Role Play University

Role Play University was a region set up specifically to help nations learn the skills needed to enjoy the game, and to get the most out of their role-playing experiences. Role Play University at its peak was a influential and powerful region, including an off-site school, dedicated to the education of NationStates players in the skills needed to fully enjoy their time on NationStates.

Role Play University was founded by Wolfish and Stephistan in 2003, and quickly grew to include over 60 nations – including puppets from some of the most respected players in NationStates. Each brought their own unique contribution to the region and to the school.

Many moderators kept puppet nations in NationStates, largely due to the influence of game moderator and RPU co-founder Stephistan. This added the region (unintentionally) several times when attempts were made to invade the region. In one instance (the night of a hundred deaths) the region of Juggernaut engineered the illegial hi-jacking of Wolfish’s nation, booted Delegate Stephistan (at this point UN Forum Moderator) from the region, and kicked many nations to the Rejected Realms.

The resulting backlash from the moderators resulted in a bloody DEET party, where somewhere in the neighbourhood of 50 nations were deleted and the region of Juggernaut and several supporting regions were decimated. Rumour has it that [violet] herself was involved in – or at least approved the action – to restore the nation of Wolfish to its owner.

Over 180 students passed through the off-site school, where they took courses in strategy and tactics, United Nations politics, basic writing skills and more.

Shortly after its formation, the Region of Role Play University was selected to be the official headquarters of the NationStates United Nations. This honour provided RPU with no additional power, but added to the strong reputation of the region.

But all good things must end. And so it was with RPU. In 2004 the workload of administering the school, and the job of recruiting new volunteer teachers became too much. And so the school was closed.

But the region continued on until, left without its purpose, it slowly began to die. So the decision was made in early 2005 to mothball the region – keeping it locked down so no others may use its name. But the founders took this step knowing that RPU students and region members have spread throughout NationStates – merging into the greater game and contributing to its overall popularity.

In late 2005 an attempt was made by new nations to re-invent RPU, and the region briefly reopened to facilitate this effort. The attempt, however, failed, and the region returned to mothball status.