Biggest problem with Political machine

How would that change game play?

Personally, to me primaries would be much better addition to the game.

The thing to remember is that TPM isn't a political simulation . . it's a game, a stratagy game that uses politics as a framework.That might be an expansion I'd buy.  

Counties would add an extra layer to the game that is unnecessary. Yes, democrats tend to be in the urban centres and republicans tend to be in the rural parts of a state. However, the game already takes into consideration that there are republicans in blue states as well, just not as many.

The way that it could work was if you were playing a minigame where you are running for congress in a particular state. Then you'd need counties. Actually that sounds like a cool idea for the expansion or, more likely, political machine 2012. Just put the primary process in first! =P

Primaries in 2012, huh?  Not a bad idea.    

Actually, now that Impulse is launched and there will be less problems, I'd be fine with paying $15-$19 for a primaries expansion pack for 2008. After all, that's the election that everyone really cared about I.M.O.

primarys would be really awsome i think countys would be really cool but the creator put in so much work i think he would only do one at a time but yes you all have valid points.

Primaries is a great idea! I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

I agree Primaries would be a great addition to the game.

Take a look at a map of the United States broken down by county and let me know how you'd play that...


heres georgia..



And illinois. now multiply by 25 and go ahead and start placing your spin doctors.
Enjoy...

I was thinking about this before. Yea if you look at the counties map it would look like a sea of red with blue spots where the big city areas are at. But I prefer the way we have now. There is some suspension of disbelief when you play this game. Like a candidate in California giving a speech (5 stamina) in the game is representing the candidate making a trip up or down, hitting different big cities along the coast line. If it got to a point where it's so realistic that we are micromanaging cities and counties I think the game would start taking itself too seriously and becoming less fun.

Images of the math horrors of DnD rules flash through my head.

I've been playing election games since the early 1960s, starting with board games. All try to balance playability and realism. The Political Machine achieves that balance better than any other game-type simulation I've seen. A county level sim would cease to be a game, IMHO.

Primaries would make the game a "two-section" affair.

Part One would be getting your party's nomination. While in many years its not that exciting a contest (especially for the party in the WH), this year, on both the Democrat and Republican side has shown that it can be interesting.

One could have the game "focus" on your party's nomination, with perhaps "news updates" on what the other party is doing (abstracting that primary battle, to save resources)

Part Two would be the general election, TPM as it is now.


It might be a quantum leap upward in complexity, though, since a primary, to be reasonably accurate as a game, would have to have multiple computer opponents. TPM right now is a "one on one" (two on two when you pick your VP) sort of game.

However, would I pay a little more for a TPM 2012 with primaries. Yeah, you betcha!

the primary season was so intense in 2008, it's very possible primaries will be added to the political machine 2012