Concept: Increasing accessibility for mainstream users

Democracy 4 is an interesting game in how varied the criticism seems to be. A lot of reviews complain that the game is far too complicated while others complain it is too simple. I believe that this problem could be solved by introducing a new simpler mode to complement the existing game.

The simple mode would be a minimum viable product for the game. It would combine some simulation values into each other like, foreign aid, foreign investment, international trade, and foreign relations into a bubble called “positive foreign interaction’’ or something to that effect.

Of course it would do the same things with the policies like combining armed police, rubber bullets, tasers, water cannons, tear gas, body cameras, and community policing, into a general purpose police militarisation slider. It could also remove some of the more confusing elements like the cabinet government and electioneering that would likely confuse people new to the series.

Now perhaps even more important than what is removed is what should stay. In my opinion, there are three core elements of the gameplay. (1) to fail or succeed economically either from a badly designed economy or too much debt (2) to win or lose elections based on your decisions (3) to play the game in a way that appeases or displeases any of the 20 voter demographics. Keeping these 3 elements will ensure that the simple mode does not feel like a tutorial but rather as a good game in its own right.

I understand this could take a year or more of development but it would not only make the game appeal more to the general public but would allow for more complicated mechanics in today’s existing game mode.

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And perhaps there could be a complex mode too! Although I wonder whether any of these would be necessary for early-access.

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I’d argue that the game is as vague as it seems so it doesn’t look politically biased or if you find out the simple way out then it’s going to be boring as the challenges can be controlled easily.

Maybe it would ease in the new players, allow them to then go into the advanced game.

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Isn’t the advanced game the 200% difficulty slider?

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I think that Ben means that players should be able to experience a visually condensed and simple game, independent from the difficulty slider.

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I wouldn’t like that change~ anyways, thanks for explaining that to me :joy:

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It could be an optional setting for new players, and veteran players could have the opposite as an example. Simple UI option would probably help phenylketonurics and those with seizures, by reducing visual overstimulation ( a complaint I have heard).

I feel this option should be the difficulty slider itself. How would a game on Simple with 200% difficulty feel? Medium? :joy::joy:

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Lol, a nye-sore.

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Its a constant battle to try and keep the game from scaring new players, while at the same time allowing for super-complexity for those people who want to sink dozens or even hundreds of hours into it.

I do have plans for WAY better mod support, which will allow for some much-more-involved modelling in the game, but I have probably dropped the ball a bit when it comes to ensuring the game is not too scary for a casual player.

Its difficult to explain how the game works without having tons of text everywhere which can itself be off-putting, and also carries the financial nightmare of having to be translated properly into about 9 languages!

I do think minor UI tweaks can probably make the game feel less scary, but I do not have decent feedback on exactly what aspects of the game are the most confusing or off-putting. I suspect that a common complaint is ‘Why did this event just happen?’ which probably comes up in lots of different places, such as when an event triggered. I have always resisted showing the inputs to dilemmas and events but could maybe do that for the first few times someone plays?*

*if only just to show them that these things are not 100% random.

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I thank you, and my family thanks you.

Even veteran players like me would like that.

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I was new and you were new aswell, I must admit that I needed to use my comprehension abilities but if you understand the game then you’d love it until you don’t understand what challenging stuff you want to do :joy:

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