The Goal of the "Game"
•
by Hazelrah
It has been requested of this paper to begin a potential ongoing dialogue with Ananias and the eNation concerning individual goals of the eRepublik “game”. While this reviewer considers some issues within the eRepublik and eUSA to be of much higher priority and more urgent in terms of the success of this nation and the eGlobal society, your correspondent will gladly entertain this discussion with the ultimate hope that the varying philosophies and ambitions of individuals both within eRepublik and RL might be more clearly defined and outlined so that individuals with differing goals and philosophies might better understand the other‘s paradigm.
For the first installment, this reviewer would like to direct leaders to the original article (a very stimulating one) written by Ananias.
An eAmerican Perspective
This reviewer will expound on an initial response (as seen in the aforementioned article’s comments) below.
Despite having being active for less than a week (official birthday was 4/17) your correspondent can understand how differing goals within the “game” could lead to considerable controversy. It seems that if eRepublik were simply a game to be "won" with some sort of "conquer all" victory goal similar in manner to board games like "Risk" or “Monopoly”, then the administrators would have set such parameters so as to make this victory possible.
Rather, eRepublik appears to be an attempt at modeling the responsibilities of RL political and economic leaders as well as average citizens in today's RL society, with the goal of entertaining unrealized or unrealistic dreams of political, diplomatic, social, military, or economic nature.
Treating eRepublik as though it were an actual global society of valuable people and not just a conglomerate of 'eNations' to be conquered allows us to blur the lines of reality and 'gaming'. It is not out of the scope of this game for us as individuals to solve some of the world's most nagging discrepancies and injustices, or even just a change in global philosophy.
It has been correctly observed by individuals, such as Jon Barack Blujacket, that “people bring their RL ideas and beliefs (even prejudices) to [the game]”. For this reason, this reviewer finds it difficult to suggest that PTOs and Military operations are nothing more than an avenue to pursue in-game economic and political domination for the sake of “winning”. Even if that were the impression of those members initiating the operation, it is not necessarily the understanding of other RL nations participating in the eRepublik community. Since each nation is named after a corresponding RL counterpart, these impressions and stereotypes are subject to reinforcement or rejection. If the major paradigm of foreign nations is that the USA is a cocky, warmongering, self-centered nation.. and the eUSA continues to reinforce that stereotype by the actions it takes in eRepublik, then this 'game' is having an indirect negative impact on RL diplomacy. For that reason, eRepublik becomes more than a "game”. It becomes an exercise in RL diplomacy, economics, politics, military, and globalization.
Certainly, the hope is that no individual would take the interactions on eRepublik so seriously that it would prompt a RL act of terrorism (however unrealistic, it is not out of the question). It is precisely this facet of eRepublic that makes it so dynamic and different from playing a board game or video game.
Be a responsible eUSA citizen, be a responsible eRepublik citizen, be a responsible RL citizen.
Danylo Halytskyj has also featured a good article on this topic in The Funny Papers
Facebook
Twitter
Discord
Comments
Great article. I'm very glad you're bringing these issues up.
When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, the other founders were surprised that he had written it as a document pertaining to the rights of all people everywhere and not just Americans. However they supported the notion.
Maybe we need something akin to an eDeclaration of Independence and an eBill or Rights? However, for branding purposes, I might call it by another name (those could still sound like a form of RL American hegemony).
"then this 'game' is having an indirect negative impact on RL diplomacy."
No. The people who play this game aren't in charge of real life diplomacy (i'm assuming).
@smily132, do you really think that US diplomats and politicians, as well as foreign ones for that matter, are simply dealing with their individual opinions and interests? I would suggest that national leaders and diplomats have to deal with, represent, and respond to National opinion. This is especially true in Democratic states, as the direction of the Administration's decisions are a result of the change in philosophy of the electorate.
However, I would also concede that the number of players who participate in eRepublik is not large enough yet to significantly impact national perspective.
Games and reality have a very interesting relationship with one another. It quickly becomes very hard to distinguish the difference. There's a lot of writing to support this.
I would imagine that the RL Americans who have fled the eUSA to move to other nations often really do have complex opinions about the real US and where they would prefer to be living. Likewise with RL non-Americans who have come to the eUSA.
Look at the Romanians who are fighting for Romanian success or the Hungarians. Those areas are very active in their native languages. Iran as well. RL emotions are quickly projected into this game and become very strong motivators.
Nach dem Spiel is vor dem Spiel.
After the game is before the game?
There are several ways of looking at this issue and I would say that the eUS probably instills more RL values into this game than the other countries. There are a lot of people who role play but many people try to somehow reflect their real life beliefs in what they do here.
For a lot of other countries it is an opportunity to make their country something it is not in the real world. Take for example Romania. They are trying to conquer the world here when in real life, well, you get the picture.
Excellent article though.
Excellent article and I hope the conversation continues.
excellent. voted.
Nice article, I too am searching for a way to win and end the game. I believe that the socialist teachings of Obama, applied in eRepublik, could be the final solution to this puzzle. A New World Order to guarantee economic stability and peace for all mankind.
Come by and check us ut, the forum is active...Obamatology