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******This article has been nominated for a Shameless Plug Award for eCanadian Literacy - see the Shameless Plug Awards article here: http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/this-week-s-shameless-plug-for-best-article-jan-26th-to-feb-1st-729686/1/20 ******


Some months ago the Synapse posted an article which many new players found, and continue to find, useful. The n00b guide, was a basic outline of the need to know, bare bones basics to survival in New World. Those who are interested in reading the original article may do so here

In this issue, the n00b Guide: part deux (we are Canadian after all), the Synapse will delve deeper into what exactly what makes this “game” tick. Perhaps you’ve been playing for a few weeks now, you’re working towards your first hard worker medal, you’ve counted the days till you make your Super-Soldier, maybe you’ve even joined the Canadian Armed Forces, and you’ve had the opportunity to fight in battle. It’s at about this time that you’re wondering what else is there? What is it that keeps these old timers coming back month after month, and exactly what IS the best way to be successful in eRepublik? The following article will attempt to answer some of those questions by elaborating on New World. We’ll look at specific spheres of eRep, including: Military, Economy, Politics, Business, and finally Foreign Relations (or what this editor likes to call “social networking”).

Military

To the new citizen I’d like to stress the importance of military in eRepublik.

You may not be a soldier; you may prefer to play this game by attempting to dominate the political or business arenas. You may shy away from the concept of war, idealizing eRep, and hoping that in this “social simulator” we can work together to achieve a better world, a world without war. If any of that rings true for you, then you’re very much like myself, who several months ago, when first joining this game shared those same naive ideals of peace and brotherhood. I’m a role-player by nature, and so in the beginning I too played the role of the pacifist diplomat, but it didn’t last long.

The stark reality is that eRepublik is a massive multiplayer online version of Risk, or perhaps more accurately Axis & Allies (considering the bipolar camps of ATLANTIS and PEACE GC). You may continue to ignore training and fighting for your personal avatar, opting still to pursue politics or business, but even still you must acknowledge that all things revolve around war and the military.

To become a great businessman is to follow the stimulus created by war. Consider this: of the 7 manufactured products available, all deal indirectly with war in some manner and sales of each product relate directly to war. First, weapons, hospitals (which are only used after fighting) and defense systems are ONLY used during wartime. Moving tickets have a marginal market outside of war, but by and large most players don’t move around the globe continually except when doing so to participate in a foreign conflict, likely on behalf of a military alliance. The last three products, food, gifts, and houses all deal indirectly through war as a means modify wellness, and the sale of each is directly related to war. If there were no battles, each citizen could manage with a Q level of food equal to the Q level of their place of employment, plus a house of any quality and they’d eventually reach 100 wellness and stay there indefinitely. It is war, young businessman, which significantly reduces wellness, requiring citizens to purchase increasing amounts of food, better houses, and gifts.

Politics is no different. Laws are passed to modify the taxes, and ensure the eNations have adequate reserves in their treasury, but beyond that most policies relate specifically to foreign relations (ie supporting your allies in war, or preventing war with contentious nations) or the management of a nation’s industries (all of which revolve around war).

You may think I’m wrong, but here at the Synapse we believe in looking at how this system IS, not how we’d like it to be, and helping the citizens of New World work within that framework. Presently war in New World is the glue which holds the game together, it’s what prevents stagnation, and ultimately makes things interesting. And to be successful in eRepublik, one must have a clear understanding of this concept.

For more information on war mechanics you can read the eRep wiki. Alternatively, if you'd like to get involved in the Canadian Armed forces you may do so by applying here for the active platoons. or here for the Reserves.

(At this time we are experiencing some technical difficulties with eRepublik adding links, so you will need to register on the forums to see the above links, or you can PM the editor to receive an active link that will not require registration - thank you).

Economy

The economic model in eRepublik is full of holes, primarily because it revolves around military conflicts. Economic patterns in eRepublik function under fairly basic supply/demand concepts; which in turn are dependent upon war. Consumer goods are limited to those which increase your wellness, and your wellness has a limit (100), therefore without the presence of war the economy typically stagnates (with the exception of food). Given this, our observation at the Synapse has been that most eNations’ economies go through regular market fluctuations in accordance with wartime, and as such, tend to follow a natural rhythm of oversupply/stagnation, undersupply/wartime expenditure, or a boom/bust pattern.

How do we determine the strength of our economy? To paraphrase a number of notable eCanadian economists: the strength of an eNation’s domestic currency is the strength of their economy. The value of the CAD in our case is typically indicative of the strength, or the purchasing power, of our economy. Given that all currencies are measured against the gold standard, the fewer Canadian dollars it costs to purchase 1 gold, the better the strength of the CAD.

Subsequently, the inflation of the dollar can lead to economic failure for an eNation. Increased production costs due to a limited labour pool and a rising cost of labour, limited resources, or a stagnant market, can result in the inflation of the costs of consumer goods. As the prices of goods skyrocket, citizens are forced to purchase more domestic currency (and at times governments simply print more currency) meaning more currency is available. Increased domestic currency on the monetary market results in its value versus gold being less. When the domestic currency further weakens, it means eCanadians (in our case) have less purchasing power internationally. A weak CAD means a weak economy on a global scale.

All of this being said, the editors here at the Synapse are by no means economists, and as such we welcome any corrections or insight the economists of eCanada can provide. For a more detailed look at economic functions in eRepublik make sure and check out Alexander Rearden’s Economic Report.


Politics

As far as eRepublik politics are concerned Thomas Hobbes was right on the mark, they’re “nasty, brutish, and short.” At present there are several major parties in eCanada. The current administration is the Canadian Social Democrats (CSD), followed by the Canadian Empire Party (CEP), the Canadian Confederate Party (CCP), the Bloc Populaire du Quebec (BPQ), and the Progressive Party of Canada (PPC); however we at the Synapse will leave it up to each party to present their individual platforms on their own. As a generality though, politics in eCanada is typically characterized by fierce competition surrounding the period of the federal election (every 5th of the month), mutual understanding and fair cooperation during a term, and then a complete reshuffling the next month when an entirely new party is voted in.

For those interested in politics, it’s wise to first join the party whose platform you feel is best designed for the success of eCanada. Then you can get to know your party members and work with them to develop what eCanadian policy should be (most parties have their own forums where this is done). You can run for congress on the 25th of every month, or you can get in good with your presidential candidate, show your skills and make a bid for the next cabinet. What’s the difference?

The congress, for starters, is a position you’ll be elected for in eRepublik. It allows you to propose laws, such as tax adjustments, and to vote on said laws. Each congressman only has two proposals available to them per term. Major changes in eRepublik must be voted on by the congress, who ideally should be the representatives of the people (like your member of parliament here in RL Canada)

The cabinet is not elected, but appointed by the prime minister and is not specifically supported in eRepublik. Actually, as far as the game mechanics are concerned there is no cabinet, they exist purely outside the framework of the game, and typically operate within the eNations’ forums. What does the cabinet do? It works with the president (prime minister in our case) to set the policies that congress will be voting on, and to run the programs that the government has instituted. In eCanada, the cabinet takes the form of Ministries. We have a Minister of Finance who handles economic policy in eCanada, a Minister of Defence who handles military matters, a Minister of Foreign Affairs, a Minister of Social Services, etc. For more information on specifically eCanadian ministries and cabinet members in general be sure and head over to the eCanada forums at: www.ecanada.forumotion.net.

The most important thing to remember about eRepublik politics is to logon on the 5th of every month and vote. You may not feel that one administration greatly differs from another, but who you choose to be eCanada’s prime minister can have drastically different effects on our eNation. Read the platforms carefully as we approach the fifth and they’re posted in the news, and make sure you vote for the party you feel has the best grasp on what is needed for eCanada to succeed in eRepublik, both in the short, one month term, and in the longer perspective.

Business

In the world of eRepublik there is fierce competition between businesses. Almost everyone, if they play long enough, at some point in time feels the need to throw their hat in the ring and try to run a (or several) profitable business(es). Many scrimp and save their gold achieved from hard worker medals, super soldier awards, and congressional stipends to start or purchase their very own business. Others simply buy the gold outright with RL dollars, and plunge headfirst into the challenging world of business. What does all of this mean for you? It means a typical market is filled with businesses doing the exact same thing you’re doing. It means to start out you’re likely going up against several companies who have already established a system to earn profit, who employ highly skilled workers, and who have the capital to outlast you should the market stagnate.

This paper does not intend to discourage n00bs from starting your businesses, but rather we wish to provide some caution. Before you set out in your business venture, ensure that a) you have researched the market, and you feel that there is sufficient labour available to meet your demands, sufficient demand in the market for your product, and that you have the necessary capital to pay your employees and buy resources (if necessary) for long enough to produce some goods and sell them to earn a return; and b) you won’t overly lament the loss of your gold, should your venture fail.

Finally, a few words on being a General Manager vs. Having an Organizational account. As a citizen of New World you may opt to buy or start your own business, and doing so makes you the General Manager. The biggest benefit of this path is that you earn extra experience for being a general manager, and turning a profit, and your citizen can become known as a great businessman should you succeed. The downside? Being a General Manager is your job, and as such you cannot work for another company (or your own) to earn extra income. In addition, if you wish to move to a foreign country, perhaps for a vacation or as part of your military requirements, you must first sell your company.

Starting your own Organization, and then having that organization start the company has other advantages. First, if you’re running a business through the organization, then you’re free to have your citizen work for whomever you please (another company or your own). You’re also free to move around the world as you wish, or alternative you can move your organization to foreign country and start a business there, while you reside in your home eNation. The downside? No extra experience awards and starting an organization before starting a company will mean you’ll need an extra 5 gold in start up costs.


Foreign Affairs (Social Networking)

Relations with foreign nations are most typically done out of game (like most government programs) through social networking mediums such as IRC chat or private forum boards. If eRepublik is akin to a massive multiplayer online version of Risk, then Foreign Affairs is the whispered alliances, the blustering boasts of superiority, and the attempts to rationalize and persuade your friends to your perspective as you sit around the living room table. The “social strategy simulation” game concept of eRepublik comes to life as eGovernments attempt to deal with one another. In foreign affairs, like in Risk, it is the social connection that makes all the difference – best friends form alliances, the most experienced players quickly try and persuade the novice ones to their side, one player quietly denies alliances with an overconfident air of superiority (he always ultimately fails). It’s for this reason that the most experienced players in eRepublik typically fall into one of the most important roles in government, and it is for experience handling foreign relations that most presidents are chosen.

The reason for this dependence on experienced players is not so much their vast knowledge of the inner workings of eRepublik so much as it is simply the time they’ve put into the game. Time has provided them with the opportunities to meet politicians in other countries, get to know them, establish a relationship, and earn their trust.

As a relative n00b to eRepublik you’ve likely met a few people, and made a few social connections with other citizens already, although,\ you’re likely a long way off from being able to manage foreign politics. If the global arena does appeal to you however, the Synapse advises you first to sign on to the eNation’s national forums (eCanada’s @ www.ecanada.forumotion.com), read the posts, make your own, get involved and to sign onto your nation’s IRC chat (eCanada’s @ irc.coldfront.ecanada, or click the link on the forums). Secondly, you should become more aware of the international scene by reading foreign nations’ newspapers and commenting on them, as well as logging onto foreign nations’ IRC chats. Finally, contact your current Foreign Affairs Minister, and see if there’s any help you can offer him or any further suggestions he can give.


Role-Playing vs. Metagaming.

Finally, here at the Synapse we believe that eRep can and probably should to some extent, be role-played. It’s fun to pretend you’re Count Von Lictinstein, a businessman, media mogul, master politician, war hero, or heartless mercenary, but we’ve found that staying “in character” in eRep often leads to marginal success (and with so much talk about game bugs, etc it makes it really hard). A wise n00b (now there’s an oxymoron!) will have a solid understanding of the basics (work, train, fight), will have fun with their character and role-play a bit, and then will pursue an understanding of such things as game mechanics (productivity calculators for the businessmen or fight calculator both here, an updated currency lists here top paying jobs worldwide here, etc.) and gain the knowledge that to be successful in a game, you have to play the game in the framework that’s been provided for you.

We at the Synapse hope this has helped to broaden your perspective on exactly what that framework is. Feel free to leave a comment if you disagree or want to emphasize some aspect of this article, or if you feel a valuable piece of information is missing. With support from the community this article may be updated as needed.



The Synapse: Making Connections in your eWorld.