You start the game as a college freshman and member of student government seeking to eventually capture the US Presidency. There are several levels of achievement in this game.

1. Student Body Representative.
2. Student Body President
3. Professional (banker, actor, garbage man... whatever)
4. City Councilman
5. Mayor
6. State Councilman
7. State Senator
8. Governor
9. Congressman
10. Senator
11. President

During the initial character-setup you can allocate a set number of points to four ratings that will determine the personality and abilities of your aspiring politician...

Charisma
Persuasiveness
Intellect
Kharma
Work-Ethic
Organization
Endurance

You can also select your race, gender, and socio-economic bracket. These traits will all affect your political career. Conversely, your career choices may affect your "personality"

Your brief stint in the Student Body Government teaches you the layout and mechanics of the game. The game progresses three months at a time.

At the start of the first three months, a menu pops up and you must determine how you want your aspiring politician to conduct himself in his first months at college. You distribute your "Endurance Points" among several tasks.

Activities
Study Zoology:
Consume intoxins with Friends:
Plan a Phisheesnatch Concert:
Protest College's No-Recycling Policy:

Club Involvement
College Republicans:
College Democrats:
Debate Society:
Fraternity:
Intramural Rugbee Team:

You distribute your endurance points among the options. Then you press "Go" and see what happens. Each activity affects your "personality" ratings. Your aspiring politician also has three other ratings. 1. Popularity. 2. Fame. 3. Political Orientation. Your choices affect these ratings as well, depending on which activities you chose and how many endurance points you allocate to them.

For example: during your first three months at college you must allocate 15 endurance points. You allocate 10 of them to the College Republicans and 5 of them being in a Frat. Your "political orientation" edges closer to "conservative" because of your association with the CR's and your "popularity" increases slightly because of your association with the Frat. Your "fame" rating would probably remain zero because... well... you're just a college kid.

Every now then, you will have the option of running for reelection or running for a new position. Your success will depend on how popular, famous, and politically in sync with the electorate you are. That is how you advance through the game.

As you assume higher posts, businessmen will lobby you for permits, votes will occur on important issues, activists will petition you for reform. You might even come across some "shortcuts" in the game that require some indiscretion.

Campaigns will require a high allotment of endurance points and careful budgeting of funds. Candidate debates would take the form of puzzles and agility contests... very apolitical stuff.

When you become president... you won the game.

Who knows... there could be sequel "SIMulation President."

Joseph Gumina
jxgumi@wm.edu

I'm not too interested in politics and politicians (they are all just going in circles, but then again I guess we need them), but that's why I would play SIMulation Politics!

Idea Reviewer:
-Vegard Aure-

SIMulation Politics - Computer Strategy Game - When you become president you won the game.