[GBM] Πολιτεία
Day 2,560, 12:51
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Published in USA 
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by
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by Paul Proteus
This edition of Goodbye Blue Monday is brought to you with contributions from Gnilraps, Aramec, and Azazel Romanov. Enjoy~
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And, as always, Mood Musik. I actually have a lot of fun picking these.
You may not have noticed, but since coming back I've been publishing at a slightly more frantic rate than I'm used to. I plan to keep that up as long as I can. The Media Module has always been one of my favorite aspects of the game, and has also, especially as of late, been neglected by admins and players alike.
Nearing my 5 year anniversary of joining the new world, I find myself reflecting on why exactly I've spent so much time playing a game that can generously be described as frustrating; and my conclusion, at least in part, has a lot to do with the Media, one of the few aspects of the game I've never tired of. From my days steps playing, I've always admired the great writers of the game, and emulated them (rea
Especially in recent days, as the top 5 is inundated with party platforms and idle writing backed by the might of hundreds of unearned votes, I feel somewhat of a responsibility to repay my debt to eSociety. And as Thanksgiving approaches, let me express what I'm thankful for in eRepublik; let me express my thanks that good writers still exist, and regularly put me to shame, and let me express my thanks, that in spite of everything, the media module lives.
And for all these reasons I have decided to punish you and publish this article
That, then, will be the focus of this article. And I don't know a better way to show my appreciation for the great writers left in eRep than to trick them into writing my paper for me, so that's exactly what I did.
Without further ado, our main feature; I'd rather not call it an interview, rather, think of it as a dialogue.
Πολιτεία
Paul Proteus: One could say you've played eRepublik for a long time, what do you find rewarding in the game that keeps you involved, even as the game itself wanes?
Aramec: People. Community. As it always has been. I was on IRC the other day, #fedpartychat, and I saw Arrden talking with gent by the name of kimi. Now, for those who don't know, Arrden's old. And this guy, the other one he was talking with, he was young. And they're both talking about some silly thing, Batman and Superman, who's better and all that. And kimi's giving his opinion, and Arrden's refuting it, and back and forth, and I just sat there and watched. You've got two people, with easily 50 years between them, engaging with one another in an IRC chat room about Batman and Superman. Where else? That's what I keep thinking. The anonymity allowed by our avatars, by our personas, is an amazing gift of interaction. Always has been. And it's moments like those that remind me of why I keep coming back here.
Basically a metaphor for life
Azazel Romanov: Staying around for others and pushing for the best of their efforts is one of the main reasons I stay. I also like being involved in the process, whether that is a big part or a small part. I'm not really interested in furthering my own interest anymore since I've already been to the top and back, but doing something big for the country always leaves me with some feeling that continued involvement should be expected of me. I like providing an example that doing all you can do doesn't mean doing all that you should do. It's good to see younger players achieve more, and know that occasionally I had an influence on them to reach new heights. Many of my cabinet became presidents themselves and its always cool to see a team you assembled still active in affairs.
Gnilraps: There isn’t just one thing.
A primary reason has to do with investment. I’ve invested 5+ years here and a little bit of RL money (I am Platinum closing in on Diamond). So it would take a lot to get me to walk away entirely. That said, the game has gotten so stupid about some things lately that I have not found a reason to spend any of my RL money for about the last 8 months or so.
A secondary reason has to do with the dynamics of the Media. Writing is something I do professionally, so to be able to relax my craft and have fun with it in this pseudo-real environment is completely fun for me.
Another secondary reason is the sense of responsibility I feel towards the people I play with. This is a game, true, but gamers are real people, and we take our games seriously. So I feel something akin to love for the people I play eRepublik with. I love my Military Unit, my Party, my Country, and bunches of other people who have nothing to do with any of those three things. For instance, I watch ClopoyaurTV regularly - it is a Twitch feed from a fairly prominent Romanian player. That community is filled with “enemies” of eUSA, but when we gather on ClopoTV we all are friends. I guess that is what it is… I am friends with all you bastards. I actually love you.
Paul Proteus: Azazel, Aramec, you currently play with a different account than you first started with, what made you decide to "restart", has it provided a different experience than you would have had if you had stuck with your first account?
Aramec: I did it for two reasons: get away from the stigma of my old profile, Athanaric, and relive that fresh experience of being treated like a new player. And it was great on both accounts. The Feds took me in, I joined the military, and a Malarkey83 - a guy I had once tutored in the ways of the game - mentored me as a new player. It was an incredible experience, actually. Very cleansing. And it was really nice. In hindsight, I had always had this idea that I would somehow get to be CP without revealing my identity, have this great term, and then reveal that I'd been Athanaric all along. That'd have been pretty great. But I'm also alright with the way it turned out. And, once I had revealed who I was, it was nice to be back with friends who I had once had. It was an odd transformation; no regrets.
Rare shot of Aramec and Azazel's old boy band, now they're both serious musicians
Azazel Romanov: I didn't like the career I had built on my old profile, and I wanted to start off fresh again. I was pretty involved in eUS affairs on my old profile but always hit a ceiling that I couldn't pass. I also had a tendency to quit and restart and I didn't want to be associated with that habit anymore. I wanted a more serious persona that would have their word reach people more effectively, since I literally grew up with eRep. For those who don't know, I started eRep when I was about 16, and now I'm 22. I wanted a new profile to reflect this change in maturity, which may seem kind of weird, but looking back at the things I used to say and how I presented myself kind of disgusted me. It appears my change did pay off in the end.
Paul Proteus: The state of the Media has never been particularly strong, and many have pointed to the practice of "vote buying" as part of the cause. Do you see vote-buying as propagating laziness in writing or as democratizing the media?
Azazel Romanov: It depends on the use I suppose. I always wanted merit to be met with merit. If an article is good enough, it should be able to accumulate votes on its own, but I have never seen buying votes for a good article as a bad thing. If its spam or something that is pretty terrible, buying votes for it to pass better media should be considered a sin. In the end though, it's allowed and can be used as a tool, so I can't completely dismiss it no matter what my feelings are.
I find your lack of strong opinions on every single topic I ask about disconcerting.
Aramec: Vote buying is vote buying. It's a tool like anything else. It isn't inherently good or evil. I've seen wealthy players hoard votes for their articles; they can afford it. I've seen others spend the money they have to buy votes for an article they really love, or for one of their friends. I've been on both sides of it. I've never understood why people are against it. Why it's seen as this taboo thing. If you don't like bigwigs voting their articles, combat it. Buy votes for the ones you want. Use the tool. Vote buying has never been part of the problem. There have been much worse ones than that that killed the media module. But endorsements are a nice step in the direction. So, I would urge people; give money to the writers you like. Buy votes for the articles you love. Show some appreciation for the work that's put in. Because the media has always been the bridge between meta and mechanics.
Gnilraps: I guess since you let me off the hook with question 2, you decided to go right after me in question 3… Yes, I am somewhat known for decrying the practice of vote buying.
To be completely transparent about it, the only reason I hate it is because it makes it harder to get my articles into the top 5 news list. Outside of that I wouldn’t care too much. I have petitioned Admin with a couple of ideas as to how to get the vote buying limited, but I am fully aware that I am talking to a brick wall there. Does it “democratize” the media? Absolutely. And just like how democracy leads to a tyranny of the majority, vote buying also creates a tyranny. Joe eCitizen can buy votes for his boobs articles twice a day every day. I wonder if some better players would stick around if the “top 5” media actually reflected the best-loved 5 articles at any given moment? Sometimes you have to hunt too hard for something worth reading.
That said, I don’t know that vote-buying is a cause for the sorry state of the Media in eRepublik. I have recently been developing my thesis that Plato’s tinkerings have replaced true cultural diversity in eRepublik, and writing about the latest CrapZooka or Ball-Kicker award (how in the hell did Plato ever come up with that?) is exponentially more boring than writing about SEES or the OMS or something organic to the game. Aside from the general lack of good authors, Plato is the main reason the Media is not better… and in my opinion, Plato is also to blame for the general lack of good authors too.
Paul Proteus: What is the most fun you've had playing eRep? What accomplishment are you most proud of? Do you play with the hope of reaching that high again? To what extent, do you think, does nostalgia factor into the eRepublik experience?
Aramec: Most fun? S.E.E.S., hands down. Also, that night we kept iNCi from taking over congress. Being MoFA under Naz was pretty cool, getting to see a side of the game I never had before. The accomplishment I'm most proud of? To be quite honest, I haven't accomplished much. I tore down the UIP, but there's very little pride there anymore, as often as I joke about it. I think the biggest accomplishment I have is less concrete than a medal or an event. Just hearing people speak well of my writing has always been a great reward for me. In truth, I'm actually very critical of myself, and eRepublik has helped me foster my voice and style greatly, allowing me to go on and even get published for plays I've written in real life. So, that growth will probably always be my greatest achievement. In terms of hopes, CP one day? Lol. I joke, but I think my time is long passed by now, and I'm alright with that. It's just nice being back with friends again. And in re nostalgia, I think it factors greatly. It's a retention tool. People come back, think about the good old days. I keep playing in the hopes of seeing someone or some group recapture that former glory of the past. I keep hoping, and I keep playing.
It's almost like Aramec wrote an article about this. Hmm.
Gnilraps: I recently wrote about Congressional Election day under the old system, particularly the final hours before reset. That is near the top of my fun. Running for President - whether it be for a Party or for the Nation… that is a blast. Actually running the Nation is not as fun as campaigning is, though it is also up there. Co-Hosting eNPR with Melissa Rose is a top 5 highlight for me… too bad we couldn’t have done that together in person… that might have gotten TOTALLY out of control. Beating Ajay for Party President of the RLC party, and subsequently forming it into We The People and having it survive. That is a major highlight. The years I spent with the Federalists were awesome. I still love that Party. I had a ton of fun as Secretary of Media and as Vice President - I took both of those jobs very seriously.
And yes, it is always in my mind to return to super-high activity in this game. There isn’t anything else quite like it. nostalgia isn’t really it for me, it is more a hope that something totally new can happen. And I am working on something even now that, who knows… maybe it will be great?
Azazel Romanov: The most fun I have had was being President and CoT MC while serving as MoFA for the eUS. Both times I basically shed my persona as purely a writer to be a leader, conduct foreign affairs, or actually plan battles. The last of which I never thought I would be involved with, it just sort of happened by pure luck and circumstance. I had been thrown into foreign affairs expecting to be slowly introduced to the world rather than immediately becoming a major player for an entire alliance. Even though CoT was hitting its limits when I arrived, making connections around the world with enemies and allies was something I had never done. I am most proud of becoming president after winning a 5-way race and fostering the foundations alongside Josh Frost and Wild Owl for what the nation has become today. I don't know if I'd ever become President again or even serve as a top cabinet official, but past actions do factor into how much I feel I should continue being involved in some way.
Paul Proteus: What, in your opinion, is the single greatest problem in politics in the eUS today?
Aramec: Bitterness and insularity. We've surrendered, given up hope. We see the game's ending, recognize the ways in which it differs from our previous experiences. And we tried to make it better, there were efforts. But ultimately, in each of our own quiet ways, we accepted that the decline of this game was inevitable. Something beyond our control. And it's easy to see why. Recruiting for this game basically comes to lying or blatantly withholding the truth about it. The game itself is lacking in anything the common man would define as fun. Button-clicking can be addictive, certainly, but the only fun that remains to be had is in the meta. So recruitment shut down, retention shut down, and we're left with all the die hards. The people who are about this game, and who have been about it for a while. And they know how to play, and what should be done, and what shouldn't. The rules of interaction have now been made to clear to them; there isn't any room for dissenting opinion. So we tried to streamline the way we do things, find the right way. But in that pursuit, we lost the heart of why we keep coming back.
In the pursuit of correct, mechanical playing, we lost the joy of playing.
So now, we've got this nice little island that runs perfectly, efficiently, and handful of kings claiming to be lord of it. New things are wrong, dangerous. We're afraid. We don't want to take risks and lose what little left we have, but I'm of the opinion that that's the only way anything will ever change. With so little left to lose, we shouldn't be so afraid to lose it. Shouldn't this be the part of the movie where we go all out? Where, with our backs against the wall and nowhere but up to go, we reach for it? That's opinion, and I've been called a naive idealist before. It's probably just a dumb idea anyhow.
Gnilraps: There are not enough citizens.
I don’t think there is any great problem other than simply too small a pool of people to have a decently interesting political climate. And of course when there are fewer people in the mix, those who remain and have power become demagogues and authoritarian and despotic. This too can be fun, but when there aren’t enough people to raise a resistance, it can lead to apathy in some, rage in others, and despair (i.e. quitting) in still others.
We have to remember that what passes for politics in this game has almost nothing to do with policy - though there is some room for variance there. It has mostly to do with popularity. But in a crowd of three, it only takes two to be the most popular.
Artists rendition of #USA on a good day
Azazel Romanov: The greatest problem in politics is the lack of constant progression and debate. It's a long time complaint that cabinets look very similar one term to the next or that we like to make sure certain things stay in the right hands. While this ensures each month is stable to the next, we prevent anyone else from learning how to play the right way to take over. We also stifle dissenting opinion quite a bit which is why almost every party in the eUS has similar politics or positions. Though this is just my opinion, and we may never know exactly what the solution is to the current state of affairs.
Paul Proteus: Who are your favorite writers from eRepublik history? What did they do that made their content interesting
Aramec: Sam Wystan was the greatest writer in this country's history, no doubt about it. He was a guy who got satire, and drove it home. Again and again, he'd publish. Not for politics, but sometimes for politics. Not for just making noise, but sometimes for just doing that. Great writing holds up a mirror, helps you see a part of yourself you weren't looking at or thinking about before. Sam did that. Go check out his paper. It was great. There were other good ones. Emerick always had something interesting to say. There was a guy with balls. ligtreb was always a favorite of mine. There were quite a few others. Go search for em.
Interview me like one of your French girls
Gnilraps: Everyone knows I loved Chutley. He was a pro-level comedian. Emerick was inspiring in his propaganda. Ditto Glove. Israel Stevens is a great beat writer… I love it when he covers a story. Ian Keers. Jon Malcolm wasn’t a great writer, but he wrote a great paper. I like reading Franklin Stone. NueveOcho and his Polandballs. Bucephalus92. Everything Kemal publishes is mandatory reading. There was this Canadian dude named Uncle Buck. Your paper, Aramec’s paper the old NAZ paper (that is how he spelled it, right?). There’s others.
Azazel Romanov: That is incredibly hard to say. There are a lot of older writers like Jewitt, Lieutenant Scheisskopf, or Guldan Draak that wrote articles I really enjoyed to read. In my new incarnation I really liked the articles written by fingerguns and Israel Stevens. They reported on different sorts of things but all found ways of writing that resonated with people and made whatever case they were making interesting and compelling.
Now, everyone change positions~
Gnilraps: OK Paul, what 2 things - not RL related - would cause you to quit eRepublik for good?
Paul Proteus: That's a good question. Honestly, I stay, in part, because I have made so many friendships in the game. If there was a mass exodus and I came back unable to recognize anyone in office, or in the media I doubt I'd have much of a reason to come back. A second would probably be if I thought there was no chance left to make a difference in the game, if I thought people weren't reading my articles, and elections throughout were completely predetermined, then the game would really end for me. But as long as I can come back to friends I've had for years on IRC and at least create the illusion of efficacy for myself, you probably won't be able to get rid of me for long.
Gnilraps: Looking back, what are your biggest regrets in your eLife?
Paul Proteus: That's a tough one, and really is something I've thought about a lot. There have been times when I've invested myself into this game more than was probably emotionally healthy, and I wish at the time I had more perspective, however what really bothers me have been the times I've made commitments, and felt like I shirked them and let people down. My term as POTUS would be an example, where due to a myriad of RL and IG reasons I disengaged and the results of that were pretty obvious.
And yet this gif does nothing to combat the massive armies of text
Ultimately, I've enjoyed my time playing eRep, which I view as a feat in itself, and regardless of having made several decisions I probably wouldn't have now, I can't say I really regret how I've played the game. I've tried to be a relatively positive person and have a positive impact on a game that's often defined by negativity, and in that regard I'm very happy with how I've played.
Azazel Romanov: What made you pick us?
Paul Proteus: Honestly, I was looking at what media was being published, and what I enjoyed, and Gnilraps and Aramec have both been on fire, so I decided to create a dialogue of sorts with the writers still around whom I enjoy and admire the most. I added you to the list because your paper has always been a favorite of mine from back when we were still in the Libs. In a lot of ways, the whole enterprise was very selfish.
Aramec: Why do you keep writing?
Paul Proteus: That's a good question, in part it's probably a bit of an ego thing, I'm not a good writer by any means but putting anything out there that people at least pretend to appreciate is a good feeling. I really am a fan of the new endorsement feature. Ultimately though, I keep writing because it's one of the few aspects of this game that I can always come back to, no matter how long I've been gone, and challenge myself, to write something funny, or anything at all, in a way that is really satisfying.
In that regard, for me, the Media Module is actually the only functional part of the game left.
I'm guessing CSRF attack
Gnilraps: What three players do you really hope will write an extensive ememoir (à la Bradley Reala)? Why pick those three?
Paul Proteus: Oh that's rough, honestly there aren't as many players around who I really find as interesting, for better or for worse. Pfeiffer's would be an interesting read for sure, though it would require more honesty than I imagine anyone who still hopes to matter in politics would be willing to include to be worth anything at all. I don't know if he's written anything of the sort, but I imagine Civil Anarchy could write a fascinating memoir, in part because of his experiences, but also just because he's a great writer and honestly that matters more to me in terms of producing an ememoir that's actually readable.
Honestly, I'd like to read a tell-all from you Gnilraps, you've been around quite some time and on more than one occasion I've wondered what you've thought about the situations unfolding around you. If you ever do write one, let me know
EDIT: I am herein commissioning a memoir on the From Swag to Riches story of Tenshibo. Make it so.
Aramec: Where do you see the game going from here?
Paul Proteus: I don't think I'm alone in viewing the game as dying, though my predictions tend to be more dire than accurate, in part due to the cynicism one develops after playing for such a long time.
I don't really see that as a problem though, as the game dies we still have time to derive our own fun from it. In some ways, the waning of the game actually allows us to do some pretty interesting things we weren't able to do when it was thriving.
Are we there yet?
Aramec: And a leaf out of your book.
Who are your favorite writers from eRepublik history? What did they do that made their content interesting
Paul Proteus: Ah, I'm going to sound repetitive now that you got to answer first, especially when I choose Sam Wystan as my all time favorite. To me, reading the Fieldist was really revelatory in what could be done in what honestly seems the least important format in eRep.
To me, that's what separates great writing in this game, from the decent fare most elite players are capable of, being able to force the reader to interact with your writing more than just as a source of information.
In addition to that, though, I loved Hadrian's interviews simply because he was able to make interviews interesting, I've always enjoyed your work as well. Nobody does war maps like Scheisskopf did, and Naz's, Ligtreb's and Israel's work has always appealed to me as well.
Azazel Romanov: What style of writing do you think is most lacking right now in eRep, and how can we get it back?
Paul Proteus: I think we're unfortunately past the point where I can point out a style as lacking. I'd love to say we need more satire, or more war reporting, but we need everything.
The best thing anyone reading this can do is to write an article that passionately makes a point. Any point. With few notable exceptions, Media has become dominated simply by Parties and MUs recruiting and doing fundraisers. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not balanced out by the individual voices that used to define the media. So, to answer your question, what's lacking most right now is individuality, and the only way we can get it back is to write, even if only for the sake of writing.
Azazel Romanov: How do we encourage people to keep writing and playing the game?
Paul Proteus: That's difficult, and it's been difficult even when this game was running at full steam. I've always believed that the best thing we can do to keep people interested and engaged, whether in writing, or in anything else, is to recognize them. New players don't simply want tanks, they want to feel special, and as we continue to commoditize every new player as a cog in insert party here we'll never get them hooked on the game.
That's why I love the endorsement feature really, it makes it so easy to publicly recognize good writing. It's definitely too little too late but the idea of rewarding good writing with such public appreciation is something I think is essential, and I encourage all of you to endorse every good article you see, even if it's just 5 USD, it will, at the very least, make a difference to someone foolish enough to write in this game.
Dear diary: writing is hard.
That's all for today, hopefully my next article will be a bit shorter~
Here's your Moment of Zen
Seems fitting~
Also, I bet your MU can't into space...
Broforce can~
Until next time,
And, as always, Mood Musik. I actually have a lot of fun picking these.
You may not have noticed, but since coming back I've been publishing at a slightly more frantic rate than I'm used to. I plan to keep that up as long as I can. The Media Module has always been one of my favorite aspects of the game, and has also, especially as of late, been neglected by admins and players alike.
Nearing my 5 year anniversary of joining the new world, I find myself reflecting on why exactly I've spent so much time playing a game that can generously be described as frustrating; and my conclusion, at least in part, has a lot to do with the Media, one of the few aspects of the game I've never tired of. From my days steps playing, I've always admired the great writers of the game, and emulated them (rea
😛stole their styles) carefully, from Wystan's satire to Hadrian's interviews and NewAzazel's analytical essays; I doubt I would have lasted as long as I have without them.
Especially in recent days, as the top 5 is inundated with party platforms and idle writing backed by the might of hundreds of unearned votes, I feel somewhat of a responsibility to repay my debt to eSociety. And as Thanksgiving approaches, let me express what I'm thankful for in eRepublik; let me express my thanks that good writers still exist, and regularly put me to shame, and let me express my thanks, that in spite of everything, the media module lives.
And for all these reasons I have decided to punish you and publish this article
That, then, will be the focus of this article. And I don't know a better way to show my appreciation for the great writers left in eRep than to trick them into writing my paper for me, so that's exactly what I did.
Without further ado, our main feature; I'd rather not call it an interview, rather, think of it as a dialogue.
Πολιτεία
Paul Proteus: One could say you've played eRepublik for a long time, what do you find rewarding in the game that keeps you involved, even as the game itself wanes?
Aramec: People. Community. As it always has been. I was on IRC the other day, #fedpartychat, and I saw Arrden talking with gent by the name of kimi. Now, for those who don't know, Arrden's old. And this guy, the other one he was talking with, he was young. And they're both talking about some silly thing, Batman and Superman, who's better and all that. And kimi's giving his opinion, and Arrden's refuting it, and back and forth, and I just sat there and watched. You've got two people, with easily 50 years between them, engaging with one another in an IRC chat room about Batman and Superman. Where else? That's what I keep thinking. The anonymity allowed by our avatars, by our personas, is an amazing gift of interaction. Always has been. And it's moments like those that remind me of why I keep coming back here.
Basically a metaphor for life
Azazel Romanov: Staying around for others and pushing for the best of their efforts is one of the main reasons I stay. I also like being involved in the process, whether that is a big part or a small part. I'm not really interested in furthering my own interest anymore since I've already been to the top and back, but doing something big for the country always leaves me with some feeling that continued involvement should be expected of me. I like providing an example that doing all you can do doesn't mean doing all that you should do. It's good to see younger players achieve more, and know that occasionally I had an influence on them to reach new heights. Many of my cabinet became presidents themselves and its always cool to see a team you assembled still active in affairs.
Gnilraps: There isn’t just one thing.
A primary reason has to do with investment. I’ve invested 5+ years here and a little bit of RL money (I am Platinum closing in on Diamond). So it would take a lot to get me to walk away entirely. That said, the game has gotten so stupid about some things lately that I have not found a reason to spend any of my RL money for about the last 8 months or so.
A secondary reason has to do with the dynamics of the Media. Writing is something I do professionally, so to be able to relax my craft and have fun with it in this pseudo-real environment is completely fun for me.
Another secondary reason is the sense of responsibility I feel towards the people I play with. This is a game, true, but gamers are real people, and we take our games seriously. So I feel something akin to love for the people I play eRepublik with. I love my Military Unit, my Party, my Country, and bunches of other people who have nothing to do with any of those three things. For instance, I watch ClopoyaurTV regularly - it is a Twitch feed from a fairly prominent Romanian player. That community is filled with “enemies” of eUSA, but when we gather on ClopoTV we all are friends. I guess that is what it is… I am friends with all you bastards. I actually love you.
Paul Proteus: Azazel, Aramec, you currently play with a different account than you first started with, what made you decide to "restart", has it provided a different experience than you would have had if you had stuck with your first account?
Aramec: I did it for two reasons: get away from the stigma of my old profile, Athanaric, and relive that fresh experience of being treated like a new player. And it was great on both accounts. The Feds took me in, I joined the military, and a Malarkey83 - a guy I had once tutored in the ways of the game - mentored me as a new player. It was an incredible experience, actually. Very cleansing. And it was really nice. In hindsight, I had always had this idea that I would somehow get to be CP without revealing my identity, have this great term, and then reveal that I'd been Athanaric all along. That'd have been pretty great. But I'm also alright with the way it turned out. And, once I had revealed who I was, it was nice to be back with friends who I had once had. It was an odd transformation; no regrets.
Rare shot of Aramec and Azazel's old boy band, now they're both serious musicians
Azazel Romanov: I didn't like the career I had built on my old profile, and I wanted to start off fresh again. I was pretty involved in eUS affairs on my old profile but always hit a ceiling that I couldn't pass. I also had a tendency to quit and restart and I didn't want to be associated with that habit anymore. I wanted a more serious persona that would have their word reach people more effectively, since I literally grew up with eRep. For those who don't know, I started eRep when I was about 16, and now I'm 22. I wanted a new profile to reflect this change in maturity, which may seem kind of weird, but looking back at the things I used to say and how I presented myself kind of disgusted me. It appears my change did pay off in the end.
Paul Proteus: The state of the Media has never been particularly strong, and many have pointed to the practice of "vote buying" as part of the cause. Do you see vote-buying as propagating laziness in writing or as democratizing the media?
Azazel Romanov: It depends on the use I suppose. I always wanted merit to be met with merit. If an article is good enough, it should be able to accumulate votes on its own, but I have never seen buying votes for a good article as a bad thing. If its spam or something that is pretty terrible, buying votes for it to pass better media should be considered a sin. In the end though, it's allowed and can be used as a tool, so I can't completely dismiss it no matter what my feelings are.
I find your lack of strong opinions on every single topic I ask about disconcerting.
Aramec: Vote buying is vote buying. It's a tool like anything else. It isn't inherently good or evil. I've seen wealthy players hoard votes for their articles; they can afford it. I've seen others spend the money they have to buy votes for an article they really love, or for one of their friends. I've been on both sides of it. I've never understood why people are against it. Why it's seen as this taboo thing. If you don't like bigwigs voting their articles, combat it. Buy votes for the ones you want. Use the tool. Vote buying has never been part of the problem. There have been much worse ones than that that killed the media module. But endorsements are a nice step in the direction. So, I would urge people; give money to the writers you like. Buy votes for the articles you love. Show some appreciation for the work that's put in. Because the media has always been the bridge between meta and mechanics.
Gnilraps: I guess since you let me off the hook with question 2, you decided to go right after me in question 3… Yes, I am somewhat known for decrying the practice of vote buying.
To be completely transparent about it, the only reason I hate it is because it makes it harder to get my articles into the top 5 news list. Outside of that I wouldn’t care too much. I have petitioned Admin with a couple of ideas as to how to get the vote buying limited, but I am fully aware that I am talking to a brick wall there. Does it “democratize” the media? Absolutely. And just like how democracy leads to a tyranny of the majority, vote buying also creates a tyranny. Joe eCitizen can buy votes for his boobs articles twice a day every day. I wonder if some better players would stick around if the “top 5” media actually reflected the best-loved 5 articles at any given moment? Sometimes you have to hunt too hard for something worth reading.
That said, I don’t know that vote-buying is a cause for the sorry state of the Media in eRepublik. I have recently been developing my thesis that Plato’s tinkerings have replaced true cultural diversity in eRepublik, and writing about the latest CrapZooka or Ball-Kicker award (how in the hell did Plato ever come up with that?) is exponentially more boring than writing about SEES or the OMS or something organic to the game. Aside from the general lack of good authors, Plato is the main reason the Media is not better… and in my opinion, Plato is also to blame for the general lack of good authors too.
Paul Proteus: What is the most fun you've had playing eRep? What accomplishment are you most proud of? Do you play with the hope of reaching that high again? To what extent, do you think, does nostalgia factor into the eRepublik experience?
Aramec: Most fun? S.E.E.S., hands down. Also, that night we kept iNCi from taking over congress. Being MoFA under Naz was pretty cool, getting to see a side of the game I never had before. The accomplishment I'm most proud of? To be quite honest, I haven't accomplished much. I tore down the UIP, but there's very little pride there anymore, as often as I joke about it. I think the biggest accomplishment I have is less concrete than a medal or an event. Just hearing people speak well of my writing has always been a great reward for me. In truth, I'm actually very critical of myself, and eRepublik has helped me foster my voice and style greatly, allowing me to go on and even get published for plays I've written in real life. So, that growth will probably always be my greatest achievement. In terms of hopes, CP one day? Lol. I joke, but I think my time is long passed by now, and I'm alright with that. It's just nice being back with friends again. And in re nostalgia, I think it factors greatly. It's a retention tool. People come back, think about the good old days. I keep playing in the hopes of seeing someone or some group recapture that former glory of the past. I keep hoping, and I keep playing.
It's almost like Aramec wrote an article about this. Hmm.
Gnilraps: I recently wrote about Congressional Election day under the old system, particularly the final hours before reset. That is near the top of my fun. Running for President - whether it be for a Party or for the Nation… that is a blast. Actually running the Nation is not as fun as campaigning is, though it is also up there. Co-Hosting eNPR with Melissa Rose is a top 5 highlight for me… too bad we couldn’t have done that together in person… that might have gotten TOTALLY out of control. Beating Ajay for Party President of the RLC party, and subsequently forming it into We The People and having it survive. That is a major highlight. The years I spent with the Federalists were awesome. I still love that Party. I had a ton of fun as Secretary of Media and as Vice President - I took both of those jobs very seriously.
And yes, it is always in my mind to return to super-high activity in this game. There isn’t anything else quite like it. nostalgia isn’t really it for me, it is more a hope that something totally new can happen. And I am working on something even now that, who knows… maybe it will be great?
Azazel Romanov: The most fun I have had was being President and CoT MC while serving as MoFA for the eUS. Both times I basically shed my persona as purely a writer to be a leader, conduct foreign affairs, or actually plan battles. The last of which I never thought I would be involved with, it just sort of happened by pure luck and circumstance. I had been thrown into foreign affairs expecting to be slowly introduced to the world rather than immediately becoming a major player for an entire alliance. Even though CoT was hitting its limits when I arrived, making connections around the world with enemies and allies was something I had never done. I am most proud of becoming president after winning a 5-way race and fostering the foundations alongside Josh Frost and Wild Owl for what the nation has become today. I don't know if I'd ever become President again or even serve as a top cabinet official, but past actions do factor into how much I feel I should continue being involved in some way.
Paul Proteus: What, in your opinion, is the single greatest problem in politics in the eUS today?
Aramec: Bitterness and insularity. We've surrendered, given up hope. We see the game's ending, recognize the ways in which it differs from our previous experiences. And we tried to make it better, there were efforts. But ultimately, in each of our own quiet ways, we accepted that the decline of this game was inevitable. Something beyond our control. And it's easy to see why. Recruiting for this game basically comes to lying or blatantly withholding the truth about it. The game itself is lacking in anything the common man would define as fun. Button-clicking can be addictive, certainly, but the only fun that remains to be had is in the meta. So recruitment shut down, retention shut down, and we're left with all the die hards. The people who are about this game, and who have been about it for a while. And they know how to play, and what should be done, and what shouldn't. The rules of interaction have now been made to clear to them; there isn't any room for dissenting opinion. So we tried to streamline the way we do things, find the right way. But in that pursuit, we lost the heart of why we keep coming back.
In the pursuit of correct, mechanical playing, we lost the joy of playing.
So now, we've got this nice little island that runs perfectly, efficiently, and handful of kings claiming to be lord of it. New things are wrong, dangerous. We're afraid. We don't want to take risks and lose what little left we have, but I'm of the opinion that that's the only way anything will ever change. With so little left to lose, we shouldn't be so afraid to lose it. Shouldn't this be the part of the movie where we go all out? Where, with our backs against the wall and nowhere but up to go, we reach for it? That's opinion, and I've been called a naive idealist before. It's probably just a dumb idea anyhow.
Gnilraps: There are not enough citizens.
I don’t think there is any great problem other than simply too small a pool of people to have a decently interesting political climate. And of course when there are fewer people in the mix, those who remain and have power become demagogues and authoritarian and despotic. This too can be fun, but when there aren’t enough people to raise a resistance, it can lead to apathy in some, rage in others, and despair (i.e. quitting) in still others.
We have to remember that what passes for politics in this game has almost nothing to do with policy - though there is some room for variance there. It has mostly to do with popularity. But in a crowd of three, it only takes two to be the most popular.
Artists rendition of #USA on a good day
Azazel Romanov: The greatest problem in politics is the lack of constant progression and debate. It's a long time complaint that cabinets look very similar one term to the next or that we like to make sure certain things stay in the right hands. While this ensures each month is stable to the next, we prevent anyone else from learning how to play the right way to take over. We also stifle dissenting opinion quite a bit which is why almost every party in the eUS has similar politics or positions. Though this is just my opinion, and we may never know exactly what the solution is to the current state of affairs.
Paul Proteus: Who are your favorite writers from eRepublik history? What did they do that made their content interesting
Aramec: Sam Wystan was the greatest writer in this country's history, no doubt about it. He was a guy who got satire, and drove it home. Again and again, he'd publish. Not for politics, but sometimes for politics. Not for just making noise, but sometimes for just doing that. Great writing holds up a mirror, helps you see a part of yourself you weren't looking at or thinking about before. Sam did that. Go check out his paper. It was great. There were other good ones. Emerick always had something interesting to say. There was a guy with balls. ligtreb was always a favorite of mine. There were quite a few others. Go search for em.
Interview me like one of your French girls
Gnilraps: Everyone knows I loved Chutley. He was a pro-level comedian. Emerick was inspiring in his propaganda. Ditto Glove. Israel Stevens is a great beat writer… I love it when he covers a story. Ian Keers. Jon Malcolm wasn’t a great writer, but he wrote a great paper. I like reading Franklin Stone. NueveOcho and his Polandballs. Bucephalus92. Everything Kemal publishes is mandatory reading. There was this Canadian dude named Uncle Buck. Your paper, Aramec’s paper the old NAZ paper (that is how he spelled it, right?). There’s others.
Azazel Romanov: That is incredibly hard to say. There are a lot of older writers like Jewitt, Lieutenant Scheisskopf, or Guldan Draak that wrote articles I really enjoyed to read. In my new incarnation I really liked the articles written by fingerguns and Israel Stevens. They reported on different sorts of things but all found ways of writing that resonated with people and made whatever case they were making interesting and compelling.
Now, everyone change positions~
Gnilraps: OK Paul, what 2 things - not RL related - would cause you to quit eRepublik for good?
Paul Proteus: That's a good question. Honestly, I stay, in part, because I have made so many friendships in the game. If there was a mass exodus and I came back unable to recognize anyone in office, or in the media I doubt I'd have much of a reason to come back. A second would probably be if I thought there was no chance left to make a difference in the game, if I thought people weren't reading my articles, and elections throughout were completely predetermined, then the game would really end for me. But as long as I can come back to friends I've had for years on IRC and at least create the illusion of efficacy for myself, you probably won't be able to get rid of me for long.
Gnilraps: Looking back, what are your biggest regrets in your eLife?
Paul Proteus: That's a tough one, and really is something I've thought about a lot. There have been times when I've invested myself into this game more than was probably emotionally healthy, and I wish at the time I had more perspective, however what really bothers me have been the times I've made commitments, and felt like I shirked them and let people down. My term as POTUS would be an example, where due to a myriad of RL and IG reasons I disengaged and the results of that were pretty obvious.
And yet this gif does nothing to combat the massive armies of text
Ultimately, I've enjoyed my time playing eRep, which I view as a feat in itself, and regardless of having made several decisions I probably wouldn't have now, I can't say I really regret how I've played the game. I've tried to be a relatively positive person and have a positive impact on a game that's often defined by negativity, and in that regard I'm very happy with how I've played.
Azazel Romanov: What made you pick us?
Paul Proteus: Honestly, I was looking at what media was being published, and what I enjoyed, and Gnilraps and Aramec have both been on fire, so I decided to create a dialogue of sorts with the writers still around whom I enjoy and admire the most. I added you to the list because your paper has always been a favorite of mine from back when we were still in the Libs. In a lot of ways, the whole enterprise was very selfish.
Aramec: Why do you keep writing?
Paul Proteus: That's a good question, in part it's probably a bit of an ego thing, I'm not a good writer by any means but putting anything out there that people at least pretend to appreciate is a good feeling. I really am a fan of the new endorsement feature. Ultimately though, I keep writing because it's one of the few aspects of this game that I can always come back to, no matter how long I've been gone, and challenge myself, to write something funny, or anything at all, in a way that is really satisfying.
In that regard, for me, the Media Module is actually the only functional part of the game left.
I'm guessing CSRF attack
Gnilraps: What three players do you really hope will write an extensive ememoir (à la Bradley Reala)? Why pick those three?
Paul Proteus: Oh that's rough, honestly there aren't as many players around who I really find as interesting, for better or for worse. Pfeiffer's would be an interesting read for sure, though it would require more honesty than I imagine anyone who still hopes to matter in politics would be willing to include to be worth anything at all. I don't know if he's written anything of the sort, but I imagine Civil Anarchy could write a fascinating memoir, in part because of his experiences, but also just because he's a great writer and honestly that matters more to me in terms of producing an ememoir that's actually readable.
Honestly, I'd like to read a tell-all from you Gnilraps, you've been around quite some time and on more than one occasion I've wondered what you've thought about the situations unfolding around you. If you ever do write one, let me know
😉
EDIT: I am herein commissioning a memoir on the From Swag to Riches story of Tenshibo. Make it so.
Aramec: Where do you see the game going from here?
Paul Proteus: I don't think I'm alone in viewing the game as dying, though my predictions tend to be more dire than accurate, in part due to the cynicism one develops after playing for such a long time.
I don't really see that as a problem though, as the game dies we still have time to derive our own fun from it. In some ways, the waning of the game actually allows us to do some pretty interesting things we weren't able to do when it was thriving.
Are we there yet?
Aramec: And a leaf out of your book.
Who are your favorite writers from eRepublik history? What did they do that made their content interesting
Paul Proteus: Ah, I'm going to sound repetitive now that you got to answer first, especially when I choose Sam Wystan as my all time favorite. To me, reading the Fieldist was really revelatory in what could be done in what honestly seems the least important format in eRep.
To me, that's what separates great writing in this game, from the decent fare most elite players are capable of, being able to force the reader to interact with your writing more than just as a source of information.
In addition to that, though, I loved Hadrian's interviews simply because he was able to make interviews interesting, I've always enjoyed your work as well. Nobody does war maps like Scheisskopf did, and Naz's, Ligtreb's and Israel's work has always appealed to me as well.
Azazel Romanov: What style of writing do you think is most lacking right now in eRep, and how can we get it back?
Paul Proteus: I think we're unfortunately past the point where I can point out a style as lacking. I'd love to say we need more satire, or more war reporting, but we need everything.
The best thing anyone reading this can do is to write an article that passionately makes a point. Any point. With few notable exceptions, Media has become dominated simply by Parties and MUs recruiting and doing fundraisers. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not balanced out by the individual voices that used to define the media. So, to answer your question, what's lacking most right now is individuality, and the only way we can get it back is to write, even if only for the sake of writing.
Azazel Romanov: How do we encourage people to keep writing and playing the game?
Paul Proteus: That's difficult, and it's been difficult even when this game was running at full steam. I've always believed that the best thing we can do to keep people interested and engaged, whether in writing, or in anything else, is to recognize them. New players don't simply want tanks, they want to feel special, and as we continue to commoditize every new player as a cog in insert party here we'll never get them hooked on the game.
That's why I love the endorsement feature really, it makes it so easy to publicly recognize good writing. It's definitely too little too late but the idea of rewarding good writing with such public appreciation is something I think is essential, and I encourage all of you to endorse every good article you see, even if it's just 5 USD, it will, at the very least, make a difference to someone foolish enough to write in this game.
Dear diary: writing is hard.
That's all for today, hopefully my next article will be a bit shorter~
Here's your Moment of Zen
Seems fitting~
Also, I bet your MU can't into space...
Broforce can~
Until next time,
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Comments
o7
I'll read this, eventually.
solid
Long but good. Keep it coming!
Really nice article, but needs more #swag
Alas, I knew it was missing something.
it's okay bae s2
We needs memoirs from Swagshibo
This has been edited into the article due to its truth
"From Swag to Riches" xdxd.
Oh well, it does fit my motto... "there's more to life that what you're born into. There's also bitches 😃"
It's a type of fish!
(;,,😉
Ok, now I am reading a web comic and it is your fault.
This is an outrage!
Great read. Much appreciated.
Excellent read
long one .. i i will read it part by part .. anyway o7
Wow!
And as someone who is preparing to publish a semi-lengthy interview, it is nice to know that longer form articles are welcome in EREPUBLIK.
You're a gem, Paul.