Welcome to PolUK: How to get started

Welcome, one and all, to Politics UK. You will find some basic information and how to sign into the game here.
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Marty
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Welcome to PolUK: How to get started

Post by Marty »

Welcome to the game! Politics UK is an online simulation of British politics. As a Member of Parliament, you'll work together with other members of your Party to promote your ideological goals and gain political power. In order to do this, you'll need to master the fine art of parliamentary debate, play the media like a piano, juggle the interests of the various NGOs and--of course--triumph in election campaigns. If you succeed, you'll find yourself in government with a whole range of opportunities available to you--and even if you fail, redouble your efforts and try again! You can't "lose" this game, and the next campaign always begins the morning after the election.

The simulation is currently set in an alternate version of the 2019, a time of austerity, Brexit and minority Government. In our version of 2019, Brexit is settled, in the words of David Dimbleby we're out - be sure to read the backstory of the round for more information.

Step 1: Choose a Name
Don't worry too much about this: you can change your name later if you end up disliking it. But put some thought into it and try to come up with a name which you'd be proud of.

Please do not choose the name of a real person, unless it is your own name. You can combine the names of other people (i.e. "David Blair", "John Thatcher", etc.), but you cannot name yourself after a living or dead person other than yourself.

Please do not choose a silly name. If you do, we'll change it to something dull like Milton or Hortense, so there.

Step 2: Register
Enter your chosen name into the Username field, and pick a password for yourself. Party tags like "(Con)" or "(Lab)" are a matter of personal choice as they are redundant now with the colourings of usernames.

You are encouraged to make a post in the new players forum introducing yourself after this. If you're new to the game, we also strongly encourage you to enlist the help of a mentor in the "Mentor Thread".

Please note that as a countermeasure against spambots, you will have to answer a similar security question to the one you got when you registered for every post you make. You also will not be able to post URL links. This restriction ends when you're added to a party usergroup. Thank you for your patience.

Step 3: Pick a party

To pick a party, click here and select either the Conservative or Labour Party to join. (Please note that the Liberal Democrats and the SNP ARE NOT playable this round.) Then go to the bottom of the page and click "Submit", and you will receive access to your party HQ in the next few hours at the most.

The Labour Party were expecting an absolute pasting in 2017 but as the campaign developed they fought their way back into it. Jeremy Corbyn, the outgoing leader, leaves a vacuum in his wake with powerful supporters and a strong grassroots movement behind him. But waiting in the wings are the other tribes of Labour, whether these tribes have been in open revolt like the Blairites or more willing supporters like the soft left they have a chance now to set the future direction of the party just as Corbyn did in 2015. The 2017 election saw Labour make some slight inroads in Scotland and drive back the Tories in suburban areas and some towns, but it also left a glaring vulnerability with large swings in the north seeing seats like Middlesborough South and Mansfield fall to the Tories. In Opposition Labour has a chance to take back the narrative on many issues, what comes next for the Red Team is in your hands. OPEN

The Conservative Party is Britain's centre-right party, often lauded as the "natural party of government" - though this moniker has been up for debate in the 21st century. Theresa May, the outgoing leader, has shunted the Tory Party left into more red Tory territory taking seats like Mansfield but in turn losing traditional bellwether seats like Bedford. This movement, and a failure to win a majority in 2017 has led to some discontent on the right wing of the party which eventually closed the book on her leadership. The 2017 election, which returned the Conservatives to a Minority Government, saw the Conservatives lose a number of members in their Bright Blue and Osbornite flanks, de facto boosting the strength of the more traditional groups within the party but also breathing new life into the Red Wing. In a state of flux thanks to the ending of Brexit as an issue, the Conservative Party is now trying to sort out whether it is liberal conservative, social conservative, or perhaps a more populist form of red conservatism. OPEN

For more information about the parties, refer to the State of the Parties thread

Step 4: Pick a constituency

Pick a constituency. You can only claim a constituency held by your party. All constituencies have the same result they did in the real life 2017 result. Claim your constituency here

Step 5: Biography

Write a biography using the character creation system. There's a format in there that you can use.

As a part of your biography, we're asking you to pick a primary and up to two secondary "tribes". These represent your connection to the various factions and currents opinion within your party. Please note that you are not a member of a tribe and that your popularity with the tribes can shift as a result of your actions in game. For more information about the tribes system, see this thread. You can find the tribes for your party in the State of the Parties thread

When we have approved your biography, we'll assign your character an amount of XP based on your biography and divide it between your primary and secondary tribes. This will influence your Backbencher Support - your character's influence within your party.

Step 6: Join the Discord

While PolUK is a forum-based game, for the full experience we recommend that you join our Discord server using this link: https://discord.gg/5ETCFsytJ4. The PolUK discord is used for parties to communicate with eachother, to simulate Twitter, for live events such as Prime Minister's Questions and TV interviews, and to send notifications to you when important things happen here on the forums. But most of all, it's home to a fun community that would love you to be a part of it!

Step 7: Final Step - Start Playing!

Go and introduce yourself to your party, get posting in Parliament, and start working on a media profile for yourself! Enjoy the game, and don't hesitate to contact the A-Team if you have any questions or concerns!

If you want to familiar yourself in a deeper way with the rules and mechanics of the game, be sure to read the rules posts in the IC forums and the Game Library forum.
Dr. Marty of the A-team
Technical Wizard
Education and Children, Health and Social Security, Environment and Energy, Constitutional Affairs
Scenarios
Conservative Party advisor
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