Good Work!
I just got Civ 4, so i probably be addicted to that for at least a few days 
.
Ill download it later, I swear.
It should go with the other bitmaps in My Documents\democracy2\mods\data\bitmaps
By the way, what did the auto-installer do? Did it crash when clicked the install button?
Cliff has just told me in another thread that unlike the other variables, voter groups range from -1 to 1. I will therefore need to update some of the figures in the events and dilemmas later. You can still download it if you wish, but be aware that some events and dilemmas may show up at inappropriate times. I will post here again when I’ve made an updated version.
Sorry about that everyone!
OK, I’ve uploaded a fixed version now so you can download it and have a go, see what you think. Same link as before, in top post of thread. Enjoy!
That main link is dead, did you rename it?
You know what, yes I did. Sorry about that, I’d forgotten. I’ll change it to link to the one you have on your server.
Has anyone tried this mod? Any comments?
very good! but I think your making the pariots a little too mad…
HI. Thanks for the feedback. The influence on the patriots is based on the fact that State Union membership would make patriots mad. If you ask a patriot in the UK for example what his main concerns are the EU would probably rank very high up on the list.
Also, for the dilemmas, how mad you make the patriot is generally your call - if you take a very hardline, sceptical approach on the State Union, you are likely to please the patriots. I wonder whether you were taking a very pro-Union line?
What does anyone else think about the level of influence on patriots?
I think that when applying the mod to the Real Countries like France, Sweden,UK etc. it could be actually more realistic to simply change the fictional names back into their original prototype - the European Union.
I already changed the mod files that way (for my personal use, i changed all references to State Union into references to EU,and changed the event_su.jpg to event_eu.jpg with the EU flag on it ) , and i would like to know what do you think of this ?
The mod adds a nice twist to the game making it that bit harder to balance doing what I want to and not getting voted out of office or shot. Which it good as it adds depth and difficulty, but I can’t comment fully on balance yet as I’ve not played many games on it.
However I experienced a game crash with an “unknown script command” error when ending one turn. Reloaded the autosave and crashed again when ending the same turn. Thanks to the new debug tools for events I discovered the problem lied with a missing command word CreateGrudge from the middle effect listed in the event file SUHandout.txt - just the brackets with effect numbers in them.
Ah, well spotted, sorry about that. I will send an amended version to Cliff. In the meantime, anyone using this mod should patch their events file by doing the following:
- Open up the file My Documents\democracy2\mods\data\simulation\events\SUHandout.txt
- Remove all the current content
- Paste in the new content below
- Save
[config]
Name = SUHandout
GUIName = SU Financial Support
Texture = "event_su.jpg"
Description = The State Union has noticed with concern that your economy is suffering and is worried that this will have a negative effect on the well-being of your citizens. As a result, it has made a lump sum payment out of its financial support fund, plus is planning to make investments to raise the GDP of your nation.
OnView = PlaySound(cash.ogg)
OnImplement = CreateGrudge(SUHandout,GDP,0.125,0.860);CreateGrudge(SUHandout,SUHandout,-0.950,0.950);EarnAdjusted(8000);
[prereqs]
StateUnion
[influences]
0 = "ForeignRelations,-0.4+(1*x)"
1 = "GDP,0.7-(1.6*x)"
2 = "AverageIncome,0.4-(0.9*x)"
3 = "_winning_,0.7-(1.19*x)"
4 = "_random_,0.000,0.350"
I think it’s a great idea to have it running as the EU. It is very heavily based on the EU (you will probably notice that some of the events relate directly to things that have happened within the EU).
There are a number of reasons why it has to be called the State Union:
- All the countries that ship with the game are fictional. They would therefore not be members of the EU, and thus we need a fictional organisation. Yes, some people will have real countries, but not everyone does.
- The reactions different groups have will vary in different countries. The effect that the events and dilemmas have are based largely on UK perceptions. In less Eurosceptic countries, many of the events would probably not have such a strong effect on patriots. If I called it the EU, then while it may well be accurate applied to the UK, it may not be applied to other countries. By using ficticous countries and a fictious organisation, it avoids that problem, as I can choose what patriots think - Scotrasia has been designed as a highly Union-sceptic country, and this fits with the effects.
- Once you name it after the real organisation, you then have problems with how realistic you make it. Like Cliff has felt with the choice to use fictional nations in Democracy 2, it allows more scope for creativity, and also removes the possibility of people complaining that it is not realistic enough. While as I say, most of the events and dilemmas are based on real EU events or rules, there are probably some that could not occur under the EU, and certainly the Directives etc. I refer to are fictional. By keeping it nominally fictious, it avoids the need to keep it ultra-realistic and gives some artistic licence.
That having been said, if you do have the real countries installed, and you are prepared to put up with the slight departures from reality, I’m sure it must be a great experience playing the UK or Poland with the State Union mod. I have actually thought about changing it to say EU and playing it with the UK, although haven’t yet. It’s definitely something I would recommend to anyone who wants the concept of EU membership in their game.
For the reasons above, the main version needs to refer to the fictional “State Union”, but if you want to make an “EU special edition” available, provided that you retain the attribution for the original mod to me, I have no problem with that.
The link at the top of this thread now links to the fixed version. Anyone who downloaded it earlier needs to either fix the SUHandout file in the way suggested above, or redownload.
I’m at work, so not really able to try that one 
And not able to see what events there is already in the mod. But I do have a couple of ideas of events (as this looks very very interesting):
-When allowing broad internet access, SU wants you to set up a cyber-police force (liberals hate it, parents love it).
-When terrorist groups memberships are high, you are asked to reduce this matter in an efficient way to avoid being considered as a terrorist-friendly nation.
-When border control is very high or very low, you are asked to moderate it (in the first case, SU citizens should not have problems with going in your country, in the second case fellow countries don’t want your boundaries to mean illegal migration, drug dealing…).
-When investing in certain areas (steam cells, religious schools for example), SU asks to cut investment.
-One of your minister has said something very very much against the SU, you can keep him with a drop towards SU or fire him with patriotic (and unstability) consequences.
-Offer to have an international education programm with exchange of students at a certain cost but good population training.
-Linked to the last one, if set up, possibility to have event rising where a group of foreign student has made heavy damage, and choice of retaliation.
-Technology-sharing partnership.
-Embargo on food coming from your country because of serious disease.
It’s more or less ideas in the air, as I don’t know what can and can’t be done, but it might help a bit.
Good job, in all case!
Hi,
These are good ideas which I may consider implementing in a future version.
Thanks.
Question:
Why, exactly, do I start with no party members and no support? That seems a bit too cruel.
That’s not something dictated by me directly - it’s an assessment made by the game based on the starting conditions. I agree that the scenario is very difficult, although I have managed to successfully win the first election and get very high support playing it. Quite a lot of the (standard) scenarios actually start with very low party membership and support - this is part of the challenge in the game. I found it quite difficult to get the mission balanced so that it was difficult without being impossible, and like I say, it is hard. If you have any suggestions for how you think the mission should be tweaked to make it less difficult then please make them here and I will consider making an “easier” version of Scotrasia.
On the bright side, State Union membership is a lot more beneficial when you are doing badly compared to when you are doing well. There are various grants and assistences you can get, whereas once you are doing well, SU membership sometimes seems to be nothing but trouble. Perhaps that’s just my own political views coming through, although the main reason I did this is obviously to counter the effect of the gfame getting easier as it progresses.
Love this mod - thanks for adding - also love your auto install features!!!
A few additional mod ideas:
Rental tax (charges people renting a tax - this is the case in crazy Arizona - they actually do this!)
Utility tax
Educational Leaning (teaching children more conservative or liberal values - sex ed, gay rights, drugs)
Capital Gains Tax (stocks and home sales)
National Security Tax
Health Care Tax (specific tax to pay for health care/helps people keep cost down??, determine if country wants national health care??)
National Volunteer Program (helps pay off student loans / like national service but for domestic problems)
Car mileage requirementsHave lots more but not sure you are interested in doing them,…
Let me know
Thanks