The Future of The Great Experiment (Urgent - For all players)

[Lumine]

As you know, The Great Experiment has proven far more successful than what I originally envisioned, and it has certainly been an inmensely fun and rewarding experience for the past six weeks. Alas, we are also placed in a curious spot as due to RL pressure several key players have been forced to take a step back, and others have also informed me they need to step down as well. The fact that the game has grown into something rather complex and time demanding hasn't helped either, despite all the fun we've had.

So, I'd like to ask the opinion of the players as to what exactly we should do, and how we can build on the current success. The way I see it, we have three alternatives:

1.- Carry on as normal: I don't think this is a particularly realistic option because while the game has worked well it has also become complex, and it is tough for people to spend the time needed for the game. Losing key players is also a troublesome factor.

2.- Simplify the game: This really depends on player opinion, but one alternative is to make the game simpler and simulate less aspects of it, particularly reducing the Government phase to return to a more election-based focus for the time being.

3.- Take a break: One of the advantages of the game is that with 200 hundred years of US history still ahead of us it is certainly feasible to make time jumps into the future, allowing us to divide the Game on "Phases". Under such a mindset, we could argue that the formation of the parties and the departure of Madison close a small era of the game, which could allow us to suspend this for a few weeks until the player base has more time and retake the simulation either on 1792 or at a later date.

4.- Election: A final alternative assuming the remaining Government players aren't enough to satisfactory hold on to 1795 (two more weeks), we could see to it that a new General Election is called and given appropiate time for new players to be recruited, and thus shift the game for a few days into a less intense electoral simulation.

Thoughts?