Through the post comment box, at the bottom, add your own suggestions for steps and decisions that could make Miami Sim City a big hit in the world of virtual gaming. If there are any profits, I promise to cut you in, or, credit your contribution.
GAME STEPS
Choose from one of the many real estate developer avatars, to be your identity.
Start with a small nest egg. Choose your nest egg source: home equity line of credit, partnership with investor, or “offshore” source. Incur liability depending on source.
Invest in a politician, a lawyer, and a lobbyist. Choose carefully. Buy points to fend off threats.
Join builders association. Attend luncheons. Exchange cards.
Find a tenant. A biotech company. A museum. Affordable housing. More points, for public sources of funding.
Ingratiate yourself with city and county officials. Take them to lunch at Joe’s Stone Crab, or, a steak house on Lejeune Road.
Hire and architect and draw up plans.
Hire a traffic planner to show your development will have no impact on surrounding roads. Lie.
Draft a request to obtain funding from a public source, based on the plan. Submit to county and city commissions.
Attend public hearing. Let lobbyist do the talking.
Fill out loan application. More points, for creativity.
Get money, put money in bank account.
Give large political contribution to key public officials.
Rent office space, lease cars and office equipment. Double bill your own company.
Go to Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Make friends.
Use commitment of public money to get bank loan or bond funding. Take loan officer fishing in the Caribbean.
Contribute to United Way.
Build model unit, pour concrete pad, put up chain link fence, drift banner with phone number behind single engine plane over South Beach.
Print glossy brochure. Don’t pay printer. Double invoice yourself.
Attend press conference. Cut ribbon. Take pictures with public officials holding shovels. Give political contributions through lobbyist. Increase your salary.
Get more money. Pay lawyer. Take in more partners (public money, gets you more points and a higher score).
Put personal property in wife's name.
Give away space to agencies or foundations were elected officials take their salaries. Send flowers to staff.
Do not answer calls from reporters.
7 comments:
Gimleteye:
We only need a 300 square foot office (that is what the bio-tech firm in Mass. had) to seem legit, we both have office equipment (2 computers). You have the recipe, let's get started!
Here is my idea on how to exploit the system:
"Consultants are Us" that can cover anything as we make the rounds.
I'm not a gambler, but I do like to play games. I'll be back later.
I don't like this game.
I love it! Somewhere there has to be something about providing favors (finiancial or otherwise) to building inspectors...
No need.
If you are a big enough developer,you get to hire your own inspectors to self certify your work.
Cool huh? Doubtful you would be ratting out your own poor building practices...
Let's change the rules of the game a bit. The purpose isn't to develop a parcel of land, but to build an empowerment zone. There are lots of federal goodies that come along with them, but local community leaders (read Mother & Son Meek) get to decide how to distribute them.
Who the developer is may become less important. In fact, the more questionable his background, the better, because he is more easily controllable. Being from out of town is also somewhat of an advantage, because he can disappear quickly if required.
Now say you had a business that was developing a product that would be marketed to low-income minorities in urban environments. A Liberty City biotech park might come in handy, especially if you could purchase it in a distress sale. Locating in an empowerment zone could also generate all sorts of fringe benefits to the business. (As I understand it, some clever lawyers actually study the nuances of various federal programs, to determine exactly what and how much they can get away with billing the government for.)
Last but not least, the empowerment zone could be held up as a national example of what the right HUD programs can do for the rest of the country. An astute politician might even use it as a campaign ploy, since Charter Schools don't seem to be doing so well.
THAT's what I'm talking about!!!
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