Sim-President?

May 16, 2002 12:35 PM

Sim-President?
FutureFarmers have released another thought provoking Flash site that is designed to make you think. Thsi time you get to play at running the country after a terrorist attack (where did they get that idea). Manage the budget, fight for oil and don't piss off big business (or they will assassinate you). FutureFarmers have a long history of making Flash content with a political message. Their They Rule site recently won a Net Excellence award from ARS Electronica, and their Texas Draw site has been featured here.
posted by DragonBoy (12 comments total)

Well, that blows the pants off the war game I made for 9/11.
posted by jragon at 1:52 PM on May 16, 2002

STUPID SOLDIERS DOING WEED.. arrrgghh.. got me killed by the right..
posted by adnanbwp at 1:57 PM on May 16, 2002

damn... too much effort.
posted by howa2396 at 1:59 PM on May 16, 2002

The whole soldiers doped up thing I just didn't get at all. It's like the game has no real way to win. Which could be the point. But if they are going to get that ham-handed with their propoganda, why don't they just type up in a manifesto so I can more easily ignore it?
posted by Apoch at 2:04 PM on May 16, 2002

It's very high-minded to set for yourself the Victory Condition of Avoid War. The trouble is when the other player has different motivations.
posted by dhartung at 2:44 PM on May 16, 2002

Is it just me or does it not work? I'm on a Mac, most Flash sites work, but not this one.
posted by skylar at 3:44 PM on May 16, 2002

skylar...I'm on a peecee and it had some troubles.

It's very high-minded to set for yourself the Victory Condition of Avoid War. The trouble is when the other player has different motivations.

I played this damn thing for at least 45 minutes and I still lost. no matter if I was a hawk or a dove. If I played a hawk my armies just ended up high and dead, while as a dove the economy dried up and the people rose up in popular dissent and assasinated me.

An interesting game - the only winning move is not to play. - Joshua
posted by plemeljr at 4:33 PM on May 16, 2002

You need to promote a soldier to an officer, and have them motivate one of the soldiers doing weed.
posted by willnot at 5:04 PM on May 16, 2002

Then the soldiers doing weed just frag their own officers. Way cheesy game. The GUI is cute but the functionality is weak. I had to put too much into business to keep from getting assassinated. The game just mirrors my own assumptions that others have mentioned in here. There is no way to win this if you treat it like a game.
posted by ZachsMind at 5:21 PM on May 16, 2002

Indymedia tripe. They did their research by watching one too many Oliver Stone movies.
posted by dhartung at 6:57 PM on May 16, 2002

I got all the way to nuclear war. I win!
posted by raaka at 7:52 PM on May 16, 2002

Tripe, but still better than anything Michael Moore could come up with.

I did like their conspiratorial "They Rule" thing. Of course I also make sure that I unplug my TV and turn it towards a wall when I'm done watching it so "They" can't spy on me.
posted by AFrayedKnot at 10:39 PM on May 16, 2002