Game Design/Getting Started & Strategy
Primary vs General Tactics
Last updated 2026-08-20
Primaries and general elections require fundamentally different strategies. Understanding when to pivot is the mark of an experienced player.
Primary Elections#
Primaries determine your party's nominee. You compete against members of your own party.
How Primaries Work#
- Who votes - Only members of your party in that state
- Scoring - Based on policy alignment, political influence, party organization, and favorability
- Duration - Set by admin; typically runs for several turns
Primary Strategy#
- Appeal to your base - Your party's core demographics are your voters
- Build influence early - Political Influence is weighted heavily in primary scoring
- Policy positioning - Stay close to your party's median position; extremists lose primaries unless the party is extreme
- NPP competition - NPPs get a 25% score penalty against players, but they still compete. Enter races early to discourage NPP entries.
Presidential Primary Differences#
- Uses national political influence (not state-level)
- Heavier policy weight: Policy 60 + Party Org 20 + National Influence 15 + Favorability 5
- One candidate per party
General Elections#
The general election pits party nominees against each other.
How Generals Work#
- All voters in the state can vote (not just your party)
- Vote accumulation - Votes accumulate over turns based on appeal, turnout, and party strength
- State lean - Blue/red lean gives structural advantage to the aligned party
General Strategy#
- Broaden appeal - You need voters beyond your party base
- Target swing demographics - Groups near center on both axes
- Leverage party organization - Higher party org = more votes per turn
- State approval matters - Government approval multiplies your vote total
- Campaign season - Canvassing effectiveness doubles 4 turns before election end
Pivoting from Primary to General#
- Don't shift positions - Your positions are locked; you can't moderate after the primary
- Shift ad targeting - Move ads from base demographics to swing groups
- Increase campaign activity - Campaign season multiplier makes every action more valuable
- Watch your opponent - If they have higher influence, you need to out-fundraise and out-advertise
Office-Specific Notes#
| Office | Key Factor |
|---|---|
| House | State party org strength; many districts mean many NPP opponents |
| Senate | Statewide appeal; need broad demographic coverage |
| Governor | Statewide; government approval matters most |
| President | Electoral College; win swing states (AZ, GA, MI, NH, NV, PA, WI) |
Related Pages#
- Election Mechanics - Detailed election system
- Campaign Strategy - Action allocation
- Demographics & Targeting - Understanding voter groups
- NPP Opponents Guide - Dealing with AI competition