OpenGeofiction
I noticed that the countries that appear to be named “Asturialand” (AR043) and “Seeosa” (AR022) in southern Archanta appears to be up for grabs according to the overview map. I’m fairly surprised by this, as there was some pretty good map-making skill that was put into both countries (especially “Asturialand”). It would be a shame to see it all deleted by a private user (if that ever happens, or is even humanly possible!). May I suggest making the territories free (“blue”)? I see there are already a few of them in Archanta already, but what a waste!
Discussion
Comment from Luciano on 7 February 2015 at 10:52
We could make them “purple” - i.e. open-to-collaboration territories, and we could establish a kind of “guardian” user for each country, to act as gatekeepers and prevent vandalism, etc.
It could be like a UN peace-keeping force in a failed state….
Comment from histor on 7 February 2015 at 12:45
It is always the question what to do with a hopeful beginning - and the the land gets to an orphan status. So on the one side the next can continue, what is there - but at the other hand a new member is bound. My private opinion is, to let that, what is and the new member can change it after his mind - or not. But I think, the most new members prefer a virgin land. No simple question.
Comment from Luciano on 7 February 2015 at 13:31
I think histor has a very good point. Actually, when I started in Ardisphere, it was not “virgin” land - there were several places built. In fact, most of the places that were built kept, and just built around them. Downtown Caracol was already built. Several of the names in downtown Caracol got “inherited” from the previous owner. Also, most of the beach area in the west of Cabo Ingles were already built. I kept all of it, and just added to it. It helped me when I first started. So I think a new owner could possibly make something of those territories, too.
Comment from Asparagus on 7 February 2015 at 21:56
Ya, that’s true. Renal Cow was making Sonela Gohi of some of the stuff I left behind (it was my first territory).
On a side topic, speaking of “failed states”, someone needs to make a dictatorship on here. According to the wiki, every country on here seems to have a decent HDI and GDP. We need a problem-country on here to make things more interesting :)
Any thoughts?
Comment from Luciano on 7 February 2015 at 22:57
@Asparagus - I nominate you to make a dictatorship. Thilo grants second territories to active users - my plate is already full but it looks like you have a second slot still. I’m happy to collaborate on a compelling idea. As an example: all the Gohangukians (Koreans) in the Ardisphere need a motherland, which I’m pretty sure is a cold, dark, horrible place like North Korea (I’ve decided there is no “South Korea” in OGF, which is why all the Gohangukian emmigrants took over the Ardisphere and made a Latin South Korea).
Comment from Easky30 on 8 February 2015 at 00:06
This was from a few months back….. http://opengeofiction.net/user/bhj867/diary/35
Comment from Luciano on 8 February 2015 at 01:09
@Easky - yes, I saw that. I have often thought about it. Several times I studied it and the history pages made, but my concern is that I don’t understand bhj867’s conception of the history of the place, he hasn’t made any kind of clear outline of what the cultural/historical background for it is, and I am not willing to collaborate when I don’t know what is and isn’t allowed or hoped for. I would emphasize what I wrote: “I’m happy to collaborate on a compelling idea.” - I don’t see a compelling idea there.
Comment from isleño on 8 February 2015 at 03:35
Another “problem country” coming in the near future:
I’m working on plans for UL 125 (the very large island southeast of Khaiwoon) which will be a developing country with a significant amount of poverty, oppression and conflict. Maybe like Indonesia but poorer and more dysfunctional.
I’m thinking about making it a structured group project where people can sign up for small districts, along the lines of Khaiwoon…
Comment from Luciano on 8 February 2015 at 03:45
@isleño - I really like and prefer the idea of a lot of structure for collaborative work, because I really don’t like going out on a limb with ideas that go against other people’s preconceptions. The main reason I built Ward 14 in Gobras City was because indyroads put a lot of effort into making at collaboration page where people could sign up for different neighborhoods based on what they wanted to work on. So if we make a clear way to “sign up” for collaborative projects I am happily on board.
RE UL125 - Maybe something along the lines of Papua New Guinea, with its very high linguistic and cultural density (800 languages!), with each collaborator getting to make 1 “culture” - language, associated tribal areas, and ethnic neighborhoods in major cities.
Comment from BMSOUZA on 8 February 2015 at 05:39
Ops! My neighborhood UL125 will be a developing country??? Would be very interesting a collaborative work with the idea of a “like Indonesia but poorer and more dysfunctional”…
Comment from Logan230 on 8 February 2015 at 06:08
I’ve noticed that many countries’ names, including mine, have been reverted to their original code. For example, Drevet reverted to TA020, and there is no way to change it. This might be a glitch.
Comment from isleño on 8 February 2015 at 08:44
@Logan - See here for discussion.
@BMSOUZA - Hope you don’t mind. :-) If you like, it might be a fun opportunity to give Cariocas a little drama. For example, you could have refugees arriving on boats from UL125, or a Carioca minority being persecuted over there, or maybe even a territorial dispute if you want to have some fun.
@Luciano - It’ll definitely be multiethnic, PNG is a good analogue too. And yeah, obviously everyone has their own collaboration style, so I think it’s good to have different projects with different styles open for people to choose from. Projects with more structure for people who want that, and projects with more freedom for people who want that. Hopefully I’ll get around to posting more about UL125 soon, though there’s more wiki work I want to do for Khaiwoon and Onnutu first.
Comment from okiazr on 8 February 2015 at 19:33
@isleno
Im from indonesia, im not agree with you that in indonesia still alot of oppression, indonesia is more democratic country than its whealthier neighbour such singapore or malaysia , our people more have freedom than those two country….sorry out of topics…
Comment from isleño on 8 February 2015 at 21:39
Okiazr, I’m sorry. I meant that UL125 will be similar to Indonesia in a number of ways, but UL125 will have a lot more problems/dysfunction/poverty/oppression/conflict than Indonesia.
Comment from Boge on 9 February 2015 at 00:12
I think maybe we can compare UL125 to Myanmar/Burma. This country was ruled by a military dictatorship from 1962 to 2011. There are ethnic conflicts within the country (each ethnic groups has their own armies fighting against the national army of Burma) and even religious oppression, like the displacement of the Muslim Rohingya people, who have been living there for hundreds of years.
Comment from histor on 9 February 2015 at 00:35
If that is so, then it may be possible at the southend of this island a fllet-point for Latina / Zylanda? Or?
Comment from BMSOUZA on 9 February 2015 at 00:44
I think, to avoid misunderstandings, it is not good to make political comparisons between real countries and OGF countries.
@Isleño: Really, Cariocas is a peaceful place, and the west coast is a little “unprotected” (it is like I was guessing, because my only militar area is in west coast), so Cariocas could receive refugees by boats near Gragoatá and Piratiba province coastlines. As I did not finish my project in Cariocas, I can think about a “settlement” to UL125 people, but I dont mind about a territorial dispute in neighborhood, hehehe. Because Cariocas is a small and “settled” country. They wouldnt like to “invade” some areas nearby. If you decide to divide UL125 in colaborative districts, I can think about I edit one of them. Something in east coast of UL125. Could be??
Comment from isleño on 9 February 2015 at 01:49
Yeah, Myanmar/Burma would be closer in certain ways, though I definitely understand the potential for these comparisons to cause misunderstandings, especially since no OGF country will have a perfect parallel in real life anyway. So I’ll leave it at that for now. :-)
In any case, the neighbors of UL125, including Cariocas, will of course be free to make up whatever kind of interaction they desire as the country develops. For those who want some excitement and drama, they can use it for that. For those who don’t, that’s obviously fine too.
As for details about what might go where, or who might develop what areas, I’ll defer those questions until I’ve worked out the plans a bit more. Thanks for the interest though! I’ll keep you guys posted.
Comment from Easky30 on 9 February 2015 at 03:15
UL125 has changed hands quite a bit. It was originally “Seanica” when my brother had it and then abandoned it after a few weeks. I believe it’s been claimed a few times after that. It will be interesting to see what develops there.
Comment from Asparagus on 9 February 2015 at 21:37
Woah! I go away for a day or two and this entry has 19 comments…
UL125 sounds like a good place to put this “problem country” as it’s in the middle of everything. Is it going to be a “purple state”? I will gladly help working on it if it is :)
Canclaret and I were also talking about making a “problem country” in AR036. It’s small, and practically surrounded by other countries. It wouldn’t be a bad place to put a “purple state”.
Any ideas?
Comment from BMSOUZA on 9 February 2015 at 23:38
I am noticing the users here really like these questions, hehehe. It is good, because OGF is going to be exactly a paralel to real world.
@isleño: if you include me in your collaborative project about UL125, I would like a very small region in west coast, because… Cariocas is a smaller country. Would not be good a region in other country, bigger than the “mother country”, hehehe. (please dont mention the relation Portugal-Brasil, because in my history, the settlements is Luslandia-Brasonia-Cariocas-…, hehehe)
@Asparagus, Canclaret and isleño (again): AR036 (and UL125) could have some ethnic conflict, something like this. One side of the country speaks a language, but the other one uses a completely different language. Not necessarily a war, but a conflict. Like Euskadi against Spain and France, but with no ETA and terrorist organizations. It could appear in a “wild” rivalry between football clubs from each side of the country, for example.
Is a little dificult “to map” a problem-country, because, if you look for maps about Iraq, Afghanistan, Lybia and other countries that was in war in latest times, we will find “normally civilizated” streets and cities. May be, the way could be create irregular grids of streets, suggesting something like the favelas from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo (Brasil), or isolated residences and villages in middle or near marsh and wetlands
Comment from histor on 9 February 2015 at 23:47
I think a small military presence at the southcoast is some agains the pirates in that area of UL 125.
Comment from isleño on 10 February 2015 at 03:46
I just made a list on the wiki of all the collaborative areas in OGF, so people can find them all in one place:
http://opengeofiction.net/wiki/index.php/OGF:List_of_collaborative_projects
Those are the 14 that I spotted on the map. If there are others please add them.
I’ll try to make a post about UL125 soon. Thanks for all the interest. :-)
Comment from tom_m7 on 11 February 2015 at 03:19
@isleño Isn’t Khaiwoon a community territory, too?
Comment from tom_m7 on 11 February 2015 at 03:21
Nevermind. I just saw it on the list