[#4] Raidercon 2017: Interview with Cormac (2017)

[Malphe]

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Another Cormactopia one, this was part of a segment of interviews revolving around coups in Raidercon 2017, goes into valuable detail on the 2016 coup of Osiris. As the majority of this text is Cormac's words I will attribute its authorship to them.

Archived Tapatalk Source
Author: Cormactopia
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Interview with Cormac

Can you share a bit about your NS career and the coups you were involved in?

Cormac: I've been playing NationStates for almost five and a half years, and I've been involved in gameplay the entire time. I have served as Pharaoh of Osiris three times, twice by election and once by coup, and have served in numerous other positions in the governments of both game-created and user-created regions. I have been involved in a coup of Osiris in April 2016 and played a minor, supporting role in Hileville's coup of the South Pacific in early 2016. I was also involved in what many consider a coup of Osiris in December 2013, but I don't consider that a true coup.

Describe what led to your decision to coup? What was the motivation? Did you have specific goals in mind when you decided to coup?

Cormac: I'll address just the April 2016 coup of Osiris since, as I said, I don't regard the December 2013 situation as a true coup, and it wasn't my decision to coup TSP in 2016 -- I just supported Hileville. I was in no sense involves with the decision to initiate that coup, or the decision to end it.

In April 2016, there had been a very contentious round of elections for Pharaoh of Osiris. The controversy centered around The Almighty Jesus Whale, his sketchy history with a region that had participated in Gatesville's July 2013 coup of Osiris, and the questionable tactics he appeared to be using in that election. I was not a candidate in the first round of the election, which saw nominations reopened, but stood in the second round after several candidates from the first round dropped out. The Almighty Jesus Whale was elected in the second round, and fearing that his ascension to the WA Delegacy would result in a coup by him, we -- outgoing Pharaoh Tim Stark, Ambroscus Koth, and I -- decided to dissolve the first Osiris Fraternal Order, install an interim government, and pursue constitutional reform to eliminate elections for the WA Delegacy.

The goal of the April 2016 coup was fairly simple: We wanted to ensure that The Almighty Jesus Whale couldn't take the WA Delegacy, and we wanted to ensure that the WA Delegacy would no longer be filled by election in the future. Our initial goal was fairly modest reform and we were more than willing to compromise with those unhappy with the coup. But after a resistance formed, the resistance refused to compromise, and we had a quick and decisive victory, we thought about a future that didn't include those involved in the resistance and we pursued greater reform. I regret that. We should have stuck to modest reform and made a greater effort to heal divisions.

In your mind, what defines a coup?

Cormac: A coup is the forcible overthrow or displacement of a constitutional or otherwise legitimate government by natives of a region rather than by invaders, against the wishes of the rest of the native community or at least the majority of the native community.

In NS history, some GCR coups have caused significant lasting impact, while others have not. Why do you think that is? What should a couper do to make a lasting impact?

Cormac: I think all coups make some lasting impact. They either make a lasting impact in the sense that they succeed and remake a region in their image, or they make a lasting impact by changing the legitimate government and community, even if the latter are victorious over the coup.

A coup need not be permanent to make a lasting impact, but a long-term coup will have greater impact. For example, while the Empire of The East Pacific didn't end up being permanent, it lasted several months and it had a lasting impact on TEP by stimulating activity and leading to a reinvigorated government and community. Another factor is what the coup seeks to do. If it's just a troll-and-purge coup like those perpetrated by JAL against The North Pacific or Milograd's 2013 coup against TSP, the lasting impact will probably be lesser. For a coup to make a significant impact, it should focus not only on holding the region, but on building a new government.

What was it like while your coup(s) was occurring? Were there any successful tactics (gameplay, PR, etc.) that you used? Anything you wished you did differently?

Cormac: The most successful tactic used in Osiris both in December 2013 and April 2016 was fairly simple. It was trust. We succeeded where others failed primarily because of the mutual trust and loyalty between those leading the coup. There was never any chance of using the slingshot maneuver to put someone in the Delegacy who would end the coup, as in the NLO coup of Lazarus. There was never any chance of appointing a Regional Officer who would clear the ban list, as in Hileville's coup of TSP. It's extremely important in any coup for those in charge to know who they absolutely can trust and to only entrust those people with game-side power.

In hindsight, the thing I wish we had done differently in December 2013 was refuse to bend to external pressure in regard to government restructuring. We should have insisted on elimination of WA Delegate elections when we had the chance. Had we done so, the April 2016 coup would never have happened and the first Osiris Fraternal Order would now be four and a half years old.

What impact did the coup(s) have on you afterwards? Did it change how people treated you? Did it advance or diminish your NS career? Coupers seem to often get a bad reputation. Is that fair?

Cormac: It's hard to say. There are many factors involved in why people tend to regard me with suspicion, and while participation in coups is certainly one of those factors, it isn't the complete picture. I do think those who participate in coups tend to take a hit to their reputation, and that hit is amplified each time they participate in a coup. A person who has participated in three coups in multiple regions is going to be regarded with more suspicion than someone who participated in one coup in their own region. The level of involvement also matters. Did it diminish my NS career? I don't think so. Certainly I've faced limitations, but there are many ways to play this game.

Is it fair? What's fair in gameplay? It's altogether reasonable for regions to regard those who have participated in coups with suspicion. If you don't want to be regarded with suspicion, there is an easy solution: Don't participate in coups. Those of us who have been involved in coups at the highest level knew what that would mean for our reputations. We chose to play this way.

There has not been a significant GCR coup in some time. Why do you think that is?

Cormac: Even being able to initiate a coup is very hard, and being able to sustain one over the long-term is nearly impossible. I think that's the main reason. You have to have a dominant position in regional influence. You have to have a team -- there is no realistic way to coup on your own in 2017. In most cases, you'll also have to reach the Delegacy through legitimate means, which involves political skill and sustained community activity. As Feeders and Sinkers are now tending to limit who can reach their Delegacies and how often, that becomes more and more difficult.

I also don't think most people who end up leading a coup set out to coup. In recent years, most coups have been led or allowed by legitimate Delegates who find themselves in circumstances they believe requires a coup. This has been true of all the coups of Osiris as well as Hileville's coup of TSP. So maybe it isn't just lack of opportunity, but also lack of motivating factors.

Do you have any tips for someone who is considering or may consider to coup?

Cormac: If you're intent on a coup, my advice is to be very sure. There won't be any going back from it. The hit to your reputation will be permanent, even if it wanes in relevance over time. So be sure before you undertake a coup. Don't back down. Don't suddenly chicken out and end it. No one will thank you for it. If you commit to a coup, really commit, and damn the consequences. Because you will face the consequences regardless, so you might as well accomplish what you set out to do. Vincit qui patitur -- he conquers who endures. That's my motto in NationStates. The biggest factor in a successful coup is resolve to win. If you're going to do it, resolve to win, and fight until you do.

My other piece of advice, which is just as important, again is to make sure you can trust your team. If you're not sure you can trust the team assisting your coup -- and you will need a team, especially game-side -- then there is no point in even beginning. You will fail. Trust is everything.