This was added as the new Welcome TG moments ago.
I think it is important to personalize it and keep it basic, which is what this does. I attempted to put myself in a new nations shoes while drafting this. What are they experiencing right now? Why did they come to NS?
Updated Welcome TG
Howdy, [b]%NATION%[/b]!
Welcome to your new home, [url=https://www.nationstates.net/region=the_south_pacific][b][i]the South Pacific[/i][/b][/url]!
My name is [b][nation]Ebonhand[/nation][/b], though most people know me by my alternate name, [b]Griffindor[/b], and I am the current Delegate of the South Pacific!
I am going to take a guess and say that you searched for a "nation simulator" game, and this was the top result. Am I right? That's how I found the game, at least! In any case, we are happy to have you here!
Every nation (like yours) starts out in a region, a community of nations — and lucky for you, the South Pacific is one of the oldest, largest, and most powerful regions in this virtual world! In fact, we’re [i]the[/i] oldest democracy in all of NationStates; we’ve been around since [b]2003[/b], and we’re still going strong. And we'd love to welcome you into our community as well!
The first thing you will likely start experiencing in a few moments is a large number of Telegrams from various other nations and regions in the game. Those can get pretty annoying, so, at your leisure, you can adjust your Telegram settings in the [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=tgsettings][b]Telegram Preferences[/b][/url] area by changing the Recruitment Type option to the "Block All" option.
You'll notice that the game provided you with a couple of "issues" to decide. You will get more issues to decide every few hours. Answering these issues will affect the statistics of your nation and is the most basic method of playing the game. This play style is fun, but can quickly get boring if nothing else is done. That's why, over the years, new avenues of gameplay have been created that the average player can take part in while they play the game.
Wondering what other avenues you can dive into? You can check out what our region has to offer you [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1192500][b]here[/b][/url], but here are some highlights (green text means clickable links):
[list]
[*] You can join our regional legislature, [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1192506][b]the Assembly[/b][/url], and draft, debate, and vote on laws that govern this region, as well as elect our leaders!
[*] You can help defend our region (as well as other regions) from attack by invaders, and have a [i]very[/i] fun time in the process by joining our regional military, [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1188941][b]the South Pacific Special Forces[/b][/url]!
[*] You can roleplay your nation, its history, and its future in our roleplay canons: Pacifica, our modern-tech canon ([u]thesouthpacific.org/c/pacifica[/u]); A1-0, our sci-fi canon ([u]thesouthpacific.org/c/a1-0[/u]); and Aurora, our medieval-era fantasy canon ([u]thesouthpacific.org/c/aurora[/u])!
[*] And so many more things, which you can find by joining our [b]regional forums[/b] ([u]thesouthpacific.org[/u]) and [b]Discord server[/b] ([u]discord.gg/qEjy2uG[/u]).[/list]
I also [i][b]strongly[/b][/i] encourage you to [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1042647][b]join the World Assembly[/b][/url], which will give you important rights, privileges, and influence within the region and on the world stage that you can't otherwise get. Joining the World Assembly is probably the easiest way for any nation to gain influence in the region, while also contributing to its overall security!
In order to maximize our region's security, after you have joined the World Assembly, [b]please endorse me, Delegate [nation]Ebonhand[/nation], and all member nations of [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1398091]the Coral Guard[/url]![/b] (How to do it: Scroll all the way down on any World Assembly member's nation's page and click the "Endorse" button, it's literally that easy!) Doing so will help keep the region safe and increase our power in the world. Once you have endorsed them, they’ll endorse you back soon! You will also receive a special award for your contribution at the end of this month. You can also endorse any other nation in our region, and many of them will also endorse you back!
I do so very much hope you will stay with us as you forge ahead with your nation. It's an exciting time filled with endless possibilities! If you're hungry, there's cake and South Pacifican Iced Tea (SPIT) waiting for you at the Lampshade Bar & Grill over on our regional forums and Discord Server (links above!).
I know this is a lot to take in, and you are getting slammed with a lot of information, but I’m a real person, I promise! If you have any questions, need guidance, want to talk to someone, or need anything else at all, do feel free to simply reply to this telegram. If you need help down the line, you can go to my nation page and send me a Telegram, or send me a message through the [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=display_region_rmb/region=the_south_pacific][b]the Regional Message Board (RMB)[/b][/url], or join our regional Discord server ([b][u]discord.gg/qEjy2uG[/u][/b]) and talk to me there.
I sincerely hope that you enjoy your time in this great region, and remember not to be a stranger! For making it to the end of this Telegram, I would like to give you a free slice of cake to start you off: 🍰
All the best in your new adventures!
[i]Always and eternally yours,[/i]
[b][nation]Ebonhand[/nation]/Griffindor[/b]
[b]Delegate of the South Pacific[/b]