As promised, here is a recap of the game played a few days ago, along with some commentary. The one thing I learned from the game: NEGOTIATE.
Format of bill records:
[sponsor] : up [policy A] min [policy B] [pass/fail]
So, "A: up Econ min morality fails"
Means "Player A introduced a bill that increased ("up") economy and decreased ("minus"/"min") morality. It failed."
Pre-Game
6 Players: A, B, E, O, S, M.
Policies and Distribution:
Freedom 50%
Order 50%
Economy 33%
Equality 33%
Morality 33%
E elected president with little conflict.
Yr 1 - Learning the Ropes
Summary of Dialogue:
A: I'll start. I introduce "increase economy, decrease morality". I vote yes.
S: Remember, every increase in a policy that you don't want is giving someone else points. I vote no.
B: I vote no.
O: I vote yes. //O's policies include economy
M: I vote no.
With a 2/5ths vote, the bill fails. The next two bills fail in the same fashion.
[S, M, and A are secretly meeting]
S: I've got an idea. No one is able to pass any bills. I'll agree to support your freedom bill if you agree to support my equality bill.
M: Ok.
A: Ok.
[public]
S: I introduce "increase equality, decrease economy". I vote yes.
A: Hey, don't decrease economy!
S: Why didn't you tell me that earlier? I can't change it now.
M: I vote yes.
A: *sigh* I vote yes.
O: I vote no.
B: I vote no.
With a 3/5ths vote, the bill was sent to President E.
E: I will sign this bill! [it passes].
The following bill passes in a similar fashion.
Bill History:
A: up Econ min morality fails
B: up Econ min order fails
O: up order min morality fails
S: up equality min Econ passes
M: up freedom min order passes
End-of-Year Totals
-1 economy
1 equality
1 freedom
0 morality
-1 order
Yr 2 - Negotiation Continues
50% of players have order as a policy. S, M, and B form a loose coalition and pass order-gaining bills.
Economy, equality, and morality each are distributed to 2 players each. Their votes are not enough to overpower the order coalition.
President E, despite not having order, passes order bills to gain favor of the coalition.
Bill History:
O: up order min morality passes
A: up econ min equality fails
S: up order min morality passes
B: up econ min morality fails
M: up morality min economy fails
End-of-Year Totals
-1 economy
1 equality
1 freedom
-2 morality
1 order
For the first time, President E gives a state of the union as she reads the end-of-year totals, something along these lines (IIRC):
E: [said with great conviction]
The economy... is stagnant! -1 Economy!
Our people have never been more equal! +1 Equality!
The people... are freer than ever! +1 Freedom
Our people... are reckless and sinful! -2 Morality!
The streets... are full of lawfulness! +1 Order!
S: President, what are you legislative goals for next year?
E: To increase every policy! [typical politician avoids answering the question]
Yr 3 - Every Bill Passes!
O, A, and B form an alliance and pass bills. M tends to vote with the new alliance as well.
The order coalition, formerly composed of M, S and B, is losing strength to the new coalition.
Bill History:
O: up morality min equality passes
A: up economy min equality passes
B: up order min morality passes
S: up order min morality passes
M: up freedom min order passes
President E gives another state of the union, and refuses to reveal her desired policies once again.
End-of-Year Totals
0 economy
-1 equality
2 freedom
2 order
-4 morality
Yr 4 - Lame Duck Period
Confident that his bill will pass, S introduces an equality bill but it fails to the new alliance. The new alliance continues to pass all other bills.
Congress talks about the upcoming election, President E is falling out of favor. She signs legislation in hopes of getting re-elected.
Bill History:
S: up equality min Econ fails
B: up Econ min equality passed
O: up morality min order passed
M: up morality min equality passed
A: up Econ min order passed
End-of-Year Totals
2 Econ
-2 equality
2 freedom
0 order
-2 morality
Yr 5 - Presidential Election
New policies are given.
2 players are given Defense
2 players are given Education
2 players are given Environment
A runs for president on a platform of increasing everything that is asked of him.
B runs on a platform that he's "super cool"
M runs on a platform similar to A's.
S runs on a platform as a "middle ground" candidate.
E drops out of the race when support for her is nil.
O does not run.
M receives three votes.
A receives one vote.
B receives two votes.
M becomes president. Game would have continued on but B quit to go to sleep when he didn't win the presidential race.
Scoring
End-of-Game Totals2 Econ
-2 equality
2 freedom
0 order
-2 morality
If a player had these policies, they would have earned this many points.
(No bills were passed after the new policies (Education, Defense, Environment) were handed out, so each of the new policies stay at 0)
+2 Freedom = 4
+3 Economy = 6
Score: 10
+2 Order = 0
+3 Morality = -4
Score: -2
+2 Freedom = 4
+3 Equality = -6
Score: -2
+2 Order = 0
+3 Economy = +4
Score: 4
+2 Freedom = 4
+3 Morality = -6
Score: -2
+2 Order = 0
+3 Equality = -6
Score: -6
Win by luck, lose by skill.