The Political Machine 2008: First Impressions
The Political Machine 2008: First Impressions
June 19, 2008
I've been playing around with Stardock's The Political Machine 2008, which arrived in the mail a couple of days back.
While dealing with a serious topic, its graphics give the game a light-hearted feel. After working through the tutorial, I made the mistake of jumping into Campaign mode, which pitted my candidate of choice - Al Gore - against... Ulysses S. Grant.
WTH?
'twas then I realized that the campaign mode runs you through a series of elections against historical figures. Beating Grant unlocked Richard Nixon, and so forth. What I really wanted to use was the Quickplay mode, which allows you to pick your opponents. So I ran Gore against McCain. And then Obama against McCain with Gore as VP. And then an Obama-Hillary slate. McCain, for some reason, kept picking Dick Cheney as his running mate.
While not a truly hardcore sim, the game does get you focused on electoral votes, campaign finances and the whole red state-blue state thing. Based on my early impressions, it's well worth the $20 asking price. I'll have more to say in my Philadelphia Inquirer column on June 27th.
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Posted 11/22/09 at 09:45am
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I think doc phill is still sout about the break up with his wife he dose not fill holes as much as make them bigger these day
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I think doc phill is still sout about the break up with his wife he dose not fill holes as much as make them bigger these day
Posted 11/22/09 at 12:06am
JDKJ: You should get Phil McCraken to help you spackle those banisters.
JDKJ: You should get Phil McCraken to help you spackle those banisters.
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:57pm
ZippyDSMlee: Oh in the pirate hunter article I need my song ieda heckled DS,JD,Beemon sic im !!!
ZippyDSMlee: Oh in the pirate hunter article I need my song ieda heckled DS,JD,Beemon sic im !!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:56pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:no I am tried from prepping the banisters for painting , worked on them from 12 to 4 and 6 to 8...after I got back from the store...got up early got ready...blah...been up all day..I need a nap...
ZippyDSMlee: JD:no I am tried from prepping the banisters for painting , worked on them from 12 to 4 and 6 to 8...after I got back from the store...got up early got ready...blah...been up all day..I need a nap...
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:42pm
JDKJ: No. You gonna stay up late tonight soldering?
JDKJ: No. You gonna stay up late tonight soldering?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:41pm
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:Don't you mean Mctite?
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:Don't you mean Mctite?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: @Zip: Neil, Bob, and Lik McTaint. The McTaint brothers. LOL!!!
JDKJ: @Zip: Neil, Bob, and Lik McTaint. The McTaint brothers. LOL!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:44pm
Flamespeak: I still think military personell, killing other military personell, on a military complex should be handled by military courts.
Flamespeak: I still think military personell, killing other military personell, on a military complex should be handled by military courts.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I could see this a mixture of the two charges rather than just one or the other.
Flamespeak: I could see this a mixture of the two charges rather than just one or the other.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I think this was mainly a person who snapped, but evidence is showing he definitely had strong inlinations to islamic-extremism.
Flamespeak: I think this was mainly a person who snapped, but evidence is showing he definitely had strong inlinations to islamic-extremism.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:41pm
Flamespeak: People are trying to claim that Hasan's actions were not terrorism. I don't jump on the 'terror train' like others, however
Flamespeak: People are trying to claim that Hasan's actions were not terrorism. I don't jump on the 'terror train' like others, however
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:38pm
mentor07825: Britain certainly does deserve it! And the French! God damn it, it was a hand ball!!!
mentor07825: Britain certainly does deserve it! And the French! God damn it, it was a hand ball!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: mentor07825:Well Brittan dose deserve it....
ZippyDSMlee: mentor07825:Well Brittan dose deserve it....
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:33pm
ZippyDSMlee: Alyric:I don;t hasliburton having to pay back billoins... don;t you love it when the rich roll over the goverment without a care?
ZippyDSMlee: Alyric:I don;t hasliburton having to pay back billoins... don;t you love it when the rich roll over the goverment without a care?
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:32pm
mentor07825: I say we nuke the whales, for the benefit of both mankind and the environment.
mentor07825: I say we nuke the whales, for the benefit of both mankind and the environment.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:28pm
Austin_Lewis: I say we try Al Gore too. I always said he was in on the racket.
Austin_Lewis: I say we try Al Gore too. I always said he was in on the racket.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:16pm
Alyric: The leaked information proves these organizations knowingly defrauded governments (i.e., taxpayers) out of billions of dollars. Yet there will probably never be a trial.
Alyric: The leaked information proves these organizations knowingly defrauded governments (i.e., taxpayers) out of billions of dollars. Yet there will probably never be a trial.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:15pm
Flamespeak: working on other things makes me angry. I might have had a jet pack by now. :p
Flamespeak: working on other things makes me angry. I might have had a jet pack by now. :p
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:14pm
Flamespeak: Just thinking of all the time and manpower wasted to try and make things emit less CO2 emmision that could have been spent
Flamespeak: Just thinking of all the time and manpower wasted to try and make things emit less CO2 emmision that could have been spent
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:07pm
Alyric: @Zip: FYI, the construction of solar panels puts out more pollution than any form of energy production. To say nothing of the toxic components of the panels that cannot be recycled.
Alyric: @Zip: FYI, the construction of solar panels puts out more pollution than any form of energy production. To say nothing of the toxic components of the panels that cannot be recycled.
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Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
I had a go at this last night myself. I will have a review of it posted on my site tonight.
I ran a quick play mode as Obama vs. McCain. Obama trounced McCain. 406 electorial votes to whatever was left. McCain won the midwest from Texas to North Dakota. But Obama had almost everything else. I even spent less than McCain.
The game is great fun.
Dennis, we should get together some time and play againast each other.
Also, I love the alien Republican.
E. Zachary Knight
www.editorialgames.com
From the box art, it looks like they really expected Hilary to beat Obama
I don't think that was intentional. In the opening video, they have Obama and Clinton fighting for the lead in the race to the Whitehouse.
E. Zachary Knight
www.editorialgames.com
Please post a link to your Phili. Inq. column when it's posted!
Funny, considering he's been accused of running for Bush's 3rd term. :)
On the other hand, they need to patch the game, McCain has declared he's definitely not picking Cheney for his Veep.
-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...
You do sound pretty close to trying to troll there...
Well, trends show that the more educated somebody is, the more liberal they are. (With a few minorly notable exceptions, though thier intellegence is somewhat suspect.)
And the people behind GP seem like a smart group...
So, if the glove fits...
Across the entire western hemisphere, the USA is the only country in which liberalism is frowned upon. The only real value of conservatism is "more money for bastards" in the words of Frankie Boyle.
GP = Liberal rag?
That would explain why GP makes sense and doesn't bitch and complain like certain people.
Sounds like an interesting game. If I actually cared about the US elections, I'd probably play it.
---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.
I haven't had a chance at 2008 yet, but if it's anything like 2004 I think you guys are sort of missing the point -- or at least focusing on the wrong feature.
The game does have real-life politicians as characters, to flesh out the narrative and add a layer of fun (or at least silliness), but the game is not at all about predicting which real-life candidate is going to win the real-life election this coming November.
The way I played it, at least, the game is all about the mechanics of the system -- the way that the presidency is actually won and lost in our country. That is, as far as modeling the workings of the electoral college goes, I'd say the Political Machiine is about as "hardcore" a sim as you could ask for.
Exactly. I love that aspect of the game. One of the first things that tips you off on that is one of the default Republican candidates is an alien.
You get to create your own candidates and run elections from most any era.
It is great to be able to slam McCain for anything I want. I was slamming him on everything even if it wasn't a real position of his. Just pick a topic that would lower his standing with all parties and do it. Fun stuff.
But just trying it out, the current running is a great place to start.
E. Zachary Knight
www.editorialgames.com
You mean just like I could slam Obama and Hillary for anything I want if it lowers their standing with the Democrats? Yay!
What do you mean? Its already happening in Real life, why would you want to do it in a game?
I haven't bought it yet, though I plan to. Are there differences between the eras you play in? Is it just in the issues you have to deal with?
I take it there's no way to run a Cthulhu/Hasur ticket? Will I have to settle with McCain and Cheny? *Pauses for lame pun laughs* Cheap shots aside, I was wondering if there was any customized input or not.
*Hastur
You can make custom candidates. I am not sure how in depth it is as I haven't tried out the feature, but it is there.
E. Zachary Knight
www.editorialgames.com
Has anyone figured out how the opposing candidate chooses their running mate? GP said his McCain kept picking Cheney, but I've yet to see McCain pick anyone other than Romney for his running mate.