Raiding and Defending Part II
Foreword posted on the NS Forums:
Firstly, I’d like to thank those who commented on the idealism portion. I had written it in Europeia as a response to those who had tried to judge our actions through a prism that did not fit very well, so it was really interesting to see the conclusions that came from it. Ironically, the piece was about idealism and countered it through another ideal! The Real-Life ideal, which feels that realism would be better suited for the game but it’s not the reality of the game. I’d also like to point out that I have spent all my time in political regions, so I found other perspectives very interesting. This looks at it through that political spectrum.
Practically
Many regions go through a phase where their military is in question. Internal policies tend to be self-sustaining but the military is a more difficult beast to build. So much so, that it becomes a foreign policy question and given the desire to have a military it is then in the practical interest of a region to raid or defend. Or they can choose to remain neutral and partake on neither side; perhaps they’ll run training operations in the WarZones. But unless they have experience or drive, it will become necessary to join a regional organization or buddy up with a region.
In this sense it leads individuals to take part in their militaries out of pride for their region. Personally, it makes my heart swell to see Europeian troops impress and I desire to lead them to victory and glory. Others yet, see it as a political opportunity, a chance to grow their name and to increase their own profile in the region. People also find it fun. Finally, there is a social aspect and the desire to be trusted in what is a close-knit group. It is for that reason that people tend not to switch even if they feel they are more ideologically suited to one side.
It is also incorrect to assume that people fight simply for political opportunity or any other single reason. They do so for a variety of reasons and this is where the ideology comes into play and it’s why the heavy moral defenders tend to make me want to raid. It seems very shallow and I do hope that their own beliefs are deeper than the ones they portray. So, myself for example: I’d say I primarily raid for the Aristotelian notion of doing what’s best for the state and because it’s fun but also because I tend to share the ideological view that it’s morally neutral and also as a fold to defending.
In a similar vein, I tend to view that organizations such as the FRA that provide similar services also attract those people for those same reasons. The chance for personal gain, a belief in the ideology, which leads to wanting to help the organization itself, more fun and community and in this sense I believe that regions do lose something when activity is taken away from them. A regions greatest asset is it’s members and the greatest regions are those that have many great members. There is the ability to balance it so that it’s beneficial to both sides, but in many cases I believe that it ends up being more beneficial to the organization than to the region.
Now, of course that view is a political one. One could also look at it more from the organizational view and the defender idealism view. Or even take the look that things should be balanced and that unbalance is no fault of the organization. Finally, region building is a difficult thing and takes far more resources and time. It is difficult to look at the effects of such organizations on regions because regions decline on their own so often. Lack of interest, a loss of core members… to look into such a topic would require very in depth look.
If a user created region wants strong allies, a voice in broader foreign affairs, get glory abroad and to participate in the bigger military operations it will have to align with raiding and defending. It is in this sense, that due to the nature of the NS world that raiding and defending is practical.
In conclusion, it is practical but not when it takes away from regions. It however remains an iron cage and it is impossible for there to be any other sort of gameplay if one wishes to be a global power militarily and in foreign affairs from the user created region side.
Foreword posted on the NS Forums:
Firstly, I’d like to thank those who commented on the idealism portion. I had written it in Europeia as a response to those who had tried to judge our actions through a prism that did not fit very well, so it was really interesting to see the conclusions that came from it. Ironically, the piece was about idealism and countered it through another ideal! The Real-Life ideal, which feels that realism would be better suited for the game but it’s not the reality of the game. I’d also like to point out that I have spent all my time in political regions, so I found other perspectives very interesting. This looks at it through that political spectrum.
Practically
Many regions go through a phase where their military is in question. Internal policies tend to be self-sustaining but the military is a more difficult beast to build. So much so, that it becomes a foreign policy question and given the desire to have a military it is then in the practical interest of a region to raid or defend. Or they can choose to remain neutral and partake on neither side; perhaps they’ll run training operations in the WarZones. But unless they have experience or drive, it will become necessary to join a regional organization or buddy up with a region.
In this sense it leads individuals to take part in their militaries out of pride for their region. Personally, it makes my heart swell to see Europeian troops impress and I desire to lead them to victory and glory. Others yet, see it as a political opportunity, a chance to grow their name and to increase their own profile in the region. People also find it fun. Finally, there is a social aspect and the desire to be trusted in what is a close-knit group. It is for that reason that people tend not to switch even if they feel they are more ideologically suited to one side.
It is also incorrect to assume that people fight simply for political opportunity or any other single reason. They do so for a variety of reasons and this is where the ideology comes into play and it’s why the heavy moral defenders tend to make me want to raid. It seems very shallow and I do hope that their own beliefs are deeper than the ones they portray. So, myself for example: I’d say I primarily raid for the Aristotelian notion of doing what’s best for the state and because it’s fun but also because I tend to share the ideological view that it’s morally neutral and also as a fold to defending.
In a similar vein, I tend to view that organizations such as the FRA that provide similar services also attract those people for those same reasons. The chance for personal gain, a belief in the ideology, which leads to wanting to help the organization itself, more fun and community and in this sense I believe that regions do lose something when activity is taken away from them. A regions greatest asset is it’s members and the greatest regions are those that have many great members. There is the ability to balance it so that it’s beneficial to both sides, but in many cases I believe that it ends up being more beneficial to the organization than to the region.
Now, of course that view is a political one. One could also look at it more from the organizational view and the defender idealism view. Or even take the look that things should be balanced and that unbalance is no fault of the organization. Finally, region building is a difficult thing and takes far more resources and time. It is difficult to look at the effects of such organizations on regions because regions decline on their own so often. Lack of interest, a loss of core members… to look into such a topic would require very in depth look.
If a user created region wants strong allies, a voice in broader foreign affairs, get glory abroad and to participate in the bigger military operations it will have to align with raiding and defending. It is in this sense, that due to the nature of the NS world that raiding and defending is practical.
In conclusion, it is practical but not when it takes away from regions. It however remains an iron cage and it is impossible for there to be any other sort of gameplay if one wishes to be a global power militarily and in foreign affairs from the user created region side.
