[quote=@Polybius][i]Nations are not characters.[/i][/quote]

I would actually like to argue against this statement.

Nations are in fact characters but they aren't a typical character. Between normal character RPs people play and the nation-states and factions of games like EU4, Civilization, etc that NRPers love to play, I find the concept that you can humanize or characterize a nation is something which isn't commonly done because people either don't really know how to do it beyond Countryball-ing and Hetalia-izing things.

For me personally, I accomplish this through my own take on what history is: the greatest story ever told. Taking the nation as a whole and using its people to tell its history as a story is not something too uncommon. Now that I'm actually trying to explain it, I find it harder to properly articulate my thoughts. I guess one way to go about it is to say to think of the [i]people[/i] as a whole instead of the [i]country[/i]. For example, in World War 2, we all have heard about the unwavering revenge Russia got on the Nazis after they backstabbed them a, how deftly resistance movements fought insurmountable odds against a vastly superior foe and yet didn't back down, the desperate if not suicidal zeal of which Japan fought with when they knew they could not win against the Americans. 

While it may not be all sunshine and roses, there's a distinct difference between telling a story vs telling an After Action Report. "United against a common foe, one thousand times stronger then them, Country X fought against all odds and through force of will and great sacrifice won out over Country Y" has a very different tone of narration then saying "Country X defeated Country Y because of reasons A, B and C".

Some videos which really help express the "personification" of a nation-state are as follows:

[hider=My Hider]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stEuQamTLXw[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJiHDmyhE1A[/youtube]
[/hider]

One of my favorite RPs that sort of demonstrated this on a personal level was something that [@Theodorable] had created, second iteration of "An Age of Nationalism" I think. I was playing my go-to notJapan nation of Fuso as those of you who have known me for a while will not be surprised with and in it notWW1 just finished. Fuso was basically an upstart nation, recently industrialized to the ability of being able to participate, the first in notAsia to do so, only to get absolutely wrecked early on, peace'd out and occupied. To my memory, I spent the RP trying to rebuild both a nation and army in ruins, tending the wounds of a disenfranchised martial-focused nation who just saw what modern war was like and trying to become relevant. And you know what? I absolutely loved it.

And before anyone has to point it out, yes, I know my point is very convoluted and I'm not even quite happy with how I put it down but oh well, as of right now, I'm not sure how to really put in better words.

Basically I'm trying to say that just because an NRP doesn't have actual characters doesn't mean it has to be an AAG or something focused purely on the leader (something which I see a LOT of); it can be a triumphant story, a tragedy, something heartwarming or heart wrenching instead of just military arms races and kings sending letters between each other in real time. Tell a story of a nation with a nation. Tell a tale how it was once a mighty empire that fell and gave rise to others. Tell a story how a small, backwater gathering that suffered at the hands of fate became one of the strongest nations on the planet. Tell an epic of how an underdog won against insurmountable odds in a war they were forced to fight. Tell the legacy of an poor country turned itself into an industrial nation and all of its success and victories. tl;dr - Don't write a AAR or a biography, make a story.

Thank you for listening to me ramble on about this, hopefully it made a trace of sense and provided something of remote value ^^