A Democracy Game (DemoGame, DG) is an approach to playing a game (in this case Civ4) where many players collaborate on the game using a democratic style government as the way to govern that collaboration. Several different layers of game play can exist in a DemoGame, depending on the activity level of the players.
- Playing the actual game (Civ4) as a team, where the individual running the game (the Designated Player) uses team decisions to determine what do do while playing.
- Organizing and running a mock government, with laws which are ratified by the citizens, elected and appointed officials who lead the government, and citizen input in the form of discussions and polls.
- Role playing, which can take many forms ranging from creative writing in the character of citizens of the civilization we are playing, an organized Role Playing Game (RPG) loosely based on the events of the (Civ4) game, or pretty much anything else our creativity leads us to.
One thing about this first Civ4 DemoGame is that very few of us will
know how to play Civ4 when it starts. We might have ideas, but we won't be experts, at least not at the beginning.
Hopefully the lucky few who were testers will let the majority of us who are less lucky experience the game and make mistakes.
There have been 7 Civ3 DGs at CFC, as well as a multi-team DG (played as a Play-By-E-Mail PBEM game), and countless others at other sites and two multi-site PBEM games. There was even a Civ2 DG, which was before my time. I don't know if the Civ2 one predated the Civ3 one but would guess probably yes.
Finally, what do you do to participate? Most importantly, get involved!
Many of us established players want to start off more or less with a clean slate for this game. Lend your ideas to the organizational discussions, and when it comes time to start the actual game, participate in discussions, vote in polls, and if you're so inclined then run for office. Many of us are tired after 7+ DemoGames and would welcome new people who are willing to take the lead. Some of us, myself included, hold back during the nomination process (when it is decided who goes on the election ballots) to see how many new people are willing to step up, and then fill in the offices that have no volunteers. Also don't hesitate to challenge someone in a contested election. I got my start that way, in just the 2nd term of the first DemoGame I actively participated in.