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| 1 | Concepts | | | | Overview | | | | | | | | | | | During your stay in Government your cabinet will prove to be invaluable to you. However, as you become more familiar with the elements covered by each department you may wish to take a more hands-on approach to governing. To be able to do this effectively there are some key concepts that need to be understood. These concepts cover various areas and will take us through every department. Some will be unique to one area, such as research where others like the Approval Model will have effects on nearly every department. Click next to Continue. | | | | y | | |
| 2 | Concepts | | | | Overview | 8 | | | | | | STATS | | | | As we discuss these concepts, you may find some that seem more important than others. This may help you decide which areas you wish to learn more about. These concepts are important for the effects they have on our region. (Regional data on our current condition can be found in the News and Information department by selecting Regional Status.) | | | | y | | |
| 3 | Concepts | | | | Country Information | 0 | STATS | | | | | | TCAPR | | | While there are a large number of statistics available on our region, the Domestic and Military Approval ratings are certainly two of the more crucial. Low values, seen here, will make our efforts to run the region less effective. A low Military Approval will impact our ability to defend ourselves and falling Domestic Approval could lead to civil unrest. Since our form of government is a Democracy, we are dependent on maintaining a good Domestic Approval rating to stay in power. (For Military Dictatorships and Communist Regimes, the Military Approval Rating is more key to their maintaining hold on power.) The concept of Approval ratings is also important to gauge the effect of changes you make. After making any change, does your approval rating climb or fall? | | | | n | | |
| 4 | Concepts | | | | Economic Strength | | | | | | | | REGGDP | | | Another concept that is important for understanding a region's standings is the GDP/c. This value is an approximation of the annual income of each of our population so can be used as an indicator of our general economic strength. The GDP/c is affected by many factors most of which are shown in the Treasury department. | | | | y | | |
| 5 | Concepts | | | | GDP/c versus Inflation | 5 | | | | | | GDP | | | | Our population pays taxes in relation to their earnings making the GDP/c very relevant to your region's income (the higher your GDP/c the generally higher your tax revenues will be). However, a steadily increasing GDP/c can also have a negative impact on your economy. Although causing your GDP/c to rise improves your revenues, it also applies inflationary pressure to your economy - causing a higher demand for goods, forcing up the price of labor, leading to higher costs for producing goods, and if unchecked, ultimately making you unable to compete in international markets. Similarly building too many new industries also will have this same effect. Finding the correct balance for your economy continues to be a challenge to economists worldwide... (Details on the industries on which our economy is built can be found in the Commerce Department.) | | | | y | | |
| 6 | Concepts | | | | Commerce | 6 | | | | | | TRADE | | | | An important factor in keeping your citizens content will be addressing their material needs. Obviously Agriculture and Water are crucial to your population's survival, but Consumer Goods (TV's, Computers, Cars etc), Electricity, Petroleum and even Timber, are also important to your population's happiness. Product Shortages, especially if they become 'Critical' will have a direct impact on your approval ratings. Note: Products are shown graphically here with a Blue Bar for production capacity and a Red Bar for demand on the industry. The Green Bar represents our current stock against one year of demand. We can see what financial impact our industries are having by selecting the Trade Reports. | | | | y | | |
| 7 | Concepts | | | | Trade | 0 | TRADE | | | | | | | | | While selling goods is an excellent means of generating additional income it is also important to remember that buying goods on the International Market can be a huge financial drain on your economy. Furthermore, since certain products require other commodities as raw materials (ex. Consumer Goods production requires Petroleum, Industrial Goods, Ore, Coal and Electricity), shortages in one product can often cause shortages in other industries leading to an increase in overall import requirements. Finding opportunities for cheap goods or trade treaties can provide a major boost to the economy. (Treaties can be set up through diplomacy with other regions.) | | | | y | | |
| 8 | Concepts | | | | Diplomacy | 4 | | | | | | | | | | Diplomacy is less a concept that can be explained than something that is learned over time. Since we are not alone in this world, we have the opportunity to make both friends and enemies. It would be wise to get to know our neighbors to find out which they will be. Diplomatic exchanges with other regions can involve Treaties, Money, Commodities, Units, Technologies and even Land. With all of these elements involved, a successful diplomat can greatly improve a region's potential. We will also need to be aware of our relations with the World Market since some of our production needs and any 'Aid' may only be available from them. | | | | y | | |
| 9 | Concepts | | | | Social Services and Technology | 7 | | | | | | SOCSERV | | | | As well as developing technologies, the Interior Department also gives us control of social services and migration. These items have direct bearing on your Domestic Approval and on the internal conditions of your region including your infrastructure. However Social Programs and Research can also be a very large drain on the economy so minimizing some of this spending can be very useful in controlling expenses - but be careful that such spending cuts don't come at the cost of your Domestic Approval. Funding levels for the various programs can be controlled from the Social Spending section. | | | | y | | |
| 10 | Concepts | | | | Social Responsibilities | 0 | SOCSERV | | | | | | LOCK | | | Each service can have its spending adjusted independently by selecting it and adjusting its level in the next section. The current quality of the service is shown graphically as a green bar to the right of each service's button. Services such as Healthcare will have a greater effect on the Approval Model than others such as Culture or Environment. Infrastructure in particular is important for it's affect on the Supply Model which we will be detailing shortly. It is suggested that if you want specific settings to be kept in these sections, that the section in question be locked from minister control (by selecting the lock highlighted below). | | | | n | | |
| 11 | | | | | Minister Locks | 0 | | LOCK | | | | | LOCK | | | Locks are found in areas where a minister would normally make changes without a direct order. Locking a section prevents a minister from making changes anywhere that a lock has been set. This allows you to leave some decisions to your minister while you control others. | | | | | | |
| 12 | Concepts | | | | Research | 0 | SOCSERV | | | | | RDBUT | | | | Advancing our technologies is often an excellent means to impress neighboring regions. Certain research developments will also affect your Domestic Approval (such as breakthroughs in Medical Research). Others can be more controversial (like Stem Cell research) and actually have an negative affect on your Approval. The World Market may even take notice of certain technological breakthroughs, particularly research in Weapons of Mass Destruction. Technologies are available for research if they are equal to or less than our current technology level as shown in the first panel. Progress towards our next level is also shown here. All of the Research options are found in the Research and Development section. | | | | n | | |
| 13 | Concepts | | | | Defense Department | 3 | | | | | | | | | | If we are successful in creating a growing and powerful region, we will certainly need to take steps to protect it. Our military will obviously be key to this goal. From the Defense and Operations Departments many aspects of your military can be controlled and planned. Becoming familiar with the exact details and capabilities of your units will definitely help you correctly plan the best military tactics to employ. | | | | y | | |
| 14 | Concepts | | | | Armed Forces | 0 | | | | | | EQUIPBUT | | | | Ground forces will tend to be the greatest in number since they are faster and less costly to produce than either air or naval units. However, building a strong Air Force or Navy can be well worth the expense and at times an absolute necessity. Missiles will also enhance our combat ability. While most units don't require or are even capable of firing missiles, the range and attack capabilities of guided cruise, anti-ship, anti-tank and other missiles allow you a much longer reach at relatively low cost. You can see the quantity of units and missiles you have at your disposal by selecting Units Details. | | | | y | | |
| 15 | Concepts | | | | Regional Defense | 0 | EQUIPBUT | | | | | | AUTOSELECT | | | While knowing your military can be helpful, it is by no means a requirement. Among the many things your minister can do for you is the handling of military production. If you are less familiar with which units you might be needing, it may be beneficial to allow your minister to initially control Unit Building and simply set your preferences in the Autobuild Options section. | | | | y | | |
| 16 | Concepts | | | | Military Production | 0 | | AUTOSELECT | | | | | | | | From these screens you can clearly indicate to your minister the style of army you desire and they will work to meet your wishes. You can indicate if you are more interested in Offensive or Defensive equipment and whether you are willing to sacrifice some Quality to ensure that units are produced Quicker or you can set the balance somewhere in the middle in order to have a more well-rounded force. Missile production can also be controlled here by indicating the units (or missile platforms) you wish to fire from and the type of targets you intend to attack. | | | | n | | |
| 17 | Concepts | | | | Military Staff | 0 | | AUTOSELECT | | | | | RECRUITBUT | | | One area that cannot be controlled but only be affected by you or your minister is Military Staffing. Personnel are needed for both military bases and units. Conscription can be used to increase staffing and increasing military salaries will also increase the number of volunteers you are able to attract. Staffing, however will only grow over time and cannot be accelerated beyond these factors. Keeping an eye on your remaining reserves can help foresee staffing shortages before numbers become a critical issue. | | | | n | | |
| 18 | Concepts | | | | Military Spending | 0 | EQUIPBUT | | | | | SPENDBUT | | | | Military spending on salaries and maintenance also has the added bonus of increasing the efficiency of the forces you have deployed. This effect can allow smaller forces to defeat larger, less efficient armies. The cost of achieving such an advantage can be astronomical and grows exponentially from the Recommended Spending level. | | | | n | | |
| 19 | Concepts | | | | Military Efficiency | 0 | | | | | | | | | | Efficiency also changes over time according to all its relevant factors (Defcon, Military Spending, Experience, Training Assignments, etc.). This means that if you increase spending just before an attack, you may not see the added bonus soon enough to have the effect you are looking for. | | | | y | | |
| 20 | Concepts | | | | Defense Conditions | 2 | | | | | | DEFCONBUT | | | | As was mentioned previously, the efficiency is also affected by your Defense Condition Alert Level known as Defcon. Diplomatic conditions can impose Defcon restrictions but other regions may decide to move their Defcon in anticipation of a future need for increased efficiency. Higher Defcon may also decrease production times but as with Military Spending it can be a huge drain on your economy. Defcon benefits also take effect gradually so if you observe another region at Defcon 2 (High), it can generally be assumed that they are preparing for combat, either on the offense or the defense. | | | | n | | |
| 21 | Concepts | | | | Military Initiative | 0 | | | | | | OFFSLDR | | | | Another important concept found in the Strategic Operations Department is the control level of Military Initiative. This determines the level of self direction that units have. With Initiative set high, your Minister of Operations, the Chief of Staff, will issue orders in both offensive and defensive actions according to priorities you indicate and your set Rules of Engagement. Units that do not have standing orders from you such as 'entrench' or 'escort' will be issued orders to reposition, attack or defend according to your minister's discretion. Units will also have a tendency to retreat quicker and go to the nearest base for reinforcements when Initiative is set to High. | | | | n | | |
| 22 | Concepts | | | | E-mail | -1 | | | | | | | | | EMAILBUT | While we have quickly looked at Concepts that are found in various Cabinet Ministries, learning them all at once is by no means necessary. Not only will your cabinet ministers run their own departments according to your priorities without needing supervision, but they will also inform you of problems and ask direct questions via e-mail. | | | | y | Cabinet? | |
| 23 | Concepts | | | | E-mail | 0 | | | | ALLBUT | | | | | OPENBUT | Certain EMails will be received as weekly or monthly reports, while others will only occur when there are problems. As in many EMail programs, the messages are stored in the inbox and the preview pane allows you to read the message without opening it. It can be opened by double clicking it's subject line in the in-box or by selecting Open Selected EMail, as highlighted below. | | | | y | Cabinet? | |
| 24 | Concepts | -1 | 0 | 154 | E-mail | 0 | | | | OPENBUT | | | | | | EMails from ministers will have one or more choices along the bottom of the message. These will allow you to send a response to the message indicating what action you would like the minister to take. It can be anything from a simple acknowledgement of the information provided, to an order to entirely re-work your economic policy. | | | | y | Cabinet? | |
| 25 | Concepts | | | | E-mail | 0 | | | | CLOSE | | | | | LABELBUT | You can control the types of EMails you receive in mail options by selecting 'Options' highlighted below, as highlighted below. Similarly if you choose not to continue receiving EMails on a certain topic, that option is provided at the bottom of every incoming message. | | | | n | Cabinet? | |
| 26 | Defense Dept | -1 | 0 | 154 | No wait | 14 | | | | | | | | | | No Wait | y | | | | | |
| 27 | Concepts | -1 | 0 | 154 | Main Map | 0 | | | | | | | | | | While you will spend much of your time as leader working within your government departments, the main map is equally important. It provides us with direct access to our Military Units, Industries and Military Facilities. By using the Ctrl-Right click shortcut on any map location, we can see information and controls for all map elements found there. The same can be done by selecting the location, then opening the Terrain Information panel. | | 156 | 17 | | | |
| 28 | Concepts | -1 | 0 | 154 | Main Map | 1 | | | | | | | | | | From here we have access either to what the selected facility is producing, what units we may want to deploy from reserves, or other such controls. Note that the contents of this panel will change according to what type of facility is found in the selected location. Military facilities such as these are quite important since they produce units and also help provide supply to the area. | | | | | | |
| 29 | Concepts | -1 | 0 | 154 | Supply lines | 0 | | | | | | TERRAINBUT | | | | The Supply Model is yet another important concept to understand. Supply is generated by large cities and most military facilities. As you get further from your supply sources, the supply to a location gets weaker. Other factors that affect the Supply of a given location are the actual terrain, whether there is a major road or rail system close by, and your 'Infrastructure' rating. (If you don't invest in Infrastructure, supply will not carry far from the source). 'Supply' affects the rate of reload of both ammunition and fuel for your armed forces and can also impact how much production an industrial facility can output. Industries that are in low supply areas will suffer an output reduction as compared to industries in heavily supplied areas. When on the offensive with your army, be very careful as you advance into enemy territory... Make sure to send additional supplies along with your units (supply trucks / helicopters) or stop frequently to give the supply system time to catch up. If you run out of fuel or ammunition in an unsupplied location, you will be at the mercy of enemy troops. Note: Supply Levels can be seen in one of two ways on the map, both of which are found in View Terrain Information highlighted below. | | | | | | |
| 30 | Concepts | -1 | 0 | 154 | Supply lines | 0 | TERRAINBUT | | | | | | CFORTSLDR | | | Supply is shown graphically here as a percentage. The supply level of this area is lower due to it's distance from any strong originating source (City or Base) of supply. We are also receiving supply to this area from our ally, Central Texas, who's territory we can see. Diplomatic Treaties are available to allow both neutral and allied regions to provide supply into your territory. Since a neighbor's Supply Source may be closer to parts of your region than your own sources, such a treaty can actually provide benefits to your own industrial production and unit mobility. | | 125 | 11 | | | |
| 31 | Concepts | -1 | 0 | 154 | Supply lines | 0 | | | | | | | FILTER | | | The other option for seeing supply strength is the Supply Filter. It is one of many map filters available here or by right clicking our satellite image found in top right corner. This provides an excellent overview of the Supply Situation all across your region. | | | | | | |
| 32 | Concepts | -1 | 0 | 154 | Loyalty | 0 | | | | | | | CLOYALTY | | | The last concept we'll touch upon at this time is the 'Loyalty' factor. As with Supply, we can also adjust the Map Filter to show the loyalty of your region. Every location will have a loyalty rating. Your people will remain loyal for obvious reasons - keep them satisfied, they will remain happy. Loyalty troubles will generally follow drops in approval ratings but other factors such as a more prosperous neighbor or isolated territories may affect it as well. | | | |
| 33 | Concepts | -1 | 0 | 154 | Land Ownership | 0 | | | | | | | | | | If we do engage in military actions, we should be aware of the loyalty of any territory we may gain. If territory is loyal to another player and unguarded, it may revert back to the preferred allegiance. The same can happen if territory goes unsupplied and unguarded next to an enemy. If we cannot supply an area and an enemy can, they will immediately begin laying claim to it. Other than capture by a military unit or through diplomatic trades, these are the only other ways that territory can change hands. | | 125 | 17 |
| 34 | Concepts | | | | Overview | -1 | | | | | | | | | | The concepts we have covered here have taken us to nearly all corners of the governmental interface. Depending on the style of your leadership and what decisions you wish to make for yourself, some of these concepts may seem more important while the rest can be left in the control of your ministers. It is certainly in your best interest to concentrate on the features and opportunities that are likely to gain you an edge over your neighbors. Additional tutorials are available for each individual ministry and will provide much more detail on the concepts we have outlined here. | | | |
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