Aging Gracefully in NS

[thechurchofsatan]

Aging Gracefully in NS by Todd McCloud

Where are you at in this game? Are you a casual player? Does the prospect of working with a group of people to do something interesting and fun sound exciting? Are you stuck in a rut? Perhaps you'd like to try out a new facet in the game? It may be a bit nebulous to begin a short essay with several nonspecific questions, but they are relevant. After all, it's the first step in aging gracefully: identifying where you are as a player. If you take a piece of paper and write down some of the stuff you've done in the past month or so in the game, that's where you are, that's actually who you are as a player. But that's trivial. The real argument is what follows: is that where you want to be? Is that a goal you have?

I've often felt NS activity is like a bell curve for those who choose to get involved in the game. You start out kind of small, maybe answer a few issues here and there, maybe read or type messages on the RMB, and maybe answer some telegrams here and there. Most stay at that level, to be honest. But for those who don't, they continue to explore and get involved in the community, be it sports, General Assembly, roleplay, gameplay, or some other facet. Their activity output increases. Soon they move up. Perhaps they're now trusted not to godmod in roleplay. Maybe they're a published author of a few proposals. If they're in gameplay, maybe they've served a few posts, participated in a few events, heck maybe they're a seasoned defender or raider. When they reach the peak of that curve, they're in their prime. They have the highest exposure. In short, the game is yours in some respect and you are able to maximize your effect on it.

But eventually at some point things begin to slow down. New people are suddenly the flavor of the month. You know it's really bad when suddenly the most popular people in the game are those you've never heard of. If someone wants to know something about your facet of game play, they go to other newer people instead of you for relevant information. When they want to speak to you, they want advice instead of facts or involvement. You're not really in the thick of things anymore. You're on the periphery. Things move a little slower. Heck, you might not even be in the common age group anymore. And as time goes on, you'll start hearing a term thrown around: old guard. You have influence, so long as people want to emulate your accomplishments, so there's that. But you don't have the networking you once did. You have permanence, but not presence.

No one really quits this game with a bang in the prime of their "careers". Some might announce it, but they'll come back. Rather, they usually quit quietly. Maybe they'll post a will and testament (something I always found silly), but usually, in my experiences, people quit by notifying a few close people and simply moving on. So, there you have it. The bell curve. You start out as a newbie, learn and adjust and contribute until you are entrusted to (or simply take) the reigns, then live that out and are eventually passed up by newer, more exciting players until you slowly start to take steps back (or people start to take steps away from you) and you're in the twilight of NS. Right on the other side.

I don't believe I am a good example of such things, but speaking as someone who is coping with that fact, the waning period doesn't have to be a bad thing. It can be very rewarding and pleasing to see people do things better than you ever could in this game. And, almost anyone who plays this game with passion goes through it eventually. No one's immune to it, unless they remain inventive and excited. But life gets in the way. I started this game as freshman in college. I'm now married and looking to buy a house, defend a thesis, and support a family.

So to those who are willing to accept the fact that NS life is a bell curve, and if you wish to age gracefully in this game and not go out in a fizzle, I have some advice for you. I don't claim to be an expert - I'd change a few things if I could do it all over again. Nor do I claim I did everything right - I didn't. Anyway, here are my five keys to aging gracefully in this game:

1. Confidence
"Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence." - Vince Lombardi

If you want to do anything in this game, or anything in real life for that matter, you're going to need confidence to be successful. Lacking confidence in what you do, or how well you can handle things, makes it difficult for those around you to have confidence in you and, ultimately, having confidence in the region at whole. This is especially important if you're an older player, and it's a great way to age gracefully in this game.

This doesn't mean having confidence in projects that are more likely than not doomed to fail. Nor does it mean going into everything with gusto and expecting results every time. You're not going to be good at everything. You will make mistakes. But it's what we do after said mistakes that make the person. Do you have the propensity to move forward after a tough time? Do you believe you can? Some believe it's the difficult times that forge who we really are, not the good times. Anyone can look good in good times. But what about bad times? Will people still follow you in the tough times? Will they have the confidence in you? And likewise, will you have confidence in yourself as time marches on?

2. Be reliable, be loyal
Reliability is a fairly simple key actually. Don't take on more than you can handle. If you say you're going to do something, stick to it. And if you can't, the excuse should be more than you simply forgot. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with trustworthiness, hence why the two are kind of combined here. But I've stressed it a little more by stating loyalty over trustworthiness. There is a difference.

Loyalty. What does it mean to be loyal? Here's what it means, in a nutshell: if people trust you, and you are trustworthy, don't mess with them and put them over yourself. Easy enough? Not quite. Sometimes your loyalty may need to sway. Like if you happen to be loyal (or in the past have been loyal) to several competing groups, stances will have to change. But, it should be the stance that most readily aligns with your values.

You're not going to please everyone, nor should that be your focus. Even if you are at times mean or nasty (which is perfectly okay, by the way), good players will recognize why you feel the need to be mean and nasty. And heck, let's say you happen to choose something that's rather unpopular. Well, if it's right, and you believe it's right, no big deal. At least you didn't compromise your own values. People can respect that. It takes a strong player to stand for what they believe in, especially if it's a good but unpopular stance.

3. Avoid creating drama
It's a simple rule of life. No one wants to live by each other's misery; on the contrary, we all want to strive for happiness. Be a positive rather than a negative. That doesn't mean you need to suddenly be a cheerleader. But happiness has a knack for establishing good groups, friendships, and rewarding experiences people look back on fondly. In addition, I think it's safe to say that those who play this game aren't 100% happy. They have real life issues. Maybe they're struggling in school or have a few bad relationships. If people come to this game as an escape, they're going to want to get qualities here that they cannot in real life.

That's why drama comes at you fast in NS. Well-aged players will probably avoid creating drama, but there's more to that. A lot of them will attempt to solve or lessen already-created drama that they may or may not have caused somewhere along the way in their own way. Why? Well, drama's why people leave. It's why regions die. If you read my older article on The Necessity of Chaos, it's the #1 region killer in my books. Drama should be avoided when possible, and lessened when possible. Ain't nobody got time for that.

4. Humility
This section is short, because it really doesn't need a lot of words to explain the concept. You don't need to remind people of your accomplishments. You don't need to report your titles to everyone or in your signature. That's annoying. If you're a good player, or a good leader, or even just a regular guy, people will know your titles and accomplishments. Let your works, your deeds, and how you carry yourself, speak what you are. It isn't the titles or the accolades that makes the player, but rather what the player does that earns him or her respect.

5. Creativity
Be fresh. Be exciting. Maybe even a little inventive. Have a little fun now and then. Heck, this World Fair and the past two ones are evidence that when a group of people put a little bit of creativity into things, memorable experiences can prosper.


Concluding remarks
That's pretty much it. Again, I don't claim to be an expert on the subject, but I do happen to know a thing or two about some of these points. I'm fairly certain if you even follow the majority of these points you'll extend the bell curve so to speak, and age gracefully in this game.

Above all, it's a game. We can't forget that. Happy holidays.