NationStates | Dispatch | Bisofeyr for Forest Keeper

Dispatch → Meta → Gameplay

by The Paleolithic Tribe of Bisofeyr. 1 year 194 days ago. 196 reads.

It is a privilege and an honor for me to be running to be the Forest Keeper of the eighteenth administration of Forest. I've been playing NationStates for a few years now, and started Bisofeyr about a year and a half ago. I joined Forest very quickly, largely by chance as I had heard good things about it floating around, and I am very happy I did. Now, I run for Forest Keeper to continue my journey in this region and community I have grown to love. I believe Forest is the best region on the site. I have dabbled in other regions and have had the immense privilege to get to know and work with people from other prominent on-site communities. I think that Forest does it better than everyone else, for a few reasons.

I think, to understand my love for the region, you must understand my love for this game itself. NationStates is a microcosm of the real world, where individuals have a chance to have well-reasoned discussions on a variety of topics, and work to develop their own instincts. Some people do this by writing issues or resolutions, some do it through roleplay, and some do it by delving into the General subforum. Regardless of how people seek to engage with the site, it is very unique in the perspectives that it allows people to take.

Forest has the same feature, but to a more personal level. We have fostered a community that has attracted the crème de la crème of NationStates players, in nearly every category. We frequently have high-level discussions on policy or current events, but we don't let those mature discussions take away from the fun that comes from cultural activities. We talk about on-site happenings, work towards common goals, and we relish in disagreement instead of running from it. This is what makes Forest unique, and it is something that cannot be understated. I am so proud to be able to call myself a Forestian, and would not trade it for just about anything.

I would love to say that I have some grand vision that will change the future of Forest forever, but that would be a lie. I think this community is pretty damn good, just the way that it is. What I do wish to bring is a continuation of current events, with some slight administrative/legislative tweaks that will modernize the region, especially alongside site changes. I hope that I can win your vote for the position, and encourage you to read my platform below. Thank you so much, and I look forward to this election.

Platform points:

One of the hallmarks of a Bisofeyr administration will be a steady stream of common-sense Constitutional Amendments being brought forth for community discussion. Right now, the document is largely okay, but full of some controversial points and minor inconsistencies. I have brought several potential amendments up for discussion in the past, especially regarding the codification of a treaty ratification process, but they have stalled; this is something I regret not pushing harder during the last administration as a private citizen, but it is something I look forward to working on over the next six months regardless of this election's outcome.

A brief overview of some of the things I am looking at are as follows:

Codifying the process under which a interregional treaty is ratified. See a current draft here.
Codify the position of Deputy Forest Keeper.
Enshrine certain tangible transparency standards, beyond what is mentioned in section 2.3.
Clarifying electoral procedure in the event of one or zero candidates running in a Forest Keeper election.

It is no secret that we have a bit of a crisis on our hands with regards to capacity for foreign affairs: the regional ambassador program is incredibly understaffed, and while our current/previous administrator(s) are more than competent at the job, something has to be done to help with an overextended Foreign Affairs department. There are a few common-sense solutions to this, such as engaging in a recruitment drive for the program, but to be frank, I'm inclined to take a "Forest-first" approach regardless.

What this means is that we should take a critical view of all of our embassies and decide which ones we wish to continue to meaningfully engage with. This does not mean that we necessarily have to close embassies that are no longer active or we do not talk with often, but rather allows us to engage internally, within our own community, and using our excess energy to engage with other regions that have showed a continued interest in us (Ridgefield and The Region That Has No Big Banks come to mind immediately).

I have certainly erred on this front in the past, preemptively moving to close an embassy without discussing it with all the relevant stakeholders beforehand. This mistake allowed me to grow, and have inward reflection on what exactly I think we should be getting out of embassies and other interregional relations. I think that we should take a critical eye towards the regions that we associate ourselves with, but that necessarily comes with talking it out with our embassy partners and within our own community before taking any action. As Forest Keeper, I would regularly reevaluate our embassy and treaty obligations, and work within the government and within the community to ascertain if and when a good time to close an embassy would be.

There is also the possibility of newly-proposed embassies or treaties during my time as Forest Keeper, and I'd like to comment on my approach to these. In the event that a Constitutionally-qualified region requests to open an embassy, I would do my Constitutionally-mandated duty to bring it before the region; I would also give counsel to the requesting entity, telling them how they should interact with the region in order to make a good impression. I would publish all communication between me and the requesting entity as soon as practicable. If an entity proposes a treaty and me and my Foreign Affairs official believe it reasonable, we will bring it to the region in two rounds: firstly, as a broad idea to get the general thoughts of the region, without an official vote. From there, if there is considerable interest, I will assembly a committee of several government and non-government citizens to hash out the details with the other side, from which we will bring the proposed treaty back to the region for a commentary period, and then iterate upon it if necessary, before finally bringing it to a vote. I feel this is the most equitable way to ensure the community gives their input during the treaty process.

I think that the current cultural achievements of the region are phenomenal, and there is little I would change. I would empower the current cultural team to continue what they do, and give my own guidance. There are three things I seek to add:

It's been a year since the last iteration of the Forest Cup, and (subject to Bilsa's time/preference/ability) I would love to make this an annual event. I think it was one of the most engaged times I've seen the community since I've been here, and I think it could be something that we become known for moving forward. If Bilsa is unable to do it this year, I would love to find other events in a similar vein that can happen over a prolonged period, so that people are checking into their progress multiple times a day.
One of my favorite memories of the past few months was Forest's participation in TRTHNBB's Yodcast. It got me thinking, "Hey! I could listen to Forestians talk about Forest and other assorted topics every week!" I then tempered myself down to every other week, but the principle still stands: I would like to start a new biweekly podcast on current events in NationStates, with an emphasis on Forestian culture.
It's Forest's twentieth birthday, and that is cause to celebrate! I think the most meaningful way to do this is to show off Forest's culture to the world, in the style of a world fair. I propose that, to celebrate Forest's birthday, we host a "Forest Forum", which would be a multi-day event where we invite the top philosophers of NationStates to our region to discuss the game, the region, and the future. From early to mid August, this could be an excellent way to thrust Forest onto the international stage, and provide an avenue for people to appreciate the intellectual conversations that we have so frequently.

Deputy Forest Keeper
Foreign Affairs
Cultural Affairs
Historian/Records Keeper
Cartographer
Forest Ranger(s)

The Paleolithic Tribe of Bisofeyr

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