You can buy a very early version of Syphilisation on Steam or Itch. You can read about what Syphilisation is here and the manifesto for the game here.

Work Done

The past couple of weeks really revolved around a reworking of the notification system. I felt that the game was way too noisy and I reworked the notifications to make them much quieter. I moved most of them to only show up at the decision point that needs them and so they feel far less overwhelming at the end of the turn and each turn feels like less labor. Playing the game is now much smoother and it’s much quicker to get through turns as well. I need to tweak it a little more but even as is, this has been a very significant upgrade.

Additionally, I put in quite a few more tutorials and cleaned up a bunch of the existing ones. I hope that this does something to make the game easier to understand, but I don’t expect it to be enough and so I have a couple of other major pieces planned.

Finally, I’m spending a lot of time just playing and iterating on the game. There are a number of small fixes in and the game is quite stable now, at least for the first 25 turns.

Interesting Fact

Below is the transcription of a New York Times article from 1915 titled German Gibes at Churchill, printed after he resigned in disgrace after his disastrous Gallipoli campaign.

BERLIN, Nov. 13 - Winston Churchill’s resignation is viewed as bad news for the Germans, for ever since the Antwerp adventure the jest has been current here that Churchill is one of Germany’s most valuable allies. It has been reported that an official tip has been given the German press to ‘go easy’ on Churchill and to refrain from criticising him harshly, for fear of hastening his departure from power.

The Berlin papers devote column articles to his resignation. Count Reventlow, in the Tageszeitung, inspired to make the only mot he has ever been known to write, suggests that King George make Churchill Earl of Gallipoli to crown his services. He adds:

‘When Mr. Churchill left his Admiralty post last Summer we deeply and honestly regretted his resignation. Today, too, we would just as honestly rejoice if we knew Mr. Churchill would soon return to one of the most important posts in the English Government. But, unfortunately, for the present there is no chance of seeing this hope fulfilled. The coiner of the phrase ‘Germany’s de luxe fleet’ seems himself to have become an expensive luxury for his country. If Mr. Churchill had done nothing else than launch the Dardanelles adventure he would still be for us Germans and our allies an object of good will and memory. We shall follow him to the front with the same friendly interest as heretofore; but if he falls into German hands we mustn’t take his sword of honor, for he has broken it.’

The Tagliche Rundschau says:

‘When the crime of the Dardanelles and Quixotic Antwerp expedition is judged, only his boyishness and ignorance can be pleaded in mitigation;’ and it concludes jestingly: ‘He has fallen from the heavens - the most beautiful morning star of some London seasons.’

Captain Persius, in the Tageblatt, writes in a more serious vein:

‘With his complete elimination from the Government, undoubtedly a fatal, restless, makeshift factor has been done away with, but whether his hasty improvisation will now be succeeded by farsightedness and organization remains another question.’