Join the new world

Would you like to hear some military muzak?
~I decided to put a short hiatus of my Irish series, Hobbit Homecoming, to have a closer to home interview with one of the most influential people in the entire United States military. Jankems is a well known member of the United States military and is the current Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He oversees the majority of what the United States military has to offer.~

United States Training Corps Application
United States National Guard Application
United States Mobile Infantry Application
United States Army Application
United States Cavalry Application
United States Airborne Application
United States Marine Corps Application

~Above I have listed all the available branches in the United States Military arranged with the top being the easiest to enlist in and so on. I immensely recommend you to fill out any one of those applications if you are in the United States, especially for the Training Corps if you are a newer citizens. Working with these branches will get you so much more than free weapons and experience; It will link you to a much greater community.~


~That's what Jankems did for training when stationed in North Korea~



Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day for me to interview you.

No problem.

When did you start playing eRepublik and how did you find this "strategy" game?

I started in January of 2008, after finding out about it on a forum i used to frequent.

We all know you as the Chief of the JCS, the highest position in the United States military, but did you start out this game with a devotion the military module, or did you venture into other aspects of the game?

I started out as a two-clicker and someone moderately interested in economics. I think shifted very briefly and unnotably through politics and into the military aspects where I stuck.

Why do you think the military aspects of this game have kept you hooked for so long?

It's probably the most complicated and dynamic part of the game, and the people you come across while dealing with the military aspects are generally the most seasoned players.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Where did you start your military career, and did you feel overwhelmed? Was there a friend that helped you through it?

I started my military career as an officer in the original National Guard, having been a mayor at the time. It wasn't extremely overwhelming as we were really going through the processes of setting up the modern military practices. I of course had commanders who helped me through all the different process. Names that come to mind include people like John Woodman and Chimichonga Barbosa.

The original National Guard proved to be an valuable asset to the United States military during its time. As you worked up the ranks of the United States military, which branch has been the most fun to you, and how has it changed you as a citizen?

I've really only ever been in the National Guard (both incarnations) and Home Guard. So those were the most fun to me. As far as changing me as a citizen goes, it exposed me to a different set of people than most people get exposed to in different branches. Not necessarily the hardcore players, but often the people who treat the game really as a game. So I learned a lot more about interfacing with them, and trying to make things more fun for people who don't devote large amounts of time to eRepublik.

Now moving towards the current state of your citizen, being Chief of the Joint Chief of Staffs for the United States military is a unique honor and substantial responsibility. When did you find out that you were going to be in that position, and how did you react?

I did not officially find out I was going to be in that position until early July when NXNW stepped down. I honestly don't remember my reaction or know that I had one for the official announcement. It was a fairly smooth transition, and one where I tried to use that extra bit of initial enthusiasm to get some stuff done.


~That's Jankem's wife doing all the heavy lifting.~

The JCS works together to promote a better United States military altogether. Besides evident teamwork, why do you think the United States military has thrived after since the beginning of the game?

Its community and attitude. We have, for the most part, a great group of people from the bottom to the very top who all work to get stuff done. We have supporters inside and outside, and we have a large number of people who know how to run things very efficiently and effectively. So in large part, its been long hours and tremendous amounts of work and ideas to get things from where they started to where they are.

Getting new people in is also a large part of it. As the game grows, so do we, so in notable periods of high fun, we thrive even more and seek to create as much fun in the game as possible, thereby retaining players and helping us keep things moving.

Retention. This is where the US succeeds over many others. How do you think the Training Corps has made the United States military grow in these last couple months? Due to the lowering number of players overall, they must be doing something right.

The TC keeps people around by making the game more fun for people. When you get used to it, it's a fairly boring game. The TC creates a more dynamic environment and puts a community around you. A community is needed for retention because nobody wants to play a game like this by themselves for very long. The TC has excelled because the community they create is generally diverse and inclusive and they have started numerous initiatives to keep people's heads.

How do you like the way Congress gives the United States military through a lump sum? Would you like to see it improved?

I think ultimately the lump sum has worked out well. The one improvement I could see making would be longer guarantees on the amount of budget we're receiving as well as a baseline level of funding of which we're guaranteed not to receive less than that amount.

The United States has had a history of epic battles throughout the years. Which battle has made the most everlasting impact for the US that you will never forget in your opinion?

The initial Kyushu by far was the most epic and impacting battle. Even though it was a loss, it set us up to get into Asia, and was a fairly tough battle. Was also one of the first that I ever really fully tanked, and that's always a memorable thing for someone.

On the other hand, what was the most heart-breaking battle in your time in the US military?

I generally don't get heartbroken over losing battles.. That said, there was a RW in Inner Mongolia leading up to one of the original attempts on Lioaning or Heilongjiang that was a particularly disappointing battle just because of the sheer amount of effort put into winning it and the events of the day leading up to it.

While I don't like to laugh at people's spoofs, a smirk can sneak in a time or two. What was the biggest screw up you ever had in your position?

I think the worst screw ups I've ever had as CJCS have been sending people to the wrong countries to fight or sending them through a dead end to get there, especially when there were all the unpublished war mod changes around V2. There were also some cases during the Russian invasion at the beginning of V2 where I wished I had been more vocal about certain tactics. Fortunately, I don't think I've had too many major screw ups as CJCS, but I'm sure there are people that may disagree. Nothing really sticks out as an "oh-crap, what the hell did I just do" moment.


~That's Jankems personal vehicle of choice. Unfortunately, he crashed it due to his colorblindness. Silly ape, sweet cars are for chicks.~

Good good. I guess you're not a scrub like me. Moving on, you've been in this game through the thick and thin, and you have seen how this game has evolved first hand. How do you feel about the way the Admin is handling this game? Did you lose any friends due to the way this game has changed?

I have lost a number of friends who used to be extremely active, but the game changes, and in some ways the attitude of a lot of people at the V1->V2 transition, just drove them away completely. Some have started to trickle back, though not all.

I wish they'd be more consistent in their rulings on various things. I wish security was better and I wish they would more effectively bring the hammer down on cheaters, multiers, and the like. There are too many of them that ruin the game for the rest who would rather win fairly. I would give them in that aspect, maybe a 60 out of 100 for how they handle things.

I temper my opinion some, though, because I do realize that 1) it's a business and they have to pay employees and 2) I understand some of the technical issues a site like this might face, and so they earn some sympathy on those two points.

How do you feel the direction of the military module has gone? Has it made your job as JCS easier or harder?

I have largely mixed feelings on the military module. In terms of the original V2 war module, I actually grew to be quite fond of it, and it actually made for some very good battles. It kept my load as CJCS reasonable and it did indeed grow on me, though I was at first very repugnant to it. I think progressing towards a wall based system was indeed a good choice. The return of strength was something generally good, outside of screwing some people over.

The different weapon types or bringing back a rock/paper/scissors system based on weapons types would be good as well and is something I'm hoping for. That's taken though, that being CJCS is much more stressful when you must watch 8 mini-battles a day per battle, so this most recent incarnation is definitely more difficult in that aspect.

In terms of the more macro-strategic components, the current way things work is decent I think. It can't really be compared to V1 tactics, and while I liked those, this current one create interesting situations (and humongous gold drains at times). It's reasonably complex, and keeps that aspect of my job relatively easy.

Do you think that winning is more about having the gold than it is tactics now?

Not at all. Gold can be used to win, and if you have enough of it you can beat anybody. But there's no substitution for good tactics on both the macro scale and on the micro scale. This war mod is about gaining and keeping momentum in a battle which in large part relates to the will of one side to win it - which in turn will determine the gold spent and the tactics used.

Wise words. To finish off, what is a message you can give to the newer citizens wanting to get involved within the United States military?

Join the TC. Get involved in the community and find out where you best fit, and you will excel and find a lot more fun in this game.

Thanks again for taking the time out of your hectic schedule to have an interview with this hobbit. I greatly appreciate it, and I am sure others will too!

No problem.



And if you liked what you read, please vote, subscribe, comment, and shout! Thank you!

Best Regards,

Congressman, New Hampshire
~Your neighborhood friendly hobbit.~