Help brainstorm a game that teaches the masses about sound money.

[Ninja Homer]

I think a well-designed board game would be a good way to teach the masses the problems of fiat currency, and what needs to be done to fix it. I'm thinking something along the lines of Monopoly. For those that don't know, Monopoly was created to teach the dangers of monopolies. While a lot of people fail to make that connection, it's now accepted as an obvious truth that monopolies can be a huge problem, and I think the game Monopoly had a lot to do with it. Could the same be done with a similar game about the dangers of fiat currency?

The end goal should be to teach people about fiat currency and how to fix the problem by getting enough people voted into office to fix the system.

Here's my initial thoughts on how a game like this could work:

It should start out with an already corrupt system.
Players start out with a certain amount of money, and can earn more money by traveling around the board, but they also lose money via taxes and fiat currency.
Traveling around the board, players will lose more money on average than they make.
There would be some kind of cards for the corrupt politicians that are initially in power. Maybe each politician could represent a tax spot on the board.
There would be some way to elect good politicians to replace the corrupt politicians; maybe a dice roll, or paying a set amount of money or something.
There would be different situations that would take place such as wars, depressions, regulations on the market, "free" universal health care, carbon tax, etc. Maybe these could be initiated by landing on certain spots, or like landing on Chance in Monopoly.
Players need to spend a certain amount of money every round on living expenses, but that amount goes up every so often, representing the inflation tax.
If a player runs out of money, they're out of the game. Or maybe they go on welfare and the other players all have to pay more taxes.
The goal isn't to be the last player remaining in the game... the goal is to work together to elect all the good politicians and fix the system before everybody goes bankrupt. Either you work together and fix the system, or everybody loses.


All suggestions welcome.

For the record, I have absolutely no idea how to get something like this produced. I'm more of a creator than a producer. :D

[Kludge]

Strange... Monopoly was one of my favorite games.... (That, and Risk. My American History teacher taught us how to play using nuclear weapons...)

I don't think you'd find much of an audience if you were to make a board game and think you'd have a much better chance of having success by making a freeware computer game.

[Suzu]

I've been working on an interactive, multi-player online game where players win prizes in the form of real gold and silver. It's tailor made for Ron Paul brainiacs. Someday I'll put the finishing touches on the game website and make it public....

[acptulsa]

Strange... Monopoly was one of my favorite games.... (That, and Risk. My American History teacher taught us how to play using nuclear weapons...)

I don't think you'd find much of an audience if you were to make a board game and think you'd have a much better chance of having success by making a freeware computer game.

I still love board games, but I agree that a computer game is the ticket for two reasons. One, times change. Two, manually changing prices constantly to simulate inflation would be a pain in the rump--much better to have your electronic slave do it. Income should increase only a little while prices rise rapidly to emphasize the point of real wages.

Interesting concept. Would take some serious brainstorming to work out the play and the object of the game...

[voytechs]

Easy, use normal monopoly game board and rules, expect one person is allowed to create as much money as they want, and here is the kicker, **OUT OF THIN AIR**. Lets see how people like playing such a game, but at the end of the instructions tell them which is exactly what the JP Morgan and the rest of the central bank cartel do every single day.

[sratiug]

I think a well-designed board game would be a good way to teach the masses the problems of fiat currency, and what needs to be done to fix it. I'm thinking something along the lines of Monopoly. For those that don't know, Monopoly was created to teach the dangers of monopolies. While a lot of people fail to make that connection, it's now accepted as an obvious truth that monopolies can be a huge problem, and I think the game Monopoly had a lot to do with it. Could the same be done with a similar game about the dangers of fiat currency?

The end goal should be to teach people about fiat currency and how to fix the problem by getting enough people voted into office to fix the system.

Here's my initial thoughts on how a game like this could work:

It should start out with an already corrupt system.
Players start out with a certain amount of money, and can earn more money by traveling around the board, but they also lose money via taxes and fiat currency.
Traveling around the board, players will lose more money on average than they make.
There would be some kind of cards for the corrupt politicians that are initially in power. Maybe each politician could represent a tax spot on the board.
There would be some way to elect good politicians to replace the corrupt politicians; maybe a dice roll, or paying a set amount of money or something.
There would be different situations that would take place such as wars, depressions, regulations on the market, "free" universal health care, carbon tax, etc. Maybe these could be initiated by landing on certain spots, or like landing on Chance in Monopoly.
Players need to spend a certain amount of money every round on living expenses, but that amount goes up every so often, representing the inflation tax.
If a player runs out of money, they're out of the game. Or maybe they go on welfare and the other players all have to pay more taxes.
The goal isn't to be the last player remaining in the game... the goal is to work together to elect all the good politicians and fix the system before everybody goes bankrupt. Either you work together and fix the system, or everybody loses.


All suggestions welcome.

For the record, I have absolutely no idea how to get something like this produced. I'm more of a creator than a producer. :D

I think this is a great idea, but should be done in reverse. Everybody competes to get control of the government and banks and fed so they can leech everybody's money and control the world.

You could start it in 1913 and go from there to here, and beyond.

[sratiug]

Or maybe start at the Revolution or the War Between the States.

[mcgraw_wv]

Just play Monopoly.

Every time you pass Go, prices rise for property by 1%, as well as any fee or fine you have to pay.

[acptulsa]

Easy, use normal monopoly game board and rules, expect one person is allowed to create as much money as they want, and here is the kicker, **OUT OF THIN AIR**. Lets see how people like playing such a game, but at the end of the instructions tell them which is exactly what the JP Morgan and the rest of the central bank cartel do every single day.

That's an excellent suggestion--provided the rest of the players get to set the prices. Now, how do we create dynamics and rules around this concept? Do we have properties a la Monopoly, or sell commodities, try to manufacture things...?

[Nate K]

ninja homer, you think on a very high level, I admire that. I came up with this exact idea myself not long ago.

I'll be making a game in the future that teaches people about each political philosophy. Feel free to contact me if you want to share ideas/network.

[mcgraw_wv]

I think you simply need to focus on the inflationary aspects, trying to tie in a "Create money out of thin air" idea is too complex, and too wishy washy for a real playable game.

however if you sit idle, and do nothing, you sit and watch your game wither away. It showcases that in this system we live in, you are trained and forced to continually play the game or wityher away.

There is no be happy and content, or you will be reduced to nothing... you have to keep selling, making money to keep up with the "Man"

[voytechs]

I think this is a great idea, but should be done in reverse. Everybody competes to get control of the government and banks and fed so they can leech everybody's money and control the world.

You could start it in 1913 and go from there to here, and beyond.

Yup, the reversal of the goal makes the game more fun.

[mcgraw_wv]

Yup, the reversal of the goal makes the game more fun.

Start it just a little earlier... where the begining of the game is to compete to see who can organize, and create a central bank in their favor by performing tasks and collecting favors, whomever collects the right cards ( which are politicians in their pocket ) and other things, they can establish a central bank, which gives that player certain rights...



Heck, make it liek Magic the Gathering, but we can call it, Corruption: the Diversion.

You have a deck of cards, and you play liek Magic where you can "Propose legislation" and other players can "Instant" that by tapping their commitee card, which diverts the legslation for one round.

You can play politician cards, and lobbyist cards, and big business cards which can all assist in overturning a commitee action if they have the right "mana" on the board. So in order for a comitte card to be cancelled...

You would need tap 2 subsides mana cards, Tap your Big Oil CEO card, and one politician card. Which would cancel the comittee and then pass your bill to increase your funds... First one to 100 funds wins.

You can reduce your players funds by tapping politicians to "Tax" them, or tapping your big business cards to raise their prices hurting your competitors funds.


You can even throw in awesome combos like "Insitute War" along with your Military Industrial Complex, and you recieve 5 funds every round.

If your opponent holds on to a war for 20 rounds, they win.

Or you can create a Central Bank which, transfers 3 funds from your opponent and adds them to your funds. The Central bank card to play requires 2 politicians, a Legistlation, and 2 lobbyists. Once in play, the Central Bank card can only be removed if overturned by 6 politician cards.

Ext... ext... you could go on forever...

Add in media pundit cards, that can be used for defenses against politicians actions...

Throw in a magical artificat card of "Single mother loses baby due to high taxes and no insurance" coupled with a direct blame card, and a media pundit card, and you make all opponents politicians inactive for the next round.


Man this is a cool game...

[mcgraw_wv]

Gamer 1: I tap 2 tax reform bills, my Media Pundit Card, and a politician card to destroy your big business Subisides bill

Gamer 2: Ha ha, Well I tap my hidden agenda card, and my political agent card, and cast "CAUGHT IN HOTEL WITH A HOOKER" on your one of your poloticians!

Gamer 1: MAN, you sunk my tax reform...

Gamer 2: It is too easy to divert your noble causes... mwa ha ha ha

[acptulsa]

Would it be easier and more instructive to have the players compete to control the central bank, one trying to set one up while the other resist, or one running it and the others trying to keep it from stealing their value? I think the third...

[micahnelson]

Just make it monopoly but change these two little rules.

1) The Banker can play out of the bank (creating money out of thin air is how bankers make profit)
2) 3% Increase in prices each time you go around the board. (Simulates inflation. It would be more accurate to raise prices according to the amount of dollars in play- but that would be too complicated)

With these two changes it is pretty obvious what would happen.

Over time, people would be making more and more, but prices continue to go up. No matter how much they make- they will be spending more. Eventually they have to relinquish assets to the only place that still has the ability to buy- the bank.

Every game, no matter how well played, will end with the bank owning every property.

[acptulsa]

Just make it monopoly but change these two little rules.

1) The Banker can play out of the bank (creating money out of thin air is how bankers make profit)
2) 3% Increase in prices each time you go around the board. (Simulates inflation. It would be more accurate to raise prices according to the amount of dollars in play- but that would be too complicated)

With these two changes it is pretty obvious what would happen.

Over time, people would be making more and more, but prices continue to go up. No matter how much they make- they will be spending more. Eventually they have to relinquish assets to the only place that still has the ability to buy- the bank.

Every game, no matter how well played, will end with the bank owning every property.

...which would kind of kill the suspense. Some mechanism would be needed to allow the other players to get together and use barter to screw the banker. Not that you'd necessarily spell that out in the rules--let the players figure it out.

So, it becomes a matter of can the players stick together long enough to squeeze out the bank. Also, the players should be able to set the prices as a reaction to how much inflation the banker creates, which is real life...

The only limit I can see for the bank is for the money supply to run out, however. That won't work. There must be a mechanism for squeezing the bank out. And, hopefully we can find one of those in real life, too...

[micahnelson]

...which would kind of kill the suspense. Some mechanism would be needed to allow the other players to get together and use barter to screw the banker. Not that you'd necessarily spell that out in the rules--let the players figure it out.

So, it becomes a matter of can the players stick together long enough to squeeze out the bank. Also, the players should be able to set the prices as a reaction to how much inflation the banker creates, which is real life...

The only limit I can see for the bank is for the money supply to run out, however. That won't work. There must be a mechanism for squeezing the bank out. And, hopefully we can find one of those in real life, too...

There isn't. That is the point. I believe Lord Acton said it best...

“The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is The People vs. The Banks.”

More Recently, Henry Ford said it a little better...

"It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning. "

[mcgraw_wv]

If you base it around the Bank idea... you can't make one player the bank, it would not be a fun game to play.


It would be like playing RISK, and someone starting out with Europe, US, and Russia, while giving 3 other players teh change to Team up against the super power and fight the man...


The end result would be Becoming the one and only central banker... you win by monopolizing the corruption.

You win by beating out all the other bankers vying for the chance to be the ONE and Only central bank

because once the bank is in there, games over.



On my card idea, I like how there is two ways to win, but removing all yoru opponents funds, and ending their cause for central bank powers, or by amasing so much funds and power that you become the all powerful elite.

I would also change the name to...

Elite: The Corruption

[acptulsa]

But if the game is over once the bank is in place, how can you incorporate the mechanism that teaches where inflation comes from? How about a petrodollar game? Each player is a central bank and you try to lock certain commodities up so only your currency can be used to buy them. Once you lose that monopoly, demand dries up and inflation sets in.

P.S. Don't know that it would demonstrate how inflation works as well as the versions where you're using the money and it starts growing on trees, but at least it would keep people involved by being a real contest and giving everyone an equal chance to win. I think it would demonstrate supply and demand sufficiently.

[mcgraw_wv]

But if the game is over once the bank is in place, how can you incorporate the mechanism that teaches where inflation comes from? How about a petrodollar game? Each player is a central bank and you try to lock certain commodities up so only your currency can be used to buy them. Once you lose that monopoly, demand dries up and inflation sets in.

P.S. Don't know that it would demonstrate how inflation works as well as the versions where you're using the money and it starts growing on trees, but at least it would keep people involved by being a real contest and giving everyone an equal chance to win. I think it would demonstrate supply and demand sufficiently.

I think the idea of what inflation is, people already knwo that, they know prices go up...

what they don't know is why. So the game needs to focus on why would you play to control everything? It's to create a monoply where you gain control of everything, the currency ext...