Philosophy

Lon Kra Con wrote:

There are a finite number of issues, and a finite number of variables, and not every variable needs to change for any given issue. I could see either process. To me it would be much more interesting to come up with a program that automatically determines most variables based upon input for a few variables, than it would be to determine all of the variables on a case by case basis.

Unfortunately, I am unaware of any such algorithm. Even if there is one, the Mods and Administrators are not sharing. We, on the other hand, do not have enough clear information to begin to generate one, should it (however unlikely) exist.

If one is truly going to master the issues, you must do it an an an issue-by-issue basis. It will be much slower, but more certain than if you simply memorize the various results, as there are enough counterfactual tricks and hugely unanticipated results that it is almost always better to have written notes in front of you. I would recommend, too, using some 20 different nations with the same goal in the beginning. Whether that goal is highest or lowest freedoms, a green environment, or becoming an economic superpower, make sure they all aim for the same thing, so you can see any traps, I mean challenges, the writers and editors of the issues have included.

The game has a bias for wealth. If you answered issues totally randomly, you will eventually get to a Frightening (best) Economy. Keep in mind the Economy and being Green are often at loggerheads. And while high Civil Rights and High Political Freedoms are positively correlated (they tend to move in the same direction at the same time), (and it take a great deal of finesse to make one of them high while the other is low, especially Low CRs and High PFs). Economic Freedoms are negatively correlated PFs and CRs. I would say the Economy is virtually the only ranking in which you can have and almost never reduce below 100 after achieving it.

The game has a certain bias against democracy, too. You are given many, many opportunities to outlaw voting and considerably fewer for raising your PFs significantly.

Many rates will slow down as you approach 100 (or 0). An issue that gave you a good rise in the beginning with CRs may not help you at all and may possibly even hurt you as you approach 100. Things that hurt your CRs will usually have more negative impact as you approach 100 ( =or 0), too.

It takes years of game play to be intimately familiar with the issues and probably no one other [violet] and Max know the issues 100% and they aren't talking.

Lon Kra Con wrote:

I am a somewhat of a dabbler in the game. My son got me started and I am still intrigued, but only devote a little time each day to managing issues and responding to the boards. For Red Star of the West, I generally try to maximize compassion and niceness, as these became the strongest areas of Red Star over time and are my best shot at being "the best". I don't have a firm plan for the two puppets I recently created. I had a puppet that I tried to do the opposite of my inclinations with. That was fun, but after I ran the nation into the ground I then decided to see if I could build it up again and generally speaking it was rather easy to do (a little too easy, really).

It depends on how thoroughly you've run your nation into the ground as to how long and how completely recovery will be. If you are near 0 or 100% on a given ranking, often the first couple of reverse answers will yield huge results. After that, things will slow down considerably.

If ya liked it, then ya shoulda put a ring on it!

Hmmm, interesting. I've been gone 2 years, but my nation only died off 19 days ago?

Any new developments?