Fwurg

[Mercury]

Our game is now well under way, and I believe it is time to increase player influence on the game. However, at this time there are still a lot of things uncertain and unfinished. To name some, various relevant rules are as of yet unspecified (Jedi, storable money, fleets) or under review for change (terraformation, star costs, some specials). Additionally NPC worlds need some additional work.

As such, though I want to give more control over the game to the players, I do not believe that the game is ready for a fully player controlled government yet. Not only is the game not currently ready, but I do not have the data you need to run the government or base decisions upon. Rulership would be in name only as without information like a real budget, or real things to spend the budget on, it all becomes rather meaningless.

I will leave the elections open: you the players can decide who will be elected as the new chancellor and as a result the course of the Union. You can do so both with your own votes and by influencing NPC's. However, at this time, I have decided player worlds do not have the political and economic weight to win the elections and any candidates entered will not have a chance of winning. You may enter a candidate, but they cannot win. I notice this especially in advance.

I hope that everyone understands the game technical reasons for this limitation.

If the current level of progress in the game keeps up, however, I see no reason why the next election (around turn 40) should not be completely open and available to all comers, PC's included. By that time, the game should be in a state where a player government is not just a possibility but an interesting option.