In defense of the "elite"

Day 2,366, 09:42 • Published in United Kingdom USA • by MaryamQ


Who’s winning this game anyway?
eRepublik is a game that has no clear path to the big Win, but many paths to small wins. Anyone has the possibility of winning a medal. Nobody stands in your way to a hard worker or super soldier medal except yourself, and with the division system, even relatively new players have the possibility of winning battle hero medals. There is no end-game where a country or alliance wins it all and the game is over, but there are many opportunities to win battles and campaigns, even in small countries, if you choose your friends and your strategies well. In a way, this is good; everybody has a chance to be a winner at least once in a while; however, since there is no ultimate Win, some people decide to start targeting those who have more wins than they do. Is this reasonable? Can everything be equal? Should it be?


A recent meeting of TUP leaders

Who are the “Elite”?
Being a relatively old citizen who has had some degree of success in the game, I have seen a lot of labeling of upper level players as “elite”, and have been on the receiving end of that label myself on a number of occasions. More recently, the game itself encourages this label, as the title of “Elite Citizen” may be won and displayed on your profile after you meet certain goals – something I have not yet accomplished, but expect to fairly soon. Usually, when I see this label applied by one player to another, it is meant in a pejorative sense, and it means that the person doing the labeling feels the “elite” player has some sort of power and/or privilege from which others may feel excluded, and may feel that this is unfair. Let’s look at this, though.



Common myths about “elite” players and parties
Elite players/parties are power hungry. They will do anything to keep others from reaching their level.
It is true that elite players/parties are often careful about who they let into their inner circles; however, it is not impossible to enter if you go about it the right way. As I see it, this is not so much about holding onto power, which actually has become a bit of a burden to many top players. Rather, it springs from a reluctance to see what has been built over months and years destroyed in weeks by those who are either incompetent or malicious. Yes, the game does promise new players they can rise to be CP, and some will, but that does not mean everyone can or should. This is a social game, and it takes a community to succeed at it. If you don’t have the time, interest, or ability to work with that community, you probably shouldn’t expect to lead it.

New players cannot possibly catch up with those who have been around for years.
This depends on what you are talking about. If you are talking about reaching the same level as a super tank in battle, you are probably right, although I can point to many players who are younger than I am and stronger, and I am doing quite well militarily, thank you. Likewise, in media it is difficult to reach the same level as players who started in V1, although there are many newer players who can and do have very successful newspapers solely based on their merit or strategic use of contacts. On the other hand, if you are willing to work your way up and learn how things work, you do have a chance of rising politically, depending on your abilities and the time you are willing to invest. I’ve seen more than one player who was new to the game or new to a country (or both) rise quickly through the political ranks. Just don’t expect it to happen overnight, and do acknowledge that just possibly older players do have something to teach you about how it’s done.

Gold buyers have huge and unfair advantages over everyone else.
Again, this depends on what you are talking about. Do gold buyers have an edge in certain aspects of the game? Of course. This is true, not only in eRepublik, but in many “free” online games. A gold buyer can become stronger and richer more quickly in game, and can afford to tank in battle when a nonpaying player might not. However, there is another aspect to this that a lot of players forget. Many of the gold buyers I know use their own resources to give other players a hand up the ladder, as well, through employing them at good wages and donating part of their own resources – often quietly or anonymously - either individually or through national/MU/party programs so that others have the resources they need to grow and fight. After all, if your cohort group is stronger, that increases your chances of reaching your goals over trying to do it alone.

Elite parties never give other parties a chance, but favor their own candidates for office over all others month after month.
I have been on both sides of this, more than once. The first time I was elected CP, I represented a second party that had the support of the top (and incidentally, I was a relatively young player who had been in the country about 6 months and in politics less than that). When I was in the eUS, I consciously chose a “sixth” party where I knew some people and liked their politics – and incidentally, I did not particularly like the top party. I saw members of that “sixth” party given seats in Congress and government because they had earned the respect of larger parties despite their smaller numbers. Nevertheless, I have yet to see a top party that wasn’t resented by a fair part of the population, simply because they were the top. Top parties have the advantage of looking good to new players and of attracting strong immigrants who have had previous contact with party members, but they are also an easy target. Is it true, though, that they exclude candidates from other parties from becoming CP or members of government? A quick check of the wiki shows that, in the last two years, nearly 50% of the elected Prime Ministers of the eUK have been from parties other than TUP. In eBelgium, 15 have been from parties other than Res Belgica. Often, though not always, these candidates have the support of the top party. In addition, even when a top party CP is elected, many of the ministers come from other parties. A good CP from whatever party will be aware that the government represents all of the people and that the best talent available should be used, regardless of party politics.



tl;dr
Elite players and parties often get a bad rap. Instead of complaining, try joining. You might like it!


Maryam