1964
| 1964 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Creator(s) | Tex |
| Genre | Historical |
| Candidates | Lyndon B. Johnson Barry Goldwater |
| Historical result | Johnson: 486 Goldwater: 52 |
1964 is a mod created by Tex. The mod focuses on the 1964 United States presidential election. Lyndon B. Johnson won the election by a landslide, earning the largest share of the popular vote for the Democratic Party in history, 61.1%, and the highest for any candidate since the advent of widespread popular elections in 1824.
It is notable for being the first known mod that created an entirely new election for the game, predating The New Campaign Trail.[1] To honor its legacy, 1964 was included in the main loader of The New Campaign Trail, making it the only scenario in the main loader to not have been created by Dan Bryan.
Gameplay and features[edit]
1964 is a standard scenario. Issues surrounding the election include Kennedy's legacy, law and order, civil rights, the economy, Johnson's Great Society program.
The mod features a series of questions with one answer to highlight events that were entirely out of the candidate's control such as the attacks the other candidate makes on them, endorsements made by third parties, and Goldwater's gaffes.
Lyndon B. Johnson[edit]
A popular incumbent with a splintered opposition, it is impossible for Lyndon Johnson to lose the election on Normal difficulty. In order to maintain his lead in the polls, Johnson must defend his record and use the desire for black civil rights and the appeal of the Great Society program to his advantage. He will also need to deal with Goldwater's attacks painting him as corrupt for his ties to Bobby Baker and Billie Sol Estes.
Johnson starts off as the favorite to win the race, carrying a huge lead in every state save for those in the Deep South and Arizona.
Running Mate[edit]
Johnson's only possible running mate is Hubert Humphrey, whose strong stance on integration made him beloved and loathed by integrationists and segregationists respectively. Being from North while Johnson is a Southerner, he will balance the ticket regionally and his union ties boosts the ticket's appeal in the Midwest.
Barry Goldwater[edit]
Possessing a penchant for gaffes and seen as a radical by most, it is impossible for Barry Goldwater to win on Normal difficulty. If the player wishes to gain some semblance of success, the most they can achieve is to make Goldwater's defeat as crushing as it was historically. To crawl back in contention, Goldwater must minimize the damage done by his own gaffes, united the splintered Republicans around him, weaponize Johnson's ties to corrupt businessmen Bobby Baker and Billie Sol Estes, and radically shake up his unpopular stances.
Starting in a precarious position, Goldwater only has a grip on the Deep South and his home state of Arizona at the start of the campaign.
Running Mate[edit]
Goldwater's only possible running mate is William E. Miller. Miller is similar to Goldwater in ideology and has been effective in helping Republicans win House seats. That said, he boosts a limited national profile and despite coming from New York, few expect him to make the state contentious.
Legacy[edit]
The entire concept of modding the game came about via this mod. While others were simply proof of concepts, such as adding different candidates (which became code one editing), 1964 was the first fully fledged mod.
The mod was one of many that was removed after the Tex had a despite with Decstar, another mod developer.[2][3]
