South Africa: A New Adventure Begins

Day 742, 11:14 • Published in USA USA • by NeilP99

Of all the countries that I’ve visited in my two eWorld Tours, South Africa is the one that has been through the most hardship. The fear that many Americans had about being an occupied country when PEACE forces invaded this summer has been a reality for South Africa for months. This small country has been occupied by Indonesia and Brazil for longer than many players can remember. At times it has been reduced to one region, at times it has been wiped off the map, and yet the people of South Africa continue on. They remain fiercely patriotic about their home country and yet far more relaxed than many Americans. The politics of South Africa are more civil in many ways than those of the US, despite the often dire situation South Africans find themselves in. For all of these reasons and more I’ve grown to love this tiny country ever since I first visited it some 10 months ago. So from now on I plan on calling eSouth Africa home.

In the 438 days I’ve played eRepublik I’ve always thought of myself as an eAmerican, even when I wasn’t living in the eUS. But now as I look at our country I realize that I’m not needed the way I once was. That’s not to say that I was ever a big shot, or that I’m useless now, it’s simply saying that as America has grown it has gained many brilliant and hard working people, and now more than ever I feel that she is safe in their hands. So I go to South Africa, not because I think I’ll be a hero riding in on a white horse, but because the more relaxed attitude and change of scenery is what I want right now. Mostly I’ll be glad to be more removed from the old Atlantis vs. PEACE rivalry that I was getting bored of.

Now make no mistakes, I’m still a real life American, and so it’s only natural that I feel some attachment to the eRepublik representation of my country. That’s why I would return in the blink of an eye if the eUS was ever in serious danger. It’s also why I suspect that I will return to the eUS before I quit this game, so that I can eDie in the land that I was eBorn in. But for now I must say goodbye.

Goodbye to all the people who have helped me in the eUS, goodbye to the UIP, goodbye to the people I’ve worked with in the government and the military, and goodbye to anyone who has ever taken any interest in me. Goodbye and thank you for making this game fun. Because as much as the game’s creators would have us all believe that eRepublik is a strategy game, it’s really a social networking game. It’s not the battle plans and economic models that make this game fun, it’s interacting with people who share your interests and your goals, and in my time in the eUS I’ve met some of the best of them.

So one last time I’ll say goodbye. I hope that you’ll keep your subscription to my paper and keep in touch with me however you can. I plan on visiting the eUS and UIP forums from time to time still, I still will publish the occasional article for the eUS, and with several organizations in the eUS I’ll stay aware of the news of the country. So ends my second eWorld Tour, not in the place many people thought it would, but I hope you’ve enjoyed it just the same. Thanks for reading, and thanks for making the past 438 days fun, here’s hoping there are at least 438 more to come.