Dealing with Earth Thread - Solar War

Has anyone successfully played a campaign by either giving a single nation unilateral control or as an independent?

I tried giving the US unilateral control, and things went well for awhile. However, despite giving me budget increases every single month they pulled support and turned hostile before I could even get to Mars.

I can't understand how one would function at all as an independent. No nations of consequence will give me support at all.

Can anyone shine some light on this?

More specifically, what controls the values for 'global public opinion', 'budget discipline', 'personnel management' and 'proper roles for our officers'? The last two are always very low, despite all my officers being promoted as far as their experience allows and given roles.

Edited by: Raelyf

Public opinion: What the general public thinks of you. Increased by successes/victories and decreased by getting your ass kicked. Otherwise, slowly decays towards 50% (in both directions). Some missions/events also add points here.
Budget discipline: Gets worse if you use the emercency budget option. If you don't do that it should stay at the maximum.
Personnel management: You gain score in this by promoting officers of that nation.
Command representation / Proper roles for our officers: Scores how many officers of that nation command ships or fleets, with big capital ship fleets counting more.

Each nation varies in much they demand of you in the various categories.