Lazarus is Awesome!
New Citizen Guide
Chapter 1. Joining our community
Q: What makes an ideal Lazarene?
If you want to become respected in Lazarus or in most major regions, the first thing I would suggest is being open to people who disagree with you, though not so open as to be a punching bag and not stand up for what you believe would be best for the region. Then there is also the other aspect of getting involved in regional politics such as being wrong on an issue in the eyes of most in the region, not getting what you want passed, losing an election, or failing to get traction on your political career despite your best efforts. The best idea is to not take failure personally, and instead take it as a reason to improve.
As a few words of wisdom: Never lose hope, never give in, and never be afraid to admit when you are wrong. These are all good aspects of being a Lazarene.
Q: How do I become a legislator?
It is not easy. You should expect a low pass rate on your proposals when you are first starting out, and even once you become a seasoned legislator you will lose from time to time. Imagine being a legislator like standing above a fishing hole, even if you have bait, a fishing rod, and warm clothes on, that is no guarantee of getting a fish - even as a seasoned fisherman. However, there are some steps to passing a law or building discussion on an issue that I would recommend to improve your chances that I share below.
Legislative proposals
1. Preparing your proposal: Consider the counter-arguments
- Be your worst enemy always, as it helps your argument. Consider the flaws in your proposal, if it is a constitutional reform for example, put on an evil mustache and consider how someone could use it to undermine or destroy the region. Do not be shy to shred your proposal and start it all over, as you do not want to propose something that you are not happy with, though there is never such a thing as a perfect proposal - only the best proposal you could make at the time.
- Never be afraid of private discussion, especially with those who might disagree with you. In fact, if you want a bill to pass you should try your best to get their opinion, even if they intend to vote against your proposal either way, as you can expect they will make their perspective known on your proposal once you post it publicly on the forum or discord. So make sure to send a DM (Direct Message) on Discord, or if they don't use Discord, a telegram to their nation.
- Don't be afraid to lose the argument, as it might happen. You might think you have the best proposal ever, and then it gets torn to pieces on discord or the forum. No one likes to lose, but it will happen. You can be sure of it. Never let yourself lose hope in your proposal, just because others disagree with you. Table the proposal, re-draft it, think of where you went wrong and what others brought up about your proposal.
2. Preparing your proposal: Consider your supporters
- Look to your supporters, and get their opinion. It is also likely that others will support you, and see the merits of your proposal. Ask them where they think the proposal could be improved, and get their opinion on who they think might be against your proposal. So make sure to send a DM (Direct Message) on Discord, or if they don't use Discord, a telegram to their nation. You will need their votes when the time comes, so don't be shy to be friends - and get to know them.
- Organize a think tank with your supporters. These like-minded supporters might be able to improve your proposal in ways you haven't considered, so it might be best to involve them in your proposal, perhaps even as a co-author. Start a group chat on discord, or if you have already put your ideas publicly on discord or the forum then start a conversation with those supporters and add their ideas to your own - if you think they would help. Never add things to a proposal just so it passes, add them because you feel it improves upon it.
- Organize a straw-poll or ask the region what they think of a hypothetical proposal. If you intend to propose legislation, make sure to see whether there is any support for it outside of those you have asked. This will get the basic opinions out there which will likely come up, without you having to go through the ordeal of writing up legislation. After all, why write a bill that wants to make dancing in a bathtub illegal, if 90% in the region like dancing in bathtubs.
3. Posting your draft proposal: Share it on the forum and discord
- Sharing it on discord is sharing it real-time, so you can expect that other Lazarenes will immediately respond. So when you propose it, make sure that you have time to debate with others. Never propose it when you are rushing to do something else, have a paper due that night, or are going out to dinner with family. Unless your proposal is incredibly bland and is sure to pass, which would be a mild act on something everyone wants, then do not propose it, as you need to be ready for folks to tear your proposal apart once you've shared it.[/size]
- Once on the forum, it stays on the forum. A mistake you might make is to post a discussion on the forum, when you haven't thought your proposal through. Once you have posted it, others will reply and maybe more seasoned legislators might sink your proposal. It might end up tabled and dismissed before you have even had a good shot at it. The other way to look at it, is like proposing a bill that makes chocolate fountains a free public convenience, if your proposal is just stating your premise i.e. that chocolate fountains should be free in principle, then a more seasoned legislator might say, "even if I agree, this proposal is poorly written".
4. Posting your final proposal: Prepare for the vote
- Look towards your final draft. If you think you are getting close to your final draft, then you need to look back to step 1, who will support it, who will reject it? If you feel you need to, ask folks their opinions again, since you have had time to refine and work on it. It might be possible that former opponents are now your allies, and some of your former supporters now oppose it. Do not be shy to also post a more refined straw-poll, especially if you are uncomfortable with asking other Lazarenes one-to-one.
- Consider the technicalities of the vote. This means getting legal opinions, and considering what majority you will require to get the proposal through. Perhaps some parts of your proposal are un-constitutional, in which case you could cut those parts or consider going back to the drawing board to make a constitutional amendment instead. Though in a normal scenario, it should only require a 50%+1 majority, unlike a constitutional amendment which would require a 3/4ths majority.
5. Lobbying for the vote: Make your case!
- You might have the best proposal ever, or you might have the worst, you still need to get the votes. At this point you need to convince voters to support your proposal or to not stand in the way. The mistake to be made is badgering or annoying voters i.e. spamming them with your ideas, or worse to smear your opponents rather than take on their arguments. The best way is to respond to voters when they want to respond to you, or to send them a brief message on discord or by telegram if they have been involved in the discussion already.
- Assess how the vote is going once it has begun. If someone has voted against or abstained, they might still change their vote, ask them discretely or publicly why they voted as they did - though only if they want to discuss it, as badgering voters as above might mean they change their vote from abstain to against or urge others to change their vote against you.
6. Accept the voting outcome: Then move on!
- There are three possibilities, it passes cleanly, it passes barely, or it fails. Do not beat yourself up. Regardless of where it goes, pat yourself on the back for the effort you put in. If it fails you might be down a little, as no one likes to lose. Dust yourself off and do not take it personally, as they didn't vote against you - they voted against what was proposed.
- Even if it passes, you can still improve. Consider what you learned about the process of making a proposal, how could you have handled it better, is there anything you would do different next time? This is the time to sit down with some hot cocoa or with some good NS friends and talk about the good times and the bad times.
- Take time for some honest political reflection. This isn't always the case, but some people come across as too brash or rude, or too overconfident, or worse they don't encourage confidence because they do not take the effort to believe in themselves or their proposal. If there is some personality issue that you think have might have influenced voters to not approach your proposal with a more open mind, take some time to consider how you would interact with voters differently next time.
Chapter 2. Becoming a political asset
Q: How can I become a political powerhouse in Lazarus?
The best way to become a major political player in a region is to become indispensable to it, and by that I mean put in the work and the effort in some part of the region. This might mean making graphics or writing newspaper articles, getting involved in a department as a general helper, suggesting ideas to those holding political office or non-political offices such as the Delegacy. You can start small and gradually make your way up the political ladder, or rush in and try and make your mark. Either is a great way as you learn and improve. As a Lazarene house cat, I have tried both.
1. Getting involved: Make your case!
- Consider your skill-set in Lazarus. What do you have to offer? Are you great at writing, at art, at music, and so on, or is your skill more in personality politics i.e. encouraging others to do things? You need to to consider what skills you have, and what skills you do not have. There are others in Lazarus who could teach you things you do not know, so it never hurts to ask them for help - as they can only say no.
- Take note of past experiences. Is this the only time you have been involved in a region? Is this your first time playing the game? You might have past experiences or held past positions in NS or in other games that might help you here. They might be of use either to tell others a bit about what you can do, or for your personal consideration of what positions you strive to get into in Lazarus.
- Try something new rather than get bored. Lets say that you have been the foreign minister in various regions, and come to Lazarus. You could be the best foreign minister ever, but is that what you really want? Never do something in Lazarus you do not want to do, as you will get bored - and maybe even leave Lazarus. If you end up bad at doing something, there is always something else you could do here. The worst thing to do is take up a position or role because you can do it - not because you want to do it.
2. Standing for election: Define your supporters and opponents
- Who would support you in Lazarus if you run? Who would oppose your campaign? Make sure that you consider how others will react to your campaign and what your goal is in running for a position. You could run just to get experience or you could run as first timer who just wants to get into a position and try their best. Alternatively, you could be someone who wants to get into a ministry because you have great ideas, and wonderful ideas. Make sure you know before you run, as folks will ask you these sorts of questions once you do.
- Standing for election shares some aspects of making a legislative proposal, except that the proposal is you. When people vote for you, they do not just want your credentials, they want to know about your personality, maybe even share a joke. Voters are not going to vote for someone without a personality, as robots are boring - no offense meant to sociable robots. Get to know the potential voters, who are fellow Lazarenes. Participate in social activities such as discord or RMB conversations, role-plays, and discuss art/music/games. You should try to get a grasp of who might be voting on you, as well as give yourself a social profile and some social standing in Lazarus. They want to get to know you, and not feel like you are outsider.
3. Fail, Fail, Succeed: Never give up!
- More than likely you might fail the first time. You tried everything you could or maybe you didn't. This is the time to reflect, improve, and move on from failure. Brooding about it won't help, and you will only hurt yourself by doing so. There is always room for improvement, as no one is perfect.
- If you got in, and are doing exactly what you want to do. Then that is awesome. Never get complacent however as there might be something you want to do in the future, and you might not be able to be in the same role forever. Consider your future roles, and not just your current ones. Then you will be sure to have a lot of fun here.
Having read this, there is also an easy-to-use form that does much of the formatting of an Assembly bill or proposal for you:
Assembly proposal generator form