eAmerica Too in Touch with the World?
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by Cromstar
In a recent article, our President scrabman discussed what he perceived to be a problem with the eUSA. Namely, as scrab seems to be saying, eAmericans play at eUS politics like RL politics, and mostly ignore world politics. However, whenever they do make that fateful leap into world politics, they continue to play by those same rules. However, in eRepublik, that comes across as a problem. For scrabman, and many others, our tendency to role play in eRep is unsuited for the harsh realities of the game and cripples us.
I, for my part, agree that eAmericans play by rules adopted from the real world. I disagree, however, that this is a problem. In fact, I believe that our strength comes from our ability to make rules of conduct and to follow them. I hope that all eAmericans will help support and follow said rules. But, scrab is right in that how we currently play hampers our ability to play eRepublik well.
We do this by importing specific morals from the real world and sticking to them. For example, let us examine those lovely PTOs everyone talks about. In RL America, the electoral process is sacred. No other form of expression holds such an inviolate place in the eyes of her people. Indeed, to defraud the process is a good way to not only destroy one's reputation, but to end up in jail.
eAmerican's have brought this view of elections with them. PTOs, vote moving, etc are viewed as anathema by our citizens because they circumvent and destroy the RL political process. Therefore, to eAmericans, PTOs are the worst and lowest form of activity to undertake, as they fly in the face of everything we hold dear and cherished. PTOs are, in short, anti-American.
This is not an incorrect belief. PTOs do fly in the face of everything a real American election is about. It's about making the voice of the citizens heard. It's about popular sovereignty and the right to choose our governments. It's about allowing the public to weigh, measure, and ultimately balance the deeds of those who lead us. That is what American elections are about.
That is not, however, what eAmerican elections are about. eAmerican elections are about preserving eAmerican power. They are about keeping eAmericans in control of our government so that we may remain an independent nation. They are about, to put it simply, national survival. And the difference, my friends, could not be wider.
When we import our RL beliefs on what elections mean, we are incorrect. eRepublik elections are NOT the same as RL elections, and this is something we must understand. They cannot be treated the same, nor can we simply ignore the differences. In order for eAmerica to remain strong, we must identify the differences and adjust our RL beliefs to fit the facts. eRep is not the real world; it is the New World. We can continue to play our 'game within the game' President scrabman referred to. However, to do so properly, we must first recognize that the game is NOT the same as the real world.
Therefore, it is my plan to discuss what makes eRep different and to lay out a guideline for others to follow in playing this game. I wish to establish where we have gone right, and where we have gone wrong. We must understand the rules of the game and plan accordingly. We can stick by our moral stances and role play them. But when we do so, we must ensure that we base our morals off of the game, and not the real world.
Thank you all, and please return later to read my discussion of eRepublik philosophy.
Cromstar
PA Congressman (4th term)
Speaker of the House
CvP PVP hopeful
"Who watches the watchers?"
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Comments
Very articulate article, Cromstar, and I couldn't agree more. A lot of people use ePolitics to get across their RL talking points, much like a mathematician uses the transitive property to get across that because A = B and B = C, A = C as well. Much of it is unnecessary, and does indeed hamper the process that is the technical aspects of the game.
While people and parties in other nations use every game mechanic to their advantage to push forward their agenda as a player, eAmericans are too busy lambasting this internally to advance as a player, and instead advances nothing more than some self-inflicted, ethical high ground.
I see where you're getting at, but I think the straight message is that this is a game. Not a platform to discuss politics or to engage in what is morale and what isn't.
When you look at the eUSA, there's no definition for us. At all. We're not organized in any manner except for those who are part of the Congress and Military. Even then, they are conflicted.
There was a article from a Poland writer that described us best, we're just a chaotic mess and are very unreliable due to it. We'll never be great allies or a great nation. There's nothing defining us.
In short, we need to become a likeminded group of "gamers". This doesn't mean we go out and start taking out nations ( Although to "win" that will be most likely the case, but is this game meant to be played to "win" from conquest? ), but we do need to bite our tongue and thoughts sometime and become organized. I honestly think scrabman knows what he's doing in regards to what benefits 'us', as well as our closest allies.
There are nations out there who will "cheat", "exploit", decieve, manipulate, and spread proganda in order to get ahead of the game. We have to watch for that and combat it, but until then, I guess we can just bicker amongst ourselves.
@Elderon - well said. It is a game. I don't get why people bring their RL political bias here. Good grief, if you feel that strongly about your ideology in RL, you're wasting your time pushing it in eRep! Take it to RL. Maybe they're just frustrated in RL, so they push it here. Regardless - it is a game, and the gamers will succeed. About time eUS figures that out.
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As always Crom good article and voted 😃
nice article Cromstar, I appreciate the thought & effort you put into it!
Nice.