The North Star - Issue XXIX
Magazine Version
Editor's Note
Dear readers,
Welcome to this latest issue of The North Star. Wow. This feels good to say. I wrote a really long editor’s note detailing a bunch of things but I’ve come to the realisation that all those words aren’t necessary. This has been such an experience. I’m so proud of what everyone has accomplished. Let’s dive in.
The North Star is our flagship in terms of our publications. It’s something that requires a lot of work, a lot of micro-management, but most importantly a lot of passion and dedication. These are things the incredible staff members have repeatedly shown while producing this issue. I wish extend my sincerest gratitude to everyone involved. We couldn’t have done it without you. A special thanks to Minister of Communications, Robespierre, and Delegate Kaschovia whose leadership and support continue to drive us forward.
This issue is, as always, packed with exciting content. Dive into the details of our General Elections, an article about the 10 year anniversary of our treaty with Europeia, and a captivating retelling of the unwarranted attack of the Brotherhood of Malice and the Communist Bloc on the North. Furthermore, this issue includes a surprisingly interesting article about our special judicial elections and finally an exclusive interview with the Speaker of the Regional Assembly, Cloud.
Lastly, the staff of the Ministry of Communications extend our heartfelt gratitude to you, the reader, for taking the time to read this issue of TNS. As I’ve said in a previous editor’s note, The North Star remains a source of immense pride for us and we hope you enjoy every moment reading through this issue.
Cheers,
Halsoni
Executive Deputy Minister of Communications
Welcome to this latest issue of The North Star. Wow. This feels good to say. I wrote a really long editor’s note detailing a bunch of things but I’ve come to the realisation that all those words aren’t necessary. This has been such an experience. I’m so proud of what everyone has accomplished. Let’s dive in.
The North Star is our flagship in terms of our publications. It’s something that requires a lot of work, a lot of micro-management, but most importantly a lot of passion and dedication. These are things the incredible staff members have repeatedly shown while producing this issue. I wish extend my sincerest gratitude to everyone involved. We couldn’t have done it without you. A special thanks to Minister of Communications, Robespierre, and Delegate Kaschovia whose leadership and support continue to drive us forward.
This issue is, as always, packed with exciting content. Dive into the details of our General Elections, an article about the 10 year anniversary of our treaty with Europeia, and a captivating retelling of the unwarranted attack of the Brotherhood of Malice and the Communist Bloc on the North. Furthermore, this issue includes a surprisingly interesting article about our special judicial elections and finally an exclusive interview with the Speaker of the Regional Assembly, Cloud.
Lastly, the staff of the Ministry of Communications extend our heartfelt gratitude to you, the reader, for taking the time to read this issue of TNS. As I’ve said in a previous editor’s note, The North Star remains a source of immense pride for us and we hope you enjoy every moment reading through this issue.
Cheers,
Halsoni
Executive Deputy Minister of Communications
General Elections Over by Arawi
Last month saw the latest round of general elections conclude. These elections determined the Delegate, Vice Delegate, and the Speaker of the Regional Assembly, each entailing their own responsibilities. After a hectic few months, can the winners lead the North Pacific forward into a bright and hopeful future?
Delegate
The Delegate is the head of government and head of state of TNP, responsible for leading the Ministries of the Executive Council and overseeing the general regional business. After a recent recall vote of the sitting Delegate, the trustworthiness and activity of the Delegate was a major factor in how citizens voted. The candidates both knew how difficult this term would be.
Many citizens were nominated for Delegate, however eventually the pool whittled down to two - Chipoli, the then serving Acting Delegate, and Kaschovia, former Vice Delegate and Minister of Communications. Both of these candidates promised a set of ambitious steps and reforms for TNP.
Let’s start with Chipoli.
Having served as Acting Delegate since Gorundu’s resignation, Chipoli already had some experience in the job. Chipoli’s slogan was ‘Reigniting TNP’, something that would need to happen amid the stagnation in Executive Staff numbers, and the general activity of the Executive. Speaking of the Executive, Chipoli promised a more hands-on approach to the Executive Staff and constantly checking in on the activities of the Ministries, bringing back cabinet voice chatting, processing Executive Staff applications quicker, and generally improving communication within the Executive.
Chipoli also wished to improve the activity of the Gameside Advocates, particularly encouraging them to engage gameside dwellers in the activities of the Executive, improving excitement in the region which would lead to more Executive Staff applications.
Chipoli also outlined their goals for each individual ministry. Let’s start with World Assembly Affairs, responsible for deciding on how TNP votes on each WA proposal and encouraging new writers, amongst other duties. Chipoli’s main priority for WA Affairs was to reinvigorate the Gameside Engagement Program, which allows gameside players to vote on our Delegate vote without having to join the forums. Another priority of Chipoli was to hold another WA symposium in the World Assembly Legislative League to increase excitement about WA Affairs in the wider NS world.
In Communications, the Ministry producing the region’s informative publications and broadcasts, Chipoli prioritised ramping up the number of ‘The Northern Notes’ (an short internal news publication) published, as well as introducing new Foreign Affairs publications for the region to know about foreign happenings.
That takes us nicely into Foreign Affairs. Chipoli addressed the attack from TCB and BoM on TNP in their campaign, promising to keep sanctions up and not back down. They also promised a positive but cautious reconciliation of relations between TSP and TNP. Finally, they promised to further relations with more regions, in terms of more bilateral treaties and alliances.
In Culture, Chipoli promised more short, but often external events to be organised by TNP, as well as events to ‘bring the people of TNP closer together’, such as Chess and keeping Theme Thursdays and Music Mondays going, and showcases of the activities of TNP nations. For Home Affairs, Chipoli wished to introduce incentives for producing telegram lists, as well as bringing back the Welcome Wagon, a program designed to keep TNP spawns in the region by warmly welcoming them. And at last but not least, Defense. Chipoli promised more training missions to train new soldiers, (and particularly with a war with BoM and TCB looming), as well as a recruitment campaign on both the NS site and the forums.
Let’s move to Kaschovia.
Whilst Chipoli and Kaschovia did share some campaign points, Kasch also had some unique promises. Firstly, Kasch used their time rejuvenating the Ministry of Communications as a platform for the Delegacy. But let’s start with their promises for Defense. Kasch already had a lot of experience in Defense, serving as Deputy Minister there as well as serving in NPA High Command. Their main priorities were integrating High Command members into training and recruitment, something which Kasch also promised to improve to be consistent and successful. They also promised a better rewards system, and a hall of fame for decorated officers with wonderful stories of military ops.
Next, Foreign Affairs. Kasch focused on training new diplomats in the ways of the seemingly-daunting world of Foreign Affairs. This included, instructional case studies, a visualisation of TNP’s allies, and using diplomats for more duties rather than the current announcement and publication sharing duties. Kasch also promised strengthening new alliances with The Wellspring and Carcassone, and also touched upon the tensions with TCB and BoM, promising to do what is best for TNP’s community and never back down.
Let’s move to Culture. Kasch had some similar undertakings to Chipoli in Culture, too promising to expand on weekly events like Theme Thursday and Music Monday, as well as holding small, but often interregional activities, and more festivals.
And now, WA Affairs. Kasch mainly prioritised revamping the World Assembly Acceleration Program, designed to help new WA proposal authors use the experience of our wonderful WA veterans to help them become successful in that. They also promised to dedicate more time to the interregional Heroes of Valhalla program, which allows regions to collaborate on writing SC commendations, as well as expanding on the Staff Mentorship program.
Penultimately, Home Affairs. Kasch promised to use the API recruitment technology as soon as possible after it is fixed, as well as donated stamps, in order to combat declining nation numbers caused by the Frontier/Strongholds update. Another promise in HA was to improve incentives for doing the sometimes arduous but essential work of HA, as well as supporting Gameside Engagement, a very underrated duty of HA.
Finally, Communications. Kasch pledged to have a better behind-the-scenes process for tracking the progress of the ministry. As well as this, other promises included facilitating collaboration on publication design, officialising the NBS system and making it more efficient, and continuing the rewards system.
Phew! That must have been a long read. Now to the results. Despite both candidates having strong campaigns, Kaschovia celebrated a strong win, taking 59% of the vote over 41% for Chipoli.
Vice Delegate
Don’t worry. This bit’s shorter. After many nominations, the pool for Vice Delegate, responsible for leading the Security Council and overseeing the region’s endorsement levels, whittled down to three, the only election out of the three to have three candidates. NutmegTheSquirrel, Fregerson and Blue Wolf II all put their name in the hat for the position.
Nutmeg promised a daily endorsement update as well as the usual weekly report given by the VD on endorsement levels. As well as this, they promised a revitalisation of the WADP, fuelled by the new Keeper of the North technology, giving incentives such as a Weekly WADP Poll, where each day a Keeper of the North would be asked to give an option for a poll. These two priorities would be part of the Gameside Engagement with the SC, where gameside players can engage with the SC.
Fregerson had different ideas. They pledged a focus on endotarting and working to keep high endorsement levels, something which would need to be prioritised after the recent Delegate tip. They also promised linking the Security Council to the Executive, allowing the SC’s experience to assist in making Executive decisions. Blue Wolf II unfortunately didn’t launch a campaign.
The end result was a win for Fregerson, taking 53% of the vote.
Speaker
The election for the overseer of the Regional Assembly was less tight, but no less important than the others. After a very large amount of nominations, the pool eventually whittled down to two: Cloud, a then-serving Deputy Speaker, and Chao Phraya, a newcomer to regional politics.
Cloud promised to finish off the guides for new Deputy Speakers and continue the ‘Mini Citizens Stats Report’ and turn it into a weekly publication. Chao Phraya tried to ease concerns about their lack of experience by promising they had quickly educated themselves with the regional law of the region. Their main priority was to appoint more Deputy Speakers and to also continue the Mini Citizen Stat Report. Unfortunately, their campaign took a hit after disrespectful comments that they made on the RMB were revealed. Cloud won with a landslide, taking 98% of the vote.
Well, that’s it. It’s been an interesting election season, with lots of ideas for the region going forward. Congratulations to the winners and commiserations to those who weren’t so lucky. Let’s hope that the winning candidates can lead TNP to a new light.
Delegate
The Delegate is the head of government and head of state of TNP, responsible for leading the Ministries of the Executive Council and overseeing the general regional business. After a recent recall vote of the sitting Delegate, the trustworthiness and activity of the Delegate was a major factor in how citizens voted. The candidates both knew how difficult this term would be.
Many citizens were nominated for Delegate, however eventually the pool whittled down to two - Chipoli, the then serving Acting Delegate, and Kaschovia, former Vice Delegate and Minister of Communications. Both of these candidates promised a set of ambitious steps and reforms for TNP.
Let’s start with Chipoli.
Having served as Acting Delegate since Gorundu’s resignation, Chipoli already had some experience in the job. Chipoli’s slogan was ‘Reigniting TNP’, something that would need to happen amid the stagnation in Executive Staff numbers, and the general activity of the Executive. Speaking of the Executive, Chipoli promised a more hands-on approach to the Executive Staff and constantly checking in on the activities of the Ministries, bringing back cabinet voice chatting, processing Executive Staff applications quicker, and generally improving communication within the Executive.
Chipoli also wished to improve the activity of the Gameside Advocates, particularly encouraging them to engage gameside dwellers in the activities of the Executive, improving excitement in the region which would lead to more Executive Staff applications.
Chipoli also outlined their goals for each individual ministry. Let’s start with World Assembly Affairs, responsible for deciding on how TNP votes on each WA proposal and encouraging new writers, amongst other duties. Chipoli’s main priority for WA Affairs was to reinvigorate the Gameside Engagement Program, which allows gameside players to vote on our Delegate vote without having to join the forums. Another priority of Chipoli was to hold another WA symposium in the World Assembly Legislative League to increase excitement about WA Affairs in the wider NS world.
In Communications, the Ministry producing the region’s informative publications and broadcasts, Chipoli prioritised ramping up the number of ‘The Northern Notes’ (an short internal news publication) published, as well as introducing new Foreign Affairs publications for the region to know about foreign happenings.
That takes us nicely into Foreign Affairs. Chipoli addressed the attack from TCB and BoM on TNP in their campaign, promising to keep sanctions up and not back down. They also promised a positive but cautious reconciliation of relations between TSP and TNP. Finally, they promised to further relations with more regions, in terms of more bilateral treaties and alliances.
In Culture, Chipoli promised more short, but often external events to be organised by TNP, as well as events to ‘bring the people of TNP closer together’, such as Chess and keeping Theme Thursdays and Music Mondays going, and showcases of the activities of TNP nations. For Home Affairs, Chipoli wished to introduce incentives for producing telegram lists, as well as bringing back the Welcome Wagon, a program designed to keep TNP spawns in the region by warmly welcoming them. And at last but not least, Defense. Chipoli promised more training missions to train new soldiers, (and particularly with a war with BoM and TCB looming), as well as a recruitment campaign on both the NS site and the forums.
Let’s move to Kaschovia.
Whilst Chipoli and Kaschovia did share some campaign points, Kasch also had some unique promises. Firstly, Kasch used their time rejuvenating the Ministry of Communications as a platform for the Delegacy. But let’s start with their promises for Defense. Kasch already had a lot of experience in Defense, serving as Deputy Minister there as well as serving in NPA High Command. Their main priorities were integrating High Command members into training and recruitment, something which Kasch also promised to improve to be consistent and successful. They also promised a better rewards system, and a hall of fame for decorated officers with wonderful stories of military ops.
Next, Foreign Affairs. Kasch focused on training new diplomats in the ways of the seemingly-daunting world of Foreign Affairs. This included, instructional case studies, a visualisation of TNP’s allies, and using diplomats for more duties rather than the current announcement and publication sharing duties. Kasch also promised strengthening new alliances with The Wellspring and Carcassone, and also touched upon the tensions with TCB and BoM, promising to do what is best for TNP’s community and never back down.
Let’s move to Culture. Kasch had some similar undertakings to Chipoli in Culture, too promising to expand on weekly events like Theme Thursday and Music Monday, as well as holding small, but often interregional activities, and more festivals.
And now, WA Affairs. Kasch mainly prioritised revamping the World Assembly Acceleration Program, designed to help new WA proposal authors use the experience of our wonderful WA veterans to help them become successful in that. They also promised to dedicate more time to the interregional Heroes of Valhalla program, which allows regions to collaborate on writing SC commendations, as well as expanding on the Staff Mentorship program.
Penultimately, Home Affairs. Kasch promised to use the API recruitment technology as soon as possible after it is fixed, as well as donated stamps, in order to combat declining nation numbers caused by the Frontier/Strongholds update. Another promise in HA was to improve incentives for doing the sometimes arduous but essential work of HA, as well as supporting Gameside Engagement, a very underrated duty of HA.
Finally, Communications. Kasch pledged to have a better behind-the-scenes process for tracking the progress of the ministry. As well as this, other promises included facilitating collaboration on publication design, officialising the NBS system and making it more efficient, and continuing the rewards system.
Phew! That must have been a long read. Now to the results. Despite both candidates having strong campaigns, Kaschovia celebrated a strong win, taking 59% of the vote over 41% for Chipoli.
Vice Delegate
Don’t worry. This bit’s shorter. After many nominations, the pool for Vice Delegate, responsible for leading the Security Council and overseeing the region’s endorsement levels, whittled down to three, the only election out of the three to have three candidates. NutmegTheSquirrel, Fregerson and Blue Wolf II all put their name in the hat for the position.
Nutmeg promised a daily endorsement update as well as the usual weekly report given by the VD on endorsement levels. As well as this, they promised a revitalisation of the WADP, fuelled by the new Keeper of the North technology, giving incentives such as a Weekly WADP Poll, where each day a Keeper of the North would be asked to give an option for a poll. These two priorities would be part of the Gameside Engagement with the SC, where gameside players can engage with the SC.
Fregerson had different ideas. They pledged a focus on endotarting and working to keep high endorsement levels, something which would need to be prioritised after the recent Delegate tip. They also promised linking the Security Council to the Executive, allowing the SC’s experience to assist in making Executive decisions. Blue Wolf II unfortunately didn’t launch a campaign.
The end result was a win for Fregerson, taking 53% of the vote.
Speaker
The election for the overseer of the Regional Assembly was less tight, but no less important than the others. After a very large amount of nominations, the pool eventually whittled down to two: Cloud, a then-serving Deputy Speaker, and Chao Phraya, a newcomer to regional politics.
Cloud promised to finish off the guides for new Deputy Speakers and continue the ‘Mini Citizens Stats Report’ and turn it into a weekly publication. Chao Phraya tried to ease concerns about their lack of experience by promising they had quickly educated themselves with the regional law of the region. Their main priority was to appoint more Deputy Speakers and to also continue the Mini Citizen Stat Report. Unfortunately, their campaign took a hit after disrespectful comments that they made on the RMB were revealed. Cloud won with a landslide, taking 98% of the vote.
Well, that’s it. It’s been an interesting election season, with lots of ideas for the region going forward. Congratulations to the winners and commiserations to those who weren’t so lucky. Let’s hope that the winning candidates can lead TNP to a new light.
Attack On The North by Lord Dominator
On August 26/7th, for the first time in many years, the in-game delegacy of The North Pacific was held by a nation unintended by the regional government to be holding it. Certainly, Pallaith, as one of the region’s most notable delegates of recent years and at the top of the succession list, isn’t a security threat.
Nevertheless, Pallaith was not the intended holder of the office at the time, either for a brief period during a regular delegacy transition or for any other planned reason. Nor was the brief interlude an accident of endorsements that caused him to be “elected” as the game puts it. No, for the first time in many years, The North Pacific had suffered a direct attack from a bloc of foreign actors with malice of forethought.
The delegacy bump, for that is what it ultimately was, was committed by The Communist Bloc (TCB), with support from their allies in The Brotherhood of Malice (BoM). BoM (or Malice, as this author prefers) is not new to the creation of incidents designed to provoke TNP, having periodically (and somewhat pointlessly) raided their ally Stargate more than a half dozen times and another ally in International Democratic Union on September 23rd, just a week or so before this very article. The attacks and provocations of Malice are not new, nor are their justifications for them new – if updated occasionally to reflect the negative responses of their targets. Their attacks hadn’t previously assaulted TNP directly, but that is just as likely to have been a lack of opportunity than any particular interest in not doing so.
TCB, however, is a new player in orchestrating direct or indirect attacks on TNP, having not previously crossed the North militarily outside of unrelated R/D conflicts when they or an ally of them raided a region. For a long time, TCB has antagonized the North Pacific through rhetorical and provocatory statements about world events and in their open, diplomatic alignment with Malice, therefore n support of the destructive actions they have repeatedly perpetrated against allies of the North. Not only have guests from TNP been disrespected in their spaces, but our regional laws and expectations have been cast aside and ignored too. TCB has shown repeatedly where they stand in relation to the North Pacific, but the attack carried out on August 27th was their first direct swipe at our community.
Whatever else was happening in inter-regional affairs, their stated reason for leading a direct attack on The North Pacific is in direct response to the following from then-delegate Gorundu when a proposal was before the NS Security Council to injunct (thus preventing a switch to Frontier status or the acquisition of a Governor): “I would further note that members of TCB have expressed that they are only transitioning to Frontier as part of a larger process to secure a non-CTE Governor for the region, which poses a different threat to us than if they become a Frontier. This would have the effect of rendering TCB unraidable, which would be detrimental to our interests given their current status as one of the regions most actively engaged in destructive raiding and antagonization of Independent regions such as ourselves.”
Certainly, neither the proposal itself nor the recommendation from the Ministry of WA Affairs made any mention of attacking or attempting regime change in TCB. Nevertheless, as Gorundu was still the delegate at the time, TCB interpreted the remarks as something akin to regional policy. Thus the stage was set for TCB’s eventual retaliation for that and for TNP’s vote in favor of Injuncting The Communist Bloc. It was, somewhat ironically in the wake of Gorundu’s own resignation as Delegate to narrowly avoid being recalled from office that they found their opportunity.
Along with Malice and their aforementioned attacks on Stargate, they proceeded to jump in near the regional update and endorse Pallaith, thus adding sufficient endorsements to them to overcome the endorsement count of the actual delegate in Chipoli. Abetting this attack was the fact that due to a sudden change in delegates and the attempts to switch over the seat, the gap between Chipoli and Pallaith was far narrower than it normally would have been in regular circumstances. The delegate bump itself did no damage, outside of embarrassment of course, as Pallaith was about the best person there was to briefly hold the delegacy in such circumstances.
Reactions from other regions were rapid, if fairly predictable. Defenders and allies of TNP were quick to denounce such violations of regional sovereignty and the non-Malice raiders were publicly silent on the matter. Perhaps the only unexpected announcement was that of Lazarus announcing sanctions on TCB and Malice, due to their usual non-involvement in Gameplay conflicts (and perhaps the lack of knowledge that Lazarus possessed such options in their FA toolkit). The reaction within the North was of course similarly expected, with then-Delegate Chipoli indicating the possible declaration of war being on the table (or the similar, but subtly different recognition of a state of war) should the Regional Assembly agree. As of the writing of this article, no such determination has been made.
While to this writer’s recollection the act escaped the unfortunate tendency of R/Ders to name their every action with a fancy operation name, it is perhaps one of the few actions that might actually warrant such a title, no matter how inconsequential the action itself was. Certainly not nothing, but the intent behind it was far bigger than bumping one member of the region’s Security Council into the regional delegacy.
Nevertheless, Pallaith was not the intended holder of the office at the time, either for a brief period during a regular delegacy transition or for any other planned reason. Nor was the brief interlude an accident of endorsements that caused him to be “elected” as the game puts it. No, for the first time in many years, The North Pacific had suffered a direct attack from a bloc of foreign actors with malice of forethought.
The delegacy bump, for that is what it ultimately was, was committed by The Communist Bloc (TCB), with support from their allies in The Brotherhood of Malice (BoM). BoM (or Malice, as this author prefers) is not new to the creation of incidents designed to provoke TNP, having periodically (and somewhat pointlessly) raided their ally Stargate more than a half dozen times and another ally in International Democratic Union on September 23rd, just a week or so before this very article. The attacks and provocations of Malice are not new, nor are their justifications for them new – if updated occasionally to reflect the negative responses of their targets. Their attacks hadn’t previously assaulted TNP directly, but that is just as likely to have been a lack of opportunity than any particular interest in not doing so.
TCB, however, is a new player in orchestrating direct or indirect attacks on TNP, having not previously crossed the North militarily outside of unrelated R/D conflicts when they or an ally of them raided a region. For a long time, TCB has antagonized the North Pacific through rhetorical and provocatory statements about world events and in their open, diplomatic alignment with Malice, therefore n support of the destructive actions they have repeatedly perpetrated against allies of the North. Not only have guests from TNP been disrespected in their spaces, but our regional laws and expectations have been cast aside and ignored too. TCB has shown repeatedly where they stand in relation to the North Pacific, but the attack carried out on August 27th was their first direct swipe at our community.
Whatever else was happening in inter-regional affairs, their stated reason for leading a direct attack on The North Pacific is in direct response to the following from then-delegate Gorundu when a proposal was before the NS Security Council to injunct (thus preventing a switch to Frontier status or the acquisition of a Governor): “I would further note that members of TCB have expressed that they are only transitioning to Frontier as part of a larger process to secure a non-CTE Governor for the region, which poses a different threat to us than if they become a Frontier. This would have the effect of rendering TCB unraidable, which would be detrimental to our interests given their current status as one of the regions most actively engaged in destructive raiding and antagonization of Independent regions such as ourselves.”
Certainly, neither the proposal itself nor the recommendation from the Ministry of WA Affairs made any mention of attacking or attempting regime change in TCB. Nevertheless, as Gorundu was still the delegate at the time, TCB interpreted the remarks as something akin to regional policy. Thus the stage was set for TCB’s eventual retaliation for that and for TNP’s vote in favor of Injuncting The Communist Bloc. It was, somewhat ironically in the wake of Gorundu’s own resignation as Delegate to narrowly avoid being recalled from office that they found their opportunity.
Along with Malice and their aforementioned attacks on Stargate, they proceeded to jump in near the regional update and endorse Pallaith, thus adding sufficient endorsements to them to overcome the endorsement count of the actual delegate in Chipoli. Abetting this attack was the fact that due to a sudden change in delegates and the attempts to switch over the seat, the gap between Chipoli and Pallaith was far narrower than it normally would have been in regular circumstances. The delegate bump itself did no damage, outside of embarrassment of course, as Pallaith was about the best person there was to briefly hold the delegacy in such circumstances.
Reactions from other regions were rapid, if fairly predictable. Defenders and allies of TNP were quick to denounce such violations of regional sovereignty and the non-Malice raiders were publicly silent on the matter. Perhaps the only unexpected announcement was that of Lazarus announcing sanctions on TCB and Malice, due to their usual non-involvement in Gameplay conflicts (and perhaps the lack of knowledge that Lazarus possessed such options in their FA toolkit). The reaction within the North was of course similarly expected, with then-Delegate Chipoli indicating the possible declaration of war being on the table (or the similar, but subtly different recognition of a state of war) should the Regional Assembly agree. As of the writing of this article, no such determination has been made.
While to this writer’s recollection the act escaped the unfortunate tendency of R/Ders to name their every action with a fancy operation name, it is perhaps one of the few actions that might actually warrant such a title, no matter how inconsequential the action itself was. Certainly not nothing, but the intent behind it was far bigger than bumping one member of the region’s Security Council into the regional delegacy.
A Decade Of Friendship by Francois Isidore and Kaschovia
As time marches on, milestones come and go. Some are more noticeable than others, and, consequently, some receive considerably more fanfare than others too. What’s undeniable, however, is that over a decade of continued friendship and warm relations is truly an achievement worth celebrating. Such is the case between The North Pacific (TNP) and the Republic of Europeia (Euro), who commemorated this event in NationStates history with the aptly named 10 More Years! Festival.
Indeed, the treaty of friendship sprung up from humble beginnings in August of 2013. Originally signed by Delegate Jamie Anumia and President Cerian Basileus Rex Quilor Anacreoni-Anumia, the treaty enjoyed widespread support from the Regional Assembly of the day. It was only fitting that an event should be held to celebrate such a momentous milestone in the relationship between the two regions, and so planted were the seeds of planning and of festivity.
The festival began on September the 22nd with an opening joint statement from the Europeian President JayDee and Kaschovia, the Delegate of the North Pacific, which read: “Welcome one and all to the 10 More Years! TNP/Euro Celebration! A celebration of 10 years of Friendship and 10 years more! Thank you all for joining us in celebration of this monumental achievement, in a constantly changing game, it's great to have such a strong ally at our side. Please take advantage of the Chit Chat to talk to citizens from other regions and get to know each other, and be sure to represent your region proudly in our competitive games!”
And so both communities embarked on a journey of tightly fought spam games, adorable pictures of pets, an adaptation of the hunger games, and so much more.
The first official games to open were the Hunger Games, run by President JayDee. The event saw over fifteen tributes, making up four districts, and lasted for nine days within the fictional confines of the story. On the first day, Delegate Kaschovia had his nose broken by Europeian Minister of Communications Phoenix, but managed to survive on fruit collected from a tree before dying from an infection on the second day, while JayDee was swiftly disposed of by Thresh at the cornucopia. Who knew the celebration of a decade could turn so violent? After an additional week of morbid tragedies and definitely “accidental” deaths, Icarus was crowned the winner of the games, beating out the likes of Bobberino and Pland Adanna on the last two days.
A more peaceful affair ensued following the bloodbath that was the 10 More Years! Hunger Games: Card Cing! Run by Spagtop, we saw many decks containing the most TNP/Euro cards on display, with notable cards collector UPC boasting their completed Season 3 Europeia deck while Maowi proudly displayed their collection of sloth themed cards from both regions including Siwale and Sopo.
Impressively, El Fiji Grande, former Delegate of the North Pacific, compiled a collection totalling in at 264 TNP and Europeian cards, with some impressive Season 1 and 2 legendaries, while Martyn Kiryu mentioned their mind boggling collection of 6596 Ultra Rare Cards, just four away from a complete deck combining all Ultra Rare cards from Europeia and the North Pacific, coming in at over 250 pages!
In most of the spammier games, both regions were either united or completely divided. For example, a tug of war event was one of the first to get going. The count started at 500, and each region needed to get that number to zero (TNP) or 1000 (Europeia). An early showing by some of TNP’s finest spammers secured victory relatively sooner than expected after just over four hours, a nod to the strong tradition of OOC subforums and spam game culture in the region.
On a more collaborative note, both regions wanted to count to infinity but sadly only reached 206. King of the Chill was a great addition to the games roster, as members from both communities tried to be the last to post in the channel, which eventually (five days after the festival was scheduled to end) saw Maowi take victory. Some of the other ongoings hosted were an arts and crafts stall, which saw many wonderful works submitted, from creative drawings in biro pen to sketches of frogs in boats!
The festival was a genuine coming together of two vibrant communities filled with unique and talented characters, both seeking positive vibes in these uncertain times. It made one thing clear: the importance of simple, light-hearted fun. All too often we can get caught up in serious topics and debate in NationStates, but it is more important than ever to take a step back and have a good laugh with friends from time to time. That’s ultimately what this was, and though the last ten years may still have been scattered with times of uncertainty and challenge, may the next ten years be spent with the same never ending energy pursuing the mutual interests that have formed the basis of such a crucial partnership for so long.
Indeed, the treaty of friendship sprung up from humble beginnings in August of 2013. Originally signed by Delegate Jamie Anumia and President Cerian Basileus Rex Quilor Anacreoni-Anumia, the treaty enjoyed widespread support from the Regional Assembly of the day. It was only fitting that an event should be held to celebrate such a momentous milestone in the relationship between the two regions, and so planted were the seeds of planning and of festivity.
The festival began on September the 22nd with an opening joint statement from the Europeian President JayDee and Kaschovia, the Delegate of the North Pacific, which read: “Welcome one and all to the 10 More Years! TNP/Euro Celebration! A celebration of 10 years of Friendship and 10 years more! Thank you all for joining us in celebration of this monumental achievement, in a constantly changing game, it's great to have such a strong ally at our side. Please take advantage of the Chit Chat to talk to citizens from other regions and get to know each other, and be sure to represent your region proudly in our competitive games!”
And so both communities embarked on a journey of tightly fought spam games, adorable pictures of pets, an adaptation of the hunger games, and so much more.
The first official games to open were the Hunger Games, run by President JayDee. The event saw over fifteen tributes, making up four districts, and lasted for nine days within the fictional confines of the story. On the first day, Delegate Kaschovia had his nose broken by Europeian Minister of Communications Phoenix, but managed to survive on fruit collected from a tree before dying from an infection on the second day, while JayDee was swiftly disposed of by Thresh at the cornucopia. Who knew the celebration of a decade could turn so violent? After an additional week of morbid tragedies and definitely “accidental” deaths, Icarus was crowned the winner of the games, beating out the likes of Bobberino and Pland Adanna on the last two days.
A more peaceful affair ensued following the bloodbath that was the 10 More Years! Hunger Games: Card Cing! Run by Spagtop, we saw many decks containing the most TNP/Euro cards on display, with notable cards collector UPC boasting their completed Season 3 Europeia deck while Maowi proudly displayed their collection of sloth themed cards from both regions including Siwale and Sopo.
Impressively, El Fiji Grande, former Delegate of the North Pacific, compiled a collection totalling in at 264 TNP and Europeian cards, with some impressive Season 1 and 2 legendaries, while Martyn Kiryu mentioned their mind boggling collection of 6596 Ultra Rare Cards, just four away from a complete deck combining all Ultra Rare cards from Europeia and the North Pacific, coming in at over 250 pages!
In most of the spammier games, both regions were either united or completely divided. For example, a tug of war event was one of the first to get going. The count started at 500, and each region needed to get that number to zero (TNP) or 1000 (Europeia). An early showing by some of TNP’s finest spammers secured victory relatively sooner than expected after just over four hours, a nod to the strong tradition of OOC subforums and spam game culture in the region.
On a more collaborative note, both regions wanted to count to infinity but sadly only reached 206. King of the Chill was a great addition to the games roster, as members from both communities tried to be the last to post in the channel, which eventually (five days after the festival was scheduled to end) saw Maowi take victory. Some of the other ongoings hosted were an arts and crafts stall, which saw many wonderful works submitted, from creative drawings in biro pen to sketches of frogs in boats!
The festival was a genuine coming together of two vibrant communities filled with unique and talented characters, both seeking positive vibes in these uncertain times. It made one thing clear: the importance of simple, light-hearted fun. All too often we can get caught up in serious topics and debate in NationStates, but it is more important than ever to take a step back and have a good laugh with friends from time to time. That’s ultimately what this was, and though the last ten years may still have been scattered with times of uncertainty and challenge, may the next ten years be spent with the same never ending energy pursuing the mutual interests that have formed the basis of such a crucial partnership for so long.
Special Judicial Elections by Kaschovia
As per Section 4.7 of the Legal Code, special elections are held when there is ‘a vacancy in any elected office or position...’ which is coincidentally the situation we found ourselves in when I appointed former Court Justice Pallaith (a.k.a Ghost) as Minister of Foreign Affairs after my election as World Assembly Delegate for the September term. As grateful as I was for his agreeing to take up the role, it left behind a vacancy on the Court, which of course would need filling by way of a special election until the main judicial elections take place in November. A great opportunity now presented itself to many aspiring justices, who had to put out their platforms on much shorter notice than usual, and convincingly answer the voters’ questions if they wanted a seat on the Court.
Though twelve nominations were declined and eight ignored, three candidates eventually stepped forward and accepted their nominations. The first to do so was Gorundu, former Delegate and member of the Bar Commission, who outright declared candidacy instead of accepting a nomination. The second was Lord Dominator, currently a Temporary Hearing Officer and member of the Bar Commission, who accepted Sil Dorsett’s nomination. And finally, Wymondham, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Lazarene Court Justice, accepted Arawi’s nomination. What an experienced and competitive selection of candidates! Gorundu was quick to post his platform first, followed by Lord Dominator a day later, and then Wymondham last, all putting their first steps forward in vying for the confidence of the region.
Gorundu began his platform touting his experience as a Bar Commissioner, a prosecutor, and the author of a ‘rather controversial R4R.’ He also mentioned his authorship of multiple passed Regional Assembly bills and his experience as Speaker, Election Commissioner, Vice Delegate, and Delegate in interpreting regional law. Gorundu then expressed support for various ideas before the Court today, such as voluntary recusals for absence and “no contest” pleas, which he believed would be small steps “towards a more intuitive and more efficient legal system.” His platform continued around other specific areas of reform such as prosecutor discretion, processes and criteria for accepting criminal cases, motions during trial, and selection of Hearing Officers. The platform closed by emphasizing the importance of progress in broader judicial discussions alongside the Regional Assembly and Bar Commission, ending with the sentiment that it’s important “we continue to explore solutions.” Gorundu answered the two questions that were posed to him on his activity levels and his strengths over the other candidates well, arguing that the Court should be willing to accept more requests for review instead of handing them over to the RA to deal with.
In comparison, Lord Dominator’s platform went for the minimal approach, with just one sentence mentioning their relevant experience as a multiple-time former Justice and current THO. To summarize the answers Lord Dominator gave to the three questions asked before the voting period opened - they did not have any particular plans for judicial reform beyond continuing existing work, they would make sure their activity levels were sufficient enough for the office, and although their experience as a former Justice is an obvious strength, they thought the other candidates would do just fine in the role.
And finally, Wymondham’s platform was posted on Friday the 15th of September, just two days before the voting period began. He opened his platform by saying that although he is a newcomer to “TNPs formidable legal tradition”, his experience as a Justice in Lazarus, where he authored multiple legal opinions and “presided over numerous criminal trials”, would be useful in addressing current issues around legal reform.
Wymondham championed a much more restrained philosophy for the Court in his campaign, elaborating that the Court of The North Pacific “is not a legislative body and must therefore refrain from acting as one.” The utility of the Regional Assembly in preventing over-litigation is a clear pillar of Wymondham’s judicial philosophy, which resonated with multiple voters in the campaign thread. As for the various ideas for legal reform, he mentioned his support for recusal due to absence, yet caution over codifying no contest pleas and prosecutor discretion.
On the 22nd of September, the results posted by the Election Commission announced Wymondham had been elected as Court Justice, receiving thirty-one votes; fourteen more than Lord Dominator and twenty-three more than Gorundu. Commenters lauded his strong platform and willingness to rely more on the Regional Assembly to deal with certain matters. It seems Wymondham was the dark horse in the race compared to Gorundu and Lord Dominator, two candidates who already had significant judicial experience, yet brought something refreshing and unique to the election which ultimately won the confidence of the voters.
It will be very interesting to see how the next few weeks play out with plenty of judicial reforms on the cards. The North Star also reached out to Wymondham for a comment following his win:
"I am truly honoured to have been chosen by my fellow citizens to serve as a Justice for the remainder of the term. I want to pay tribute to my opponents LD and Gorundu for a well fought campaign. I cannot wait to get started and am super excited about what the next few months might hold. My immediate priority, as of now, is to keep things moving with the discussions around the court reform proposals which were brought forwards during August."
Congratulations to Wymondham on winning the election! And of course, commiserations to both Gorundu and Lord Dominator.
Though twelve nominations were declined and eight ignored, three candidates eventually stepped forward and accepted their nominations. The first to do so was Gorundu, former Delegate and member of the Bar Commission, who outright declared candidacy instead of accepting a nomination. The second was Lord Dominator, currently a Temporary Hearing Officer and member of the Bar Commission, who accepted Sil Dorsett’s nomination. And finally, Wymondham, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Lazarene Court Justice, accepted Arawi’s nomination. What an experienced and competitive selection of candidates! Gorundu was quick to post his platform first, followed by Lord Dominator a day later, and then Wymondham last, all putting their first steps forward in vying for the confidence of the region.
Gorundu began his platform touting his experience as a Bar Commissioner, a prosecutor, and the author of a ‘rather controversial R4R.’ He also mentioned his authorship of multiple passed Regional Assembly bills and his experience as Speaker, Election Commissioner, Vice Delegate, and Delegate in interpreting regional law. Gorundu then expressed support for various ideas before the Court today, such as voluntary recusals for absence and “no contest” pleas, which he believed would be small steps “towards a more intuitive and more efficient legal system.” His platform continued around other specific areas of reform such as prosecutor discretion, processes and criteria for accepting criminal cases, motions during trial, and selection of Hearing Officers. The platform closed by emphasizing the importance of progress in broader judicial discussions alongside the Regional Assembly and Bar Commission, ending with the sentiment that it’s important “we continue to explore solutions.” Gorundu answered the two questions that were posed to him on his activity levels and his strengths over the other candidates well, arguing that the Court should be willing to accept more requests for review instead of handing them over to the RA to deal with.
In comparison, Lord Dominator’s platform went for the minimal approach, with just one sentence mentioning their relevant experience as a multiple-time former Justice and current THO. To summarize the answers Lord Dominator gave to the three questions asked before the voting period opened - they did not have any particular plans for judicial reform beyond continuing existing work, they would make sure their activity levels were sufficient enough for the office, and although their experience as a former Justice is an obvious strength, they thought the other candidates would do just fine in the role.
And finally, Wymondham’s platform was posted on Friday the 15th of September, just two days before the voting period began. He opened his platform by saying that although he is a newcomer to “TNPs formidable legal tradition”, his experience as a Justice in Lazarus, where he authored multiple legal opinions and “presided over numerous criminal trials”, would be useful in addressing current issues around legal reform.
Wymondham championed a much more restrained philosophy for the Court in his campaign, elaborating that the Court of The North Pacific “is not a legislative body and must therefore refrain from acting as one.” The utility of the Regional Assembly in preventing over-litigation is a clear pillar of Wymondham’s judicial philosophy, which resonated with multiple voters in the campaign thread. As for the various ideas for legal reform, he mentioned his support for recusal due to absence, yet caution over codifying no contest pleas and prosecutor discretion.
On the 22nd of September, the results posted by the Election Commission announced Wymondham had been elected as Court Justice, receiving thirty-one votes; fourteen more than Lord Dominator and twenty-three more than Gorundu. Commenters lauded his strong platform and willingness to rely more on the Regional Assembly to deal with certain matters. It seems Wymondham was the dark horse in the race compared to Gorundu and Lord Dominator, two candidates who already had significant judicial experience, yet brought something refreshing and unique to the election which ultimately won the confidence of the voters.
It will be very interesting to see how the next few weeks play out with plenty of judicial reforms on the cards. The North Star also reached out to Wymondham for a comment following his win:
"I am truly honoured to have been chosen by my fellow citizens to serve as a Justice for the remainder of the term. I want to pay tribute to my opponents LD and Gorundu for a well fought campaign. I cannot wait to get started and am super excited about what the next few months might hold. My immediate priority, as of now, is to keep things moving with the discussions around the court reform proposals which were brought forwards during August."
Congratulations to Wymondham on winning the election! And of course, commiserations to both Gorundu and Lord Dominator.
The Spotlight 35: Interview with Speaker Cloud by Halsoni
Halsoni: Hello! My name's Halsoni and as demonstrated by the title of this article I'm joined by the Speaker of the Regional Assembly, Cloud (Marlducro). This interview is part of the Spotlight Interview Series where we ask some of the most active and greatest members of TNP some very intriguing questions! So how are you feeling, Cloud?
Cloud: I feel great! Thank you for having me.
Halsoni: So, let's start off with the elephant in the room - the elections. What was going through your head going into the General Elections?
Cloud: I was still pretty hesitant even after 8 months of preparation for the role, but I decided to just go with it, and now here I am!
Halsoni: You say you were feeling hesitant. Why is that? You were already nominated in the previous election so where did that come from?
Cloud: With everything that has transpired, such as the TSP controversy and the Gorundu recalls, I thought I'd be overwhelmed with everything. Those events made me question whether I was truly ready to become the Speaker or not. However, we ended up dealing with them quite well, and I finally felt ready to run for the position, but I definitely wasn't ready in May.
Halsoni: So, let's take a step back. When and how did you get started on NationStates? What got you initially started in TNP?
Cloud: I found a video by Drew Durnil on the game and found it interesting, so I decided to create a nation and ended up getting founded in TNP. I wasn't really involved in the region that much for a while up until November, when I applied for home affairs, primarily because Kasto was the minister then. Then, in January, I approached Skaraborg because I was curious as to how the Speaker's office operated.
Halsoni: Oh, wow! You were part of the Drew Durnil boom. That's really interesting. So what was it that made you interested in the Speaker's Office?
Cloud: I wanted to see how they managed everything, since that kind of baffled me. With the number of citizens we have, I thought it was impossible to maintain the documents they record everything in. Then I found out they have tools at their disposal, two of which are now unfortunately non-functional.
Halsoni: So as you were primarily involved in the citizenship processing part of the Speaker's Office, what are some of the challenges you had to face with this? Talk us through the process of doing the Speaker's Test.
Cloud: The first time I handled an application, I was very scared because I could just destroy the entire sheet. So I carefully went through every step with the help of the guide, and if the guide didn't provide the help I needed, I went directly to Skaraborg for help. Over time, I got the hang of it and eventually handled citizenship applications very quickly. It typically only takes me around two minutes to input everything in the sheet and a few more minutes to double-check everything to make sure it's correct.
Halsoni: So you've now served as Speaker for a little bit of time. What have you accomplished so far? What are some of the hard parts of being Speaker you weren't aware of, if there were any?
Cloud: I haven't really accomplished anything yet, but I have handled votes and some citizenship applications. Chipoli handles most applications nowadays in times when I'm not around, but when I get the opportunity, I do handle applications and citizenship checks. As for the second question, I wasn't aware of how hard handling votes was. >.> The first time I did it was a nightmare for me. They aren't as hard now, but I still have to look at the guides every now and then to not make a mistake.
Halsoni: Haha! Great to know that even the people in charge need some help sometimes! It's not just me who sits here being confused all day! We've now talked about some of the more negative sides of being Speaker. What are some of the most fun parts for you?
Cloud: Well, firstly, I have this very cool colour now! I think it suits me well. Second, serving the region in such a capacity is a very rewarding feeling, and having the trust of the citizenry is great too. Some people might find the idea of maintaining a spreadsheet boring, but I'm one of those people who thinks it's a fun task. Being the Speaker is easy and fun at the same time!
Halsoni: That's great to hear! So you've appointed quite the amount of Deputies, 10 to be exact. What's the thought process behind this? You also stated in your campaign you'd appoint anyone who's interested in being a deputy. Why is this?
Cloud: My thought process was "let me find out if they want to stay or not" because I don't want to randomly leave people in the dark. Almost everyone did, and I even have three new deputies! I'd appoint anyone interested because I believe in letting people serve and not restricting them, as well as finding out what's for them, because everyone deserves an opportunity to grow and flourish.
Halsoni: So looking forward, what are some of the things you'd want to change in the Speaker's Office?
Cloud: Not much, really; everything's fine the way it is for now. I would like to see the guides completed with the help of my deputies and more people showing interest in the office, so that's a goal for the long run.
Halsoni: It's great to hear that the Speaker's Office is very stable at the moment! So, you'll eventually have to give this seat to someone else, even if it's going to take a few months. What are some of your other interests in the region and where would you like to progress next?
Cloud: I think I'd take a step back for a bit, then review the Security Council and potentially the court as well. Being the Vice Delegate or a Justice is pretty cool, and some day I'd like to become either one of them. After that, I don't really have any more goals since the Delegate's job is too stressful for me.
Halsoni: Oh, very interesting! Why would you be interested in those positions?
Cloud: The Vice Delegate's job is pretty interesting because of its high endorsement count (of course) as well as chairing one of, if not the most important branch of the government, which is responsible for, of course, regional security. Being a Justice is equally interesting, and presiding over court cases and r4rs sounds pretty cool.
Halsoni: You mention the Delegate's job being too stressful, why is that? What are some of the parts of the job that you would find the hardest?
Cloud: As the Delegate of one of the largest regions, it naturally comes with challenges, some of which can even take down entire administrations. I find the foreign affairs aspect of the job the most stressful, since they're constantly facing hostiles, and maintaining the region's image can also be quite a challenge. Maintaining a cabinet can also be difficult, but this can be easily resolved with collaboration and good communication among everyone.
Halsoni: So, you're a cosmopolitan, right? I personally don't really care about it, as I am one myself. You are/were involved in quite a lot of regions. Are there things from other regions you'd like to take inspiration from and introduce in TNP, one way or another?
Cloud: Well, not really. I think TNP is fine with its current system, but I do think the dispatches need a lot of work. Newcomers may find them very confusing to navigate, and I think having clear, concise, and easily accessible resources will really help everyone in the long run. TWP and TSP have very well-designed dispatches, and I believe we can take inspiration from them and develop our own style in the process.
Halsoni: What are some parts of NationStates, apart from being involved in government, that you enjoy partaking in? I've kind of been into stats lately, trying to get those up a little bit. Also cards seem very cool but also a little bit daunting for me haha. What about you?
Cloud: Chatting with nations in the RMB and endotarting are both things I enjoy doing, even though I'm currently prohibited from doing one of them. I don't know about you, but endorsing nations is pretty fun, imo. Issues aren't as fun as they used to be, but I still do them from time to time. Cards is something I considered getting into, but the scripts were too confusing for me.
Halsoni: I just pray to every god out there that I get a legendary haha. I've never really looked into scripts, though. Anyhow, what is a message you'd like to send to the citizens in TNP who'd like to get involved in government?
Cloud: Go for it! Whatever it is you want to do, just go for it and do it! Don't be afraid, especially when it comes to the elections. Losing is a part of the process, and it can help you learn how to be better. We've been needing new blood for a while now, and I'd like to see all of you become one of the greatest players in the region and maybe even the entire game! Don't be afraid, and go for it!
Halsoni: That's a great thing to say! On that note I'd like to thank you for this interview! You've been a wonderful interviewee and good luck on the rest of your term as Speaker and all your future endeavours!
Cloud: Thank you so much! This was fun.
Cloud: I feel great! Thank you for having me.
Halsoni: So, let's start off with the elephant in the room - the elections. What was going through your head going into the General Elections?
Cloud: I was still pretty hesitant even after 8 months of preparation for the role, but I decided to just go with it, and now here I am!
Halsoni: You say you were feeling hesitant. Why is that? You were already nominated in the previous election so where did that come from?
Cloud: With everything that has transpired, such as the TSP controversy and the Gorundu recalls, I thought I'd be overwhelmed with everything. Those events made me question whether I was truly ready to become the Speaker or not. However, we ended up dealing with them quite well, and I finally felt ready to run for the position, but I definitely wasn't ready in May.
Halsoni: So, let's take a step back. When and how did you get started on NationStates? What got you initially started in TNP?
Cloud: I found a video by Drew Durnil on the game and found it interesting, so I decided to create a nation and ended up getting founded in TNP. I wasn't really involved in the region that much for a while up until November, when I applied for home affairs, primarily because Kasto was the minister then. Then, in January, I approached Skaraborg because I was curious as to how the Speaker's office operated.
Halsoni: Oh, wow! You were part of the Drew Durnil boom. That's really interesting. So what was it that made you interested in the Speaker's Office?
Cloud: I wanted to see how they managed everything, since that kind of baffled me. With the number of citizens we have, I thought it was impossible to maintain the documents they record everything in. Then I found out they have tools at their disposal, two of which are now unfortunately non-functional.
Halsoni: So as you were primarily involved in the citizenship processing part of the Speaker's Office, what are some of the challenges you had to face with this? Talk us through the process of doing the Speaker's Test.
Cloud: The first time I handled an application, I was very scared because I could just destroy the entire sheet. So I carefully went through every step with the help of the guide, and if the guide didn't provide the help I needed, I went directly to Skaraborg for help. Over time, I got the hang of it and eventually handled citizenship applications very quickly. It typically only takes me around two minutes to input everything in the sheet and a few more minutes to double-check everything to make sure it's correct.
Halsoni: So you've now served as Speaker for a little bit of time. What have you accomplished so far? What are some of the hard parts of being Speaker you weren't aware of, if there were any?
Cloud: I haven't really accomplished anything yet, but I have handled votes and some citizenship applications. Chipoli handles most applications nowadays in times when I'm not around, but when I get the opportunity, I do handle applications and citizenship checks. As for the second question, I wasn't aware of how hard handling votes was. >.> The first time I did it was a nightmare for me. They aren't as hard now, but I still have to look at the guides every now and then to not make a mistake.
Halsoni: Haha! Great to know that even the people in charge need some help sometimes! It's not just me who sits here being confused all day! We've now talked about some of the more negative sides of being Speaker. What are some of the most fun parts for you?
Cloud: Well, firstly, I have this very cool colour now! I think it suits me well. Second, serving the region in such a capacity is a very rewarding feeling, and having the trust of the citizenry is great too. Some people might find the idea of maintaining a spreadsheet boring, but I'm one of those people who thinks it's a fun task. Being the Speaker is easy and fun at the same time!
Halsoni: That's great to hear! So you've appointed quite the amount of Deputies, 10 to be exact. What's the thought process behind this? You also stated in your campaign you'd appoint anyone who's interested in being a deputy. Why is this?
Cloud: My thought process was "let me find out if they want to stay or not" because I don't want to randomly leave people in the dark. Almost everyone did, and I even have three new deputies! I'd appoint anyone interested because I believe in letting people serve and not restricting them, as well as finding out what's for them, because everyone deserves an opportunity to grow and flourish.
Halsoni: So looking forward, what are some of the things you'd want to change in the Speaker's Office?
Cloud: Not much, really; everything's fine the way it is for now. I would like to see the guides completed with the help of my deputies and more people showing interest in the office, so that's a goal for the long run.
Halsoni: It's great to hear that the Speaker's Office is very stable at the moment! So, you'll eventually have to give this seat to someone else, even if it's going to take a few months. What are some of your other interests in the region and where would you like to progress next?
Cloud: I think I'd take a step back for a bit, then review the Security Council and potentially the court as well. Being the Vice Delegate or a Justice is pretty cool, and some day I'd like to become either one of them. After that, I don't really have any more goals since the Delegate's job is too stressful for me.
Halsoni: Oh, very interesting! Why would you be interested in those positions?
Cloud: The Vice Delegate's job is pretty interesting because of its high endorsement count (of course) as well as chairing one of, if not the most important branch of the government, which is responsible for, of course, regional security. Being a Justice is equally interesting, and presiding over court cases and r4rs sounds pretty cool.
Halsoni: You mention the Delegate's job being too stressful, why is that? What are some of the parts of the job that you would find the hardest?
Cloud: As the Delegate of one of the largest regions, it naturally comes with challenges, some of which can even take down entire administrations. I find the foreign affairs aspect of the job the most stressful, since they're constantly facing hostiles, and maintaining the region's image can also be quite a challenge. Maintaining a cabinet can also be difficult, but this can be easily resolved with collaboration and good communication among everyone.
Halsoni: So, you're a cosmopolitan, right? I personally don't really care about it, as I am one myself. You are/were involved in quite a lot of regions. Are there things from other regions you'd like to take inspiration from and introduce in TNP, one way or another?
Cloud: Well, not really. I think TNP is fine with its current system, but I do think the dispatches need a lot of work. Newcomers may find them very confusing to navigate, and I think having clear, concise, and easily accessible resources will really help everyone in the long run. TWP and TSP have very well-designed dispatches, and I believe we can take inspiration from them and develop our own style in the process.
Halsoni: What are some parts of NationStates, apart from being involved in government, that you enjoy partaking in? I've kind of been into stats lately, trying to get those up a little bit. Also cards seem very cool but also a little bit daunting for me haha. What about you?
Cloud: Chatting with nations in the RMB and endotarting are both things I enjoy doing, even though I'm currently prohibited from doing one of them. I don't know about you, but endorsing nations is pretty fun, imo. Issues aren't as fun as they used to be, but I still do them from time to time. Cards is something I considered getting into, but the scripts were too confusing for me.
Halsoni: I just pray to every god out there that I get a legendary haha. I've never really looked into scripts, though. Anyhow, what is a message you'd like to send to the citizens in TNP who'd like to get involved in government?
Cloud: Go for it! Whatever it is you want to do, just go for it and do it! Don't be afraid, especially when it comes to the elections. Losing is a part of the process, and it can help you learn how to be better. We've been needing new blood for a while now, and I'd like to see all of you become one of the greatest players in the region and maybe even the entire game! Don't be afraid, and go for it!
Halsoni: That's a great thing to say! On that note I'd like to thank you for this interview! You've been a wonderful interviewee and good luck on the rest of your term as Speaker and all your future endeavours!
Cloud: Thank you so much! This was fun.
Thank you for reading!
The North Star: Lighting The Way To The Truth
Publisher: Kaschovia | Executive Editors: Francois Isidore, Halsoni
The North Star is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and is distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs externally and the Ministry of Communications internally.
Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.
Index of Issues