NationStates 2

Man oh man, NationStates 2 is such an awesomely frustrating game.

I've been playing the original NationStates since November 2004, and the newest version, NationStates 2 is currently in closed beta, which I'm a part of. It's awesome, but so frustrating.

You see, in NationStates 1 you just had to answer some issues, and rely on third party programs to see how your economy stacked up in this world of nearly 70,000 others. It was really cool roleplaying on the forum's your nations history, culture, and government.

Now NationStates 2 goes a bit more in depth with the whole concept. What you decide in the issues brought upon your nation REALLY makes a difference. For instance, right now my nation has 99 million people, with an economy at about $160 million, which means my GDP per capita is roughly $1.61. Yes, one dollar and sixty one cents. Sigh.

We currently have a food shortage - about 20 million of my citizens aren't getting a meal on a daily basis. Then there's the clothes shortage - yep, 15 million of my citizens are now nudists. Then there's the medical shortage - there have been reports of some of my female citizens delivering their babies (why would you have a baby in such a country? Selfish bitches) at funeral homes in anticipation that they'll die. But they have electricity up the wazoo. Ain't life grand.

It was funny, just a few short days ago all my people were fed and clothed, but they didn't have electricity. Now that they have electricity, they don't have food or clothes. Wonderful. Most of my government's budget is used to buy medical supplies so our health care system doesn't collapse, and very little is used to buy food or clothing. It's a sad world out there in Stephenlandia.

Compare this to my nation in NS1, and you'll be amazed: 8.1 billion people, GDP of $195 trillion, no crime, no shortages of any kind. 1st world. Gotta love the difference.