Not sure about this. Whenever I start a new game, I always take a bit of time to analyse what’s going on in the country: what the crises are & what effects they’re having (and so which to prioritise); how big the deficit is relative to the main expenditure items; what are the main expenditure items & are they things I want; which taxes are the ones in use and to what extent. Then, having made a plan of sorts, I reshuffle the cabinet to maximise political capital from the start. So I think there’s a lot to think about at the start - and picking manifesto commitments in a country we barely know yet would seem a bit of an unhelpful addition.
But I totally get the point about coming into the game with no base. This also ties in with like the 3 most loyal potential ministers in every new game, regardless of country (!), being Religious. If I’m doing a liberal playthrough and I’ve just taken power, to have most of my most loyal cabinet picks as Religious is a bit jarring. A new government would surely get a free pick of its ministers.
I suggest:
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Give us the option of a free reshuffle at the start (not just after elections, though the free post-election reshuffle is a great innovation)
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Because I get that the game can’t vary the minister options based on the player’s party name (although that is a shame), could we at least have more randomness in who are the available ministers at the start? While D3 had certain recurring patterns, in D4 it literally seems to be identical avatars who have identical support bases and portfolio preferences, in every country! E.g., regardless of country, the one who looks like Boris Johnson is always a Welfare specialist and he always is on the side of Trade Unions and Youth, just with country-specific names. Can’t we mix it up a bit more?