Ars Regendi

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Ars Regendi (lat. „The art of reigning“) is a political browser-based game and economic simulation. It was started officially by the company Redmaze from Düsseldorf (Germany) after 2 ½ years of developing and a four months test run. The game is for free for the players, but one can acquire additional entitlements. It can be played in German and English.

Content
After registration, the player can create a state. Currently as template available states with reality-oriented original data are Germany in 1992 and the USA in 1989. The player has to rate several quotations and their significance to find out to what extent his or her assumed government participation could have influence during the first four years. The players ratings are put into a matrix, analysed and evaluated. The analysis is partly in written text, diagrammed or in detailled numeric values. All the important data of a state - ranging from demographics over budget to economy - is considered for the analysis.

In the further course of the game, the player is confronted with a new task every day (equivalent to a quarter in playing time), which has to be sorted depending on urgency. The player can choose some of the available options. It is a matter of social, political or economic problems of every shade. Fictional people bring forward different replies that mirror different attitudes concerning the issue. The regent can decide for one of these opinions, initiate a referendum or sit the whole problem out if none of the answers seems appropriate. The latter is without negative consequences. It is important to consider the urgency of the tasks since the virtual population can become very unhappy and dissatisfied if some of the tasks with high urgency are not dealt with. They can for example carry out a putsch or an assassination which ends the regency over the state.

Moreover, the player can undertake radical reforms as for example Basic Income or Anarcho-Capitalism, if his or her influence allows it. The influence is subject to values like popularity or power. During the winter months, the regent does not receive new task options but can access the budget directly and - also depending on his influence - change taxes and public spending. All the changes are implemented at the beginning of the next quarter.

Objectives
The player has the ostensible aim to remain in power as long as possible or to maximize the happiness of the population. He can try to implement his own political ideas of a society into a virtual reality. The operators states as another aim to relate people more with the topics politics and economy, to promote a discourse and to create a stimulus to deal with important key figures. Freedom of ideology and independence are emphasized.

Costs
The basic version of the game is completely for free. One can, however, acquire premium account by either paying for it or by promotion. Only by paying or by great merits for the game an account can be upgraded to VIP status. This makes a forecast possible.
 
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