DUCKLINGS: Game Manual

Introduction
Getting Started
The Simulation
Budget Proposals
Voting System
Crisis Events
RIPPLE Impacts
Scoring & Outcomes
For Administrators

Appendix A: Game Variables
Appendix B: Government Organizations
Appendix C: Crisis Characters
Appendix D: Revision History

1. Introduction

What is Ducklings?

Ducklings is a national civic simulation where Canadian students manage the country's $2.4 trillion economy using real government budget data. It's Model UN for domestic fiscal policy—except instead of pretending to be other countries, students engage with actual Canadian institutions and face real tradeoffs.

Why it Exists

Students will inherit democratic systems they've never been taught to understand. Ducklings changes that. A student in a 200-person rural Alberta school competes on equal footing with students from the largest urban schools—judged purely on the merit of their ideas, not their school's budget or access to specialized programs.

What Students Learn

Fiscal responsibility and budget tradeoffs
Research and evidence-based decision making
Time management and deadlines
Public presentation and persuasion
Collaborative problem-solving
How government actually works

The Core Lesson

Budgets aren't just numbers—they're people and services. Every dollar cut somewhere is a consequence felt somewhere else.

2. Getting Started

Student Enrollment

Teacher/administrator creates school account
Administrator generates access codes for students
Student enters access code at enrollment screen
Student creates password (access code is consumed)
Student joins or creates a team (optional)

Access Code Format

DUCK-XXXX-XXXX

Codes are single-use. Once a student registers, the code is invalidated.

Student Profiles

Students maintain a profile throughout the simulation. The system retains only:

School ID
Student password
Team membership
Proposal history

Privacy by design—no personal information beyond what's needed for gameplay.

Team Formation

Teams of up to 5 students
Teams can be within a single school
Individual participation is allowed but challenging—the simulation rewards collaboration

3. The Simulation

Game Cycles

Each game cycle aligns with a school semester:

Fall semester: September – January
Spring semester: February – June

At the end of each cycle, students are removed and must re-enroll for the next cycle. Administrators retain their accounts.

Epochs

Game cycles are divided into 1-week epochs. This structure:

Creates hard deadlines that teach time management
Allows schools across time zones to participate asynchronously
Enables phased gameplay (proposal → refinement → voting → crisis)

The $2.4 Trillion Sandbox

Students work with real Canadian budget data:

214 federal agencies with actual budget allocations
Provincial ministries (Alberta fully mapped)
Municipal departments (Calgary, Edmonton)
Live economic variables (USD-CAD exchange rate, Bank of Canada interest rate)

All numbers come from official government sources. When students cut a department's budget, they're working with real figures.

Geographic Scope

The simulation currently supports:

Level

Coverage

Federal

All 214 agencies

Provincial

Alberta (24 ministries)

Municipal

Calgary (16 depts), Edmonton (14 depts)

Future expansions will add additional provinces and municipalities.

4. Budget Proposals

What is a Proposal?

A proposal is a student or team's recommended change to a government organization's budget. It includes:

Target entity: Which department/ministry/agency
Budget adjustment: Increase, decrease, or reallocation
Rationale: Why this change makes sense

Creating a Proposal

Select target government organization
Review current baseline budget
Propose adjustment (cannot go below minimum viable budget)
Write rationale explaining the reasoning
Save as draft or submit

Team Collaboration

Team members can:

Co-edit proposals before submission
Review and comment on drafts
Submit on behalf of the team

Proposal Status

Status

Meaning

Draft

Work in progress, not yet submitted

Submitted

Locked for voting

Aggregated

Rolled into district/provincial summary

The Rationale Matters

AI analysis examines rationales for:

Logical reasoning
Evidence cited
Consideration of downstream effects

Strong rationales carry more weight in aggregation.

Budget Constraints

Baseline budget: Current allocation from real government data
Minimum viable budget: Floor below which the organization cannot function
Cannot deficit: Municipal entities cannot run deficits (hard constraint)

5. Voting System

Aggregation Hierarchy

Proposals don't go directly to national policy. They aggregate upward:

School └── Students vote on proposals └── School position emerges District └── School positions aggregate └── District position emerges Province └── District positions aggregate └── Provincial position emerges National └── Provincial positions aggregate └── National consensus emerges

Deadlines are Hard

Each aggregation level has a deadline. Miss it, and your input isn't counted. This teaches:

Time management
Coordination within teams
The reality of democratic processes

Voting Mechanics

Students vote on proposals from their school. Votes are:

Recorded to blockchain (Hedera localnet)
Immutable once cast
Transparent and auditable

Why Blockchain?

Every proposal submitted. Every vote cast. Permanently recorded. Students learn that democratic participation can be both private and verifiable.

The Hedera Consensus Service and Token Service provide:

Immutable audit trail
Transparent verification
No central point of manipulation

6. Crisis Events

Week 5: The World Changes

Midway through the cycle, a crisis event is introduced. Planned budgets must now adapt to unexpected circumstances.

Crisis Characters

Character

Crisis Type

Description

Big Beautiful Bill

Economic/trade

Tariffs, trade wars, economic disruption

Torrent

Natural disaster

Floods, fires, extreme weather

Rusty

Infrastructure

Aging systems, critical failures

Brain Drain

Workforce

Talent exodus, skills shortage

Dr. Waitlist

Healthcare

System strain, capacity crisis

NIMBY Nancy

Development

Housing/development obstruction

Additional crisis characters may be introduced based on current events.

What Crises Teach

Plans rarely survive contact with reality
Adaptability matters more than perfection
Resource allocation involves impossible choices
Governance is about managing tradeoffs, not finding perfect solutions

Responding to Crisis

Students must:

Assess impact on their existing proposals
Adjust allocations to address the crisis
Justify changes in updated rationales
Meet new deadlines despite disruption

Crisis Mechanics

When a crisis activates:

Affected budget categories are identified
Economic variables may shift
New constraints are introduced
Proposals must be revised within deadline

7. RIPPLE Impacts

What is RIPPLE?

RIPPLE is a community-sourced knowledge base documenting how changes in one area of civic life affect other areas. When a student proposes cutting healthcare funding, RIPPLE shows them what community members have identified as downstream consequences.

How it Works

Citizens contribute causal observations to RIPPLE threads on Pond
AI scores contributions for clarity and mechanism
Community validates with upvotes/downvotes
Relationships are extracted and stored
Ducklings queries RIPPLE when displaying proposals

Example

Student proposes: Cut rural hospital funding by 8%

RIPPLE displays:

→ Employment: Hospital closures cause staff relocation, reducing customer base for local businesses anecdotal · 23 votes · 78% confidence
→ Housing: Communities become less desirable when healthcare access decreases theoretical · 12 votes · 62% confidence

Understanding RIPPLE Data

Field

Meaning

Target domain

What area is affected

Summary

How the impact manifests

Evidence type

anecdotal / statistical / theoretical

Votes

Community validation score

Confidence

Weighted reliability score

The Lesson

Budgets don't exist in isolation. Every cut creates ripples. RIPPLE makes those ripples visible before students finalize decisions.

8. Scoring & Outcomes

There is No Winning

Ducklings doesn't have winners and losers. It has trajectories.

Trajectory Dimensions

Dimension

What it Measures

Fiscal Sustainability

Can we keep doing this? Deficit trends, debt ratio

Service Delivery

Are services improving? Wait times, outcomes

Crisis Resilience

Can we handle the next shock? Reserves, capacity

Social Cohesion

Is society holding together? Inequality, trust

Infrastructure State

Are systems maintained or degrading?

End of Cycle Report

At semester end, students see:

Their trajectory across dimensions
Comparison to starting state
What improved, what degraded
Consequences of their collective choices

Trajectory Indicators

Healthcare Access: ▼ Declining (-8% vs last year) Environmental Quality: ▲ Improving (+3% vs last year) Economic Stability: ► Stable (0% vs last year) Social Cohesion: ▼ Declining (-5% vs last year) Infrastructure State: ▼ Declining (-12% vs last year) Crisis Resilience: ▼▼ Sharply declining (-22%) OVERALL TRAJECTORY: ▼ Declining

The Real Outcome

Students don't graduate having "won" at governance. They graduate understanding governance—the tradeoffs, the constraints, the impossibility of perfect solutions.

Continuity Between Cycles

End-of-cycle state becomes start-of-cycle state for the next semester:

Inherited problems carry forward
Deferred costs come due
Returning students see consequences of prior decisions
New students inherit reality shaped by predecessors

9. For Administrators

School Setup

Request school account from CanuckDUCK
Receive administrator credentials
Generate student access codes
Distribute codes to students
Monitor enrollment and participation

Managing Students

Administrators can:

Add/remove students
Reset passwords
View participation reports
Monitor team activity
Generate new access codes

Semester Turnover

At cycle end:

Student accounts are deactivated
New access codes generated for next cycle
Returning students re-enroll (can maintain profile continuity)
Administrative accounts persist

School Dashboard

Administrators have access to:

Enrollment statistics
Participation metrics
Proposal submission status
Voting completion rates
Team activity logs

Privacy Commitment

Ducklings operates on privacy-by-design principles:

No personal student information collected beyond school ID
No data sold or shared with third parties
Canadian data sovereignty (all data stored in Canada)
Students can request data deletion

Support

Documentation: ducklings.canuckduck.ca/help
Email: [email protected]
Issues: Report via platform feedback system

Appendix A: Game Variables

The simulation uses a three-tier configuration system:

Tier 1: World — Global constraints outside Canada's control
Tier 2: Administration — Multi-year government policy (4-5 year term)
Tier 3: Year — Fiscal year-specific values

Later tiers override earlier ones. Access via GameConfigService::get('path.to.value').

Tier 1: World Variables

International Monetary Rates

Variable

Path

Description

IMF SDR Rate

international.imf_sdr_rate

IMF Special Drawing Rights rate

US Federal Funds Rate

international.us_federal_funds_rate

US Federal Reserve rate

ECB Deposit Rate

international.ecb_deposit_rate

European Central Bank rate

BoE Bank Rate

international.boe_bank_rate

Bank of England rate

Sovereign Risk Spreads

Rating

Path

Description

AAA

international.sovereign_risk_spreads.aaa_rated

Spread for AAA-rated debt

international.sovereign_risk_spreads.aa_rated

Spread for AA-rated debt

international.sovereign_risk_spreads.a_rated

Spread for A-rated debt

BBB

international.sovereign_risk_spreads.bbb_rated

Spread for BBB-rated debt

Global Commodity Prices (CAD)

Commodity

Path

Description

WTI Crude Oil

commodities.oil_wti_barrel

Per barrel

Brent Crude Oil

commodities.oil_brent_barrel

Per barrel

Natural Gas

commodities.natural_gas_mmbtu

Per MMBtu

Gold

commodities.gold_oz

Per troy ounce

Lumber

commodities.lumber_mbf

Per thousand board feet

Wheat

commodities.wheat_bushel

Per bushel

Potash

commodities.potash_tonne

Per tonne

Copper

commodities.copper_lb

Per pound

Uranium

commodities.uranium_lb

Per pound

Currency & Trade Environment

Variable

Path

Values

USD Strength Index

currency_environment.usd_strength_index

DXY index

CAD Pressure

currency_environment.cad_pressure

weak / neutral / strong

WTO Tariff Environment

trade.wto_tariff_environment

normal / elevated / trade_war

CUSMA Status

trade.cusma_status

active / renegotiation / suspended

Supply Chain Stress

trade.supply_chain_stress

low / moderate / high / critical

Geopolitical Risk

Variable

Path

Description

Stability Index

geopolitical.global_stability_index

0-100, higher = more stable

Energy Security Risk

geopolitical.energy_security_risk

low / moderate / high / critical

Trade Bloc Tensions

geopolitical.trade_bloc_tensions

normal / elevated / high

Game Mechanics

Staffing Ratios

Context

Staff per Manager

Path

Default

mechanics.staffing.ratios.default.staff_per_manager

Defence

mechanics.staffing.ratios.defence.staff_per_manager

Regulatory

mechanics.staffing.ratios.regulatory.staff_per_manager

Healthcare

mechanics.staffing.ratios.healthcare.staff_per_manager

Technology

mechanics.staffing.ratios.technology.staff_per_manager

Staffing Cascade Rules

Threshold

Value

Description

Staff → Manager

Staff needed to justify one manager

Manager → Director

Managers needed to justify one director

Director → ADM

Directors needed to justify one ADM

Classification Pay Ranges

Level

Min Salary

Max Salary

Staff

$55,000

$95,000

Manager

$85,000

$130,000

Director

$115,000

$165,000

Executive

$145,000

$250,000

Budget Cost Allocation

Proposal & Voting Mechanics

Rule

Value

Description

Supermajority Threshold

67%

Required for major changes

Major Change Threshold

15%

Budget change % requiring supermajority

Minimum Support

10%

Required to advance from team level

Amendment Limit

Max amendments per proposal

Cycle Phases

Phase

Duration

Activities

Consultation

14 days

Team formation, research, initial proposals

Deliberation

21 days

Amendments, debate, coalition building

Voting

7 days

Final vote, results

Implementation

7 days

Simulation update, reflection

Tier 2: Administration Variables (2023-2027)

Fiscal Targets

Variable

Path

Description

Debt-to-GDP Trajectory

fiscal_targets.debt_to_gdp_trajectory.{year}

Target by year

Deficit Reduction Path

fiscal_targets.deficit_reduction_path.{year}

Deficit target by year

Debt Service Ceiling

fiscal_targets.debt_service_ceiling_percent

Max 12% of revenue

Major Program Commitments

Program

Status

Annual Cost

Pharmacare

program_commitments.pharmacare

Multi-billion

Dental Care

program_commitments.dental_care

Multi-billion

Childcare

program_commitments.childcare

Multi-billion

Indigenous Reconciliation

program_commitments.indigenous_reconciliation

Multi-billion

Climate Action

program_commitments.climate_action

Multi-billion

Defence Commitments

Variable

Value

Description

NATO Target

2.0%

Percentage of GDP

Achievement Year

2032

Target year for NATO spending

Tax Policy

Variable

Value

Corporate Rate

15.0%

Top Marginal Rate

33.0%

Top Bracket Threshold

$235,675

Capital Gains Inclusion

66.67%

Tier 3: Fiscal Year Variables (2025)

Exchange Rates

Currency Pair

Path

USD/CAD

economic.exchange_rates.usd_cad

EUR/CAD

economic.exchange_rates.eur_cad

GBP/CAD

economic.exchange_rates.gbp_cad

JPY/CAD

economic.exchange_rates.jpy_cad

CNY/CAD

economic.exchange_rates.cny_cad

Interest Rates

Rate

Path

Description

BoC Overnight

economic.interest_rates.boc_overnight

Bank of Canada rate

Prime Rate

economic.interest_rates.boc_prime

Prime lending rate

10Y Gov Bond

economic.interest_rates.government_10y_yield

10-year yield

5Y Mortgage

economic.interest_rates.mortgage_5y_fixed

Average 5-year fixed

Inflation

Metric

Path

Annual CPI

economic.inflation.cpi_annual

Core Inflation

economic.inflation.core_inflation

Food Inflation

economic.inflation.food_inflation

Shelter Inflation

economic.inflation.shelter_inflation

GDP

Metric

Path

Nominal (Billions)

economic.gdp.nominal_billions

Real Growth

economic.gdp.real_growth_percent

Per Capita

economic.gdp.per_capita

Federal Budget

Metric

Path

Total Expenditure

budget.total_expenditure_billions

Total Revenue

budget.total_revenue_billions

Projected Deficit

budget.projected_deficit_billions

Pay Scale Classifications

Economics & Social Science (EC)

Code

Label

Salary

Total Cost

EC-01

Junior Economist

$62,000

$77,500

EC-02

Intermediate

$71,000

$88,750

EC-03

Intermediate

$79,000

$98,750

EC-04

Senior

$88,000

$110,000

EC-05

Team Lead

$96,000

$120,000

EC-06

Manager/Director

$108,000

$135,000

EC-07

Senior Director

$122,000

$152,500

EC-08

Executive Director

$140,000

$175,000

Information Technology (IT)

Code

Label

Salary

Total Cost

IT-01

Technician

$60,000

$75,000

IT-02

Systems Analyst

$75,000

$93,750

IT-03

Senior Analyst

$92,000

$115,000

IT-04

IT Manager

$108,000

$135,000

IT-05

Director, IT

$125,000

$156,250

Executive Group (EX)

Code

Label

Salary

Total Cost

EX-01

Director

$130,000

$162,500

EX-02

Executive Director

$150,000

$187,500

EX-03

Director General

$175,000

$218,750

EX-04

Assistant Deputy Minister

$210,000

$262,500

EX-05

Deputy Minister

$280,000

$350,000

Geographic Weighting

Default Weights

Context

Weight

Description

Federal (all)

1.0

All Canadians equal on federal matters

Provincial (resident)

1.0

Full weight for province residents

Provincial (adjacent)

0.5

Adjacent province weight

Provincial (same region)

0.3

Same region weight

Provincial (distant)

0.1

Distant province weight

Municipal (resident)

1.0

Full weight for municipality residents

Municipal (same province)

0.3

Same province weight

Municipal (other province)

0.1

Other province weight

Regional Groupings

Region

Provinces

West

BC, AB, SK, MB

Central

ON, QC

Atlantic

NB, NS, PE, NL

North

YT, NT, NU

Computed Metrics (Correlation Engine)

Metric

Description

debt_service

Debt service as % of revenue

capital_space

Remaining capital expenditure room

currency_exposure

USD-denominated spending impact

inflation_pressure

Imported vs domestic inflation

trade_impact

Tariff and trade environment effects

program_viability

Funding status of major programs

fiscal_health

Composite health score (0-100)

staffing_impact

FTE implications of budget changes

Appendix B: Government Organizations

Federal Government Organizations by Portfolio

257 federal organizations with baseline budgets ranging from $2.8M to $71B.

Defence & Security Portfolio

Organization

Baseline Budget

National Defence

$26,400,000,000

Veterans Affairs Canada

$6,200,000,000

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

$5,400,000,000

Canada Border Services Agency

$2,400,000,000

Public Safety Canada

$1,200,000,000

Communications Security Establishment

$850,000,000

Canadian Security Intelligence Service

$680,000,000

Canadian Forces Housing Agency

$236,198,006

National Security and Intelligence Review Agency

$212,654,219

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

$185,000,000

Economy & Trade Portfolio

Organization

Baseline Budget

Employment and Social Development Canada

$71,000,000,000

Innovation, Science and Economic Development

$10,200,000,000

Global Affairs Canada

$7,800,000,000

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

$7,200,000,000

Canada Revenue Agency

$5,100,000,000

Public Services and Procurement Canada

$4,800,000,000

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

$3,200,000,000

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

$2,800,000,000

Natural Resources Canada

$2,800,000,000

Service Canada

$2,500,000,000

Healthcare & Social Services Portfolio

Organization

Baseline Budget

Indigenous Services Canada

$18,500,000,000

Public Health Agency of Canada

$8,200,000,000

Veterans Affairs Canada

$6,200,000,000

Health Canada

$4,500,000,000

Service Canada

$2,500,000,000

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

$1,300,000,000

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

$780,000,000

Infrastructure & Transport Portfolio

Organization

Baseline Budget

Canada Post

$8,500,000,000

Public Services and Procurement Canada

$4,800,000,000

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

$2,800,000,000

Shared Services Canada

$2,200,000,000

Transport Canada

$2,100,000,000

Parks Canada

$1,400,000,000

VIA Rail Canada

$850,000,000

Canada Infrastructure Bank

$850,000,000

Justice & Governance Portfolio

Organization

Baseline Budget

Indigenous Services Canada

$18,500,000,000

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs

$8,200,000,000

Global Affairs Canada

$7,800,000,000

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

$5,400,000,000

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

$4,200,000,000

Canada Border Services Agency

$2,400,000,000

Justice Canada

$1,100,000,000

Environment & Resources Portfolio

Organization

Baseline Budget

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

$4,100,000,000

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

$3,200,000,000

Natural Resources Canada

$2,800,000,000

Environment and Climate Change Canada

$2,400,000,000

Parks Canada

$1,400,000,000

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited

$1,200,000,000

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

$780,000,000

Note: Some organizations appear in multiple portfolios based on their mandate.

Provincial Ministries

97 provincial ministries across 4 provinces (Alberta, BC, Ontario, Quebec).

Alberta Ministries

Ministry

Budget

Health

TBD

Education

TBD

Affordability and Utilities

TBD

Agriculture and Irrigation

TBD

Energy and Minerals

TBD

Environment and Protected Areas

TBD

Infrastructure

TBD

Jobs, Economy and Trade

TBD

Justice

TBD

Public Safety and Emergency Services

TBD

Transportation and Economic Corridors

TBD

BC, Ontario, and Quebec ministries available in database.

Municipal Departments

30 municipal departments across Calgary and Edmonton.

All municipal departments are flagged cannot_deficit = TRUE, meaning they cannot operate at a deficit and must be fully funded.

City of Calgary

Department

Cannot Deficit

Calgary 9-1-1

✓

Calgary Police Service

✓

Calgary Fire Department

✓

Calgary Transit

✓

Calgary Roads

✓

Calgary Water Services

✓

Calgary Parks

✓

Calgary Recreation

✓

City of Edmonton

Department

Cannot Deficit

Edmonton Police Service

✓

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services

✓

Edmonton Transit Service

✓

EPCOR Water Services

✓

Edmonton Parks

✓

Edmonton Roads

✓

Appendix C: Crisis Characters

Crisis Overview

Name

Subtitle

Icon

Crisis Profiles

🧟 Zombert - The Undead Economy

Category: Economic | Severity: 3/5

Economic crisis strikes! Revenue is dropping and unemployment is rising. The economy needs intervention.

Trigger: deficit_ratio > 0.15 (30% probability)
Effects: Revenue reduction -15%
Cooldown: 8 weeks | Duration: 3 weeks | Response Deadline: 72 hours

Response Options:

Option

Cost

Outcome

Emergency Stimulus Package

$50B

Fast resolution, increases debt

Austerity Measures

Saves $20B

Slow resolution, reduces services

🔥 Ember - The Wildfire Season

Category: Natural | Severity: 4/5

Wildfire season is here! Emergency services are strained and evacuations may be needed.

Trigger: Scheduled (June-August), 30% probability
Effects: Cost increase +30%
Cooldown: 12 weeks | Duration: 2 weeks | Response Deadline: 48 hours

Response Options:

Option

Cost

Outcome

Emergency Funding

$10B

Immediate firefighting resources

Prevention Investment

$25B

Long-term prevention infrastructure

🦠 Connie the Contagion - The Public Health Emergency

Category: Health | Severity: 4/5

A public health emergency has emerged! Healthcare systems are overwhelmed.

Trigger: Random (5% probability)
Effects: Cost increase +40%
Cooldown: 16 weeks | Duration: 4 weeks | Response Deadline: 48 hours

Response Options:

Option

Cost

Outcome

Healthcare Surge Funding

$30B

Increase capacity

Containment Measures

$5B

Reduces spread but slows economy

⚡ Blackout Betty - The Grid Failure

Category: Energy | Severity: 3/5

The power grid has failed! Widespread outages are causing economic losses.

Trigger: Random (8% probability)
Effects: Revenue -10%, Cost +15%
Cooldown: 8 weeks | Duration: 2 weeks | Response Deadline: 72 hours

Response Options:

Option

Cost

Outcome

Emergency Grid Repairs

$15B

Quick fix

Grid Modernization

$50B

Comprehensive upgrade

💰 Big Beautiful Bill - The Infrastructure Demand

Category: Infrastructure | Severity: 3/5

Major infrastructure projects are being demanded across the country! Citizens want new roads, bridges, and public buildings—but the price tag is enormous.

Trigger: infrastructure_age > 25 (25% probability)
Effects: Cost increase +25%
Cooldown: 10 weeks | Duration: 4 weeks | Response Deadline: 96 hours

Response Options:

Option

Cost

Outcome

Approve Mega-Projects

$100B

High employment impact

Targeted Repairs Only

$25B

Delays new construction

Public-Private Partnerships

$40B

Mixed ownership model

🌊 Torrent - The Rising Waters

Category: Natural | Severity: 5/5

Catastrophic flooding is threatening communities! Rivers are overflowing, homes are at risk, and emergency services are scrambling.

Trigger: Scheduled (April-June), 35% probability
Effects: Cost +35%, Revenue -5%
Cooldown: 12 weeks | Duration: 3 weeks | Response Deadline: 48 hours

Response Options:

Option

Cost

Outcome

Emergency Flood Response

$8B

Evacuation and shelters

Flood Infrastructure Investment

$35B

Dikes and drainage systems

Mandatory Flood Insurance

$2B

Transfers risk to homeowners

🔧 Rusty - The Crumbling Foundation

Category: Infrastructure | Severity: 4/5

Critical infrastructure is failing! Bridges are unsafe, water mains are bursting, and the backlog of repairs is growing faster than budgets can handle.

Trigger: maintenance_backlog > 0.3 (20% probability)
Effects: Cost +20%, Service -15%
Cooldown: 8 weeks | Duration: 4 weeks | Response Deadline: 72 hours

Response Options:

Option

Cost

Outcome

Emergency Repair Blitz

$15B

Quick fixes

Systematic Asset Renewal

$60B

10-year comprehensive program

Reduce Service Levels

Saves $5B

Reduces citizen satisfaction

🎓 Brain Drain - The Talent Exodus

Category: Workforce | Severity: 3/5

Skilled workers are leaving for better opportunities elsewhere! Healthcare workers, teachers, and tech professionals are departing in record numbers.

Trigger: wage_competitiveness < 0.85 (15% probability)
Effects: Service -20%, Cost +10%
Cooldown: 16 weeks | Duration: 6 weeks | Response Deadline: 96 hours

Response Options:

Option

Cost

Outcome

Competitive Wage Package

$12B

Ongoing retention cost

Accelerated Immigration

$3B

Integration challenges

Domestic Training Investment

$8B

Slow but sustainable

Accept Reduced Services

Saves $2B

Risk of decline spiral

🏥 Dr. Waitlist - The Healthcare Backlog

Category: Health | Severity: 4/5

Healthcare wait times have reached crisis levels! Surgeries are delayed, ERs are overwhelmed, and patients are suffering.

Trigger: healthcare_capacity < 0.7 (25% probability)
Effects: Cost +30%, Service -25%
Cooldown: 12 weeks | Duration: 5 weeks | Response Deadline: 72 hours

Response Options:

Option

Cost

Outcome

Healthcare Capacity Surge

$20B

More beds and staff

Private Healthcare Partnership

$8B

Two-tier system risk

Prevention & Primary Care

$15B

Long-term structural solution

Out-of-Province Care

$5B

Creates external dependency

🏠 NIMBY Nancy - The Housing Standoff

Category: Housing | Severity: 3/5

Housing costs are soaring but communities are blocking new development! "Not In My Backyard" opposition is preventing solutions.

Trigger: housing_affordability < 0.5 (20% probability)
Effects: Cost +15%, Social tension +25%
Cooldown: 10 weeks | Duration: 8 weeks | Response Deadline: 96 hours

Response Options:

Option

Cost

Outcome

Override Local Zoning

$2B

Forces density near transit

Density Incentive Program

$10B

Municipal cooperation

Public Housing Construction

$25B

Direct government builds

Reduce Immigration Targets

Slows economic growth

Appendix D: Revision History

Version

Date

Changes

1.0

2026-01-02

Initial draft - core sections

1.1

2026-01-02

Populated Appendix A with 248 game variables

1.2

2026-01-02

Populated Appendix B with government organizations

1.3

2026-01-02

Populated Appendix C with 10 crisis characters

This is a living document. Updates are made as game mechanics evolve.

DUCKLINGS: Game Manual

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

What is Ducklings?

Why it Exists

What Students Learn

The Core Lesson

2. Getting Started

Student Enrollment

Access Code Format

Student Profiles

Team Formation

3. The Simulation

Game Cycles

Epochs

The $2.4 Trillion Sandbox

Geographic Scope

4. Budget Proposals

What is a Proposal?

Creating a Proposal

Team Collaboration

Proposal Status

The Rationale Matters

Budget Constraints

5. Voting System

Aggregation Hierarchy

Deadlines are Hard

Voting Mechanics

Why Blockchain?

6. Crisis Events

Week 5: The World Changes

Crisis Characters

What Crises Teach

Responding to Crisis

Crisis Mechanics

7. RIPPLE Impacts

What is RIPPLE?

How it Works

Example

Understanding RIPPLE Data

The Lesson

8. Scoring & Outcomes

There is No Winning

Trajectory Dimensions

End of Cycle Report

Trajectory Indicators

The Real Outcome

Continuity Between Cycles

9. For Administrators

School Setup

Managing Students

Semester Turnover

School Dashboard

Privacy Commitment

Support

Appendix A: Game Variables

Tier 1: World Variables

International Monetary Rates

Sovereign Risk Spreads

Global Commodity Prices (CAD)

Currency & Trade Environment

Geopolitical Risk

Game Mechanics

Staffing Ratios

Staffing Cascade Rules

Classification Pay Ranges

Budget Cost Allocation

Proposal & Voting Mechanics

Cycle Phases

Tier 2: Administration Variables (2023-2027)

Fiscal Targets

Major Program Commitments

Defence Commitments

Tax Policy

Tier 3: Fiscal Year Variables (2025)

Exchange Rates

Interest Rates

Inflation

GDP

Federal Budget