The North Star - Issue XXXI Magazine Version
Editor's Note
Dear readers,
As always, here I am to introduce you to this brand-new issue of The North Star. It’s always so wonderful to work on these with the Ministry, and despite my inactivity due to real-life circumstances, the team finished everything regardless of said inactivity. Amazing! Let’s get into the November edition of The North Star.
I honestly don’t have a lot to say about this issue. Due to my, as previously mentioned, lack of activity I wasn’t very closely involved in the process of this issue. Huge props to Delegate Kaschovia for stepping in and managing it in my place. He is such an amazing and involved leader and I honestly could never have wished for a better Delegate in terms of Comms. I would also like to thank Minister Robespierre for his consistent support during the making of this issue and to the amazing writers, editors and other staff who helped create this issue. You all make this possible.
As always there’s a lot of content in this issue of The North Star. Starting with an article about our recent judicial elections, very interesting! A progress report on how we’re demolishing TCB and BoM. We also have articles about both Blue Day and NationStates Day and finally a very interesting interview with our very own Delegate Kaschovia. If you wish to see something specific in the next issue of TNS be sure to contact me via telegram or DM me on Discord (@ruuuuuuuuben).
Finally, the Executive Staff of the Ministry of Communications would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you, the reader. We pour a lot of time and effort into these issues, and it’s lovely that you take time out of your day to admire our hard work. Again, thank you, and we hope you enjoy reading another TNS issue.
Cheers,
HalsoniExecutive Deputy Minister of Communications
The War Rages On by Picairn
On October 5th, 2023, The North Pacific (TNP) formally declared war against The Communist Bloc (TCB) and the Brotherhood of Malice (BoM) for their August 27th Delegate-tip, the most significant attack on TNP in a decade. The infamy of that invasion will go down in NationStates's history - our democracy was attacked, our sovereignty violated, and our dignity insulted with relentless raider provocations. Faced with this brazen aggression, our citizens stood together and overwhelmingly ratified the declaration of war against these two raider organisations, as well as their allies and territories. Many even took up arms and enlisted in the North Pacific Army (NPA) or the Militia despite having no previous raiding/defending experience, their enthusiasm and willingness to defend the region unrivalled by anything else.
Since then, TNP has gone through its first month of war with frantic military activity, as our gallant NPA soldiers - in close cooperation with our defender allies - fought vigorously to drive back the raider menace and liberate innocent regions from their clutches. The operation in Solidarity concluded with complete success on November 2nd as the region transitioned to a permanent coalition governorship, depriving TCB of a major colony and recruiting ground. Fresh from victory, the NPA conducted joint expeditions with the defender coalition into Asia, liberating the Far East Oriental Federation from the insidious Black Hawks and carrying out multiple sieges in the Philippines against the occupying force from Sparkalia and its allies.
From the Far Eastern Plains...
On October 22nd, 2023, just as the Solidarity operation was winding down, The Black Hawks (TBH) launched an invasion of the Far East Oriental Federation (FEOF) with assistance from several allies: BoM, LWU, Osiris, Sparkalia and Ijaka. Led by Joiklandia, the raiders jumped into the region late into minor update - around 11:46 PM GMT+7 - and seized the WA Delegacy from native Delegate Awesomeness. Refusing to surrender, Awesomeness and another native Namvosk took up arms to resist raider occupation and contacted the defenders for help. In the end, a staggering alliance of 15 regions and many mercenaries stepped up to liberate the region and restore the Delegacy to its rightful native Delegate, an incredible display of the defender coalition's strength and coordination.
At major update on October 23rd (11:00 AM GMT+7), the first landing force was assembled in Artificial Solar System with 105 updaters participating in the operation, and further bolstered by 22 sleeper endorsements on Awesomeness in FEOF. Around 48 minutes in, the order was given for the major vanguard to jump into the region. But having an insufficient number of endorsements and getting hit with ejections left and right, they failed to dislodge Joiklandia from the region's Delegacy. Nevertheless, a substantial beachhead was established, paving the way for a successful liberation later on.
Undaunted by failure, the defenders tried again at minor update (11:00 PM GMT+7) on the same day. This time, 90 updaters formed the second liberating force, on top of the major vanguard holding the beachhead. With just under 140 endorsements, Awesomeness successfully retook the WA Delegacy from Joiklandia at 11:48 PM, and the raiders were sent fleeing back to their nests. Upon returning to the Delegacy, Awesomeness publicly expressed their thanks to the liberators and began to restore the democratic native government. The operation ended in total victory for the defenders and the NPA, the latter of which contributed 22 soldiers and officers to the coalition.
...To the Philippine Jungle
Five days after the successful liberation of the Far East Oriental Federation, early into major update on October 28th, the raiders once again struck at an Asian region, the Philippines. Commanded by Batac (or known as Timiskrane/Nova Vinelandia), the invasion was primarily spearheaded by Sparkalia's army with allied reinforcements from TCB, TBH, BoM, Osiris, Ijaka, Lily, Kantrias and Astoria. The raiders jumped into the Philippines at 11:03 PM GMT+7 and seized control of the regional Delegacy from native Delegate Berlande, who was ejected and banned 2 weeks later.
For some time before, the region had fallen into a period of inactivity, its community silent and its government absent from foreign affairs, which led to its removal from the United Regions Alliance. Nonetheless, the Philippines was a close-knit community with a rich history - it survived numerous invasions from the days of antiquity and was eventually refounded nearly 13 years ago by its now absent founder, Puan puri naduk. Vulnerable as it was to external attacks, the Philippines nevertheless supported full regional sovereignty, with its Philippine Defense Force having worked to protect other regions. The raiders claimed they would not burn this historic region to the ground and would instead reinvigorate it with a new government, but as it was their habit to raid and destroy so many other regions in the past, this was extremely difficult to believe. Not to mention the fact that the invasion was illegitimate by itself: a foreign army of invaders coming in and overthrowing the native government by force.
With that in mind, the defender coalition rapidly organised to liberate the region from raider control, with the active participation of the NPA. At major update (11:00 AM GMT+7) on October 29th, the first liberation force was assembled from 85 updaters and led by Hand of Heaven. Five minutes later, the major vanguard landed in the region but just like at FEOF, they failed to remove Batac from the Delegacy. There was a large disparity in the number of endorsements: at the time Batac had 161 while Hand of Heaven only had 85, or a difference of 76 endorsements.
What followed in the next 36 hours was a grueling series of sieges, as the defenders tried to close the gap. Although Hand of Heaven eventually reached over 100 endorsements after 4 sieges (including the first one), there was still a long way to go. Not only that, TCB brought in additional pilers to reinforce Batac's position, making it particularly challenging for the defenders. With Z-Day approaching, the liberation attempt was eventually called off after October 30th's minor update - the raiders could password the region during the event without costing influence.
But the defender coalition did not give up so easily. Two proposals to injunct and liberate the Philippines were written by Westinor and quickly brought to the Security Council on November 1st, to prevent the occupation force from fully taking control of the region. These proposals passed with a four-fifths majority, which is not surprising since the SC has long had a strong commitment to regional security and sovereignty. But the final goal to liberate the region was still far off, and the next three weeks passed without significant military activity.
In the interim, the raiders formed a new regional government, but it could only be described as a farce, a façade of democracy with no native support. Two were elected co-Presidents of the Philippines via open polls - a raider sleeper and another raider - and the government's Cabinet was predictably filled with top officers of the occupying force.
The raiders finally departed the region shortly before major update on November 21st, claiming to have fulfilled their objectives. Defenders swiftly moved in and removed the illegitimate government, banning its officials from the region. The Philippines was returned to the natives after nearly a month under occupation, and a native Delegate was elected. Meanwhile, the illegitimate government was sent into exile and created a new region for itself, still attempting to claim it was legitimate and had native support the entire time.
In the aftermath, Minister of Defence Comfed awarded two ribbons to the NPA and Militia soldiers and officers that took part in the FEOF's and Philippines' liberation operations, and made several promotions to soldiers who had actively participated, including the author of this article himself. The turnout for the Philippine sieges was particularly notable with 33 soldiers and officers in total who joined. These numbers show how strong and united the North can be, and as long as we can maintain this kind of enthusiasm and spirit, we will stand tall against anyone who wants to attack us.
Judicial Elections by Arawi
The Court of the North Pacific is a hard-working and relentless institution that sometimes goes unrecognised by the TNP community, however is very important, as it provides clarity on some of the more complex elements of the law. Despite this, it is an institution that has had many issues recently, with high profile cases such as The North Pacific v. St George, and The North Pacific v. KEKISTON, GrandEngland both being prime examples of the region’s justice system, but also shedding light on some of the Court’s biggest problems. Voters in the recent judicial elections were looking for solutions to some of these problems, but also ideas, strategies and forecasts for the future of this complex institution.
The nomination and declaration period for the elections opened on the first of November. TNPers started to be concerned with the low level of candidacy confirmations and the general lack of enthusiasm for the election that shadowed over the first few days of the nomination period. However, the nomination period ramped up near its end, with five individuals declaring candidacy: Lord Dominator, Bobberino, Wymondham, Just a Lore and Eluvatar.
Let’s start with Lord Dominator. Now, LD is no unfamiliar face to the Court. They launched a short but sweet campaign, promising to ‘operate as a responsible Justice, in operation of their duties and in trying to ensure that others can fulfill their duties (and legal need) in the future’. Later, they stated their views that prosecutorial discretion is more of an RA matter, that voluntary recusal is useful, and that the primary reforms that are needed are those that will simplify trial procedures, particularly evidence submission procedure.
Next, Bobberino. Bob is less familiar to the Court, but reassured voters that his legal knowledge will be reliable as he has a legal dictionary in real life! Bob’s slogan was ‘Bridging the Gap’. He pledged to ‘make it a game again’, as he sees the position of Justice and the criminal justice system in TNP to be overly verbose and litigious; Bob pledged to make the rules clearer and for residents to be notified when rules are changed.
Let’s go to Wym. Wym was elected in the Special Judicial Election a couple months ago and was vying for a full term in office. Wym was very conservative in their campaign; all of their promises were already articulated in their campaign for the Special Election, and they were less emphatic about reform as some of the other candidates. However, they did also explain that they had warmed towards the reform plans formulated by Attempted Socialism.
And finally Eluvatar, who like other candidates, is not a stranger to the Court. They referenced their previous campaign in July in their campaign this time, which overall reiterated the legal theory of the North Pacific, and emphasized the Court‘s solemn duty to provide fair trials, seek truth, offer space for debate, and receive evidence for careful deliberation, which he believes upholds TNP’s commitment to democracy. When asked about Attempted Socialism’s reform proposals, Elu said that they believed in their direction, but acknowledged that some of them would need consideration in the RA.
Voting then came, and lasted for five days. 70 citizens voted out of around 155. In the end, Eluvatar, Wymondham, and Lord Dominator were elected as Justices. The ballot paper uses the ranked-choice voting system. Elu was the most popular candidate put in the top spot, being put on the top of 58% of voter’s ballots. Wymondham was actually the third-placed candidate in terms of being included on the ballot, being included on 51% of ballots, however they were more commonly placed higher on voters ballots. Lord Dominator was included on 68% of ballots. The Court then decided that Wymondham would serve as Chief Justice. Now, the elected Justices have a lot on their plate to reform the Court, to improve one of the institutions we are most proud of as a region, and to keep the region’s famous democracy flowing through our Court.
NationStates Day 2023 by Kaschovia
The North Pacific is one of the largest and most historical communities in all of NationStates, its origins stretching as far back as 2002, when the site was first launched. With so many decisive moments by which to credit its current democratic existence, there’s a certain gratitude felt for the NationStates multiverse by default which calls for celebration and heartfelt reminiscence. For many players, this multiverse has provided years of memories, connection, and enjoyment which is genuinely hard to come by in a lot of other online communities, especially in the political simulation category. As we all find our place in this game over the years, the picture grows larger, the shoulders of those past nations upon which we stand today continue to soar higher, and the overarching timeline gets longer. There’s something enriching about being a part of that, which deserves recognition and ultimately is why we celebrate NationStates Day in the first place.
This year, our celebrations kicked off with a regional poll appropriately titled ‘NationStates Day 2023’, and asked nations what their favorite part of the game was. The results were as follows:
Answering issues and improving national rankings got 109 votes, roleplaying with fellow nations and belonging to the overall community both got 29 votes, trading and collecting cards got 14 votes, taking part in military gameplay and or the NPA got 12 votes, something else got 7 votes, voting on or writing World Assembly resolutions got 6 votes, being part of the executive staff and helping ministries and going to regional events both got 2 votes, and anything related to regional law and justice got just 1 single vote.
It is unsurprising that the answer chosen most by respondents was about answering issues and improving national rankings. For most nations, this is the bread and butter of what makes NationStates great. Slowly working on your national rankings, encountering new issues, and climbing the leaderboards is an intrinsic element of political simulation and nation building, and so it’s understandable that this is what most nations consider their favorite part.
In second and third place on the same points, roleplaying and belonging to the community both got twenty-nine votes. The roleplaying scene in NationStates almost always takes on a life of its own separate from governmental aspects and is home to many thousands of active roleplayers. It makes a lot of sense that this is second, since roleplaying worlds provide a total escape for a lot of players where anything is possible. Alliances can form, built over the years, wars can be fought, characters can take on detailed personalities of their own, all at the hands of those who roleplay and write, collaboratively or individually.
And of course, belonging to the community is also a no-brainer. The North Pacific has a real community spirit, no matter what aspect of the game nations choose, they’re still united under the banner of TNP its history and identity. That sense of community and the belonging which it brings is also personally my favorite aspect of the game. I’ve had some fantastic experiences over the years, only made possible by this community and by those who call it home.
In third and fourth respectively, trading cards got 14 votes and military gameplay 12 votes. Since its introduction to the game a couple of years ago, trading cards have been a mainstay for many nations. The competitive nature of trading, tracking prices, making profits, and completing collections has been a consistent draw, and in many ways military gameplay is the same. Advancing your R/D abilities, climbing the ranks, and leading others into battle is something many nations take part in every single day. Shared experiences with fellow soldiers, such as historical sieges, or winning over a rival military force, can be incredibly rewarding.
Voting on or writing World Assembly resolutions got six votes, which I think accurately reflects the degree to which players generally prefer the World Assembly to any other part of the game. It’s a complex area, requiring determination and grit in order to succeed, but I can imagine those who do succeed find it immensely rewarding drafting, debating, amending, and rallying for a resolution to pass after all the time and effort put into it. This only scratches the surface, with many layers of discussion, rulings, precedent, and questions about which direction the World Assembly could, or should, go.
The last three in terms of votes were being part of the executive staff and helping ministries, going to regional events, and anything related to regional law and justice. I can definitely understand why executive work and regional law may not be ranked as highly as the others, first and foremost because they are umbrella descriptions for a whole range of tasks and responsibilities, the enjoyment of which can vary dramatically depending on which area and which task we’re talking about. Those who voted for either as their favorite part of the game are likely to be specialists in that area. Going to regional events is also quite a vague description for what the choice could potentially entail, and I do understand this might be lower because events do not happen as frequently as the other options. Nevertheless, two respondents feel that they are their favorite part of NationStates!
Continuing celebrations for NationStates Day into the following week, the Ministry of Culture organized for the theme of the week, typically starting on Thursday, to be NationStates-related memes or images. The winning submission was an entry by Great Bights Mum, which was a picture of a bouquet of TNP flags on a desk, receiving the most reactions. The second placed submission was a throwback to N-Day by Dantek. There were additional plans to do another survey asking for favorite memories and quotes, but did not materialize in the end. For just a one day celebration, we got an insightful poll, a Theme Thursday with some great submissions, and this article!
Part of the beauty of a game like NationStates is that it really is whatever you make it. The sub-communities and regions which make up the NS player base provide spaces for many types of players, whether they’re casual issue answerers, hardcore military strategists, or anything in between, the true lasting strength of this browser-based online political simulator is in the variety it offers to those who play for long enough to find out, and I believe that is definitely worth celebrating.
Blue Day by Kaschovia
If you read the previous article on ‘NationStates Day’, then you’ll notice this article has a similar feel, but dedicated to a different, yet just as important, facet of life in The North Pacific: the regional forums. Blue Day is celebrated on the 23rd of November, which is the same date that The Twoslit Experiment, a former Delegate of the region, joined the first ever regional forum as a member. He’d created the forum via an administrative account around a month or so prior, yet this would mark the beginning of a whole new era for the North. It is an acknowledgement of this momentous period in our history, through which the lawlessness of unelected delegates and insecurity quickly disappeared and gave way to the stable democracy we now enjoy.
To have a regional forum in the early days of NationStates signified the start of more organized regional governance, at least when Discord was thirteen years away from its release. It meant that specific topics could be explored, roles could be designated, and laws could be officially ratified. It also brought members of the community closer together in out-of-character forums, events, and games. As I wrote in a previous TNS article Echoes: The Past Delegate Series (2003): “No time was wasted in moving the gameside population across to the forums, and before long it became the birthplace of a vibrant Out-Of-Character scene, the foundation for the regional forums used so ubiquitously today, and the stage upon which future governments would shine.” This is essentially why Blue Day exists, because without the forums, our region would be vastly different.
The first regional forums would see the creation of a Diplomatic Corps just a day after its creation, then a subforum for Delegate Campaigns, discussions, and so much more which served to enrich the experience of the average North Pacifican.
To have an agora of sorts, where ideas could be exchanged and priorities could be laid down, meant the community could collectively decide on matters of importance outside of the Regional Message Board, where conversations would inevitably overlap. This clarity of discussion would eventually lead to the pursuit of those top priorities: formal elections, a first constitution, and a legislative body. The foundations were in place for democracy to thrive.
Blue Day this year was celebrated in a variety of ways. Firstly, a poll was released asking members of the community what their favorite movie from 2003 was from a list of the highest grossing films that year. The options were LoR: The Return of the King, Finding Nemo, The Matrix Reloaded, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Curse of the Black Pearl, Bruce Almighty, The Last Samurai, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. By the end of the poll, the results were in. These were the North Pacific’s favorite films from 2003: In first place, Finding Nemo won with 60 votes, then it was The Return of the King on 32, followed by Pirates of the Caribbean on 17. In fourth was Terminator 3 on 7 votes, then Bruce Almighty on 5, The Last Samurai on 3, and in last place was The Matrix Reloaded on just 2 votes.
Next, an announcement was put out commemorating the occasion in the regional Discord, also acknowledging the celebration of Thanksgiving for those who celebrate it. The Theme Thursday for that week was going to be anything related to the year 2003, so a handful of ministers and members of the community changed their profile pictures and Discord avatars to images from 2003. We saw Jim Carrey as Bruce Almighty, the Australian team victory in the 2003 ICC World Cup, a gobble teddy bear, and a picture of the film Finding Nemo. It’s always great to see members of the government getting involved with Theme Thursdays and sharing moments or images from that time period which are important to them.
In the spirit of the out-of-character shenanigans which define the earlier years of the first forum, spam threads were encouraged to boost the post count of the current forum. The OOC culture on the forums has been thriving for years, where regulars have started their own games, helped the activity of others, and generally provided a place for members of the community to relax and express either their creativity or their silliness. The total post count of the forums currently stands at a staggering 1,018,876 posts, so with 12,013 members, that makes the average post count per member approximately 85. While the week following Blue Day did not see a flurry of spam as encouraged, the OOC subforums remain a welcoming and enjoyable place for everyone.
There have been plenty of groundbreaking moments for The North Pacific throughout its history, whether we’re talking about the ratification of the first constitution or the liberation of the region from rogue forces, the establishment of the first forums are up there with some of the most important events ever to happen in our region. We have to be conscious and grateful for the behemoth efforts from TNPers past to make our community what it is today, and so from me, the current Delegate, and from everyone who shares the same interest in our beginnings, we say a sincere and heartfelt thank you.
Interview with Delegate Kaschovia by Chipoli
Chipoli: Hello, everyone! I am Chipoli, and we are here with a new edition of the Spotlight, a series in which I have the opportunity to sit down and speak with some of The North Pacific’s finest minds. This individual is certainly one of them. I am incredibly excited and honored to welcome the Delegate of The North Pacific, Kaschovia! Welcome!
Kaschovia: Thank you for having me! It's great to be back on the Spotlight and I look forward to answering your questions.
Chipoli: That is wonderful to hear. I believe it would be best if we started from the very beginning. You have obviously built a very storied and respectable career, but we all had to start somewhere. Kasch, can you give us a bit of insight into your origins in NationStates?
Kaschovia: My origins in NationStates are fairly standard, I would say. Back in 2016, which astonishingly is seven years ago now, I found NS the same way many new players do: simply by wanting to play some kind of game where you rule a country, make your own laws, and watch your population grow. I had absolutely no idea what more was in store for me, in hindsight, but that's the really great thing about NS. I distinctly remember being curious at the time about what the biggest region in the game was, which inevitably led me to The North Pacific. From there, I joined the forums and met such wonderful members of our community as FrozenTopHat and Bootsie, joined the North Pacific Army, and started to get to know the active TNPers of the time. I find it quite endearing reading all of my old posts back because you can almost sense in my writing that there was this glint in my eye, an unfiltered fascination with the region and the game. That fascination remains to this day, all this time later.
Chipoli: I can understand what it is like as a newcomer to be excited and curious about so many aspects of the game, and I do see that same fascination in myself during my very beginnings in NationStates. That curiosity ultimately naturally led to you receiving more and more opportunities to grow as a player, all the way up to being in charge, which we will discuss later on. When did you first get involved with our government?
Kaschovia: I first got involved in the government of The North Pacific shortly after I joined. The Delegate at the time, Lord Ravenclaw, offered me an opportunity as Minister of Gameside Affairs, which I suppose was a sort of precursor to the Gameside Advocates, albeit there were definitely some differences. At the time it was very exciting to have that minister title and to take on more responsibility, so I really took it in my stride and did whatever I could to help out, despite having much less experience than I do now. From there, I just wanted to keep improving my skills and learning more every day.
Chipoli: That is quite fascinating! Your first real opportunity in high-level government here in TNP, was managing a ministry that does not exist any longer, albeit later revamped to what we know today as the Gameside Advocates. If I recall, you rose up the ranks quite quickly in your early days and managed to attain the position of Vice Delegate around 5 to 6 years ago. The security state of NS was vastly different from what it is today, as the Security Council was. How would you describe your experience in that role? How have things changed since you left office?
Kaschovia: Honestly, I don't remember a massive deal from my time as Vice Delegate. As you said, the term was five to six years ago so what I can recall is quite minimal. However, I do know that I got a good grasp of what it takes to fulfill the basic responsibilities of the position, whether that was security checks, correspondence with the Security Council, or putting together the WADP dispatches. It allowed me to more formally make a case for myself in terms of leadership positions and definitely provided a launch pad of sorts for the years to come. Simultaneously, I can say that I struggled when it came to the more complex elements of the role, such as information disclosure processes, the finer laws surrounding the office, and answering questions on those aspects in the election cycle where Siwale was elected to the position. I feel that my ambition and willingness to encourage new ideas, or ways of operating within the role, showed that I was capable, while the weaknesses inherent in my lack of experience probably made it clear that I still had a lot of room to grow and learn. In terms of what I think has changed, I wouldn't say all that much. The basic expectations of the Vice Delegate remain similar, although activity levels and engagement with other areas of the executive are highlighted more today than they were back then. In a more modern context, the Vice Delegacy and the regional security landscape have definitely changed with the introduction of frontiers, falling endorsement levels, and broken technological infrastructure, so it's more important than ever for the SC and VD to be alert, engaged, and willing to try new things, but also to expect more activity from its members so that the region is informed of our current security challenges.
Chipoli: I'm sure that was a very useful learning experience, and I can say the same for myself, having been a former Vice Delegate. I'd say you ended up adapting to that role pretty well and even briefly served on the Security Council. From there, you stepped down from our government for about a year and served for a term as Minister of Communications 3 years ago, at a time when the Ministry was struggling for activity and it was hard to get results out of it. Fast-forward to this spring, when you were re-appointed to the same position. This tenure was a vast improvement over your previous one, and Communications was regarded as one of the highest performing ministries in TNP. How did you get back into the rhythm you were looking for? What inspired you to make a comeback to TNP's government?
Kaschovia: So, I knew I wanted to come back to NationStates and The North Pacific earlier this year, and I noticed Communications was no longer a ministry, which definitely piqued my interest. At the time, a lot of dramatic events were happening, but the two that I remember most distinctly were the repeal of the Aurora Alliance and the introduction of frontiers. It just seemed like a waste of creative potential not to have people writing about everything that was going on, so I put together an issue of TNS which, graphically speaking, broke new ground in terms of what we could do sustainably and repeatedly each month. The start of NBS came after, and I just pushed some ideas for Communications which resonated and built a new staff base. Finding my rhythm came more from being consistent with things myself. It can be easy to put things off sometimes, but real progress is made in those everyday commitments to work on the things you enjoy, and so I did, which has led me to where I am now. The inspiration to come back to the government was simple - I like overcoming challenges even if I have to put a lot of time into them. I think, as a region, we're facing many different challenges at the moment, and so for me, I guess I wanted to help address and overcome as many of those as I could.
Chipoli: I know that anyone who has gotten the chance to work with you knows how passionate you are about the ministry, and your passion certainly paid off. Comms did have a lot of creative potential given the drama occurring in NationStates at that particular time, and that potential was tapped into. I can totally understand your enjoyment in taking on challenges and the process of overcoming them. Later on, your work led to a successful bid for the Delegacy in September, even after you resigned from your position as part of a mass cabinet resignation. At what moment, did you realize you finally had a real opportunity to lead this region and become its Delegate?
Kaschovia: I think I realized I had an opportunity to lead the region once I'd finished drafting up my platform. I knew where I wanted things to change, and how I was going to implement that change, so it was just a matter of putting the platform forward effectively and answering questions well. The moment it really hit was when I actually won the election, though. I massively respected your platform and the votes felt close between the two of us for a large part of the voting period. There was a mixture of relief, anticipation, and pride, but I knew the real work was still ahead.
Chipoli: Winning an election has to be one of the greatest feelings a player can experience, and I congratulate you on your victory once more. You published a platform with extensive plans on how you will lead TNP into a time of change. It has now passed the halfway point of the term. Can you lay out for those who don't know what you set out to accomplish? How do you feel about the progress towards those goals that have been made so far?
Kaschovia: I think this term has seen a lot of rapid change. In Defense, we've engaged High Command much further in the training process, created the militia, and seen so many promising new recruits begin to rise through the ranks. A lot of the incentives I spoke about in my platform are now a part of what the NPA uses to retain recruits, but most importantly I think we're seeing our military more often and in more places. On the Foreign Affairs front, some of the smaller objectives I detailed in my platform have fallen by the wayside for the more important considerations such as the war, new treaties and diplomatic discussions. I'm definitely looking to get those staff level objectives done still, but I am very pleased with how our FA approach has worked this term. In Culture, we set out to do more events consistently, and I think we've done that. We've held multiple interregional events already and we invest time into our weekly events too. There are still some things that I think we should be exploring, and I need to communicate with those who are passionate about making game nights, for example, to make them happen. In World Assembly Affairs, Magecastle has done an excellent job bringing new technologies and ministerial infrastructure to the forefront and the new MoWAA Simone has been as consistent as ever, which has been great to see. We're trying to push for several commends of TNPers through the Heroes of Valhalla program, which I think is what we need to start seeing more of. In terms of things like the Gameside Engagement Program and the World Assembly Acceleration Program, I think more discussion is needed in order for us to move forward, but we're still trying to see what works. Home Affairs has been operating at really great levels under Lionsroar, but a lot is still happening behind the scenes. We have solutions which would complete our trident recruitment strategy, but it's just a matter of time before they are implemented. And finally, I have been super happy with how Communications has been doing post-revival and I think we have some really solid foundations in place to keep the ministry going. Radio has been extremely active, new writers are impressing, we're trying new methods of news releases, and the leadership team has been excellent. Overall, I am really happy with our progress so far but I know there is still a lot more to do before the end of the term.
Chipoli: I think we can all agree that this has been a successful first half of the term, and your ambitious plans for The North are being realized with remarkable progress and tangible results. Building on this momentum, your administration will now be focused on sustaining the positive trajectory the region has taken. Looking ahead, what are the key priorities and goals for the remaining term, and how do you plan to navigate any potential challenges that may arise?
Kaschovia: I'll be going off the top of my head here, but one of my key priorities for the remainder of the term is to complete the delegacy transition. We've landed on difficult times in terms of WA numbers, and there are multiple factors responsible, from the frontiers update to broken WA infrastructure, but we're very close now and it is something I want to complete before January. Then, I would say continuing to expand our military, advancing our war goals, creating the next generation of talented leaders, restoring our regional infrastructure (API and manual recruitment are both a part of that), maintaining our robust Foreign Affairs approach, innovating more in Culture, realizing our goals in World Assembly Affairs, and ensuring the continued success of Communications. Navigating challenges is a daily element of this position, and I know that every challenge can be overcome with the right team by your side and enough work ethic to see problems through until the end. I know we have that.
Chipoli: Those look like some very promising plans, Kasch. I'll start with your goal of completing the delegate transition by January. You currently are in 2nd place for endorsements, and sit 32 endorsements behind current WA Delegate Pallaith, which can certainly be gained by your target date. I would like to ask you this - How will you combat the declining WA Numbers and the issue of the broken infrastructure? What steps are being taken to ensure a quicker transition?
Kaschovia: Okay, so combatting declining WA numbers is going to be essential over the next few months, and there are a couple of ways we can do so: firstly, I'd like to see the return of more regular cards giveaways with legendaries and epics on offer every week or so, especially to keepers. In that vein, I'd like to experiment with new monthly leaderboards and rankings for endorsements alongside the weekly reports, if I can get something coded to put such a dispatch together. I also want to increase the number of non-WAs who join the WA, so specific messaging can help achieve that. Overall, there are various ways of combating declining WA numbers, but it's going to take a little bit of time to feel the effects of those solutions. To answer your second question, ensuring a quicker transition is happening through these weekly reports I've been putting out, which I do think has helped. I also endorse daily, telegramming everyone who hasn't endorsed me yet. The GAs have been advertising the transition and the importance of endorsing both myself and Fregerson, but like I said, this was always going to take some time given our current circumstances.
Chipoli: I think anyone can tell that you've gone to great lengths to complete what is likely one of the longest transitions in TNP history. I wish you luck in that regard, and I do very much hope that you will be in the seat come January. I believe your weekly reports have certainly helped with the transition, and they will surely continue to do so. Moving on to the next portion of your plans, you mention that to look to continue to expand our military and advance our war goals. Now, you're Commander-in-Chief of The North Pacific Army and have oversaw TNP's first inter-regional conflict in over a decade. Would you call the beginning phase of the war a success? As for expanding the military, how do you plan to approach recruitment efforts? How much time will you spend looking to engage our gamesiders, such as pointing them to the TNP Militia?
Kaschovia: To answer your question about the beginning phase of the war being a success, I would say absolutely it has been. Not only in terms of securing our war goals but also in terms of advancing our domestic goals too. We have secured multiple crucial victories where BoM and TCB have been involved, we proved that we can outnumber them alongside our allies when we took Solidarity, and the creation of the militia has significantly boosted our piling capabilities. We've had to adapt to a larger, more active military over the last few months, which means we've had to iron some things out, but overall I'd see the beginnings of this war as a massive success. In terms of recruitment efforts, we had a lot of momentum at the peak of the Solidarity operation recruiting for the NPA and putting out promotional materials, so that energy needs to continue. Defense must keep brainstorming and thinking about how soldiers can be rewarded for their service if we are to scale our military up further, for sure. Engagement is always very important with recruits, R/D can have a steep learning curve so it's vital that we communicate with new members and show them the ropes to the best of our capabilities. When it comes to engaging gamesiders and potentially pointing them to the militia, I think our outreach so far has been consistent enough through such channels as the GAs, and I know High Command has been doing a really great job managing integration and training factors, too. We've seen a lot of new recruits over the last two months, which is awesome.
Chipoli: Absolutely. The NPA has taken a huge step up when it comes to training, recruitment, and integration. Since the war began, the number of new recruits has skyrocketed to levels many of us have never seen before, which certainly proved a handful of people wrong who were skeptical about the war effort. Let's move on to Foreign Affairs now. Recently, we've taken a much stronger foreign affairs approach, as shown by our response to the delegate tip and our declaration of war on the Brotherhood of Malice and The Communist Bloc. Do you think this approach has worked in our favor? What are your future plans for TNP in the diplomatic landscape looking like?
Kaschovia: I do think a stronger approach to Foreign Affairs has worked in our favour, yes. It's important that we're making our diplomatic boundaries clear on the international stage so we can balance our external and domestic affairs. I believe we've been firm and practical, allowing ourselves to prioritize our goals at home and abroad without sacrificing too much of our energy in the process. In terms of future plans, I'd like for us to continue reaching out to more frontiers for diplomatic relations, and emboldening some of our more recent relationships, for example with The League, The Wellspring, and Carcassonne. I'd also like to see us reaching out to existing allies for potential collaboration on more events and festivals. Addressing our diplomatic plans in terms of war, we've already been limiting the potential for TCB and BoM to bait members of our community into the sorts of arenas they prefer, such as the gameplay forums, because I think our community has realized that it's not worth our time when we could be improving our state of affairs where it matters. It's vital that we continue to channel the words put down in 'To War', because that's our stance, and let our enemies know that we will stand by that until the end.
Chipoli: The North Pacific has strongly communicated its feelings on foreign policy and has stood firm and held its ground, which is an approach I strongly agree with and have advocated for. It has been a very busy last couple of terms for us FA-wise, and it will continue to be. I can only wish you luck in tackling these challenges at this extraordinary time in history. Let's shift our focus to the more internal ministries - Home Affairs, Culture, and Communications. How are things going there? Are our goals being met? In what ways can we improve?
Kaschovia: Let's start with Home Affairs. I have to give huge credit to Lionsroar for stepping up and managing the ministry brilliantly this term, especially with mentoring, welcoming, telegramming, and the GAs. Without his hard work, there's a sizable hole in our executive output. Home Affairs has pursued the restoration of key recruitment infrastructure, for example, the API recruitment script which Sil Dorsett has been perfecting and should be complete soon. We also have a pending solution for manual recruitment which will be explored this month. We're looking at improving rewards incentives for staffers, and there's much more on the horizon to come for HA. Culture has been chugging along, doing regular weekly events such as Music Mondays and Theme Thursdays, and we've also had some really great events this term, so overall I think things are going great and I'd say our goals have been met. However, we do still need to explore diversifying games on Discord and pursuing alternative cultural events. As for Communications, I am immensely proud of how the revival has been continued and upheld. We've been consistently releasing editions of TNS, albeit a few days later than scheduled, and we've been coordinating high-quality radio shows. TNN has seen a slight adjustment in its process, which I think has worked thus far. I think if we invest our energy in the right areas, those which staff enjoy the most, then more progress will be made.
Chipoli: We've already established that this has been a productive term so far and that our ministries have been operating at high levels as usual, but we obviously still have plenty of work to do. Let's look at the big picture now. You've just given us all some extra insight into what our government has been up to, but now I would like to ask for your thoughts on it as a whole. Which ministry has been the most successful? What about the least?
Kaschovia: On the whole, I am pleased with our progress but constantly aware of the work that still needs to be done. There are areas where we can improve, from staff numbers and engagement, to making sure dispatches are up to date with the latest information. As for which ministry I think has been the most or least successful, I think they've all done very well in their own area of the executive and have proven that while great progress can be made, there is always room for further improvement down the line.
Chipoli: Well, that really is what I think we all can take away from this discussion. The North Pacific has thrived under your leadership thus far in your very first term, and I very much hope we can continue to do so under your onward light. I would like to thank you once more for taking the time to sit through my questions - it was quite intriguing to hear from the perspective of the individual who is leading us through one of the most turbulent times in our region's history. It was a pleasure, Kasch.
Kaschovia: Thank you, Chipoli. It's been a pleasure too!
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.
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