ISSUE 6: What Makes a "Gamesider"?

Sincluda

Sincluda

JC Penney
Cabinet
Deputy Minister
Citizen
Pronouns
He/Him
Screenshot 2021-09-22 7.27.06 PM.png

ISSUE 6​

What Makes a "Gamesider"?​

by Sincluda​

​

The gameside community has been a realm of increasing activity and importance for quite some time, earning itself a Ministry dedicated to it, as well as becoming a hotly contended topic in platforms, debates, and Grand Hall threads. How do we better do this? Do we even need to do that? Why aren't we doing these? Among the discussions of integration, retention, and maintenance, however, there is one thing often lost.

Who are "gamesiders"? And perhaps just as importantly, what does Europeia mean to them?

For all that I have discussed, fought for, and interacted with the Europeian gameside community, I still rarely feel like I am truly a "part" of it. I feel like I can't accurately represent or talk about it and its interests. To be honest, it feels like very, very few people can, which is a shame because that type of representation and understanding is needed amongst the people making policies surrounding it, at least if we want to craft them in a way where impacts would be most positive.

Seeking this understanding, both for myself and others, I sought out active noncitizen residents and gameside-oriented citizens for a series of interviews. 1 week ago, I sent telegrams to 15 different "gamesiders", and received 10 responses, those being from Gertyx, Greater Eesti, Unogonduria, The Polar Bear Communities, Puggers, Raustria, Segenipe, Uncilttakia, Ducklingville, and Nouraikes. The interview contained 10 questions, aimed at identifying respondents relationship with and attitude toward Europeia as a region, its government, and citizenship. I'm not going to offer much analysis beyond 1 key takeaway per question, because I want YOU to post your own opinions for discussion. Anyways. These are the responses:

Why are you in Europeia? What do you enjoy about it?
  • Gertyx: A random recruitment telegram brought me here... But I stayed here because it was nice here. Pleasant - for the most part - people, crazy and dynamic rp, and in general... It was cool here. And even now, to be honest.
  • Greater Eesti: I was finding a another Europe-themed region other than Europe, so I went here. I enjoy talking with the community and roleplay. Europeia's community is so friendly, and the roleplay is so interesting.
  • Unogonduria: Yes, I am! Well, I just like it here - I've got friends, the region is [moderately] active, it's just so cool!
  • The Polar Bear Communities: I'm in Europeia as i've been in there in Old Nations of mine, and The Community Seems Friendly, i really like it here.
  • Puggers: Ah, i like here becouse, well, its almost always active
  • Raustria: I joined Europeia a long time ago because Le Libertia sent me a recruitment telegram first. I love RP and the RMB.
  • Segenipe: I found out about Europe by chance, After months I got attached to the staff and the PR, especially
  • Uncilttakia: I started my NS journey here and it’s a familiar place to be in.
  • Ducklingville: I’m in europeia because of the nostalgia, really. I joined two years ago and met some people, most have gone but those who’ve stayed keep me here.
  • Nouraikes: I think it's a pretty chill, laid back community that just likes to have a little chat. Along with the fact that I've been somewhat involved in Euro for almost my entire time on NS, even if at some points it hasn't been my main region.
Just Plain Cool: There's no one reason for enjoying Europeia as a gamesider, but one thing seems discernible--the community is mostly positive and active.

How relevant is the Europeian government in your everyday Europeian life? Do you feel like it's very active, uninvolved, or somewhere in between?
  • Gertyx: Hmm, I don't really notice him, to be honest. It's just that we're on different planes, I guess.
  • Greater Eesti: So, the Europeian Government is mostly the forums, right? I'm not that active in the forums… So, somewhere in between.
  • Unogonduria: It's uninvolved. Except when Pichtonia was disqualified from being the one who sends out the news I immediately noticed :(
  • The Polar Bear Communities: Well i don't interact much with the government but i'd say In Between, because I talk to them daily on the RMB.
  • Puggers: i fell very uninvolved
  • Raustria: I don’t know a lot about the government.
  • Segenipe: I'm still a newbie, I still don't know how it works very well, so not involved
  • Uncilttakia: not really involved, I mainly just roleplay.
  • Ducklingville: The government isn’t very relevant to me, I see some of the competitions and compete in some. I’ve listened to a bit of the podcast but not much more than that
  • Nouraikes: I feel it's quite inactive, but that's not to say I'm against the current level of involement right now. It just feels unimportant in the lives of Europeians that aren't active on the forums.
"As a region, Europeia is ranked 22,478th in the world for Most Politically Apathetic Citizens": A straightforward answer if there is one, the government doesn't matter much to gameside Europeia. Beyond that, many see it as more of a forums thing than Europeia thing.

Rate how familiar you are with each of the following ministries on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being “never heard of it/vaguely recognize it” and 5 being “it is a frequent aspect of my Europeian experience”.
Do note that, as an interview with only 10 people rather than a larger poll, this data is not necessarily reliable.

Data
MinistryMeanMedianModeHighestLowest
Outreach1.6114 (1)1 (7)
Gameside3.8455 (4)1 (1)
Culture1.81.514 (1)1 (5)
Radio1.91.514 (1)1 (5)
Communications2.72.51 & 45 (1)1 (3)
Foreign Affairs1.81.511 (5)3 (3)
World Assembly Affairs1.81.511 (5)3 (3)
Europeian Republican Navy1.71.511 (5)3 (2)
Office of the Attorney General1.3111 (8) 3 (1)

*Ratings outside of range given were rounded to closest in-range number, and ranges/decimals were rounded to the nearest integer.
  • Ministry of Outreach
    • Gertyx: 4
    • Greater Eesti: 2
    • Unogonduria: 0
    • The Polar Bear Communities: 1
    • Puggers: 1
    • Raustria: 1
    • Segenipe: 3
    • Uncilttakia: 1
    • Ducklingville: 1
    • Nouraikes: 1
  • Ministry of Gameside
    • Gertyx: 5
    • Greater Eesti: 5
    • Unogonduria: 2.5-3
    • The Polar Bear Communities: 2-3, i’ve seen them on the RMB A couple times
    • Puggers: 4
    • Raustria: 5
    • Segenipe: 3
    • Uncilttakia: 1
    • Ducklingville: 5
    • Nouraikes: 4
  • Ministry of Culture
    • Gertyx: 1
    • Greater Eesti: 2
    • Unogonduria: 0.8-1.1
    • The Polar Bear Communities: 2
    • Puggers: 1
    • Raustria: 1
    • Segenipe: 3
    • Uncilttakia: 1
    • Ducklingville: 2
    • Nouraikes: 4
  • Ministry of Radio
    • Gertyx: 3
    • Greater Eesti: 1
    • Unogonduria: 0
    • The Polar Bear Communities: 1
    • Puggers: 1
    • Raustria: 2
    • Segenipe: 3
    • Uncilttakia: 1
    • Ducklingville: 4
    • Nouraikes: 2
  • Ministry of Communications (Europeian Broadcasting Corporation)
    • Gertyx: 4
    • Greater Eesti: 4
    • Unogonduria: 0
    • The Polar Bear Communities: 1
    • Puggers: 2
    • Raustria: 5
    • Segenipe: 3
    • Uncilttakia: 1
    • Ducklingville: 4
    • Nouraikes: 2
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    • Gertyx: 2
    • Greater Eesti: 1
    • Unogonduria: 0.3-0.6 (It simply is not relevant to me)
    • The Polar Bear Communities: 1
    • Puggers: 1
    • Raustria: 3
    • Segenipe: 3
    • Uncilttakia: 1
    • Ducklingville: 2
    • Nouraikes: 3
  • Ministry of World Assembly Affairs
    • Gertyx: 2
    • Greater Eesti: 1
    • Unogonduria: 2.7-3.5
    • The Polar Bear Communities: 1
    • Puggers: 1
    • Raustria: 3
    • Segenipe: 3
    • Uncilttakia: 1
    • Ducklingville: 2
    • Nouraikes: 1
  • Europeian Republican Navy
    • Gertyx: 2
    • Greater Eesti: 1
    • Unogonduria: 0
    • The Polar Bear Communities: 1, I didn’t know there was a Navy, pretty cool!
    • Puggers: 1
    • Raustria: 2
    • Segenipe: 3
    • Uncilttakia: 1
    • Ducklingville: 3
    • Nouraikes: 2
  • Office of the Attorney General
    • Gertyx: 1
    • Greater Eesti: 1
    • Unogonduria: 0
    • The Polar Bear Communities: 1
    • Puggers: 1
    • Raustria: 2
    • Segenipe: 3
    • Uncilttakia: 1
    • Ducklingville: 1
    • Nouraikes: 1
Ministry of Who?: Only 12 Ministry had an average rating over 2, and 1 over 3... Gameside. The rest have small yet varying impacts on the lives of gamesiders. The question I ask you is: Is this for better or for worse?

What would you like to see more of in Europeia, roleplay or otherwise?
  • Gertyx: Idk... I think roleplay is the basis of Europeai, so... More rp.
  • Greater Eesti: More events and a trading card association (do we have one?)
  • Unogonduria: Mmmm, I don't know - maybe more contest/s and such things?
  • The Polar Bear Communities: I don't know what to see more in Europeia, I like it how it is, but if i had to say something it would be for the community to be more friendly overall.
  • Puggers: sicerely, its already good enuoghff
  • Raustria: More worlds in Roleplay so everyone can be in a world they like in RP
  • Segenipe: Roleplay
  • Uncilttakia: I wanna see more people involved in rp
  • Ducklingville: I am not very involved in role play any more so I can’t tell you
  • Nouraikes: More Roleplay/Activity on the RMB would be great, but I personally think that it's not necessarily the government's fault that RP or the active RMB are in a sort of limbo right now, rather that NS as a whole is currently not getting enough of a push to remain as active as previously.
Roleplay Pays the Big Money: Roleplay, maybe unsurprising to some, is the chief interest of most, but plenty other things like events, competitions, and trading cards crop up here and there, too (but never politics). A question I'd raise is whether the RP is just more interesting to the gameside community, or if its dominance eclipses the other, relatively inactive realms, particularly for those who may otherwise be interested.

Which of the following Europeian communications platforms do you use: Regional Message Board, Offsite Forums, Discord? If you don’t use one or more of them, why not?
  • Gertyx: RMB. It is just uncomfortable to me use forums, and i... Just don't use Discord, exep to Rp council. Don't see reason.
  • Greater Eesti: RMB. I am in the forums, I'm just not that active there… And discord, I don't have an acc there…
  • Unogonduria: Regional Message Board. I don't use the offsite Forums because... I don't know? And for the Discord - not only do I not have this app, I can't seem to log into my old account.
  • The Polar Bear Communities: I Always use the RMB.
  • Puggers: the RBM
  • Raustria: RMB
  • Segenipe: RMB only, I don't want to get too involved yet
  • Uncilttakia: I use rmb, I don’t think there’s much rp on discord and forums
  • Ducklingville: I only use the rmb because I don’t really like discord as a whole and the forums are too confusing for me
  • Nouraikes: I use the RMB, and every once in a blue moon, the forums. The forums I just never really found as interesting, and Discord because I don't have it nor seek it, as I just prefer to keep it on site.
The Communication of the Future: Max Barry's Potato: Gamesiders use the RMB, obviously. But why not use the Discord or forums, more sophisticated and complex platforms? Unfortunately, there wasn't really an answer to this. They just... don't.

Are you a citizen? Why or why not? What would compel you to apply for citizenship?
  • Gertyx: Nope. I tried to became, but something goes wrong, and i just forget about it.
  • Greater Eesti: Yup.
  • Unogonduria: Nah, I am. I planned to become so in the summer, but I just slowly forgot. And nowadays I don't have so much time on my hands.
  • The Polar Bear Communities: I am not a citizen of Europeia, as I Do not know how to apply for Europeian Citizenship.
  • Puggers: No, i aint interested in it
  • Raustria: no because I’m a citizen on an alt account.
  • Segenipe: No, I don't know much about European citizenship but I want to wait
  • Uncilttakia: I’m not a citizen, idk why not, maybe I should apply
  • Ducklingville: I might be a citizen? I had applied long time ago, and got citizenship but I’m pretty sure forum inactivity has taken that away
  • Nouraikes: I am a citizen.
Nah, Fam: Most respondents weren't citizens, and didn't answer the third part of the question that I was really wanting to analyze! But most didn't seem to be because it just didn't seem important. More on that with the next one.

Do you think being a citizen is important to being in Europeia?
  • Gertyx: It is of course very important, because give options to help region.
  • Greater Eesti: Probably…
  • Unogonduria: Mostly if you want to vote for the [regional] government and if you want to become the president or smth.
  • The Polar Bear Communities: Possibly, yeah. To vote in Future Elections and all of that. To Participate in anything Political-Related
  • Puggers: No, most of my life here is good without being an citzen
  • Raustria: yeah but again this account does not have citizenship.
  • Segenipe: No i think
  • Uncilttakia: no, it’s not mandatory and tbh I got along well without it
  • Ducklingville: I don’t think citizenship is very important
  • Nouraikes: For someone like me, no. You may understand why by looking at my previous answers.
Nah, Fam Part 2: Confirming my suspicions in the last question: Citizenship isn't important to most gamesiders. The ones that do view it as important, however, see it one key way: the political world of Europeia.

Have you ever voted in a Europeian election? Would you like to?
  • Gertyx: No, and i think no. I just don't take part in politics.
  • Greater Eesti: Yup.
  • Unogonduria: No, I don't think so.
  • The Polar Bear Communities: Unless we count the polls in Europeia, No. but I Would like to vote in the Elections, of course!
  • Puggers: No, nope, i think i am too inmatture to vote
  • Raustria: I have been in one but never really took part in it. I would now though.
  • Segenipe: No, but I would like
  • Uncilttakia: no, I wouldn’t know, im not involved much in the politics
  • Ducklingville: I have voted once
  • Nouraikes: I have, but only once or twice in my 1+ years of being a citizen.
no, I 've never VOTED!: Not much to say with this one, since it mostly lines up with the citizenship questions, although some noncitizens do show a hint of interest in Europeian politics here.

What does the President of Europeia mean to you (as a position)?
  • Gertyx: The great king of the whole region, who, like Atlas, holds him on his shoulders.
  • Greater Eesti: uhhh, important...?
  • Unogonduria: To me, not much. Probably that you just have way, way more control than most of the others (the other nations in Europeia), ability to suppress posts, etc.
  • The Polar Bear Communities: For me, the President Of Europeia Acts like a Force in between Vice Delegate and Delegate, to balance the powers in between.
  • Puggers: It is caring for the region thourgly
  • Raustria: Nothing important to me.
  • Segenipe: It doesn't mean much so far, I don't know your leadership so my opiniom is neutral
  • Uncilttakia: it means absolutely nothing to me, again, I don’t do much politics I just roleplay
  • Ducklingville: I think president is necessary, and I respect the president
  • Nouraikes: Not much, I just know that they're the main man (or woman) in government. And that they sometimes send telegrams to people.
Important™️: Despite what I'd describe as political apathy among residents, they mostly get the sense that the President is important... somehow.

Who is Europeia’s “leader” to you? (as a position)
  • Gertyx: Quite don't understand, but... I think it is president, no?
  • Greater Eesti: Isn't the leader of Europeia the president, JayDee II?
  • Unogonduria: Uhh, I think UPC?
  • The Polar Bear Communities:Well i'd say it's kinda complicated but in general i'd say that the W.A Delegate is the Leader of Europeia (AKA UPC)
    • Upon followup: Well there's 3 of them, the President, the Vice President & As i've said earlier, the W.A Delegate / so for a new person in Europeia, it's kind of complicated to know who's the leader. / Oops! i completely forgot about the Vice Delegate aswell.
  • Puggers: its upc right?
  • Raustria: delegate?
  • Segenipe: (no response)
  • Uncilttakia: Am I allowed to say I don’t know?
  • Ducklingville: Probably the president
  • Nouraikes: Forgot who it was, just goes to show my little involvement. Just looked, I guess it's Jaydee?
All Hail UPC: I lied. The President isn't important. It's actually the Delegate. Really, though, this question got a mix of "IDK", "President", and "Delegate", which to me is an effect of what is my overall takeaway from these interviews: the greatest disconnect between gamesiders and other Europeians is politics (and communications platforms).

My main conclusion from these interviews is: Europeian politics are too disconnected from gameside Europeia to matter. As a separate communications platform from the traditional halls of political debate, gameside Europeia grows essentially completely unaware of what's happening elsewhere in the region. It's isolated. And that isolation breeds a greater apathy, with both the regions politics and its institutions.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe gamesiders wouldn't care regardless. But the main thing I gleaned about the gamesider perspective from these interviews, is that it is (perhaps blissfully) unaware of the politicking that defines the rest of the region.

xXx​
 
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Some of these answers are like the polls of Americans where respondents said that they thought Judge Judy was on the U.S. Supreme Court :p

More seriously, though, these responses aren't that surprising and track pretty well with past surveys/studies of regional gameside communities in large regions. Those who primarily use the RMB are not particularly interested in regional governance or politics, and they have exactly what they want on the RMB, which is typically role play and socializing with other RMB posters. The responses about getting involved in Europeian politics, who our leaders are, etc. basically reflect that; the government has a peripheral impact on them mainly though RMB moderation and the gameside ministry's initiatives, and obviously they can see who is in control of the region - mechanically, it's not JayDee with the "executive" tag next to his name, it's UPC.
 
Sincluda said:
Except when Pichtonia was disqualified from being the one who sends out the news I immediately noticed :(
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This reply was really sweet lol. I think it also shows that it matters to gameside residents who our Gameside Minister is, even if they're not entirely sure what the position does(which might seem like an obvious observation, but when the minister is nominated/confirmed by people not involved themselves in Gameside it could be easy to forget!).

This also kind of makes me wonder if having a more long-term Gameside Minister (or roughly equivalent position) would be more beneficial for communication success outside of our forums.

EDIT: Also, speaking as someone who almost purely engaged on gameside for the first 2 years I was on NS, iirc the reason I got a Discord anf forum account was because I wanted to talk to my friends more. I didn't even realize the potential for political office until almost another year after that. So mayybe genuine connections with gameside residents matters :p
 
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This was a great read! Thanks for putting it together.

Sincluda said:
For all that I have discussed, fought for, and interacted with the Europeian gameside community, I still rarely feel like I am truly a "part" of it. I feel like I can't accurately represent or talk about it and its interests. To be honest, it feels like very, very few people can, which is a shame because that type of representation and understanding is needed amongst the people making policies surrounding it, at least if we want to craft them in a way where impacts would be most positive.
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Loved this part because my relationship with the gameside strongly echoes this. I'm much more interested in the gameside than the average citizen and frequently participate in activities related to it, but I still feel disconnected from the RMB and roleplay community.
 
I just got around to reading this, but thanks so much for bringing these perspectives! I think it's always good to have a reminder of the broad array of folks we have in our community.
 
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