I am by no means a NESing spokes person. The most I can say is that everyone has their own opinions on the matter, mostly negative.
More specifically, there are those who simply feel IOTs are forum-geopolitical-roleplaying games that are merely of a different stage of development than NESes. Ergo, no reason to not combine the two groups.
There are those, influenced by several IOTers who may or may not have left a negative impression, are against this mainly because they fear you guys would be bad influences on our community.
As for myself. I don't really see a good reason NOT to combine the two. It is true that some IOTers are hard to work with, but then again, there are such NESers as well. If we do combine them, however, we need to set some sort of standard or protocol for mutual assimilation. There are different things expected from NESers than IOTers, and the underlying culture can still clash. And when that happens, bad feelings can rise again.
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If you guys want a taste of NESing, I promise my NES is very open to new players and unexperienced NESers. Don't be worried by the massive amounts of roleplay (some whom I would not name were scared off, apparently). I accept them as they come. I am willing to coach you if you ask for it and I am willing to help you find a nation that fits what you want, or even create a new one just for you. Note: as of now I prefer VMs over PMs.
Currently we are transitioning in the middle bronze age. What was once reserved only for the military and the wealthy-good, strong metal- is becoming common. Economies are booming, bureaucracies are expanding, and cultures are flourishing. However, the rise of this new age also sees heightened conflict and brought ever more waves of barbarians to crash upon the borders of our civilized nations. Right now, we are facing merely the stragglers of the last barbaric offensive.
Keltia is sighing after the end of a Holy War as the combatants turn to face their aggressive barbaric neighbors. the Mediterranean is flourishing as the wheat trade is reinstated and Egypt is unified. "Mesopotamia" is dominated by a single player, but India has many growing power players surrounding an overstretched colonial empire. And then, we have "China". In east Asia Japan has just been unified while various "Korean" states made themselves wealthy from selling shiploads of weapons. Meanwhile, barbarians attack the Yi homeland as the nation falls into civil war. To the south, new Man powers rise the banner of Daoism on the path to empire.
EDIT: Well, if people aren't invested into roleplay then there is your problem. They get bored, and they know only one way to give themselves their desired fix; go to war.
Here's the rub. In my NES, I GIVE my players domestic issues to worry about. I GIVE my players crisis that they need to resolve. Whether they do so with role play, military action, diplomacy, spending money or what have you is up to them entirely. If IOT mods do this, then take a look at CI. EQ uses a RNG to give natural disasters and accidents around the world, provoking action. Coups attempts happen, and sometimes in the most unlikely of places.
Of course, I
players who give themselves issues and make their nation multi-dimensional. Kudos to Optical, Iggy, Tycho, Erez and many others!