AMPU: Best Playtest Moments

[vcczar]

If you are running a playtest or taking part in a playtest, then please post your best or interesting moments of your playtest here. I'll Tweet some of them out occasionally. 

 

[OrangeP47]

27 minutes ago, vcczar said:

If you are running a playtest or taking part in a playtest, then please post your best or interesting moments of your playtest here. I'll Tweet some of them out occasionally. 

 

Have you seen the clustertruck of the 1848 election we're in the process of doing yet?

[vcczar]

1 minute ago, OrangeP47 said:

Have you seen the clustertruck of the 1848 election we're in the process of doing yet?

No. What's going on?

[OrangeP47]

4 minutes ago, vcczar said:

No. What's going on?

This is the short version:  The final outcome was 146-141 for challenger Fillmore... except 5 states were repeatedly tied and thus eligible for SCOTUS challenge (though 1, RI, was not challenged as it went to the loser, any of the other 4 could have flipped the election).  On top of that, there were 6 faithless electors, making the actual final tally 140-141-2 (and several with 1).  The person with 2, and thus eligible for house contingency election if all challenged states stand, is Franklin Pierce, a democrat, who was voted for by Whig defecting electors.

Edited August 4, 2022 by OrangeP47

[OrangeP47]

I should clarify, for those that didn't catch it:  due to the faithless electors, nobody has 50%+1 of the EC, so if the states stand, it's going to the house.

[MrPotatoTed]

Biggest point of departure for my current single player playthrough:  Benjamin Franklin has repeatedly declined appointments to serve as the Continental Congress' Minister to France, preferring to stay as Governor of Pennsylvania.  This has led to France refusing to engage in an alliance with the US so far (1782, years behind when Franklin achieved the alliance), and thus we've been having to fight the Revolutionary War without French support.  It's currently very up in the air on whether the American nation will survive or not.

Thomas Jefferson and John Jay were both dispatched to France to try to win support, but both have failed thus far.

Meanwhile, out of desperation the Continental Congress authorized an invasion of Canada.  It was a very close, but the US was defeated and pushed back into their original borders.

Also, the Continental Army is led by Israel Putnam rather than George Washington, as Washington was serving as Continental Congress President when the Army was formed...though Putnam is likely on track to being fired after losing the Canadian invasion, so Washington may rise yet.

And Henry Middleton wrote the Declaration of Independence, as Thomas Jefferson had been forced to resign due to a scandal (perhaps a sleeping-with-slaves scandal?)  

Edited August 4, 2022 by MrPotatoTed

[vcczar]

Alright posted a small update on social media. Thanks!

[Willthescout7]

To add onto the fustercluck that is the 1848 election, President William Marcy lost his court challenges, so the results stand, sending the election to the House of Representatives. In order to win the election, a candidate needs to win 16 states. Whigs control 14, democrats 12, with 2 tied.

[MrPotatoTed]

Within a single two-year period, 1784-1786, the nation lost Benedict Arnold (fired from his Admiral position due to complaints from his underlings), Aaron Burr (forced to resign from public life due to scandal), Benjamin Franklin (retired due to poor health), AND General George Washington (killed in a battle during the endless American Revolution).  

The revolutionary war now moves into it's tenth year, with Washington dead and no French alliance in place.  (In real life, the war only lasted 7 years).  

[Rezi]

In the 1808 Presidential Election, President Daniel Hiester decides to honor the 1-term limits imposed by his administration and not run for reelection. Hiester left office with a struggling economy, active rebellions across the nation, and a military in shambles. This leads to the Federalists winning a near-unanimous victory in the Election of 1808, winning all but 3 electoral votes. Former Senator, Governor, and Secretary of State Samuel Osgood is elected President alongside John Marshall, beating out Incumbent Vice President James Madison and Aaron Burr.

Edited August 11, 2022 by Rezi

[vcczar]

11 hours ago, Rezi said:

In the 1808 Presidential Election, President Daniel Hiester decides to honor the 1-term limits imposed by his administration and not run for reelection. Hiester left office with a struggling economy, active rebellions across the nation, and a military in shambles. This leads to the Federalists winning a near-unanimous victory in the Election of 1808, winning all but 3 electoral votes. Former Senator, Governor, and Secretary of State Samuel Osgood is elected President alongside John Marshall, beating out Incumbent Vice President James Madison and Aaron Burr.

Can you write a Twitter-post-sized history of Hiester from this playtest? I think he'd be interesting to post about. 

[Rezi]

57 minutes ago, vcczar said:

Can you write a Twitter-post-sized history of Hiester from this playtest? I think he'd be interesting to post about. 

"Daniel Hiester went from real-life no-name to Renaissance Man He went to be Vice President under two Presidents, both of whom he and his faction worked to undermine. He finally achieved the Presidency and great reform, limiting the Presidency and expanding women's suffrage."

Best I can get with the Twitter post-size, though it omits many details.

[vcczar]

Anything newsworthy for Twitter from the playtests?

[ConservativeElector2]

Since William Paca (known for Pacagerrymandering) changed parties, MD elected it's first Federalist governor in 20 years - Charles Goldsborough.

[Willthescout7]

The 1840 playtest has elected the 4th John in a row as Speaker

[MrPotatoTed]

We’re heading into our constitutional convention, I’ll report any interesting outcomes.  Also going to try to write a brief recap of our independence era now that it’s ending.

 

too long for Twitter, but could be a FB post.

[MrPotatoTed]

With George Washington killed in battle during the Revolutionary War, he is obviously not available to serve as President of the Constitutional Convention as he did in real life.  Thus, the convention instead chooses an impressive young man, 29-year-old Alexander Hamilton, to preside over the proceedings.

Also, James Madison was not invited to the Convention, so the duties of writing the Constitution instead fall to Caleb Strong of Massachusetts.

[ConservativeElector2]

14 hours ago, MrPotatoTed said:

too long for Twitter, but could be a FB post.

That could also be split up as a thread on Twitter. If you put (1/8) or whatever at the end of your post, interested folks will read the comments, essentially being just follow up tweets.

[vcczar]

@Rezi When you get the chance could you give me the list of presidents for your playtest in order from earliest to latest? Obviously, not the presidents of the Continental Congress. 

[Willthescout7]

22 minutes ago, vcczar said:

@Rezi When you get the chance could you give me the list of presidents for your playtest in order from earliest to latest? Obviously, not the presidents of the Continental Congress. 

Benedict Arnold

Francis Henry Lee

Pierce Butler

Daniel Hiester

Samuel Osgood

[MrPotatoTed]

George Washington is killed during the American Revolutionary War.  We still ultimately achieve independence, though thanks more to political and economic pressures on England by the French and Dutch than by our military prowess.

With Washington dead, he is not available to serve as President of the Constitutional Convention.  The delegates instead choose 29-year-old Alexander Hamilton as President of the Convention, expecting it to be a mostly powerless position like President of the Continental Congress was.

However, Hamilton uses his position and skills at manipulation to make one major change to the US Constitution.  While the majority of states initially oppose granting the right to vote and hold office to non-white citizens, Hamilton swings a single Georgian delegate to vote in favor of the proposal -- which is enough to give the majority.

Thus, the 1788 US Constitution gives the right to vote and hold office to all male citizens regardless of race, in a major departure from our timeline.

(Notably: Slavery is still legal in 12 states, and women still have no rights.  The only other departure from our constitution is that those who are foreign born like Alexander Hamilton are NOT granted natural born status despite already living here when the country is founded.)

 

Edited August 15, 2022 by MrPotatoTed

[vcczar]

2 hours ago, MrPotatoTed said:

George Washington is killed during the American Revolutionary War.  We still ultimately achieve independence, though thanks more to political and economic pressures on England by the French and Dutch than by our military prowess.

With Washington dead, he is not available to serve as President of the Constitutional Convention.  The delegates instead choose 29-year-old Alexander Hamilton as President of the Convention, expecting it to be a mostly powerless position like President of the Continental Congress was.

However, Hamilton uses his position and skills at manipulation to make one major change to the US Constitution.  While the majority of states initially oppose granting the right to vote and hold office to non-white citizens, Hamilton swings a single Georgian delegate to vote in favor of the proposal -- which is enough to give the majority.

Thus, the 1788 US Constitution gives the right to vote and hold office to all male citizens regardless of race, in a major departure from our timeline.

(Notably: Slavery is still legal in 12 states, and women still have no rights.  The only other departure from our constitution is that those who are foreign born like Alexander Hamilton are NOT granted natural born status despite already living here when the country is founded.)

 

I think I’ll have CPU ratification rules that the CPU will likely vote against ahistorical changes to the historical constitution. Obviously not all of them. 

Deep South and Upper South will vote against non-white, non-male voting 75% of the time if the Gov is CPU for instance. Rather than region specific, might make that the case for any state where slavery is legal. Maybe 50% no for states with slavery that are in the north.

Women votes will be no 50% of the time by states with no state women’s suffrage. 

Etc. things like this. Just need more time to think them out. 

Basically, it will be easier to have a strange constitution the more human players are involved. 

[MrPotatoTed]

5 minutes ago, vcczar said:

I think I’ll have CPU ratification rules that the CPU will likely vote against ahistorical changes to the historical constitution. Obviously not all of them. 

Deep South and Upper South will vote against non-white, non-male voting 75% of the time if the Gov is CPU for instance. Rather than region specific, might make that the case for any state where slavery is legal. Maybe 50% no for states with slavery that are in the north.

Women votes will be no 50% of the time by states with no state women’s suffrage. 

Etc. things like this. Just need more time to think them out. 

Basically, it will be easier to have a strange constitution the more human players are involved. 

Might just add more ideology impacts to the proposals.  I noticed for example that while LW populists like race rights, progressives don’t care.  Similarly, increase the number of ideologies that are penalized where penalties feel appropriate.  Then governors vote along ideology lines.

 

in our game, while property owning racial minorities can vote, the issue of slavery wasn’t broached at all.  So could imagine that a compromise agreement for example.  And/or part of the 3/5 compromise.  Like it was all packaged together as a deal that folks felt was a reasonable compromise.

[MrPotatoTed]

With George Washington killed in the American Revolution and nobody rising to his stature in the public eye, a total of 8 candidates are nominated to become our first ever President of the United States:

John Adams, former Admiral Abraham Whipple, Charles Coatesworth Pinckney, Father of the Constitution Caleb Strong, John Hancock, Daniel Boone, Thomas Paine, and Georgia Governor Edward Telfair.

Whipple ends up winning 9/13 states and gets a clear majority of the votes, becoming our first ever President!  The rest of the votes are far more scattered, though John Hancock gets the slight lead over his competition and becomes Vice President.  

For those interested in the game mechanics of how to become President:

Step One:  The American Revolutionary War initially isn't going well.  The Senior Admiral is fired, and after his replacement is promoted into the Senior Admiral spot, Abraham Whipple is selected to fill the new Senior Admiral's now vacant lower admiral position.

Step Two:  In an act of desperation, Congress calls for an invasion of Canada, to try to bring England to the negotiating tables.  The tactic fails as British troops push Washington back out of Canada (and ultimately kill him on US soil)...but Admiral Abraham Whipple becomes the one bright star of the failed Canadian invasion.  Thanks to winning a major naval battle on the Canadian shoreline (and some lucky dice), Whipple loses "obscure" and gains "leadership" -- the two keys to becoming a long-term faction leader.

Step three:  The CPU-controlled player recognizes that Abraham Whipple could be on his way to becoming a star, and names Whipple faction leader in an attempt to gain skills in Command, Legislative, or Governing -- which would respectively give Whipple the ability to run for President, congressperson, or Governor one day.  Unfortunately, he only gains +1 Admin, making him qualified for nothing more than a cabinet post at best.

Step Four: The CPU-controlled player doesn't give up, and continues to focus on Whipple as his faction leader several years later.  This time, the gamble pays off, as Whipple gains "Command" and thus becomes eligible to run for the Presidency.

Step Five;  In a crowded open contest for the Presidency, Whipple's reputation as not just a war hero but also a moderate New Englander whose naval knowledge will help support maritime industries in our coastal nation earns him the job.  

Now the only question remains:  Is Whipple up for the tasks at hand?

[Lars]

Here's one for the "worst playtest moments":

 

In 1778, president of the second Continental Congress, Benjamin Franklin contracted a series of ailments and decided to retire. Who is capable of doing the work he did in real life?