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by Escade. . 15 reads.

Gameplay Magazine - Featured Personality: Kshrlmnt


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Featured Personality: Elindra (also known as) Kshrlmnt

Our guest today, is Kshrlmnt, a creative player who created or helped support some fun NS GP projects like Lolcats and Disney Princesses. Kshrlmnt also did a stealth invasion of The Proletariat Coalition which is probably the coolest raid anyone has ever pulled off in NS. Most of my conversations with Kshrlmnt have been for advice when something incendiary was happening, "how to write better" mini-lessons (thanks <3), and fashion\clothes. Due to a fun TWP Secret Santa event I also got to make her a cool banner.

How did you learn about NationStates? How long have you been playing NS?
If I recall correctly, I found Max's writing blog via a post on creating the cover of Jennifer Government. When I found out he'd created a game to promote his book, I had to check it out. That was back in early 2010, and I've been haunting NS since.

That's pretty cool! I think you're the first player I've met who found the game through the books rather than the other way around! Fave Max Barry book?

What is the significance or story behind your nation's name and flag?
I must have made my nation not too long after studying sonority sequencing in linguistics; I wanted something that was pronounceable without vowels. I've cycled through various flags over the years, but my current is one of my favorites and was one I used early on. It's a pencil drawing by Jerry Cai.

Tell us about your early career in NationStates and the significant things you did to lead you to where you are today?
I was a quiet issues&RMB person for 6 months or so, but happened to log on in the middle of an attempted coup in late 2010. I started messaging people to see what was going on and, once peace was restored, got more heavily involved. I got married, started learning to raid, and had a lot of fun. My best raid was The Proletariat Coalition, but I enjoyed smaller raids as well, bouncing around and playing tricks on TITO. When a leadership gap opened up in Unknown later in 2011 I was named regent and later Archempress of Unknown. I've met people all over NS and enjoy hanging out in several regions, but Unknown is and always will be my home.

What region are you currently a part of? What do you like best about this region?
I'm the Archempress of Unknown, though functionally we're quietly retired (like Vesuvius?). I love that we've got a cultural mix of roleplay and gameplay that I've never seen anywhere else. I also hold citizenship in TWP (poet laureate ftw) and TEP, where I admire their strong effort to keep the region clean without losing its uniqueness.


What kind of poetry do you write? What are some of your favorite poems?

I mostly stick to writing limericks and haiku for special occasions nowadays, with the occasional villanelle thrown in. For reading, I enjoy poets such as Ogden Nash, T. S. Eliot, Carol Ann Duffy, Robert Frost, John Donne, and Allen Ginsberg.


The poem Homework by Allen Ginsberg, which Kshrlmnt believes to reflect NS :P

What are your thoughts on the various gameplay venues (forums, Discord, gameside\RMB)?
They're all good for different things: the RMB for drawing in newcomers, regional forums for in-depth organization and records, NS forums for public announcements, and Discord (and the chats before it) for building community and connections. I was originally a grump about changing MSN for Skype and then Skype for Discord, but I think Discord has the best of all these worlds (except the ability to change your font)

What has been your favorite historical moment in NS?
Gameplay, I'm a bit of a "good old times" person and still treasure the raid on The Proletariat Coalition. Culturally, my NS Lolcats and collaborating on the NS Disney posts.

If you were Max Barry for a day, what would you do?
Write books!

What would the next book be about (as written by Kshrlmnt possessing Max Barry)?


A banner I made for Kshrlment last year to capture her essence!

What do you do for fun when you're not on Nation States?
I read voraciously, bake, knit, and make jewelry.

Oh that's super cool. What is the last book you read?

The last delictable delight you baked?

What types of items do you usually knit?

Also OMG JEWELRY MAKING - what do you make?

What is your favorite movie and\or TV and\or anime show(s)?
I like a wide variety of things, particularly superhero, sci-fi, and mystery (with a splash of Disney). I'm a total Rapunzel. If I think more deeply, though, I think I'd have to call Man of La Mancha my favorite movie.


Man of La Mancha is a 1972 adaptation of the eponymous musical and based on Don Quixote, and is a film starring Sophia Loren and Peter O'Toole

Favorite book(s)?
Too many to count. I tend to like series with a cross between characters and strategy, particularly in reading fantasy, a bit of sci-fi, and history. A few worth mentioning are Narnia, Ender's Game, Pride and Prejudice, and Eichmann in my Hands. I've also been reading a decent amount of theology and church history lately, too.

Favorite music?
Classical and folk (particularly LinkCeltic and LinkQuebecois), but my YouTube playlist has everything from LinkFrench pop to steampunk.

Also, if I could be bothered to play a musical instrument (which I can't, because mostly I stick to arts I can hold in my hand), it'd be the hurdy-gurdy.


The hurdy gurdy is a string instrument where strings are attached to a wheel and cranked to create sound. It's a historical instrument and comes in many beautiful designs.

What is a game (outside of NS) that everyone should play?
National Security Decision Making Game. It's like NS politics irl, sans salt. I also enjoyed the first Pandemic Legacy.

So you wake up one morning and receive the delegacy of any region you choose. Which would you choose? And what would you do as delegate?
I'd choose a large region with an executive WAD so I could post poetry wherever I wanted and kick anyone who complained.

What is one change you would make to NationStates to help improve the game experience?
For mechanics: put the promised delay in the activity feed so stealth raiding is viable again. For culture: to be honest I don't fully know what mods could do, but I'd tell a new player to avoid the drama and seek out the pockets of more mature and experienced players, particularly in older regions. It'll be better for your sanity.


Thank you to Kshrlmnt for the interview :)

Escade

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