Simulating the UK

Mysterae_

Mysterae_

Mysterae_

Soldato
Joined
15 Sep 2008
Posts
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I like to play simulation games such as the Anno series, Civilisation etc and with all the current issues of government mismanagement, corporate greed, broken economy and world events I've often wondered how hard would it be to create a game based on managing the country, for real.

Sure, these games mega-over-simplify a lot of functions and decisions politician face each day but when it's boiled down it's all numbers. Without a doubt it would be far too much for one person to manage so would have to be multiplayer with people in your 'party' that you trust. Or you could use AI controlled NPCs to manage policies and fiscal matters etc like many real governments before.

You would have complete control on how to set taxes, the NHS, welfare system, laws and defence policy to name just a few, to appease the 67 million citizens. Considering the scale of it I don't think it would be possible, I can't even save 100 people on hard difficulty on Frost Punk!

Would it even be fun to play, would you play it? Or is politics just too damn boring to be gamified?
 
Mysterae_ said:
Would it even be fun to play, would you play it? Or is politics just too damn boring to be gamified?
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Save or sink the dinghys off the south coast.

Annex Calais and for the hell of it, the rest of France too (needs to be Europe wide).

Remove Edinburgh from the map for lols.

Ditto Dublin.

:D
 
Mysterae_ said:
I like to play simulation games such as the Anno series, Civilisation etc and with all the current issues of government mismanagement, corporate greed, broken economy and world events I've often wondered how hard would it be to create a game based on managing the country, for real.

Sure, these games mega-over-simplify a lot of functions and decisions politician face each day but when it's boiled down it's all numbers. Without a doubt it would be far too much for one person to manage so would have to be multiplayer with people in your 'party' that you trust. Or you could use AI controlled NPCs to manage policies and fiscal matters etc like many real governments before.

You would have complete control on how to set taxes, the NHS, welfare system, laws and defence policy to name just a few, to appease the 67 million citizens. Considering the scale of it I don't think it would be possible, I can't even save 100 people on hard difficulty on Frost Punk!

Would it even be fun to play, would you play it? Or is politics just too damn boring to be gamified?
Click to expand...

I played a basic economy on the PC as part of a business A-Level at college circa '97. It was quite fun. Q quick google shows there's the Democracy games and this https://store.steampowered.com/app/731920/Government_Simulator/
 
Mysterae_ said:
I like to play simulation games such as the Anno series, Civilisation etc and with all the current issues of government mismanagement, corporate greed, broken economy and world events I've often wondered how hard would it be to create a game based on managing the country, for real.
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you know there's already political simulators right?
 
Tony Edwards said:
Wasnt it a zombie film?
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28 days later might be more analogous of whats happening here though - who'll survive

yep film has a female mercenary who infiltrates scottish zombie/penile colony to extract the guy with the cure - escape from New York remake - is there a cure for UK
 
jpaul said:
28 days later might be more analogous of whats happening here though - who'll survive

yep film has a female mercenary who infiltrates scottish zombie/penile colony to extract the guy with the cure - escape from New York remake - is there a cure for UK
Click to expand...

Yep thats the one.
 
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it would be boring because far to much work, most critical tasks would need to be automated with AI or multiplayer.

You would also find that even if you have a good vision, it won't be possible to implement because or corruption, inept politicians, industry influence, nymbism, and that democracy allows people to vote against their own interests due to the power of media controlled by billionaires donors to particular political parties.


Also, somethings would be very hard to simulate. The economy is a chaotic system so small nuances make big différences. E.g. perhaps you played the part of a prime minister in the 1980 s and actually listened to the scientists who categorically stated the catastrophic dangers of global warming, and knowing the unique geographic situation of the UK you invested massively in wind power and storage, making the Uk a world leader and exporting green energy across Europe by the early 2000s. Other countries might have followed and leveraged UKs booming renewable energy industry and be 100% renewable. At which point Russia invading UKr would not have the nordstream to turn off amd there would be no threat to energy. How do you model that kind of scenario, with all the intricacies of the O&G industry bribing politicians and spreading anti-rewnewable propaganda , amd what the rest of the world does in response. Do the OPEC nations form some alternative trade block with China?
 
Semple said:
Doomsday.
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I'm not so sure and could be getting mixed up, the plan might have been to turn Britain in a prison rather than just Scotland. It's annoying me so a quick google suggests Jonny English of all moves :D.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion of Democracy and to search for democracy simulators.

I was thinking of the possibility of something bigger, more UK focussed and less of a game but more simulation where the people join to make decisions rather than the lobbied politicians we have now. It was just the thought of there being the possibility of something in the future as we all live connected lives and want a say in politics how the country is run. Rather than a single political party being in power that stands for some of the things you care about, the public could vote and influence all matters. Could such a system work and would it be better than how it is now? Would you take part?

Sounds like a Black Mirror dystopian future episode!
 
Actually a civ large scale map of the UK with recent leaders of the four countries from major parties would be a blast. Hours of entertainment.
 
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