January 2016 Update: Block On!

[Ivo]

Block On!

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[center][big][big][font=trebuchet ms][b][big][big][color=#9A6601][u]The High[/u][/color] [color=#000034][u]Command:[/u][/color][/big][/big][/b] [color=#9A6601]✯✯✯[/color] [b][color=#9A6601]Field Marshal:[/color] [url=http://www.nationstates.net/nation=Gest][color=#000034]Gest[/color][/url][/b] [color=#9A6601]✯✯[/color] [b][color=#9A6601]Generals:[/color] [url=http://www.nationstates.net/nation=kknight][color=#000034]KKnight[/color][/url] [color=#9A6601]and[/color] [url=http://www.nationstates.net/nation=nordic_arbor][color=#000034]Nordic Arbor[/color][/url][/b] [color=#9A6601]✯✯[/color] [b][color=#9A6601]Brigadier-Generals:[/color] [url=http://www.nationstates.net/nation=knot_ii][color=#000034]Knot[/color][/url] [color=#9A6601]and[/color] [url=http://www.nationstates.net/nation=94_block][color=#000034]94 Block[/color][/url][/b][/font][/big][/big][/center]

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PASSED: Liberate St. Abbaddon[hr][/hr]BREAKING NEWS | Lieutenant Tyegëa
“Liberate St. Abbaddon” was passed 10,216 (83%) votes to 2,067 (17%).
“Bummer!” growled Knot flatly, tossing the newspaper back onto the War Room’s table. Field Marshal Gest, General KKnight, fellow Brigadier-General 94 Block, and Lieutenants Tyegëa and NSA stood silently around the table as an air of demoralisation and dismay washed over them. “Of course, it was going to pass anyway, even if the author wasn’t Topid, but still, it just makes our job harder of securing the place.”

KKnight, a figure shrouded in as much mystery as the reasons he insisted on wearing his suit of plate armour instead of the standard-issue uniform of the High Command, was the first to speak. From within his helmet, his voice cut through the silence like a subtle knife: “...That really killed my vibes...” An air of confusion surrounded those gathered round the table, and as the Lieutenants started to speak up, he continued, flatly: “Add it to The Book of KKnight: Strange quotes and habits and methods, will you?”

Tyegëa shook her head sadly and swore under her breath, her eyes brimming with tears as she clenched her fist, banging it against the low table. Were they tears of humiliation, of defeat, of rage, of frustration, of disappointment, or even of true sadness? Neither she nor they knew, and they flowed the moment 94 Block put his arm around her. “There, there, little buddy, it’s not the end of the world” he whispered cheerfully, “it’s happened before and it’ll happen again where we’ve secured a region even with a liberation in place! So cheer up, will you?”

Tyegëa nodded and wiped her tears, but muttered under her breath: “They could have at least come in and liberated the place without the bureaucratic nightmare if it was going to be widely-supported as it was.” Picking up the discarded newspaper, she read: “83% of World Assembly voters voted FOR this proposal, and everyone knew it would garner popular support!”

Stepping closer to the table, from the shadows, NSA, in a bid to change the subject, piped up: “Field Marshal, what do we do now?”

Gest, a mountain of and among men, stepped forward and stood over the table, casting a dark shadow over the maps, reports and other assorted papers on top of it. Adjusting his peaked cap as the rest stood silently, he gave his word as their command: “Do as I say, not as I do.”


Interview: Block on![hr][/hr]INTERVIEW | Lieutenant Tyegëa

[font=trebuchet ms][b]TYEGËA: Good morning, Blockhead, and thank you so much for agreeing to taking part in this interview. I’ve got some hot chocolate to warm you up; would you like some?[/b] 94 BLOCK: It's always a pleasure speaking to you Tye! I'd love to have some hot chocolate, especially if you slip in some espresso. [b]TYEGËA: To start us off, could you describe yourself in a few sentences to those unfamiliar with you?[/b] 94 BLOCK: Well I'm a veteran of the game, starting in October of 2008. I was always a raider thanks to St. Mason (Station Man), Halcones, Gerzam, and Savaer. I was one of the original members of Grand Central, a region where a few NS notable players are from such as Nordic Arbor, Augustus Anumia and Tim Stark. I was also Gest's first Second-in-Command of The Black Riders back in the day. I'm probably and definitely unfortunately most known for my forum destruction of the Grand Central Forums in August of 2013 (I believe that was the date). I've done a lot of things in NS and that covers most of it, aside from my current revival of Grand Central, and my DEN membership. [b]TYEGËA: You were once Marshal of The Black Riders in 2012. What drove you to The Black Riders at the time, what was it that appealed to you, and how can you sum up your time in The Black Riders?[/b] 94 BLOCK: Halcones was one of my first influences as a raider as he took me under his wing when I was a noob. I would always create a raider project and help out the big orgs, but always left it as I couldn't find the proper leadership qualities in myself to run a region on my own. Halcones watching my progress over the years, apparently saw potential in me when he invited me to help him in his project, TBR. I was humbled and gratefully accepted the position. Aside from tag raiding though, I was mainly an advisor and interior manager, mainly running the community and streamlining our processes, a responsibility I enjoy to this day. The Black Riders was an awesome organization back in the day and I'm sad to see it gone. I left them on ambiguous terms, as there was a lot of turmoil in my RL and in the game itself. A decision I regret as I believe if I would have stayed, my NS future would have been quite different. [b]TYEGËA: After three long years, you came and joined your friends in DEN. How did you feel about DEN when you just joined, and what hopes did you have for it at the time?[/b] 94 BLOCK: I was really excited and honored when Knot asked me to help out! I saw that they were mainly doing tag runs, something I wasn't really a fan of. l asked if we could do more sieges and stealth ops, as those are more classy and entertaining. I wanted to instill all the good qualities of Raider Unity that DEN and TBR always had and keep it a fun place for all raiders. [b]TYEGËA: Since the Director-Emeritus of Foreign Affairs had taken a break at the time, you assumed his mantle. What goals did you have in mind at the time, and how did you hope to achieve them?[/b] 94 BLOCK: I took command of the DEN Foreign Affairs Bureau with the intention of spreading raider influence and ideology. I wanted to send out as many ambassadors as I could and even let them share assignments, and the more raiders representing DEN abroad the better. I wanted them to get involved in the communities and make other communities envious of the personas that are contained within Raider Unity and yearn to become a part of that brotherhood. [b]TYEGËA: In DEN and the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, what would you describe as your greatest achievements?[/b] 94 BLOCK: My greatest achievements? Those would probably be implementing the standards that my bureau follows to this day as I think it's an FA system that works effectively in getting our message out. Any other achievements that have come out of my FA Bureau can be directly attributed to its other members. The most recent one of date is Knot's negotiating skills in having The North Pacific to end its recruitment campaign against us. [b]TYEGËA: In DEN and the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, what would you describe as your greatest challenges?[/b] 94 BLOCK: In spreading raider influence, I also wanted to target smaller invader regions that have no mainstream raider ties, and to take them under our wing. To date I have not found an effective strategy in lifting such a region to greater heights. [b]TYEGËA: In DEN and the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, what would you describe as your greatest regrets?[/b] 94 BLOCK: Regrets? None! [b]TYEGËA: In DEN and the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, what would you describe as your greatest joys?[/b] 94 BLOCK: In DEN and my Bureau, my greatest joys have been meeting all of my comrades and enjoying their company through these last few months. I especially am grateful when they show support for me in RL due to a flood that hit my city this past October, and later getting married. I also especially love seeing and carrying out any and all military success, and look forward to helping with more of those. [b]TYEGËA: On Christmas Day, you were inducted into the High Command of DEN. How did you feel about that at the time?[/b] 94 BLOCK: I was completely surprised, and deeply humbled. It was a shock, and probably one of the best feelings this game has ever given me. Definitely will be one of my favorite memories from this Christmas. [b]TYEGËA: Having not held a leadership position in a raider region for three years, does it take you a bit of time to get used to?[/b] 94 BLOCK: It is! Not entirely though, as I did a brief stint helping Ainur get their Knights into the field a little bit last year. But DEN is on another caliber altogether. I'm getting back into the swing of things, and I'm appreciative of the other HC members helping out as well. [b]TYEGËA: As a member of DEN’s High Command as well as the Director of Foreign Affairs, what are your goals and hopes for DEN and the Bureau of Foreign Affairs?[/b] 94 BLOCK: Well simply put, I want to help keep us winning NationStates! [b]TYEGËA: You are known outside of DEN as the person who destroyed two of Grand Central’s forums, one of them permanently. You’ve spoken a bit on the destruction of the forums over the years, but what were the circumstances surrounding the destruction of Grand Central’s forums, and how did you feel about it at the time?[/b] 94 BLOCK: Grand Central. Grand Central was and is a very special place to me. In November of 2011, our original founder, Stationman, passed away in RL; and those of us that he left behind did our best for two years or so to keep the region together but ultimately deteriorated. In a fitful act of desperation to "scare" or "jolt" the region into activity, (and not knowing the consequences of forum destruction), I deleted the new forum I gave them that had just over a hundred posts, and deleted everything off our most recently used forum (about two/three years worth of content) knowing that this one could be recovered. I was distraught after the fact, as I realized what I had done to my community. I was definitely regretful and displayed it so. Grand Central almost immediately in the aftermath of it all forgave me. But the region still stayed dead, and NationStates branded me an unredeemable outcast. [b]TYEGËA: It’s been over three years since the forum destruction, and you’ve changed a lot since then. How do you feel now about the forum destruction and the circumstances surrounding it?[/b] 94 BLOCK: I would not do it again. If I could go back in time I would never have done it. Hindsight is always 20/20 as they say. I have never advocated forum destruction since. I believe I have conducted myself as a more or less respectable member of NationStates and I hope to one day right my wrongs if that's even possible. [b]TYEGËA: Over the years, you have been declared Persona Non Grata from a number of regions because of the forum destruction. Given that Grand Central has now forgiven you, how do you feel about them?[/b] 94 BLOCK: I understand their concern and I don't judge them for not wanting such a person that destroy a community so easily with the stroke of a mouse and keyboard. [b]TYEGËA: If you were given the opportunity to successfully appeal the PNG declaration from one of those regions, which one would it be?[/b] 94 BLOCK: Honestly, all of them! I feel like I'm a completely different player from then. However I have now come to terms with and accepted the consequences of my actions. I respect the sovereignty of those regions and understand their stance on forum destruction as I'm of the same mind. I wouldn't want the player I was back then in my community. I feel like I'm a changed man, a changed player; and I would definitely be deeply appreciative of a second chance. [b]TYEGËA: Just after Christmas, you started a project to revive Grand Central, and even built some new forums for the region. What is the driving force behind this project, and what are your hopes for Grand Central?[/b] 94 BLOCK: Well, redemption. Redemption for not only myself, but for the region as well. Grand Central was a wickedly fun region and more than deserves the opportunity to be a symbol how great NationStates can be. [b]TYEGËA: What do you think the future will hold; for DEN, for you and for Grand Central?[/b] 94 BLOCK: I believe DEN will continue striving to be the best military that ever marched across NS. As for myself, I will continue helping my friends as best I can as I understand that I'm not the best leader but I'm definitely gifted in directly helping people that have that "Leader" quality. Grand Central is in a critical point right now. It's sink or swim, and it's swimming strongly right now. The future is unwritten as they say, but if it were I hope it has great things in store for everyone in NationStates this year! [b]TYEGËA: Thank you so much for taking part in this interview, Blockhead. If you have anything else to say to all gathered here, let it out![/b] 94 BLOCK: Anytime Tye! I just want to thank you for interviewing me, it was quite enjoyable![/font]

The DEN Games: Shall we play a game?[hr][/hr]TEASER | Lieutenant Tyegëa

Due to unexpected and unforeseen circumstances, the Wargames did not arrive in the Autumn break, as they had originally intended. But under the leadership of Brigadier-General 94 Block, and with Lieutenants NSA and Tyegëa having his back, the Wargames, now dubbed the DEN Games will soon be ready for lift-off in the coming Easter break!

The Games will consist of a week-long tournament between our fellow allies as friendly competition, and with a prize to be awarded to whoever is able to seize and hold the region pre-made for this purpose, albeit at the expense of the other competitors. Invitations will be sent to our allies, but anyone who is able and willing to raid is more than welcome to join in the fun: defenders going incognito included, with added discretion to the mix!

So sit tight, hang in there baby and stay tuned for the next thrilling episode: your invitations are coming for you!

[Tim Stark]

tl;dr

[Cormac]

A very nice update. I thought the interview with 94 Block was really interesting and I'm glad it didn't skirt around the forum destruction issue, but instead tackled it head on. It looks like he's really progressed as a player and I'm sure he'll do (more) positive things in DEN and Grand Central.

Looking forward to the DEN Games as well. Thanks for the update!