Ars Regendi - Nationsim

[Daktoria]

Kinda like Simcountry, Cybernations, and Nationstates all combined with quite a bit more options as well as personal investing which allows players to directly invest in the well being of countries to grow their own portfolios, check it out. I just made a nation an hour ago, and what I like most about it is the quantitative approach involved for decision making that impacts your economy, demography, quality of life, etc., yet decisions are relatively easy to make and don't require thorough empirical investigation to be understood.

If anyone's interested in doing nation comparisons or interactions or whatever else, have a say and let everyone else know. :-)

http://www.ars-regendi.com/Ars Regendi is a browser-based political game that lets you take the reigns of your own, realistically simulated state. You will be asked to weigh in on various matters of state and - faced with a number of choices - any decision you make will have ramifications for the well-being of your virtual populace! In addition, you will be able to form alliances with other countries, initiate reforms and adjust the budget. Ars Regendi is a highly realistic and complex economic simulation that squares you off against other state leaders and puts your political and financial abilities to the test. But beware - running a country is not as easy as you might think and if you don't measure-up, you could find yourself out-of-office pretty soon!


Playing Ars Regendi is quite straightforward. The aim of the game is to achieve the happiest population possible, or the longest lasting leadership. To assume leadership of a State, you must click the appropriate link on your menu after registering, and specify a State to base it on. You will then be asked to fill out a short description of your State and to choose a flag.br />
We start off on the assumption that you have already had four years influence on the running of the government. To establish which direction your influence would have taken, you have to rate 12 quotes and rank them according to their importance. Your evaluation affects the calculations that simulate the first 4 years of the State.

Finally you will come to the State Overview, which describes your State and which is visible to all players. Each day of real time is one quarter year in the game. In Spring, Summer and Autumn, you will receive new Tasks and a list of possible responses, which you select in order to make political decisions.

Which Task you choose from the Task list is up to you. Bear in mind that the priority of each task increases from quarter to quarter, and that an extreme high urgency is a threat to your leadership. Once you have clicked on a task, a list of possible responses appears, and you may either make a decision from the options provided, let the population decide, or pass on making any decision.

Your decision affects your State, and at the end of the quarter the consequences are incorporated into the State’s data. The selected task disappears from the list and a possible response is removed. In the next quarter you will receive new tasks and new options.

You may also initiate a Reform, provided your influence as Regent is sufficient. During the quarter that you select a reform, you may not carry out any other activity. For instance, if you have already selected a response to a Task, a Reform is no longer possible in this quarter. Reforms are far-reaching, irreversible and should be carefully considered.

In Winter you can act on the State budget. Here you may raise or lower taxes and expenditure, but only within the limits that your current influence allows. In this quarter choosing tasks is only possible if options from previous quarters are left. It is still possible to choose a Reform, but in this case you have to forego any alterations to the budget.

In case your standard of knowledge is high enough you may initiate a project. Such an undertaking is time and money consuming but will further add to your state's progress.

Regent link to find information about your leadership. It is important to realise that the duration of your leadership greatly depends on these values. You cannot directly change them, rather merely influence them through your decisions, reforms and budget management.

Alliances improve your prospects. You may only ever join one Alliance at a time, or as a Premium user found one yourself. You may leave at any time or be kicked out by the founder. The maximum number of members is limited to 25. The power of an alliance depends on the power of its member states. Each alliance has its own forum section where everything about the alliance can be asked, discussed and decided.

The player Portfolio makes it possible to share in the success of individual States, and to bet on them. You can buy currency, land or shares of any active State. The costs vary and you may sell them on at any time. Every player has the same starting amount which can only be increased through trade, and the total stock is incorporated into the portfolio ranking list. Note: Trade has no influence on the States or the Regents involved.

[Daktoria]

Oh here's a neat thing. Alliances can only be made by premium members, but you can get free premium membership for a month if you get 5 people to sign up through your referral link, so if we want to make a forum exclusive alliance, we can have five people sign up through 1 link and make an alliance that way.

If 5 people are interested, I guess I can post my link here so we can make one. :D

[Michael]

Woohoo! That looks like an interesting game! :)

I'm reading up about it now.

[dilettante]

I'll look into it tomorrow. If it doesn't take much time I might be game.

[Daktoria]

Yea, it shouldn't take you any longer than 10 minutes a day (if 5 minutes) unless you really want to look at the numbers and crank out stats and equations.

Another thing I like about it now is that you can reset your state as many times as you like in order to learn the ins and outs of the game. For example, yesterday was a winter quarter (every IRL day is one season or quarter), and it's only in winter that you can adjust your budget. The first time I set up my state, I didn't know this and addressed tasks instead, so I restarted.

Today though, I found out that I made some bad decisions since my economy took a hit, so I restarted again! :lol:

[Michael]

Oh here's a neat thing. Alliances can only be made by premium members, but you can get free premium membership for a month if you get 5 people to sign up through your referral link, so if we want to make a forum exclusive alliance, we can have five people sign up through 1 link and make an alliance that way.

If 5 people are interested, I guess I can post my link here so we can make one. :D

Yes, that sounds like a good plan - game looks very interesting. I'm not sure what value an alliance is, but they are obviously popular things!

I'll wait for your referral link before registering over there.

[dilettante]

Yea, it shouldn't take you any longer than 10 minutes a day (if 5 minutes) unless you really want to look at the numbers and crank out stats and equations.

Another thing I like about it now is that you can reset your state as many times as you like in order to learn the ins and outs of the game. For example, yesterday was a winter quarter (every IRL day is one season or quarter), and it's only in winter that you can adjust your budget. The first time I set up my state, I didn't know this and addressed tasks instead, so I restarted.

Today though, I found out that I made some bad decisions since my economy took a hit, so I restarted again! :lol:

Ok, I'm up for giving it a try. Post the link and I'll register.

[Daktoria]

OK, but if this is going to work, we're going to need 2 more people. Once premium membership is acquired, the alliance will be established.

Referral Link (http://www.ars-regendi.com/rid23942/)

Alliances are most important because they allow special trade relations and universal reforms, so it should be interesting to see how we discuss how the alliance should be managed similarly to Mercosur, OPEC, the WTO, and other international trade organizations.

[dilettante]

OK, but if this is going to work, we're going to need 2 more people. Once premium membership is acquired, the alliance will be established.

Referral Link (http://www.ars-regendi.com/rid23942/)

Alliances are most important because they allow special trade relations and universal reforms, so it should be interesting to see how we discuss how the alliance should be managed similarly to Mercosur, OPEC, the WTO, and other international trade organizations.

Ok, registered as Dilettante. I'm about to head out the door for the evening but I'll found a state either later this evening or tomorrow afternoon.

[dilettante]

http://www.ars-regendi.com/images/flaggen/kiribati.png

"The affairs of state of Gran Azulagua, formerly USA, were taken over by the regent Dilettante in Summer 1989. Observers classify the huge state as conservative neoliberal plutocracy, known for its high net income and the high bureaucracy. Most of the moderatly educated and nationalistic citizens are happy with the circumstances. They have the reputation to be hedonistic and freedom-loving and enjoy an outstanding infrastructure. The biggest difference to other countries lies in the range of Gross domestic product per capita."



http://www.ars-regendi.com/images/flaggen/kiribati.png

[Michael]

I'm apparently unable to register. Been working on it for about half an hour.

I'm just caught in some loop that insists that my email address is already registered and thus rejects my registration.

[The Drunk Guy]

I'm in. You can find me as Maeson of Dunkirk. ;)

[Michael]

I just gave up and used a different email address (I have several).

Registered now as DWF_Michael.

[Michael]

http://www.ars-regendi.com/images/flaggen/isle_of_man.png

The affairs of state of Manyx, formerly USA, were taken over by the regent DWF_Michael in Summer 1989. Observers classify the huge state as conservative neoliberal plutocracy, known for its high net income and the high bureaucracy.

Most of the moderatly educated and nationalistic citizens are happy with the circumstances. They have the reputation to be hedonistic and freedom-loving and enjoy an outstanding infrastructure. The biggest difference to other countries lies in the range of Gross domestic product per capita.

Manyx ist not a member of an alliance.

(reads a bit like dilettante's state!)

[The Drunk Guy]

The affairs of state of Dunkirk, formerly USA, were taken over by the regent Maeson in Summer 1989. Observers classify the huge state as conservative liberal party-democracy, known for its high net income and the high bureaucracy. Most of the moderatly educated and nationalistic citizens are happy with the circumstances. They have the reputation to be sportive and freedom-loving and enjoy an outstanding infrastructure. The biggest difference to other countries lies in the range of Gross domestic product per capita.

Dunkirk ist not a member of an alliance.

[dilettante]

Well, I'm now invested in both the Dunkirkan Denar and the Manyxian Ducat, so here's hoping for high returns.

I've completed my summer tasks; not sure what else there is to do...

[Daktoria]

OK, I just made the alliance, so you can find it here if you want to join (http://www.ars-regendi.com/alliance/176/show.html).

Also, if you'd like, you can add me to your buddy list (http://forum.ars-regendi.com/member.php?action=profile&uid=23942) so you can send me personal messages more easily if you have questions on how to play the game or how the alliance is administered. Mind that I'm learning to play just as much as you guys since I just started a couple of days ago, but I'll try to be as helpful as possible!

Likewise, you might want to post your personal profile here as well if you're interested in exchanging buddy lists. To find your personal profile, click on the "Regent" tab and click on your name on the top of the second pane.

[Michael]

Okay, I've joined the GSF alliance and have foolishly invested in the economies of all the newbie alliance members here! :)

Autumn 1993 and waiting. I think the clock does its turnover at 3am Germany time (CET), which means about 10pm or 11pm over on this side of the pond.

[wphelan]

Ok, I just signed up as the Federal Republic of The Midwest. I'll see if I can figure out how to join the alliance.

Oh, and my username is the same as here.

[dilettante]

Ok, I just signed up as the Federal Republic of The Midwest. I'll see if I can figure out how to join the alliance.

Oh, and my username is the same as here.

Half of my assets are now tied up in foreign currency.

[The Drunk Guy]

Half of my assets are now tied up in foreign currency.
I foolishly invested all of mine. I did, however, mix it up with land/currency and experienced/newbs. As of this morning, I was only down a few grand (not counting the 5% tax).

[Daktoria]

Yeah, those taxes are killer, but I guess it's in place to make sure nobody's doing day trading and to emphasize long-term growth.

I'm going to post model budget instructions per ideology on the alliance forum later today. Make sure that you check it out in case you want some help.

[Michael]

Ok, I just signed up as the Federal Republic of The Midwest. I'll see if I can figure out how to join the alliance.

Oh, and my username is the same as here.

Just click on the "Alliances" button and that will show you a list of available Alliances. Scroll down the list to GSF - select it and it will offer you a button that says "join this alliance". Click that and that's all.

[Daktoria]

If anyone has alternatives for the alliance logo and flag, I'm eager to look at them. The one's I've selected feel too cold and coercive at second glance (such that Global Sovereign Federation seems like a disguise for New World Order, heh), so in particular, I'm looking for something with a... "softer" touch. :-)

[Michael]

If anyone has alternatives for the alliance logo and flag, I'm eager to look at them. The one's I've selected feel too cold and coercive at second glance (such that Global Sovereign Federation seems like a disguise for New World Order, heh), so in particular, I'm looking for something with a... "softer" touch. :-)

Ah yes, Max Weber spoke about 'warm and fuzzy despotism' as being the big trend of the future. ;)

How about "Group of Silly Forumers"? :D

That ought to give us good cover for our nefarious and diabolical plans of world domination. :lol:

[The Drunk Guy]

If anyone has alternatives for the alliance logo and flag, I'm eager to look at them. The one's I've selected feel too cold and coercive at second glance (such that Global Sovereign Federation seems like a disguise for New World Order, heh), so in particular, I'm looking for something with a... "softer" touch. :-)
I find it more endearing than the "United Nations." ;)

[Michael]

Well, the present name/graphics seem to be working well enough since three other players have joined the Alliance.

[Daktoria]

Yea, I changed them since. Before, it looked like the current flag only wider with light blue words on a dark blue background. When I went to the chatlounge, some of the opinions there said it looked too dark, and when I reflected, it seemed a little too suspicious or sinister to me.

In all honesty, I hate graphics and how their only purpose is to streamline communications by appealing to immaturity, the same role that politics fills in general. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but if those thousand words are a bunch of spam, it isn't any better than a plethora of noise.

Then the wise guys (empiricism, grrr...) say one man's trash is another man's treasure, but we might as well dismiss the whole premise of good taste in terms of justice, civilization, and progress then and concede to the libertine dystopia of circus anarchy. Mind that I don't like hierarchy anymore than anyone else, but that doesn't mean anarchy has its own good and bad forms. Anarchy out of and for randomness is meaningless due to the tautology of chaos, but anarchy out of and for integrity is meaningful due to the tautology of anti-hypocrisy.

/rant (I hate analysis, but it's the only way I can express myself without becoming completely destructive. :-\ )

Gyah, talking in circles again. I hate my life.

[Michael]

Yea, I changed them since. Before, it looked like the current flag only wider with light blue words on a dark blue background. When I went to the chatlounge, some of the opinions there said it looked too dark, and when I reflected, it seemed a little too suspicious or sinister to me.

In all honesty, I hate graphics and how their only purpose is to streamline communications by appealing to immaturity, the same role that politics fills in general. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but if those thousand words are a bunch of spam, it isn't any better than a plethora of noise.

Then the wise guys (empiricism, grrr...) say one man's trash is another man's treasure, but we might as well dismiss the whole premise of good taste in terms of justice, civilization, and progress then and concede to the libertine dystopia of circus anarchy. Mind that I don't like hierarchy anymore than anyone else, but that doesn't mean anarchy has its own good and bad forms. Anarchy out of and for randomness is meaningless due to the tautology of chaos, but anarchy out of and for integrity is meaningful due to the tautology of anti-hypocrisy.

/rant (I hate analysis, but it's the only way I can express myself without becoming completely destructive. :-\ )

Feeling better now?

Gyah, talking in circles again. I hate my life.

Relax, its only one of several thousand flags used to represent imaginary alliances representing imaginary nation-states in an internet-based simulation game.

Your life is worth more than that! (I hope!) :D

Like I said, since others are joining up, the graphics obviously aren't scaring people away.

Personally, I find the present flag to be rather Star-Trekish, which is fine by me. :)

[Daktoria]

...Your life is worth more than that! (I hope!)...

Heh.

No, I'm pretty much a complete failure. Not quite a basement dweller, but an institutionalized mess nonetheless.

Senior year at college will be coming up this semester with my most difficult classes yet. My math skills have hit the crapper, and I can't read critically or thoroughly anymore for detail without getting a huge headache from instinctively excessive skepticism. I hate economics since it's all based on models and empirical evidence, and I can't stand finance since it's all about making money with nothing real behind it.

Call it a sense of paranoia, I feel like my entire life's been suppressed by cosmopolitan moral relativists that undermine everything I do because I'm an easy target for any opportunist looking for a black sheep to blame or a punching bag to unleash upon. As I got older, friends, peers, coaches, family, and whoever else realized that I lost my sense of goodwill and didn't want to be helpful anymore. I used to be bright with plenty of initiative, athleticism, and a seemingly growing amount of charisma, but I always got (and continue to get) siphoned down the drain of mediocrity and consequentially implode.

I just don't care and don't want to recover since it seems that whenever I get some momentum, someone else is always out there ready to steal it from me.

Coincidentally, I did once upon a time believe that socialism was the answer (think that was about 10 years ago) because I believed that as long as the masses were forced to endure headaches that they would continue to explode like rabid monkeys (heh) and wouldn't impede the gifted and talented from pursuing truth out of sheer benevolence. Eventually though, I realized that politics are everywhere and special interests are inevitable to the human spirit because of our sex drives and endocrine systems which kill our insight and integrity more than anything else. Even money and power wouldn't be corrupting if there wasn't a phenomenological influence as effective as hormones that demanded concentration and expenditure from our nervous systems to compensate. After all (in short), humans have an innate nature to make sense of our worlds and be entertained by affording to relax from previously assured control and efficiency. Hormones convince us that there are certain experiences which are worth hypocrisy due to the procurement of marginal utility, so we willingly accept immaturity and become lazy since it "feels good" unless we have the ingenuity/optimism/faith to ignore what's bothering us in order to overcome the fog between primitivity and enlightenment.

I hate rationalizing like this because it doesn't accomplish anything, but the reason I decided to play that game was just to fulfill an addiction to strategy gaming in general. Tbh, I'm getting fed up with how slow it is because I want a greater amount of feedback in order to learn more from it. I'm an explorer, and when my rate of learning decelerates, I become incredibly frustrated since I feel violated, coerced, trapped etc. especially when I can't do anything to fix it (whether it's because of not being skilled, not having resources, not having opportunities, or because someone else is audacious enough to kick back and relax and seemingly waste my time in a mocking fashion).

Fortunately, I talked with the game admin, and he's a busy person, so I don't have any gripes with him because I know he has better things to do with his time rather than just letting this project slide because the average user is content with it.

I'm not fat, deformed, deranged, socially awkward, or anything else like that. I'm just bored and fed up from exhaustion, and I've corroded more and more for the past several years (think it was around midway since 10th grade although there were definitely events before that) such that even the best possible scenario doesn't satisfy me anymore. Spoiled? Certainly not, heh, since I don't have anything and I've always been told that I've had to struggle plentifully more than the next guy to reach the same point despite being more talented.

Meh, I don't wanna blab anymore.

[Michael]

Heh.

No, I'm pretty much a complete failure. Not quite a basement dweller, but an institutionalized mess nonetheless.

Senior year at college will be coming up this semester with my most difficult classes yet. My math skills have hit the crapper, and I can't read critically or thoroughly anymore for detail without getting a huge headache from instinctively excessive skepticism. I hate economics since it's all based on models and empirical evidence, and I can't stand finance since it's all about making money with nothing real behind it.
Senior year blues. Not uncommon at all.

Call it a sense of paranoia, I feel like my entire life's been suppressed by cosmopolitan moral relativists that undermine everything I do because I'm an easy target for any opportunist looking for a black sheep to blame or a punching bag to unleash upon.
Um... when it comes right down to it, I'm certainly a cosmopolitan moral relativist. I just thought I'd mention that in case you hadn't noticed! :D

I'm not one for labels, but 'urban sophisticate' is a hard one for me to deny. I'm honestly not looking for a punching bag or easy target. ;)

Coincidentally, I did once upon a time believe that socialism was the answer (think that was about 10 years ago) ...

I've never been a socialist yet. I did start off as a serious rightwing fascist with my 'first' Plato-phase. Never quite made it to being a full Marxist. Then there was my 'second' Plato-phase, and my Romantic-Monarchist phase, then I had to deal with Rousseau and Nietzsche and that put me into my present 'classical-liberal' phase. :shrug:

Life is a journey - physically and mentally.

I hate rationalizing like this because it doesn't accomplish anything, but the reason I decided to play that game was just to fulfill an addiction to strategy gaming in general. Tbh, I'm getting fed up with how slow it is because I want a greater amount of feedback in order to learn more from it. I'm an explorer, and when my rate of learning decelerates, I become incredibly frustrated since I feel violated, coerced, trapped etc. especially when I can't do anything to fix it (whether it's because of not being skilled, not having resources, not having opportunities, or because someone else is audacious enough to kick back and relax and seemingly waste my time in a mocking fashion).

I find the game quite slow as well, being a 'newbie' and a quick learner, I'd like to speed it up for the learning phase - quite frustrating not knowing how the game simulator works and having to wait each day for tiny incremental movements and trying to learn from that pace!

That being said, I'm becoming accustomed to the slow pace of it. I've always had lots of patience for games. Besides, once I figure out the game, half the pleasure of playing it is gone.

Meh, I don't wanna blab anymore.

:pat:

[Michael]

Rumor has it that one of our regents has gotten himself assassinated! :eek:

[Michael]

GSF alliance broke into the 'top-ten' alliances yesterday. :)

We also hit the maximum of 25 members for the alliance.

[The Drunk Guy]

GSF alliance broke into the 'top-ten' alliances yesterday. :)

We also hit the maximum of 25 members for the alliance.
Wow. Way to go, chief! :welldone: Can you go to war, yet?

[Zarquon]

No, GSF is not in the top 10 yet or has been overtaken, according to this (http://www.ars-regendi.com/statistics2.html).
And, TDG, war will never function in the "classic/default" state model; It works in the "world" state model along with trade, which I'm currently beta-testing;)
I have an alliance (http://www.ars-regendi.com/alliance/313/show.html) as well.

[Michael]

No, GSF is not in the top 10 yet or has been overtaken, according to this (http://www.ars-regendi.com/statistics2.html).
It was there yesterday, but someone must have overtaken GSF to bump us back down to 11th place. We'll see tomorrow.

[Michael]

GSF has been in the top ten for three days in a row now. :)

Got a backlog of members wanting to join (there is a maximum of 25 members to the alliance).