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One of the best parts about being Dictator is there is no way to get drafted into Congress. And now I am President of a small party, so I’ll probably get to sit out a few more rounds (although the Cocktail Party is the undisputed fastest growing party in the eUS… this concerns me).

Congress is a steaming pile of hot garbage. It is known. However, they occasionally prove their worth to this game and their value to society by absolutely combusting and going full potato. Thank Dio for the Public Congress boards so this hilariously wretched bureaucratic roleplay can be enjoyed the way God intended- from a safe distance.

If you don’t frequent the Public Congress threads, I can’t say I blame you. It’s usually a waste of time. If you’ve been a part of the eUS circlejerk long enough, you might glean some enjoyment out of their inside jokes and jabs but it seems safe to assume the only people who follow Congress are actually IN Congress. So CHECK THIS OUT if you haven’t already.

Here’s the recap: Oblige doesn’t like Senry. A couple other people don’t like Senry.

I mean that’s really all you need to know, but I’ll elaborate a bit because I’m feeling a little gossip-columny. Shortly before the last Presidential term ended, following a shocking loss of his own party’s endorsement for President, Senry announced that he was going to leave the eUS because he needed a shakeup and a change of scenery. I can relate to this. Senry is, however, very much ingrained in the government of the eUS. It was decided that Senry is too valuable to lose completely so he was asked to hang around Congress in an Advisor-type role. This rustled jimmies because OMG HE DOESN’T EVEN GO HERE.

He’s basically a terrorist, sitting quietly in an allied nation, obviously plotting something.

Oblige threw a fit. Yui, the Speaker of the House (aka king of Congress) decided to make Senry a deputy Speaker of the House...which is apparently well within his realm of power to do and stopped the ‘kick Senry out of all the things’ conversation short.

So now the real Congress game begins. Get out the scrolls! Dust off the tomes! Surely there is some way around Yui. He can’t truly have the final say. There must be some law somewhere to overturn this egregious attack on democracy! SENRY AND YUI MUST BE STOPPED!!!!



*deep breath*



*moment of clarity*


Congress...I love it when you get like this. And I think you love it, too.

I mean, I don’t want to be inside you or anything, but on this, the most sacred of all holidays, I confess I truly adore you. I know I keep acting like I’m just so above it all and you don’t really matter, but I can’t imagine this game without you in it.

I think for those of us who are not part of the Congress crew, we don’t appreciate that THIS is what the game is about for some people. Things like Congress are what make it fun for them. It’s why they stay (semi)active. It’s why they sign-in. They get worked up emotionally, banging their fists on their desk as they plot and scheme to outmaneuver the opposition. The clever little devils. I do see the appeal. I mean Pfeiffer is/was super into the politicking and I gotta tell ya, when he gets all bossy pants and drops the hammer with such authority... I think it’s ridiculously attractive.

Gimme a sec.

*fans self*

I haven’t fully appreciated that kind of gameplay in the past (except in that weirdly pervy way) because it’s just not how I play. For me, as a player, Congress can be more of a nuisance or a roadblock, if I have cause to acknowledge it at all. Only sometimes is it entertaining to me, as an outsider. But I think I understand, and I really shouldn’t begrudge people their good time. The clicks are just clicks, but it’s the community that keeps people interested. Who am I to say there is only one way to participate in the community? If you want to be a Congressman, then be a Congressman. If you’re all about politics, then go for it, man.

I want to play this game as it is.

Step 3 - Don’t hate the players. Hate the game.

The Cocktail Party is slowly taking shape as I continue to ponder the various aspects of the game. How do we play the game as it actually is? How do we live in the now instead of resting in our memories? Is it even possible? This step appeared via stream of consciousness, but I know when we were establishing the Feds so long ago there was a lot of thought put into the various ‘tracks’ in the game and how we can put people on different tracks to success. That definitely worked back then and was probably the right way to go about it. But I think with the game as it is these days, the investment shouldn’t be in structure, it should be in people. I want to enhance this game for you, not by clearing out a path that you can walk down, but by playing with you.

I’m gonna figure this out.