Global Summit Tentative Accord Achieved!

[General Powell]

The 2004 Global Summit was a rousing success. After attendance and participation by many of the major raider and defender alliances as well as many independent, growing regions and alliances, a tentative accord was reached through cooperation and input by the attending delegates. The following Global Summit Accord is being submitted for review and adoption by each of the participating alliances and regions:

Issue 1: Espionage As a Function of Gameplay: Espionage will be allowed to continue in its current form. The vast majority of delegates agreed to a ban on all non-military espionage and any form of espionage designed to secure regional leadership or impact the internal politics of the target region. This matter has been tabled pending further review by TITO and the ADN.

Issue 2: Professionalism During Gameplay:
All participating allliances and regions agree to state publically that raiderplay is authorized under the current NationStates rules. Defender organizations may publically denounce the the practice, but may not insult or otherwise demean raider regions or organizations which engage in the practice. TITO reserves the right to refer to the practice as "immoral," and to label those engaging in the practice as "invaders." Raider regions and organizations may refer to TITO as "Hall Monitors." No other form of detrimental or derrogatory terms are allowed.

Issue 3: Self-Liberation of Acquired Regions:

a. Target regions that do not include UN-Delegate nations (i.e., non-UN regions) may be acquired by raider organizations for training purposes only. These regions must be relinquished within 48 hours of the UN update appointing the raider delegate.

b. Target regions which are acquired may secure their liberation by demonstrating ongoing activity of at least 20% of their native UN-Delegate nations during the period of the occupation. Once a region is acquired, the raider delegate must immediately post a statement regarding the last known period of activity of all native UN nations on the Regional Message Board for public viewing. No other posts by raider forces are allowed on the RMB until the first native or defender organization acknowledges review of the information. This acknowledgement must occur immediately following the acquisition by any defender nation online at the time of the acquisition and following the activity post by the raider delegate.

c. Acquired regions which cannot show the required activity levels may be colonized by raider organizations without prospective interference by defender organizations. Acquired regions meeting the activity requirement will be released by the raider delegate within 48 hours of verification of such native activity by the observing defender organization, and will be removed from the Global Target List.


Issue 4: Spamming and Sweeping During Gameplay:
Defender and raider organizations will refrain from spamming the RMB's of home and colony regions during missions. This includes use of nations to clear the regional activity registers of home and colony regions. Raider and defender organizations will refrain from posting sensitive information on home and colony RMB's during missions which may be used to harass, annoy, invade or otherwise molest the home or colony regions.

Issues 5 & 6: NS-Mod Reports and Review of Alleged Violations of the GS Accord: Defender and raider organizations agree to address alleged violations of NS rules and this Accord occuring during missions in a neutral forum prior to the submission of any reports or complaints to NS Hosts. This issue was approved by the majority of participating delegates, but is awaiting further review by the ADN and TITO.

[The Heights]

It sounds like the Summit went exceedingly well. I again apologize for my absence, but I am glad that so much progress has been made.

I thank all the delegates for acting cordially and working for the greater good of your respective regions/alliances, and for the whole of NationStates

[IAN Chairman]

I am sorry to be un cooperative with this but in no way, shape or form will IAN be a part of this accord until a unanimous decision is made within IAN. I ask that one week be given immediately for all organizations effected by this to review this accord. I apologize most sincerely to the members of this Summit that I was not present at the meetings but Sunday's are always a bad day for anything for me because I leave town every sunday for the day and most of the evening. Much more thought needs to be put on this because these accords hinder if not oppress the raiders regions even more then we already are.
-Wop Nick
Leader of the Girondin Nationalist Army
Chairman of the Invaders Alliance Network

[The Heights]

That is understood, Chairman Wop Nick. This is a very serious document, and must be treated accordingly.

The representatives of the Summit are willing to wait to hear response from not only the IAN, but all interested in this topic.

[arfon]

Well, the EAA can definitely agree to all points here and we'll follow them to the letter. We do make clear, this agreement is between WAR and IAN raiders on the one hand and various defenders on the others. The EAA reserves the right to liberate regions when the raiding party is not a member of WAR or IAN.

I suggest a further amendment to Issue 2, that nations violating the agreement on professionalism will first be rebuked by their superiors privately, if they transgress again they must issue a public apology. The third offence is punishable by ejection.

Thoughts?

[The Heights]

Agreed, Delegate Arfon. It seems that retribution for illegal actions has yet to be determined. Punishments ought to be discussed, on a more private section of the board.

[Democratic Donkeys]

I apologize for not logging in. I cannot remember off-hand what my login or password was.

The official position of the ADN in these accords is no. We will not honor these accords on any level. We attended out of politeness and were aware that we would probably not change policies already established. Rules for 'raider play' are for the Moderators of Nationstates to decide. You invited moderators to attend but none did. That in itself should be a strong indicator as to how seriously any mod will consider rules put forward mainly by invaders. These rules do not add a sense of 'fairness' to the game, they merely make things more comlicated than they already are. We respect the fact that some invaders would like things to change. We admire your diplomacy in trying to change things. However, we are mere players in a game and the rules are not decided by us.

Thank you for inviting us to the summit and thank you for allowing us a voice here.

[General Powell]

Actually the NS-mods did respond to our invitation. NS-mod Cogitation indicated that he would have attended if he had received more advance notice (at least several weeks.) The fact that he did not attend is not a reflection of the seriousness with which the Accord will be treated, but a matter of when NS-mod participation was contemplated.

I am deeply disappointed that the ADN has adopted such a fatalistic view of the GS Accord and its applicability. What the ADN has rejected is an opportunity to bring a sense of fairness and mutual respect to what presently remains a volatile and contentious form of gameplay. The ADN has also abandoned any hope of those regions that are acquired to gain their own liberation without assistance from defensive alliances that couldn't protect them from invasion. I am not sure how you reconcile that with the oft-quoted philosophy of defender alliances to " defend those who are unable to defend themselves."

Please forgive the rather confrontational tone of this post; I am simply stunned by the position the ADN---of all defensive alliances---has taken on this matter. To relegate yourselves to "mere players" ignores the fact that the NS-mods have no input in this game other than that allowed or incidentally-created by the players. Meaning, of course, that players create the circumstances within which the Ns-mods operate. To suggest otherwise is to make us slaves to the mods rather than players.

I can state that WAR will accept and adopt the GS Accord, and will comply with its terms regardless of what the ADN chooses to do. We appreciate and respect the EAA's decision to adopt the GS Accord, and will await the response of the other participating alliances.

[Odracir]

On behalf of the 10000 Islands Council of Nine, I'm happy to report that the Council has approved the accord with the exception of the issue regarding the self-liberation of regions. TITO will abide by all other issues, and hopes that other organizations do as well.