One common complaint about the game is how ADM / DIP / MIL rules over the game as the ultimate currency limiting what you can do, due to being hard limited, RNG dependent or even of imbalanced use depending on game (ADM solo, MIL in MP). Meanwhile, their effects are generally immediate, such as stability never staying long in the negative or war exhaustion just disappearing. Yet, some interesting options exists that do spread the effect along, namely War taxes and Policy.
Thus came the idea: what if Mana could never be spent, and instead, make heavy use of policies for most mechanics, with a new paradigm? That's the subject of this proposition, meant for mechanical musings more than actual suggestion. Consider that other mechanics are adapted to conform to this when needed, the main ones being technology and coring as you'll see.
First, we will assume that the base value are still the same: 3 base, 0-6 from ruler, old "Free policy" bonus becoming straight up free points in their domain (since you don't accumulate points anyway). Advisors don't give a bonus, instead having a specific policy they boost on top of their reserve of free policies they offer. Let's say for example there is a "Recruitment Policy" that impacts maximum manpower. A "Master recruiter" advisor would increase this one by 1 rank, on top of giving 1-5 MIL policies points. Ranks gives the effectiveness of that Policy, ergo this recruitment one could give +10% Max manpower per invested rank in it (number given as example, balance pass on policies would be of course required).
Some Policies accumulates points toward a goal. Getting Generals requires to invest in a Military Academy policy, and each time it reaches a threshold, it grants a new General, meaning in the process that you do not have to worry about buying 5-8 generals to reroll stats while being above limit, since the constant roll out makes it redundant. Other sources can affect these accumulative policies, for example being at war for this one, or building an actual Academy, a building that could have a monthly maintenance cost to ensure you can't spam it. Larger / stronger countries would have a lot more officers at hand with that system naturally with that system, but war torn ones do bring the opportunity for heroes to rise up, so you are not necessarily penalized if you can't invest much in your officers. Some other policies meanwhile have additionally a natural decay, like Public order (the unrest part of stability), so you might want to keep some points around for these, but sometimes if you need to boost some other parts of your country you might as well need to let it go down naturally.
Other effects are impacted the same: integrating land is a Policy, and it gives a constant trickle of incorporated Governing capacity. Declaring a core only mean it will take longer for this new territory to get fully under your control, so you might prefer to do this progressively instead of a "core all" button, and over extension is based on this, so it goes down constantly instead of jumping around, with territories counting for less. Religion and culture conversion are also boosted by Policies and same religion, same culture land would be easier to Govern, meaning that you might prefer to convert people first, core later depending on your needs.
Ideas disappear in their current implementation, instead becoming a new "Improve administration" policy, something you buy out the same as Generals above, but instead your are buying new policies or improving the existing ones. "Quantity" is getting a couple improvement to that Manpower policy to get 15 or even 20% global manpower by invested point, "Administrative"'s CCR become improving the Governing capacity integration per ADM spent ratio, while buying out the ability to hire explorers or have special troops such as Marines or Revolutionaries Guards with scaling bonus could also be envisioned (so, yes, you could have straight up better elite, but how strong those elites are is one of those decaying policy requiring constant investment to keep them to their best)
Tech are basically rolled in this, with global constant effects when enough points are spent in it, but with local restrictions spreading like Institution. Getting guns requires the gunnery knowledge to spread, limiting where you can buy those new regiments / upgrade old units at, but you also need to assimilate the concept to make use of it. Similarly, something like the Manufactory institution would give a local boost to good production, that scales with how much you invest in improved manufactories to reinforce its effect. With a tight control on what can evolve from what, it should avoid "tech rushing" and in fact, promote timing your upgrade well, as when you discover a new thing, it will spread to others, making it easier for them to make use of it, while allowing strong countries to buy out a lead giving them an advantage early.
All in all, this stays as a basic concept, with probably a lot of flaws, but I hope it offers a basis for discussion and reflection on how to deal with what many considers a game design flaw. Hope you had a decent read
Thus came the idea: what if Mana could never be spent, and instead, make heavy use of policies for most mechanics, with a new paradigm? That's the subject of this proposition, meant for mechanical musings more than actual suggestion. Consider that other mechanics are adapted to conform to this when needed, the main ones being technology and coring as you'll see.
First, we will assume that the base value are still the same: 3 base, 0-6 from ruler, old "Free policy" bonus becoming straight up free points in their domain (since you don't accumulate points anyway). Advisors don't give a bonus, instead having a specific policy they boost on top of their reserve of free policies they offer. Let's say for example there is a "Recruitment Policy" that impacts maximum manpower. A "Master recruiter" advisor would increase this one by 1 rank, on top of giving 1-5 MIL policies points. Ranks gives the effectiveness of that Policy, ergo this recruitment one could give +10% Max manpower per invested rank in it (number given as example, balance pass on policies would be of course required).
Some Policies accumulates points toward a goal. Getting Generals requires to invest in a Military Academy policy, and each time it reaches a threshold, it grants a new General, meaning in the process that you do not have to worry about buying 5-8 generals to reroll stats while being above limit, since the constant roll out makes it redundant. Other sources can affect these accumulative policies, for example being at war for this one, or building an actual Academy, a building that could have a monthly maintenance cost to ensure you can't spam it. Larger / stronger countries would have a lot more officers at hand with that system naturally with that system, but war torn ones do bring the opportunity for heroes to rise up, so you are not necessarily penalized if you can't invest much in your officers. Some other policies meanwhile have additionally a natural decay, like Public order (the unrest part of stability), so you might want to keep some points around for these, but sometimes if you need to boost some other parts of your country you might as well need to let it go down naturally.
Other effects are impacted the same: integrating land is a Policy, and it gives a constant trickle of incorporated Governing capacity. Declaring a core only mean it will take longer for this new territory to get fully under your control, so you might prefer to do this progressively instead of a "core all" button, and over extension is based on this, so it goes down constantly instead of jumping around, with territories counting for less. Religion and culture conversion are also boosted by Policies and same religion, same culture land would be easier to Govern, meaning that you might prefer to convert people first, core later depending on your needs.
Ideas disappear in their current implementation, instead becoming a new "Improve administration" policy, something you buy out the same as Generals above, but instead your are buying new policies or improving the existing ones. "Quantity" is getting a couple improvement to that Manpower policy to get 15 or even 20% global manpower by invested point, "Administrative"'s CCR become improving the Governing capacity integration per ADM spent ratio, while buying out the ability to hire explorers or have special troops such as Marines or Revolutionaries Guards with scaling bonus could also be envisioned (so, yes, you could have straight up better elite, but how strong those elites are is one of those decaying policy requiring constant investment to keep them to their best)
Tech are basically rolled in this, with global constant effects when enough points are spent in it, but with local restrictions spreading like Institution. Getting guns requires the gunnery knowledge to spread, limiting where you can buy those new regiments / upgrade old units at, but you also need to assimilate the concept to make use of it. Similarly, something like the Manufactory institution would give a local boost to good production, that scales with how much you invest in improved manufactories to reinforce its effect. With a tight control on what can evolve from what, it should avoid "tech rushing" and in fact, promote timing your upgrade well, as when you discover a new thing, it will spread to others, making it easier for them to make use of it, while allowing strong countries to buy out a lead giving them an advantage early.
All in all, this stays as a basic concept, with probably a lot of flaws, but I hope it offers a basis for discussion and reflection on how to deal with what many considers a game design flaw. Hope you had a decent read
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