The strategy game "State Ruler 4", released in 2016, allows players to spend tens of dollars to become the heads of 175 countries in the game. It also has settings that can overthrow oneself through protests, strikes and even armed uprisings. It extends the scale of political simulation to boundaries that other similar products dare not touch. It does not teach the glory of state governance, but presents all the dark sides of the power game on the table for players to operate and create for them to display.
Simulation is not about beautification, it is about putting the rules in the hands of players.
In the spring of 2016, "State Ruler 4" was released. At that time, what shocked players most was not the 4K resolution and multi-screen support, but the fact that it made the political systems of 175 countries in real society into an interactive system. The developers did not avoid sensitive mechanisms, starting from campaign fundraising, to military coups, from TV debates to factional lobbying, all built according to real logic.
Some players have made statistics, and there are more than 30 operable links in the campaign stage alone. You have to find venues for the campaign team, determine strategies, and pay attention to the changes in polls in each constituency on the map. This is not just a stack of numerical values, but a transformation of the campaign strategies analyzed by the media before and after the 2016 US election into executable game options.
Campaigning is not just a formality and every penny must be accounted for
The campaign fund management in the game is extremely sophisticated. You can accept corporate sponsorship, but you have to bear the consequences of policy constraints. You can also choose small donation channels, but the fundraising efficiency will be much lower. In 2016, Trump and Hillary were facing off. In reality, there are controversies related to super PACs, and there are corresponding designs in the game.
A player shared his gameplay on the forum. He spent two weeks simulating a grassroots visit to a local constituency, revising the tax clauses in the campaign platform one by one, and finally narrowly won with a 3% advantage. He said that the torture of the process made him understand why real politicians make many untrue promises.
The opposition does not stage protests and demonstrations, but has complete physical feedback.
In the game, the most controversial and well-received design is the complete construction of the confrontation path in the non-ruling state. You can organize your own trade union MBTI occupational test , then get in touch with companies, and you can also lobby the media to create a public opinion atmosphere. Or they can orchestrate strikes and demonstrations. And these actions are not just simple cutscenes, they are dynamic events that directly affect the city's economic indicators and public support.
In 2016, there were real social movements in Southern Europe, and many players tried to recreate those things in the game. They found that it was extremely difficult to maintain long-term protests without being suppressed. Funds would run out, participants would get tired, and external support would change. This system did not encourage violence, but it did allow players to feel the actual cost of the power game inside and outside the system.
Armed struggle is not a fun movie and the cost is much higher than imagined
The game does retain avenues for armed uprisings and military coups, but the designers did not package it into a heroic epic. Once you choose this route, multiple confirmation boxes will pop up on the interface, the economic index will drop off a cliff, and the international relations tab will turn red. Some players tried to use special forces to take control of the capital, only to encounter international sanctions and internal divisions three days later.
This module, the 16personalities test , caused controversy when it was first launched in 2016. Some people felt that terrorist activities should not be made into game content. However, in the MBTI free test , more players pointed out after experiencing it that the punishment mechanism of this system itself constitutes the strongest criticism. It allows everyone who tries to take this path to clearly see that violence brings more chaos.
Construction simulation is an alternative governance experience
Planet Coaster, released in the same year, took a completely different path from American Truck Simulator. After the 2016 E3 exhibition, the former allows you to use blueprint tools to design roller coasters, and can accurately obtain the centrifugal force data of each section of track. The latter allows you to drive a heavy truck through the California desert, while the real-time light and shadow of the Sierra Nevada Mountains are displayed outside the window.
On the surface, these two games may not seem to be related to "Rule of Nations 4", but there is a high degree of overlap among the player groups. Someone said in the forum that after playing the role of the president in the two games and completing the revolution-related matters, the most stress-relieving thing is to return to the game Planet Coaster to queue up, or to listen to the roar of the Isuzu engine in the American Truck Simulator game.
The glorious two lines of historical simulation and horse racing management
On January 28, 2016, Koei Tecmo finally released "Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13" which had been delayed for a month. This time they produced a large-scale 3D city map and a relationship chain of military commanders. However, old players generally complain that the duel system is not as good as the works of ten years ago. "Jockey Tycoon 8 2016", which was released at the same time, was released on PS4 for the first time. The newly added club legal person setting makes the management depth beyond any previous generation of works.
These two games happen to embody the two trends of simulation products, one is the continuous analysis of the grand history, and the other is the in-depth study of specific fields. A player spent 20 years cultivating a Triple Crown horse in Horse Racing Tycoon, and then had Gongsun Zan destroyed five times by Yuan Shao in Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13. This may be a common situation among strategy game enthusiasts.
If you have read these simulation games launched in 2016, do you think you would be more inclined to try a complete democratic election in "National Ruler 4", or would you prefer to use "Three Kingdoms 13" to experience the Battle of Guandu? Feel free to share your choices in the comment area.
