The New Campaign Trail

[Alben Barkley]

Oh how the turntables.

How?

Spacebar cheat lol. Earlier in this thread someone explained how to do it.

[Alben Barkley]

There is now a campaign available for every single election from 1960 through 2020 by the way. (Although 1972, 1992, and 2008 currently only have the Democratic candidate playable.) Pretty impressive work in a pretty short span of time. I was very pleasantly surprised to see this was a thing as I thought I was one of the few people on Earth who was a fan of the original game, and had lost hope it would ever be expanded to its full potential. But turns out a whole community of people who know how to code had the same niche interest, which is pretty awesome.

Many of the early 20th century elections (including basically all the ones that were remotely competitive and/or interesting, except 1912) are also there. And even several 19th century elections are there plus 1796. Right now almost all that’s missing which I’d really like to see are the Andrew Jackson elections, 1864, and the Reconstruction elections (especially 1876). Plus 1912, which is maybe at the top of my wishlist now. That and 1824 could be especially interesting due to the fact that they had more than two strong candidates, but that might make it more difficult to mod. 1800 could also be interesting but maybe even more difficult to simulate.

Since they’re expanding to things like GA-GOV, more close statewide elections like KY-GOV 2019 and FL-SEN and TX-SEN 2018 would also be cool. Some historical nailbiters like KY-SEN 1984 would also be cool.

[Alben Barkley]

Is there any way to save you results on the new game, like you could on the old?

Sadly you can’t bookmark it the same way. I just take screenshots.

[Alben Barkley]

My goal in life now is to deadlock the Electoral College as Perot, but Clinton just seems too popular, even when I focus on attacking him and he tries to play Giant Steps on Arsenio Hall. The best I've been able to do is Maine, Montana and Nevada.

I won outright as Perot on Cakewalk and came within a few hundred votes in Ohio of deadlocking it on Normal.

[Alben Barkley]

Finally won on Normal as Bush in 1992. Here is the map:



With just 39.8% of the popular vote, I think that would be the lowest share of the popular vote for an elected president since like 1824. Although I still won it, exactly 1 point ahead of Clinton.

[Alben Barkley]

Alt history 2020 mod, Normal difficulty:

[Alben Barkley]

My best showing yet as Clinton 1992 on Normal (with Graham as running mate this time):



I came within a point of winning MS and OK as well, and just about a point of winning AK.

[Alben Barkley]

Won 1912 as Roosevelt/La Follette on Normal. All came down to New York, which I won by half a point. Arizona was an even closer win.

[Alben Barkley]

Kickass realistic Gore/Graham map on Normal:

[Alben Barkley]

Fairly realistic Clinton/Kaine 2008 map vs. Giuliani IMO (Normal difficulty):



Wish I'd campaigned more in North Carolina though; it was extremely close and I probably could have won it if I spammed most of my visits there. Spent more time trying to lock down places like the Virginias which didn't end up all that close anyway.

[Alben Barkley]

Wtf is this new meme scenario with Adele running against Jimmy Carter?

I think it's a joke. There's no way the maps are realistic.

As someone who views the subreddit of the game quite frequently, they can get quite meme-ish in there sometimes and this meme culture often finds it's way into mods. For example, in a 1996 mod version that makes the game more competitive Bill Clinton gets impeached for having sexual relations with a soccer ball. It's best not to question or try to take these kinds of mods seriously.

Also some of the mods are aesthetically bad or feel incomplete. Do any that you know of feel exactly like the base game?

I think 1996 is rigged in Dole's favor. I've never managed to get Clinton to win and it seems like Dole always wins in a 400+ landslide no matter what mod I'm in.

Is this a joke? I’ve easily won over 500 EVs as Clinton repeatedly on easier difficulties, and well over 400 on Normal.

[Alben Barkley]

Best I've gotten with Biden in the new 2020 scenario on Normal is 412. Not QUITE 413, because it seems impossible to campaign specifically in ME-02. But I did manage to snag OH and IA.

The mod also seems to suggest (perhaps correctly?) that Demings was Biden's best running mate.

[Alben Barkley]

I also just played again as Trump. Literally all I did was choose what I thought were the least r-tarded answers for every question and was able to win both bigger than he did in 2016 and outright win the popular vote.

Almost like Trump is the biggest r-tard to ever hold the office of the presidency and could easily have won again if not for that or something.

[Alben Barkley]

God I love this game.



Donald Trump (D-NY)/Barack Obama (D-IL): 52.7%

John McCain (R-AZ)/Tom Ridge (R-PA): 45.7%

[Alben Barkley]

1952 I got Eisenhower below 270 by picking Humphrey as my vp. the end screen had this link which I think is a George Wallace vp? https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YHHnFY5aogEoXQj1IauTyrGvgApj6aStnly64t9AMMQ/edit

It's possible to win outright with Humphrey and Harriman at least.

For Humphrey, the strategy is winning California and Kentucky in addition to all the competitive Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic states. There is zero margin for error.

You have a little more margin for error with Harriman, as you will still win the South but have a harder time winning as many Northern states. Efforts should largely be concentrated on New York and the Mid-Atlantic.

[Alben Barkley]

God I love this game.



Donald Trump (D-NY)/Barack Obama (D-IL): 52.7%

John McCain (R-AZ)/Tom Ridge (R-PA): 45.7%

I just had exactly the same result. I don't know who scripted this scenario but It's hilarious.

"My good friend Kanye was right folks, he was! He said that George Bush doesn’t care about black people, it’s true, he doesn’t care about you! He left you to die like dogs in New Orleans, which was once a great city, but has been filled with so many beautiful black bodies. But with me, I’ll be the best President for blacks since Lincoln."

[Alben Barkley]

Won a Massive Landslide with Tilden:

LOL Florida. Just NEVER goes D in a competitive election does it?

[Alben Barkley]

I think this is the first time I won as Stevenson/Barkley 1952 on Normal, no cheats. This was the map:



Closest state was Maryland, which I won by fewer than 400 votes. Tipping point state was New York, which I won by 0.68% and about 51,000 votes.

I lost the NPV 50.1-49.5%, about 437,000 votes.

[Alben Barkley]

Gore/Biden 2004:

[Alben Barkley]

My best result yet with McGovern on "just" Easy mode (apparently it's unwinnable on "Normal" or higher difficulty).

[Alben Barkley]

Won Kentucky but barely won California as Bateman:

[Alben Barkley]

My best 1996 run yet:

[Alben Barkley]

Won 49 states as Bryan 2008 (all but McCain's Arizona), but ended up in Hell because I only won that big after damning the world to a massive recession.

Played again and won 329 EVs in a closer election after begging God to spare the world. Ended up still winning but getting to go back to heaven.

LOL what a crazy idea for a mod. Someone must have been stoned out of his mind when he made it. But I love it.

[Alben Barkley]

The Nixon 1972 mod may be the best I've played yet. I got 400 electoral votes by running as environmentalist feminist liberal Nixon who disavowed Watergate, withdrew from Vietnam, and refused to ratf--k Muskie, then was remembered as a great two-term president along with Washington, Lincoln, and his successor Robert Redford.

The tragedy of Nixon is this really could have happened if he didn't get in his own way so much.

[Alben Barkley]

Spoiler warning: The Nixon mod apparently has 40+ endings and some of them can get REALLY dark...