My Opposition to a New Government MU

Day 1,880, 10:55 Published in United Kingdom United Kingdom by Elle Roslin
Before I begin, I should disclose some information about myself. I am currently involved in the management of the Legion MU, was the former commander, and in the past I was the commander of a former UK government military group, the UKSF. I have also been the PP of one of the UK’s political parties numerous times, and spent one month as the country Vice President. I think it is important to point this out so that readers can judge for themselves if what I say is unduly biased.

Background

Recently the CP of the United Kingdom (BigAnt) has been musing on forum about the creation of another MU that will be funded by government monies. For those of you who are of newer generations, you may not recall that in previous terms there were government MU’s of various stripes (i.e. BEF, NHS beginners, UKAF, etc.). These groups met their demise as a result of funding and logistical challenges, either as a result of game mechanics or due to an inability to compete with supplies and organizational prowess offered by independent MU’s (i.e. Legion, TUP Family, Royal Navy, etc.).

Currently the UK has an ‘official’ MU, the Legion MU, that operates as the de facto national unit where new players are directed to join. It was formerly known as the ESO Legion, but was stripped of this title and the trappings of its former identity in order to be politically neutral. It was offered freely by the players that operated and funded it, and these players continue to do so to this day. Political postings are forbidden and players from all parties are welcomed without any preferential treatment or access.



This MU has held the top spot on the national leaderboard almost without exception since its establishment as the ‘official’ UK MU by former CP Talon Karrde.

The Issue at Hand

So this brings us to the present.

Under current Erepublik game trends/rules, the government struggles to maintain an income that provides for MPPs, growth schemes, emergency supplies, and player support. There have been calls recently to abolish the Call to Arms program rather than raising taxes to support it. So why at this time would the country president seek to spend precious resources on yet another attempt at a government MU? Has there been evidence of failure on the part of Legion? Is there anything to suggest that a new government MU would add value?



In my opinion, the answer to all of these questions is a resounding NO. The creation of a new government MU is not based on any rational or logical arguments, but is rather motivated by personal ambitions and political greed. The stated rationale for this new MU is that it can be more centrally controlled and can be used to get supplies to big hitters more efficiently using an IRC supply regime that would support the UK’s tanks.

So will that work? IRC-based systems used in the past have typically failed to have much of an impact, with the exception of emergency channels that have been used to supply foreign allies in times of extreme need. The UK simply does not have very many players, and fewer still who use IRC regularly. I personally believe that the use of taxpayer funds to subsidize tanking by wealthy and older players is also fundamentally unfair and detrimental in the long term. We should be using this income to support new players that struggle to progress in this game and to support recruitment efforts that would increase our population numbers.



I believe that a better strategy for the national MU program is to elevate other MU’s to the same status as Legion, if any are willing to do so. There is no reason why Legion needs to be the solitary MU that carries the veneer of official status. The United States has long used a system that supports multiple MU’s to operate on behalf of their nation. With the coordination and collaboration of other MU’s, we could build a stronger supply base, share revenues and income to better support our players, and maintain the flexibility to provide unique and attractive gaming experiences to our members. I have had the pleasure of working with the Royal Navy in limited form in the past, and I know that the Legion method is not the only one that works. Let us draw on this decentralized organizational structure to help unite our forces and foster an environment that welcomes new ideas and mutual growth.

Old ideas that have been proven ineffective are NOT the way forward. I don’t claim to know all the answers, and I would encourage all of you who have made it this far in the article to leave any comments that constructively suggest ways for the UK to move forward.

For a look at some polling and statistical data regarding the UK's MUs and other data, take a peek at Joshua Whelan's extensive article which can be accessed here

Thank you for reading!

Elle Roslin
Legion Member
Proud UK citizen