English

At the time i am writing this post, there's almost nobody going to the english assembly, the german ones aren't very populated, and the french aren't really better. This is why i suggest stopping the local assembly, and do only capitals assembly (instead of one ever 3 assembly).

Is this just for the Fyros assemblys, Icus? I know the recent English assembly in Matia was more or less a no-show, but the German assembly was fine, and the French rather crowded (well, the Germans rushed in after their assembly finished, as you know, and helped filling it up). It seems obvious that something has to be done, especially as we need national assemblys more often then thought initially, but I also guess that some want to keep some assemblys in their own languages instead of being forced to discuss in English (or finding a willing victim for translation) at every official meeting.

Well, my proposal is for every assembly (though it can be done in one or 2 country only if needed). I understand that some want to keep assembly of their own language but ... do you prefer to be 2 toons speaking in in your language, or 10 in english, even if you need to speak english / find a translator ?

I do not see that the local assemblies are all poorly attended. On the failed assembly at Dyron more people were present than on the assembly at Thesos, and they stayed for 90 minutes, sadly neither the senator nor the akenos appeared, which is a problem to be solved. Others had not come because they saw that the Akenos were missing.

The situation with the english speaking community is worse. The Akenos vanished, and an english speaking active Fyros community seems not to exist. I do not want to blame anybody, the problem with the english speaking communities are the timezones. I would rather call for solutions than kill the local assembly.

Personally, I rather consider the national assemblies insufficient and frustrating. The location is one of the reasons. I recall that we had tens of participants on Leanon at our old location. They would not even fit into the cages they are pressed into recently.

Having seen the problem (at least regarding German Fyros) I've talked to a few people that participated in the Akenak before merge.

The things I've heard time and again were mostly 3 points:
- My English is not so good
- I've been frustrated by the results/reactions so I don't want to continue
- The French people are forcing their RP upon us

The last one is probably caused by the French people being those that have been most active rather than it being their objective though.

As addition to Daomei's post:
On Leanon we had the Akenak assemblies in the Agora and not the Imperial Hall as they are now.

I somehow (but not fully!) agree with Icus in this matter (never thought I would ever say this, hehe).

One main problem is that the cities of our Nations cannot communicate well with each other between national Assemblies. So whenever an urgent event happens no Nation can politically react in unity timely; as the next national Assembly might be Atysyears later on and the representatives of the Nations do not know how (or will even refuse) to communicate...

Another major problem: there are much more national topics then regional. So at nearly each regional Assembly a lot of national topics are discussed. But votings about national decisions can/should only be executed at national Assemblies, and only the representatives attending this one rare Assembly can take part in these important decisions.

Both problems do in fact call for National Assemblies held more often.
Which does not mean having NO regional Assemblies any-more though!

Or/and there should be additionally more ways of communication between the cities and to cast national votes; maybe by using the forums aka "notice boards". Unfortunately I know that a lot of German-speaking roleplayers dislike using the forums speaking IC there though, and it seems to be the same with many English-speaking roleplayers and also some French (at least when having to communitcate in English)...

Icus might be well informed enough - at least by what I have let on in the thread of the minutes of Hoi-Cho. Yes: at the German Assemblies only the audience is always numerous nowadays. However there are in fact only very few active "representatives" actually "working" for each city. Not without reasons I dare to say. And there is a high probability that only a few of those representatives can manage to make time in her/his real life to be present on exactly that one rare date and time of day for the national Assembly.

If there were more national Assemblies the regional representatives would at least have more chances to attend; and to take part in decisions made for their whole Nation. All in all that might re-motivate them too. However only if translators will do a good job (!) on the other hand, and only if all representatives are treating each other as colleagues on equal terms - which roleplay-logic would demand. The Event Team is the one authority who should take care of that. In this case everything should go fine enough.

I think that wiping the regional assemblies, in the desert as elsewhere, would deprive Atys an important part of roleplay. Still there are not so few players who do not speak english, and english roleplay by non english native speakers is always deficient compared to native language roleplay.

I have looked at transcripts of sessions of different communities of the four peoples, and I cannot say that the language communities are a failure. It is true, unfortunately, that especially the english language roleplay community is small and seems rather to be decreasing. This problem has to be observed, inquired, and addressed if possible.

But the roleplay content of actually happening roleplay sessions in the regions are apparently richer of interaction and content than the international ones. The latter make sense if more goal oriented, but they also require translators, and a ways higher amount of coordination.

Recently, event team participation does obviously not even work properly in regional assemblies (not only the Akenos were amiss in Dyron). It can hardly be expected that more national meetings will help here.

As to urgencies: in such a case an extraordinary national meeting can be announced.

I, personally, never saw Salazar as a village representative, so I'd be pretty comfy with just National Assemblies. But although I'm much more eloquent in my own tongue, I can more or less manage the English language, while it might keep others away. Therefore I will not vote yet, but watch carefully which road this will take.

Once more the question: What are we speaking about? The sessions in the desert, or in all 4 nations? I fail to see what a national session in the desert recently will change about the situation that no Akenos of the Dyron community is available at this time. We had no real lack of participants indeed.

Only as an aside: Not only don't I (and not only me) not like the recent location of the national assemblies, nor the way the participants other than the Akenak are treated as mere spectators pressed in two seperate small cages, the absurd and illegal infringement of our right as free inhabitants of the Empire of the Burning Desert to carry and bear arms anytime does not make it possible to Diwu and me to attend the sessions in Pyr.

(Sorry, when wanting to make my longer post into two parts and adding something it went totally wrong at first and ended up with quoting my own post - my apologies!)

Daomei is not completely wrong though when voicing doubts.

* a number of German-speaking of players have in fact refrained from wanting to take up RP-politics, some are now less active than before and some have even withdrawn their characters from their former polticial positions completely - all of that because reading and writing English in a fast pace is too hard on them. Even the very good translation-work at the first four National Assemblies somehow did not seem enough help for them; they still feel that they cannot voice their opinions well enough and also quickly enough in English

* some German-speaking and also English-speaking players are unhappy with being the minority at National Assemblies, so their suggestions are sometimes either ignored or outvoted, but also their IC-opinions are sometimes drowned out by the numerous French-speaking representatives. Some even have the very sad impression that certain players are "ganging up" and forcing their IC-decisions on them with all kinds of methods and even tricks; like trying to provoce wars and force alliances together against the will of their "colleagues" whom they should treat as equals. If they were respecting other players, fair-play and RP-logic

* this makes National Assemblies less and less popular. Also members of the normally regular attending audience and even ambassadors feel driven away from National Assemblies...

I myself already suggested to have a national Assembly each Atys-cycle (18 RL-days). However I'd like to add a timespan for local issues as well; let's say one hour before the National Assembly will begin. If the regional Assembly should be cancelled or if there should currently be no regional matters to discuss the audience can at least attend to the National Assembly afterwards on the same day.

There could be additional extracurricular regional Assemblies whenever needed between these dates too - ideally on a day that the representatives can decide on themselves, so more of them will be able to attend. I think we should be more considerate for people's real lives, most of us are grown-ups with demanding jobs.

Still it seems that some cities do in fact have more language group events and also numerous regional matters to address. The Event Team Manager who's playing the Sage Sens did not agree to having only National Assemblies because of that. And Jen-Lai, blessed with events and having a nice number of regularly active representatives, proposed an order of one national Assembly, followed by one regional Assembly, then one national Assembly again, one regional, and so on - which has been agreed to for the time being.

3 reasons to vote yes :

- There is very few to discuss on regional matters, especially with the restrictions a game has with so few developers.

- It maintains an artificial separation of the 3 language communities, participating to the non-knowledge of everyone with others.

- it does make artificially slow the politics of the country.

I will give the example of the Lakes :

- By maintaining the separation in 3 local assemblies, traditions and debates between cities will be separated more and more (in Avendale, the taliari with talalochi's system is very strong, in Windermeer, non-citizen can participate to the politics of the city with only one taliar, and in Crystabell, only one taliar...) and when we will meet together in the national assembly of Farihaven, misunderstandings can be more powerfull because we don't have the same ways. It's time to share our ways, mixing them to create a new one.

- Moreover, we discuss about the Constitution since 5 months !!!!!!!!!!! And in the National Assembly, we discuss about details to have a common way... Too much !

By maintaining the separation, we will go straight to the wall because players dont' need to be in their language's cocoon but they must merge together to PLAY together and no in their side.

But you will say language is a problem. I will say no, in the Lakes, we do speak english when we can or our native langague and each community has its channel where all is translated by volunteers.

And curiously, its in the Lakes there is no problem.

Destroy these local assemblies, it's more a poison than an advantage to the game.

Luth's account makes it more than clear: Destroying the local assemblies means destroying the traditions of the smaller RP communities. It will guarantee that the largest RP community can impose their will on the others.

Actually, I do not see much of a point in such RP.

I see risks in that, Luth, as long as there is no way to make sure the players of smaller communities get their right, for they will be outnumbered (and out-voted) easily by the lot.

Hummmm...

Why do you always think with fears of little things ?

With this way of thinking, you will play in your side alone.

This is nearly the situation in the desert (Dyron), in the Lakes (windermeer and crystabell) and in the country of the Zorai (Min-cho).

If you want to keep on the problems between communities and the clichés (oh French are trying to impose their roleplay, English are carebears and german are selfish and playkillers), ok, keep the local assemblies !

YOUR/OUR tradition won't disapear ! We are not 3 communities, we are only one : RYZOM PLAYERS community.

This is what i wanted to mean... but, as always, each one want to preserve his little advantage, his little comfort...

Are we so selfish, narrow-minded and fearful that we can't trust other people ?

For example, in the Lakes, i do not see which tradition in every community is so important ? Moreover, if you ALWAYS think to be the minority and so you must be protected, the majority would think that you block all and that there is injustice ! And which minority ?

In the Lakes, there are only Trykers (not german nor english nor french !) who will work together ! There will be debates, politics intrigues with losers and winners but the wheels will turn !

Are you so shy and fearfeul ?

What i want to explain is that we mustn't think in DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES but create only ONE COMMUNITY who will play and who won't do what we see since several days : calling to exclusion, mournings and disputes !

In the Lakelands dear Chanchey - our most respected German "carebear par excellence" - seemingly does not dare to even voice the old traditions that Leanon once had. Like integration of the tribes in Aeden Aqueous.

And he doesn't stand up much for freedom - a much valued principle of the Trykers - like more freedom for the constitution of the cities. A lot of regional organization is now being restricted by the new national constitution :(

Sadly being outnumbered, out-voted and even ignored, outmanoeuvred, drowned out and dominated by a group of players is not just a "fear" anymore.

Things like that have already happened.

Unfortunately having regional Assemblies did not help to prevent these things from happening; in my view it only provided and still provides more opportunities to trick and exclude certain players from national decisions.

Some of the German players have said that they think some - not all! - French-speaking players want to force everyone else to continue Aniro-specific roleplaying and even Aniro#OOC-gameplay that these players prefer. It's said that these players want to re-establish their own server-customs like the relations of Nations or organization of Assemblies to be the same as on Aniro forcibly and without any consideration for other players.

Sadly there is no indication of a counterproof as of now.