▁of ▁other ▁countries ▁with ▁sub ter f uge . ▁Pope ▁saw ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁reverse ▁those ▁scenarios , ▁putting ▁the ▁player ▁as ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁imm igration ▁officer ▁as ▁to ▁stop ▁these ▁types ▁of ▁agents , ▁matching ▁up ▁with ▁his ▁existing ▁game play ▁mechan ics . ▁He ▁craft ed ▁the ▁fict ional ▁nation ▁of ▁Ar st ot z ka , ▁fashion ed ▁as ▁a ▁total itar ian , ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁Eastern ▁B loc ▁state , ▁with ▁the ▁player ▁gu ided ▁to ▁u ph old ▁the ▁glory ▁of ▁this ▁country ▁by ▁rig or ously ▁checking ▁pass ports ▁and ▁defe ating ▁those ▁that ▁might ▁in fil tr ate ▁it . ▁Ar st ot z ka ▁was ▁partially ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁setting ▁of ▁Pope ' s ▁earlier ▁game ▁The ▁Repub lia ▁Times , ▁where ▁the ▁player ▁acts ▁as ▁editor - in - ch ief ▁of ▁a ▁newspaper ▁in ▁a ▁total itar ian ▁state ▁and ▁must ▁decide ▁on ▁which ▁stories ▁to ▁include ▁or ▁f als ify ▁to ▁u ph old ▁the ▁interests ▁of ▁the ▁state . ▁Pope ▁also ▁based ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁border ▁crossing ▁for ▁Ar st ot z ka ▁and ▁its ▁neighb ors ▁on ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Wall ▁and ▁issues ▁between ▁East ▁and ▁West ▁Germany , ▁stating ▁he ▁was ▁" n atur ally ▁attract ed ▁to ▁Or w elli an ▁commun ist ▁b ureau c racy ". ▁He ▁made ▁sure ▁to ▁avoid ▁including ▁any ▁specific ▁references ▁to ▁these ▁inspir ations , ▁such ▁as ▁avoid ing ▁the ▁word ▁" com rade " ▁in ▁both