Article
At 2200 servertime on Thursday, a press conference was held on the irc channel #eUSA.press-conf Our Alliance expert,
Lilith of Apollyon was in attendance answering any questions that you, the public had. 
Shylock was also there to help with any questions. I, of course moderated the conference. Here is a polished transcript of the Q&A session.
Q: How long does a typical HoW coordinator stay up?
A: It's less a question of how long we stay up and more about when we sleep. Being unemployed, I can take the late shift of about midnight to 6 AM (Central) but we do try to cover for each other. It's an ad hoc network. So, we stay up as long as we have to and sleep when we can. As long as we don't have something more important to do, of course.
A(D43r0n): For me, I usually work at 5am central so I try to pass the torch around midnight, but on the occasion (twice a week) that I start work at 2am, I often just work HoW all the way through to when I have to leave
Q: What is the best think to ever happen in this war?
A: Well, the best thing that has happened is that it happened at all. As much as we have made every effort for peace and continue to do so, we have a growing population for the first time in months and this gives them something to do. Short answer, Spain being stubborn gives us all something to do.
Q: Why is it that HoW doesn't supply food to fighters?
A: We try to limit costs in every way possible. HoW money isn't our money, it's tax payer money and we need to use it as responsibly as possible. Most players can afford to buy their own food and many are supplied food by their Military Units, which is not a lot to expect given the expenses added by the addition of Estates and Weapons. However, we do not wish to abuse participants in Hell on Wheels, either, since these are *the* people that are making sure we have a country at all. As such, when we decided we were no longer buying food, we also decided we were no longer collecting Q2 equipment drops. It's a give and take which we felt was fair.
Hawkaberi : So to sum it up, you don't give us food but we get to keep our higher Q drops instead
Asuka: Absolutely. There's something to be said for simplifying systems, too
D43r0n: I think in special circumstances, if we still have some food in stock we'd make an exception. I don't know yet what would constitute a "special circumstance', but the reasoning is still there
Asuka: Yes, there is food in case it's needed and it is, from time to time.
Q: Could you outline the major players in the war with Spain and Portugal for us?
A: I really don't have a lot of contact with 'the other side', they make themselves quite difficult to deal with. I offered
Dloviso , the Spanish CP, an NAP the other day and he responded with a message laced with derogatory remarks and laughter. I am pretty disappointed with the childishness of my interactions with Spain so, honestly, I just don't spend much time trying to talk to them. They know we have a deal on the table waiting to be signed, they know we'll mop the floor with them until they do.
rkiIler9999 is the CP of portugal, who is notably less obnoxious but we're not dealing with them at the moment. What is interesting and makes things more complicated is how Spanish and Portugese players have fanned out to other nations. For example, Ireland has a huge Spanish population which makes it difficult for their government to participate with us, though I suspect they would like to. But I understand they're in a difficult situation so I don't fault them for it. Colombia is populated mostly by Portuguese players and the CP of Canada is also Portuguese. This does not put us at war with either, but these are things we need to consider.
But, our goal is simple. We want Iberia out of Brazil and we have no demands other than that.
Q: You once told me the government doesn't like handing HoW keys to Europeans -- why is that?
A: I do not recall that particular statement, but I can clarify. We don't like handing the password to the Department of Defense to non-US citizens (meaning in-game citizenship). I don't think we have any problem with people we trust of European nationality with the DoD Password.
Spike Spiegel , for example, is Lithuanian in real life and runs it regularly. I think this might have just been a misunderstanding or I may have worded things poorly at the time.
Q: I know the US has been repopulating as of late; so I'm curious with this new growth where do you see us as a country in 30/60 days permitting shit doesn't hit the fan?
A: Well, that's quite a complex question. Growth is a very difficult thing to figure for, given that many new players quit before they have been playing two weeks and most of those don't even make it two days. This game appeals to a very targeted audience, by it's nature. Our current growth trend is, I think, a good one though and more dependable than the sudden explosion baby booms, which tend to be a lot of multi accounts that get deleted within hours.
D43r0n: One key to sustaining these growth spurts is the mentoring program. RealD is doing a great job with that, but I know it's a continued need. If you're interested in helping the eUSA in that capacity, pm RealD
Asuka: Another thing that complicates a clear answer is that, we are currently at a crossroads in terms of our foreign policy. Our alliance has had some serious disagreements recently and the alliance we have been working closely with, Phoenix... well, our relationship with them has gotten a lot more complicated, recently. So, honestly, I have no idea where we are going to be nor can I even really guess the direction we will go in over the next couple months. Normally, this game is very predictable, so not really knowing is something I find rather exciting. What I do see, though, is that the United States is gaining some sorely needed clout on the international stage. For a long time, we have been rather isolationist but people are taking notice now and, though we don't have a huge population we do have things that make us important to other nations. We have the ability to leverage significant damage and are able to organize on a national level. We have unparalleled dominance in our time zone, as well and have shown that we can shut down battles against any nation during our prime time hours.
thebishop : So until the population becomes actively stable holding current territories, and stimulating economy are the primary concerns?
Asuka: This doesn't make us invincible, but it makes us worth considering. Frankly, I'm not too interested in holding foreign territory. I see it as a liability more than a gain. We spend more defending it that we make from its taxes and it's the first place someone starts a Resistance War when they want to fight you. I view occupying foreign territory as a temporary measure that should be used to enforce policy. But, that is entirely my own opinion. As for stimulating the economy, well, our biggest problem is a lack of workers so invite your friends, we need the labor haha. I think, more than anything, we need to maintain a stable footing and make sure we react wisely to foreign nations. This is turning into more of a lecture than a QA, though. Sorry.
Thebishop: All credit to those who organize everything, it’s hard to do on such a large scale. Probably drags out the process of growth and gaining stability
Asuka: Well, I can't speak for everyone but I do it because I love it and I love building America. It can't be built in a day any more than Rome.
Q: In your opinion what do you think is the best way to keep people active?
A: In order, IRC, IRC and IRC
Q: What exactly is it that I (Pillow) do around here?
A: You do a bit of everything, ask questions most of us aren't thinking about and develop approaches no one has even considered.
D43r0n: You've run HoW effectively the past two days
Asuka: It's hard to put a finger on *exactly* what things you are doing, but we can all be pretty sure we'd be worse off without you. Also, I'm more bored when you're banned.
Q: I have heard Ireland is giving up Scotland to Lithuania for Peace and Lithuania will have the ability to attack Canada. Will this affect the USA and How?
A: I've heard stuff about that as well, but I think Lithuania will find Canada difficult to digest.
This time we went a little past the predetermined stopping time of 2300 servertime, but I think you’ll see that the Q&A session was a good one. I’m not entirely sure who will be our guest for the next one and I’d like to ask you guys. What is the best time for you to be on the irc channel on Monday, April 1st? You can answer in the comments or by dropping
D43r0n an igm.
Please, vote up this article and subscribe to D1s R4g so you don’t miss out on fun articles about your government in action.
Until next time,
D43r0n
D1s R4g editor
4-time MoC
March Community Event Director
Previous article:
Q & A with LordRahl2 (12 years ago)
Next article:
Presidential Nomination Speech (9 years ago)
About the game:
USA as a world power? In E-Sim it is possible!
In E-Sim we have a huge, living world, which is a mirror copy of the Earth. Well, maybe not completely mirrored, because the balance of power in this virtual world looks a bit different than in real life. In E-Sim, USA does not have to be a world superpower, It can be efficiently managed as a much smaller country that has entrepreneurial citizens that support it's foundation. Everything depends on the players themselves and how they decide to shape the political map of the game.
Work for the good of your country and see it rise to an empire.
Activities in this game are divided into several modules. First is the economy as a citizen in a country of your choice you must work to earn money, which you will get to spend for example, on food or purchase of weapons which are critical for your progress as a fighter. You will work in either private companies which are owned by players or government companies which are owned by the state. After progressing in the game you will finally get the opportunity to set up your own business and hire other players. If it prospers, we can even change it into a joint-stock company and enter the stock market and get even more money in this way.
In E-Sim, international wars are nothing out of the ordinary.
Become an influential politician.
The second module is a politics. Just like in real life politics in E-Sim are an extremely powerful tool that can be used for your own purposes. From time to time there are elections in the game in which you will not only vote, but also have the ability to run for the head of the party you're in. You can also apply for congress, where once elected you will be given the right to vote on laws proposed by your fellow congress members or your president and propose laws yourself. Voting on laws is important for your country as it can shape the lives of those around you. You can also try to become the head of a given party, and even take part in presidential elections and decide on the shape of the foreign policy of a given state (for example, who to declare war on). Career in politics is obviously not easy and in order to succeed in it, you have to have a good plan and compete for the votes of voters.
You can go bankrupt or become a rich man while playing the stock market.
The international war.
The last and probably the most important module is military. In E-Sim, countries are constantly fighting each other for control over territories which in return grant them access to more valuable raw materials. For this purpose, they form alliances, they fight international wars, but they also have to deal with, for example, uprisings in conquered countries or civil wars, which may explode on their territory. You can also take part in these clashes, although you are also given the opportunity to lead a life as a pacifist who focuses on other activities in the game (for example, running a successful newspaper or selling products).
At the auction you can sell or buy your dream inventory.
E-Sim is a unique browser game. It's creators ensured realistic representation of the mechanisms present in the real world and gave all power to the players who shape the image of the virtual Earth according to their own. So come and join them and help your country achieve its full potential.
Invest, produce and sell - be an entrepreneur in E-Sim.
Take part in numerous events for the E-Sim community.
