The Professionalism and Culture of Raider Communities

[Neop]

Professionalism (aka Sygism haha get it)

There are many qualities that make up a true, modern day raider. The Professionalism Attribute is a quality that has stuck around for quite some time, and is more of an individual based quality than a community one, though the latter is not uncommon. Raiding has always been my employment in NationStates, so I went to two natives that reside in Asiana, a region that was raided by The Black Hawks shortly after I was appointed the Head of Training. Sheng China, the delegate at the time of the raid, provided me with some wisdom from the perspective of a native. “As the leader of a closeknit region having Asiana raided was like having my home invaded and the trespasser sitting in on the couch acting like its their own home,” he said, “I did feel more at ease with your professionalism during the event. Although you and your forces had removed our factbook you were respectful enough to not insult and badger our way of playing. You respected the fact that we've put so much time and effort into our roleplays that you didn’t go to try and destroy that.”

Professional raiders are not there to insult or attack the natives. I then asked for the opinions of Singpu, one of the very active natives of Asiana. He said, “When you encounter the first part of a raid, it's quite disorienting and you immediately feel angry and disenchanted with them. When you encounter professionalism, such as something as simple as an RMB spammer being reprimanded by his higher ups or just some courtesy, it takes off a lot of that pent up edge and distrust. Suddenly you're put back for a second into the mindset that these are just people trying to organize their efforts. Professional behavior and general courtesy really helps reduce stress. But when the raiders are just taunting and insulting every single thing they possibly can, it feels like an attack on a part of your identity, as far as NationStates can go.”

Professionalists must be willing to punish any member of their community that uses personal attacks to insult the natives. They must be willing to cease relations with any person or organization that does the same.

He was very surprised at the modern day raider professionalism, and the fact that we didn’t interfere with the continuation of their roleplaying avocations. “Raiding gets a lot of bad press because it is often disruptive and drags in those who just want an excuse to troll. Seeing some people who offer kindness and reassurance helps a lot to alleviate that feeling,” Singpu added. Professional raiders don’t see natives as nations that can be humiliated, threatened, and mortified. Professional raiders are aware of the fact that there is a person behind that screen. They properly recognize that the natives are still members of the region, their “home”, by making the invasion more of an event than a malicious attack. Raiders are there on behalf of the way they play the game. We do not own the game, we do not sway which regions participate in the R/D game. The purpose is not to ruin the game for them, it is to enjoy our own way of playing while they enjoy theirs.

Professional raiding is more than just a game (or “metagame”, if you wish), it expands on the game by turning it into a thriving, healthy community that is eradicated of toxic behavior, while preventing the opposite. Being involved in, and contributing to, a toxic community that you have no good intentions being involved in is not the purpose of Professionalism. The purpose of being professional in the raiding community is not to combat toxicity and negative individuals and organizations that will always exist in NationStates regardless of the situation. It is to set a good precedent for a newer generation of raiders while training them the game fundamentals and mechanics. Passing such traits on is easy to do while they are young in the community, but it is not impossible to begin practicing Professionalism as a long-time player.

The Professionalism Attribute is more than just what the name entails. A Professionalist embodies qualities of leadership, integrity, and morality, and doesn’t require experience. When it comes to raider communities and organizations that exhibit the Professionalism Attribute, the leaders must be confident that they can count on their soldiers to display the same quality. Ranks advancements should not solely depend on the number of raids you’ve planned or executed. Moreso, they should depend on the qualities of the Professionalism Attribute itself. Are they a leader? Do they portray qualities of integrity? Do they have morals?
Professionalism is a three way system. Natives and Defenders, both In-Character enemies of the common raider, should also respect the amount of effort that leaders put into the planning. Raiders should respect the culture of the native community, in all aspects, while also respecting the effort that defenders put into contacting liberation forces.

A Professionalist must stay loyal and true to their community. Without them, the community would not be the same. Professional raider communities are obliged to cooperate with others that practice the common uniform ideology of raiding, but must also be willing to set boundaries and strictly enforce said confinements if something may endanger the professionalism, reputation, and culture of the community.

Lastly, the primary quality of the Professionalism Attribute is camaraderie. Whether you’re working alongside your fellow raiders, or against the defender/native enemy, a Professionalist must realize that the majority of them all have something in common: to play the game. When it boils down to it, there is no rule or limitation on friendship between them.

Culture

Next I’d like to talk a small amount of culture in Professionalist R/D regions. Culture is the foundation of a community, it makes it more than just an organization comprised of individuals with a common goal. These events can be something as simple as spam games, flag contests, roleplays, or something massive like the annual RaiderCon/Vision. The only rule of thumb to creating a cultural event is that each of them must be in the best interest of the raider community. Culture is the foundation of all communities. Without it, you are just a group of individuals with a common goal in mind. With the an added basis of culture, you become a community that is binded with the quality of friendship. Both culture and professionalism are proportionate to one another in order to promote a pleasant, non-toxic raider community. Speaking from a personal level, I have become lifelong friends with a number of people by indulging myself in different communities.

That’s all for now folks!

The Raiding/Defending game is not at all what the name implies, as it only plays a minor part in the whole scheme of things. Both sides would be just be existential ideologies with groups composed of practicing individuals if it weren’t for the aforementioned values of Professionalism and Culture. This lecture can be applied to many areas of the game, not necessarily just the raider sphere, such as defending and roleplaying. As I said before, there will always be toxic individuals and organizations, but the only thing that can retort it is a mature movement of Professionalism across NationStates. If you have any questions for me, please reply on this thread, send me a direct message on discord, or a telegram. Thank you for reading!