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Max McFarland 2, the well known provider of many of the funds for the eUSA, also a man of great stature in the eUnited States. Max is known for all his companies, his donations, and his plans to help out the eUSA in her time in need. Max is a 6 time Hard Worker, 4 time Congress person, 3 time Media Mogul, a 31 time Battle Hero, a Resistance Hero, and a 3 time Super Soldier. Max is also a member of the newly formed American Kitten Party.

Without further ado, Max McFarland 2!

Pike: Welcome Max to Player of Power, thank you for taking time out of your incredibly hectic schedule.

Max: It has gotten a bit more relaxed since I announced I was stepping back, and started ignoring people. 😉 But, my "stepping back" still involves being active in Congress, Immigration, & the Cabinet. I'm a glutton for punishment. :/

Pike: You are an all around player, what is your official capacity in the realm of eRepublik? Any military affiliation?

Max: Senator, Ohio, Chairman, Immigration Enforcement Subcommittee, Policy Advisor, Executive Cabinet, Governor-for-Life, Ohio. My old bosses in MI have been kind enough to grant me an indefinite leave of absence until I am done playing Congress. I was active in MI for about three month, but I have been in Congress for about four months now. Since I always self-supplied, it doesn't hurt them to hold a spot for me since I didn't draw any supplies. [In] Bravo 5. I originally enlisted in the MI back when Lucky and I were planning Operation Mayhem. HE kinda talked me into trying the military. Glad I did. The folks I remembered as junior officers now run the MI. It's interesting to see the evolution over time.

Pike: I can imagine you have seen quite a bit.

Max: Yes and no. More than some, but less then many.

Pike: While I was searching for you, I stumbled upon a Max McFarland, any relation? Perhaps father? brother? nay twin?

Max: I was making a concerted effort to make Max 1 look like a new citizen... so although he is my old citizen, there is not the blatant rapid advancement I have displayed with Max McFarland 2. Let me back up a bit... back when some things started shifting (Atlantis declining; PEACE GC considering a potential North American invasion; PEACE GC muttering about trying to convert either the United States, Canada, and/or United Kingdom; etc), I figured I might be looking at moving to the eUSA. So, I started two-clicking with Max. I was running about five citizens at the time... two main ones active in different nations, with three on the side, two-clicking, just in case I felt like getting active in certain nations again. Max was one of those. So, losing the other two actives was more troublesome by far, vice losing Max 1. More investment in those. After I made a mistake and three got caught, I decided to change pace. Up to that point, I had always looked at the citizens and organizations as part of a larger personal network. So, after some got caught, I self-reported others, and figured I'd go for a single citizen with Max 2. First time I did that in a long time. It was also the first time I got so well-known and active under a single account. The only question at the time, was which nation? Right before the invasion, PEACE GC was working hard to recruit either the eUSA, Canada, or the United Kingdom. The question of where I would go was simple; I picked the losing side, to be part of the resurrection. It could have been any of the three nations. It was honestly a toss-up between the eUSA and Canada once the United Kingdom switched sides. It's been a fun ride, even though I have bitten off more involvement then I can chew, which is why I have scaled back a bit... mainly by ignoring my inbox for a while. Anyway... starting over with Max at the time I did was a no-brainer. We just elected Emerick, the eUSA was losing everything, and I was enamored by the idea of being part of the effort to rebuild the nation. Now, I have not always gone about it in the most intelligent way, but then I'm not particularly bright. Such is life.

Pike: Wow, So you were just exploring numerous possible points of interest?

Max: Yes, the eUSA simply proved to have the most promise. For point of reference, I have been playing eRepublik since February 2008. Since then, I'm quite happy I have picked the eUSA, seeing how things have gone all around. It's been fun. Lots of good people.

Max approves!

Pike: Speaking of Project Mayhem, what does this project entail? Just a brief rundown will suffice.

Max: Operation Mayhem and the McFarland Constructions Project are now basically the same animal. The original blueprint for the McFarland Constructions PRoject was to gather volunteers working for 2 USD to build Q5 Infrastructure for the eUSA. Operation Mayhem was envisioned as a way to rapidly build Q5 Hospitals for the rebuilding effort, by using the old high skill Marines and Airborne, working for 13 USD (enough to cover 100 wellness daily). We provided the Q5 Stack for Karnataka and the Q5 DS for Cali, but that's it domestically. Now, we build a stockpile, currently we have three Q5 Stacks in stock, and often help allies by providing free infrastructure to help with diplomacy, We have assisted Switzerland, North Korea, Israel, India, Japan.

Pike: So the great Hospital Debate, short and sweet, do you think the eUSA should create a lower grade hospital for wasteland states?

Max: Yes. I am at heart a role-player, not a mechanist. If I had my way, we would ave a Q5 Stack in Pennsylvania (High Wood), New York (Population), Texas (Population). I'd also be happy to see a Q2 Hospital in every region we hold, so the people who want to stay in their home regions can do so. It's a game. Let them play it how they will.

Pike: Glad to hear it, I was sad to see the eArkansas wasn't an important state, since it is my RL Home State. What is the one thing you think the eUS could do to help make the game more enjoyable for new and old people alike?

Max: It's hard to select any one thing... the population is diverse. I guess one big thing would be for people who have their blinders on to stop running everyone who disagrees with them out of the nation. This could be accomplished in several ways: 1. Constructive criticism and mentorship instead of trolling new players out of the forums and articles. 2. The USWP has recently begun experimenting with letting small parties, almost any small party, run candidates in any region we do not have a ticket in already. The rigged elections result in a more "professional" Congress, where, frankly, less gets done because almost everyone agrees on the status quo. I used to favor a full deck of 51 rigged elections. I was wrong. After running the 100% blocker effort last election, we have seen such a wide variety of people in Congress this term. Some are idiots. Some are dead-wrong in many areas. Some do not want to lean. But they reflect the diversity of opinions in the population. There are also many surprise victors who have contributed immenselly. I would love to see a full deck of 51 5-way elections every month. I think this process of creative destruction can revitalize our social and political climate. Let a thousand flowers bloom. We are killing ourselves by running blockers, where we could be running candidates.

Pike: With all your experience in the game, is there a chance for running for the Presidency?

Max: No. I do not have the time.

Pike: Would that be code for yes you are running for PotUS?

Max: Josh spent like 18 hours a day doing a great job as CP. That is the level of dedication necessary. I work 11 to 17 hours, five days week, sometimes with weekend work. I never know how many hours I will be at work, since there are dry spells, but there are also crises which crop up. When that happens, I cannot leave. But, I have no access to eREp or irc. Those are blocked on the local intranet. So, I would fail utterly as Presient. You need someone constantly active, like scrabman, Josh Frost, or Emerick (when he wasn't getting arrested).

Pike: I suppose we shall have to wait for the day MM2 is able to run for the job..

Max: Never happen 😉

Pike: During your time here, the past 2 years, you have seen a great many people rise and fall to and from power, who do you think did the most for the eWorld?

Max: Well... that all depends on what kinds of contributions you are looking for. Personally, I find the agents of chaos to have made the grandest contributions. When they tear things down, things that have global ramifications, it adds spice to the game for everyone. On the other hand, we also have some architects who have built great things. Some examples..... GLaDOS, Shoot, Uncle Sam, on the one hand, and then people like Battalgazi, Emerick, Josh Frost, Dio Brando on the other.

Max: GLaDOS turned the UK, which paved the way for the NA Invasion. Shoot betrayed Germany, launching northern europe into endless chaos. Uncle Sam left such a legacy that to this day, everyone loves or hates him for the bad decisions he made. They are prime agents of chaos which have affected the eUSA. On the other hand.... Battalgazi has been a driving force behind PEACE GC and Phoenis. We are defined by our enemies. Emerick started a cultural phenomenon that has evolved beyond him. It has added immensely to our enjoyment of the game, while there are also some who strongly hate him. Josh Frost built Seal Team 6, which is the only entity of it's kind the eUSA has ever produce. Watch for them to only evolve greater over time. Dio Brando was the first great cultural phenomenon in eRepublik, leaving a lasting impression globally, even in the eUSA. One more agent of chaos... Harrison Richardson. As Franco. His actions tore us down so completely that we had to redefine ourselves. Teacher had promise, but Justinious snuffed it out. :/

Pike: And what about that Pikezh638 character 😉?

Max: Pike is p cool 😃

Pike: EDEN, FORTIS, ATLANTIS, PEACE, PHEONIX, do you think these mega-alliances have been vital for the survival of the game?

Max: Actually, I quite hate them.

Pike: Why so?

Max: They make the game a boring stalemate, where no side ever truly wins anything. It is endless and pointless. I sincerely hope V2 breaks the mechanics enough that these alliances no longer make sense. I would prefer to see at least 4 or 5 regional alliances. That is impossible under current mechanics. Perhaps, in V2, it will be possible. I love the nationalism and the regionalism. These things are devoured by alliances, not strengthened. Regardless of original intent, every alliance only serves the dominant 2 or 3 players. Phoenix serves Hungary, Russia, Serbia, the others be damned. EDEN has spent too much time recently blindly backing the advances of Poland and Spain, while letting other fronts fall by the wayside. This makes the global scene like our national politics. A few key players running the show, while everyone else hopes for scraps. Has the eUSA been dominant within it's alliances at different times? Yes. That sucked too.



Pike: So, kittens eh?

Max: Yes 😉

Pike: Why kittens?!

Max: Josh's party, I'm a placeholder.

Pike: So Max last question, what advice do you have for any newer player looking to make a name for themself?



Max: Figure out what interests you and dive into it. That motivation can outweitgh any material benefit. Conversely, without such motivation, no amount of resources will suffice.

Pike: How much do you spend on eRepublik per month?

Max: It varies. I spent a ridiculous amount while I was the VP, over 5k gold. Josh spent several thousand himself as well. We funded many efforts and battles ourselves. Aside from that... it really does vary. I do intend to scale back, mostly in time, but funding goes hand in hand for me.

Pike: Well Max thank you for all that you do, and thank you Max for taking time out of your schedule to talk to me.

Max: Thank you.

Pike: Any final words?

Max: Anyone who has a personal goal for eRepublik, something to improve themselves or whichever group they hold loyalties to, go for it. Do not be dissuaded by the prospect of failure. This game will not last forever. Despite what the Admins might like to say, it will someday die. Enjoy it to the maximum extent possible, whatever that means to you, while it lasts constructive or destructive, whatever, make things interesting for the rest of us. 😉

This is Pikezh638 signing off and saying, "Watch out for the falling BBQ!"




PS: Max: On a side note, I have been entirely too constructive lately. It's killing me. I have an idea or two to spice things up a bit soon, which some might call a tad bit destructive. Things may not fall into place... but it shall be grand fun if they do.