Drama in the GCRs
An interview with Tsunamy and CSP
Written by Punchwood
Today drama seems a fundamental part of Game Created Regions (GCRs). We've recently had the Osiris coup that concerned who had won the election in Osiris for Delegate and if there was any corruption involved in the elections and voting. Also, we've witnessed a coup in The South Pacific over who should run the forums and if there was corruption among the forum administrators. Drama is everywhere in GCRs, and yet we don't often hear of drama in User Created Regions (UCRs). We don't hear about the "Europeian Coup" or drama over who has the power to become a Delegate, dissolve treaties, or restart elections, for example. It does raise the question, therefore, are GCRs more prone to drama than UCRs? That question really depends on who you ask and where they are.
I'm a resident of The South Pacific (TSP), I have been ever since I've joined NationStates. I've held many different roles in the region, and I know it's prone to drama. We've had drama over possible voter manipulation which caused large scale embarrassment for those involved as well as one well-known and respected South Pacific member being named as a security threat and being subsequently banned from the region. We've had drama over two of The South Pacific's forum administrators viewing the private discussions of The High Court, our judicial branch. This caused the resignation of all High Court Justices, many members leaving the region in disgust, and much later lead to the recent coup in the region. The region is now experiencing even more drama over who has the power to dissolve treaties, the Cabinet or the Assembly. The South Pacific portrays itself as a fertile breeding ground for drama, and so I decided to sit down with the region's Delegate Tsunamy and ask for his view on the matter.
Punchwood: So then let's dive straight into it. Do you think there is more drama in GCRs than UCRs?
Tsunamy: I'm not incredibly familiar with many UCRs, but I would assume that the amount of diversity in GCRs leads to a bit more drama.
Punchwood: A bit more? With, what, two GCR coups and no UCR coups? Surely we have a lot more drama? I mean, TSP prides itself on being a dramatic region.
Tsunamy: Sure. But, other GCRs aren't nearly as dramatic. TNP is incredibly stable. The thing is, unlike a UCR we don't have the ability to password protect our region. So when we have a coup, it's a much more dire threat. I'm also not positive we 'pride' ourselves on being a dramatic region, but play with that title somewhat ironically.
Punchwood: Do you think that UCRs may at times get a little annoyed at all the drama in GCRs or are a bit shocked at all the drama?
Tsunamy: Unfortunately, I'm not totally sure since I'm not really involved in UCRs. But, I think all regions can get annoyed by drama in their allies and friends. Look at the way TSP reacted to Osiris's recent drama. And they aren't even our allies.
Punchwood: Finally, why do you think there is more drama in GCRs than in UCRs?
Tsunamy: Really, I think it's the sheer size of a GCR. We have thousands of nations, to make for a "crown jewel" so to speak, and have significant power in the WA. This creates incentive for people to fight for power, but also draws together a large number of people from different backgrounds -- which is a recipe for drama.
That was the view of The South Pacific's Delegate Tsunamy, who seemed to reluctantly accept that GCRs are more prone to drama than UCRs. Though he did make an interesting point in that not all GCRs are prone to drama. Tsunamy pointing to The North Pacific as an example of a region he called "incredibly stable."
Having the view of a prominent GCR figure, I decided I should do the same with a prominent UCR figure. This time I spoke in a brief yet more detailed interview with Europeia's own Common-Sense Politics, the region's Chief of Staff.
Punchwood: So then, do you think GCRs have more drama in them than UCRs?
Common-Sense Politics: I think it's important, when we consider this question, to be aware of the fundamental differences between the game-created regions and UCRs. There are two major examples, the first being that the GCRs are permanent fixtures and the largest regions in the game. This means that control of them is viewed as a massively prestigious accomplishment for any ambitious player or meddling entity. The second is that they are vulnerable to delegate transfer by either extralegal means (a coup) or external attack while foundered UCRs are not. Considering these differences, it could be argued that the stakes, as they are, are higher. It's beyond debate that it certainly makes them more susceptible to instability. Therefore we can assert that the potential for "drama" is greater but we often find that, in practice, there's just as much of it to be found in the UCR world, even in its diminished state.
Punchwood: Would you say, though, that when there is drama in a GCR it is usually bigger than the drama found in UCRs?
Common-Sense Politics: I would say there is more exposure game-wide when it comes to conflicts within or among GCRs so it may appear that way. Everyone pays attention to what happens in these places, their players are generally active on the NS forums in larger numbers, and their leaders are better known across the board. For these reasons, their issues are so often litigated out in the open with the detriment of a gargantuan peanut gallery. So no, I'm not sure that characterization is entirely fair though I understand why it exists.
That was the view of Common-Sense Politics, who seems to suggest that GCRs don't have more drama in them than UCRs. Instead he believed that the GCRs' drama is noticed more because the regions are bigger and their prominent members better known. He also seemed to suggest that UCRs won't face the same challenges that GCRs may face, which should lead to more drama but doesn't.
As for myself, I'm not convinced. At the start I was a hundred percent sure that there was more drama in GCRs than UCRs. but at the end of my interviews and research, I'm no longer sure. I still believe that GCRs are more prone to drama than UCRs due to the larger size of the regions and the larger power stakes, but I also believe that drama in a GCR can be over-exaggerated due to that same size and power stakes. The question are GCRs more prone to drama than UCRs is not so simple to answer as I first imagined. If you are from a GCR, then you are more likely to agree that GCRs are more prone to drama, whereas, if you are from a UCR, you are more likely to say they are not. The question will no doubt appear again when more drama from GCRs is brought to light, but, for now, the question will have to remain slightly unanswered.
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