Welcome to the United States Government Simulation (also known as USG or USGovSim). Joining the game is easy and simple, and sure to prove well worth your time to play.

I just registered for an account, what do I do?

Create a biography for your character in a new thread in this forum (Sign In Here). For info on how to do that, click here. Writing up a quick bio lets the admin know that you're ready to play and it enables you to vote on matters in the House of Representatives (all players automatically start as a Representative). Then pick your party. You can pick between Republican (Red), Independent (Green), and Democrat (Blue). USGovSim recognizes only the 2 main parties. You can role play being from a third party (Libertarian, Green, etc), but for game purposes, you are an independent. Other masks include the Admins (Purple) and the retired players known as Grey Berets (Grey).

Regions? What the hell is this?

Govsim breaks the country up into 8 Regions. That means there are 16 Senators, 4 Governors, and countless Representatives playing the game at any time (Governors each cover two Regions simultaneously, known as "Mega Regions"). You can view the Region Map here. This is required because it's not possible to have 100 Senators, 50 Governors, and several hundred House members actively playing the game (at least not yet). Our goal is to strike a balance between ensuring that getting elected to the Senate or Governor's Mansion is something special and moving towards a realistic simulation of 100 Senators and 50 Governors.

I went cross-eyed trying to read all the different boards. What's where?

Don't feel daunted by the sheer volume of boards; you'll ignore over half of them. There are many different facets to the game that you yourself won't need to be concerned with when you begin playing. As a Representative, you don't need to be bothered by the Senate, Governor, Supreme Court, or White House forums. As you gain experience, however, you may wish to run for higher office and take a deeper role in the game.

I don't want to be a lowly Representative, I want to score with the high class interns and be a Senator or Governor. How do I run for office?

Fantastic question, young Clintonista. Every three months (two years within game time) we hold a round of elections - a player will compete against another player from their opposing party by writing campaign events and ads. Admins use a mathematical formula and their better judgment to determine which player produced the best political campaign and award said player the office they covet.

I want to be President!

Better cool your boots 'cause you'll be waiting a while. Every six months the elite players vie for the Presidency in party primaries and the general election. Before you run for President you'll need to spend a fair amount of time building a record as a solid, effective Governor or Senator. Do be aware that (much like real life) 98% of politicians don't become President. Most players have realized though that there is more fun to be had in the House or Senate chambers, and I can speak from personal experience that this is true. The best time I ever had while playing was being a party leader/whip in the House or Senate and interacting with others on a day-to-day basis. Being The Man is great, but it sure is lonely at the top.


What are press offices?

Press offices are a part of gameplay that allows the individual player to roleplay a bit more and spend more time on their character. Create a press office in the Strategery Room to use for your announcements; start a thread with your character's name on it in either the House Democrats, House Republicans or House Independents sub-forums ). Feel free to make any comments and posts about anything in game. It's your own personal podium, but be careful what you say!

Anything else?

* Go here and put in any information about your character, along with links to your bio, press office, voting record, etc in your signature. This is optional but highly recommended.
* Make a request in your party's forum to be seated on a House Committee, preferably one in which you have an interest. If none are available, work your butt off in the House and make a name for yourself. Your colleagues will notice and I guarantee doors will open for you.
* Debating and legislation should be your starting concerns, since those are the keys to advancement.
* Never assume a question is too stupid to be asked. We were all new players at one time.
* Don't spend too much time in here. Don't ever give up real life commitments for this game.
* Have fun and keep your cool when someone gets on your nerves. It's a political game so you're going to disagree with other players a lot.

Originally posted by Andrew Stephenson