Join the new world

Many readers may be familiar with the cycle of change, a common theoretical framework used to describe the process by which people in a community or organisation respond to changes imposed upon them. As eRepublik is subject to constant change a theoretical framework can help us to understand and get through changes in the game more effectively, so I have adopted this framework and modified it to suit the nature of the game and it’s community. Why? Because I love you all so much.

All individuals go through every stage in this cycle in response to every change in the game. The only difference is in how quickly individuals move through each stage, and whether any are irretrievably lost before completing the cycle.

I now present to you the eRepublik cycle of change:


The eRepublik Cycle of Change

Stage 1

The theory calls this stage Denial. “An early strategy that people use to cope with change is to deny that it is happening, or to deny that it will continue or last.“

I call this stage “OMG what is this I don’t even....”. It is characterised by a lot of noise; shouts and articles contradicting each other, a flurry of activity in political, business and military circles to clarify whether there really is any change at all and general disagreement on the answer.

How to tell if someone is in this stage

You might see a shout or comment that reads “OMG what is this I don’t even...” or “lol admin is idiot, this will never...”.

How to help someone through this stage

Some citizens may need help to accept that the change is happening. You might offer a friendly word of advice like “OMG we r so screwed” or “why does admin never listen to the players?” or some such. This will help them to understand that the change will be implemented so they might move on to the next stage.

Stage 2

The theory calls this stage Anger and Resistance. “When people can no longer deny that something is or has happened, they tend to move into a state of anger, accompanied by covert and/or over resistance.”

I call this stage “Butthurt overreaction”. It is characterised by frequent ragequits (“FU admin this is the last time you ever....”), organised resistance (“sign this forum thread so admin will change their mind about...”), and a billion whiney articles explaining why the game is now completely ruined forever and raging about gold sinks etc.

How to tell if someone is in this stage

You might see someone threatening to ragequit, selling all of their companies, trying to convince other people to ragequit, or generally behaving irrationally. They may publish lengthy, confusing and contradictory articles, start or sign petitions against the change, or pursue other futile activities.

How to help someone through this stage

We don’t want all of our citizens to ragequit, it is everyone’s duty to try and help their fellow citizen through the butthurt overreaction. You might offer some friendly advice, like “hey friend, y so butthurt?”, or “y so srs? just a game”. That’s sure to calm them down and prompt a thoughtful, constructive response. If someone is behaving irrationally in this stage, be sure to look for an opportunity to take advantage of their misfortune by offering a safe harbour for their gold and companies if they ragequit (“I can haz your goldz?”). That demonstrates that you have moved to the next stage.

Stage 3

The theory calls this stage Exploration & Acceptance. “This is the stage where people begin to get over the hump. They have stopped denying, and while they may be somewhat angry, the anger has moved out of the spotlight. They have a better understanding of the meaning of the change and are more willing to explore further, and to accept the change. They act more open-mindedly, and are now more interested in planning around the change and being participants in the process.”

I call this stage “pwn or get pwnd”. This is where those who grasp the consequences of the change quickly can make substantial monetary, military or political gains. It is a time to exploit the dull and slow-witted player who is still stuck in denial or so butthurt they behave irrationally. A time for cunning sociopaths with no empathy, ethics or community spirit to shine.

How to tell if someone is in this stage

You may notice articles, shouts and forum posts spreading misinformation about the change, trying to trick people into buying their products, spending stupid amounts of money, or sell things too cheaply. You can be sure your fellow citizen is open-mindedly exploring how to exploit the change to their advantage.

How to help someone through this stage

We don’t want people to continue looking for exploits forever, so we might offer some support to help them move on. You might offer some friendly advice about their latest mischief-making exploit by commenting “FU friend, u think I’m idiotz?”. Often the most simple response conveys a depth of understanding and acceptance on your part, a simple “lol” will give your colleague to understand that it’s time to move on.

Stage 4

The final stage according to the theory is Commitment. “This is the payoff stage, where people commit to the change, and are willing to work towards making it succeed. They know it is a reality, and at this point people have adapted sufficiently to make it work.“

I call this stage “FU Admin don’t you dare change...”. It is characterised by public support for changes to government policies, new laws being passed with little dissent, rumours that “admin gonna change the...” being responded to with disparaging and angry response from the community. The change has been accepted, the butthurt overreactors have ragequit, new fortunes have been made, new alliances formed and we move on to speculating about the next change that undeniably will result in the catastrophic destruction of the eWorld as we know it.

This ends my adaptation of the theory of change to eRepublik. I hope you found it useful and informative, and will use it to understand your reaction to the next change announced by admin, as well as help (exploit) your fellow citizens through the change.