I have played only 3 games so far (always USA), each time I have focused on technology (not sure if related).
But the world economy always seems to bust. The world economy just nose dives. In my 6 years in office (then i was killed) the world economy dropped to about 1/3 of the original. Is this related to something I did? did I become too tech savvy? or is it based on bad tax policy (i did raise taxes)?
I am just wondering if there is anything I can do to affect the world economy or is it more or less just random?
The world economy is utterly beyond your control. It runs on an 8 year cycle, interrupted by market meltdowns and the occasional surge.
Taxes can’t affect the world economy, but they can hit your GDP. From the top of my head: Corporation, Capital Gains, Carbon, Airline and Petrol tax can all impact GDP, so keep an eye on those. Also on secondary effects like Corporate Exodus or Brain Drain.
If you seem to be getting a load of market meltdowns, it’s a backhanded compliment. The game tracks a value called ‘winning’. While I can’t work out how this is calculated, a high winning value increases your chance to be slapped down with Bird Flu, Market Meltdowns etc. While this is obviously a gameplay decision to keep things challenging and interesting, it has also left me on my knees begging forgiveness from God on occasion.
Unless the game progresses towards a more international style of gameplay (simulating other countries as well) then there isn’t any reason to put the world economy under your influence.
I actually find it quite fun, even though it often frustrating, to have it outside your control. It means you have to take into account that even if you’re doing great you need to prepare for disaster. The only real tactic for dealing with it is to build up your economy to the point where everything is ticking over nicely, get rid of your debt and build up a budget surplus. That way when the economy nosedives you should be able to live off of the reserves until it picks up again.