Development Roadmap¶

This page outlines the vision and planned development for Lawmaker. As this is an evolving game, features and timelines may change based on player feedback and development priorities.

Living Document

This roadmap is updated periodically. Check back regularly for the latest information on upcoming features.

Current Version¶

What's Available Now¶

Lawmaker currently includes:

✓ Core Political Simulation

Multiple fictional countries with independent simulations
Party creation with ideological positioning on 16 issues
Proportional representation electoral system
Individual voter (elector) simulation

✓ Legislative System

Proposal creation with 1-5 articles
60-day voting periods
Public voting records
17 different laws with multiple options
Legislative history tracking

✓ Government Formation

Cabinet position system
Coalition building mechanics
Government formation proposals
Cabinet appointment tracking

✓ Character System

Activist recruitment (10 PP)
Character traits affecting persuasion and profile
Journalists as independent commentators
Social media presence simulation

✓ Resource Management

Political Power (PP) system
1 PP per game day generation
120 PP maximum capacity

✓ Communication

Party-to-party messaging
Proposal comment threads
Public and private discussion

✓ Electoral Features

Regular scheduled elections
Early election calls (30 PP)
Poll commissioning (10 PP)
Turnout simulation
Proportional seat allocation

Planned Features¶

Short-Term (Next 3-6 Months)¶

Enhanced Voter Simulation¶

Status: In Planning

Description: Make voters more sophisticated and responsive

Dynamic voter preferences - Voters' positions shift over time
Issue salience - Some issues matter more during different periods
Voter segments - Clear demographic groups (urban/rural, young/old, etc.)
Swing voters - Undecided voters who can be persuaded
Turnout modeling - Better simulation of who votes and why

Impact: More realistic and engaging electoral competition

Legislative Improvements¶

Status: Under Development

Description: Enhance the proposal and voting system

Amendments - Allow proposing changes to active proposals
Committee system - Pre-vote discussion and refinement
Proposal priorities - Mark important proposals
Vote explanations - Require brief reason for votes
Legislative agenda - Parties declare upcoming proposals

Impact: Richer legislative gameplay and strategy

Advanced Analytics¶

Status: Concept Phase

Description: Better tools for understanding your position

Detailed voter breakdowns - See which voter segments support you
Vote impact analysis - "If you voted Yes, you'd gain/lose X votes"
Coalition calculator - Test cabinet distributions before proposing
Trend tracking - Historical charts of vote share over time
Comparative analysis - How your party compares to rivals

Impact: More strategic decision-making

Medium-Term (6-12 Months)¶

Party Organizations¶

Status: In Design

Description: More depth to party management

Party headquarters - Upgradeable facilities
Regional branches - Organize in different parts of country
Party membership - Track supporters beyond just voters
Internal elections - Choose party leadership
Party treasury - Financial management beyond PP

Impact: Deeper party-building simulation

Media System¶

Status: Concept Phase

Description: Expanded role for media and public opinion

News events - Dynamic events affecting politics
Media coverage - Your actions generate news stories
Public opinion tracking - Beyond just voter preferences
Scandal system - Mistakes can damage reputation
PR campaigns - Spend resources to shape narrative

Impact: More dynamic political environment

Economic Simulation¶

Status: In Research

Description: Add economic layer to politics

Economic indicators - GDP, unemployment, inflation
Budget constraints - Government spending limits
Policy impacts - Laws affect economy
Economic crises - Random events requiring response
Voter economic concerns - Economy affects voting

Impact: Adds consequence layer to legislation

Extended Character System¶

Status: In Planning

Description: More depth to activists and politicians

Character backgrounds - More detailed histories
Skill development - Characters improve over time
Character relationships - Friendships and rivalries
Character scandals - Individual controversies
Character aspirations - Personal goals and motivations
Character retirement - Lifecycle management

Impact: More engaging character gameplay

Long-Term (12+ Months)¶

International Relations¶

Status: Vision Phase

Description: Limited interaction between countries

Trade agreements - Economic connections
Diplomatic relations - Foreign policy stance
International organizations - Multi-country bodies
Migration - Movement between countries
International crises - Events affecting multiple countries

Impact: Adds global dimension while maintaining country independence

Custom Countries¶

Status: Concept Phase

Description: Player-created countries

Country builder - Players design new countries
Custom legislatures - Define structure and rules
Custom cabinet - Create unique government positions
Starting conditions - Set initial laws and situation
Country moderation - Founder has administrative powers

Impact: Infinite expansion potential, player creativity

Mobile App¶

Status: Under Consideration

Description: Dedicated mobile applications

iOS app - Native iPhone/iPad application
Android app - Native Android application
Push notifications - Real-time alerts for game events
Streamlined interface - Optimized for mobile screens
Offline mode - View information without connection

Impact: Easier access and engagement

AI Parties¶

Status: Research Phase

Description: Computer-controlled parties to fill countries

AI party creation - Automated parties with ideologies
AI voting patterns - Consistent, logical voting
AI coalition behavior - Negotiate with human players
AI proposal - Can propose legislation
Difficulty levels - Easy to challenging AI opponents

Impact: Maintains activity even with few human players

Modding Support¶

Status: Vision Phase

Description: Allow players to create custom content

Custom issues - Define new political dimensions
Custom laws - Create new legislation options
Custom scenarios - Historical or fictional situations
Custom rules - Modify game mechanics
Mod sharing - Community mod repository

Impact: Unlimited replayability and player creativity

Recently Completed¶

Q4 2024 - Q1 2025¶

✓ Government formation system - Cabinet appointments and voting

✓ Character trait system - Persuasion and profile attributes

✓ Journalist characters - Independent political commentators

✓ Social media posts - Character engagement system

✓ Poll system - Public and private electoral forecasts

✓ Early election mechanism - Ability to trigger special elections

✓ Issue catalog expansion - Increased from 8 to 16 political issues

✓ Law catalog expansion - Increased from 12 to 17 laws

✓ Parental leave laws - Added family policy dimension

✓ Youth policy laws - Curfews, education, support

✓ Media regulation laws - Censorship and public broadcasting

✓ Language policy laws - Official language and multiculturalism

Feature Requests¶

How to Suggest Features¶

We welcome player feedback! To suggest new features:

Check this roadmap - Feature might already be planned
Review existing suggestions - Others may have suggested it
Submit via official channels - GitHub issues or community forums
Be specific - Describe what, why, and how
Consider impact - How does it improve gameplay?

Most Requested Features¶

Based on community feedback:

🔥 Vote #1: Amendments System - Modify proposals during voting period

🔥 Vote #2: Better Analytics - More detailed voter breakdowns

🔥 Vote #3: Economic Simulation - Add financial consequences to laws

🔥 Vote #4: Regional Politics - Sub-national political divisions

🔥 Vote #5: Historical Scenarios - Play recreations of real elections

Development Philosophy¶

Core Principles¶

Our development follows these principles:

Player-Driven - Features based on player needs and feedback
Depth over Breadth - Deep mechanics better than shallow features
Strategic Focus - Everything should enable strategy
Accessibility - Complex doesn't mean complicated
Balance - No dominant strategy or pay-to-win

What We Won't Add¶

Some things don't fit Lawmaker's vision:

✗ Direct player conflict - No attacking other parties' resources
✗ Pay-to-win mechanics - No purchasing PP or votes
✗ Real-world politics - Game remains fictional
✗ Random chance - Minimize RNG in favor of strategy
✗ Time pressure - Game pace remains relaxed

Technical Roadmap¶

Infrastructure Improvements¶

Performance¶

Database optimization - Faster queries for large countries
Caching system - Reduce repeated calculations
Load balancing - Distribute traffic efficiently

Reliability¶

Automated testing - Prevent bugs in updates
Backup systems - Protect player data
Monitoring - Detect issues proactively

Scalability¶

Multi-server support - Handle growth
Regional hosting - Reduce latency
API rate limiting - Prevent abuse

How to Get Involved¶

As a Player¶

Provide feedback - Tell us what works and what doesn't
Report bugs - Help us find and fix issues
Suggest features - Share your ideas
Test new features - Try beta features when available

As a Developer¶

Contribute code - GitHub repository accepts pull requests
Report technical issues - File detailed bug reports
Improve documentation - Help us explain the game better
Build tools - Create utilities for players

As a Community Member¶

Help new players - Answer questions in community
Create content - Guides, strategies, stories
Organize events - In-game tournaments or special sessions
Build community - Foster positive, engaging environment

Stay Updated¶

Following Development¶

Game manual - This roadmap page is updated regularly
Community channels - Announcements in Discord/forums
GitHub repository - Watch for commits and releases
Social media - Follow official accounts

Release Schedule¶

Bug fixes - Deployed as needed, usually weekly
Balance updates - Monthly adjustments based on data
Feature releases - Quarterly major additions
Major versions - Annually, with significant changes

Questions About Roadmap¶

When will X feature be released?¶

Timelines are estimates - Development priorities shift based on:

Player feedback and demand
Technical complexity
Balance considerations
Available development time

We prioritize quality over speed - features release when ready.

Can I vote on which features get built next?¶

Yes! Community feedback heavily influences priorities. Use official channels to voice support for features you want.

How do I know if a feature is being worked on?¶

Check the status tags:

Available Now - Already in game
Under Development - Actively being built
In Planning - Designed, not yet in development
Concept Phase - Idea being explored
Vision Phase - Long-term possibility
Under Consideration - Evaluating feasibility

Thank you for playing Lawmaker and supporting its development!

This roadmap was last updated: February 2026