v1.12 Update: Adds J.D. Vance, Recent Real-World Issues, More Customization

from PolMach Forums

v1.12 Update: Adds J.D. Vance, real-world issues, new custom candidate body parts, and improved gameplay experiences

The Political Machine 2024 continues to evolve with this update, bringing several new updates that include the addition of J. D. Vance as Donald Trump’s running mate, the introduction of timely real-world issues such as Trump’s Assassination Attempt, and expanded customization options for creating unique candidates. This update also includes various gameplay improvements to ensure a smoother and more engaging political simulation experience.

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New Candidate: J. D. Vance Joins the Race
In a move that mirrors recent real-world political developments, J. D. Vance, Donald Trump’s newly nominated running mate, has been added to the game. This addition allows players to explore new strategies and dynamics as they navigate the complex world of American politics.

Addressing Real-World Issues
One of the standout features of this update is the inclusion of new issues that reflect current events and debates. Players can now tackle topics such as Trump’s Assassination Attempt, Biden’s Debate Performance, Addressing Political Extremism, Israel-Palestine Peace, and the Foreign Social Media Ban. These additions ensure that The Political Machine 2024 remains relevant and thought-provoking, offering players a chance to engage with the pressing issues of our time.

New Body Parts for Custom Candidate Creation
For those who love to personalize their candidates, the update brings a variety of new custom candidate body parts. From bowties and various head shapes to an array of noses, hairstyles, and facial expressions, the customization options are more extensive than ever. Whether you want your candidate to sport a scholarly combed side hairdo or a distinctive egg-shaped head, the possibilities are now broader.

Enhanced Gameplay Experience
The update isn't just about new faces. A series of bug fixes and improvements have been implemented to ensure a smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience. AI adjustments, AI vs AI speedup, balance changes, and quality of life enhancements are all part of this update, making your political campaigns more engaging and realistic.



The Political Machine 2024 v1.12 update is a testament to the game's commitment to staying current and engaging. With the addition of J. D. Vance, timely new issues, and a host of gameplay improvements, players can look forward to an enriched political simulation experience. As real-world events continue to unfold, The Political Machine 2024 remains a compelling platform for exploring the intricacies of American politics.


Core 

  • Added J.D. Vance 

  • Adjusted screens and descriptions and added new issues and based on current events 

  • Minor Balance Changes 

  • Added brand new parts into custom candidate creator 

  • Bug fixes and Quality of Life improvements 

Candidates 

  • NEW – Added J.D. Vance  

    • Donald Trump’s recently nominated running mate has joined The Political Machine! 

Screen Updates 

To reflect Joe Biden officially ending his re-election campaign and endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination, parts of the game have been updated. 

  • Updated title screen to reflect Kamala Harris as the current front runner most likely to take the Democratic nomination. 

  • Updated Joe Biden’s candidate descriptions to indicate the recent drop-out in the race and endorsement for Harris. 

Added New Issues 

Events toward the path to the Presidential Election have happened in last couple months alone that have already influenced viewpoints and discussions. 

  • Pennsylvania 

    • Added “Trump’s Assassination Attempt” in the top 15 issues in the state 

    • Added “Addressing Political Extremism” in the top 15 issues in the state 

  • Georgia 

    • Added “Biden’s Debate Performance” in the top 15 issues in the state 

  • New York 

    • Added “Israel-Palestine Peace” in the top 15 issues in the state 

  • California 

    • Added “Israel-Palestine Peace” in the top 15 issues in the state 

    • Added “Foreign Social Media Ban” in the top 15 issues in the state 

  • Nevada 

    • Added “Foreign Social Media Ban” in the top 15 issues in the state 

Balance Changes 

Even with the War Room limits, Political Capital gain Cards outweighed the use of the HQ branch that generates Political Capital. 

  • War Room 

    • War Room cannot be used at max card hand size 

  • Cards 

    • Lobbyist 

      • Decreased Political Capital gain from 1 to 0.5 per turn 

    • Lobbying Team 

      • Decreased Political Capital gain from 2 to 1 per turn 

    • Analyst 

      • Changed functionality to only activate Discard and Draw effects when the Owner lands in the state the effect is in 

    • Expert Rebuke 

      • Fixed bug where the played-on opponent’s Political Capital reverts to 0 when the opponent has less than 0 Political Capital 

  • Adjusted Ronald Reagan’s stances to be a more competitive candidate 

New Custom Candidate Creator parts 

  • Body 

    • Bowtie, Supreme 

  • Heads 

    • Bell, Big Cheek, Civil, Egg-shaped, Whacky 

  • Ears 

    • Ample 

  • Eyebrows 

    • Exquisite, Bean, Concentrated 

  • Nose 

    • Addressed, Nostriled, Arrowed, Trident 

  • Hair 

    • Combed Side, Scholarly, Honest, Greek, Long 

  • Facial Hair 

    • Lion 

  • Eyes 

    • Crazy, Wide Open, Old, Exhausted, Looking, Insightful 

  • Mouth 

    • Neutral, Open Tongue, Open Smile, Slight Smile, Thick Lipstick, Smirking 

Gameplay adjustments and Quality of Life improvements 

  • Added AI vs AI speed mode functionality 

  • Added ability to delete HQs 

  • Added a map music shuffle every 8 turns 

  • Updated Population numbers in every state using 2020 Census data 

  • Lessened difficulty levels on Tough, Painful, and Masochistic

 

 

political machine news
15,725 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from PolMach Forums Top

Updated thoughts. 

Hello.

Here are my thoughts on more improvements for Political Machine 2024.

You need to overhaul the candidate attributes.

Please restore old attributes like credibility, integrity, fundraising prowess, comeliness, minority appeal and religious appeal to add more flavour to the game.

Also, you need to reexamine the intelligence of some of the candidates. Here are my comments on Steam:

 

You underestimate the intelligence of several candidates. Clinton was one of the smartest Presidents ever, both academically and politically. He is an alumnus of Georgetown, Oxford, and Yale Law School. Even his opponents recognise him as the defining political genius of his generation. You have him at “sharp”.

 

 

 

Pete Buttigieg is even smarter. Almost impossibly smart. Knows eight languages. Triple major in English Literature, History and Theology from Harvard and Philosophy, Politics, Economics degree from Oxford, plus served as a Naval Intelligence officer. You have him at “average”.

 

Jimmy Carter graduated as a nuclear submarine engineer from the US Naval Academy. He could run a nuclear submarine. What more do you want? You have him at “sharp”.

Years ago, you listed AOC as “dim”. She is not a bimbo. She won a prize at an Intel National Science Fair as a teenager and graduated with honours from Boston University. She is very articulate and savvy.

That's just the Democrats you've undercounted.

You have Dwight David Eisenhower at 'basic' intelligence. Eisenhower? The Supreme Allied Commander who organised and planned Operation Overlord, known as D-Day? Who had to manage personalities like Winston Churchill and Montgomery? Who led a capable Administration with multiple domestic accomplishments like infrastructure, NASA and the National Defense Education Act?

 

Richard Milhous Nixon, whom I think was a terrible President, was a genius. JFK respected him for his intellect. Kissinger worked very well with him. They were both brilliant minds.

 

While George W Bush did strike many as a lightweight, he was more than ‘Basic’. And his father was more than average. Bush Senior was very competent.

 

Ted Cruz should also be classified as exceptional. He was a Princeton debate champion. And I loathe Ted Cruz.

 

 

That being said, you need to look at the media bias. The media liked Bill Clinton. And the media was rooting for John Kerry and respects him. And you need to look at charisma. Gore was reserved during the campaign.

 

Please reexamine the game play changes. The new changes are too restrictive. We should be able to hire more than one operative per turn, and should be able to raise a little more money. Maybe you can adjust the headquarters to give candidates more flexibility in War Room hiring and fundraising.

 

We need more endorsements. National Association for the Advancement of  Coloured People, Evertyown for Gun Safety, the National Rifle Association, and the Federalist Society should all be included alongside other organisations. We could also do with newspaper and magazine endorsements, and interviews and press conferences.

 

 

Also, we need more issues included in the game, like the child tax credit, cancellation of medical debt, funding science, Taiwan, Project 2025, prosecuting January 6th rioters, etc.  

Note: Eisenhower was born in Texas, but his true home state was Kansas, where his Presidential Library is based. He ran for President from New York, where he was Columbia's President, and Pennsylvania.  His ancestors were Pennsylvania Germans.

Reply #2 from PolMach Forums Top

Hello! I appreciate you taking the time to share this feedback, with the more recent updates was there anything else you think could help improve the game?

Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Here is my absolute favorite political scenario right now in a what if situation.

In this scenario Donald Trump figures out how to give presidents 3 terms only to have Barrack Obama also take advantage of this. This situation creates a head to head battle between Trump vs Obama. That would be a really fun match up.

Reply #4 from PolMach Forums Top

Hello! So to be clear, you'd like to see more scenario style content? I'd definitely be interested in seeing others thoughts as well