Join ScandiaAdmission to Scandia is possible for anyone who meets the requirements for participation as outlined in the Rules, which are not very strict and are usually somewhat flexible. Scandia is a non-profit organization, and has no operating costs as such, and so participation in the game is free of charge. To join Scandia, please follow the procedure outlined here.
Before you even decide to join Scandia, it is strongly recommended that you browse the various websites of current Scandian countries, so as to see what sort of thing you would be required to construct. It is also recommended that you subscribe to the Scandia group at YahooGroups, the primary means for interaction on Scandia, and simply read the various emails that get exchanged, getting a feel of how the game functions. By doing both of these things, you can better decide whether or not you wish to participate in Scandia. (Please keep in mind that while you can ask questions on the discussion boards at this point, your country is not actually considered to be in the game until an announcement by the PlanetMaster to that effect. Your interaction at this point would all be [tech] messages about the game, rather than messages as a country.)
If you choose to apply for entry, you will need to choose the territory that you wish to play. You should do this by consulting the Available Territory page, accessible from the main page of this site. You should keep in mind that while you can change the country's government, name, and so forth in whatever way you like, some things cannot be changed - the ethnic groups, languages, and so forth of a territory are fixed for recycled nations. That is, if it spoke Loirisean before you took control of it, you cannot suddenly change matters so that it is speaking Casatan the next day - such a change would be unrealistic. A good guide as to what a new player may do with a territory can be found in simply looking at Earth nations - how much could you realistically change if you were suddenly given control over a real country? And how quickly could you do it?
As of Summer 2006, all the available territory can be considered blank -- the restart wiped out preexisting history and present characteristics. When you have chosen a site, you should contact that PlanetMaster (click Contact on the main page) to confirm that the territory is available. Please copy all inquiry email to the webmaster as well - he can respond quicker.
Then, assuming that your choice of territory is possible, you will need to choose a name for your country, and design a flag for it. When taking over a preexisting country you may certainly retain its existing flag and name. While these things are up to you, it would be appreciated if players could refrain from taking names or flags directly from places on Earth. For example, if you wish to play a nation based on China, do not call your nation China, or use a historic name for China, or use the name of a Chinese province, and do not use a Chinese flag, either modern or historical. Instead, invent a new name that sounds Chinese, and design a new flag which could represent China, but doesn't. Since Scandia is not earth, we try to avoid directly reusing earthly terminology for people groups, locations, and the like. To evoke thoughts of earthly tribes, for instance, people have called them Aztalecs, Siou, Cheroquais... okay, so they're pretty transparent - they're still not exact copies. These things (flag and name) should be sent to the PlanetMaster and Webmaster.
The next step is to design the basic website of your nation. You do not need to complete this website in order to join Scandia, but there should be sufficient information on the page for current players to know what your nation is like. When a country's former website is still viewable, don't simply copy it - come up with your own vision of its web presence. What you can reuse is data from the old site -- the sort of information that hasn't changed, and which has become "common knowledge" on Scandia. When designing your country, you should ensure that it conforms to the Rules, particularly as regards realism. When you have completed your website to an extent suitable for entry to the game (consult the PlanetMaster and Webmaster if unsure), you should send its location to the PlanetMaster and Webmaster for review.
Should the PlanetMaster decide that your site contains enough information for it to be entered into the game, he will make an announcement on the List informing other players that your country may now be considered a full participant in the game. From that point, your country is a part of Scandia.
Also, if at any point you choose to reconsider your request to join Scandia, please let the PlanetMaster and Webmaster know. It can cause considerable inconvenience when a prospective player reserves a territory but never actually claims it. There is no problem about changing your mind part-way through, but please notify the PlanetMaster if you do.