The need for new rules on cultural protection

[SelucianCrusader]

The recent troll invasion of Al'Badara has made many of us older players quite upset. I'd see it as a good example of why the "early election tactic" may be justified sometimes, to keep these kind of players from destroying great cultures or great RP. I think it's time to contemplate the need for stricter rules on cultural protection. I took the time to write up a little proposal of my own:

I. Nations with a non-anglophone culture and a history of using non-english titles may not change the name any of it's governmental functions into English terms.

II. The titles "President" (for head of state) and "Prime minister" (for head of government) may not be introduced in any non-anglophone nation or were those titles hasn't been in use until recently (ie. not in Luthori or Mordusia)

III. No nation may change the name its form of government to a "Federal Republic" unless those terms were in use until recently.

IV. Any change of national symbols, such as the national sport or animal, are required to be justified from an RP-perspective. Changing the national sport to Football or Tennis is explicitly forbidden.

V. Any attempts to break these rules or to in other ways create generic, Anglophone entities out of culturally protected or culturally active nations will result in an investigation by the moderation and a nation-wide ban for the offender.

[MichaelReilly]

There's culture-protection and then there's RP fascism.

There needs to be a middle-line inbetween "you can't change the culture of the nation" and "you explicitly must not have forms of government I do not like".

[meisme]

There needs to be a middle-line inbetween "you can't change the culture of the nation" and "you explicitly must not have forms of government I do not like".

This.

It hurts my heart seeing Badara getting destoryed, and I do agree that places like that should be more protected from troll invasions. However, this isn't ideas on new rules for cultural protection. This is you jamming your ideas of how the game should be played down the throats to new players if the mods go ahead with this (God help us if they do). Like, seriously:

II. The titles "President" (for head of state) and "Prime minister" (for head of government) may not be introduced in any non-anglophone nation or were those titles hasn't been in use until recently (ie. not in Luthori or Mordusia)

III. No nation may change the name its form of government to a "Federal Republic" unless those terms were in use until recently.

Changing the national sport to Football or Tennis is explicitly forbidden.

This one makes less sense than a Hunter S. Thompson novel...

Can you make it MORE oblivious that you are just using this troll invasion for push your game ideals? Is that possible? Yes, seeing every democratic nation have the President/Prime Minister combo everywhere can get unsettling, but that happens (both IRL and In-game). Plus, your dislike for Federal Republics I doubt I will understand soon.

[Afrocentric]

What the hell did I just read?

[catparty]

If anything, I would want the game to take an opposite direction to increase activity. The more this game becomes filled with made up religions, words, and languages, and the more that real world things are banned, the bigger a barrier of entry there is against new players.

[SelucianCrusader]

There's culture-protection and then there's RP fascism.

There needs to be a middle-line inbetween "you can't change the culture of the nation" and "you explicitly must not have forms of government I do not like".

It's not about what I like and whatnot. If this was a game like Nation States, were other player's actions hardly affect you at all, I couldn't care less if someone would name their country a federal republic and make it generic and dull. However, in this game we build our nations together, and we can't pretend that we aren't affected by what is tolerated in other nations and what's not. It's always preferable if new players are offered help to respect the continuity of their nations, but if cultural genocides are tolerated, there is a serious risk of the contributions of all active RP:ers getting whipped away in the future by tidal waves of cyber hillbillys who want to play in generic anglophone nations.

Can you make it MORE oblivious that you are just using this troll invasion for push your game ideals? Is that possible? Yes, seeing every democratic nation have the President/Prime Minister combo everywhere can get unsettling, but that happens (both IRL and In-game). Plus, your dislike for Federal Republics I doubt I will understand soon.

Players being allowed to change the HoS/HoG titles into President and Prime Minister in nations with established and rich cultures is very much an integral part of the problem as I see it.

The term "Federal Republic" apart from about the dullest, most boring name of government that exists, increases the risk of the nation turning into a virtual carbon copy of the US, which attracts players that just want to roleplay something mirroring the current debate in the US and doesn't care about culture. As a former co-leader of the ATR, I obviously don't mind republics, but adding "federal" to it is just a way to kite-mark the blandness of the nation in question. All it takes is a wikipedia search to come up with less generic alternatives, like "meritocratic republic", "republican hegemony" etc.

This one makes less sense than a Hunter S. Thompson novel...

Actually it doesn't. Football and Tennis, while I have no personal dislike of either (UEFA Women's Euro is on the TV right now, pride of the Kingdom of Sweden) are both generic and bland choice of national sports that risks putting a nation's cultural character at risk of being drowned in generic anglo-saxonism. Even Chess, Fencing, Archery or Stage Magic would be better choices as they would be able express the essence of a nation's specific culture, no matter being not the most original choices.

If anything, I would want the game to take an opposite direction to increase activity. The more this game becomes filled with made up religions, words, and languages, and the more that real world things are banned, the bigger a barrier of entry there is against new players.

I remember when we defended Barmenia from the Eredian troll, you and I. Remember how he wanted to make Barmenia a "Federal Republic" with a "President" (why didn't we us the early election tactic too keep him out?)? I'm afraid that's the sort of players we're going to get more of if we take that direction, and I prefer quality over quantity.

I have always been against the attitude of certain players in the past who have been to dogmatically against change and creativity, but this is another issue. Creativity is best stimulated if people have to integrate their new ideas with the already established.

[hmatthews]

As a newbie, the best would be for people to start/request a new nation; it means players who want to play within their own friends can without stepping toes!

[Zanz]

As a newbie, the best would be for people to start/request a new nation; it means players who want to play within their own friends can without stepping toes!

Unfortunately, no new nations will be added to Particracy. Development of the game has ceased, as wouter is busy with real life. Our main hope is that one day development of Particracy 2 will recommence, but until then, the nations we have are what we have to work with.

[meisme]

This one makes less sense than a Hunter S. Thompson novel...

Actually it doesn't. Football and Tennis, while I have no personal dislike of either (UEFA Women's Euro is on the TV right now, pride of the Kingdom of Sweden) are both generic and bland choice of national sports that risks putting a nation's cultural character at risk of being drowned in generic anglo-saxonism. Even Chess, Fencing, Archery or Stage Magic would be better choices as they would be able express the essence of a nation's specific culture, no matter being not the most original choices.

I meant it didn't make sense because Football and Tennis aren't really sports locked to a type of culture, so I didn't see how going from Archery to Football, for example, is something that is a 'violation', per say, to the cultural rules of the game. Now I understand that everyone having Football as a national sport won't look right, but neither will it only being one for one or two nations.

[Captain-Socialist]

Anglo-Saxons must rule the world!

Don't forget the Jutes, either!