NationStates
If there is ever need for any proof that I really should not be put in charge of a body politic, then the silly little NationStates game may be it.
My nation in the game is the The Oppressed Peoples of Sushi-Ville. Actually, to call it a ‘game’ is to possibly make it sound more complex then it really is.
Originally it was a simple little web bit that author Max Barry (a fun but often rather odd writer) did to promote his novel ‘Jennifer Government’. It since spiraled out of control a little and has grown to be a slightly larger, and somewhat odd, web community. At its root is the basic game element, you name a nation, answer a few questions about it, and then every day an issue or two is presented to your government to rule upon. Your responses to those issues (chosen from a list of provided answers) changes your nations description and that is pretty much it. Over time your nations population slowly grows, and your influence in whatever region your nation is in grows, but neither of those are really all that important. The fun bit is just in seeing how bizarre your nation becomes as it conforms to your answers / beliefs as you reply to the various issues.
At the moment, my nation of Sushi-Ville (referred to in game as The Oppressed Peoples of Sushi-Ville) is described as follows:
The Oppressed Peoples of Sushi-Ville
“A tuna in hand will buy you three more at the sushi bar”
UN Category: Corporate Police State
Civil Rights: Unheard Of
Economy: Very Strong
Political Freedoms: Rare
The Oppressed Peoples of Sushi-Ville is a large, economically powerful nation, notable for its barren, inhospitable landscape. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 29 million are ruled with an iron fist by the corrupt, dictatorship government, which oppresses anyone who isn’t on the board of a Fortune 500 company. Large corporations tend to be above the law, and use their financial clout to gain ever-increasing government benefits at the expense of the poor and unemployed.
The medium-sized, corrupt, moralistic, pro-business government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defence, and Commerce. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 6%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Arms Manufacturing, Automobile Manufacturing, and Door-to-door Insurance Sales industries.
Drunk drivers are sentenced to death, political activists are routinely executed, citizens are permitted to carry concealed handguns, and people of faith are sent to twelve-step programs for ‘The Cure’. Crime — especially youth-related — is relatively low, thanks to the all-pervasive police force. Sushi-Ville’s national animal is the tuna, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its currency is the tuna roll.”
Tags: Max Berry, NationStates, web game