SR2020 FAQ:
A: The official release date was June 17th 2008 in North America and June 20th Europe for an English language Boxed Version. Digital Download in English was available from GamersGate, a service of Paradox Interactive. Foreign language versions are currently in the works with German now released as of the end of July. Further dates will be posted as information becomes available.
The Global Crisis Expansion Pack was Released in December 2008, and is only available through Digital Download sales from GamersGate and some other providers such as Stardock/Impulse.
The Gold Edition Package combines the original Supreme Ruler 2020 with the Global Crisis Expansion, and this was released through both Retail and Digital Download in September 2009.
A: Currently there has been an "Update 6" and an incremental update that makes the game version 5.6.2 (original SR2020) and version 6.6.2 (Global Crisis and Gold Edition).
To Update to the latest version, use the Check for Updates selection in the Supreme Ruler 2020 Windows Program Menu. This will automatically obtain the correct update for the version you are running. Alternately, you can download the latest update exe from the following links:
A: The Global Crisis Expansion Pack added a number of new features, units, scenarios, as well as graphics and gameplay improvements. There is some more information here.
The Gold Edition combines the original SR2020 with Global Crisis and added even more new content and features. All the new features of the Gold Edition were then migrated back to Global Crisis as part of the latest free Update. SR2020 with Global Crisis is equivalent to SR2020:Gold, and the two are multi-player compatible with each other.
A: Savegames for Supreme Ruler 2020 and Global Crisis are now stored in the My Games folder of My Documents for a given user by default. (Select 'Documents' from the Windows or Explorer menu.) This can be changed in-game using the My Options/Player Options/Files settings to specify a preferred save game location.
If you have updated from an earlier version and have Saved Game files stored, simply turn off the "Save to 'My Games' folder" checkbox in the Options. When this checkbox is off the default save location is the Savegame folder wherever the program was installed (usually C:\Program Files\Paradox Interactive\Supreme Ruler 2020 though this location may change). You may also type in your own directory path here (such as C:\Allmysaves).
Note that Uninstalling may delete saved games that were stored in the program directory (old default); Uninstalling the latest version will ask before deleting saved games in the My Documents/My Games folder.
According to the back of the box, "Take a Nation. Build an Army. Conquer the World." Supreme Ruler 2020 allows players to take control of a region of the world, assuming the role of political leader and commander-in-chief.
SR2020 Scenarios give players a challenge with a specific, shorter-term goal, such as defending against an attack, taking an objective within a specific time limit, winning a unification vote, and more. Scenarios can be military or diplomatic in scope.
SR2020 Campaigns are the Sandbox mode of the game, where players can select a nation and take control. Some Campaigns reflect the world in relative calm, while others will have regional wars and animosities right from the start. The World 2020 maps represents nations much as they are today, while the Shattered World maps represent the collapse of major nations into smaller regional powers. Players can set victory conditions and time limits for Campaign games, or else they can play in a true 'Sandbox' without restrictions.
While many people will play the game in different ways, the general goal is to become Supreme Ruler of the World by building up your nation's economy and armed forces, and achieving victory over other regions through military, and in some cases diplomatic, means.
A: No, Supreme Ruler 2020 follows a similar storyline but plays out on a world map at all stages and through a different style of single player experience.
A: Almost. There are a few countries that where too small or not strategically important enough to be included. Most of the countries of the world are available for play in the Sandbox mode.
A: Since a large printed manual needs to be sent for translation and printing long before the game's publication date, the result is some differences between the printed manual and the game itself. Some features such as 'Formation Move' and 'Select Units by Type' were added after the manual was finished, and some features such as Missile Silos (see below) were removed due to gameplay or other reasons. A revised manual in PDF form is included with the latest free updates and is accessible under the Supreme Ruler 2020 Windows Program Menu. As well, check the Readme file for late changes and additions.
A: The original design was for SR2020 to include 'Missile Silos', which would be a fixed-location facility that is capable of firing long-range ICBM-type missiles. The original version of the SR2020 manual even made some references to these facilities. However, in practice the design and implementation of Missile Silos raised a number of issues that led to a final decision to not include them in SR2020. Factors in this decision included:
For these and other reasons Missile Silos as a launch platform will not be included in SR2020.
As pointed out above under "What is the player's goal in the game?", SR2020 expects the player to take the more aggressive role and work towards conquering the world; the AI is designed to do its best to prevent the player from achieving those goals, but the AI is not intended to be expansionist for its own purposes. As in most historical conflicts, whether Alexander and Napoleon's campaigns or the more recent World Wars, one group is the aggressor, and in SR2020 that role is intended for the player.
As of the Global Crisis Expansion pack and Update 5, AI regions will make attempts to do naval invasions against other regions.
But like Napoleon in 1805 or Hitler in 1940, it's one thing to want to invade the UK, but another to actually pull it off...
A: While Supreme Ruler 2020 is set on a stage of the real world, the time line of 2020 means that some countries may have exhausted one resource and begun to harness another. A good deal of effort has been made to keep geographical areas historically consistent, but limited information and storyline necessities may cause our world map to be different from today's real world. For those wishing to contribute to the efforts of further improving the map, please look to our forum for information.
Spy Missions (under the Espionage heading in the Operations Department) include the following:
The status of an idle Spy is Counter Intel, which indicates that the Spy is ready to be assigned a new task.
Minister priorities are are ways of helping to direct a Minister's actions to match what you may be interested in. If a minister is not locked out of a department, they will often make adjustments, such as increasing/decreasing goods production, increasing military budgets, starting a conscription program, building garrisons, raising taxes, and so on. Their actions are also affected by their political leaning, which reflects the political leaning (Liberal/Moderate/Conservative) you chose at the lobby when you start a game.
Some Minister priorities will have only a minor effect in some situations, and some may actually be ignored by Ministers at times (just like in real life). Some priorities may not have an immediate affect if they are directed towards things that Ministers do not do (such as Researching pure-science or initiating diplomatic trades), but even many of those have side-effect results such as affecting Minister spending, taxation, and other actions.
Rally points can be assigned to any Reserve facility (Barracks, Air Fields, Sea Piers) by selecting the facility in either the Land Department or the Defense Department. Once selected, a button will be available to assign the Rally Point. Push the button, then select your map location. Units deployed from these facilities either from reserve or fabrication will proceed to the rally point.
In SR2020 getting kicked out of the UN is an indication of of the "dissatisfaction" of the world in general to your region's actions, but it does not prevent other interaction with the world. For example, the market for buying/selling is still open to you, and even financial bonds are still available if your Credit Rating allows (though whatever you did to get expelled will likely have also affected your credit rating).
So getting expelled from the UN is primarily a "the world really didn't like what you did"; you can rebuild your approval ratings and even your credit rating, but you there's no way to get back in to the UN.
Also, check out our Advanced Topics FAQ.