Dalimbar

Alright! Sign-ups are closed! I'll post the group draw/schedule right away!
 

Factbook of the Free State of Dalimbar


 
Capital (and largest city): Saint Andreisburg
Official (and national language): Dalimbari
Demographics:
Dalimbari - 32.36% (22,662,619) Chodeani- 18.72% (13,110,143) Hazari - 16.45% (11,520,398) Drinnonese - 13.62% (9,538,469) "Other" (such as the "Vostoch" or Fujar in the Far-Eastern Control Zone): 18.85% (13,201,168) Demonym: Dalimbari
Government: Unitary state under a totalitarian military/caste-led junta
Marshal: Markus Briand
"Legislature": Stavka
Formation: 151 AF - Departure from the Homeland and the Founding of Saint Andreisburg
Area: 1,860,697 km2 (718,419 mi2)
Population: 70,032,815
Density: 37.6 km2 (97.5 mi2)
GDP (PPP): $2,065 billion
GDP/capita: $29,500
Currency: FS Credit
Time Zone: Polaris Mountain (IAT -4)
Driving Side: Right
Calling Code: +1 60
3-Letter Code: DAL
TLD: .da

As the sun rises in a cloudless sky over The West Pacific, slumber ends for most of its residents. This is the day they celebrate the Enthronement of The Second Dragon-Emperor! Preparations that began as soon as Bran Astor was named Heir Apparent come to fruition today. No school or work! Real life is suspended! Everyone who isn’t part of the ceremony will dress in their finest and hurry to claim a prime vantage point for witnessing this historic event.
 

 
One resident greets the sunrise wide-awake. In a meditation chamber off the throne room, guarded by Sir Fujai, Xia of The Benevolent Order of The Three Perfections, and Dilber, a Guardian and close aide, Bran Astor, Delegate of The West Pacific, has been praying and fasting since the previous dawn, eager to gain The Mandate of Heaven. While The People’s Mandate had, through their endorsements, secured his power as regional Delegate several days prior, and even though he is more comfortable with a casual approach to governing, The Second Dragon-Emperor is happy to play his part in this ritual in order to affirm his allegiance to the principles and traditions of The West Pacific. His most fervent wish is that his Delegacy will serve and honor his people. He has risen to this region’s Delegacy and is now ready to ascend to The Dragon Throne. 
 

 
The Commander of The West Pacific Armed Forces, Kawaii Schoolgirl, Countess of Junshan, reviews her troops stationed in formation outside the palace of Zijin Cheng, The Forbidden City. Soldiers know that emperors blessed with The Mandate of Heaven are assured victory. They sense greatness in the one who will soon be enthroned, and stand a little taller.
 

 
Inside the ornate gold and red Hall of The Dragon-Emperor, the throne room of the immense palace, priests and acolytes have been at work polishing and lighting incense. All must be perfect.
 

 
 
 
The hour is near. Stately melodies on the erhu, pipa, dizi and suona intermingle with the rustle of the silks of the expectant crowd, and the Past Delegates and Peers process to the palace. Many of these dignitaries, such as Mediobogdum and Big Bad Badger, Royal Dukes of The West Pacific, Darkesia, Duchess of Hainan, and Yy4u, Xia of The Benevolent Order of The Three Perfections, have already assisted the new Delegate in his transition. Others, like Neenee, Royal Princess of The West Pacific, Elegarth, Royal Duke of The west Pacific, Davelands, Wickedly Evil People, All Good People, Bhang Bhang Duc and BIteland, have helped to build the region into the powerful cultural and educational center it is. In a region that venerates its elders, the sight of all these luminaries right before them almost causes several in the crowd to swoon.

  
The procession halts at the carved great doors to the throne room. Bran Astor has arrived and waits with facing the rising sun, attended by Dalimbar, Earl of Zhifu, Arkadia Universalis, Earl of Ping, and Overthinkers, Baron of Lantau. As the hymns reach a crescendo, Saint Mark, Emeritus Emperor of The West Pacific, Chancellor of The Hall of Peers, and Celestial Sage, nods and smiles to his new Dragon-Emperor, and opens the doors. 
 

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiXgOQ9_-RI
The angelic voices of The Imperial Choir of The West Pacific wash over the assembled from the balcony above.
 

 
 
Bran Astor is the first to enter, followed by Saint Mark and the others in order of precedence. The ancient hall fills to capacity. When all is ready, The Dragon-Emperor ascends to his rightful place on the throne as the choir’s last triumphant stanzas ring out. In the silence that follows, the Emperor Emeritus unfurls a scroll and calls out the Imperial titles:
His Imperial Majesty,
Bran Astor,
Dragon Emperor of The West Pacific, Delegate, Son of Heaven, Builder of Worlds, Supreme Squatcher, and Duke of Hebao
 
Confident, the newly enthroned Dragon-Emperor then rises to read his ascension edict:
http://www.westpacific.org/forums/index.php?/topic/3402-honors-of-the-west-pacific/
At the conclusion, a joyful cry erupts from those present, the epicenter of a thunderous wave of celebration that spreads across The West Pacific.
 
 

Through the night and into the morning, there are parades and parties, fetes and fireworks.
A new Delegate sits on The Dragon Throne. The West Pacific is assured of continued peace and prosperity.
 

 

Dalimbar -- DA -- DAL -- .da

Howdy! I'm wondering if there is any way to restrict voting in polls in elections to Hall of Nations/citizens only? I ask because in the two rounds of elections we have done, folks who have not been masked as citizen/Hall of Nations voted. Yes, I do a count and do not include them in the official results, but frankly, they should not have the ability to vote in those polls in the first place. 
Cheers!

Typical Albertan, having cheaper gas, no sales tax and free virtual server hosting
Honestly it's high time that we chip in. The fact that Winnie, Eli and Dark have been bankrolling this operation for years without fuss is... Damn awesome. You folks are amazing, and I'd like to echo what Dark said about this forum and Winnie being owner. We have by far the least "dramatic" admin team in the GCRs who run this board professionally. Further, I feel confident that if we do need to do cosmetic changes here and there over the years, it can be done unlike in some other GCRs which are more focused on "tradition". 
I also highly doubt that any crowdfunding activity would be consequential to your taxes. Especially with the low costs (compared to some regions) for hosting our forums, it wouldn't take much for us to break even for operating costs. Essentially a few of us putting $5 into the pot would do it, from what it sounds like to me. My only thing is that we should not make anyone feel pressured or compelled to pay, especially those folks who are in high school, university, or are not employed. 
Also, yay for fast return to the forums!

Today, a new theme is inaugurated in The West Pacific, one that honors our traditions and institutions and builds on these to provide new excitement and opportunities. This ceremony is not about me, but about you, the residents who make this the best region in NationStates. Therefore, I use this occasion to recognize some of those who have made The West Pacific what it is today and those who have begun the work of bringing it to a new glory.
Merit is awarded in The West Pacific. The greatness of our region is the result of the imagination, talentand work of many individuals over many years contributing to our common good. These Honors are one way we can show our appreciation to those dedicated residents. As today is the first Honors ceremony in The West Pacific under the current theme, it will be longer than most will be in the future. There are many achievers that must be recognized.

Honors Of The West Pacific
Granted by His Imperial Majesty,
Marcarius Halo Rahl, The Holy Principality of Saint Mark,
Dragon Emperor of The West Pacific
on the first day of March in the year two-thousand and nineteen.

The recognition of merit is one of the pillars of The West Pacific.
These dedicated residents of our region, by applying their unique talents with hard work and imagination
to the betterment of The West Pacific have earned high praise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
First, it is with great affection and admiration that I grant Neenee the titles of
Dowager Empress of the West Pacific
For her dedicated service as our last Delegate,

 
 Chancellor of The Hall of Peers
So that she may continue to serve the region with her wise counsel, and
Celestial Sage
As one who appointed the current Delegate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next, I would like to honor, Davelands, 
the Delegate that preceded her and who has done so much in so many different roles for our region both before and after his delegacy,
by granting him the title of
Royal Prince of The West Pacific.  

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next honor is granted to Big Bad Badger
for his inspired leadership during his past delegacy
which led to the creation of The Manners among many other regional improvements and institutions.
He is made a Royal Duke of The West Pacific. 

 
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In recognition of his past work as the Delegate during whose tenure I was born in The West Pacific,
for having started several of our fond traditions and for always being our Delegarth,
I grant Elegarth the honor of
Royal Duke of The West Pacific.

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In recognition of his aid to The West Pacific multiple times as our transition Delegate,
and honoring his many years of loyally serving as one of our region’s Guardians,
I grant Mediobogdum the title
Royal Duke of The West Pacific.

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grateful for the chocolate she shares and appreciative of her wise counsel,
and in recognition of her service as a past Delegate,
I grant Darkesia the title of
Duchess of Hainan.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In gratitude for his many years of time, talent and treasure in supporting our region, and especially the forum,
I award Southern Eureka with the title of
Duke of Chongming.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In recognition of his many contributions to the region since antiquity,
including his terms as our Delegate and his support as The West Pacific’s unofficial historian,
I grant All Good People the title of
Duke of Zhoushan.

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In gratitude for his assistance as a Guardian,
and in recognition of his past contributions as a Delegate of The West Pacific,
I bestow upon Yy4u, the title
Marquis of Donghai.

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In appreciation for his service to The West Pacific as its Delegate multiple times,
Wickedly Evil People is granted the title
Marquis of Shangchuan.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In recognition of his past Delegacy, and fearful of his roofur madness,
I bestow upon Bhang Bhang Duc the title of
Marquis of Damang.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In gratitude for her loyal and dedicated service as The Commander of The West Pacific Armed Forces
and briefly as our Foreign Affairs Minister, and in appreciation for her willingness to delve enthusiastically into any project,
I grant Kawaii Schoolgirl the title of
Countess of Junshan.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In gratitude for his devoted service as Speaker of The Hall of Nations and Minister of Foreign Affairs,
and in appreciation for his willingness to work for the region,
I grant Arkadia Universalis the title of
Earl of Ping.

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In recognition of his work as our first Minister of Education, and in appreciation of his wise counsel,
I grant Dalimbar the title of
Baron of Zhifu.

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In gratitude for his exceptional work in Internal Affairs, both past and present,
and with appreciation for his wise counsel,
I bestow upon Bran Astor the title of
Baron of Hebao.

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Orders of Xia
Xia means someone with power who helps others in need. The Xia (pronounced shya) are the knights of The West Pacific.
This is the highest non-peer honor a resident can receive.
~~~~~~~~~

Benevolent Order of Mencius:
for extraordinary service to the people of TWP
This is the highest of the Xia Orders.

Those admitted to this Order today are:

Southern Eureka
For his years of Forum support

Big Bad Badger
For beginning The West Pacific’s transformation
 

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Imperial Order of The Dragon:
for extraordinary service to The Emperor

Those admitted to this Order today are:

Kawaii Schoolgirl
Arkadia Universalis
Dalimbar 
Bran Astor
These have demonstrated steadfast loyalty, wise counsel, constant vigilance, and an untiring willingness to serve.
 

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Martial Order of Ching Shih:
for extraordinary service to TWPAF 

Those admitted to this Order today are:

Kawaii Schoolgirl
Chervil 
Altino
These have been crucial to the restructuring and rebirth of the region’s armed forces.
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Benevolent Order of The Three Perfections: 
    for extraordinary service in The Arts 

Those admitted to this Order today are:

Fujai
Kawaii
Bran Astor
Yy4u
These have demonstrated an uncanny talent in turning any request into a beautiful work of art.
 

The bright light of dawn breaks over the ocean in the east, turning the sea red and orange and gold. In the temples, the priests light incense; in the palace, nobles begin to stir from their beds as servants continue their frantic preparations in the kitchens; in the streets, guards check and recheck the processional way and women drape banners of red and gold from windows. The day of the Emperor's enthronement is beginning.
The Emperor himself has already been awake for hours; he and his attendants dressed in their ceremonial robes and rode to the Temple of the West long before dawn. Now, as the sun rises, the Emperor stands facing its golden rays, offering prayers to Heaven, in particular to the Jade Emperor Yuhuang Dadi and the Royal Mother of the West Wangmu Niangniang, for the success of his reign. Under their beneficence, he hoped that his dynasty would retain the Mandate of Heaven and prosper for centuries to come.
 
Once the sun has risen and the ceremonial way has been prepared, the Emperor sets out from the temple towards Zijin Cheng, the Forbidden City. As he passes through the streets with his procession of guards and attendants, the masses of people cheer at his approach and bow at his passing. Children bounce on their toes to get a better look; in the future they will tell their grandchildren of this glorious and singular day.
 The Dragon Emperor Marcarius Halo Rahl enters the gates of the Forbidden City to the peal of drums, bo, and luo. In the courtyard stand ranks upon ranks of his warriors, TWPAF. They stand straight and proud as he passes; victory attends emperors with the Mandate of Heaven.
The Emperor and his procession ascend the steps to the throne hall, where he enters first. Waiting at a side door is the Dowager Empress, NeeNee; she steps in after him. One by one members of the court enter, the most senior first, until the throne room is full. Only the space in front of the throne itself is empty, and the Emperor stands still and silent facing it as the room fills behind him.
The room is silent, every man and woman there all but holding back breath. Seeing that all is ready, the Dowager Empress motions to the musicians, who begin a long, slow roll on the strings of the yangqin; the breathy xiao joins in next. The music crescendos and the Emperor walks forward to the throne. As he takes his rightful place, the Dowager Empress calls out his titles:
His Imperial Majesty, Marcarius Halo Rahl, The Holy Principality of Saint Mark, Dragon Emperor of The West Pacific, Delegate, Son of Heaven, Moral Compass, Best Barista and Sovereign Sommelier.
The officials of the court let out a shout, which is echoed first by the warriors in the courtyard and then on and on across the city as people hear the cries and know what they mean: the Emperor has ascended and taken his rightful throne.
In the throne hall, the officials of the region line up to present their memorials of congratulation; the Venerable Sage beside the Emperor taking each scroll on his behalf to be opened at a later date. The Emperor then reads his ascension edict: http://www.westpacific.org/forums/index.php?/topic/3075-honors-of-the-west-pacific/
The festival in the palace will begin soon, once all final congratulations have been given and ceremonies completed. Out in the streets, dragon floats are being paraded to and fro to the sound of music and cheering. The celebrations will last almost until dawn the next day, with fireworks throughout the night. All across The West Pacific, cities will resound with them, their brilliance flickering over the towers and walls of the cities and the faces of the celebrants. A new era has begun.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Howdy! I need the following to be masked following their elections: @Rizorien as Minister of Education, @KhanterWinters as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and @Wyvern as Sergeant-at-Arms.
Thanks!
Edit: I also would like for @Lady Madeline to be masked as Deputy Speaker if we have that mask.

Howdy! I need the following to be masked following their elections: @Rizorien as Minister of Education, @KhanterWinters as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and @Wyvern as Sergeant-at-Arms.
Thanks!
Edit: I also would like for @Lady Madeline to be masked as Deputy Speaker if we have that mask.

OP updated with new map and links to the new status point system.

Howdy!
I want to start by saying both thank you and f--- you to Ark, Kawaii and OT for making this a hard choice. I like all three options and will be weighing each carefully in the next couple of days.
But why the theme change at all? Why not stick with tradition? Well, what even is traditional for us? As Westy mentioned above, we have taken plenty of different directions on how we wish to theme our government. We started out as one of the key pillars of the ADN, and proudly were one of the most effective forces in defenderdom, never mind in-game. We experimented with different themes since then, be it a committee-structure when Eli couped that one time to the various themes Westy listed above. We have had a great past couple of years and I don't think anyone wants to tarnish that legacy. Rather, updates and new priorities, such as the theme, peerage, point system, and Ministry of Education, can be made to help make us a better region.
What doesn't change are our core values. Delegate supremacy, meritocracy and community do not change. What matters most is that we have a fun time here and allow newer folks the chance to feel welcome and able to learn from those of us who should honestly be NS dead by now. There is a lot of work to be done on both sides, myself included.
I like the idea of a new theme. Right now as I mentioned above I'm not sure which way I'll vote, but I like having options. Our Delegate has made it clear that not all presented aspects will be included in the final theme design, which is good because we can talk about what is good about the general idea and what might need to be nixed. 
I echo the concerns raised about changing the titles of Delegate and Guardian. I certainly don't mind there to be a title made for them and other ranks, but I probably will still use Guardian as my job title  We don't need to go hardcore on the titles, but it is nice to have our own regional way of describing who we are. What we get with that is more of a cultural identity. I'm not necessarily saying that we'd get up to such status with a theme change, but I preferred the communist-themed Pacific over the bunny-themed Pacific.

Howdy!
I want to start by saying both thank you and f--- you to Ark, Kawaii and OT for making this a hard choice. I like all three options and will be weighing each carefully in the next couple of days.
But why the theme change at all? Why not stick with tradition? Well, what even is traditional for us? As Westy mentioned above, we have taken plenty of different directions on how we wish to theme our government. We started out as one of the key pillars of the ADN, and proudly were one of the most effective forces in defenderdom, never mind in-game. We experimented with different themes since then, be it a committee-structure when Eli couped that one time to the various themes Westy listed above. We have had a great past couple of years and I don't think anyone wants to tarnish that legacy. Rather, updates and new priorities, such as the theme, peerage, point system, and Ministry of Education, can be made to help make us a better region.
What doesn't change are our core values. Delegate supremacy, meritocracy and community do not change. What matters most is that we have a fun time here and allow newer folks the chance to feel welcome and able to learn from those of us who should honestly be NS dead by now. There is a lot of work to be done on both sides, myself included.
I like the idea of a new theme. Right now as I mentioned above I'm not sure which way I'll vote, but I like having options. Our Delegate has made it clear that not all presented aspects will be included in the final theme design, which is good because we can talk about what is good about the general idea and what might need to be nixed. 
I echo the concerns raised about changing the titles of Delegate and Guardian. I certainly don't mind there to be a title made for them and other ranks, but I probably will still use Guardian as my job title  We don't need to go hardcore on the titles, but it is nice to have our own regional way of describing who we are. What we get with that is more of a cultural identity. I'm not necessarily saying that we'd get up to such status with a theme change, but I preferred the communist-themed Pacific over the bunny-themed Pacific.

Howdy!
I want to start by saying both thank you and f--- you to Ark, Kawaii and OT for making this a hard choice. I like all three options and will be weighing each carefully in the next couple of days.
But why the theme change at all? Why not stick with tradition? Well, what even is traditional for us? As Westy mentioned above, we have taken plenty of different directions on how we wish to theme our government. We started out as one of the key pillars of the ADN, and proudly were one of the most effective forces in defenderdom, never mind in-game. We experimented with different themes since then, be it a committee-structure when Eli couped that one time to the various themes Westy listed above. We have had a great past couple of years and I don't think anyone wants to tarnish that legacy. Rather, updates and new priorities, such as the theme, peerage, point system, and Ministry of Education, can be made to help make us a better region.
What doesn't change are our core values. Delegate supremacy, meritocracy and community do not change. What matters most is that we have a fun time here and allow newer folks the chance to feel welcome and able to learn from those of us who should honestly be NS dead by now. There is a lot of work to be done on both sides, myself included.
I like the idea of a new theme. Right now as I mentioned above I'm not sure which way I'll vote, but I like having options. Our Delegate has made it clear that not all presented aspects will be included in the final theme design, which is good because we can talk about what is good about the general idea and what might need to be nixed. 
I echo the concerns raised about changing the titles of Delegate and Guardian. I certainly don't mind there to be a title made for them and other ranks, but I probably will still use Guardian as my job title  We don't need to go hardcore on the titles, but it is nice to have our own regional way of describing who we are. What we get with that is more of a cultural identity. I'm not necessarily saying that we'd get up to such status with a theme change, but I preferred the communist-themed Pacific over the bunny-themed Pacific.

Howdy!
I want to start by saying both thank you and f--- you to Ark, Kawaii and OT for making this a hard choice. I like all three options and will be weighing each carefully in the next couple of days.
But why the theme change at all? Why not stick with tradition? Well, what even is traditional for us? As Westy mentioned above, we have taken plenty of different directions on how we wish to theme our government. We started out as one of the key pillars of the ADN, and proudly were one of the most effective forces in defenderdom, never mind in-game. We experimented with different themes since then, be it a committee-structure when Eli couped that one time to the various themes Westy listed above. We have had a great past couple of years and I don't think anyone wants to tarnish that legacy. Rather, updates and new priorities, such as the theme, peerage, point system, and Ministry of Education, can be made to help make us a better region.
What doesn't change are our core values. Delegate supremacy, meritocracy and community do not change. What matters most is that we have a fun time here and allow newer folks the chance to feel welcome and able to learn from those of us who should honestly be NS dead by now. There is a lot of work to be done on both sides, myself included.
I like the idea of a new theme. Right now as I mentioned above I'm not sure which way I'll vote, but I like having options. Our Delegate has made it clear that not all presented aspects will be included in the final theme design, which is good because we can talk about what is good about the general idea and what might need to be nixed. 
I echo the concerns raised about changing the titles of Delegate and Guardian. I certainly don't mind there to be a title made for them and other ranks, but I probably will still use Guardian as my job title  We don't need to go hardcore on the titles, but it is nice to have our own regional way of describing who we are. What we get with that is more of a cultural identity. I'm not necessarily saying that we'd get up to such status with a theme change, but I preferred the communist-themed Pacific over the bunny-themed Pacific.

Howdy!
I want to start by saying both thank you and f--- you to Ark, Kawaii and OT for making this a hard choice. I like all three options and will be weighing each carefully in the next couple of days.
But why the theme change at all? Why not stick with tradition? Well, what even is traditional for us? As Westy mentioned above, we have taken plenty of different directions on how we wish to theme our government. We started out as one of the key pillars of the ADN, and proudly were one of the most effective forces in defenderdom, never mind in-game. We experimented with different themes since then, be it a committee-structure when Eli couped that one time to the various themes Westy listed above. We have had a great past couple of years and I don't think anyone wants to tarnish that legacy. Rather, updates and new priorities, such as the theme, peerage, point system, and Ministry of Education, can be made to help make us a better region.
What doesn't change are our core values. Delegate supremacy, meritocracy and community do not change. What matters most is that we have a fun time here and allow newer folks the chance to feel welcome and able to learn from those of us who should honestly be NS dead by now. There is a lot of work to be done on both sides, myself included.
I like the idea of a new theme. Right now as I mentioned above I'm not sure which way I'll vote, but I like having options. Our Delegate has made it clear that not all presented aspects will be included in the final theme design, which is good because we can talk about what is good about the general idea and what might need to be nixed. 
I echo the concerns raised about changing the titles of Delegate and Guardian. I certainly don't mind there to be a title made for them and other ranks, but I probably will still use Guardian as my job title  We don't need to go hardcore on the titles, but it is nice to have our own regional way of describing who we are. What we get with that is more of a cultural identity. I'm not necessarily saying that we'd get up to such status with a theme change, but I preferred the communist-themed Pacific over the bunny-themed Pacific.

Howdy!
I want to start by saying both thank you and f--- you to Ark, Kawaii and OT for making this a hard choice. I like all three options and will be weighing each carefully in the next couple of days.
But why the theme change at all? Why not stick with tradition? Well, what even is traditional for us? As Westy mentioned above, we have taken plenty of different directions on how we wish to theme our government. We started out as one of the key pillars of the ADN, and proudly were one of the most effective forces in defenderdom, never mind in-game. We experimented with different themes since then, be it a committee-structure when Eli couped that one time to the various themes Westy listed above. We have had a great past couple of years and I don't think anyone wants to tarnish that legacy. Rather, updates and new priorities, such as the theme, peerage, point system, and Ministry of Education, can be made to help make us a better region.
What doesn't change are our core values. Delegate supremacy, meritocracy and community do not change. What matters most is that we have a fun time here and allow newer folks the chance to feel welcome and able to learn from those of us who should honestly be NS dead by now. There is a lot of work to be done on both sides, myself included.
I like the idea of a new theme. Right now as I mentioned above I'm not sure which way I'll vote, but I like having options. Our Delegate has made it clear that not all presented aspects will be included in the final theme design, which is good because we can talk about what is good about the general idea and what might need to be nixed. 
I echo the concerns raised about changing the titles of Delegate and Guardian. I certainly don't mind there to be a title made for them and other ranks, but I probably will still use Guardian as my job title  We don't need to go hardcore on the titles, but it is nice to have our own regional way of describing who we are. What we get with that is more of a cultural identity. I'm not necessarily saying that we'd get up to such status with a theme change, but I preferred the communist-themed Pacific over the bunny-themed Pacific.

Both done!  *nibbles chocolate*

Hi TWP! 
I'm Somyrion/Aumeltopia, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the South Pacific and your new ambassador from TSP. I'm looking forward to meeting all of you!  I hope we can work towards further cooperation between our two regions ^-^
Please ask me any and all questions you have, from what our position is on this or that piece of politics to whether we really do ride llamas to work in the South (yes, obviously!). It's what I'm here for, after all!
- Somy
 
P.S.: If any of you know where the nearest stash of biscuits is, please alert me. You will my receive eternal love.

I’m going to keep my statement fairly short…
 
Being Delegate of The West Pacific is an honor and a privilege. When Dave came to me to be Delegate, I was thrilled. I was looking forward to being able to do all the things and work toward keeping the region amazing.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to live up to my own expectations. The region deserves someone who can be consistently active and around. Due to RL things, I have not been able to give The West Pacific the time or energy it deserves to have from its delegate. I tried and kept telling myself that as soon as this thing or the other sorted out, that it’d be fine, but that hasn’t happened, and I can’t in good faith continue. I’ll be able to be around still, I’m not retiring or anything, just taking a step back.
Thankfully, The West Pacific is full of wonderful people. So, even though I must step away from the Delegacy, there is someone else ready, willing, and more than able to take on the role.
It is my great pleasure to announce that @Saint Mark will be the next delegate of The West Pacific. I am confident that he will do an amazing job. His passion for The West Pacific shows in everything he does, and his natural energy will give the region the boost it has been needing.
Please, join me in welcoming and congratulating Halo! <3

Greetings to my fellow TWP citizens, our allies and friends and the regions and nations of NS.
    I am honored that Neenee has chosen me to succeed her as Delegate of TWP. She, Badger and Davelands have been my mentors and best friends ever since I joined. I have always had their support and am grateful for their promise of continued support in my new role. While I am excited for this opportunity to lead my native region, I am also humbled by the thought of trying to build upon the accomplishments of the legendary Delegates that have preceded me. If Neenee hadn’t been couped by rl, her tenure in TWP would have been magnificent.
    While not completely without experience, I know that I am an infant compared to many of my peers here. The Holy Principality of Saint Mark was “born” in TWP a mere two and a half years ago. TWP has been my primary region, my home, ever since. During this time, I have represented TWP as an ambassador to several of our allies and was the principle author of The Etiquette of The Hall of Nations while I served as the first Speaker of The Hall. I was Minister of Foreign Affairs and am currently a Guardian and Minister for Recruiting and Citizenship.
   Maybe because of my early focus as an ambassador, I have been a bit of a cosmopolitan. Even though this may have competed with my TWP duties at times (sorry Badger ), it allowed me to make many friends throughout NS. I serve or have served as a Priest of Osiris, an Arbiter of TEP, Pyo Sage of Karma, a regional officer of The Sasquatch Republic and Archbishop of Albion.
    TWP is a friendly, active, snarky GCR that believes in the supremacy of the Delegate and awards merit. Neenee is our glittery goddess, all of our chocolate belongs to Dark and a pirate shanty stirs our blood. I have always found TWP to be a good fit for me. I consider myself friendly and imaginative … my snark could use work.
    NS is a game and games are meant to be entertainment. It is most important then that TWP be fun! I pledge to do my best to always make it so. I also pledge to do my best to make TWP a safe place to play. There are many minors among us and it is our responsibility to protect them. Even adults, though, deserve to be treated with respect. Bullying and intolerance will never be acceptable in TWP. Toxicity is why I rarely hang out in GP (although I guess I’ll be around a lot more now … maybe I can help set a gentler tone? ). I see no point in digging up old grudges or launching the same old personal attacks. I will always try to conduct myself with civility and kindness, and will expect the same behavior from the people of TWP. Finally, it is my opinion that, as a feeder, TWP should strive to educate the new players about the world they have entered. To that end, I will also try to improve the educational opportunities in our region.
  I have a lot of ideas that will help us achieve these goals, but TWP isn’t just the Delegate.  A very strong central government, be it an absolute delegacy or an oligarchy, can lead to stagnation. That is why it is crucial to award innovation and hard work. The region will flourish only if it enjoys the creativity, support and efforts of its residents. TWP has terrific people. I am honored to have been chosen to serve as its Delegate and look forward to working with my fellow citizens to realize our region’s full potential.
    Long Live Neenee! Long Live The West Pacific!   

I was going to apologize for not being active here, due to the fact that I generally little thought for NS anymore... but, due to the fact that it has been 11 days since the last post, and the point of this thread has been about activity in this space (be it on forum or in government, or yadda yadda), I'm not going to.
 
Listen, clearly there is a complete disconnect right now between activity in the off-site and on-site. For myself, after 11 or so years of playing, I just want to pop on here once in a while and say two cents. Others have their own way of playing, and I really hope it's more active than mine but if not, that's cool. I honestly don't believe any constitutional change will fundamentally change that. 
 
I've done frankly all the roles in GCR governance, and frankly, all of them are hard to do if you just don't have people around who care. And right now, yes, that includes me. Personally, I am in favour of the superiority of the Delegate in the role of government, both on and off site. But the supremacy of the Delegacy will not necessarily increase activity if there's just not enough people who care. Trust me, as one who has run both 'democratic' and 'authoritarian' governments, it really doesn't matter what system you use, just so long as you have enough people who give a fuck. 
 
We all need a reason to come here. I'll be frank, and say that right now, I don't have a reason to come to this forum as it stands. I'm not that invested. And being invested is what needs to change. I'm going to look squarely at anyone who wants to hold Executive authority here and say, give an incentive to participate in TWP, be it on or off-site. 
 
The paperwork helps, but does not really make a clear difference. It's the people who do.

I think it's a given that I'll be involved. 

This is a trap! Coup alert!