Socialist Democracy: a game of "fairness"

[Mr. Wallet]

Yesterday I made a new mod as a political commentary on the modern wealthy state. It touches on a bunch of things, some obviously, some subtle, and is mostly a libertarian manifesto. However, I didn't want to cheapen the message by hammering it over people's heads; the economy doesn't instantly crash and burn for being a Socialist Democracy, but it's a little inefficient and the nature of the political process makes it hard to maintain any other kind of policy (though it HAS occured in playtesting).

Some of the issues I comment on in SocDem, some directly, some only if a clever player starts really gaming the system:

• National Debt
• Welfare's inability to differentiate between people who are poor by circumstance and people who deserve to be poor
• Runaway inflation over the last century as a wealth tax
• Majority Rule's immutable power under a socialist and deceptively unjust means
• Voluntary poverty as a means to suckle the welfare system without generating new wealth
• Politicians taking credit and laying blame for the state of the economy, despite it being largely out of their control and besides that very vague in what actually helps or hurts the economy.
• Political Corruption
• The way societies (especially those with unicameral governments) punish those who plan for the future by changing policies dramatically and swiftly for light and transient causes
• Eminent Domain

Best of all, the thing is actually surprisingly fun because it's so novel. Quick, name all the multiplayer online politics games you can think of. See? Nobody does this.

The game is intended to play out in 30 minutes to a few hours, and so far two games under the current systems have played out fantastically differently, which was a real delight to see.

Currently I'm still playtesting, but the game is intentionally simple to highlight what I wanted to criticize rather than tucking the problem deep within a realistic simulation. Basically the point of this topic is, I encourage you to check for my server when you start up Blockland, and come try it out if you see it on.

[Ad Bot]

[Zloff]

So it basically installs a government system to your server?

[M]

forget yes he's at it again

Why is it that you make all these awesome things? RoB etc, it's all got some further point to it to simulate a real world, sans all the realism, unique to Blockland.

[Tom]

I think 32 players is too many and it's too fast paced.

[Mr. Wallet]

The current game is loving hilarious; huge govt. spending is loving everyone but the economy is always doing well because of keynesian principles. Big spenders were re-elected several times and the govt. is paying massive interest on debt. This is a better simulation of real politics than I hoped.

edit: also, massive loving chat spam where the loudest people tend to be elected rather than the most clever or reasonable people.

[Zloff]

-Snip-

So does that mean your server is up and you're testing it now? :o

[Wizard]

I'm trying to tell people I'll give them a stuffload of money regardless of economy but it isn't working. Icygamma can't be dethroned and he isn't even doing anything.

[Mr. Wallet]

We are trapped in permanent debt because people are consuming to the max and leaving no wealth left for the govt, except the people trying to responsible save for the future are paying off the debt for EVERYBODY, when the debt was caused by wealth being distributed to all these max-consumption starfishs. To date no one has seriously attacked the ill-gotten communist welfare gains to try and free up funds for the debt.

meanwhile people like the above post call "trying to pay off interest on debt" not doing anything

basically it's the most accurate depiction of modern government ever ever

[Kevin]

Spamfest 2010


Intresting mod Mr. Wallet.

[Tom]

I think there should be extra Property Tax that's based on the number of bricks you have so people who want to build don't ruin the whole economy.

[Moybus]

this looks awesome

[Kevin]

I think there should be extra Property Tax that's based on the number of bricks you have so people who want to build don't ruin the whole economy.

[Colten]

Is there a guide?
Im not sure  how to vote or make money :o

[Kalphiter]

Builders will accidentally the economy :(

[Mr. Wallet]

Bricks represent human consumption rather than current actual wealth, which cannot be accurately measured in the real modern-day world. The idea that people can consume a massive amount and still get welfare benefits (the poor who deserve it) is a central point I was trying to make with the mod.

The guide is you just stay in the server for like, 10 mintues tops, and you can start getting money for sure. You're not eligible to earn your own money in the production phase if you don't vote. You also cant' be elected if you don't vote. You cannot vote for yourself. /vote [name] where [name] is all or a portion of another player to vote. when you're done building, /donebuilding and if everyone does it, you skip to the money-making phase immediately.