your three Local Councillors - but you can call me Apollo (or not)!
^-^

*hands you a warmed glass of S.P.I.T., some guides, places a lampshade on your head and gives you a welcoming hug*

Enjoy your stay!
(/^0^)/

Welcome to the South Pacific: A guide to playing the game and getting involved in the region.

by The One-Winged Etymology Shark of Erinor

.

Guides
.

Welcome to the South Pacific!

HOLD IT! This dispatch is really long. What’s the TL;DR, please?

Well, the game pretty much plays itself, but if you’re looking to get involved in the region beyond the basics, then there are a variety of things you can do:

  • First, join the World Assembly on the left, and endorse Aumeltopia, This is the simplest way you can help strengthen our region against attack. Read this dispatch to learn more about why this important!

  • Want to talk to all of us in real time, to get all your questions answered, to debate what there is to debate, or just to chill and have a drink of South Pacific Iced Tea? LinkJoin us on our Discord server.

  • Are you interested in writing and debating laws, and getting involved in the nitty-gritty of regional politics? Join our regional forum and Linksign up to be a legislator here.

  • Interested in helping to craft festivals, events, news articles, and graphics to keep everyone entertained and involved for a long time to come. Join us on LinkDiscord or you could read this guide, first, if you prefer to know more.

  • Interested in the military? Do you want to go out into the wide world of NationStates to protect regions from attackers, and take the fight to them if necessary? The South Pacific Special Forces is just the thing for you. LinkJump on Discord to sign up.

  • You can Linkjoin our regional roleplay here and Linkgrab a spot on our regional map too.

You may also find this Glossary of Common Abbreviations and Terms useful. And here's a guide to getting involved in Politics in the South Pacific.

Okay, I want more detail, but start with the basics, please!

So, you’ve just started playing NationStates and you’ve been randomly assigned to the South Pacific region. What now?

There’s already a great FAQ on the site that’s worth reading, but I’ll do my best to give you a basic run through here as well.

Firstly, you will want to get to know your nation and get a feel for how you can mould it to your will. This is done by answering issues, which pop up every six hours or so. [Pro-tip - you can change the frequency that you receive issues in your settings] Each issue has a number of possible decisions to choose from. These will usually cover a range of positions on the political spectrum, but they will also tend to be rather extreme - that’s part of the fun! When you’ve chosen which decision you want to take, you’ll get a screen showing you its effect on your nation, as your stats go up or down in various ways, as well as a humorous tagline which will usually make it sound like you made a bad decision (don’t worry, it’s just being funny).

Answering issues is the only way you can directly change your nation’s stats (except population, which just increases steadily over time as a measure of how long you’ve been playing - population milestones will unlock some new customisation features for your nation, like naming your capital city), and it is, basically the whole of the base game. Anything else NationStates has to offer is kinda added-on.

Indeed, the only other part of the game that connects directly to your nation is the World Assembly. It’s kinda like NationStates’ version of the UN, and if you join it you can vote on resolutions created by other nations, the outcome of which will affect your nation’s stats. You can only have one WA nation. Don’t try and have more than one - it’s a serious offence!

There’s more to being in the WA, but that’s the only part of it that affects your nation’s general stats and is, therefore, part of the basics of the game. We’ll look at the other features of being in the WA later.

Okay, so you said I’d been assigned to a region. What is a region anyway and can I change which region I’m in?

Well, regions in NationStates are communities which your nation can be part of. Each nation can only belong to one region at a time, but you are free to move your nation as much as you like, or you can create multiple nations to experience several regions at once.

The South Pacific is a Game-Created Region (GCR), meaning that it was not founded by an individual player and, as one of the five Pacifics, it serves the purpose of being a ‘feeder’ region, meaning it is where new nations are randomly assigned once they are created, because everybody has to start somewhere.

As such, there are a lot of nations in the South Pacific at any one time and nations come and go quite quickly, but this also means that the region is very diverse and inclusive and this is reflected in the aims of the regional government.

Wait, what? The region has a government?

Yes, but there’s more to tell you about regions first!

Okay…

You can find other regions by searching for them on ‘The World’ page and you can change your nation’s region by visiting the World Factbook Entry (WFE - here’s the South Pacific’s) of another region and then scrolling until you see a button labeled ‘Move [nation name] to [region name]’. Click it and you’re off!

Right. Are you going to tell me about the regional government, now? Is that, like, a roleplaying thing?

Yes, okay.

Firstly, the regional government of the South Pacific (known as the Coalition of the South Pacific) is not a roleplaying government, at least, not exactly. It is made up of individuals within the South Pacific who have been elected to office by others in the South Pacific and, once in office, they have real power over the community and what happens there. In that sense, at least, this is not roleplaying. They are not ‘in character’. It is, however, a kind of gameplay, as it allows people to ‘play’ at politics and enjoy another aspect of being part of this community.

So, how does it work?

Well, regional governments sprang up not long after the game was first created back in 2003. They grew up out of the delegate system, which is where nations which are members of the WA can endorse each other and the nation with the most endorsements in the region becomes the regional WA delegate, with increased voting power in the WA itself. That automatically creates a kind of democracy and, since the regional WA delegate has certain powers (like banning nations and editing the WFE), it became a desirable position and one that people wanted to make sure was used wisely.

The limitations of what is possible on regional message boards made regions begin to form the structures of government on off-site forums and, over time and through the work and effort of many ‘generations’ of players, those structures have evolved into fully-functioning governments.

The Coalition of the South Pacific (found Linkon these forums) is one of the oldest democracies in the game. It has Linka charter from which all our laws are derived, an Assembly which serves as the legislature of the coalition, creating and voting on laws and presided over by the Chair; a Cabinet consisting of a Prime Minister and the Ministers, respectively, of Regional Affairs, Foreign Affairs and Military Affairs, who serve as our executive; and a local government on the game website consisting of the Delegate and three Local Council members. All of these positions are elected at regular intervals, allowing players frequent opportunity to run for them.

That sounds interesting. How do I get involved?

The best thing to do is to join the forums here and Linkregister as a legislator, which will allow you to vote on laws. Then you should probably lurk a little while and look through old threads to see what people actually do in government and how it affects the community.

I’d also recommend joining Linkour Discord chat server. It’s great fun and a lot happens on there which is relevant to the forum-based government. Indeed, in many ways, it’s more active than the forums, with the latter serving as the place to store and action all our laws, debates and votes.

What else is there to do?

There is roleplaying on both the TSP forum and the NationStates forum. Most regions have their own journalism reporting on regional events and are keen to have new writers get involved. Our journalism is run by the Ministry of Regional Affairs, who also organise festivals and events and write guides like this to help welcome new players. You can join us Linkon our Discord server

There is military gameplay, which takes the form of using WA membership and delegate endorsement to ‘raid’ regions, taking over their in-game power-structure to make changes or just say that you’ve done it. Other’s ‘defend’ regions from attacks by raiders who seek to damage a region’s membership or culture. There are also independents, who raid or defend just for fun and don’t seek to cause any damage. (the South Pacific has it’s own independent army - the South Pacific Special Forces, which you can join Linkhere, or Linkon their Discord server. There are even special GCRs called Warzones designed just for this purpose.

And of course there’s the usual banter and word games, karaoke competitions, inter-regional festivals - all sorts of things really. There’s always something going on in NationStates!

But don’t be overwhelmed. Take your time, get involved in whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it and don’t stress. Above all, have fun and play nicely with other players!

Read dispatch


page=dispatch/id=1076371

RMB Rules and Etiquette

by The Tyrannical Overlords of The TSP Local Council

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·
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—

Hello! Welcome to the South Pacific, and its regional message board, or RMB! It is a vibrant, active place where people from all around the world can hang out and talk. It is the region's primary place of communication, and is open to all types of conversations, debates, and overall fun. However, without some form of rules, the RMB would be a wild, annoying, and downright un-enjoyable place. And so, due to this, rules must be laid down and enforced. These are important to protect everyone's safety, dignity, and sanity. So we all ask that you please take the time to read the following rules, and try your hardest to follow them. Remember, there are consequences for breaking the rules.

Note: The “Fundamental Rule” portion of each guideline is meant as a summary of the rule. The official text of the rule may be found in the “Details” spoiler.

Breaking these rules can result in consequences including warnings, post suppressions, and in the the case of repeated or serious infractions, ejection and banning from the region. The full, detailed Local Council Standard Moderation Policy, which specifies the exact consequences for various levels of rule-breaking, can be found here: [link to come shortly!]

And so, after much introduction, here are your RMB Rules:

I. Thou Shalt Not Spam

Fundamental Rule: Don't spam. Spamming is bad. It is the first rule for a reason.

Details:
Spamming on the RMB is not allowed at all, under any circumstances. Spamming is probably best described as a post that is meaningless and/or unnecessary— for example, a post that repeats the same thing multiple times, multiple posts of the same thing, or a series of posts that have no apparent meaning. It does not matter what your intent is— if your post(s) fits the above definition, it is considered spam and will be dealt with accordingly.

II. Thou Shalt Type No Other Languages Before English

Fundamental Rule: Posts on the Regional Message Board must be in English, or include an English translation.

Details:
We understand that many of you come from backgrounds where English is not your main language, as players come from all around the world. However, to avoid confusion among people who don't speak your language, we sincerely ask that you post in English only, for ease of communication.

Remember, there are tools like LinkGoogle Translate to help you. If you speak in another language, please add a translation to English in the same post. Posts with English translations will not be suppressed. For the avoidance of doubt, English means Modern English and not backwards English.

III. Thou Shalt Not Ask for Endorsements nor Recruit on the RMB

Fundamental Rule: Don’t ask for people to endorse you on the Regional Message Board. Don’t ask for people to move to another region.

Details:
Asking for endorsements on the RMB is not allowed at all, under any circumstances. Ever. Permissions are only made if the requester is a member of the Council on Regional Security or the Delegate seeking to increase endorsement counts for the purposes of promoting regional security.

If you want to receive and give more endorsements, get involved in the Southern World Assembly Initiative, TSP’s endorsement program.

Similarly, recruiting, or telling people to move to another region, is also not allowed. You may not ask people to join your region on the RMB, whether you are also a South Pacifican citizen yourself or not.

IV. Thou May Roleplay Here

Fundamental Rule: Roleplay on the Regional Message Board, but do not break any other rules. If you're feeling nice or your roleplay is a bit niche or particularly nation driven, please consider taking your roleplaying to Knowhere or Psomewhere Over The Rainbow.

Details:
It's all legal! As long as it complies with the rules. Specifically; remember to keep your roleplays appropriate (as stated in rule IX). The LC has reached a general conclusion on what is appropriate, and if your roleplay does not fit within those boundaries, it will be stopped. So, excessive display of affection, sexually-suggesting roleplay, and the like, are not allowed at all.

Similarly, do not clog the RMB with your roleplay. If you feel it has been going on for a while, either take it to a roleplay region, or cease it all together. Otherwise, it may be interfered with. When the board is dominated by roleplay, it becomes hard for everyone else to communicate with each-other, thanks to the overabundance of posts completely unrelated to what they are doing.

But other than those things, feel free to roleplay to your heart's content!

Roleplaying on the South Pacific’s main RMB is permitted for 5 posts on the topic before it must be taken elsewhere. If you wish to roleplay freely, there are two regions run by the South Pacific whose Regional Message Boards you can post on to roleplay freely: Knowhere and Psomewhere.

Organizing, recruiting, and making announcements about roleplays taking place in the South Pacific, Knowhere, or Psomewhere is permitted for 5 posts on the topic before it must be taken off the main TSP RMB.

A chain of posts connected by quotes of the previous poster is considered a single topic for the purposes of this rule, unless it is clear that the portion of the previous post being responded to is the beginning of a new subject (e.g. if a quoted post is both the second response to one subject and the first response to another, and it is quoted in its entirety but it is clear the quoter intends to respond to only the latter subject, the quoting post will not be suppressed for violating the RP limit). Note that you may not avoid violating the RP limit by simply not quoting the person you are responding to, even if you are still discussing the same subject matter— see Rule XI, “when you are responding to someone's post, please quote their post”. A post clearly dealing with the same subject as a current topic will be considered part of that topic.

Note also that a topic does not “reset” if it has not been discussed in a while or if new posters join the conversation. A switch of roleplay topic after 5 posts does count as a “reset”, but to be considered a switch of topic, the change must be considerable— going from roleplaying eating a snack to roleplaying taking a post-snack nap does not count (as it clearly still takes place in the same “world”), while going from roleplaying eating a snack to roleplaying as a news announcer does count.

Knowhere is the place for roleplays involving interactions between nations, and other more serious styles. Psomewhere is for “silly plotless roleplaying”, often involving players acting as characters. Any nation in the South Pacific can post in these regions without having to move to them or leave The South Pacific.

V. Thou Shalt Not Multi-Post

Fundamental Rule: Don’t post on the Regional Message Board twice or more in a row.

Details:
Double posting, or posting two posts in a row, is considered illegal, as are any other number of posts more than one in a row.

VI. Thou Shalt Not Violate Others’ Privacy

Fundamental Rule: Don’t reveal other players’ personal information.

Details:
It is not permitted to post or otherwise share another player's personally-identifying information (i.e. social media accounts, IP addresses, postal addresses, E-mail addresses, telephone numbers, etc.), and neither is it permitted to post or share information that may not be identifying but is nonetheless of a personal nature (i.e. medical history, relationship status, etc.). The only exception is if the player in question has shared that information themselves and does not mind its dissemination (this sharing or statement of permission must be publically viewable).

Making a claim of serious out-of-character misconduct (e.g. bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, etc.) against someone else, without providing evidence to moderation/administration, is considered malicious harassment, and will be dealt with accordingly. This rule applies to the TSP forum and discord as well.

VII. Thou Shalt Not Troll, Bait, or Flame

Fundamental Rule: Trolling, baiting or flaming of others is not allowed under any circumstances.

Details:
Trolling is defined as starting quarrels or upsetting people by posting inflammatory and digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages with the intent of provoking other nations into displaying emotional responses. Baiting is similar to trolling, and is defined as posting with the aim of angering someone indirectly, directed at a specific person. Flaming is defined as posting insults or other verbal and often personal attacks on other nations. Erudite slams while maintaining a veneer of politeness can also be considered flaming. All three of these are banned under all circumstances.

This is an extension of a simple policy of respect. What may seem like good natured fun to you could be trolling to someone else, and if they tell you to stop, do so.
We can and will warn, suppress, and even ban you, as well as record the incident. In severe cases the NationStates Moderators will be contacted, and puppets will not hide your IP address from them.

VIII. Thou Shalt Obey the Rules of NationStates

Fundamental Rule: No matter where you are in NationStates, the rules for the game still apply.

Details:
TSP is a part of NationStates, and as such, you must follow the rules of the game as a whole at all times. Breaking the game rules will land you in trouble with both the regional officers and NationStates site moderation. See the link below for the list of rules and a quick FAQ page for more details on the game rules.

NationStates Rules

NationStates FAQ

IX. Thou Shalt Not Post Inappropriate Things

Fundamental Rule: Don’t post anything that would not be allowed in a PG-13 movie.

Details:
Excessive swearing, explicit, suggestive, or excessively violent messages, sexual references, and other such things will be suppressed on sight, and the NationStates site moderators can and will be called to get involved in serious cases. Excessive displays of personal affection (e.g. suggestive roleplayed snuggling, nuzzling, kissing, licking and so on) is also considered inappropriate and will be suppressed accordingly.

Mild swearing may be tolerated, mild sexuality may be at the very most hinted, but explicit or excessive versions of either or both will result in moderation intervention, both from the Local Council and potentially from NationStates site moderators. Derogatory terms are disallowed, and all swearing must abide by all other rules, particularly those about respecting others.

X. Thou Shalt Quote as the Quotee Intended

Fundamental Rule: Do not edit someone's post in a malicious way or repost offensive content.

Details:
It is illegal to edit what someone else has written when quoting it in order to make it seem like they expressed a view which they didn’t. Quote-editing should be avoided even for comic effect.

When you are responding to someone's post, please quote their post (by pressing the "quote" button), as it makes it less confusing and will alert them to your post.

When quoting an offensive post, delete the content of the post and replace it with "-snip-". Doing so makes the administrators’ jobs much easier.

When quoting long posts, please cut the post down to the particular parts you are responding to, or replace the extraneous material with "-snip-".

XI. Thou Shalt Use Spoilers

Fundamental Rule: Use spoilers when making or quoting a very long post.

Details:
The [spoiler] tag is your friend. When making or quoting a very long post, or one which not everyone might want to read, please add spoilers, so as to avoid taking up a large amount of the page.

If you are giving a spoiler of a recently released book or film, put it in a spoiler tag, to give people who haven't read/watched it a chance. As a general rule of thumb, give a month for films post-release (as release dates may be different in different areas) and two months for book releases.

XII. Thou Shalt Respect Everyone

Fundamental Rule: The golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated.

Details:
Remember, there are other, real people behind the nations on the RMB. Everyone here is a human being with emotions and the right to be respected.

While dissent with regional officers (Local Council, Delegate, CRS, and Ministers) is perfectly acceptable, remember that they are people too, and worthy of basic human decency. The regional officers should be respected at all times just as any other member of the region should.

When debating, always remember to attack the argument rather than the person making it. If you find yourself getting heated, try to take a step back. Personal insults, insults to intelligence, etc. will not be tolerated. The only form of debate banned on the RMB is that over a particular suppression. For more information, see the Help Section at the end of this document.

XIII. Thou Shalt Not Post Images

Fundamental Rule: If your post is simply an emoticon or the equivalent, it's going to be suppressed.

Details:
A picture is not worth a thousand words. While posting images is generally acceptable in the RMB, they cannot be the sole contents of a post. This includes both computer generated images like the yellow faces and text-based images, like the following:

(:

(0w0)

(?-?)

>:

[;

Attempts to circumvent this rule on a technicality, such as the utilisation of a single word in addition to the image, will still result in the suppression of the post at the discretion of the Local Council.

XIV. Thou Shalt Post Substantive Content

Fundamental Rule: Single word or similarly short posts are not appreciated on the RMB.

Details:
Single word posts are too short. If you find yourself wondering if a post is too short, it likely is. This rule does not mean you have to post several paragraphs of content every time you want to post. Single sentence posts are still allowed under this rule, as are greetings comprised of only one word (though they frowned upon).

However, at the discretion of the Local Council, posts deemed to be insubstantial and not contributing to the regional discourse will be suppressed. An excellent way to avoid this is to add thought to your posts.

XV. Thou Shalt Roleplay Well

Fundamental Rule: Put effort and thought into your roleplaying posts.

Details:
Actions do not speak louder than words. Roleplaying on the RMB is a privilege, and posts that simply read as actions being performed are not allowed in the RMB, particularly if said actions consist on only a few words.

If you intend to roleplay in the RMB, you must add thought and substance to your posts. You have been given permission to roleplay in the RMB: you have not been given permission to roleplay poorly. Roleplaying posts deemed to not fit the standard of the RMB will be suppressed at the discretion of the Local Council. Roleplayers who consistently roleplay without the quality expected of the main RMB will be asked to relocate their posting to either Knowhere or Psomewhere.

Thank you for reading, and remember to follow these guidelines!

Now sit back, relax, and enjoy your stay here in TSP!

~~~HELP!~~~

If you believe a post breaks the rules and should be suppressed, wish to appeal to have a post unsuppressed, wish to appeal a formal warning, or have any questions about the laws of the RMB, you can contact your current Local Councillors through telegrams:

Auphelia
Rabbitz
Proctethia

OR

Lodge complaints with the following nation:

The TSP Local Council

This nation is controlled by the LC, ensuring all Local Councillors can see your complaints or comments.
It is preferred that appeals to have a post unsuppressed be sent to the Councillor who suppressed the post in the first place. Remember, the rules of respect apply to telegrams as well as the RMB.



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Read dispatch


The Southern World Assembly Initiative

by The Regional Government Program of Southern World Assembly Initiative

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Tl;dr

This is a way for you to easily get more endorsements and influence on your nation and contribute to the South Pacifc's security and activity.

Please give a warm welcome to our newest World Assembly nations by endorsing them!

Nocleoca, Sword of Summer, Shanaka Land, Lexner, Scottieslands, Tzungguo, Ribleria, RANENENENENE, Ameerricaa, Daletopia, Archduchy of Austria, Erskentania

Status summary

  • Number of WA nations: 1245

  • Number of SWAN Knights: 469

  • CRS's average endorsement count: 748.44

  • Total number of endorsements: 131662

  • Cross-endorsement rate: 8.50 %

What is this?

The Southern World Assembly iNitiative (SWAN) is an initiative organized by the regional government of the South Pacific to promote the participation of nations in the World Assembly (WA) and to encourage them to endorse everyone in the South Pacific. The purpose of this initiative is to help nations in this region have voting power on the WA, more endorsements, and more influence which in turn will make the region more secure and active!

What are the World Assembly, Delegates, endorsements, and influence?

  • The World Assembly is an equivalent of the real-life United Nations. Although it doesn't impact your nation as much as the real-life UN it does impact regions such as this one a lot.

  • Endorsements are something you can give or receive from other nations. They are a little bit similar to likes on social media websites except they are far more important to a region and nation because they create the thing below.

  • Influence is something your nation will gain by having endorsements. Influence is very important to the security of a region as it decides how hard it is to remove or ban a nation from a region.

  • A Delegate or WA Delegate is a nation that has the most endorsements in a region and holds all administrative powers such as moderating the message board, banning/ejecting nations, changing the World Factbook Entry,... In the South Pacific, the Delegate is Linkelected every 6 months by member nations of this region.

How do I participate?

Step 1: Join the World Assembly. Click here if you don't know how.

Step 2: Endorse all of these nations. To endorse a nation, click a nation name to open its page, scroll down then click the Endorse button.

WA Delegate
Aumeltopia
Member nations of the Council on Regional Security (CRS)

Tsunamy

Amerion

Farengeto

Kringalia

Pencil Sharpeners 2

Erinor

Qvait

PenguinPies

Sandaoguo

Step 3: Endorse all other nations in this region. Click here to know how to do this quickly and to find nations to endorse.

Why should I participate?

Participating in SWAN will give your nation benefits that you can't otherwise get:

  • Your nation will be able to vote on WA resolutions as well the regional Local Council elections and LinkWA Delegate elections.

  • This is the easiest way to get a lot of endorsements from other nations and gain influence which will help your own nation and the region in the future.

  • Your nation will receive awards to commend your effort of participating in this initiative! (Click here to learn more about awards)

  • Your nation will have a stronger voting power on the WA. (Read this for how)

  • If you ever want to join the Council on Regional Security, this is one of the first steps. (Click here for more information)

Click here if you want to learn more about the benefits.

How can I do more?

You can go above and beyond and do more by:

  • Upvoting this dispatch.

  • Sending a link to this dispatch to new nations that haven't participated or encouraging them directly to do what this initiative wants via telegram.

  • Doing the same as above but via our Regional Message Board.

  • Sharing your ideas about how to improve this initiative. (How to do that here)

How do I know how well I am and the region are doing?

You can do that by looking at our censuses (Click here to view them) and our statistics page (Click here to view it). We also recommend you to check out this awesome "portrait" of our region (Click here to view it) to get a look at how large and dynamic our region is.

Where can I find more information?

Take a look at our dispatch index.

We hope you will enjoy this initiative and that you find NationStates and our community a more cheerful place because of it.

This initiative is an informal joint effort between the Ministry of Regional Affairs, the Local Council, the Council on Regional Security, and some nerds who have no life. (Read more about who run this here)


Read dispatch


The Constitution of The South Pacific

by The Democratic Republic of Whole India

THE CHARTER OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC


Table of Content:
Preamble
Article I - CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS
Article II - SOVEREIGNTY
Article III - RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
Article IV - THE ASSEMBLY
Article V - THE LOCAL COUNCIL
Article VI - THE EXECUTIVE
Article VII - THE DELEGATE
Article VIII - THE HIGH COURT
Article IX - THE COUNCIL ON REGIONAL SECURITY
Article X - THE MILITARY
Article XI - RECALLS AND MOTIONS OF NO CONFIDENCE
Article XII - THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM
Article XIII - AMENDMENT PROCESS
Article XIV - GREAT COUNCILS

Preamble

The Assembly of the Coalition of the South Pacific, representing our diverse community, convenes to establish this fundamental law of our region, to uphold democratic principles and rights, and provide for the security of our unified community both on the forums and in the game.

Article I - CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS

Defining the supreme laws of our community.

(1): Laws that form the foundation of our community, are considered fundamental to governance, or otherwise are considered of great importance by the Assembly, are to be known as “constitutional laws” and marked as such.

(2): Constitutional laws hold precedence and supremacy over all other laws, regulations, and policies of all branches of government.

(3): This Charter is a constitutional law holding supremacy over all others, and defines the purpose of our government and its framework.

(4): Any constitutional law that directly affects the gameside community or its home governance, as determined by the Chair of the Assembly, must also be debated and voted upon by the gameside community.

Article II - SOVEREIGNTY

Outlining the sovereignty of the Coalition and the origins of legitimacy.

(1): The sovereignty of the region lies with the Coalition of the South Pacific. No other group claiming legitimacy will be recognized. The integrity of the Coalition, in its forums and the region, shall not be challenged or violated by any government official, internal dissidents, or other regions.

(2): Authority and legitimacy are held jointly by the region and the forum, and the union between the two is what defines the Coalition. No illegitimate invader or usurper of the region shall be recognized.

Article III - RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

Recognizing the democratic rights and freedoms of all members of the Coalition.

(1): All members of the South Pacific will enjoy the freedoms of expression, speech, assembly, and the press, limited only by reasonable moderation policies.

(2): The right to a fair trial and defense against criminal accusations will not be abridged. No member may be subject to any bill of attainder, be tried for the same crime more than once, or be tried ex post facto.

(3): No member may be banned or ejected from the in-game region without the due process of law.

(4): No member may be denied the right to vote or hold office, unless prohibited by constitutional law.

(5): No law may be passed by the Assembly that directly affects the activities of the in-game community without the consent of the in-game community.

(6): The High Court may strike down any general law or action that violates any right or freedom found in this Charter.

Article IV - THE ASSEMBLY

Establishing legislative authority in the Assembly.

(1): The Assembly holds supreme legislative authority in the Coalition, and is comprised of all eligible legislators.

(2): The Assembly will elect a Legislator as Chair for a term lasting four months. The Chair is responsible for maintaining order and decorum, and helping guide Assembly debate into the creation of bills. If a Chair is recalled, loses Legislator status, or is otherwise not in office, a new Chair will be elected for a new term lasting four months. The Election Commissioner will be responsible for organizing Chair elections.

(3): The Chair may appoint a deputy or deputies, to whom the Chair may publicly delegate any powers, responsibilities, or special projects of the Chair, subject to all regulations and restrictions imposed upon the Chair by law. The Chair may dismiss such deputies.

(4): During an interim period in which the Chair is not in office prior to the election of a new Chair, a deputy appointed by the previous Chair will serve as Acting Chair to exercise all powers and responsibilities of the Chair, subject to all regulations and restrictions imposed upon the Chair by law. In the event that more than one deputy was appointed, the most senior deputy according to the order of appointment and availability will serve as Acting Chair. In the event that no deputy was appointed or is available, the Cabinet will designate a legislator to serve as Acting Chair.

Legislator Eligibility

(5): A standing commission of legislators will be tasked with granting and revoking legislator status. All residents of the Coalition are eligible to attain legislator status through an application. Continued legislator status requires active membership and good behaviour.

Article V - THE LOCAL COUNCIL

Establishing home rule for the in-game region residents.

(1): The Local Council will be the local government of the in-game community, composed of three or more residents of the South Pacific, and will represent the interests of all players in the region, moderate the Regional Message Board, encourage activity on the gameside, and administrate itself on issues unique to the in-game community.

(2): The content of the World Factbook Entry and Dispatches will be managed by the Local Council, in cooperation with the Delegate, and must contain at least a link to the Official Regional Forums and a notice to endorse members of the Council on Regional Security.

(3): The Local Council will have the authority to run regional polls, create and pin Dispatches, and to suppress messages on the Regional Message Board according to a standard moderation policy. It may not alter the regional flag or tags, and may not send out mass telegrams, without the approval of the Delegate.

(4): To help promote inter-governmental relations, the Local Council may send a representative to the Assembly whose term must not exceed the Local Council’s. The method of selection will be decided by the Local Council.

Article VI - THE EXECUTIVE

Establishing an executive branch consisting of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

(1): The Prime Minister will be the head of government and the leader of the Cabinet. They will be responsible for the overall coordination of executive activities, being a liaison between the government and the community, and protecting the Coalition.

(2): The Cabinet will consist of ministers with the following portfolios: Foreign Affairs, Regional Affairs, and Military Affairs.

(3): As leader of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister is responsible for overseeing a collective Cabinet agenda, and may give directions and instructions to the ministers. Disputes within the Cabinet are subject to the majority decision and collective responsibility; where there is no majority the Prime Minister’s vote shall be the deciding one.

(4): Members of the Executive are required to hold Legislator status.

Elections

(5): Executive elections will be held every four months, where the Prime Minister and all Cabinet positions will be up for election.

(6): The date, time, and manner of elections will be set by the Assembly in a law.

Minister of Regional Affairs

(7): The Minister of Regional Affairs will be responsible for promoting regional and forum activity, integrating new players into the forums, organizing cultural events, and communicating with the world about the South Pacific’s activities.

Minister of Foreign Affairs

(8): The Minister of Foreign Affairs will be the Coalition’s chief diplomat. They will be responsible for establishing the government’s foreign policy program, communicating with allies, and coordinating with the military on foreign policy priorities when necessary.

(9): The Minister of Foreign Affairs holds the sole power to initiate treaty negotiations with other regions, groups, and organizations, but may designate officers to handle those negotiations. Upon completion of a treaty negotiation, the Minister must present it to the full executive for majority approval, before submitting it to the Assembly for ratification.

(10): The Minister of Foreign Affairs will be responsible for establishing standards for the creation and maintenance of consulates and embassies.

Minister of Military Affairs

(11): The Minister of Military Affairs will be the civilian leader of the armed forces of the Coalition, the South Pacific Special Forces. In conjunction with a group of Generals, the Minister of Military Affairs will be responsible for the defense of the Coalition, building military activity, and conducting military operations.

(12): The Minister of Military Affairs may elect to establish an intelligence office, in equal coordination with the Council on Regional Security.

Executive Authorities

(13): The executive may exercise the collective authority of executive orders, by unanimous consent among the Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers. Executive orders may only be issued to address an immediate and pressing issue created by ambiguity or holes in a particular law, which will immediately have the effect of law.

(14): Upon declaring an executive order, the order will be presented automatically to the Assembly for three days of debate, followed by a vote according to legislative rules, where it will expire and its effects shall be reversed if the Assembly does not incorporate it into law.

(15): The Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers may elect to appoint deputies and advisors, who will be considered junior members of the Cabinet, but will not have voting rights in any executive decision.

Article VII - THE DELEGATE

Establishing a Head of State.

(1): The Delegate will be the head of state of the Coalition. They will be responsible for helping maintain the security of the region, promoting growth and activity, and serving as an advisor to the forum-side government. Barring reasonable circumstances, the Delegate will hold the in-game Delegate seat. No person may be Delegate if they have participated, in whole or in part and at any time, in any coup d'etat of the Coalition or any of its allies, excluding normal raiding, defending, or liberation efforts as part of an organized military.

(2): The Delegate will work with the Local Council in moderating the Regional Message Board, fulfilling Regional Officer positions, promoting gameside activities, and representing the preferences of the gameside community.

(3): The Delegate must fulfill in-game actions required by law but assigned to others if those actions can only be taken by the person holding the in-game Delegate seat.

Elections

(4): Delegate elections will be held every six months.

(5): The date, time, and manner of electing the Delegate will be set by the Assembly in a law, but must include the participation of the game-side community.

Article VIII - THE High Court

Creating a supreme judicial authority for the Coalition.

(1): The High Court will consist of one Chief Justice and a number of Associate Justices, and will hold exclusive judicial authority in the Coalition.

(2): The procedure for the appointment of the justices will be defined in a law by the Assembly.

(3): Procedures for the conduct of criminal trials and civil cases will be defined in a law by the Assembly.

Powers

(4): The High Court has the power to declare any general law, regulation, directive, determination or any other official act of government, in whole or in part, void upon a determination that it violates the terms of this Charter or any other constitutional law.

(5): The High Court may reconcile contradictions within the Charter, constitutional laws, and general laws, maintaining the least amount of disruption to the intended purposes of the contradictory parts.

(6): The High Court may clarify and interpret provisions of law when presented with a Legal Question about them.

(7): The High Court holds the sole power to conduct a criminal trial.

Article IX - THE COUNCIL ON REGIONAL SECURITY

Establishing a central authority for protecting the Coalition’s security.

(1): The Council on Regional Security will be composed of experienced and trustworthy members of the Coalition, and will be responsible for monitoring and responding to regional security issues. The Council will choose a Chair as needed, who will fulfill all secretarial requirements of the Council that may arise.

Membership

(2): The minimum qualifications for membership in the Council on Regional Security are: maintaining a World Assembly member nation in the South Pacific; a Soft Power Disbursement Rating of at least 130,000, or a Regional Influence ranking of Apprentice; 400 endorsements or half the endorsements of the Delegate; and having served at least six consecutive months as a legislator or two terms in the Local Council. The influence and endorsement requirements may be updated by the Council, with majority approval by the Assembly.

(3): Eligible members may become members of the Council on Regional Security via two methods, either application to the Council itself, or nomination by the Delegate and Prime Minister.

(4): If applying directly to the Council, applicants should explain why they are well suited to protect regional security. Applications will remain private. The Council will review the application and determine whether or not the applicant is well suited. If the application is approved, the Council will forward the nomination to the Assembly for approval via a simple majority vote.

(5): The Delegate and Prime Minister may jointly nominate any person meeting the requirements for membership and who are well suited to protect regional security. Prior to the nomination, the Delegate and Prime Minister will consult with the Council for their advice. To ensure collegiality and prevent dysfunction, if two-thirds of the members of the Council object to the prospective nominee’s membership, the nomination will not move forward. If no such objection exists, then the nomination will be submitted to the Assembly for approval via simple majority vote.

(6): Continued membership in the Council on Regional Security is predicated upon meeting eligibility requirements. Should any member of the Council fail to meet those requirements, they will lose membership and all the powers and privileges that come with it, if they do not meet the requirements within a week of notification.

(7): If a majority of the Council deems a member to be a threat to regional security, they will be suspended from the Council pending an official investigation and report to the Assembly. Following the investigation, the Assembly must vote on whether to remove or reinstate the member.

(8): Participation, in whole or in part and at any time, in any coup d’etat or invasion of the Coalition or any of its allies will disqualify a prospective or sitting member from membership in the Council on Regional Security immediately and permanently. Participation in normal raiding, defending, or liberation efforts as part of an organized military will not be considered a violation of this clause.

Powers

(9): The Council on Regional Security will be responsible for establishing an appropriate cap on endorsements, ensuring that such a cap is not detrimental to the growth of the region. Enforcement of the endorsement cap should be done with leniency if a violator does not pose a significant risk to regional security.

(10): During a coup d’etat, whether committed by outside forces, infiltrators, or duly elected officials, the Council on Regional Security may declare a state of emergency, until such a time that a legitimate government is restored. All necessary measures may be taken to defeat a coup d’etat or hostile invasion, except that the legitimate Assembly may not be suspended.

(11): The Council on Regional Security, the Prime Minister, and the Delegate will establish a line of succession for the Delegate seat.

(12): The Council on Regional Security shall designate an individual as Intelligence Coordinator, who must be notified of and approve all intelligence and counter-intelligence operations. The Intelligence Coordinator will be responsible for disseminating any and all intelligence to the Council on Regional Security and other bodies as needed. The Intelligence Coordinator and the Minister of Military Affairs will maintain a regional intelligence classification system as necessary for ensuring information security.

Article X - THE MILITARY

Creating an official military for the purposes of regional defense, war, and gameplay.

(1): The South Pacific Special Forces will be the official military forces of the Coalition. Their responsibilities will be to enact the government’s military policies abroad, foster activity for the region, and serve as a representative of the Coalition’s power and influence.

(2): The military will be led by the Minister of Military Affairs, along with a corps of generals appointed by the Minister and approved by the Assembly. The Minister and general corps may establish further hierarchy, create programs, and appoint deputies as they see necessary.

(3): The military will have the support of the Coalition in conducting operations to protect innocent regions from attack and oppression and promote legitimate, native democratic institutions across the world. The military may not colonize or annex any region without the express permission of the Cabinet and the Assembly, by majority vote of both chambers. Nor may the military attack, subjugate, purge, destroy, or vandalize any regions, excepting those regions which espouse hateful ideologies and those regions against which the Coalition has declared an official state of war.

(4): The Minister of Military Affairs will coordinate with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to ensure that no military activities harm the government’s diplomatic affairs or public relations.

Article XI - RECALLS AND MOTIONS OF NO CONFIDENCE

Establishing a method to hold government officials to account.

(1): Any official of the Coalition may be recalled by an Assembly resolution passed with a three-fifths majority of those voting.

(1A): Recalls should only be initiated for dereliction of duty, abuse of authority, or violations of the law, and not for purposes of political rivalry.

(1B): Upon initiation, recall resolutions must be debated for three days and receive a motion and second before being put to vote.

(1C): Upon passage, the recalled official will immediately be removed from office.

(2): A Motion of No Confidence may be initiated by the Assembly, if the members have lost faith in the effectiveness and activities of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. Motions of No Confidence must be debated for three days and receive a motion and a second before being moved to vote. Passage requires three-fifths majority support of those voting and triggers a special election for all cabinet offices.

Article XII - THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM

Creating an independent, apolitical body to manage off-site communications.

(1): The Off-Site Administration Team will be responsible for the technical maintenance of the region's Discord servers, forums, and the integrity of the database. Administrators will not be given responsibilities of a political nature.

(2): The Off-Site Administration Team will be responsible for the appointment and removal of its own members, except when an administrator is removed from the position following a guilty verdict in a fair trial for abuse of administrative powers. Additionally, new administrators must be approved by a majority of the Assembly before being granted administrator permissions.

(3): The Off-Site Administration Team must create standard administration and moderation policies. These policies will be submitted to the Assembly for a one-week review and comment period before going into effect.

(4): While the Off-Site Administration Team may appoint global moderators if needed, individual Ministers, the Chair of the Assembly, and roleplay moderators primarily will be responsible for the moderation of their dedicated Discord servers and forums.

Article XIII - AMENDMENT PROCESS

Setting a procedure for amendment of the Charter and constitutional laws.

(1): The Assembly may amend any provision of the Charter or constitutional laws with a three-fifths supermajority. Amendments to the Charter or constitutional laws must be constitutional in nature, and amendments to the Charter must address the structure or framework of government. Bills that may exist as general laws, as determined by the Chair of the Assembly, should not be placed in the Charter or constitutional laws.

(2): Any amendment to the Charter or constitutional laws that directly affects the gameside community or its home governance, as determined by the Chair of the Assembly, must also be debated and voted upon by the gameside community. Additionally, the Local Council may originate amendments to its constitutional structure, which must be debated and voted upon in the Assembly.

Article XIV - GREAT COUNCILS

Setting a procedure for constitutional conventions.

(1): When the Assembly wishes to debate the fundamental principles and structures of the Coalition, it may call a Great Council to rewrite all laws in their entirety, or establish a new state for the South Pacific.

(2): A resolution establishing a Great Council may be adopted with a three-fifths supermajority of the Assembly, which must be confirmed by a majority vote of the gameside community.

(3): The purpose of a Great Council is to rewrite all laws from the ground up, not merely to amend existing ones. The Assembly should use the normal amendment process for basic amendments, reserving Great Councils for a time when extreme changes are necessary and proper.

(4): Any and all changes to regional law proposed by a Great Council may be adopted with a three-fifths supermajority of the Assembly, which must be confirmed by a majority vote of the gameside community.

(5): If a Great Council fails to pass a new constitution and set of laws to replace the existing ones, then the existing laws will remain in place.

(6): At least one year must have passed since the previous Great Council before a new one may be established.

Read factbook


NationStates Guide

by The Amerion-4-Supreme-Leader 😈 of Amerion

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— WELCOME — | — BASICS — | — GAMEPLAY — | — GLOSSARY —
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— WELCOME — — BASICS — GAMEPLAY — GLOSSARY —
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||| WELCOME ||| | ||| WHAT IS NATIONSTATES? |||
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If you found this guide helpful, please upvote the dispatch to help others find it
Welcome to NationStates!

This guide will help if you are a new player to this game or an experienced player looking to expand your knowledge of NationStates.

This guide aims to help you:

  • Prepare you for the limitless possibilities;

  • Find out the varying aspects of this game; and

  • Manage your nation.

This guide is reasonably long, and as such, it is recommended that you refer to the table of contents to aid you in locating the specific information you may desire.

Before this guide begins, I would like to personally express thanks and credit to Testlandia, Euroslavia, and Goddess Relief Office who have kindly provided commendable information and tips to this guide.[1]

What is NationStates?

NationStates is a multiplayer online text-based game which simulates a government setting. It was created by author LinkMax Barry and was released on the 13th of November, 2002 as a means of promoting a novel Jennifer Government. The game has currently 223,380 active nations in 23,734 different regions.[2]

Players (under the guise of their nation) operate their own country by making decisions that have an impact on the economy, society, and culture of their people. The object of the game is to lead a country in the way the player finds the best. At the start of the game, the player chooses a few basic characteristics including the name of the country, flag, motto, currency, national animal, and style of government. Answers to a short questionnaire determine the initial ratings of the country's civil, economic, and political rights. The nation's population starts at five million and increases every day automatically with play.


||| WELCOME ||| ||| BASICS ||| ||| GAMEPLAY ||| GLOSSARY |||
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||| ISSUES ||| | ||| TELEGRAMS ||| | ||| POPULATION ||| | ||| DOSSIER ||| | ||| SETTINGS ||| | ||| PEOPLE, GOVENMENT, & THE ECONOMY ||| | ||| ANALYSIS |||
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Issues

Issues are political decisions that players make, which shape their nations as a result. The choices a player makes on issues directly affect the nation's civil rights, economic, and political freedom levels, as well as the national tax rate.
As time progresses, issues will determine the type of government a nation has, with the game categorizing the type from 'Democratic Socialists' to 'Psychotic Dictatorship'.

A player can decide how often he or she wishes to receive issues by accessing the settings page and choosing from a list of options under the sub-heading New Issues. The options available for selection are:

  • None;

  • One per weekday;

  • One per day;

  • Two per weekday;

  • Two per day; or

  • Vacation Mode (prevent a nation from receiving new issues and extending period after which a nation will be deleted for inactivity, from 28 days to 60 days).

Depending on the options a player selects, they will achieve varying ratings relating to their nation's Economy, Political Freedoms, and Civil Rights (visible on a nation's homepage).

A nation's government type is determined by an algorithm which calculates a nation's civil liberties, economic, and political freedoms and based on this result, allocates the nation a government type appropriate to that nation. There are 27 government types, ranging from Scandinavian Liberal Paradise to Iron Fist Socialists to Psychotic Dictatorship.

To view how many nations there are of each government category, please see the data compiled by Farengeto and provided in the below spoiler (data accurate as of the 8th of June 2020).

Government Category

Nation Count

Percentage

Inoffensive Centrist Democracy

52643

23.58%

Democratic Socialists

16958

7.60%

Iron Fist Consumerists

16719

7.49%

Anarchy

15750

7.06%

New York Times Democracy

15130

6.78%

Psychotic Dictatorship

13611

6.10%

Father Knows Best State

11356

5.09%

Civil Rights Lovefest

10677

4.78%

Moralistic Democracy

9530

4.27%

Left-wing Utopia

7038

3.15%

Liberal Democratic Socialists

6700

3.00%

Corrupt Dictatorship

6489

2.91%

Capitalist Paradise

5626

2.52%

Corporate Bordello

5236

2.35%

Left-Leaning College State

4705

2.11%

Corporate Police State

4241

1.90%

Scandinavian Liberal Paradise

4198

1.88%

Authoritarian Democracy

3556

1.59%

Compulsory Consumerist State

3056

1.37%

Right-wing Utopia

1933

0.87%

Capitalizt

1598

0.72%

Iron Fist Socialists

1494

0.67%

Conservative Democracy

1005

0.45%

Free-Market Paradise

935

0.42%

Libertarian Police State

901

0.40%

Tyranny by Majority

820

0.37%

Benevolent Dictatorship

772

0.35%

Mother Knows Best State

546

0.24%

[The following information has been kindly provided by Goddess Relief Office and reproduced here with his express permission. You are invited to read this guide to different issue types for more comprehensive information on this subject.]

NationStates has five different categories in which issues are organized into; general, population-based, issue options, statistics, and special issues.

  • General issues:

    General issues form the majority of issues that a nation will receive. Issues of this type are randomly generated with there being no precondition to receiving them.

    Examples of general issues include:

  • Population-based issues

    Population-based issues are those which can only be unlocked by a nation's population. If a player chooses to dismiss issues of this type when he/she received them or chooses an option that he/she may later regret, the player will still be able to receive population-based issues. However, the player will receive the specific issue later and not immediately after dismissing it. Through such issues, a player will be granted the ability to edit the player's capital city, leader, and national religion.

    Examples of population-based issues include:

  • Issue-option

    Issue-option is only unlock-able when a nation chooses a specific option to one issue. The result of the issue and the effect of the decision on the nation will be a catalyst for an Issue-option issue.

    Examples of issue-based issues include:

  • Statistic-based issues

    Statistic-based issues can be unlocked when a nation has reached a pre-determined statistic relevant to the issue. Depending on how a player chooses to lead his/her nation, different statistics will apply to the nation. For example, a nation which is led in a dictatorial fashion will most likely receive an issue which relates to tyrannical nations, for example, the issue Too Low on Laws, Says Citizens. However, a nation that has high political freedoms would not receive such issues.

    Examples of statistic-based issues include:

  • Special issues

    Special issues do not occur often and are a rarity. For example, World Assembly Woes are only unlock able by member-states of the World Assembly.

    Similar to special issues, there are easter egg issues which reward nations with a unique badge to be displayed on nations' main page. There are several easter egg issues available. However, the methods of attaining them vary. For a more detailed discussion on easter egg issues, please refer to this discussion.

Telegrams

Telegrams are private messages that can be sent between players. When a nation is founded, it will receive approximately two dozen telegrams from regions seeking to recruit new nations.

A player can choose to filter telegrams he/she receives by accessing Telegram Preferences. There are four categories a player can select:

  • Recruitment: Recruitment telegrams are sent by nations attempting to convince players to join their regions.

  • WA Campaign: WA proposal authors may send WA-member nations telegrams of this sort to lobby for a player's vote.

  • Region (official): Founders and (if allowed) World Assembly Delegates may send regional telegrams without the need for stamps. Unless selected, these telegrams will be sent to every nation residing in the region.

  • External: External telegrams are sent using stamps and in-which the author had not pre-selected the telegram label of 'recruitment' or 'campaign'.

A player may choose to block particular nations from sending him/her telegrams. A player may add a nation to the Ignore List by writing the nation's name in the search box of Telegram Preferences. Alternatively, the player can click on a telegram's timestamp which will link to a page showcasing the individual telegram, with there being a 'Block Sender' link near its bottom-right.

NationStates is a free game however there are upgrades available to a player. One such upgrade is an Inbox upgrade which is part of packages: Supporter, Postmaster, and Postmaster-General.

    Supporter will:

    • remove ads (for faster page loads);

    • reward with a supporter trophy for your nation page;

    • last forever;

    • permanently reserve nation name; and

    • give a player a 'warm, fuzzy feeling of supporting NationStates.'

    Postmaster:

    • includes the aforementioned benefits of Supporter;

    • expand folders to hold a 100 telegrams each (up from 20 telegrams);

    • create 3 additional custom folders; and

    • create a 'deleted items' folder which will retain a maximum of 100 deleted telegrams.

    Postmaster-General:

    • includes the aforementioned benefits of both Supporter and Postmaster;

    • expand folders to hold an unlimited number of telegrams;

    • create an unlimited number of custom folders; and

    • includes 500 telegram stamps.

Telegram stamps allow players to send multiple telegrams at one single time. Normally, a player would only be able to send a telegram to a maximum of eight nations. Mass telegrams using telegram stamps can reach substantial numbers of nations quickly and easily and provide Delivery Reports which detail who has received a telegram and who has not.

A player can personalize the telegram sent by applying %NATION% to the text of the telegram. This will automatically translate to the nation's name when he/she receives it.

    Similarly a player can select a particular group to receive the telegram:

    • region: <Name> will send a telegram to every nation residing in the region listed.

    • tag: New<Number> will send telegrams to the aforementioned number of newly founded nations.

    • tag: Refounded<Number> will send telegrams to the aforementioned number of refounded nations.

    • tag: NewDelegates<Number> will send telegrams to the aforementioned number of new World Assembly Delegates nations.

    • tag: Delegates will send a telegram to the every Delegate.

    • tag: WA will send a telegram to the every nation who retains current membership to the World Assembly.

    • tab: All will send a telegram to every nation in NationStates.

    • tag: Welcome will send an automatic greeting to new arrivals in their region. However, telegrams of these sort can only be sent by a Founder or Delegate of a region.

Population

A newly-founded nation in NationStates begins with a population of 5 million. Every 24 hours, the population of a nation increases. The higher the population rises, the greater the population increases per day, up until the population reaches 62 million.

The population of a newly-created nation increases by 1 million per day.

The population of a nation is related to the descriptor of its size. As a nation's population increases, it progresses through a series of size descriptors, which are: fledgling, tiny, small, large, very large, huge, massive, colossal, and gargantuan. As a nation's population increases, it eventually gains several new custom nation traits, including the capital city (250 million), the nation name pretitle (500 million), the nation's leader (750 million), and the national religion (1 billion).

Population Mark

Change(s)

5 million

The starting population, with the population size descriptor 'fledgling', and a population growth rate of 1 million per day.

7 million

The population size descriptor changes to 'tiny'.

10 million

The population growth rate increases to 2 million per day.

20 million

The population size descriptor changes to 'small'. The population growth rate increases to 3 million per day.

32 million

The population growth rate increases to 4 million per day.

40 million

The population growth rate increases to 5 million per day.

50 million

The population size descriptor changes to 'large'. The population growth rate increases to 6 million per day.

62 million

The population growth rate becomes randomly variable, ranging from 5 million per day to 7 million per day. The population growth rate does not change after this.

100 million

The population size descriptor changes to 'very large'.

200 million

The population size descriptor changes to 'huge'.

250 million

The nation can receive the issue to create a custom-named national capitol.

500 million

The nation name pretitle changes from multiple-choice to a custom text field. The player may submit issues from now on, at the issues page.

750 million

The player will have the option of stating the leader of their nation as well as attributing the national motto to said-individual.

1 billion

The population size descriptor changes to 'massive'. The nation can receive the issue to create a custom-named national religion.

5 billion

The population size descriptor changes to 'colossal'.

10 billion

The population size descriptor changes to 'gargantuan'.

Dossier

A nation's dossier is a compilation of brief information on other nations & regions which a player can select. It allows the player to easily move between nations/regions the player considers of interest and can be a useful tool in maintaining track of puppet nations a player may have.

The brief information provided in the dossier is limited to the nation's name, the nation's WA category (for example, left-wing utopia), when the nation was last active, the region in which the nation resides, and the WA status of the nation (whether the nation is a member of the World Assembly).

Similarly, the dossier provides brief information on regions that players choose to feature in their dossier. The information is limited to the name of the region, the population of the region, and the name of the region's World Assembly Delegate.

Another feature is Advanced Dossier. This feature allows for greater control of the nations which feature in a player's dossier. As opposed to having to independently select nations, a player can upload a text file to NationStates featuring nations' names. Alternatively, a player can download a text file that contains the identity of the nations in the dossier.

Settings

The settings page allows a player to modify aspects of his/her nation. A player can set the currency, motto, demonyms, national animal, et cetera. The settings page also provides players with the opportunity to change their nation's password, flag, and select banners.

Banners are a rotating, targeted, customizable, unlock-able set of images on the nation's page. There are over 250 banners, which unlock upon achieving various feats, such as developing a strong economy or reaching high levels of political corruption. There are also custom slots for uploading a players' own images, once they have reached particular population levels. For a full list illustrating every banner achievable, you are invited to Linkview this collection.

People, Government, & the Economy

People: A pie-chart and accompanying percentages illustrating the leading causes of death throughout a player's nation, for example, old age.

Government: An illustration and accompanying percentages showing the distribution of your budget, for example, education, environment, healthcare, public transport, and administration. The illustration also details the amount of a player's currency and the percentage of the player's total gross domestic product (GDP) spent on government expenditure.

Economy: An illustration of the division of the public, private, and state-owned sectors. Here, a player can also read the total GDP of the nation and the GDP per person.

Analysis

Each day, there are two updates in NationStates. The major update occurs at approximately 00:00-01:00 Eastern Standard Time/Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EST/EDT). The minor update occurs at approximately 12:00-13:00 EST/EDT. Due to a large number of nations and regions, these updates may take an hour.

In the major update, NationStates generates a World Census Report on a particular subject and will rank all nations and regions from highest to lowest. Such topics include 'Most Extreme', 'Most Cultured' and 'Best Healthcare'. If a nation scores highly in these reports, the player may expect to be rewarded with either a silver or gold badge which will feature on the main page of the player (top 10% and 5%, respectfully).


||| WELCOME ||| BASICS ||| ||| GAMEPLAY ||| ||| GLOSSARY |||
·
·
·
||| REGION ||| | ||| WORLD ASSEMBLY ||| | ||| ROLEPLAY ||| | ||| BBCODE |||
·
Region

In NationStates, regions is to a nation how a real-life country/city is to a person. It is a community of nations which generally incorporates at least five basic social values that all regions, regardless of their ideological foundation, are expected to provide and uphold for the benefit of their citizens. These values are security, freedom; order; justice; and welfare. This is not to say that there are no regions in whom's founding ideals differ from those stated. There are thousands of regions in NationStates, each with its own personality and direction, for example, a Pokemon-themed region, a Communist region, or a democratic region.

Different regions have different focus points, some choose to be specifically themed with a general-purpose whilst others are just a casual gathering place for nations. The defining aspect of regions is their home-pages (which you can locate by clicking on a region's link). The regional home-page showcases a wide range of customizable features:

  • World Factbook Entry;

  • Regional flag;

  • Dispatches;

  • Regional tags;

  • Embassies;

  • World Census Report;

  • Regional polls; and the

  • Regional Message Board (RMB)

Nations can select the region they want to belong to by various means; accidental stumbling upon, specific searches, recruitment telegrams, looking at regional tags, etc.

For a comprehensive guide to "Building a region", you are invited to view this forum thread.

World Assembly

Given the international diplomacy theme which underpins NationStates, an important aspect of the game is an institution called the World Assembly (WA) formerly known as the United Nations. This is a fairly large component of the game and therefore this guide will detail it under sub-sections (highlighted in bold)

Membership to the World Assembly is entirely voluntary. A player may choose to join this organisation and in doing so, gain them in-game functions of being able to endorse other nations as well as receive endorsements. However, the player also submits their nation to the effects generated by various WA proposals. This may have an inadvertent effect on a nation's statistics, for example, their military situation (ability to construct nuclear weapons may be limited by a WA General Assembly resolution). A player can choose to join the World Assembly by clicking on the 'Apply to join' button in the World Assembly page.

Delegate are elected by a region to serve as their representative at the World Assembly. Unlike ordinary members, they can approve newly-suggested resolutions. Delegates may also have administrative control over their region, though this is entirely dependent on the settings decided with the region's creation.

Becoming a delegate can be an easy or difficult process, depending on the circumstances. To be elected, a nation needs endorsements (a minimum of two) from the majority of members in their respective regions. Whilst a region composed of said-nation and a friend(s) can guarantee the nation the delegacy, larger regions with a vast collection of players are often much more challenging. Not only must the nation convince people to support their cause (and potentially have the current delegate demoted), the nation needs to hold this position by respecting the demands of the region.

Gaining endorsements, you've decided to join a bigger region with little to no support from friends, here are a few tips to receive the endorsements needed: (note: the following is the author's own opinion)

  1. Patience is a godsend. Don't expect to march in some random region and have endorsements thrown at you. You need to prove your place.

  2. Get friendly with some of the other nations, people who you can count on to support your ascent to power.

  3. If they have one, find out about the current delegate. Is he well-liked? Does he listen to the nation's wishes? Does he abuse his power? Use this to your advantage...

  4. NationStates truly is a game of politics and roleplaying. To that end, feel free to blackmail and bribe your peers.

Councils, the World Assembly is divided into two entities; the General Assembly and the Security Council [3]:

The General Assembly is concerned with passing international law: resolutions to improve human rights, environmental standards, and the like. They have an immediate and material effect on all WA member nations, and can change your laws and category. For example, if you are a protectionist nation, and the WA passes a resolution promoting free trade, you may find your nation becoming abruptly more capitalist.

Broadly speaking, the General Assembly does not concern itself with individual nations or regions, but humanity as a whole. It has a vibrant roleplaying community in the General Assembly forum, which debates and drafts legislation.

The Security Council, on the other hand, is very much about specifics. It passes resolutions that Condemn or Commend particular nations or regions, and authorises Liberations, by removing a Delegate's authority to set a regional password (usually to restore order following its capture by invaders). Compared to the General Assembly, it is more concerned with gameplay (regional politics, invasions) than roleplaying.

Both Councils function similarly in that they accept proposals, which enter the voting floor to be voted on as resolutions. Each Council may have a resolution at vote at the same time.

To vote for a resolution, click on its link within the World Assembly tab. You'll be taken to a page giving you the full details, including the category, resolution number, and who proposed the resolution. Below that, you'll find a complete explanation, with the option of voting For or Against.

To pass your own resolution, you need at least two endorsements from members of your region. Once you have those, you can propose your resolution to the World Assembly. However, before people are given the chance to vote on it, it needs to be approved by 6% of the World Assembly Regional Delegates. If it reaches the necessary number of approvals, it will be brought onto the voting floor, where all members of the WA can make your resolution law, or fail to pass it. (note: the following is the author's own opinion)

When you decide to pass your resolution, you have two choices. You can create a brand new one, or you can attempt to repeal an old one.

Creating a new resolution is basically one that does not currently exist. If you do so, make sure you look through all previous resolutions. There's nothing more embarrassing than attempting to introduce laws on toilet paper which already exist...

If you too are angered about the increase of tax on tea bags, then you have the chance to get things changed! You can vote to re-appeal a resolution, which will render the resolution in question null and void. This is normally when old laws conflict with new methods.

Tips on Passing a Resolution:

  1. Gather up support within your region. If it was proposed by someone, all the better!

  2. Spread the word on the forums. There is a section dedicated to the discussion of resolutions. You can make friends and get some critique on your law, which will let you make the edits necessary to give it an air of professionalism.

  3. Don't get too frustrated if your resolution doesn't make it to the voting floor. You can always try again.

Influence is a game-determined categorisation applied to each nation. A nation's influence is a measure of how 'well-respected' a nation is considered in its current region. Nations earn influence in a region the longer they remain there, and the more WA endorsements they have accumulated. When a nation leaves, though, its influence in that region will begin to decline.

Influence serves an important gameplay purpose. The ability of WA Delegates to eject and ban nations from their region, and to password-protect it, is limited by their Influence. Delegates consume some of their Influence to exercise their power, so the more often the Delegate uses their influence, the more difficult it is for them to wield those powers in the future.

When a nation moves to a region, it does not influence within that region. Nations accrue influence in a region by remaining in the region, and by receiving endorsements from the region’s members. Arguably, being a member of the WA has no value unless the nation gains endorsements, the more endorsements one gets, the more influence one will accrue.

The regional influence is equal to the sum of the national influence of all its members (updated each game-update (refer to Analysis)), and is displayed as a ranking on a scale ranging from ‘moderate’ to ‘Extremely High’.

The national influence ranking (ranging from ‘Minnow’ to ‘Hermit’) is determined by the ratio of national influence to total regional influence and the previous WA update.

Influence levels achievable

↓

Influence Level

31

Zero

30

Unproven

29

Hatchling

28

Newcomer

27

Nipper

26

Minnow

25

Sprat

24

Shoeshiner

23

Page

22

Squire

21

Apprentice

20

Vassal

19

Truckler

18

Handshaker

17

Duckspeaker

16

Envoy

15

Diplomat

14

Ambassador

13

Auxiliary

12

Negotiator

11

Contender

10

Instigator

9

Dealmaker

8

Enforcer

7

Eminence Grise

6

Powerbroker

5

Power

4

Superpower

3

Dominator

2

Hegemony

1

Hermit

Roleplay

[The following advice has been kindly provided by Euroslavia and reproduced here with his express permission. Should you wish to further explore this dynamic aspect of NationStates, you are invited to read the many roleplay guides available in the forum.]

Welcome to 'Getting Started with Nationstates'. This (advice) will provide the basic framework for general rules and learning and all things in regards to how to properly Role Playing in the International Incidents and Nationstates forums. The following is merely a snippet of advice, please visit this forum thread for more comprehensive information and advice relating to roleplaying in International Incidents.

  • Work things out OOC: First piece of advice is fairly simple; you will find that when you start a roleplay with a nation you may have combat with, you will find that most of the time you will both have different technologies and ideas on how the roleplay will go. As such it’s important to work out any problems OOC before you start the RP. You can do this in MSN, telegram or even in a separate thread… if you don’t do this you may waste a lot of time arguing with the other nation over the power of your weapon, why they aren’t taking enough damage and so on.

  • Spelling, Grammar and Format: This is a quick addition, but basically if you want to be understood you should make it easier to read for everyone else. You should try and make sure that you’re spelling it reasonable, your grammar is ok and your format makes it easy for people to read. The best way to achieve this is to use a program like Win Word to spell check your post and maybe even point out some grammar problems.

  • Its freeform baby!: Yeah, I know I should have pointed this out earlier, but it goes without saying. You can RP anything you want and there is little anyone can do about it. Remember, while you can roleplay anything, you can also ignore anything. So while you can RP your nation being the best in the universe, everyone else can ignore such a claim and choose not to RP with you. That’s the beauty of freeform, and it’s the greatest frustration. This is why you should be reasonable.

  • Be descriptive: This isn’t really as important, but it makes the thread a whole lot better. The more description you put into it, the more interesting it is to read and the more you will enjoy the roleplay on the whole.

  • Have fun: It gets forgotten a lot of the time but Nationstates is just a game; albeit an addictive game which takes a lot of time and effort for some people. The important thing is to have fun; if you are not having fun then you should try something else. Tired of having wars with everyone? Chill out and try something else, make peace with those you fight or have a peace conference… that way you automatically have a character/diplomatic roleplay.

To garner more information on general roleplaying, the author strongly recommends a visit to the forum thread Roleplaying Tips and Suggestions.

Roleplaying in NationStates is such an exciting and fun aspect of the game, as such, there are thousands of people all around you who would be happy to help you, you need only ask. Similarly, if you are stuck on something or would just like a bit of advice here and there, the forum contains dozens of guides and helpful tips. Always remember, the world is full of possibilities and you are only limited by your imagination.

BBCode

Players not accustomed to formatting may have noticed custom markup tags being used in the regional message board, the NS Forum or in Dispatches. These custom markups help to format a text to make it bold, italics, add images, add url, etc. These are known as BBCode or Bulletin Board Code.

BBCode or Bulletin Board Code is a lightweight markup language generally used internet-wide format posts in blogs and message boards.
The BBCode tags usually have a beginning and ending tag similar to HTML. BBCodes are usually indicated by the square brackets [ ] and contain a keyword within the [] tag, and the ending tags have the same keyword with a backslash ” / ” preceding the keyword. These BBCodes are parsed during the run-time to produce HTML or XHTML that can be understood by the browsers. It should be noted that players need to nest the tags properly as otherwise, it might not work.

[The following information has been kindly provided by Testlandia and reproduced here with his express permission. The following list is not exhaustive. To view the full list, please consult with this dispatch, the Complete List of NSCodes.]

These BBCode-like tags can be used in Dispatches, Telegrams, Regional Message Board (RMB) posts, Regional World Factbook Entries (WFEs), and World Assembly proposals. Not all tags are valid for all message types: see below.

Name

Validity

Code

Result

Bold

Everywhere

[b]Nation[/b]

Nation

Italic

Everywhere

[i]States[/i]

States

Underline

Everywhere

[u]online[/u]

online

Strike

Everywhere

[strike]game[/strike]

game

Background

Dispatches

[background=#0080FF]text highlight[/background]

text highlight

Background-block

Dispatches

[background-block=yellow]Block highlight[/background-block]

Block highlight

Size

Dispatches

[size=150]Guide[/size]

Guide

Font

Dispatches

[font=Newtimesroman]John Smith[/font]

John Smith

Nation

Everywhere

[nation]Amerion[/nation]
[nation=short]Amerion[/nation]
[nation=short+noflag]Amerion[/nation]

Amerion
Amerion
Amerion

Region

Everywhere

[region]the South Pacific[/region]

the South Pacific

Nation

Everywhere

@Amerion

Amerion

WA proposal

Everywhere

[proposal=chester_pearson_1421530135]War Crimes Tribunal[/proposal]

War Crimes Tribunal

WA resolution

Everywhere

[resolution=GA#2]The Rights and Duties law[/resolution]

The Rights and Duties law

Spoiler

Everywhere

[spoiler]Hi[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Greetings]Hi[/spoiler]

Hi

Hi

Link

Dispatches & WFE

[url=http://maxbarry.com/]Max Barry[/url] created NationStates

LinkMax Barry created NationStates

Anchor

Dispatches

[anchor=A][/anchor]The anchor will be placed here
[url=/page=dispatch/id=444406#A]Anchor link[/url]

The anchor will be placed here

Anchor link

Image

Dispatches

[img]https://i.imgur.com/9h8jAdi.png?1[/img]

Quote

RMB & Dispatches

[quote=amerion;100000]Oppa Gangnam Style[/quote]

Amerion wrote:Oppa Gangnam Style

List

Everywhere

[list][*]Bullet
[*]List[/list]
[list=1][*]Number
[*]List[/list]
[list=a][*]Alphabetical
[*]List[/list]
[list=I][*]Roman
[*]Numerals
[*]List[list]

  • Bullet

  • List

  1. Number

  2. List

  1. Alphabetical

  2. List

  1. Roman

  2. Numerals

  3. List

    Unformatted text

    Everywhere

    [pre]You bold like [b]this[/b]!
    [/pre]

    You bold like [b]this[/b]!

    Color

    Dispatches & WFE

    [color=red]Red text[/color]
    [color=#0431B4]Blue text[/color]

    Red text
    Blue text

    Alignment

    Dispatches

    [align=right]Right-aligned[/align]
    [center]Center-aligned[/center]
    [align=left]Left-aligned[/align]

    Right-aligned
    Center-aligned
    Left-aligned

    Indentation

    Dispatches

    [tab=10]This is an indent[/tab]

    This is an indent

    Horizontal Line

    Dispatches

    [hr]

    Box

    Dispatches

    [box]This is a box[/box]

    This is a box


    ||| WELCOME ||| BASICS ||| GAMEPLAY ||| ||| GLOSSARY ||| |||
    ·
    ·
    ·
    ·

    Term

    Definition

    Ban

    An act which prevents a nation from entering a given region.

    Cease-To-Exist (CTE)

    The deletion of a nation after a period of inactivity lasting 28 days or 60 days if vacation mode is set. A nation can be 'refounded' by the owner by login.

    Eject

    An act of ejecting a nation from a region. This can be performed by the Founder (with cost to the nation) or by the Delegate (with an influence cost incurred on the Delegate). Nations who have been ejected will relocate involuntarily to The Rejected Realms.

    Feeders

    Regions that new nations are founded in. Sinkers include The Pacific, The North Pacific, The South Pacific, The West Pacific, and The East Pacific.

    Founder

    A nation who 'founded' the region and hence is the original inhabitant. The Founder, depending on access to the administration panel, has the power to ban, eject, banject nations, change tags, suppress RMB posts, change the flag, construct and close embassies, and change the World Factbook Entry.

    Sinkers

    Regions that nations returning to the game, or in the case of The Rejected Realms are ejected from a different region go to. Sinkers include Lazarus, Osiris, Balder, and The Rejected Realms.

    Out-of-Character (OOC)

    Post of this sort is used to convey messages unrelated to the roleplay, such as informing fellow players that you will be out of town for a week and therefore will not be online in NationStates.

    Puppets

    Nations created to be used secondary to the primary nation. Some players choose to use puppet nations as WA nations while others choose to use it to boost a region's population. Reasons vary and there is nothing wrong with creating puppets for one's purpose.

    Regional Message Board (RMB)

    A chat function visible in a region (scroll down the region's homepage). This aspect allows nations to communicate and displays their flag as well as allowing them to 'like' others' messages and quote them.

    Telegrams

    A private messaging system that acts as emails for NS.

    Warzones

    Regions which have no founder and cannot be refounded. In these regions, ejections/bannings do not incur an influence drain on the Delegate but can only last a limited amount of time. Warzones include Warzone Airspace, Warzone Africa, Warzone Europe, Warzone Asia, Warzone Australia, and Warzone Sandbox.

    World Assembly

    An institute of global governance in NationStates, similar to the United Nations in real-life.

    World Assembly Delegate

    A nation who possess the largest number of WA endorsements in the region, thereby allowing it to represent the region in the World Assembly.

    World Factbook Entry (WFE)

    World Factbook Entry is an area visible at the top of a region's homepage which describes the region, etc. Typically, it would state members of the region's governing entity, links to an offsite forum, etc.

    References

    [1] Testlandia, Euroslavia, and Goddess Relief Office contributed whole information towards sections regarding Bulletin Board Codes, Roleplay, and Issue Types, respectfully.

    [2] Exact figures may fluctuate over time as new nations are founded and existing nations are ceasing-to-exist.

    [3] This information on World Assembly Councils was sourced from Frequently Asked Questions.

    ·

    ·

    The NationStates Guide
    ·

    ·
    ——
    ·
    ·
    Read dispatch


    The Complete List of NSCodes

    by The Hive Mind of Testlandia

    These BBCode-like tags can be used in Dispatches, Telegrams, Regional Message Board (RMB) posts, Regional World Factbook Entries (WFEs), and World Assembly proposals. Not all tags are valid for all message types: see below.

    Bold, Italic, Underline
    Valid: Everywhere
    Tags: b, i, u

    I [b]really[/b] like text that [i]makes a point[/i], you [u]know[/u]?
    I really like text that makes a point, you know?

    Strikeout, Subscript, Superscript
    Valid: Everywhere
    Tags: strike, sub, sup

    I [strike]like[/strike] [sub]love[/sub] love [sup]love[/sup] this region!
    I like love love love this region!

    Nation
    Valid: Everywhere
    Tag: nation
    Shortcut: @
    Options: long, noflag

    I am [nation]Testlandia[/nation]. Or, to use my full name, [nation=long]Testlandia[/nation]. If you prefer to omit flags, you can call me [nation=noflag]Testlandia[/nation] or [nation=long+noflag]Testlandia[/nation].
    I am Testlandia. Or, to use my full name, The Hive Mind of Testlandia. If you prefer to omit flags, you can call me Testlandia or The Hive Mind of Testlandia.

    (Tip: When writing a post or dispatch, hit "@" and begin typing a nation name for an auto-completing shortcut.)

    Region
    Valid: Everywhere
    Tag: region
    Shortcut: @

    [region]The Pacific[/region] was the very first region in the world.
    The Pacific was the very first region in the world.

    (Tip: When writing a post or dispatch, hit "@" and begin typing a region name for an auto-completing shortcut.)

    World Assembly Proposal
    Valid: Everywhere
    Tag: proposal
    Option: proposal ID

    Please support [proposal=separatist_peoples_1416233457]my proposal[/proposal]!
    Please support my proposal!

    World Assembly Resolution
    Valid: Everywhere
    Tag: resolution
    Option: council ID (GA, SC, or UN)#resolution ID

    The foundation of modern WA legislation is [resolution=GA#2]the Rights and Duties law[/resolution].
    The foundation of modern WA legislation is the Rights and Duties law.

    Spoiler
    Valid: Everywhere
    Tag: spoiler
    Options: text to display on button

    [spoiler]Surprise![/spoiler]

    Surprise!

    [spoiler=Try this one, too!]Boo!![/spoiler]

    Boo!!

    Link
    Valid for nationstates.net links: Everywhere
    Valid for other sites: Dispatches, WFEs
    Tag: url
    Options: URL

    Did you know the guy who wrote NationStates is [url=http://maxbarry.com]Max Barry[/url]?
    Did you know the guy who wrote NationStates is LinkMax Barry?

    A lot of people live in [url=http://forum.nationstates.net/]the forums[/url]!
    A lot of people live in the forums!

    You can actually omit the [url] tag for full URLs, like this: http://www.nationstates.net/page=faq
    You can actually omit the [url] tag for full URLs, like this: page=faq.

    But it's usually most helpful to provide descriptive text, so people know [url=http://www.nationstates.net/page=faq]this link leads to the FAQ[/url].
    But it's usually most helpful to provide descriptive text, so people know this link leads to the FAQ.

    List
    Valid: Everywhere
    Tags: list, *
    Options: 1, a, i, A, I

    [list][*]One
    [*]Two
    [*]Three[/list]

    • One

    • Two

    • Three

    [list=1][*]A more complicated list, which contains a nested list:
    [list=i][*]"1" is 1, 2, 3...
    [*]"i" is i, ii, iii...
    [*]"a" is a, b, c...[/list]
    [*]And the above can be capitalized, for A, B, C... and I, II, III...[/list]

    1. A more complicated list, which contains a nested list:

      1. "1" is 1, 2, 3...

      2. "i" is i, ii, iii...

      3. "a" is a, b, c...

    2. And the above can be capitalized, for A, B, C... and I, II, III...

    Unformatted text
    Valid: Everywhere
    Tag: pre

    [pre]You bold like [b]this[/b]![/pre]

    You bold like [b]this[/b]!

    Size
    Valid: Dispatches
    Tag: size

    Sometimes you want [size=150]big text[/size] but other times only [size=90]small text[/size] will do.
    Sometimes you want big text, but other times only small text will do.

    Color
    Valid: Dispatches, WFEs
    Tag: color
    Alternative name: colour
    Options: name or hexidecimal code of color

    I [color=red]love[/color] a little [colour=#FF9900]color[/colour].
    I love a little color.

    Quote
    Valid: RMBs
    Tag: quote
    Options: name of author;post ID

    [quote=testlandia;4970610]It's an outrage![/quote]
    Testlandia wrote:It's an outrage!

    Background color
    Valid: Dispatches
    Tags: background, background-block
    Options: name or hexidecimal code of color

    Backgrounds can be applied to [background=yellow]highlight a few words[/background].
    Backgrounds can be applied to highlight a few words.

    [background-block=yellow]Backgrounds can also be applied at the paragraph level, which is especially noticeable...
    ...when it flows over multiple lines.[/background-block]
    Backgrounds can also be applied at the paragraph level, which is especially noticeable...

    ...when it flows over multiple lines.


    Font
    Valid: Dispatches
    Tag: font
    Options: name of font(s), in order of preference

    [font=Courier]What a beautiful font![/font]
    What a beautiful font!

    [font=Times New Roman, Arial, sans]What a beautiful font![/font]
    What a beautiful font!

    Alignment
    Valid: Dispatches
    Tag: align
    Alternative names: center, centre
    Options: left, right, center, justify

    [align=center]Centered text.[/align]
    Centered text.

    [align=right]Right-justified text.[/align]
    Right-justified text.

    [centre]This is also centred, especially if you're British.[/centre]
    This is also centred, especially if you're British.

    Image
    Valid: Dispatches
    Tag: img
    Options: view (standout, shadow, border)

    [img]http://www.nationstates.net/images/foot_jg.png[/img]

    You can also set some visual options:

    [img view="shadow"]https://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/Switzerland.png[/img]

    [img view="standout"]https://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/Switzerland.png[/img]

    [img view="standout border shadow"]https://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/Switzerland.png[/img]

    Float
    Valid: Dispatches
    Tag: float
    Options: left, right

    [float=right][img]http://www.nationstates.net/images/foot_jg.png[/img][/float]
    [float=left][img]http://www.nationstates.net/images/foot_jg.png[/img][/float]
    Images float on either side of this text.

    Images float on either side of this text.

    Box
    Valid: Dispatches
    Tag: box

    [box]A pretty box.[/box]
    (You're looking at it. Sadly, boxes cannot contain other boxes.)

    Sidebar
    Valid: Dispatches
    Tag: sidebar

    [sidebar]Sidebars are very similar to box + float-right, but don't stretch across the whole screen (except on mobile devices).[/sidebar]
    Sidebars are very similar to box + float-right, but don't stretch across the whole screen (except on mobile devices).

    Indent
    Valid: Dispatches
    Tag: tab
    Option: number of pixels to indent

    [tab=100]Some indented text[/tab].
    Some indented text.

    Anchor
    Valid: Dispatches
    Tag: anchor
    Option: name of anchor (no spaces or punctuation!)

    [anchor=JUMPHERE][/anchor]Useful for tables of contents.
    Jump to [url=#JUMPHERE]my anchor[/url].
    Useful for tables of contents.
    Jump to my anchor.

    Table
    Valid: Dispatches
    Tags: table, tr (table row), td (table cell)
    Options: plain

    [table][tr][td]A table's first row looks different[/td][td]Next cell[/td][/tr]
    [tr][td]Second row[/td][td]Next cell[/td][/tr]
    [tr][td]Third row[/td][td]Next cell[/td][/tr]
    [tr][td]Fourth row, which goes on at some length about nothing. It also has a line break in it. Here it comes. Ready? Okay!! Here it is!!
    See?[/td][td]Next cell[/td][/tr]
    [tr][td]Hovering over a row highlights it[/td][td]Not bad, eh?[/td][/tr]
    [/table]

    A table's first row looks different

    Next cell

    Second row

    Next cell

    Third row

    Next cell

    Fourth row, which goes on at some length about nothing. It also has a line break in it. Here it comes. Ready? Okay!! Here it is!!

    See?

    Next cell

    Hovering over a row highlights it

    Not bad, eh?

    [float=right][table=plain]
    [tr][td]Table type:[/td][td]Plain[/td][/tr]
    [tr][td]Decoration:[/td][td]None[/td][/tr]
    [tr][td]Excitement level:[/td][td]Low[/td][/tr]
    [tr][td]Usefulness for formatting:[/td][td]High[/td][/tr]
    [/table][/float]

    Table type:

    Plain

    Decoration:

    None

    Excitement level:

    Low

    Usefulness for formatting:

    High

    Read dispatch


    Useful NS Sites and Utilities (updated: 4/19/2019)

    by The Democratic Judgeship of Nullarni

    Categories

    * Auto Telegramming Programs

    * Flag Creators

    * Name Generators

    * Nation Stats Calculators

    * Phone Apps

    * Plugins and Extensions

    * Political Graphing Sites

    * Puppet Managers

    * Scorinators

    * Wiki Sites

    * Other

    Wanting to expand your NS experience? Well, look no further. Here is a list of sites and tools to add more depth to NationStates.

    Though I have tried, this is most likely not an all-inclusive list. If there are any sites or utilities that you believe should be added to the list, or if one of the items listed stops working, please TG me. I always appreciate the help.

    NOTE: All of these sites and utilities have been created by third parties and are not affiliated with the NationStates website or myself. While I believe all of them to be safe, you are using them at your own risk.

    If you find this dispatch useful, please "up-vote" it.



    Auto Telegramming Programs
    If you are tired of having to use stamps to send mass telegrams, or you just need help sending large numbers of TGs you may want to try one of these. NOTE: Be sure to follow all mass telegramming and API rules, or you will face the wrath of the Mods.

    NationStates AutoTelegram- This is a utility to allow you to send mass telegrams without using NS Stamps. I have used it many times in the past. It has been extremely useful for WA campaigns and mass TGing my region. This is no longer supported, meaning bugs and errors will not be fixed.

    pyNSrecruit- This is another auto telegram program. It has a straightforward and easy to use interface, plus it supports use as a recruitment tool.

    Agadar's Telegrammer- This is a desktop application that automates sending telegrams, so you don't have to use stamps. It is useful for recruitment, WA campaigning, and region-wide telegramming.

    Communiqué 8 Telegram Client- Communiqué is a simple open-source way to send telegrams through the Telegram API. It is built using Java (you will need an up-to-date version of Java), so it will probably run on your home computer.

    nstg-web- stg-web is a free and open source web application that allows you to easily send telegrams to a list of NationStates nations. This also has the benefit of being a web app, so you don't have to download anything.


    Flag Creators
    If making flags in MS Paint is too basic, and Photoshop or GIMP is just too much try one pf these flag creators.

    LinkFlagMaker 2.0- FlagMaker is a tool to easily create flags that includes many different flag elements and emblems. You can create a flag with six different base types and then add as many overlays as you like. It even has a random function if you are all out of ideas. (Special thanks to Zambara for finding this.)

    LinkFlagMaker Jr.- FlagMaker Jr. is a simplified version of FlagMaker. It is also an online app, so you don't have to download anything. There is a bit of a learning curve and the options are arranged in a way that is not immediately intuitive, but once you get the hang of it, you can create good looking flags.

    LinkFake Flag- This is a flag creator app that allows you to mix and match elements from real flags. You can create unique, and interesting flags that also look professional. The only downside is that you can't add art or colors of your own. This is a very good option if you want a realistic flag.

    LinkFlag Designer- This is an extremely simple flag making app. Not too many options, but the user interface is very straightforward and easy to use. This is a good way to make decent looking flags quickly. Plus, the flags are made in SVG files, so they scale without pixelating or distorting.

    LinkFlag Designer - Tennessine- This is another online flag making app. You start with a real-life flag and then insert different elements into it. There are plenty of options that allow you to make pretty unique flags.

    LinkFlag Creator- This flag creator allows you to make flags completely from scratch, rather than using real flags as a base. This app can be a little tricky to use at first, but with a bit of playing around it becomes intuitive. This is a pretty good option if you don't want a flag that looks like every other one.


    Name Generators
    Having difficulty coming up with names? These name generators will help you come up with as many as you need. These are not strictly for NationStates, but they are site commonly utilized by NS users.

    LinkRandom Name Generator- This is a basic name generator that will give a block of names according to the simple parameters you set. This is ideal for generating a list of names for an entire sports team or military unit.

    LinkBehind the Name- This name generator allows you to choose the category of the name, and how many names the person has. You definitely want to narrow the options before making a name, or you may get very strange ones.

    LinkFake Name Generator- Despite the name, this generator doesn't just give you a name but also gives you a full online profile for the character. Very good if you want details, but don't have the time to make them up yourself.


    Nation Stats Calculators
    Are graphs and descriptions on your nation's NS page not enough for you? These stats calculators will give you the specific numbers and details about your nation. They are perfectly suited for getting stats for Role Playing.

    LinkNSEconomy- This is the stat calculator I personally use. It is simple and easy to use.

    LinkNSDossier- This stats calculator provides the most regional information but is also the slowest loading calculator.


    Phone Apps
    Looking for a better, or at least different way to look at NationStates while on your phone? Try out one of these apps for your phone.

    Stately- This is an Android App for your phone. It allows you to answer issues, compare stats and graphs of multiple nations, and track your nation stats over time.

    LinkNSDroid- This is another Android App to make using NationStates on your phone easier. It allows you to post to your region's RMB, send and receive TGs, and keep track of nations in your dossier.


    Plugins and Extensions

    NationStates++- This is a browser extension for the NationStates site. It adds stats and reorganizes some of the pages to be easier to use. It also has a feature that allows you to switch between nations you control with one click. It is very nice and kept up to date. This is a third party extension, so use at your own risk. However, NationStates is in the process of acquiring the extension, so it may gain "official" status in the near future.

    LibreNS++- This is another, similar browser extension for the NationStates site. Much like NS++, this extension adds more functionality to the NS website, including mobile support, puppet management, automatic RMB updates, and IRC chat added to the region pages.

    SerinApprox- This is a bot for your NationStates IRC channels that automatically calculates regions' approximate update times. It is an extremely useful tool if you are using your IRC for NS gameplay. SerinApprox is a plug-in for the LinkmIRC client, so if you are the one running the bot on the channel you must use mIRC. Everyone else on the channel will be able to access the bot regardless of their IRC client.

    NSBreeze- NSBreeze is an extension for Chrome, to add keyboard shortcuts to the NationStates site. This gives you the ability to navigate using the press of a key. This is a very useful extension if you are involved in the R/D game.

    FluffyCogs- FluffyCogs is a module for the LinkRed Discord Bot. This module will add NS-related commands to your region's Discord bot, such as displaying region data or WA resolution texts. Its a great way to integrate NationStates into your Discord.


    Political Graphing Sites
    Looking for a way to graph your nation's place on the political spectrum? Well, these sites will help you do that. Now, These are not strictly for NationStates, but they are site commonly utilized by NS users.

    LinkThe Political Compass- This is the most common political graphing test used on NS. It provides a good measure of one's political stance or the stance of your nation.

    LinkPolitical Spectrum Quiz- This is a good alternative to the Political Compass site. It allows you to weight each question according to how significant you feel it is, so you can add another layer of personalization. However, due to this added feature, it may not be very compatible with the Political Compass results.


    Puppet Managers
    Have you recently started participating in NS gameplay and now you have so many puppets you don't know what to do with them all? These programs will help you stop them all from CTEing.

    NationStates Nation Manager- This is a small application that allows you to log in to a long list of puppets with one click of the mouse. I used to use this program frequently when I was juggling 50+ puppet nations. It is very helpful.

    Autologin Script- This is a simple Python script to automatically log in to your puppet nations. It also provides you a list of notices that your puppets received, so you can better monitor what is happening with your nations. It does require that you download LinkPython 3 in order to run the script.


    Scorinators
    Want to run a sports RP? These programs and spreadsheets will help you generate scores fairly according to the inputs. I personally have little to no experience with these, so my descriptions will be limited.

    Linkxkoranate- This is a fairly versatile scorinator that allows you to simulate a wide variety of sports, both individual and team. It is the most widely used scorinator.

    LinkNSFS- This is a scorinator design specifically for football (soccer) scoring.

    LinkLeagion- This is a Java-based program for american football scores. Written by Rejistania.

    LinkTennis 0.3.1- This is an Excel based scorinator for tennis match ups. LinkOpenoffice version. Written by Schiavonia.

    LinkLeague Ranking Sheet 3.2- This is a spreadsheet for league standings and rankings. Written by Osarius.


    Wiki sites
    Are you looking for a good place to post a world factbook or your nation's history? These Wiki sites are the perfect place for it.

    LinkNSWiki- This is a reboot of the now-defunct wiki site of the same name. It is filled with bot generated pages, so the entries may or may not be accurate. It is well kept and managed, and it is highly recommended.

    LinkIIWiki- The "II" stands for "international incidents", so this is a strictly In Character wiki. That means nothing can be posted that breaks the Link"fourth wall".

    LinkWikiStates- This is another alternative wiki site. It is rather small but has an active community.

    LinkNSIndex- This wiki site was made in response to the chaos created by NSWiki changing owners. The benefit of this site is that it has full access to Wikimedia Commons and there are no computer-generated pages.


    Other
    Other useful things.

    LinkNationStates Issue Results- This site collects data from nations answering issues to determine the results of each choice. It gives you the observed range of each stats change as well as the average change. Very useful if you want to fine-tune your NS stats, or if you just want to be a cheater.

    NationStates Battle Simulator- This is a great tool to help war RPs. Instead of just rolling dice or arbitrarily deciding the results of a battle, you can just plug in various factors for both sides of the conflict and have the simulator crunch the numbers for you.

    LinkNSHistory- This site allows you to look at the history of nations and regions. How many nations were in the North Pacific in June of 2008? This site will let you know. (The answer is 3,602 nations, by the way.)

    LinkNSEmbassy- Regional Embassies make a web of connections across NationStates. How are they all connected? This will show you... In several different ways.

    LinkNSRegionFlags- Have you ever wanted to look at all the regions' flag on NS all at once? Me neither. But if you get bored you should check it out.

    LinkPlanet Creation Kit- This is a random planet generator. It allows you to set some basic parameters and then generates the scientific details of the planet. What is it useful for? I dunno.

    LinkThis Person Does Not Exist- This is a site that uses a computer algorithm to generate a picture of a fake person every two seconds. If you are looking for completely unique photos of people for your nation's factbook, this is a great utility... Though, you may need to refresh the page a few times before you find one that's suitable.

    Read dispatch


    Coronavirus (COVID-19) Informational Dispatch

    by The Amerion-4-Supreme-Leader 😈 of Amerion

    Link

    COVID-19 is a strain of coronaviruses — also referred to as Coronavirus in the media — and is currently present in over 180 countries and territories.

    Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which can infect both humans and animals. They can range from the common flu to more serious illnesses and in recent years have been the cause of major outbreaks like the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

    Compared to SARS, COVID-19 appears to be highly transmissible as most cases are mild and resemble a cold. The symptoms of COVID-19 include a cough, fever and shortness of breath (more details are provided in the FAQ below).

    If you would like to learn more, you can view an informational YouTube video from John Hopkins Medicine Linkhere, or visit the websites listed below.

    The LinkWorld Health Organisation recommends the following:

    Wash your hands frequently

    Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.

    Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.

    Maintain social distancing

    Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

    Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.

    Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth

    Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.

    Practice respiratory hygiene

    Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

    Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.

    If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early

    Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

    Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.

    Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider

    Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

    Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on whether COVID-19 is spreading in your area. They are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

    Source: World Health Organisation (2020). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public.

    Source: Maragakis, L. L. (2020). Coronavirus at a Glance: Infographic. Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-facts-infographic.

    In an uncertain period which may of us find ourselves in, it is understandable that we should seek out more information. It is important to note, however, that not everything we read online, hear from our friends, or gather from the grapevine will be true.

    You should exercise responsible research habits and ensure that:
    (1) the information is from a reputable organisation (such as a regional or national newspaper or your country's health authorities);
    (2) the author is an authoritative source (i.e. they hold an advanced degree in public health, epidemiology, or a related field);
    (3) or, in the case that they lack the proper credentials, you should do more research to verify their claims from more reliable sources before accepting their advice.

    The following information is from the LinkWorld Health Organisation Myth buster webpage and has been reproduced here for your convenience. This selection of myths and facts are limited and it is recommended that you visit their Linksite for the full version.

    Myth — COVID-19 virus cannot be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates

    Fact — From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in ALL AREAS, including areas with hot and humid weather. Regardless of climate, adopt protective measures if you live in, or travel to an area reporting COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands. By doing this you eliminate viruses that may be on your hands and avoid infection that could occur by then touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

    Myth — Cold weather and snow can kill the new coronavirus.

    Fact — There is no reason to believe that cold weather can kill the new coronavirus or other diseases. The normal human body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the external temperature or weather. The most effective way to protect yourself against the new coronavirus is by frequently cleaning your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and water.

    Myth — Taking a hot bath will prevent the new coronavirus disease

    Fact — Taking a hot bath will not prevent you from catching COVID-19. Your normal body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the temperature of your bath or shower. Actually, taking a hot bath with extremely hot water can be harmful, as it can burn you. The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands. By doing this you eliminate viruses that may be on your hands and avoid infection that coud occur by then touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

    Myth — The new coronavirus can be transmitted through mosquito bites.

    Fact — To date there has been no information nor evidence to suggest that the new coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes. The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus which spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. To protect yourself, clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Also, avoid close contact with anyone who is coughing and sneezing.

    Myth — Hand dryers are effective in killing the new coronavirus.

    Fact — No. Hand dryers are not effective in killing the 2019-nCoV. To protect yourself against the new coronavirus, you should frequently clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Once your hands are cleaned, you should dry them thoroughly by using paper towels or a warm air dryer.

    Source: World Health Organisation (2020). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Myth busters. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters.

    The following information is from the LinkWorld Health Organisation Q&A and has been reproduced here for your convenience. For a more exhaustive F&Q, please visit their Linkwebsite

    What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

    The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some patients include aches and pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but only have very mild symptoms.

    Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing hospital treatment. Around 1 out of every 5 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart and lung problems, diabetes, or cancer, are at higher risk of developing serious illness. However, anyone can catch COVID-19 and become seriously ill. People of all ages who experience fever and/or cough associated with difficulty breathing/shortness of breath, chest pain/pressure, or loss of speech or movement should seek medical attention immediately. If possible, it is recommended to call the health care provider or facility first, so the patient can be directed to the right clinic.

    What should I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms and when should I seek medical care?

    If you have minor symptoms, such as a slight cough or a mild fever, there is generally no need to seek medical care. Stay at home, self-isolate and monitor your symptoms. Follow national guidance on self-isolation.

    However, if you live in an area with malaria or dengue fever it is important that you do not ignore symptoms of fever. Seek medical help. When you attend the health facility wear a mask if possible, keep at least 1 metre distance from other people and do not touch surfaces with your hands. If it is a child who is sick help the child stick to this advice.

    Seek immediate medical care if you have difficulty breathing or pain/pressure in the chest. If possible, call your health care provider in advance, so he/she can direct you to the right health facility.

    Should I wear a mask to protect myself?

    Masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission and save lives; the use of a mask alone is not sufficient to provide an adequate level of protection against COVID-19. You should also maintain a minimum physical distance of at least 1 metre from others, frequently clean your hands and avoid touching your face and mask.

    Medical masks can protect people wearing the mask from getting infected, as well as can prevent those who have symptoms from spreading them. WHO recommends the following groups use medical masks.

    • Health workers
    • Anyone with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, including people with mild symptoms
    • People caring for suspect or confirmed cases of COVID-19 outside of health facilities

    Medical masks are also recommended for these at-risk people, when they are in areas of widespread transmission and they cannot guarantee a distance of at least 1 metre from others:

    • People aged 60 or over
    • People of any age with underlying health conditions

    Non-medical, fabric masks are being used by many people in public areas, but there has been limited evidence on their effectiveness and WHO does not recommend their widespread use among the public for control of COVID-19. However, for areas of widespread transmission, with limited capacity for implementing control measures and especially in settings where physical distancing of at least 1 metre is not possible – such as on public transport, in shops or in other confined or crowded environments – WHO advises governments to encourage the general public to use non-medical fabric masks.

    How can we protect others and ourselves if we don't know who is infected?

    Practicing hand and respiratory hygiene is important at ALL times and is the best way to protect others and yourself.

    When possible maintain at least a 1 meter distance between yourself and others. This is especially important if you are standing by someone who is coughing or sneezing. Since some infected persons may not yet be exhibiting symptoms or their symptoms may be mild, maintaining a physical distance with everyone is a good idea if you are in an area where COVID-19 is circulating.

    Source: World Health Organisation (2020). Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19). Retrieved from Linkhttps://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses and Linkhttps://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/q-a-on-covid-19-and-masks.

    Link

    There are a number of country/region-specific websites listed below. This list is not exhaustive and if your country or region is not provided below, it is highly recommended that you independently search for it as it will contain useful information and guidance.

    Australia — LinkDepartment of Health
    Austria — LinkFederal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection
    Canada — LinkPublic Health Agency of Canada
    Czech Republic — LinkMinistry of Health
    Denmark — LinkMinistry of Health
    European Union — LinkEuropean Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
    Finland — LinkMinistry of Social Affairs and Health
    France — LinkMinistry of Health
    Germany — LinkFederal Centre for Health Education | LinkRobert Koch Institute (federal government agency responsible for disease control and prevention) | LinkInformation index
    Indonesia — LinkMinistry of Health
    Japan — LinkMinistry of Health, Labour and Welfare
    Malaysia — LinkMinistry of Health
    Singapore — LinkMinistry of Health
    South Korea — LinkMinistry of Health and Welfare
    Switzerland — LinkFederal Office of Public Health
    United Kingdom — LinkNational Health Service
    United States — LinkCenters for Disease Control and Prevention

    Additionally, there are numerous resources which are a good starting point if you wish to understand this pandemic better:

    Academic Institutions & Medical Journals:
    Elsevier — LinkNovel Coronavirus Information Center
    John Hopkins University — LinkCenter for Systems Science and Engineering (COVID-19 tracking)
    The Lancet — LinkCOVID-19 Resource Centre
    The New England Journal of Medicine — LinkCOVID-19 webpage

    International Organisations:
    World Health Organisation ( LinkAdvisory Information | LinkOverview | LinkQuestion & Answer )

    News Sources:
    Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) (Australia) — LinkCoverage on Coronavirus outbreak
    BBC (United Kingdom) — LinkCoronavirus pandemic explainers
    Channel News Asia (Singapore) — LinkLatest news on COVID-19
    DW (Germany) — LinkCOVID-19 news coverage
    Foreign Affairs (United States) — LinkCoverage of Coronavirus
    France 24 (France) — LinkCOVID-19 news coverage
    Guardian (United Kingdom) — LinkCOVID-19 news coverage
    New York Times (United States) — LinkCOVID-19 news coverage
    South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) — LinkCoverage on Coronavirus outbreak

    Other [Note: Read with Caution as author(s) are not authoritative sources]:
    Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell — LinkYouTube video 'The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should Do'
    Tomas Pueyo — LinkMedium opinion piece

    If there are any resources you think should be added, please do feel free to telegram Amerion and it may be included in this dispatch.

    --
    An Informational Dispatch on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    --
    Read dispatch


    Help Fight Against Police Brutality!

    by The Quarantined Queen of Sho

    ”I Can Breathe Now” mural by Niko Alexander, Cadex Herrera, Greta McLain, Xena Goldman, and Pablo Helm Hernandez.

    In light of the recent horrible events in Minneapolis, here are some fundraisers that help people in need because of the protests and riots against police brutality.

    Notes: LinkMinnesota Freedom Fund has received so many donations they are asking folks to donate elsewhere.

    Please do NOT donate to any fundraisers associated with Shaun King. King has an extensive history of raising funds that later disappear. Also avoid donating directly to Change.org — the money will not go to the organizers of the petition. Please donate instead to one of the organizations listed below.

    Remember: This doesn’t go away just because it stops #trending.

    Can’t help financially? No worries! Sign LinkJustice for George Floyd to show some support! You can also LinkStream to Donate, which helps this video project not only share petitions but helps them collect ad revenue for the cause!

    “And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? ... It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.”

    ― Martin Luther King Jr.


    Funds for the protesters:
    LinkAtlanta Solidarity Fund
    LinkBrooklyn Bail Fund
    LinkLos Angeles Bail Fund
    LinkMassachusetts Bail Fund | Essex & Suffolk
    LinkNational Bailout
    LinkAdditional Bail Funds | Updated Regularly!

    Rebuilding communities and small businesses:
    LinkWe Love Lake Street
    LinkMigizi Community Center
    LinkLa Mesa Business Disaster Recovery
    LinkMidtown Global Market Mend

    Helping families of victims:
    LinkFloyd Family GoFundMe
    LinkJustice for Breonna Taylor

    Additional Organizations
    LinkBlack Lives Matter
    LinkCampaign Zero
    LinkCommunities United Against Police Brutality
    LinkNorthstar Health Collective | Protest Medics
    LinkTwin Cities Recovery Project | Therapy Resources
    LinkReclaim The Block

    Dekks for sparking this!

    Warden Nakari, Qvait, Baaas, and New Camelot of Avalonia for additional contributions!

    Badivermeraed and Prince Reece Island for being annoying so I don’t have to be. Updoot squad! 😝

    the South Pacific, The Kingdom of Great Britain, The Leftist Assembly, Democratic Socialist Assembly, United World Nations, Nordic Territories, Mushroom Kingdom, Heart, New West Indies, Codex Ylvus, Thaecia, Morover Puppet Storage, The European brothers, Warzone Sandbox, The United Coalition, The Great Universe, Card Garden, and The Brittanic Kingdom for pinning it!

    If anyone finds more to add to this list, telegram me or DM me on discord.

    Do not contact me if you’re going to argue with me about whether or not I am against the police. If you cannot separate authority from the issues from a subset of it, such as assuming hatred for police brutality equates hating all officers as people, then you cannot deny there is an issue worth fixing.

    Read dispatch



    This greeting is copyrighted by Proctethia. Any usage without crediting Proctethia will make Proctethia annoyed with you.

    Rabbitz

    Post self-deleted by North Prarie.

    The Supreme Holy Empire of Commonwealth Of Astoria

    Danelaw Scandinavia wrote:There are 2 other countries though that use it. 1 was a Colony of Britain and another was a Nation made by America. So yeah. English Leftovers.

    Liberia was a country founded by free American slaves who went back to Africa. It's the second nation using imperial. Which is a better system than metric. Metric is a failed idea.

    Danelaw Scandinavia, Melicorium, and Western Fardelshufflestein

    The Kriegsereich of Danelaw Scandinavia

    The East Pacific

    Commonwealth Of Astoria wrote:Liberia was a country founded by free American slaves who went back to Africa. It's the second nation using imperial. Which is a better system than metric. Metric is a failed idea.

    The 1st part I agree with. Metric being a failed idea? I don't really believe so.

    Commonwealth Of Astoria and Melicorium

    The Serene Democracy of Bear Connors Paradiso

    Melicorium wrote:*Summons Auphelia the Wicked, as well as Proctethia, who just helped me on something ;)*Okay, we know...

    And I probably won’t vote for you since you want to allow stuff that could make for spam.

    Sometimes free speech is more important than some peoples feelings. Don't you want an active RMB? Right now too many posts get suppressed for nonsense reasons, and I think you can guess why I don't support fascist government regimes like this.

    #FreeTheRMB
    #RON4LC

    Melicorium and Western Fardelshufflestein

    The Community of Independent News Network

    SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

    Today in Randon Musings...
    • Qvait writes about the Local Council's RMB rules and why the Local Council should be abolished

    Random Musings #2 - There Should be Rules. Who Should be the Arbiters?

    by The Community of Independent News Network

    .
    Good, Insightful and Timely | Year 18 | 08 July 2020
    SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK
    .

    OPINION COLUMN | JAY COOP
    THERE SHOULD BE RULES. WHO SHOULD BE THE ARBITERS?

    Not too long ago, a member of the Local Council authored an article in defence of the institution, arguing that the body exists to enforce the rules of the Regional Message Board (RMB) and maintain order. The Local Council exists today because of the institution's codification in our region's Charter and laws, but do we need the Local Council to enforce the rules of the RMB?

    My answer is no. The Local Council's existence today was born out of an attempt to give power to the gameside but, in reality, the institution imposed a divide within the community that is the South Pacific. Contrary to what others have stated, there is only one community in the South Pacific. I strongly deplore rhetoric that claims otherwise and condemn them as factionalist attempts to divide the South Pacific, regardless of the origin of this rhetoric on either the RMB or the forum. You will never hear me say "gameside community" or "forum government" because I reject the assumptions made by those terms.

    One may ask if the Local Council doesn't exist, who shall make and enforce the rules? Well, the South Pacific's forum and Discord server are subject to the enforcement of the Community Standards, and a team of moderators exist to enforce these standards. It's not a glorified role, and these people are supposed to be apolitical in their position as moderators. They are not elected but are instead appointed based on trust as longtime citizens of the South Pacific in good standing. These are the people who can replace the Local Council and who are trusted enough to moderate the RMB sensibly.

    Forming the Local Council was a mistake to begin with, and I support any legislation in the Assembly that seeks to abolish the institution. We have rules in the South Pacific, but should the Local Council be the arbiters of these rules when it comes to the RMB?

    The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 whose goal is to provide good news, insightful commentary and timely information for the citizens of the South Pacific. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published anonymously, unless is the author requests otherwise. The SPINN is in no way, shape or form associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

    Read dispatch

    Make sure to upvote the dispatch and quote this post! There's a new column every Wednesday!

    Qvait and Melicorium

    The AMERIONFORSUPREMELEADEROFTSP of Melicorium

    Independent News Network wrote:SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

    Today in Randon Musings...
    • [naton]Qvait[/nation] writes about the Local Council's RMB rules and why the Local Council should be abolished

    Random Musings #2 - There Should be Rules. Who Should be the Arbiters?

    by The Community of Independent News Network

    .
    Good, Insightful and Timely | Year 18 | 08 July 2020
    SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK
    .

    OPINION COLUMN | JAY COOP
    THERE SHOULD BE RULES. WHO SHOULD BE THE ARBITERS?

    Not too long ago, a member of the Local Council authored an article in defence of the institution, arguing that the body exists to enforce the rules of the Regional Message Board (RMB) and maintain order. The Local Council exists today because of the institution's codification in our region's Charter and laws, but do we need the Local Council to enforce the rules of the RMB?

    My answer is no. The Local Council's existence today was born out of an attempt to give power to the gameside but, in reality, the institution imposed a divide within the community that is the South Pacific. Contrary to what others have stated, there is only one community in the South Pacific. I strongly deplore rhetoric that claims otherwise and condemn them as factionalist attempts to divide the South Pacific, regardless of the origin of this rhetoric on either the RMB or the forum. You will never hear me say "gameside community" or "forum government" because I reject the assumptions made by those terms.

    One may ask if the Local Council doesn't exist, who shall make and enforce the rules? Well, the South Pacific's forum and Discord server are subject to the enforcement of the Community Standards, and a team of moderators exist to enforce these standards. It's not a glorified role, and these people are supposed to be apolitical in their position as moderators. They are not elected but are instead appointed based on trust as longtime citizens of the South Pacific in good standing. These are the people who can replace the Local Council and who are trusted enough to moderate the RMB sensibly.

    Forming the Local Council was a mistake to begin with, and I support any legislation in the Assembly that seeks to abolish the institution. We have rules in the South Pacific, but should the Local Council be the arbiters of these rules when it comes to the RMB?

    The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 whose goal is to provide good news, insightful commentary and timely information for the citizens of the South Pacific. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published anonymously, unless is the author requests otherwise. The SPINN is in no way, shape or form associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

    Read dispatch

    Make sure to upvote the dispatch and quote this post! There's a new column every Wednesday!

    BOOOOOOOO!!!

    I do agree that many are imposing a divide between the game and forum, and that the South Pacific is truly united as one community nonetheless.

    However, I do agree with Auphelia that the rules are there to maintain order in the RMB. Also, what about the fact that TSP is a democracy? The people have the right to choose who will represent them; that’s the reason why we have elections.

    Auphelia

    Forum View

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