Trolligarch posts
Posts: 37
Files: 90
Early Access – Habbo Roman Empire: My first virtual "democracy"
My original intention was to turn my original long-read article into a relatively short 20-30 minute video. And, as you can probably tell, I have failed spectacularly.On the upside, an hour-long documentary has come out of it, and I hope you all enjoy watching it!If you wish to watch the video on YouTube instead, you can watch it here using this link.
Habbo Roman Empire: My first-ever virtual "democracy"
When I created the Roman Empire of Habboon (an unauthorised Habbo knock-off) in November 2016, I knew nothing about the Roman Empire. I didn't even know that the Roman Empire and the Roman Republic were two different things. My principal history adviser and future Roman Empress, Vocaloid., told me she learnt Roman history from reading Percy Jackson novels. "Eh, good enough," I thought as I deferred to her on design choices.I knew next...
September 2025 – Behind-the-scenes update
Hiya patrons—both those who've just joined and those who were here from the very beginning!Here's your behind-the-scenes update for September 2025.Virtual democracies.I'm taking a break from the world of Minecraft finance, and I'm currently researching for another video on virtual democracies (as it's been 9 months since I published my last video on that topic)!I'm currently researching some of the stories that have come...
Early Access – VNB: The Minecraft bank that lost $200,000 in 3 minutes
The final instalment of The DC Short trilogy is now out! Thank you to everyone for your patience!You can watch this video either as a standalone documentary or as Part 3 of the series.If you wish to watch the video on YouTube instead, you can watch it here using this link.
August 2025 – Behind-the-scenes update
Whoops!On the 20th July 2025, some of you received emails and notifications about a post that I mistakenly published about Uffizi Holdings' "accounting discrepancies."This was done by accident—I was prototyping post ideas and thumbnails (which I occasionally do) and had written a draft introduction for it (but nothing more). The post was not meant to be published in that state.I apologise to anyone who may have been disappointed by ...
July 2025 – Behind-the-scenes update
Roundup.I released my video on the quest to build weapons of mass destruction on Habbo HotelI published long-read articles on:How I wrote about the Habbo 2020 market crash while it was still unfolding back in January 2021The evidence for the claims I made on Habbo warfare in the WMD videoDemocracyCraft's Lehman moment following the collapse of Vanguard National BankI released copies of the leaked accounting records and regulatory filings that...
DemocracyCraft's Lehman moment: Vanguard collapse sparks financial meltdown
Fed and Treasury officials urge calm after approving D$20M (US$8K) bailoutBank runs reported in Volt, Voyager, and the ExchangeUffizi Holdings, owner of Volt, taken private after D$10M (US$4K) of alleged "accounting discrepancies" uncovered—Fed and Treasury officials urged calm this week as DemocracyCraft (also known as Redmont) plunged into its worst-ever financial crisis following the collapse of Vanguard National Bank.The bankruptcy ...
"What's your evidence for the claims you made on Habbo warfare?"
I received a question today from a user called Joe Robertson, who asked the following—What is your evidence for all the claims you make in your video? You seem keen on seeing Habbo as a microcosm of real-life social dynamics but never provide any actual evidence to back up your assertions. Were there really "counter-intelligence teams" or was it just elaborate larp? Were there really "wars" or was it ego-measuring contests?The f...
Early Access – The quest to build weapons of mass destruction on Habbo Hotel
You saw The Big Short on Minecraft—now get ready for Oppenheimer on Habbo.You can now watch it here, on Patreon, ad-free.If you wish to watch the video on YouTube instead, you can watch it using this link.
The Vanguard Papers: Leaked accounting records and regulatory filings
Following the collapse of Vanguard National Bank a few days ago, which was caused by DemocracyCraft regulators initiating liquidation proceedings against it, there appears to be resurgent interest in the bank.One of you asked for copies of the leaked accounting records and regulatory filings that I referred to in The DC Short II. Please see attached for:Vanguard's 2-B Form filings between Dec 2024–Mar 2025 (mandatory monthly filings to City...
How I wrote about the Habbo 2020 market crash while it was still unfolding
When I released my video on the Habbo 2020 market crash for early access, I mentioned how the video was a retrospective—a telling of the story with the benefit of hindsight. By the time the video was published, I had gone through four separate drafts.This article is a reproduction of the first report I wrote on the 13th January 2021—a time when the market crash was still unfolding in front of my very own eyes.Milking the last drops of a dying...
May 2025 – Behind-the-Scenes Update
Hiya patrons—both new and old!I'd like to first thank every single one of you for your financial support, which continue to help make the production of my videos possible!Now—for the behind-the-scenes update for May 2025!The DC Short.I've released a two-part documentary series, The DC Short, which you can watch on Patreon, ad-free and with subtitles here (Part 1, Part 2)I did a brief write-up on what real-world economists and experts ...
Vanguard National Bank lost US$345,000 to a high frequency trader—and it's refusing to pay out
On the 11th February 2025, the owner of CityRP, LilDigiVert, received an urgent message from Vanguard National Bank CEO Nexalin. It read—Nexalin: Hi Digi [...][A trader called] Nimq_ abused the VMA [Vanguard Market Access] platform and transferred 1 million [DemocracyCraft dollars] to CityRP which is 100k in CityRP dollars. We would like your "blessing" or backing for us to get it back from Nimq_When LilDigiVert enquired how VMA—Vangu...
The DC Short: What do real-world economists and experts think?
"Why isn't everyone in DemocracyCraft committing fraud?"The DC Short was probably the most intense piece of investigative journalism I've done so far. The sheer complexity of DemocracyCraft's economy—and in particular, US$100,000 financial sector (at notional real money trading rates)—meant the investigation took over 3 months, 300 pages of documents, and interviews with 50 sources across four Minecraft servers.The sheer v...
How traders on Minecraft moved their money offshore – DC Short II
No one asked for a "what if the Panama Papers happened in Minecraft?" video but I'm delivering one anyway.Aproduct of over 3 months of investigation, spanning over 300 pages of documents, interviews with 50 sources across four Minecraft servers, and consultations with several people working within the real-world financial sector (some of whom are also my patrons, so thanks to you all!), I'm very happy to be able to finally release...
The short seller who bet on a Minecraft financial crisis – DC Short I
Thank you to everyone for your patience and I'm glad that I can now finally release The DC Short!You can watch it here, on Patreon, ad-free.If you wish to watch the video on YouTube instead, you can watch it here using this link.
March 2025 – Behind-the-Scenes Update
Hello, dear patrons! Here's your behind-the-scenes update for March 2025!Miscellaneous news.The Averra Dossier won News Article of the Yearin NationStates' 2024 Gameplay Awards. You can read the Dossier in its original news article form here(This bullet point also gives me an excuse to use a deleted thumbnail draft for this behind-the-scenes update post)My last documentary has apparently inspired a different YouTuber, HardLeg, to transfor...
February 2025 – Behind-the-Scenes Update
Hello, dear patrons! Here's your behind-the-scenes update for February 2025!Teenage Virtual Democracies: A Retrospective.I've been blown away by the positive reception that the virtual democracies videohas received and I'd like to take the time to thank you all for your continued support and to welcome any new patrons who subscribed because of the video!If you've missed it, the video caused a "Slashdot effect"where a surge...
The Trollipocalypse
When Drew Durnil made his video in 2020 on the game NationStates—a game that allowed users to join and create their own sim govs ("regions")—he caused what the NationStates community called the "Drewpocalypse." The Drewpocalypse saw a surge of new players join the game, leaving a permanent mark in NationStates' history. The thing about the Drewpocalypse, however, was that its effect was relatively dispersed. NationStates i...
Early Access – When teenagers run virtual democracies
I'm ecstatic to finally complete my long-awaited video on Virtual Teenage Democracies!You can now watch it here, on Patreon, ad-free.If you wish to watch the video on YouTube instead, you can watch it here using this link.
December 2024 – Behind-the-Scenes Update
Hello, dear patrons! Here's your behind-the-scenes update for December 2024.Next video.I've (mostly) finished my research for the Virtual Teenage Democracies video and have begun writing the script. I've also designed an alternate thumbnail for the video (that I personally prefer), which I've attached here.After writing the script, I'll need to record the audio and edit the video. If I have the time, I'll try and get it do...
Monthly billing from January 2025 onwards
SummaryFrom the 1st January 2025onwards, you'll be charged every monthIn return for monthly payments, I'll post monthly on Patreon, such as a video or an update post with my video-making progressIf you'd like to change the amount you're charged every month, you can read Patreon's guides on changing your tierand increasing your payment amountTechnical detailsAs mentioned in my November 2024 update post, Patreon is updating its ...
November 2024 – Behind-the-Scenes Update
Hello, my patrons! Here's your behind-the-scenes update for November 2024.Next video.I've begun researching for my next documentary on Virtual Teenage Democracies, which aims to give a broader overview of what "sim governments" actually are. As I explained all the way back in June 2020, they involve "mock governments ... writing their own Constitutions, electing their own Presidents and Parliaments, and running their own Supre...
Early Access – How the Habbo 2020 market crash wiped out over $30M
Four years overdue and four scripts later, I've finally done it—I've made the Habbo 2020 video.When I wrote the first script for this video back in January 2021, I was writing about this event in the present. From the discussions I had with my sources, it honestly felt like their (virtual) world was ending.By October 2024, Habbo had long experienced a post-crash economic recovery. The memories of the panic that gripped Habbo in 2020 hav...
October 2024 – Behind-the-Scenes Update
Hello, my patrons! Here's your behind-the-scenes update for October 2024.Next video.As mentioned in my previous post, the next video I plan to work on is about the 2020 market crash in Habbo.I've designed a draft thumbnail for the video using the same composite style as I did with my Averra Dossier video, which I've attached here.This video has been in the works for so long that there's actually an old thumbnail draft I designed f...
Ad-Free Release – How one man faked a Discord "democracy" for over 3 years
This video has been uploaded to Patreon, along with subtitles, as an ad-free alternative to YouTube.
Early Access – How one man faked a Discord "democracy" for over 3 years
Four years ago, I asked you—dear patrons—what video you wanted. You voted for a video on online democracy experiments.I didn't expect to have taken four years. Four years is so long that I'll need to update this Patreon page to reflect the myriad of changes that have happened.But I'm so genuinely excited to have broken my writer's block that I can't wait to share this video with you now.My videos on Habbo, I hope, aren'...
The Averra Dossier: Secretive network of over 35 alt accounts revealed
For over two years, Averra has rigged every election in Alcris, stacked every branch of government and political party, and covertly repressed political opponents with his alt accounts.Averra, the founder of the NationStates-based microgovernment Alcris, runs a secretive network of over 35 alt accounts within Alcris, the Averra Dossier can now reveal.For over two years, Averra has maintained absolute control over the region of Alcris by using his...
March 2024 – Behind-the-Scenes Retrospective
In March 2024, I delivered a presentation titled "Public Law in Virtual Worlds" in an academic colloquium held at Hertford College, University of Oxford.A lot of the research I did for my draft working paper (which you can read here) would go on to be used for my virtual democracies video. If you're interested, a lot of things that I went through quickly in the video (e.g., the God Problem and IC-OOC blurring) were expounded upon in t...
September 2021 – Behind-the-Scenes Retrospective
In late September 2021, I was interviewed by the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK to discuss my findings in my first two Habbo videos: how it turned players into teenage capitalistsand financial crime.The podcast episode is in Norwegian, but the interview was conducted in English. You can hear me speak at around 16:15 onwards.
