Playable Territories
The following territories will be playable (i.e. controllable by a player) in the game. It should be possible to play in a small-group collaborative multiplayer arrangement, where different players control different playable territories.
Africa
Treated as one polity for the purposes of the game.
Starting Conditions
Agriculture
Low productivity, small surplus, low dependence on fossil fuels and fertilisers. Vulnerable to desertification. Significant areas of forest (23% cover) but currently mostly of low productivity.
Energy
Low energy use per capita. Vast potential for solar virtually everywhere, especially in desert areas, but this is largely untapped.
##### Industry
Limited, low productivity.
Military
Small, disorganised, not significantly problematic.
##### Population
1.2 billion, growing significantly, generally very poor, relatively low wealth disparity. Quite low levels of economic improvement are likely to ensure social stability.
Transport
Limited, less dependent on fossil fuel than in richer places, but poor infrastructure.
America (United States)
Including Canada and possibly Mexico for the purposes of the game.
Starting Conditions
Agriculture
Very productive, substantial surplus, but highly dependent on fossil energy, fertilisers, depleting aquifers. Vulnerable to desertification. 36% forest cover.
Energy
Very high energy use per capit., Very substantial use of fossil fuels in all sectors. Good potential for solar especially in south west.
##### Industry
Productive, flexible, innovative, heavily dependent on fossil energy, plastics.
Military
Enormous, beyond effective democratic control, hugely polluting. Huge stocks of armaments. In the event of civil war, might easily fall apart into warring factions.
##### Population
500 million, overall rich but incomes extremely skewed and with a significant majority very poor. Politically volatile, heavily armed, civil disorder likely.
Transport
Heavily biased to individual transportation, cities low density and not easily amenable to efficient mass transport systems.
Brazil
Including most of South America for the purposes of the game.
Starting Conditions
Agriculture
Generally low productivity, but considerable surplus. Large forests (62% cover) of generally low productivity, very vulnerable to widespread desertification particularly if deforestation continues.
Energy
Generally low energy use per capita, mainly fossil fuels. Good potential for solar, hydro and wind energy.
##### Industry
Limited, low productivity.
Military
Large, beyond effective government control, but poorly organised and not heavily armed.
##### Population
450 million, growing, generally poor, very high wealth disparity. High risk of civil disorder.
Transport
Limited infrastructure, mainly individual fossil fuelled vehicles, but cities generally compact and amenable to mass transit.
China
Starting Conditions
Agriculture
Generally productive, some surplus. Risk of desertification especially in the west. 22% forest cover.
Energy
Mix of energy systems from the very worst to the very best, but generally modernising rapidly.
##### Industry
Vast, extremely productive, flexible, but currently extremely polluting. Considerable production of plastics including single use plastics from fossil feedstocks.
Military
Very large, very heavily armed, but disciplined and under tight government control.
##### Population
1,400 million, fairly stable. Generally lesser wealth disparity than in other economies. Low risk of civil disorder.
Transport
Relatively good rail and mass transit infrastructure, lower dependence on individual fossil fuel transport than some other economies. Infrastructure generally good.
Europe
Starting Conditions
Agriculture
Very productive, high dependence on fossil fuels and fertilisers. Some surplus. Low risk of desertification. 38% forest cover.
Energy
Mixed, modernising rapidly, but still high dependence on fossil fuels. No especially good potential for renewable energy generation except in the north west.
##### Industry
Large, high productivity, possibly less flexible. Very large car industry which may be resistant to change.
Military
Relatively modern and well equipped but not large; generally good discipline and government control.
##### Population
750 million, generally wealthy, wealth disparities lower than in most other areas. Moderate potential for civil disorder.
Transport
Heavily biased to individual private motor vehicles, but good rail infrastructure and generally compact cities with good mass transit systems. Overall exceptionally good transport infrastructure.
India
Starting Conditions
Agriculture
Generally lower productivity, some surplus, labour intensive, less use of fossil fuels than richer territories. 21% forest cover.
Energy
Significant use of coal, but good potential for solar energy virtually everywhere.
##### Industry
Growing industrial production, much of it dirty.
Military
Large but not especially well equipped.
##### Population
1,380 million, growing steadily, generally poor but with huge wealth disparities.
Transport
Railway network exists but is I think mostly old; lower proportion of the population has access to private motor vehicles.
Russia
Starting Conditions
Agriculture
Average productivity, some surplus, much use of fossil fuels and fertilisers.
Energy
Significant exports of fossil fuels. I don’t really know enough to know how widespread private motor transport is, or how good the rail/mass transit network is.
##### Industry
Military
##### Population
Transport
Saudi Arabia
Including the whole of the Arabian peninsula, Syria and Iraq.
Starting Conditions
Agriculture
Virtually none, substantial food deficit, very little forest. Soils generally arid.
Energy
Currently, vast production of fossil fuels, mainly for export. Vast potential for solar energy but this is as yet largely untapped.
##### Industry
Limited.
Military
Modern and extremely well equipped but not large.
##### Population
140 million, growing rapidly. Severe social tensions despite repression; potentially volatile.
Transport
Widespread use of private motor transport.