Embrace the Change!
Day 822, 18:07
•
Published in USA 
•
by
•
by Silas Soule
Embrace the Change!
Considering...
* Upcoming changes to the economic module
* The thoughtful and healthy self-examinations going on in the eUSA in the wake of the Battle of Britain
* Experience accumulated so far in building up the Super-Commune (OK, that one's for the hardcore lefties!
* Other stuff I can't think of right now
...I thought this might be a good time to theorize a tad on what the future could hold, coming at it from my own perverse perspective, of course.
Well. To start with. As we all know, the key ingredients for making accurate estimates about the future are:
http://ikopal.com/nomoslabs/images/endless_optimism.jpeg" /> Endless optimism
http://ikopal.com/nomoslabs/images/pixie_dust.jpeg" />] Magic pixie dust
and
http://ikopal.com/nomoslabs/images/unicorn_poo.jpeg" /> Unicorn poo.
So please keep those important points in mind when evaluating the accuracy of my predictions!
Prediction Number One
=====================
New leaders will emerge
Despite the quasi-religious devotion still occasionally expressed by some hardcore devotees of old-school "game mechanics", it is becoming increasingly clear to a whole generation of players that there's no one single "right" way to play the game. That there is no clear-cut path to "winning" what is, in essence, a social simulation. At least not in the same way that you can win a game of checkers.
Now, as some of my rabidly devoted fans will remember, I have the rather goofy notion that the only "real" way to "win" playing eRepublik is by making new friends. But then I'm pretty well-known as being rather eccentric.
It seems, though, that even a number of my eRep-friends who advocate a "war is the only thing that matters" line are coming around to the realization that an endless cycle of aggressive wars of colonization can have some negative and not-so-much-fun consequences, like:
* Wiping out your treasury
* Causing dissension amongst allies
* Unifying the opposition
There's also been a spike of interest, if I'm not mistaken, in encouraging the "purely for fun" aspects of the game. An appreciation for the fact that some degree of "role-playing" is, inevitably, a part of the game no longer immediately earns you a long stream of trolling from those who are obviously (in their minds) your superiors in every way.
And that's all good.
It doesn't mean that war, even massive wars that threaten the existence of national entities, will (or should) disappear from the game. It does mean -- and I'm not the first to say this, but perhaps I can take credit for coining a term -- that "game dynamics", if you like, are likely to supplant "game mechanics" as an appropriate way to balance the various modules of game play.
We've already seen how just the introduction of Lana and the training module warped the woof of the game's economics. The upcoming changes to the economic and battle modules are likely to bring a shockwave of change.
Bottom line: Those who hold tenaciously to the perspective of "there's only one right way" to play will be swept aside by those -- likely newer players who are just now approaching their "prime" -- who are ready to embrace the changes.
Prediction Number Two
=====================
Communes will have to be re-organized
In the happy paradise that is eRepublik, players of the Left Party, the Right Party and the LOL-IDK Party have discovered the benefits of organizing production without bothering to pay the man in the middle. This approach -- thanks to the influence of those sneaky and pragmatic leftists who have infiltrated virtually every aspect of the game -- has come to be generally known as "The Commune".
Not everybody likes them, of course. They don't offer a way to build a personal e-fortune. So players who are deeply committed to...
* The sheer overwhelming joy of playing e-businessman
* The magic pixie dust of libertarian monetary policy
or
* Turning up their nose at anything that even remotely smells of "socialization"
.. are naturally not going to like them.
But many players do like them, well, 'cause they're kinda neat.
They're popular amongst military types, including both those who wouldn't touch a red flag with a ten-foot pole, as well as several indie-leftie/anti-imperialist militias like the Dingos in Australia, the Red Brigade in Europe and our very own Bears here in the good ol' US of Amurrica. Aside from the obvious benefits to military organizations (DIY weapons), communes have also been embraced by a fairly sizable chunk of Left, Far-Left, Left-Libertarian and Anarchist parties and players as an alternative to the standard e-capitalist model of e-production and e-exploitation.
The cappie model: work, save up cashola, then go buy stuff at whatever price the market offers that day, and donate part of your labor to the boss and to the gummint.
The commie model: work -- typically for a low or minimum wage -- and your buds provide you with tons of free goodies.
Depending on how extensive the commune network is, members might get not only tasty free bread, but guns and moving tickets as well. And there's varieties on the theme, like the high-wage collectives and co-operatives that seek to maximize their members' income rather than sharing out the goods.
Sounds glorious, eh?
Reality check. It's not easy running a commune. It takes work to keep things flowing. The members are typically working for a low wage so the commune organization has to make sure it's worth their while. If there's not some kind of shared goal (like "arm the military" or "wage economic war against the fer-shluggin' capitalists"
Here's the rosy promise of the Commune model...
The communes are big, the people numerous, the natural resources abundant, it is easy to develop a diversified economy
Here's the actual deal if the Commune is not well-organized...
An hourly work system and a complex set of skills and production outcomes mean that organizing commune networks -- especially for communal companies that are not just producing raw materials -- will likely require a good bit of fine-tuning. For example, what specific weapons or goods should they produce?
And what are the skills needed at any given time? Probly the relationship between the new study module and the modified economic module will throw a wicked curve ball at commune organizing. Rather than increasing skills only by working, it will be necessary to encourage commune members to augment their skills via targeted study.
Bottom line: Commune organizing will be more complex, but not impossible. This added complexity could perhaps even turn into a benefit. Maybe running a commisarium that is adept at organizing, mentoring and following-up with a smaller group of members -- sort of a micro-manageable team -- will become a commonsensical model for newbie retention and player development. Let a thousand nurseries bloom!
====================
In summary, there's two basic ways to deal with the upcoming changes...
Cry, cry against the dying of the light...
or...Embrace the change!
====================
Right. So. Those are a couple of my predictions. Would love to hear others' comments on how the upcoming changes, especially to the economic module, might transform (or not!
Oh... And Vote! And Subscribe! Yes! Do it now!
Considering...
* Upcoming changes to the economic module
* The thoughtful and healthy self-examinations going on in the eUSA in the wake of the Battle of Britain
* Experience accumulated so far in building up the Super-Commune (OK, that one's for the hardcore lefties!
🙂
* Other stuff I can't think of right now
...I thought this might be a good time to theorize a tad on what the future could hold, coming at it from my own perverse perspective, of course.
Well. To start with. As we all know, the key ingredients for making accurate estimates about the future are:
and
So please keep those important points in mind when evaluating the accuracy of my predictions!
Prediction Number One
=====================
New leaders will emerge
Despite the quasi-religious devotion still occasionally expressed by some hardcore devotees of old-school "game mechanics", it is becoming increasingly clear to a whole generation of players that there's no one single "right" way to play the game. That there is no clear-cut path to "winning" what is, in essence, a social simulation. At least not in the same way that you can win a game of checkers.
Now, as some of my rabidly devoted fans will remember, I have the rather goofy notion that the only "real" way to "win" playing eRepublik is by making new friends. But then I'm pretty well-known as being rather eccentric.
It seems, though, that even a number of my eRep-friends who advocate a "war is the only thing that matters" line are coming around to the realization that an endless cycle of aggressive wars of colonization can have some negative and not-so-much-fun consequences, like:
* Wiping out your treasury
* Causing dissension amongst allies
* Unifying the opposition
There's also been a spike of interest, if I'm not mistaken, in encouraging the "purely for fun" aspects of the game. An appreciation for the fact that some degree of "role-playing" is, inevitably, a part of the game no longer immediately earns you a long stream of trolling from those who are obviously (in their minds) your superiors in every way.
And that's all good.
It doesn't mean that war, even massive wars that threaten the existence of national entities, will (or should) disappear from the game. It does mean -- and I'm not the first to say this, but perhaps I can take credit for coining a term -- that "game dynamics", if you like, are likely to supplant "game mechanics" as an appropriate way to balance the various modules of game play.
We've already seen how just the introduction of Lana and the training module warped the woof of the game's economics. The upcoming changes to the economic and battle modules are likely to bring a shockwave of change.
Bottom line: Those who hold tenaciously to the perspective of "there's only one right way" to play will be swept aside by those -- likely newer players who are just now approaching their "prime" -- who are ready to embrace the changes.
Prediction Number Two
=====================
Communes will have to be re-organized
In the happy paradise that is eRepublik, players of the Left Party, the Right Party and the LOL-IDK Party have discovered the benefits of organizing production without bothering to pay the man in the middle. This approach -- thanks to the influence of those sneaky and pragmatic leftists who have infiltrated virtually every aspect of the game -- has come to be generally known as "The Commune".
Not everybody likes them, of course. They don't offer a way to build a personal e-fortune. So players who are deeply committed to...
* The sheer overwhelming joy of playing e-businessman
* The magic pixie dust of libertarian monetary policy
or
* Turning up their nose at anything that even remotely smells of "socialization"
.. are naturally not going to like them.
But many players do like them, well, 'cause they're kinda neat.
They're popular amongst military types, including both those who wouldn't touch a red flag with a ten-foot pole, as well as several indie-leftie/anti-imperialist militias like the Dingos in Australia, the Red Brigade in Europe and our very own Bears here in the good ol' US of Amurrica. Aside from the obvious benefits to military organizations (DIY weapons), communes have also been embraced by a fairly sizable chunk of Left, Far-Left, Left-Libertarian and Anarchist parties and players as an alternative to the standard e-capitalist model of e-production and e-exploitation.
The cappie model: work, save up cashola, then go buy stuff at whatever price the market offers that day, and donate part of your labor to the boss and to the gummint.
The commie model: work -- typically for a low or minimum wage -- and your buds provide you with tons of free goodies.
Depending on how extensive the commune network is, members might get not only tasty free bread, but guns and moving tickets as well. And there's varieties on the theme, like the high-wage collectives and co-operatives that seek to maximize their members' income rather than sharing out the goods.
Sounds glorious, eh?
Reality check. It's not easy running a commune. It takes work to keep things flowing. The members are typically working for a low wage so the commune organization has to make sure it's worth their while. If there's not some kind of shared goal (like "arm the military" or "wage economic war against the fer-shluggin' capitalists"
😉or a visible, tangible reward (free goodies!), then the members just might as well be serfs.
Here's the rosy promise of the Commune model...
The communes are big, the people numerous, the natural resources abundant, it is easy to develop a diversified economy
Here's the actual deal if the Commune is not well-organized...
An hourly work system and a complex set of skills and production outcomes mean that organizing commune networks -- especially for communal companies that are not just producing raw materials -- will likely require a good bit of fine-tuning. For example, what specific weapons or goods should they produce?
And what are the skills needed at any given time? Probly the relationship between the new study module and the modified economic module will throw a wicked curve ball at commune organizing. Rather than increasing skills only by working, it will be necessary to encourage commune members to augment their skills via targeted study.
Bottom line: Commune organizing will be more complex, but not impossible. This added complexity could perhaps even turn into a benefit. Maybe running a commisarium that is adept at organizing, mentoring and following-up with a smaller group of members -- sort of a micro-manageable team -- will become a commonsensical model for newbie retention and player development. Let a thousand nurseries bloom!
====================
In summary, there's two basic ways to deal with the upcoming changes...
Cry, cry against the dying of the light...
or...Embrace the change!
====================
Right. So. Those are a couple of my predictions. Would love to hear others' comments on how the upcoming changes, especially to the economic module, might transform (or not!
🙂the nature of the game -- and your thoughts on how to prepare for it.
Oh... And Vote! And Subscribe! Yes! Do it now!
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Comments
First!
I think this will make a cooperative society more possible. It will be a good opportunity for the workers of the world to say "Hey this is how we're going to make shit even if you don't like it" plus the fact that you're going to have to organize labor accordingly to what the society needs it's a great chance for the workers to take control of production. Or we will have a few elites who decide how our labor is used, either way is possible but the workers ultimately decide.
Maybe we should merge some communes. If we are to become a market force then I think we need to up recruiting rates, and do some serious logistics work, deciding who does what, how to customize the things we create, and what each person works on.
I'd love to see a communal merging.
Articles in this newspaper are great!
I am going to have to unsubscribe from a thousand run-of-the-mill vanity presses so that I am sure to see more of these articles.
+1 Phoenix Quinn
-1 a thousand hacks
Just an observation.
Your newspaper's title is "Resist", but then you are telling us to embrace the change. Very contradicting.
hmmm... been thinking about changing the name. Maybe it's time.
So when are we trying economic warfare in America?
Russia is the door to the rest of the world. Unlock it and you open the way to world revolution, comrade, world revolution...
Good article, as always.
Keep it up dude!
Excellent article, comrade.
Communes doesn't work because it ignores changes in price and wages.
It might be productively efficient as any private run company but it cannot be allocatively efficient because without signals from price and wages, labour would not be allocated to producing the changing good demands that society needs.
Plus now with Lana it means everybody should want a wage for their labour instead of goods for their labour.
Hmm, Tim. Interesting. Though I am curious how you conclude it "doesn't work". Experience would seem to indicate otherwise.
Low-wage/minium-wage communes are pretty much immune to suffering from fluctuations in prices and wages. For example, the SFP commune emerged from the the post-WW3 recession unscathed since it is to a large extent disconnected from price mechanisms. On the demand side its only concern is the needs/desires of its members, so again the price signal is largely irrelevant in this model.
I do agree with you about Lana. The upcoming additions to the "services modules" will also require players to spend cash. So the goods-distribution-style communes will have to take that into account. Possibly more of a mixed model will be required, where the commune distributes cash (perhaps in the form of "tuition grants"?) along with goods.
Article is excellent of course Phoenix, we will get along, but see Paris commune, we are getting closer to RL with economic module (complicated economic system) and ability of team work and solidarity will prove that we commies are the best in it 😉
Tim Youngs criticism is a criticism of real world socailism. I've heard it before. eSocialism economics are not as complex and that particular standing on socialism in regards to this game does not apply
Phoenix,
Just to follow up on Engle's comment -- overall, the changes will undoubtedly introduce complications to commune organizing. However, with proper organization + communication, this need not be a drawback - in fact, it could be a potent antidote to commune burnout.
Part of the appeal of the commune is the notion of collective ownership + workplace democracy -- however, from my perspective as an outside observer, right now the workplaces seem to be benignly managed without too much outside input. Changes such as modifications will demand more hands-on control that will demand important choices be made. This can increase opportunities for workplace democracy and collective decision making which, in turn, can strengthen the activity of commune members in the process of managing the organization.
What is required is laying the groundwork for discussion and decision making, some kind of workplace democracy to flourish and grow. I'm interested to see what models emerge -- this can range from regular (game-model informal) elections to determine a period as 'commune manageer', to worker's councils that elect accountable, immediately recallable collective ownership at the top of the commune, regularly rotating workers to the top of the organization and then back into the rank-and-file. In instances with inactive workforces, we're likely to see one or two strong personalities controlling the works for weeks or months at a time, likely maintaining the same general flow of products -- in instances with more active, engaged workforces, variation becomes possible.
It will also likely create important in-game political differentiation between commune models -- decision making regarding product customization will look much different in a military commune than it will in the SFP communes or the GOSPLAN.
(This is the part of the comment stream where remarks about the 'dialectic' would seem appropriate.)