Confirmation Hearing: Joseph Cao for GM (Passed)

[Mr. Reactionary]

Confirmation hearing is now open.

[Pyro]

I look forward to hearing from the former president in his opening statement. Joining the Game Moderation Team, perhaps the most consequential entity in Atlasia, is no small cookie. Once we reach the time for questioning, I do hope to hear input from my colleagues as well.

[Joseph Cao]

Hi folks, been an exceptionally busy week but thanks for opening the grilling session!

Being nominated for GM is a great honor and responsibility of course, and I won't lie, considering serving in the position has been in the back of my mind ever since that time we were debating reform in the Senate last August. I think they've done a fine job so far with regard to the goals I had in expanding the position to a team – chiefly, maintaining an active Engine and providing a diversity of stories that players can respond to. That was the first step to fixing things.

I would like, now, to not just maintain and ideally increase that level of activity, but also focus more on the continuity of older GM storylines and the issues like Paflagonia that have given Atlasia its own unique history. At several points during my time as president we would come across some burning issue or another that hadn't been updated since 2018 or whatever. I am sure Tack is already coming across several of his own. Anyway I would like to catch these dangling threads whenever possible. With the recent thread on AFE I’m hopeful that such threads can be caught along with any new ideas that the players want addressed.

While I obviously can't promise anything I have no problems with scoring bills (FY2023 says hi) and I am absolutely down to expand more on Atlasian international affairs stories.

Looking forward to the questions!

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

As the head of the GM team, I fully approve of this selection and believe Cao would be an excellent addition to the GM team. I also ask that the senate confirm him as soon as reasonably possible in order for the team to be fully staffed again.

[West_Midlander]

Mr. President,¹

Out of curiosity, what's your position on NPC elections?

1: To be clear, this is just using the person's former title out of respect, e.g., Madam Secretary for Hillary Clinton.

[Lumine]

I look forward to the Senate thoroughly questioning the nominee, but, as a former GM, I'd like to say it's hard to think of a better qualified nominee.

[NewYorkExpress]

As a former member of the GM Team, I wholeheartedly endorse the nomination, and strongly encourage a speedy confirmation.

The position is too vital to leave vacant.

[NewYorkExpress]

Question for the nominee.

Is the Russia-Ukraine war storyline a priority for you as a member of the GM Team? As it was my major storyline as a member of the team, I would like to know if you have any ideas on how it could continue or wrap up.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

I'll very likely vote to confirm you.

A few questions from my part:

1. How will you deal with impartiality and objectiveness? Party influence, own ideology considerations in GM stories etc. . As a sidenote, I do not a GM should be impartial when it comes to voting (but i'm talking about the duties and stories as a GM).

2. To what extent should actions by people taken in the game, have an effect in the stories of the GM?

3. What is your view on foreign policy events/stories as a GM? Sometimes it feels like the world in Atlasia outside Atlasia is an utopia.

4. Seconding WM's question with regards to NPC elections.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

1. What is your overall philosophy on retconning? We've had multiple instances where the GM Department has put out questionable stories (Nazis running Ukraine and the PRC being position to take over Taiwan).

2. Do you intend to account for cultural sensitivies in stories, so that we don't see a repeat of the Ukraine situation as presented?

3. Lastly, due to certain stories, realism has become a concern to some. How would you balance making fun and interesting scenarios with maintaining some level of realism?

[Joseph Cao]

Out of curiosity, what's your position on NPC elections?

I liked 'em, although as the player with probably the highest word count I don't think anyone doubted that, but I wouldn't bring them back unless there was widespread demand for them. We saw how much of a chore it was to keep up when people were invested, never mind when it was down to essentially three players.

Is the Russia-Ukraine war storyline a priority for you as a member of the GM Team? As it was my major storyline as a member of the team, I would like to know if you have any ideas on how it could continue or wrap up.

If I am not mistaken the story hasn't progressed since that update about the commissar order repeal. Ukraine is receiving substantially less aid ITTL so I would expect that to break at some point, but that could plausibly happen anywhere from days to years from now.

I don't have detailed plans on how it might play out but that will certainly be interesting to discuss with the rest of the team.

1. How will you deal with impartiality and objectiveness? Party influence, own ideology considerations in GM stories etc. . As a sidenote, I do not a GM should be impartial when it comes to voting (but i'm talking about the duties and stories as a GM).

For the ideology question I will direct you to Talk Elections user khuzifenq, who has interacted with me for three years and still does not know what my actual political opinions are. I am very capable of keeping ideology out of what I do, don't worry.

Most GMs have successfully kept their party bias out of their official duties and I’m not going to start pushing a heavily Federalist angle on anything, people who have interacted with me are presumably also aware of my capacity for that.

2. To what extent should actions by people taken in the game, have an effect in the stories of the GM?

It's not fun if the GM team just does their own thing. And anyone who remembers my first campaign for president is aware that I want people to be invested in what they do, that does nothing but help the game. I think you will see the team continue to react to major events with followup stories, ideally more of those if (a) people do stuff and (b) we come up with good ideas for pursuing them.

3. What is your view on foreign policy events/stories as a GM? Sometimes it feels like the world in Atlasia outside Atlasia is an utopia.

Even with the apparently widespread accord on international climate change cooperation and things like that it's not exactly a utopia, no, plenty of butterflies in the other direction exist. Marine Le Pen is president. And that is limited to the areas we have historically cared enough about to change. Plenty of issues pertaining to Africa/South America/the subcontinent etc. that are still playing out as badly as IRL.

There are many opportunities outside Atlasia for butterflying (something something mentega terbang) – we have created some of our most distinctive stories by reaching out there, so we should continue looking for new storylines in this vein and I’m looking forward to that.

1. What is your overall philosophy on retconning? We've had multiple instances where the GM Department has put out questionable stories (Nazis running Ukraine and the PRC being position to take over Taiwan).

Which leads me to this. What I liked about things like Paflagonia was their plausibility and I don't intend to write stories implausible enough that they might be retconned down the line. I suppose that might count as an additional level of quality control if people want to see it that way. I would support it if for some reason a story is found to contradict what we already had earlier, but probably not in situations beyond that.

As far as I am aware we haven't touched the Taiwan storyline either since China retreated.

2. Do you intend to account for cultural sensitivities in stories, so that we don't see a repeat of the Ukraine situation as presented?

To the best of my ability, yes. To my knowledge the Ukraine story was written that way to spice things up for their own sake, and that is not exactly my driving goal here. If there is spice I will certainly try to be sure there is a good reason for it.

3. Lastly, due to certain stories, realism has become a concern to some. How would you balance making fun and interesting scenarios with maintaining some level of realism?

I think that also partially answers this one. “Realism” is pretty easy to pursue with the amount of RL information to riff off of, like most of the actual GM team stories have been to date, but those happen to be about issues that most people don't find interesting. So to me “fun” will be an indicator to focus on.

Among other things I want to write about issues that are of interest to people's current concerns, maybe followups to what is happening in this region or that country that will be directly relevant. Early last year I toyed with the idea of writing stories about things like the human impact of Wulfric’s attempted salt tax, give the issues a bit of color if they need it and that sort of thing. If it stands a chance of provoking interesting reactions and not just “hey this story is unrealistic” then that's all to the good.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Mr. Joseph Cao certainly is quite qualified for this rather important post.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I ask again that the senate confirm as soon as possible.

[Joseph Cao]

Hey, come on, now. It's been two weeks, I’m sure some senators just need a little more time to come up with the perfect question.

[NewYorkExpress]

Would it be impolitic of me to move for a final vote on the nominee?

[West_Midlander]

Would it be impolitic of me to move for a final vote on the nominee?

I have no objection.

I also find it interesting (not talking about you obviously since you're Peace) how my Labor colleagues were rushing to confirm the VP, who I voted to confirm, after only a week while no Laborite is similarly eager to get to a vote on Cao's nomination to a position which is very important as well and which probably has more work to do as of late. Don't get me wrong, the VP is important, but typically the occupant of the office has to break ties once in a blue moon. GMs have more to do though.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Also no objection.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Would it be impolitic of me to move for a final vote on the nominee?

No its the right thing to do.

We need to have a final vote on this and elect/confirm a GM.

[NewYorkExpress]

At this time, I officially move for a final vote on the nomination.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

At this time, I officially move for a final vote on the nomination.

Seconding

And I plan to vote Aye. I think Cao will be a great and excellent GM.

[Mr. Reactionary]

24 hrs to object.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

*cough*

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Hearing no objection, a vote on the nominee is now open. Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Aye

[PPT Spiral]

Aye