Issue XII - The Rejected Times

[Unibot]

 
 
 

Issue XII, January 11, 2014

 
 
 
Editor's Note
 
Us again! It was a helluva job getting this ready in time for the finish of the NS World Fair while breaking news was happening all over the place yesterday. Thank you to all of the staff for sticking with me and not revolting when I said I wanted two editions, five days apart from each other. You guys rock. This couldn't have happened without you. 
 
I think events are covered here that may prove to be historic in the future (if you're reading this in the far future: "hello !"). 
 
 
>>> 2014 NS WORLD FAIR CONCLUDES
 
 
NS World Fair in Retrospective: An Interview with Escade, Unibot and Kringalia
 
INTERVIEW | KARPUTSK 
 
 
Congratulations! The NS World Fair seems like it was a grand success - did it go as you expected?
 
 
Unibot: It went better than expected for me. We had a bigger turnout in the regional venues than last year and more speakers at the lecture hall - and bigger turnouts for those lectures. I thought our lecturers were top notch.
 
Pretty much as soon as Sir Paul open his mouth, my expectations had been exceeded for the lecture hall - that line-up pushed that event to the next level, I thought. It started out right and finished with intellectual flair.
 
Escade: Hi Karputsk, nice to meet you. Yes, I am extremely impressed with the world fair. I met so many new people and began carrying conversations over to IRC and TGs\PMs.  I also learned quite a lot in the lectures and hope to put some new knowledge into action for TSP. I almost wish NS was the world fair, where everyone was just hanging out and enjoying themselves.
 
Kringalia: I am quite proud of how the World Fair has been received. I think we all had high hopes, and I'm glad to say those hopes were met and surpassed. I specially enjoyed the lectures, and am happy that so many people attended and participated in them. Also, the venues have been fantastic, regions have worked hard to showcase their culture and give visitors and an enjoyable experience. Overall, I think it's been a great pleasure to help organise this, and to be a participant.
 
 
What was your favorite moment from the Fair?
 
 
Kringalia: There have been many, but probably the moment I most enjoyed was the day before it opened. Only few of us were registered and working around the clock to set up the venues and making sure everything was ready for the gran opening. It was a really exciting moment, to see how something that had been organised for months be ready for everyone to attend.
 
Escade: My favorite moment was just going to each and every one of the regional venues and seeing all the different activities and joining as many of them as I could. 
 
Unibot: It's no secret, I absolutely loved the lecture from Sir Paul. I had spent all night preparing for it and hadn't slept - I'm a Sir Paul fanboy and I loved his work in NationStates. Otherwise, I think the best moment for me was the beginning too, like Kringalia - I love people's shock and excitement when they see the forum for the first time and they're all cheering and commenting. We keep the forum secret because I think it generates that buzz and energy which is wonderful.
 
 
Whose Regional Venue impressed you the most?
 
 
Unibot: I really liked Ninedale's thread where they were doing artwork for people to put in people's avatars. I thought that was really clever and unique. I also liked Lazarus's venue a lot. They went all out.
 
Kringalia: I'd say TSP's, but since I helped set it up it wasn't really a surprise for me. Probably the one I found most impressing is the one from Lazarus, as an example, I really loved the "Little Red Book". But in all fairness, I think all regions made an effort, and all had something particular to contribute with. That's the point of the World Fair after all, to give every region a chance to show what they are as a region.
 
Escade: It's hard for me to pick a venue and not an activity. I think that I learned a lot from all the fun activities like the "Make a Pony" thread or the guestbooks, or the AMA threads.  Any venue where I learned something was awesome. 
 
 
What makes the NS World Fair so great? What is the formula to its success?
 
 
Escade: The NS World Fair is a way for regions to showcase their strengths, accomplishments, culture and people. So it's the regions and there players that make it a success.  Players get to enjoy themselves in a bright atmosphere and also partake in lectures about the game that we all play and enjoy. 
 
Unibot:: I think it's the one week of the year where we aren't political enemies, we're just friends, celebrating a great game and a bunch of great regions. We explore new ideas in the lecture hall, we joke around and play games with one another. That's the kind of atmosphere we don't have usually. It often gets very cynical without these moments to brighten up your experience in NationStates.
 
Kringalia: I think a great contributor to its success is how there is no definite purpose to the Fair beyond interacting and getting to know each other. This wasn't a political event where tensions could run high, it is a cultural event for all regions to show their best and also there was something for every one. We had games, role-plays, discussion threads, lectures, etc. So basically, like Unibot and Escade have said, this is an event where we can just have a good time, and let's be honest, we all like to remember every once in a while that NationStates is, above all, a game to have fun with.
 
Unibot: It's funny you bring that up, Kring, because there's no definite purpose to NationStates either. Both the Fair and NationStates are eclectic, because there's so many different directions you can go with it.
 
Kringalia: Exactly. So basically it's what kind of experience you make of them.
 
 
This one is for Escade and Kringalia: Would you recommend other regions in the future make bids for the World Fair - and if so, what would you tell them to expect as Hosts?
 
 
Escade: I would highly recommend that regions bid to host the World Fair.  It's a great opportunity to learn more about the rest of the NationStates community.  Personally, I learned far more in these few days from amazing people then I might have otherwise. As hosts, your duty is to be active and cordial and support the regions and their venues. The goal of the fair, for the hosts I think, is to see outside of themselves. I have to say some of the recruitment offers from certain regions were very tempting as well.
 
Hosts, please be aware that Unibot and the NS World Fair team will build the forums and make all the magic happen so you don't have to worry about that.  
 
Kringalia: Yes I would. Being host is a great opportunity to be more visible as a region and to promote an event that has great potential (as we have explained throughout this interview). It gives the chance to welcome others and one must ensure that they have a good time, that everything is being done in such a way that nobody is uncomfortable. Like Escade said, being host is also a great chance to know more about NationStates, an even greater chance than if one were to attend individually, so I definitely think all regions should submit their bid if given the chance.
 
 
Following on from that question: has The South Pacific made some new friends or connections it feels it can improve in the coming future?
 
 
Escade: Yes, definitely. We're already planning some inter-regional events with other regions and considering diplomatic ties as well.  I've also met some people who really inspired me and mentored me so I think that as I move forward on my campaign promise to TSP, I have a stronger graps of how to make things work. 
 
Kringalia: I think we have already been doing that even before the Fair, but certainly once the Fair started we had a greater impulse and opportunity to meet with different people and regions. I do think that the Fair has been a positive influence when it comes to that.
 
 
This question is for Unibot: Is there going to be a "next" NS World Fair? What can we expect from it? When?
 
 
Unibot: Oh ho ho. You never know! I suppose another NS World Fair would be quite great, yes? We'll need time -- could be more than one year to put on another great event for you. All of this takes a lot of planning and then after you've made all the planning, you need a lot of flexibility and the ability to quickly reschedule everything and plan new things to replace everything that doesn't pan out. All of the organizers did an incredible job. I can say that during next Fair, if I'm still running it, they'll be one lecturer who could not make it this year because they were unfortunately on vacation this week. They're one of the coolest people to play the game and they did it with incredible flair. I'll give you a clue: 1708.
 
Have fun figuring that one out.
 
 
Of course, now, the question everybody has been waiting for - what was your favorite badge from the Fair?
 
 
Unibot: My favorite badge was The Rejected Times's badge. That's not even me being self-promoting, I just thought it turned out brilliant.
 
Kringalia: Like Unibot, I don't want to be self-promoting, but I really like TSP's badge (and SPINN's). I just think they are elegant and simple, not too big, and also with the right colours. NSNE's badge is also pretty cool I must say. And Europeia's.
 
Escade: I loved Northern Oceania's badge because it was a gif and shiny! I also liked DSA's badge, it was sweet. Aesthetically, Spiritus was probably my favorite. 
 
Unibot: NSNE's badge was just downright tacky! When I made NSNE, I made its colour scheme as tacky as possible because I wanted to throw people off that it was me running it. Now I've kept its deliberately bad artwork and bright colour scheme for kicks. 
 
 
What do you expect the lasting legacy from the Fair may be?
 
 
Unibot: I think it'll be the friendships and new diplomatic relationships made, as well as possibly an NS Issue (regarding the NS World Fair) if I can get it accepted by the Issues Staff!! That'll be fun if it happens.
 
Kringalia: Well...I'm not sure. I guess it's too soon to be sure, considering it hasn't even ended. I do hope it's legacy involves the great opportunities to learn new things we had with lectures, and also the motto itself, which is friendship and cooperation. We wrote that for a very specific reason, and that's because that should be the focus of our NS experience. Hopefully some of that will stick. Like Unibot said, it would also be pretty cool if that issue was accepted. 
 
Unibot: I'm going to start drafting in on the NS Issues forum, so I don't forget about it.
 
Escade: I think that the fair was an inspiring example of the best that NationStates has to offer. I hope there are more such fairs to come and that people take the ideal of "This is a game that can be a wonderful experience if we just try."
 
Kringalia: Yes, I fully agree. We need more opportunities to remember this is a game, so don't take it too seriously and just enjoy it! 
 
 
That just about wraps it up. I was going to ask Unibot to give us a little more detail about his issue of his but I am sure it will be on the NS forums soon. Thanks for the interview and of course, the World Fair! It was beautifully hosted and well organised.
 
 
Unibot: Thanks guys. Great interview
 
Kringalia: It's been a pleasure. It's always a pleasure to be interviewed by The Rejected Times. 
 
Escade: Thank you, Karputsk for the interview and Unibot for making the fair so awesome for all especially the snow!
 
_______________________________________________________
 
Review: "After Polysemes: A Reconciliation of Negative Nativeness and Regionalism"
 
REVIEW | FRATTASTAN
 
In his World Fair essay, Kogvuron opened the lecture mentioning his personal transition from a cosmopolitan to a more regionalist mindset during his time in NationStates. He attempts to prove that a regionalist political culture - founded on a strong identity and which demands from its citizens loyalty to the core regional values - can co-exist with a negative definition of native, one which describes what a native is not (a popular example: "A native is any nation which takes up residence in a region without the intention of furthering the goals of a foreign force").
 
Historically, "regionalist" regions have been characterized as illiberal and less open to newcomers compared to their cosmopolitan counterparts, mostly as a consequence of their adoption of a positive definition of nativeness.
 
Would it be possible to reconcile Regionalism and Negative Nativeness?
 
While negative nativeness could encourage passivity, Kogvuron argues, a comparison of the definitions does not show a necessary contradiction with regionalism, as the mere presence of natives which choose not to contribute would not damage a region's identity.
 
In the second part of the lecture, the People's Republic of Lazarus is presented as a case study. It is noted that that a politically open regime co-exists with a typically regionalist culture and that the basis of its identity (an application of class conflict to NationStates, with an open-ended definition of "proletariat", consisting of all nations with little political capital) could be construed as a form of negative nativeness. While, in the end, the question on whether negative nativeness can be really beneficial for a region is left open, the author believes that a reconciliation with regionalism is possible and is happening in Lazarus.
 
The arguments were presented in a satisfying manner, but I felt the lecture did not answer all the questions. However, the topic was certainly extremely interesting – and in the future should merit further attention.
 
Review: ★★★★
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
Review: “In Defense of the Best”
 
REVIEW | A SLANTED BLACK STRIPE
 
This was a self-described “sporadic and stream of consciousness” essay on independence. Hem began by challenging the notion that independence can be defined as a military stance or a balance between raiding and defending.  Rather, HEM offered that “independence is all about politics.” HEM also argued that regions which adopt pure raider or defender positions end up as “slaves” to those ideals or to the leaders of those causes.
 
“Independence is the realpolitik of Nationstates,” HEM claimed. Independence allowed regions to make practical decisions based on local politics and principles, rather than being limited by an ideology.
 
In the spirited discussion which followed the essay, there appeared to be no change of position by the readers.  Those who choose independence and those who found it immoral were unmoved, although all were passionate in their replies.
 
This reviewer enjoyed the energy of the presentation and follow-on debate.  
 
Review: ★★★★
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
Top Ten Venues at the NS World Fair
 
OPINION | HORSE
 
So, as most of you all know, the NS World Fair has finally happened, after months of preparation (and slacking off *pokes Unibot*).  Of course, in every fair, you will have your “Holy shit this is amazing” types of booths, and your “What even is this…” booth. 
 
Here are my Top Ten booths from the NS World Fair, from tenth best to the absolute best! 
 
 
10. Ninedale
 
This may come as a surprise to most people, as most people hadn’t even HEARD of this small region before the Fair. What made this region a fun and new twist on the booth is the addition of a MS paint portrait topic, in which users can ask Sopo, a member of the region, to paint a picture of the user that has requested the image, only based on their name, and a topic where you can win a embassy request from the region, becoming its first ever embassy in it’s history.
 
9. The West Pacific
 
This very well known region is number nine on the list for a few reasons. The first being that they explained their region perfectly in their topics, such as their government and their region in general.
 
8. Equilism
 
With a ton of topic and a ton of culture, this region takes our number eight position. Loses points for the same badge though...
 
7. Unknown
 
Great topics, great people, great badge. ‘Nuff said 
 
6. Spiritus
 
A few topics, but were amazing fun and a great badge. Not biased in anyway, of course.
 
5. The United Defender League
 
For better or worse, this venue was rather good. A lot of topics, spam games, etc., the whole nine yards.  Not too much discussion, but a lot of fun -- just how I like it!
 
4. The Rejected Realms
 
Now I hate to say it, but this one really surprised me. I thought it was just going to be another “Look a badge!” type of venue, not really my cup of coffee. But this wasn’t of course -- it had TWO badges.TWO. 6/10 -- would visit again. In all seriousness though, a great example of culture and what is happening in the region, so it gets a good rating. 
 
(Editor's Note: Technically it had three badges if you count The Rejected Times!)
 
3. Canada
 
Come for the great healthcare, or perhaps just this regions great booth.  To my disappointment, no posts in most topics, even though they are wonderful ;-;.  They have a nice little contest, history, etc. I am a bit sad I didn't check out this region's venue earlier and will hopefully do so next year!
 
2. Lazarus
 
Clearly not a biased choice at all and Milograd isn’t making me say this to keep my job... 
 
>.>  
 
<.<. 
 
Seriously though, this venue was a great example of what to do for the NS World Fair. From the quotations... to the essay Haramonia wrote, this is a exemplary demonstration of what to do to showcase a region. Also: that gaming booth seems to look good too *shoves everyone towards his part of the booth* 
 
1. The South Pacific
 
You know, even if they hadn't hosted this fair, they still would have won if they gave the amount of effort they did to make this venue. With the amount of fun things to do, topics to discuss, fun people to hang out with (Santa being my personal favorite), this is just a fun venue to chill out at. Not only that, but the effort that they made to make this happen gives them some bonus points, so maybe that’s why they won, not that Santa bribed me with cookies or anything... 
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
Review: “The Defender and The Home”
 
REVIEW | GLEN-RHODES
 
Spoiler alert: if you already feel no sympathy for defenders, the latest article published by Unibot will not change your mind. For the rest of us, The Defender and The Home is a sober look at how and why it is sometimes difficult for the most dedicated of believers to find a place that they can call home in NationStates. Unibot weaves together personal experience and political theory to tell a story of how defenders can be left isolated among the major gameplay ideologies out in our game.
 
Unibot opens his article with a bit of political theory some might find too thick – a common complaint when it comes to his works. But his explanation of Rainer Forst’s writing on the theory of toleration fits NationStates so well, I’m left surprised the connection hasn’t been made before. The central claim of The Defender and The Home is that the adoption of Independence has led to the exclusion of defenders in regional communities, due to the ideological choices they are forced to make in order to adapt to the policies advanced by the Independence movement.
 
The Defender and The Home is the fourth in a string of works on the player’s search for a home in NationStates. The Polysemes of Nativeness, the seminal work on nativeness, asked what kind of home defenders have under restrictive definitions of nativeness and regionalism. The Transpacific Trade explored the relationship between Game-Created and User-Created Regions, attempting to answer how players find their homes. In what Unibot describes as his magnum open, Paradise Found, he began in earnest his writing on the impacts of Independence on defenders.
 
The Defender and The Home is not a new magnum opus for this prolific author, but it is an excellent piece of writing that continues the work of Paradise Found. Many will find problems with it. Criticism of failing to apply his theories to raiders, who critics say are just as shunned as defenders, have already been lodged. But for those of us who are part of the shared experience, The Defender and The Home resonates so clearly with our positions in NationStates, it may have already earned its status a classic work on defenderism.
 
Review: ★★★★★
 
_______________________________________________________ 
 
Review: "The Right to Socks: What's Left for the WA?"
 
REVIEW | THE GRIM REAPER
 
As part of the World Fair, organizers reached out to lecturers both obvious interests to the broader community (Milograd, and Venico, as recent additions to the GCR delegates of history), and some that covered a "topic of limited appeal." To use his own words is perhaps to buy into a level of humility that seems rather mismatched against the giant of NS history that presented his "topic of limited appeal" - whilst a WA newbie like myself may struggle to recall Gruenberg's name, many of us are more than aware of his work in setting stepping stones for WA authors and commentators through works like the "Ban on Slavery and Trafficking", which Unibot notably remarked was "perfect". However, history is a poor bedfellow for those of us who have traditionally disdained the miles of legislation the WA and UN have passed, myself included, and so it is my opinion that Gruenberg's work can also be considered with fresh eyes. Far from a history essay, Gruenberg presented a contemporary look at the WA through the eyes of his newest incarnations, 'Vibrant Coconuts', both bemoaning the 'malaise' that has increasingly befallen a discontent and seemingly stagnant WA, and looking forward with the eyes of someone that saw opportunity even in the dying days of the UN to write, and to write well.
 
Gruenberg opens with a seemingly nostalgic opinion of the UN he used to write for - for someone like me, having played since 2008 and yet not once been particularly involved in the WA (except for, as a new roleplayer wishing to pursue a run-of-the-mill dystopia, having had to deal with slave abolitionist movements and the like - thanks Gruenberg!), I certainly took note of his observation that "since the first World Fair in November 2012, 23 of the 53 passed resolutions have been repeals, 13 targeting substantive resolutions passed in this time, and several of the remaining 17 proposals being replacements of previously repealed laws." Whilst one would immediately assume this would follow on as a dire call to arms, and for reform, Gruenberg makes the interesting move of declaring that all is needed is a little bit of culture shock. It is a call that is distinctly not targeted towards the audience one would assume for this essay - as a result, I highly recommend the work to those who most likely did not read it, those who are new to the game or have never quite considered the GA.
 
Gruenberg's essay covers the main factors that control WA activity - legislation, mechanics, rules, and roleplay. He first covers legislation as a facet that is revelant to all those interested in the WA - his first line is exactly what is needed to a shock a WA that seems to have space only for repeals and replacements. "The WA is nowhere near close to legislative exhaustion." His pieces of history here merely serve as context to an argument against overly broad GA resolutions, and to call for a general rethinking of how the current generation of authors - and observers - view the WA, as a paintbrush approach to restricting members. For those interested in writing legislation? I absolutely recommend taking a look at the long list of subjects Gruenberg reeled off with ease. As Gruenberg suggests, there is ample space to research and write on a myriad of different ideas not covered by the broad, umbrella resolutions we see popular today.
 
Mechanics and rules are something that are perhaps the most foreign to the average player - here, he certainly aims to please the experienced author looking for a formal written opinion. However, he is careful not to take a reformist or militant approach - instead, these become topics that are subordinate to his ideal of WA authors that write legislation, instead of waging war. To use his words, changes to things such as WA categories would require players to "work together on a concrete and tightly worded set of proposals, and make their case firmly and clearly."
 
Gruenberg's final section is one that is perhaps both timely and untimely for a world that has recently seen the Roleplayer lobby return to its position, antagonizing raiderdom (and in some cases, Gameplay as a whole). Gruenberg here espouses a view that I would argue seems antiquated to us - a world where RP was essential to the WA, which is barely hinted towards in the Strangers' Bar and certain drafting threads, during a year where the curtain between various sections of NS has become significantly more drawn. "Roleplaying was emphasised during the NSUN's periods of greatest activity, and that is surely no coincidence. Restoring such an emphasis would offer a means of involving even those players who find that their favourite topic has already been legislated on." As a roleplayer myself, who has been at odds with the prevailing viewpoints of my fellow RPer, I find myself agreeing with Gruenberg's opinions that RP can serve as a valid extension of GA editing, commentating, and authorship, just as it can a valid extension of community building. "A number of roleplays in the NSUN were essentially irrelevant to the particular resolution being discussed on any given day, .... but they greatly enhanced immersion, the sense that we were participating in a genuine international assembly."
 
It is seemingly a paradox, to read what Gruenberg writes, and to see the people who were truly interested in it. His place as a historical figure is simply reaffirmed by the colourful dialogue between himself, Unibot, Eluvatar, and Abacathea that dwelled deeply into the history of the UN and his ideas behind his own works (for those already interested in the UN's historical resolutions, and Gruen's place as an author, I recommend you give the IRC logs posted by Gruen a skim to see if anything interests you, for it was a discussion certainly targeted to the veteran). But, to read his essay, it is more than a call-to-arms - it is a personal commentary on a world that Gruen is new to himself. Vibrant Coconuts commented and observed a world that prides itself on things that the UN never did - unlike the chaotic battlefields of the UN, the WA now has blockers that "are and aren't" illegal, and sees routine Repeal and Replacements. One would assume, therefore, that Gruen would come to us calling for the elite WA authors to argue for change and rules.
 
That is not what this essay is about.
 
It is an essay calling upon the WA community - past, present, and, hopefully, future - to keep writing.
 
As a new player, I found it a refreshing look at the WA devoid of complex terms like 'IntFed' and 'NatSov' and 'Illegal under Rule 4', and in their stead, a straight-forward reminder that there is a lot of space to cover, and only so much time to write about it all.
 
In the IRC chat, Gruenberg made known his intention to release a WA guide for new players and new WAers on the TSP forums - I look forward to it, and expect it to be brilliant companion that adds the last touch of polish to a highly inspiring four star essay.
 
Review: ★★★★
 
_______________________________________________________
>>> OTHER NEWS
 
 
The Rejected Realms is officially a “defender" region!!
 
COMMENTARY | UNIBOT
 
 
 

Frattastan rallies the crowd:  “it may be a historic day”!

  
At 9:18:46 AM EST on Jan 10th, Frattastan, delegate of The Rejected Realms, officially changed the region’s regional tag to “defender” and removed the old “neutral” tag.  
 
A citizen’s petition on the eve of Jan 9th had proved fruitful, as citizens, who signed the petition to recognize The Rejected Realms as a “defender region”, were rewarded with this quick response from the delegate. 
 
When asked how he felt about the breakthrough, Frattastan held back a smile as he jested, “It may be an historic day, but for me it's just Friday”.
 
Frattastan defended the bold decision. 
 
“We are home to a defender army, we are allied to defender regions, we don't attack others, and if outsiders describe us they will use 'defender' more often than 'neutral',” says Frattastan. “It's a point where the difference between 'defender' and 'defender-leaning neutral' is so subtle that the latter is more of an awkward label than an adequate description (and it's been questioned before). It "isn't the same as being a defender", but here it was really becoming that”.
 
When asked whether the stance will affect the region’s culture of inclusiveness, Frattastan was clear:
 
“The tag isn't an invitation to join any war, or an attempt at excluding invaders from citizenship, government seats or diplomatic relations,” says Frattastan, “It is a description of our current FA alignment and the fact that the government doesn't sanction raids”. 
 
The global reaction to this move has been… well: “Wait!? The Rejected Realms wasn’t a defender region already?”  This has, of course, been a common misconception: The Rejected Realms has, until now, been officially “neutral”, even though it is a member-region of the FRA – its defender army, The Rejected Realms Army, is separate and autonomous to The Rejected Realms. 
 
With the recent announcement from Lazarus, The Rejected Realms’s long-time ally, that it too would join defenderdom and the expected ratification of The Rejected Realms’s second multilateral defender treaty; this seemed as good of time as any to affirm the region’s stance.
 
Today marks a very special day indeed for the future of The Rejected Realms 
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
"Empire has Fallen" ; Purges escalate in Osiris
 
COMMENTARY | UNIBOT
 
 
 

Columns of fire and smoke rise against the Osiran skyline from the scenes of chaos last night...

 
Last night at Major Update, The Osiris Fraternal Order ejected and banned members of Spiritus and the last remaining member of The Empire from Osiris. 
 
Neo Kervoskia, known as “Lord Griffin” in The Empire, was sent to The Rejected Realms, alongside puppets of Spiritus Defense Forces: Tim Stark, Campinia and others.
 
Venico ejected and banned the military units from Spiritus, then moved to The Brotherhood of Malice right before Osiris had updated –  which allowed Detective Figs (managed by Koth) to eject and ban Neo Kervoskia. Before the minor update Venico returned to Osiris, retaining his endorsements from before the “update surf” (as military professionals call it). 
 
Cormac Stark (officially, Cormac Somerset-Holland) speaking from the Office of the Vizier of Osiris, discussed the purges with The Rejected Times.
 
“With the removal of these few remaining hostile units, Osiris is now able to definitively begin its journey down the path of peace and stability” says Cormac, “- a journey that will soon begin in earnest with the passage of a constitution by the Deshret and elections for Pharaoh, which should occur within the next few weeks”.
 
When asked why the Osiris Fraternal Order had targeted military units from Spiritus, Cormac said Spiritus was “the only region to express outright hostility against the Osiris Fraternal Order and to commit to its overthrow through force”.
 
He also told The Times, that while the Order had enough Regional Influence to eject the nations of Mahaj and Wopruthien, they have chosen not to, which he says is evidence that these purges are not against defenders in general, but more specifically targeting members of Spiritus and The Empire – enemies of the state.
 
Venico, delegate of Osiris, was optimistic about this recent purge.
 
"It is hopefully the last chapter to this war," says Venico, "With these final threats removed, I can feel much better when I hand over the delegacy to someone else. God bless the OFO."
 
After banning Neo Kervoskia, Detective Figs changed its motto to “Empire Has Fallen” – signifying the culmination of a dramatic shift of power in Osiris. 
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
New Raider "Kommandos" Emerge
 
COMMENTARY | KOGVURON
 
A new raider group, The Dutch Super Kommandos, made their first hits over the last few days, tagging Discordia, Atlantic, Blubberland of MORDOR, and Schakastan.  The group clearly has good connections, getting support from the UIAF of the LKE, TNI, and Albion, The Black Riders, Ceseris, and the Kingdom of Great Britain.  But who are these Orange Raiders?
 
Well, the Kommandos are an "elite paramilitary force" hailing from the United Kingdom of Netherlands.  UKN, a region of 73 nations, has previously only been known for their fight with United Kingdom over several colonies.  While those tensions seem to have been suppressed, the region is now making a name for itself in another way.
 
It is unclear whether the Super Kommandos are indeed the official military of UKN or just a group of raiders based in the region.  However, these raiders are not sticking to the path of imperialism followed by most monarchist regions.  So far, the Kommandos first missions have indicated that they will be doing more "tag" invading than other monarchist regions who focus more on occupations. Nonetheless, this new group is only a week into their life, so it is a small sample set to draw conclusions from.  
 
We will follow the Kommandos closely as their group expands and update you if there are any important developments.  
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
The Pacific and Mordor ratify “The Charcoal Treaty”
 
COMMENTARY | TRR STAFF
 
In an unusual move for Francograd, The Pacific has signed and ratified a treaty with a User-Created Region: namely, Mordor.  Mordor is a successful defender region founded by Wopruthien, which some cool cats may know as Officer of Culture in The Rejected Realms.
 
The treaty acknowledges their recent “cooperation, their closeness, their ideological unity”. It is a particularly comprehensive diplomatic-military-intelligence treaty. While the stipulations requiring military and intelligence cooperation are not foreign to other treaties by any means, there is a surprising amount of detail in the treaty with respect to how the two parties should act in public with one another and how military cooperation between Mordor and the Pacific Expeditionary Forces shall be organized.
 
The Charcoal Treaty, however, is not a “new” development, per se.
 
“We ratified it a while ago,” says Senator Feux, “we are just posting it in the People's Assembly so it is stored somewhere for the public”. 
 
What remains to be seen is whether this new relationship is a sign of more things to come for Francograd and its diplomatic excursion into the brazen and rich lands of defenderdom. 
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
"Commend Eluvatar" soars towards victory
 
COMMENTARY | UNIBOT
 
 
 

“Elu… wrong button …”

 
A commendation of Eluvatar, written by McMasterdonia and Kiwitaicho, is expected to pass by a landslide today. The North Pacific, The South Pacific and Spiritus were the early backers of the resolution, while Lazarus, The Rejected Realms, The East Pacific and The Pacific, among others followed shortly after to commend NationStates’s bravest turtle. 
 
Osiris and The Land of Kings and Emperors are the only two major regions that have, at the time of writing, voted against. 
 
Although Europeia did vote for the resolution, they announced they were “dismayed” that Eluvatar’s role in uncovering Ravania’s misconduct in the NPA had not been included in the resolution.
 
McMasterdonia, author of “Commend Eluvatar”, fired back on the forums in regards to the subject, saying that it was “definitely not the most honourable thing done by Eluvatar”.
 
He defended the omission against claims of “whitewashing” on the NationStates Official Forums.
 
“At the end of the day Kiwi and I wanted to commend him for his incredible contribution to NationStates,” says McMasterdonia. “Eluvatar didn't oppose the inclusion of that clause because it was political, but because he wasn't exactly proud of how it was handled. We weren't going to propose something that he would wear with shame rather than honour. That is just how it is”.
 
The resolution commends Eluvatar for his contributions with The United Defenders League, Taijitu and The North Pacific, in addition to the role he has played in the liberation efforts against The Empire, The Crimson Order and many other extrajudicial regimes. 
 
The Rejected Realms was unanimously supportive, 12-0, of the resolution (thirteen, if you count Karputsk’s double vote – he was just so eager!). 
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
Farengeto crowned Chief Justice in The South Pacific
 
COMMENTARY | TRR STAFF
 
In a surprise landslide victory, Farengeto defeated veteran player, Belschaft, 16-9, to become The South Pacific’s new Chief Justice. Belschaft congratulated Farengeto –  telling him it had been the first time that he had been defeated in an election.
 
We managed to sneak a brief chat with the winner,
 
“I'm amazed at the level of support from my fellow TSPers,” says Farengeto, “I never expected such a victory and I'm looking forward to a successful term. A huge thank you to all my supporters”. 
 
Farengeto ran on a “reform” based platform and is another fresh face added to the current government which is increasingly reflective of a new “generation” in The South Pacific. The ongoing vote between veteran, HEM and relative newcomer, Sandaoguo for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs has been, in particular, very divisive -- expect coverage of that vote from The Rejected Times as it comes to a dramatic conclusion later this week. 
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
Lazarus Forum Server Faces Difficulties
 
COMMENTARY | TRR STAFF
 
For the past few days, the Lazarus board, nslazarus.com, and other websites affiliated with Hobbes, have been down. The Rejected Times sat down with Hobbes to discuss what was the cause of the server downtime.
 
"Well, a rather interesting combination of DDoS attacks on our host and some other factors resulted in an emergency move on the hosts behalf a few days ago" says Hobbes. "Given the circumstances I don't blame them for making the move, all data was saved and Lazarus's service (and HobbesHost & affiliated websites) was restored yesterday. This does not affect what host we use, at least, for me, but Milograd pays for nslazarus.com hosting so if he wants to move thats his decision".
 
Hobbes was very clear, however, that these DDoS attacks were unrelated to nslazarus.com, HobbesHost or anything NationStates. Regular users of the boards were seen waiting impatiently - counting down the hours even - till their region's forum returned to full service. 
 
The Lazarus forum was relaunched on nslazarus.com on December 21 -- since the revolution, Lazarus's forum participation has seen significant growth. 
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
The North Pacific Invaded!
 
COMMENTARY | UNIBOT
 
Last week, The North Pacific was rocked by an invasion from The Skeleton Army. Yes, that’s right – NationStates’s premier non-WA invading group: The Skeleton Army! 
 
McMasterdonia, Delegate of The North Pacific, discussed the invasion with The Rejected Times in an exclusive interview.
 
“We were just talking quietly on the RMB.....” says McMasterdonia, “we were hoping to rebel against the evil Skeleton Queen and secure our independence from her once and for all... Within a few hours we once again felt her bony hand around our throat as thousands of nations piled into the region. We could only watch in horror as Magicality City fell to the Skeleton hoards and the court house was burned to the ground (again!)”.
 
McMasterdonia defended the decision to surrender the region – embarrassing moments of desperate begging and weeping caught on webcam and available on YouTube (before a request for its removal from The North Pacific Government). 
 
 “I had no choice but to surrender immediately and beg that the Skeleton Queen show us mercy,” says McMasterdonia, “We had not realized that those loyal to the Skeleton Army had infiltrated every area of the government and the military and intelligence services”. 
 
The North Pacific has since opened embassies with The Skeleton Army, presumably as supplication to their newest overlords.  
 
 _______________________________________________________
 

[Westwind]

Loses points for the same badge though...

 

 

Not sure what this means.  Equilism had a different badge last year than this year.  

 

If you refer to Equilism's badge being created by the same person as TWP, that's true, it was me....but they are not the same badge.

 

Clarity is lacking there.