Overview
The Political Machine 2012 is a turn based strategy game developed and published by Stardock Corporation for the PC platform. It is the third entry in The Political Machine franchise. In this iteration the United States of America is in the final months leading up to the presidential election of 2012. The game takes a lighthearted approach to its political setting. Candidates are modeled as bobble heads and the game is filled with satirical versions of many popular news shows.
Gameplay
Based on the American Electoral College system, the player has their candidate fly around the country attempting to use ads and speeches to increase their percentage of the popular vote as well as likely electoral votes. The goal is to increase the candidate's standing to such a level that they will be able to obtain 270 electoral votes on election night, which is the end of the game. The player can also conduct fundraisers or establish (and then upgrade) one of three different types of HQs. Candidates can employ the use of Operatives to gain overall or statewide bonuses or incur penalties on the opposition. Lastly, the player can choose to cater to Special Interests which involves attempting to win the endorsement of Special Interest groups.
Ads
Among your options for improving your standing in the polls (or decreasing your opponent's) are ads. Ads function as a tool to increase population awareness of your candidate each turn for as long as you keep them running and also shift your position on issues. You have the option of personally coming out in favor of any of the campaign issues or against them. Similarly, you are given the power to try to define your opponent as being for or against an issue in hopes of souring public opinion. Ads come in three different forms, those being newspaper, radio, and television, each with varying levels of benefit and cost.
*Newspaper*
Initial Cost: $50,000
Weekly Cost: $3,000
Change in Candidate's Position: 1/week
Weekly Change in Voter's Position: 1/week
National Awareness Bonus: None
*Radio*
Initial Cost: $250,000
Weekly Cost: $20,000
Change in Candidate's Position: 3/week
Weekly Change in Voter's Position: 4/week
National Awareness Bonus: +3/week
*Television*
Initial Cost: $450,000
Weekly Cost: $30,000
Change in Candidate's Position: 2/week
Weekly Change in Voter's Position: 2/week
National Candidate Position Bonus: 2/week
National Awareness Bonus: +1/week
All changes in issue position as delineated above are relative to the stance the candidate takes on the issue. If the candidate runs an ad in favor of an issue then it will raise their position on it. If the ad is opposed to the issue then it will lower their position on it.
Speeches
Another campaign tactic at the disposal of candidates is that of delivering campaign speeches in a state. They create a large awareness bonus in the state and bring new issues to the forefront of voters' minds. Similar to the system used for ads, speeches follow the setup of a candidate positing themselves as being in favor or in opposition of an issue or painting their opponent as being in favor or opposition of an issue. Unlike ads however, speeches deliver an instantaneous bonus upon delivery without any bonus over time. Speeches do not have any monetary cost so they are a good option for keeping expenditure down. However, they do cost a significant amount of stamina, limiting the number of actions that can be taken within the turn.
Buildings
The player has a choice between one of three different types of buildings to construct in a state to augment their campaign efforts, each with three levels of effectiveness. Buildings are paid for from campaign funds and incur a one-time fee with no maintenance cost.
Campaign Headquarters
The Campaign Headquarters building raises the awareness of a state's population for the candidate over time. It also raises a set amount of money per turn, dependent upon the level of the building. Additionally, it unlocks more issues to campaign on within the state through advertisements and speeches.
Consulting Offices
Consulting Offices generate a resource called "Political Capital" over time. Political capital is spent on the acquisition of operatives that can give can give candidates boosts or hamper the opposition.
Outreach Centers
Outreach Centers generate a resource called "PR Clout" over time. PR Clout is expended on landing key endorsements from Special Interest groups.
Operatives
Operatives are specialized campaign staff that can be hired on if the player has acquired enough PR Clout to do so. Some augment the players ability to campaign effectively while others diminish the effectiveness of the opposing candidate's campaign. The operatives and their effects are as follows:
Consultant
+4% Awareness/week in target state.
Fashion Consultant
Appearance +10 points. Ads become more effective.
Fixer
Select the fixer then right-click an opposing operative to eliminate them.
Intimidator
-4% Awareness/week for opponent in target state.
PR Consultant
Media Bias +10 points. Interviews become more effective.
Smear Merchant
Decreases opponent issue rating by 15% in target state.
Speech Writer
Charisma +10 points. Speeches become more effective.
Spin Doctor
Increases your issue ratings by 15% in target state.
Webmaster
Decreases your advertising maintenance costs in target state by 75%.
Endorsements
Endorsements signify that a candidate has secured the backing of a major issues group. The practical outcome of endorsements in game boils down to receiving a shift in your candidate's stance on a given issue and by extension receiving more credibility and support from those states who have heavy importance placed on those issues.The list of possible endorsements and their effects are as follows:
Christian Federation
Abortion Rights: -5
A Christian Nation: +10
The Environmentalists Club
Alternative Energy: +5
The Environment: +10
National Association for Women
Abortion Rights: +10
Gay Marriage: +5
National Civil Liberties Union
Domestic Surveillance: -5
Gay Marriage: +10
National Foreign Policy Committee
Afghanistan Withdrawal: -5
Missile Defense Shield: +10
The National Gun Owner's Association
Fast & Furious Inquiry: +5
National Organization for the Support of Colored People
More Money for Education: +5
Obamacare: +10
National Union Action Network
Auto Bailouts: +10
Outsourcing of Jobs: -5
Tea Party Movement
Big Government: -5
Tax Cuts: +10
US Chamber of Business
Big Government: -5
Reducing Unemployment: +10
Playable Candidates
Democrats
Republicans
Character Creation
The game also allows the player to opt out of choosing a traditional candidate, instead of creating one of their own design. The player is given the freedom to choose the full name of the candidate, their political party, home state, gender, appearance, characteristics, and political platform.
Campaign Issues
A candidate's political platform is comprised of their stances on various issues deemed important to their constituents. In The Political Machine 2012, candidates score their stance on an issue on a one hundred point system ranging from -50 to 50, where -50 is being greatly opposed to the issue and 50 is being greatly in favor of it. The campaign issues in The Political Machine 2012 are:
- A Christian Nation
- A Strong Military
- Abortion Rights
- Afghanistan Withdrawal
- Alternative Energy
- Auto Bailouts
- Bank Bailouts
- Big Government
- Capital Punishment
- Coal Mining
- Deficit Reduction
- Domestic Surveillance
- Expanding Ethanol Production
- Farm Subsidies
- Fast & Furious Inquiry
- Fixing Mortgage Disaster
- Fixing Obesity Crisis
- Fuel Efficiency Standards
- Gay Marriage
- Green Jobs
- Gun Control
- High Gas Prices
- Illegal Immigration
- Law Enforcement
- Legalizing Marijuana
- Military Strike on Iran
- Missile Defense Shield
- More Money for Education
- ObamaCare
- Occupy Wall Street
- Outsourcing of Jobs
- Reducing Unemployment
- School Vouchers
- Social Security
- State Unions
- Supporting Israel
- Tax Cuts
- The Environment
- The War on Terror
- Traditional Values
- Video Game Violence
PC System Requirements
Minimum:
- 1 GHz Processor
- 512 MB RAM
- 64 MB DirectX 9.0c 3D Video Card with Pixel Shader 2.0 Support
- 1 GB Hard Drive Space
- DirectX 9.0c
Minimum resolution of 1024x768
Recommended:
- 2 GHz Processor
- 1 GB RAM
- 128 MB DirectX 9.0c 3D Video Card
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