Podium

And done.  Sorry missed it last night, was too busy putting pineapples on my Pizza.

@nachero @Podium @Nixs @New England-New Brunswick all accepted!

Here today, we usher in a new reign.  It’s a bittersweet moment for me, as I have supremely enjoyed my time as Delegate. When I entered the chair, I knew that I had big shoes to try to fill.  I came in with detailed plans, but my only goal was this: When I was done, would the region be even better?  I’d like to think we’ve hit that goal.  We’ve accomplished so much over the past 14 months, from FA changes to launching a radio station to public high minds and cyberbullying a man named Jimmy so much we now own a shawarma shack. 
We’ve become a force in the Security Council, with multiple passing resolutions even with attempts to stomp them. Our newspaper is the premier newspaper in NS, putting out quality content on-time for multiple years.  Our FA position is incredibly strong, with new friendships that have sprung up while old friendships remained solid.  Our military is strong and active, and is on an upwards trend.    We’ve come together to do so much:  We’ve raised hundreds of dollars for charity, won N-Day in the most convincing fashion ever, exterminated all the dang zombies, and have continued to be the strongest community in Nationstates. People in the past have referred to us as a retirement home, but when I look out at the newer players all I see is the future.  We have the best young bench of talent in Nationstates, and I don’t see that changing.
The last 14 months have been an interesting time for all of us, but I want to thank all of you for growing alongside me.  In the last 14 months, I’ve changed jobs, dealt with personal issues, and most importantly sold a child to other regions for Pope Hope cards.  While I have not completed my personal goal of owning every single pope hope card, I want to say that I appreciate our community always being there for each other, whether it be voice chats, game streams, or yelling at me about crabs.
And now, my time as delegate is over.  I slip back into the shadows of the mere Prime Minister-in-Exile-in-Residence, once again a poster child for democracy.  Gio is going to do an amazing job, and I hope he does so well people go “who was Dilber?” (but actually not that good because boy would I feel bad about that question).  Most importantly, this community will remain strong.  We’ve all been here for varying amounts of time, but gosh dangit we’re family.  Thank you all for making this a wonderful delegacy for me, and for supporting Gio in whatever the future holds.
There are too many of you for me to thank individually, so I’d just like to say this: You all are what made us great.  I could not have achieved everything we’ve done on my own.  You’ve filled in my weaknesses, and made us brilliant.  Keep it up, because it’s what we all deserve as a region. 
 
Have no fear, I’m not going anywhere. I’m not even sure I can get off my couch right now anyways
Dilber
P.S. The real reason I stepped down is so Vara can message OTHER people at 3 AM.  (He can still message me I guess though, he’s cool)
 
(Edited because ALON and Tera noticed the spelling error I put in to see who was reading it closely and they got the dilber's choice award for it)

Nation Name: Podium
Discord #: Ground Beef#8065
A few sentences about your nation:
The Federative Republics of Podium is an alpine nation founded upon universal liberty and individual discretion, having violently broken off in 1923 from the tyrannical kingdom of Livedab after nearly 150 years of subjugation (which happened to collapse completely shortly after the rest of its overseas colonies followed suit). An attempt at securing economic stability with the use of a machine-learning algorithm in the year 2009 by an optimistic set of young politicians unfortunately led to the near-immediate switch to a command-based economy, with all but a few of the total population approving of the change; currently, a crack-team of computer scientists is very close to figuring out how to keep the algorithm's computational strength while switching back to a market-based, free-enterprise system. Industries centre around hyper-efficient agriculture, advancement of technology, and firepower of all shapes and sizes.
Map claim (just wanted a tiny bit to even off my northwestern border):

:
 

v14.1 - 24 November 2020

Okay! Christmas is coming early because the long-awaited map update is here! [Insert advent joke.]
You can now find the updated map in the OP of this thread, or in dispatches here and here. There have been a lot of changes, including borders being redrawn, nations being added or removed, and some resizing.
The following nations have been added to the map:
@GustavovWhately, @CringeyDolphin, @Sensorland, @Clarkov, @genocidalAnthropologist, @Varanius, @Giovanniland, @de la Fuentana, @Kurabis, @TUMS, and @Libterraria. Welcome!
The following nations have been removed (or your claim was not accepted) because they have cte'd, left the region, or lost Hall of Nations membership. Being added back on is as easy as rejoining the Hall of Nations and dropping a line here saying you'd like your spot back!
@Vamperiall @Matthew_Collins @Allen @Halvard @Daguiso FFR [Pombo] @Craiolia @HankTheTank87 @Dewilands @Federation @GreGreGre @Shaustria @Liberillia @Lady Madeline @Neenee @Nobovian [ALRJ] @North Roledol @Pandaland II @Rizorien @Sibariland @LazyVillain @Telta @guillernasa @KhanterWinters @Seven Deaths @K9 Sonny @Gliah Eransha, Drahaiqistan, and Premoria
 
The idea is that map updates will resume as a regular thing (once a month). Those on the map are expected to maintain HoN status and post an rp post once a month.

Dr. Lisa Kemp, Director of the Sensorland Space Operations Command, looked around before standing up. Seeing nobody else volunteer themselves to speak first, she quietly said a few words to her team and took the floor.
"Greetings, fellow West Pacificans," she opened. "I am Dr. Kemp, of SSOC. I'm happy that we're able to come together as a region this week and unite in the spirit of science and exploration. These are tenets that Sensorland and SSOC hold very dear, and they are why I am pleased to announce my candidacy for president of the Western Astronomical Union." She paused to look around the crowd for reactions, but soon continued. "Over the past 15 years, I have served as director of SSOC. I have overseen numerous Sensorian projects, including a manned mission to the moon, dozens of satellite launches, and several space shuttle launches designed to test the effects microgravity conditions on life. We are in the process of building probes, and as an organization, we hope to eventually begin the process of colonizing other planets. With the combined efforts of the many nations that will make up this union, we are confident that this goal is attainable."
 
"There are a few reasons I believe that I am suited to this job. As I said before, I have 15 years of experience as director of SSOC - that's more than half of the time it's existed. I'll be the first to admit that SSOC isn't the oldest or the most accomplished space program in the West Pacific, but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the most ambitious. Like my country, I am extremely committed to pushing the boundaries of knowledge and expanding our horizons. That's why if I'm elected as president of this union, its first project will be the construction of a massive research station to be permanently placed into orbit around our planet and be staffed at all times by West Pacifican astronauts. We will also research processes by which planets, moons, and other celestial bodies may be colonized with permanent settlements. I believe this will lead to the betterment of all intelligent life, and it will push our region to the forefront of astronomical science."
 
Dr. Kemp took another pause to assess the crowd's reaction. She decided to conclude her speech, hoping to appeal to the scientifically-minded nature of the group: "This union has so much potential, and I greatly desire to harness that potential for the sake of our region. Fellow West Pacificans, we have the opportunity to shape the future together. Let's work toward a common goal as scientists, as people, and as members of this great region."

Not late at all!! There's still six days of space week, and if you want to participate in elections you only have to post your space agency before voting begins!

It's a bit late, I know, but here's my own little thing, hope it's alright
https://www.nationstates.net/nation=podium/detail=factbook/id=1267776

N-Day Recognition
Congratulations to all those that participated in the 2019 N-Day event!
The West Pacific ended up well-irradiated, but you took on the NS-verse single-handed and never backed down. Your skill and teamwork were impressive and led to a great showing. You made us proud!
Those who led the team were:
@Ark
@Dilber
@Wintony
@Podium
 
You are warded the Badge of The Crimson Sea Missile Command of The West Pacific

 
The valiant participants were:
@Varanius
 @Night_stalker
@Sensorland
Gryphonian Alliance
 @Midproth
@Zazumo
@Mediobogdum
@WaRlorder
 @thefieryknight
@Reçueçn
@Fujai
@Westwind
You are awarded The N-Day Task Force Badge

Congratulations!

Yay! A neighbor!

OOC Thread
Welcome to the first ever edition of WPCAA's West Pacific College Football!  This is where the magic happens. In this thread, you will post your rosters, roleplay your teams, and tell the stories of your victories on the gridiron. This got really long, so I’m gonna put a TL;DR right up here:
TL;DR: You can post your RPs in this thread. Find the schedule and a guide to creating a roster below, as well as a little information from me on how I’m organizing things.
This is the RP thread. All posts here (with the exception of WPCAA announcements) should be made IN CHARACTER.
Twenty-eight teams have entered into TWP’s college football league, eager to test their mettle against their neighbors. Those teams have been sorted into four conferences, names for the four continents of TWP: Polaris, Doll Guldur, Aura, and Andolia. Not all teams in each conference come from the continent it is named for, with the exception of the Polarii Conference (Polaris showed up for football, y’all). There are in fact so many Polarii entrants, that they couldn’t all fit into the Polarii Conference. So with that exception, every nation has a team in its continent’s conference. Because I think it will be more interesting to play against teams from different countries, no nation has teams in the same conference. This means you will all be playing against teams from multiple continents, as well as teams from nations not yet on the map.
Below are the conference assignments, with teams ordered arbitrarily.
Polarii
Conference
Doll Guldurian
Conference
Auran
Conference
Andolian
Conference
1. Cascadia A&M University (TCM)
1. Musgrave Landing College (WHT)
1. National University of Velyka Èthnos (VES)
1. Cangham University (OVT)
2. Bandar Sports Institute (CRL)
2. Institut Privé de Genève (RCN)
2. Badgerroot State (BBB)
2. University of Ourican (TCM)
3. Tamaric University of Clarendon (NIU)
3. Garnet A&T (BBB)
3. Universitetet i Keiserholde (FJA)
3. Basric National University (NIU)
4. Universität Zimmerich (RCN)
4. National University of Aurum (OVT)
4. Armed Forces University (DAL)
4. Metchosin University (WHT)
5. Universitetet avf Sundet (FJA)
5. AINPSI (PDM)
5. Eranshia Parliamentary University (CME)
5. University of Earths (ORO)
6. University of Ozorus (CDS)
6. Orca County Tech (ARC)
6. Encrissa Capital University (EWP)
6. The Royal Academy of Eranshia (CME)
7. University of Saint Andreisburg (DAL)
7. Eastern Military Grand School (GDK)
7. Karl Marx University (NWP)
7. North Scootle National Institute (SCL)
SCHEDULE
(Matches against team 8 are byes.)
Polarii Conference Schedule
Doll Guldurian Conference Schedule
Auran Conference Schedule
 Andolian Conference Schedule
Given that there will be fourteen gamedays in the season, I will try to post results three times a week. I will post a cutoff in this thread before I calculate results so that it is clear which RPs are counted when. If things go smoothly, hopefully everything will fall into a regular schedule, but I don’t know everything I’ll be doing this month, so I will not be committing to any times or dates as of yet.
You may now post rosters and RPs in this thread.
The first results cutoff will be Monday, June 3. This will give you all a little extra time to post your rosters, as well as your first RP if you like and will allow me to be away for a week to be in my friend’s wedding.
Rosters
Rosters are an important aspect of sports roleplay, for a couple reasons. If you only make one post the entire season, it should be your roster. Here’s why:
1.      Rosters let your opponents know who they’re facing. This makes things more fun for everybody, increases realism and immersion, and lets them RP better.
2.      In this competition, a degrading RP bonus is used, but rosters are exempt. That means the more you RP, the more likely you are to perform better, but while older rps won’t count as much towards the bonus, your roster will keep its value throughout the competition. A good roster can give you a sizable bonus that will help you out throughout the whole competition.
3.      Rosters are your way of letting us know about you. Teams will be coming to play in your stadiums over the course of the season. You don’t only have to talk about your team in your roster post, you can also describe your country and let visitors know what to expect. Do you have a factbook? Great! Lots of that info might fit well in a roster post.
4.      Rosters are where you post your RP permissions. RP permissions are a tool that we use to make sure that roleplay is fair and everybody can get along. More info on these lower down.
So what should you put in your roster? Well, your starting XI, to kick things off. Let people know who they’ll be seeing on the field. Go ahead and tell us about who your players are, if you like. From there, you can build outwards: you can say who your team’s substitutes and reserves are, show off a team or school logo, talk about your school, describe your stadium, or describe the culture and geography of your country. Play style, team formation, tactics, and your team’s managerial staff are also great things to include. The only thing a roster should not be is anything narrative: it is written in a more encyclopedic style.
RP Permissions
So what are RP permissions? They are a set of guidelines you establish to let people know what you are okay with happening in their roleplays. Your players will be featured in other people’s RPs, after all, so if you want to control how people write about your characters, this is how you can do that. By filling out your RP permissions, those with whom you are RPing know what boundaries to adhere to when creating their roleplays. Below is a sample RP permission box. Yours can look a little different, it’s up to you.
RP Permissions
Choose my scorers: Y/N
Choose my scoring events: Y/N
Godmod scoring events: Y/N
RP injuries to my players: Y/N
Godmod Injuries to my players: Y/N
Give Penalties to my players: Y/N
Godmod other events: Y/N
Style Modifier: Y/N 
Time to RP!
With the opening of this thread, you can finally start to RP for your teams! Obviously, you won’t have any results to RP about until the first cutoff, but you can write about anything you like until then. RPs don’t have to be written only about your team’s performance on the field—any IC post is fine. I will give bonuses to those who RP, but don’t worry about that: if you don’t want to, you don’t have to, and you should be writing to tell the story you want to tell and most importantly, to have fun. The second, and only other rule, is that you must respect the posted scorelines and your opponents’ RP permissions in your RPs. Other than that, your imagination is the limit!
I can’t wait to see what you all come up with! Good luck to all of you!

Podium -- PD -- POD -- .pd

All yours.
Please head over to the List of Country Codes so you can be added to it. You're also welcome to join the Roleplay Discord and meet your neighbors and participate in worldbuilding chats.

After a bit of perusal and contemplation, I think Podium would be best suited here, if it's not too much trouble.

IC Thread
Welcome to The West Pacific’s inaugural college football competition, hosted by WPCAA, the West Pacific Collegiate Athletic Association. Any resident of TWP may participate in this event, over the course of which you will be able to watch your teams play against your region-mates in pursuit of victory and glory! This thread is where you will sign up, and it will also serve to establish the rules, as well as provide a platform for any OOC (out of context) discussion or questions that may arise.
How to Sign Up
Signing up for TWP college football is easy! Just make a post in this thread saying you would like to sign up, and provide the name of your TWP nation, the name of the team you are entering, and the name of the school they represent! That’s it! If you prefer, you can fill out the application form below, which will allow you to provide a little more information. (One thing you might want to give me is a style modifier, a tool I use to simulate your team’s style of play.)

Rules & Info
Sign-ups will be open until around the end of the month. Exact date TBD depending on my schedule.
Only Residents of The West Pacific may enter.
Members of TWP’s Hall of Nations may enter 2 teams in the competition, all other nations may enter 1.
Results will be determined through the use of a ‘scorinator,’ a program used to randomly generate scores.
Contestants are encouraged to roleplay; any roleplay will gain for its author a bonus to boost their team’s chances of winning their next game. A roleplay thread will be posted when sign-ups close.
Roleplays, or RPs, can be about anything. They can be written specifically about the team and its past results, or anything else. Users with two teams can roleplay for both. I will split the bonus between the two teams as indicated or as seems appropriate.
A decaying cumulative RP bonus will be used. In other words, recent RPs will count for a larger bonus than older ones, but all RPs will grant at least some bonus. Not all RPs will receive the same bonus.
The teams of any contestant who endorses the guardian will be granted a small bonus.
Nations who do not provide a style modifier will be given a modifier of 0. Nations who don’t provide a trigram will also be given one.
Based on the number of teams who sign-up, the teams will be divided into conferences. Ideally, no player will play against themselves, and some vague correspondence to our TWP map will be maintained. The season schedule will include conference and inter-conference play, and will be determined based on the size and number of the conferences.
The winners of each conference will enter the post-season and have a chance to gain eternal fame by winning TWP’s first Dragon Bowl!
Currently, we hope to post results two or three times a week, according to my personal RL schedule and the conference schedule. The season will start sometime at the beginning of June.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask here!