Fulfill your political fantasies
Did some good work on the legendery government game tonight. Its quite a complex beast. There are so many levels of interconnection that its going to be hard to set up the data so that
a)it makes sense as a game and
b)there arent any feedback loops, weird results or cheats
The feedback one is a problem. take something like a general strike. Im setting it up so that high levels of poverty, unemployment and a low average income will possibly bring about a general strike. One of the effects of a general strike might be to reduce GDP, and maybe even increase unemployment. Which makies it a self fufilling problem.
Of course, there are other policies which could rescue you here. So miliytary spending might boost GDP and cut unemployment (at a high cost in govt spending/borrowing) so it might be possible (in the short run) for you to buy yourself out of that situation. Of course, that implies you have built up a decent strategic 'war-chest'.

Part of me thinks I'm insane to do such an 'intellectual' game.
Part of me thinks nobody else makes games like this.

Ideally I'd liket o sell this game to people like my brother and my dad. This is a computer game for people who dont want a test of reflexes, or to fight dragons.
Its like simcity but with polictics, a little 'toybox' of political ideas that you can play with.
A hell of a lot of people have strong political views, and its the fantasy of carrying out your ideas I am trying to fulfill.
Some people fantasise about being a WWII fighter pilot. Some people fantasise about being president.
Is clicking a button that increases tax on high earners as satisfying as clicking a button that fires a laser cannon?
for some people, I'm hoping the answer is yes.