Join the new world

October 19, 2011 marked my second complete year here in the game. I don’t know if that’s really something to brag about (responses to my shout suggest it’s not) but I can honestly say that in that time I’ve seen and done many things that have shaped my view of the game today.

Think back to your first few weeks in the game. What are some things that stick out to you? I can list a few fun things that were true then but less so today:

Seeing someone with more than 20 strength was impressive.
If 1 gold on the MM was above $70 it was unusual.
Fighting more than five times per day was almost unheard of.
You only ate one piece of food per day, and it was done automatically.
Surveys paid you gold

The list could go on, but that’s not really the focus of the article. One thing that seems to remain despite the changes that the game has undergone is the concept of making your own place and fun within the game. Certain things aren’t for everyone, but there is something here for each of us depending on what we want to do. I encourage people to get out and see the many aspects of the game, branch out, try something different, and see what else this game has for you.

There are still aspects of the game today that remain as vital now as they have been in my time here, and they offer different ways to play. I’d like to mention my own experiences that have been important to my time here, serve some kind of personal accomplishment, or seemed worthy of inclusion.

Military Service
I applied to the eUS Military back in December of 2009 and that is one of the biggest and best things that I feel I’ve done here. No matter what your stance is on current issues, the eUS Military has played an important role in our nation’s development, and it’s played a central role in my own experience.

I’ve been privileged to have the chance to serve in the Training Corps in a variety of positions beyond my initial expectations progressing from executive officer of the 305th platoon, executive officer of the 321st platoon, CO of the 303rd platoon, CO of Alpha Company, CO of Bravo Company, junior personnel officer, and transfer officer.



The people really make the experience. I have been able to work with many great individuals and teams in my time. It would take another whole article to mention everyone by name, but you know who you are. The military is a family atmosphere where we share accomplishments and have the chance to work together toward a shared vision. At times it really seems like the eUS Military is what I’m here for, and eRepublik just facilitates our interactions.

The bottom line: try it. Of course I’ll recommend the place to start is the Training Corps. Really the big thing is to experience the community atmosphere and take the war module of the game in new directions, so the USAF or another militia should offer similar experiences, the important and fun thing is the ability to work together. It’s more fun to watch the coordinated damage of a team than it is to put up solo numbers.


Congress
I’m also able to say that thanks to the support of the Federalist Party I have been able to serve a total of four terms in congress. History might say that I wasn’t the best congressman, but it offers new ways to look at the inner workings of the government.

Back when I was in office some of the things that stuck out were the tremendous level of procedure that has been developed, the amount of time people put into politics, and at times the challenge of getting into the game. With the highly structured atmosphere it can appear daunting to establish yourself as someone who is active. I faced the challenge of seeing both sides of the issue. If you’re too vocal you risk incurring the ire of experienced politicians when you "don’t know what you’re talking about" and if you don’t say enough you’re declared inactive and a poor congressman.

That said I am glad I had the chance to see and experience it. You develop a new understanding of how the nation runs and you see that there are things discussed that regular citizens take for granted and only realize in their absence.

While I have no immediate plans to seek reelection I encourage everyone to give it a try and figure it out for yourself. There are many great political figures to learn from, so talk to your political party to see what you can do in congress.


Business
The economic module was the main reason I started the game two years ago. I had dreams of amassing wealth and experiencing the varied economic details this game offered. Exports, taxes, wages, and all the other fun things to consider were present. Can I say I was successful? Not really in the wealth category, but the experience was fun and there are still new economic things to pursue.

New players already have a battery of businesses at your disposal, so my advice is almost a socially expected course of action to develop your businesses so you can better contribute to the other areas of the game.


Other Things
One part of the game that I’ve been focusing on is not really one that seems to get much attention, the hard worker achievement. I have 24 hard worker trophies and a current days worked streak of 732 days. There are probably others who’ve got me beat, but I like to think that this is still competitive.



The fun things here is that all it takes is a few clicks and you’re done. True I’ve been to the game daily for two years, but by no means have I devoted hours every day to the endeavor. Some days I have simply logged on, worked, trained, and left. In, out, check email, and get on with the day. This is almost the epitome of casual gameplay.

My recommendation here is twofold. First, look for things in the game that you want to shoot for, and then go after them. Set a goal that you feel is worth accomplishing. You want a hard worker achievement, to reach the $10,000 mark, to have 2,000 strength? Maybe you want as many subscribers as possible (you can tell based on my media presence/ability that I’m not in this category). Whatever the case, do it. It doesn’t require much each day and if it’s fun for you then all the better.

The second part of my recommendation (not really in priority order) is to be sure RL maintains its proper place in your priorities. Sure I managed to work every day here, but I would hope most of us agree that any real-life accomplishment or opportunity comes first. In real life I haven’t missed a day of work in six years, so here I’m just extending my drive in game form. I also graduated college with a 4.0 GPA while still playing the game daily. However I’m not about to spend copious amounts of time on a game every day. Nothing against anyone who chooses to, but I think it’s better to keep it all in perspective.

As was mentioned to me in response to my shout, "The sky is blue" and "the sun is yellow."

One fun thing to note is that for most of you this is probably the most you’ve ever seen me say. I’ve been here for two years, literally every day, and most who do know me also know that I’m happy to leave things unsaid if they aren’t needed. Not that this article was exactly needed, but this is another experience as far as I see it. Now I can say I’ve published an article about my first two years here.

Look for your own experiences. What can you say you’ve done and where do you want to go from here?