u/AcceptableNoise2789

Hi everyone

This mod is made by StrawberryMaster, and I can't stress this enough. This right here, is their best work.

The biggest gripe I usually have with StrawberryMaster's mods is this: Their coding is fantastic, but their writing is always a bit lackluster, and as a person who values writing most in these silly little games, its a turn-off for me and doesn't keep me coming back.

They totally flipped the script here and the writing is fantastic, some of the best I've ever seen. Quite honestly, as someone who grew up watching a lot of Charlie Brown, it was fun catching references from various films that featured those characters. The endings are also fantastic, I just absolutely love them. They are so personal, and are in the same realm of quality as Things That Never Were. I couldn't believe how much coding has been put into this project too (I mean, county maps?! You spoil us, StrawberryMaster). I hope these features get added to more mods, if every mod had a touch of StrawberryMaster's coding we wouldn't have a single mod below a 4/10 believe me.

But what really gets me most is the fact that the actual election still looms in the background but you barely notice its there. This mod is about a high school student council election, and in 2000, which was a simpler time than today, politics didn't matter as much to people. There was no September 11th to weep over, there was no protest against any major wars. There was not as much vitriolic hatred between factions (of course, there still was, but it was mostly pre social media so it wasn't as widespread). The end of the game is, in my opinion, symbolizing that era slipping away as the national election becomes extremely contested, foreshadowing events to come in the future regarding our situation today, its solemn and a bit depressing, but I find it brilliant as I did with Things That Never Were. It's a really powerful message that sometimes politics doesn't matter and that there are other things to waste your time and energy on, like friends and family, its almost like the mod is telling you to get off of this game. It's a very bizarre premise for a mod (I myself was skeptical when I saw it announced) but it's one that I think is amazing and that this is probably the greatest bryanesque mod ever. It's oddly foreboding, with American century coming to a close, and is also a very interesting fun mod to read.

I like redrawing the states too don't show it to Trump or he'll do it for real

My one criticism: It sucks knowing that Charlie Brown is going to be financially screwed over in his mid 20s. Thanks SM.

RATING: 8.6/10

Hi again everyone

This mod was made by the great Martha and Astro, who need no introduction, and I think their recent endeavor DUKE really blends both of their styles together well.

I feel like this mod would have been grossly mishandled in most other people's hands. Micheal Dukakis is, shockingly, not an extremely deep individual like some people portrayed in mods are. He's a decent, self-made politician, and a mod about his hypothetical term should treat him as such, and it does. While I think that this mod could have been better, I think Astro and Martha are the best people possible to have made this mod. Martha has made mods about Dukakis before, and it certainly shows. The writing will not knock your socks off, but going back to my point earlier, I don't really think it needs to be. Plus, it combines Astro's writing with a touch of Martha's comedic writing such as what you see in her old as the hills 1984 mod. It's like if you mixed 2025-era coding with 2023-era writing, and for some reason, it really works. Also, the interface is one of the best on the site right now, love that old Macintosh look. That economy variable is cool too.

However, the mod does not really have that replay-ability factor that some other mods of its size have, unless you really want the achievements for it. That's just mostly due to the fact that I don't think it was ever intended to be nearly as replay-able as the bigger mods. It doesn't need to be, but it hurts the mod's overall quality a bit. Would have liked to see some Ross Perot in this mod too, but that's a relatively minor criticism.

This mod is absolutely a solid addition to TCT, and I would recommend it for anyone who wants a taste of the older mods while still having the toys that are included in the newer mods.

Before you see my rating, I want to get out of the way what goes into how I rate these

If the mod is a 1-2/10, it is bad, and I wouldn't recommend it to any sane individual

If the mod is a 3-4/10, it has some redeeming qualities, but isn't really that good overall.

If the mod is a 5/10, it's average. Some of it is good, some of it is not really great. Just a mod that's there.

If the mod is 5.1-6/10 it's a decent mod that's good in more ways that it's not good.

If a mod is a 6-7/10, I would consider this mod to be "good" it has highlights, and most likely has something that truly sets it apart from the rest of the pack, Whether its solid writing, good and interesting endings, or even some coding wizardry.

If a mod is a 7-8, it's about as good as you can make a mod without drastically changing the game. Very good, likely has some really good integration of features and endings, and just generally has a great deal of quality.

If a mod is 8-9/10, it has something new and interesting to say, or it has a really cool feature, or improves on an existing feature. It's good all around, and in some places, amazing. Maybe it has a great secret route, maybe it has some other stuff, it's all around great and likely one of the best mods in recent memory.

If a mod is a 9 or above, its one of the best mods of all time

If it's a 10/10? That doesn't exist.... yet.

RATING: 7.7/10

As always, thank you for reading, I will see you all once the next mod drops

-Noise.