SRM: An interview with r3naissanc3r

[Consular]

27 May 2014

An interview with r3naissanc3r

Following his recent election as delegate of The North Pacific, we sat down with the veteran NationStates player for a fireside chat about himself, The North Pacific, and various other topics.
 

 

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Sovereign Realms Media: First of all, thank you for agreeing to this interview. I imagine you're quite busy with preparing your agenda for the coming term, so I'm grateful you took some time to chat with us.

r3naissanc3r: I am glad to be here. Thank you for the interview invitation.

SRM: Starting with some background, for readers who are less familiar with your history, could you give us an incredibly brief summary? Perhaps tell us when you started NationStates and where you've been majorly involved.

r3n: I joined NationStates nine years ago, in June 2005. I moved to Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I), which was also the first region where I was majorly involved. I stayed in GB&I untill the region was closed down in 2009. After GB&I, I was primarily involved in The New Inquisition, Europeia, and The North Pacific. I have been and currently am a member of a few other regions, but not to the same extent as these four.

SRM: Do you remember what got you interested in NationStates in the first place? Many players fade out when they answer their issues, what kept you involved in the community?

r3n: I remember seeing the link to NationStates posted in the community forum of my undergrad university. This was during a not terribly productive morning, so I clicked, registered a nation, and did nothing else. Then the following day, I still had the link open in a tab in my browser, and I thought I should take a look at the various recruitment telegrams I had received. GB&I's caught my eye.

Checking out their forum, they had a remarkable law section, a very well organized government, and lively and rigorous debate on legislation and government affairs. I always had an interest in law and politics, so these things appealed to me. I decided to keep an eye on it for the following few days, and eventually I got hooked.

SRM: NationStates has many regions, all of which compete for active citizens. Why The North Pacific? What is there that attracted you to the region?

r3n: I should note for context that I joined The North Pacific comparatively late, in November 2012. At the time I had just come back from an attempted (and unsurprisingly failed) retirement from the game, and was only involved in Europeia. I was looking to branch out, and was considering joining a feeder region, which I had never done up to that point.

I happened to know Eluvatar and Blue Wolf, both prominent TNPers, in RL. We would frequently discuss TNP, its lively legislature, and the very diverse and active community with a remarkably large number of "elite" gameplayers. These three aspects, familiarity, legislative activity, and community, eventually made me join the region and get involved.

SRM: You've served in quite a few capacities in TNP over recent times. Was there any specific reasons that made you decide to run for Delegate?

r3n: It was a combination of two primary reasons. The first was fortunate RL circumstances. A demanding RL means that, throughout my nine years in NationStates, I have had to be very cautious about taking positions that require a substantial time commitment continuously over several months. However, this summer for the first time in a while I was able to make such a commitment.

That's why I could become Delegate. The reason why I wanted to become Delegate was because from that position I can make unique contributions to TNP, a region I care about. In particular, I believe that my UCR background gives me a unique perspective on matters such as member recruitment and integration, aspects of government which do not receive as much attention in GCRs as they do in UCRs. I am also very confident in my skills in other areas of government. So overall, I decided to run because I believed I would provide a well-rounded and effective leader.

SRM: The election was quite a conclusive result. How does it feel to be the elected Delegate of NationStates' largest region?

r3n: It's very exciting! When you get elected, you get swamped with a multitude of matters, small or big, that you need to attend to and had not even crossed your mind up to that point. The number of telegrams, PMs, IRC queries, skype pings, etc. you receive all explode, and you need to multi-task through all of them. It's thrilling.

Of course, it's important to make sure that these do not distract from the bigger picture. I was elected to deliver the agenda I presented in my electoral campaign, and there is always a creeping feeling that I need to work more to make sure we do not fall behind. But that is joined by a feeling of anticipation, for the exciting final result.

SRM: Sounds rather hectic!

r3n: It can be, yes. It helps that, by necessity of my RL profession, I have become quite good at effective time management and handling multiple tasks at the same time. But it's still challenging.

SRM: Were you surprised by how readily the citizens of TNP placed their trust in you? What parts of your platfrom do you think resonated so well with them?

r3n: I was quite confident that I would win, and had confided so to a few people even before the election began. I did consider it likely that there would need to be a runoff vote, so the fact that I won from the first round was a welcome surprise.

I would say that the home affairs and communications aspects of my platform appealed to the voters, and made it stand out compared to those of the other candidates. I would imagine though that many voters made a decision primarily based on previous record, and my recent term as Minister of Foreign Affairs, generally described as very successful, certainly helped a lot in that regard.

SRM: The platfrom has actually been described as rather ambitious. Are you confident that you can achieve your aims by the end of your term?

r3n: I am, yes. I have been very lucky to have had enthusiastic and skilled TNPers join me in the Cabinet: Abacathea, Crushing Our Enemies, Democratic Donkeys, Gladio, Lord Nwahs, and mcmasterdonia. I am also particularly looking forward to the contributions from our broader member base. I believe that with this collective effort, we will successfully deliver the government's agenda.

SRM: What part of that platform are you most interested in, or rather, which part do you most look forward to seeing in action?

r3n: Home Affairs, for two reasons. First, it is probably the most challenging. Getting off the ground will take a lot tedious work, which then we will need to sustain through coordinated efforts from a large number of members.

Second, it will likely have the most long-lasting impact on the region. It is directly linked to maintaining a steady influx of new members, which is absolutely critical for maintaining the region active in the long term.

SRM: Are there any areas you think will be particularly difficult, both in enacting your policies, and in governing TNP in general?

r3n: I already mentioned in the previous question that Home Affairs will be particularly challenging, and explained the reasons there.

There are also a couple of foreign affairs initiatives planned for the term, which I expect will meet some resistance in the Regional Assembly---though I am confident will be successful in the end. I cannot go into details on those right now, but the first should be announced within the next couple of weeks.

SRM: Much of the success of these aims will ultimately depend on your cabinet, which you announced shortly after the election. Why did you select these specific people to help you achieve your goals?

r3n: They are all people I have experience working with in the past, and have proven to be enthusiastic about and skillful in their respective ministerial areas. Abacathea is a prominent, and commended, World Assembly author, who has been running our WA department efficiently since he joined the region, and I am sure will continue to do so. Crushing Our Enemies has proven to be an effective administrator and eloquent communicator in all of his previous offices in the region, and I know he will do the same as Minister of Communications. Democratic Donkeys is our former Vice Delegate and has unique knowledge and familiarity with our in-game population, which I expect will prove invaluable for Home Affairs.

Gladio last term revived the North Pacific Army, in numbers, activity, and capability---and he did all these without being Minister! So imagine what he can do as Minister. Lord Nwahs has been a regular contributor to our cultural sections, and brings the fresh perspective and imagination that are necessary for keeping Culture engaging. Finally, mcmastedonia is an international statesman and probably our most skilled diplomat. He is the natural choice for Foreign Affairs.

SRM: Looks like a strong team. Moving on; what, in your opinion, makes a good Delegate? What skills are necessary to perform well in such an important leadership role?

r3n: I mentioned a couple earlier: time management, and multi-tasking. Organizational skills in general are critical: you are in charge of a vast amount of resources, and you need to be able to first recognize them, and second know how and where they can be best put to use.

It is important to know how to balance taking counsel from your collaborators, and making decisions on your own. While ignoring your Ministers and other counselors is a sure road to failure, at some point you need to make the call yourself.

Finally, good communication skills are necessary. You are elected to govern a community. You need to inspire confidence to its members, and to inspire them to want to work with you.

SRM: Are there any figures across NationStates who you might consider role models in this regard?

r3n: Hmm, that's a hard one. I've been lucky to meet and work with many very talented people in NationStates. I must mention Westmorlandia, my mentor in GB&I. I would imagine most of the readers are not familiar with him, but he was a very effective leader and very impressive individual all around.

I always admired Rach for her charisma and the way she connects with people. It is no wonder that the Balderan community thrived during her delegacy.

Among my predecessors in TNP, I should mention Eluvatar and mcmasterdonia. Eluvatar set out an innovative agenda, and carried it out fully in a single term. That's remarkable planning and execution. mcmasterdonia was universally trusted and respected by TNP's community. His engagement with the community was so natural and strong, it seemed deceptively effortless.

SRM: Both your cabinet, and indeed yourself, have been described as a 'beige' regime. How would you respond to that criticism? What do you think this term implies about your government, and would you consider it at all accurate?

r3n: The 'beige' characterization in this context implies that this is an uninteresting, boring even government, with no vision for the future and unwilling to make any changes to the status quo. As much as I don't mind the color beige, which can be a very pleasant color during the summer, obviously I can't agree with the implications.

My response is simple. Read my agenda. It may also help to compare its scope with the agendas of winning delegates in other GCRs.

SRM: On this subject, TNP has recently come under various forms of criticism, this being but one example, primarily from the Delegate of the Rejected Realms. Do you believe that, in line with your above beliefs of what constitutes a good leader, it is responsible or appropriate for the TRR Delegate to be using a supposedly independent media outlet to voice his concerns?

r3n: My impression is that The Rejected Realms do not claim The Rejected Times to be an "independent media outlet". I may be incorrect in that regard. If I am indeed incorrect, we have to consider that The Rejected Times have been described in the past as the official newspaper of The Rejected Times government, with its content edited and approved by the Delegate personally. The publisher also currently happens to be the same as the Delegate, who is also one of the primary contributors. Given all these, I think it would be a completely untenable position to claim that The Rejected Times is a media outlet not representing the government of TRR. As I said though, I do not believe TRR are making such a claim.

The 'beige' article is more of a criticism of myself personally, than of TNP. That is fine: Gameplay is not a kindergarten, and we do not all get along. However, there have been a few other articles directly criticizing, attacking even, our regional military and diplomatic policy.

Whether these articles are responsible or appropriate really depends on the current diplomatic objectives of the government of TRR. If TRR have decided to pursue a policy of distancing themselves or becoming hostile towards TNP, then the articles are a very effective way of communicating this policy. If their policy continues to be one of maintaining good relations with TNP, as it used to be a few weeks ago during Frattastan's delegacy, then the articles are reckless and will quickly render such a policy infeasible if they continue.

SRM: So you do not accept that these criticisms from the above mentioned media are not necessarily the opinion of TRR itself? Can any supposed independence be reconciled with the fact that the editor is also the Delegate of TRR?

r3n: I do not think someone could plausibly make such a claim. Even if they are not the exact formal statement of TRR's foreign policy, they have to be interpreted as very informative of and in the same context as that policy.

SRM: Following what you touched on above, do you have concerns that continued provocations such as these will strain relations with TRR?

r3n: If they continue, that will be the likely outcome. I would prefer to avoid it, as TRR has in the past been a friendly region. I stated recently that my door (or, if you prefer, my skype and IRC) is open to the government of TRR, and they can come talk to me directly about resolving any issues they have with TNP. But I can't force them to if they are not interested in doing so.

SRM: A fair policy. Before we move on, I really do have to ask, is there any truth at all to these concerns? Are you secretly an uber ebil imperialist planning to usurp the democracy of TNP and turn it into an oppressive raider paradise?

r3n: It's more complicated than that. There is a consortium of organizations which determine all my actions. Members are the IRCabal, the Oligarchy, the Evil Imperialists, raider organizations with names starting with "The Black", Tyr's Hand... and more are being discovered every day! As long as I can continue to blissfully play my puppet role, I am quite content regardless of who exactly the puppetmasters are.

SRM: So many conspiracy groups. It must be hard to meet all their demands at the same time! If you're not a diabolical couper, then how would you describe yourself in terms of alignment? Is it even appropriate to be attempting to determine someone's views based on a military based alignment?

r3n: It is a black-and-white view of a colorful world. I do not consider military-based alignments very meaningful, and don't adopt one for myself.

Military activity is just a component, and often a not very important one, of a region's overall diplomatic position in the NationStates world. For most regions, other principles and objectives, a lot more complex and nuanced, inform foreign policy in a much more prominent way and create a set of regional interests. And TNP is among those.

My view is that TNP's military should be used in a way to best serve these regional interests. With overwhelming probability, these interests will require offensive activity under some circumstances, defensive activity under others, but overall both kinds of activity. It is, then, just common sense that TNP should try to maintain a military capable of executing both offensive and defensive operations, to be able to best serve the regional interests under all possible circumstances. Making an a-priori decision to completely exclude one or the other kind of military activity, as required by the various military-based alignments, is suboptimal for regional interests and therefore irrational.

SRM: So you would say it a good thing for regions to follow a foreign policy dictated by their interests, rather than allowing it to be defined by military alignment?

r3n: For some regions, raiding and defending can be their only interests. That's fine and their choice. But for the majority of active gameplay regions, there are other more diverse and often more complex interests that determine their foreign policy and military activity.

In this context, taking a dichotomy that applies only to a small subset of regions and using it to classify all gameplay regions into two groups is bound to give meaningless results. It is about as arbitrary a dichotomy as splitting regions into those using ZetaBoards and those using IPB for their forums.

SRM: Is military alignment as a whole an outdated concept? Given different parties perceive alignments in different ways, and many have different understandings of the definition of each, is alignment useful at all in identifying the stance of a region?

r3n: It is a concept that NationStates Gameplay has chronically had an obsession with. I am not sure exactly what the origin of this phenomenon is.

As I said previously though, for the majority of gameplay regions, military alignment is not a very useful characterization. Probably this is more true now than it was five years ago, but even then it was a false dichotomy.

SRM: Many in NationStates believe that unity between game created regions is important enough that it should transcend these ideological differences. What do you think of this idea?

r3n: It is a principle that we also subscribe to in TNP when deciding our foreign policy, and we have been commited to it for a few years now. We recently ratified a treaty with The East Pacific, the preamble of which strongly emphasized this principle.

Game-created regions are in a position of unique influence and power in the game. With this in mind, I view GCR unity as a policy of consolidation, monopoly even, of power. Such a policy is beneficial for the stakeholders, the GCRs themselves.

Of course, it is not a principle we unconditionally subscribe to. There are other policy aspects that need to be taken into account, and in the event of a conflict can potentially override GCR unity. To use an extreme, if not very realistic example, should a GCR be taken over by a Nazi regime, the principle of GCR unity would cease to apply to them. In more realistic settings, conflicts between GCR unity and other diplomatic principles require a much finer balancing act.

Finally, some caution needs to be taken so that GCR unity does not degenerate into GCR introversion. GCRs are centers of power, but they are not the only centers of power in NationStates. Focusing exclusively on relations with GCRs at the cost of relations with everyone else is short-sighted and suboptimal.

SRM: Is is at all sensible for regions to bind themselves to each other, despite having potentially irreconcilable foreign policies, simply because of the manner in which they were created? It is not merely another form of defining policy based on another external requirement irrelevant to the regions interests, like military alignments?

r3n: As I explained above, GCR unity can be justified rationally, rather than ideologically, in the sense of serving a specific regional interest: maximization of regional influence and power. It is not an end in itself. Furthermore, under realistic assumptions, compared to military alignments a policy promoting GCR unity is a lot more likely to be rational in the previous sense, than a policy of never defending or never raiding.

I should note that, in my previous answer, I did mention that GCR unity is not a policy to be followed unconditionally. I cautioned that it should not be a dogma, above and beyond every other principle or policy. And there are plausible circumstances when GCR unity will be on the losing side of a policy conflict. As I said previously though, it is a principle that TNP values and is committed to.

SRM: Well, that brings us to the end here. I understand some of those questions might have been rather difficult, and that there were a lot of them really, so thanks for bearing with us. Are there any final comments you'd like to make today?

r3n: It was rather enjoyable! Thank you again for the opportunity. And my apologies for my own slow response time---readers won't realize how long I've made you wait for some of my replies.

SRM: Not at all, it's all excellent stuff. Thank you for your time, and best of luck for your Delegacy!

[Westwind]

An excellent interview, with an excellent perspective.  *applauds*

[God-Emperor]

Good read.

[Theoden Sebastian]

A good read indeed!