Out of about 36 months of playing this game, I've played about 30 of them in Government and 20 of them as the Head of State or Head of Government of an alliance - as a Triumvir, no less. I've never started my own alliance; I've worked my way up through the ranks like an entry-level clerk rising through a company to become one of the directors. 10 months in the TAB trying to kick-start its heart and another 10 in my beloved MHA guiding us through bitter struggles, external conflicts and activity
Its becoming increasingly apparent to me at least that the elder statesmen of Pacifica and Polaris; Ivan Moldavi, Doitzel and the like; have rendered unto Bob an unprecedented leadership that has, for the most part, been met with open arms. While not a complete and total re-alignment of values, the new "Philosopher King" mentality has creeped into Bob-wide thought. The recent spat with IS/CG was resolved by Doitzel (or Elyat, whatever one prefers) and the new Moldavi doctrine, however self-aggra
Ever since the fall of the Moldavi Doctrine and NPO's tightly wound dominance on Bob, the DoEs, seemingly have increased almost tenfold. Before the Karma war, new alliances weren't in short supply, but in the absence of drama and other such fears of retribution and the like, Declarations of Existence have become more frequent. But what impact does that have on the game and how others play it?
Obviously some alliances play the game radically different to others. But most alliances require manpow
As a career diplomat on CN I've rarely been lending myself to impassioned defences of alliances. But as a Triumvir Emeritus of TAB and an ex-BTA member, I believe that the reformation of BTA is unjustified in the face of some simple facts as interpreted from a TAB insider.
The BTA Never Ceased to Exist, formally
Since the BTA never disbanded, the TAB could essentially be seen as BTA: Take Two - much like a company changing its trading name but continuing to provide the same service. Although s
Some in the community have been out for Pacifican blood for a very long time now - I can see the pain they have caused to a significant proportion of Planet Bob and I can sympathize with their want for revenge; but calls for disbandment of a (formerly) sanctioned alliance will fall flat due to one simple fact: money.
If any of you have seen the NPO forums, they are well designed and use a full version of IPB. They also run a radio station and own a domain name. Domain registration may only cost
Personally, me as a man sitting behind a LCD screen, cannot stomach the recent spate of surrenders ending in white peace. If I was not in the government of any of the major alliances and instead a dedicated and loyal member of my smaller alliance, I would vocally petition all leaders to sue for reparations in some form. Even though we are merely playing a game, what is the point of fighting if victory entails a return to the start? Alliance membership are not pawns in a Presidents and Triumvirs'
Since the war began, NPO has lost over 7 Million NS. IRON has lost approximately 5 Million. If the Hegemon alliances continue wage war against Karma, who currently outnumber and outgun them, their NS will slide even lower. Cries of "So what?" may be heard from either side that has a stake in ensuring either destruction or survival, but taking a beating to prove a point may prove disastrous for those they have sworn to defend yet do not have the capability to defend themselves.
As many of you w
In the immediate aftermath of the NPO's misguided war with Ordo Verde, the perception of NPO as an unshakeable hegemony began to crumble. Cancellations in tC, mass, cowardly walkouts of long-time allies and of course, the perilous, spiralling drop in Pacifican NS all cracks in the vanguard of Pacifican might and power. What sticks in my mind is that NPO have ceased to be seen as "the" alliance, rather now just "an" alliance.
It seemed for a long time that Pacifica was unassailable and tightly p
At the end of GWIII when the BTA were pummeled out of existence by the late, great CIS (that's the Confederacy of Independent States, mind you), the newly formed TAB was forced to sign a pact of non-aggression with them. This basically guaranteed non-interference in governmental affairs and of course, the prohibition of any aggressive military actions against either side. The only obligation, as it were, was to keep one's missiles aimed away from the nations of the signatories.
With so much emp
Is it just me or is Schattenmann, self-described liberator of the common CNer from the oppressive yoke of teh ebil NPO just a dozy rumor peddler? To me, Schattenmann is the Perez Hilton of CN with his Tattler website the TMZ.com of Planet Bob. There's little substance in what he has to say and his attempts to shock and draw attention to himself can be likened to what celebrity websites thrive on doing: showing the most famous players and alliances at their "worst" - when in reality these allianc
Firstly, I want to wish all Aussie players a Happy Australia Day. Oath mint mate, bonzer and etc.
Secondly, the topic at hand. Recently I've been watching a little known show (well, at least to me) called Freaks and Geeks; comedy-drama set in a Detroit, Michigan area high school in the 1980s. It follows the lives of the Weir family; Lindsay and Sam. Sam hangs out with the Geeks; nerdy, socially-awkward, bright yet constantly picked on. Lindsay, an otherwise talented and knowledgeable girl (and
Ok. So there's like about, a billion alliances. So numerous are these alliances, in fact, Protectorate BLOCS have been set up to shield them from the harsh environs of Bob, lest their larger counterparts gobble them whole if they were left to mount their own defenses.
Now. With personal playing styles, game focuses (War, trade, diplomacy etc.) and structure (elitist vs. open recruitment) aside, alliance charters are usually built on the same principles; the assertion of sovereignty, the entran
During my time as Triumvir of The Aquatic Brotherhood, I witnessed three breakaway alliances form; PWC, Arctica and Pendulum. At present, now with the folding of Pendulum, none of them now exist. I often wondered, after the initial punch to the gut subsided (hey, it happens to everyone) why so many alliances decide to break away from their alma maters to forge on their own rocky paths that ultimately lead to no where?
The reasons are twofold; lack of promotion opportunities and the new style of
First off, shout outs to my homie fiercesob for naming me Player of the Day the other day.
Now. I was driving along with a mate and we struck the subject of online games. He asked me if I played any. I replied that I did; Cyber Nations. Having never heard of it, I endeavored to explain the basic mechanics of play. And at first, I almost couldn't.
"Well," I started, unsure of what to say next, "it's a political simulator. You get a nation and you run it."
"Like running your own country?" my b
I watched the King of Kong the other night and I wondered (having been about games and all) would the current record holders of CN and their cabal ever openly challenge a contender to the crown? Would they "rig" the system? Say one thing and do another? Have the challenger engage the champion on home turf only to destroy him by technicality and proxy? If I sat in a car and clinked bottles on my fingers and called out "X, come out and play-ay!!!" What would happen?
Well, that's kind of what happ
I have seen some shockers in my time. Usually they're portmanteaux of viral video trends, anime characters and random numbers all strung together for a fleeting romance with CN only to declare that "CN is teh crap, THEIRS NO GRAPHICS!!!!" or some other unintelligible rejoinder to an argument that was never even offered.
But it did get me thinking, Has a CN player with a crap name ever experienced success or fame in CN?
Well, not really. I can't think of anyone that did or does. The narutofan20
I recently used CN as an example for my Games Studies course at University (yes, we played video games for credit!) that centered around Viral Marketing and the Experience Economy. Below is an edited extract with references removed. (Yes, my tutor, who has a PhD in gaming, actually read this.)
Viral Marketing can be one of the most effective tools in creating brand awareness and sales for games. Viral Marketing can be a vital component and ideal “commodity” in an era of non-industrial productio
I saw the "CN Blog Stars" post and I just had to have one. Just had to. I mean, it's not even a choice for me. CN and blogging? Combining my two loves (read: unhealthy obsessions) was something I once thought unpossible; now they have both feet firmly rooted within the realm of possibility. I almost feel dirty writing this; its kind of like dating two girls on the sly and combining them into one, gelatinous super-girlfriend, the likes of which would kick your arse if you even half-considered jo
