The player's role in city simulation

[Caplabusername]

I would not like the player as mayor angle at all. Not at all. Not in the slightest. No. I dislike it. I do not want it.

It should be from the angle of a businessman.

I'd like to see things like lobbying (which was suggested) to deal with things like prohibition of alcohol, tobacco, video games. And maybe even things generally perceived as innocuous outside of fundamentalist communes like cosmetics, computers, and cell phones, depending on how radical the government becomes.

You'd be forced to be aware of the political climate where you're setting up shop. Philadelphia is on the verge of a communist revolution and nationalizing agriculture? Maybe I shouldn't dump millions of dollars in building my farms there.

I just bought all the grocery stores in Washington and only the ultra-rich can afford my $200 loaves of bread as millions starve in the streets? I might expect some government intervention.

[jmhemsley]

I love the lobbying idea, too. Perhaps an additional module in the Corporate HQ could be "Lobbyist" and if you have this module, you could participate in civic actions - and determine how much "effort" (cash) you want to cast toward the outcome.

I'd love it if there were more political differences between the cities. For example, perhaps a lobbying action might be proposed to nationalize a particular industry or less severely raise taxes on a particular good. Paying a lobbyist might increase your chances for having the proposition fail or go your way.