Join the new world

Thoughts on the Game

For a while now I have been thinking about this game and what the point of playing is. I have stated a little of what my thought is in some newspaper comments and some forum threads but I have not really put it all down in one place as of yet because I didn't have the time and I had not completely thought it all out. Well now I have the time and while I have not completely straightened out all the thoughts in my head I will give it a shot. For those of you looking for my manifesto just click back one article or you can read this, it will give you some idea what I am about.



All kinds of people play this game. All these people have different ideas as to how this game should be played. Some people are Socialists some are Capitalists. Some are warriors while some think peace should be the only option. Everyone plays how their heart tells them to play. Some even think it is OK to cheat and create multis or to steal passwords and rob people of their hard earned gold. While I can respect all ideas as to how to play as valid, except for the cheaters who should be banned for life, sometimes I think some people forget why they play.



According to the people who created eRepublik this game is "the first online multiplayer social strategy game" Now what does that mean? It means that all the players are supposed to work together to solve the problems of the game. What are the problems of the game you may ask. Well we are supposed to be running nations. This is not a cookie baking simulator or a pet grooming simulator. It is a world politics simulator. The nations of this game were chosen because of the real life history they have. The animosity between North and South Korea, the Middle East, do I even have to mention the Balkans? Just wait until more of the African continent has been filled in, we will have some conflicts then. Now to get to the issue that those of us who call eIreland home, Northern Ireland. We play this game to change things from real life. If that was not the point then we could just all just read about real life history and argue. We are supposed to come together, and yes argue, and come up with ways to make Northern Ireland part of eIreland.

This is the why we are playing this game. To use our collective brains and come up with some way to change what many see as injustices in the world. Unite Ireland. Unite the two nations of Korea. Punish France for keeping Ireland out of the World Cup. This is the why. The how is Capitalism, Socialism, peace, war, Libertarianism, Dioism and all the other things that people playing this game have created or believe in. Sometimes I think that many of us get to caught up in the how we play and forget why we play.

So in my opinion the uniting of Ireland with Northern Ireland is one of the goals that Ireland should always have in mind. Ireland has other goals, improved military, better economy and improved standing in foreign affairs but these all should be for the purpose of the unification of our fair island. If we don't have a reason why we play then what is the point? Why strengthen Ireland? Why build up the economy if there is not a reason for it?

I am not saying it will be easy. The UK vastly outnumbers us. We have friends and that is good. We should not be afraid to make new friends. There is also a thing called "soft power". Ireland needs to use soft power to set the stage. Diplomacy, economic deals, helping our friends when they need it are all examples of soft power that we need to use to strengthen our position so that when the time comes if we can't use diplomacy to come to some sort of agreement with the UK then we can use our "hard power" to accomplish our goals.



So to just sum up my thinking. I don't want us to lose sight of the why we play ( you don't even have to agree with my idea, I just hope you have your own) because we are to concerned as to how we play.

Thanks.
Anthony Colby

Vote and subscribe.