Nationstates Extra Credit:

This will explain the purpose and method of the Nationstates Extra Credit Project.  To see who has gotten extra credit points this semester, click here. To see who has gotten points in previous semesters, click here.

What is Nationstates?

Nationstates is an on-line message board created by Max Berry, author of Jennifer Government, a novel set in a "parallel universe" in which corporations have virtually replaced governments as the operative ruling forces on the planet.  Nationstates is a (potentially) amusing message board in which people create nations and respond to a limited set of questions (about 30) daily in which they determine the sort of government their nation has. 

How do I join Nationstates?

(1) Go to the Nationstates links provided here and elsewhere. 

(2) Create a country.  You may create a country for fun, or you may create a country for points - or both.  If you wish to create a country for points you MUST follow the following naming convention for your nation: First Initial + Last Name +  Period Number in which you have my Am. Government Class (1 or 2, for example) + F (for Fall Semester, "S" for Spring semester) + 2003 (for the current year).  If I were to create one now for points, I'd be "RBorneman2F2003".

(3) Pick your flag, answer the questions about what type of government you want; create your motto, and voila!  You have made a new nation!

Okay, so I've made a nation; how do I get it into the Region of Bornemania and start raking in points?

(1) When your nation is first created, it will appear in the Pacific Region.  Go to the menubar on the left and click on the World.  Scroll to the bottom where you have an option to "Find a Region".  Type in 'Bornemania' and it will take you to the class region.

(2) Scroll through your own nation's info and you will find an option to "Move your nation to Bornemania now!"  Click it and you're in!  Unless, of course, I have password-protected the region which I will do at the end of the first full week of giving the assignment.

(3) If the region is password protected by the time you want to add in your nation, let me know you want to have your nation join.  Then, at nutrition or after school, pull up your country on the student-use computer in my room (D-114) and prepare to enter it into the region of Bornemania.  I will type in the password and, voila!  You are in!  Feel free to respond to issues, post away and watch your country evolve! 

(4) To see who has gotten points so far - see the Foreign Aid page.   Click on the semester to see who got points that semester: 

Fall 2003                                                                                   Spring 2004   

How do I get points?

There are four ways to get points:

(1) Ranking Points: Once you have been admitted into the Region of Bornemania, every Monday, I will check to see which three nations are ranked highest in whatever is being ranked that day.  The highest rank will receive three points, the second highest will receive two points, and the third highest will receive one point.  If there is a holiday on Monday, I will check the next day (Tuesday) to see who is highest ranked.  Additionally the very last country on the list will get a "Pity Point." Those points will be immediately input that same day for ranked students registered in the class.  If the ranking from one week to the next is based on the same factors, the ranking will be taken from the next day's list.

(2) UN Points: Additionally, on Friday I will check the region to see who is the UN Delegate.  If the UN Delegate is still the same as the UN Delegate indicated on Monday, I apply the following complex formula to determine points: I total the number of UN registered nations, divide it by two, and limit it to the total number of currently enrolled students in the class. Thus, if there are 29 UN members in the region of Bornemania, and 20 of them are in the class, the UN delegate will receive 14 points (I round down) to distribute.  If there are 29 UN members in the region but only 5 are currently enrolled, the delegate will only receive 5 points to distribute.  The UN has until Monday to send a telegram indicating their choice of distributing foreign aid (including giving them to their own nation).

(3) Foreign Aid: Members of Bornemania who are not currently in the class may donate their points to people who are in the class.  Any of these players who receive points may "donate" their points as "foreign aid" to any of the currently enrolled students.  It will be up to those nations to contact me using my in-game message board (contact the nation of Bornemania) before 8 am on Friday (for UN points by 8 am Monday), indicating how they would like me to distribute their foreign aid.  They are under no obligation whatsoever to give away their points. 

(4) If any member (current or not) nation of Bornemania succeeds in getting a proposal to the UN I will award 10 points to them (either immediately on their grade or to be distributed as "foreign aid").  If any member nation succeeds in getting an "issue" accepted and posted by Mr. Max Barry, I will also award 10 points.

Can I get infinite points playing this game?

  I have placed a maximum of 30 potential points per semester on Nationstates Extra Credit.  Additionally, for the current year, I will not be giving weekly points for rankings or UN Delegate status in the months of January or June.

Who are these other people who do not have names like SReveles1F2002?  What are they doing?  Do they matter?

They are playing the game just like you are - only they have already moved on in life and aren't beholden to me for a grade.  They can take up valuable spots and steal your ability to get points by taking up the top three spots on Monday or being the UN rep..  However, they can also give you the points they earn - this is called "foreign aid" - you have to wheedle it from them on a weekly basis - they will e-mail me in-game to tell me if they have distributed their points (foreign aid).  Maybe you create a country just like theirs and they like it - and they give you foreign aid.  Maybe you support them to be UN rep and they give you foreign aid.  Maybe you post something brilliant and they give you foreign aid.  Maybe you are their little brother (a colony) and they give you foreign aid.  Be clever!  Be creative!  Get them to give you any points they may soak up - and remember - you can do the same to your friends in my class next semester!

I want to play, but I don't want a lame-ass name like ZNemesis3S2004.  How can I get a "normal" country into the game?

At the end of the semester, I'll "trade" out a country you have in game for a country you have worked on the side, if you want.  You will then be free to be all you can be as your own nation. 

I want to play but not for points.  Can I be in Bornemania?

Sure thing - though I will have the region password-protected so, if you want in, contact me.  If you are currently enrolled in the class, I will only allow you one nation and that must be the one for credit.  If you are not enrolled, you may have one nation in as well and may play the foreign aid game.  If you don't want to play the foreign aid game, you can ignore that part of the game altogether.

Are there any rules for what we post?

Yep - there are.  Violations get you booted.  No personal attacks.  No obscene writing which I deem inappropriate for a high-school web-based message-board which I am sponsoring.  (Blasphemy, obscenity, and profanity may be acceptable, depending on how they are phrased.  if you cross a line, I'll usually warn you before I boot you.)  No spamming.  Additionally, the game itself will boot you if you have two UN Member Nations.  Use common sense - you'll be fine.

For further questions about Nationstates, see the FAQ postings on the site.  Have fun, and welcome to Bornemania!