[I'm certainly not the first to come up with this as a way to merge political and influence map modes, however I am curious as to how this idea will be received with some twists here and there. 
]
-- Government Rank --
Empires - Most-saturated colors with (culture-based*) empire-tier border design. |:}{:|
Kingdoms - Mid-saturated colors with (culture-based*) kingdom-tier border design. |[:]|
Duchies - Least-saturated colors with (culture-based*) duchy-tier border design. |:|
-- Government Type --
Along with different border designs for government tier and culture groups, further variation could be included based on government type (ultimately based on tech level). In this way, the visual design will progress through time from a Renaissance/heraldic/figure-based border design to more modern styles akin to naval ensigns/national flags.
-- Subordinates --
|[:]| Independent Nation - No additional changes to country color**.
|[:]| Personal Union - Border color from senior partner nation is adopted, but nation color (fading portion) and government-tier border design remains the same.
|:| Vassal - A beginning 80% vassal/20% overlord color mix (vassal's border color and design remain unique); if overlord begins to integrate, the color mix begins to shift to the overlords color based on integration progress.
|[:]| March - Overlord's color and border/design adopted, differentiated by the lighter tint of government rank and culture (if different from overlord).
|[:]| Colonial Nation - Same as March except the border design takes on a more rugged look.
|[:]| Trade Company - Less-saturated version of overlord colors except (1) border colors adopted from trade region colors, (2) border design based on local culture, and (3) text over territory taken from trade company name (i.e. "British East India Company" instead of "Great Britain" in Bengal Delta) when zoomed out.
|:| Protectorate - A 20% overlord/80% vassal color mix (vassal's border color/design/tier remain unique); if vassal begins to westernize, the color mix begins to shift to vassal's color based on progress (imagine opposite of vassal integration).
|:}{:| HRE - Special rules for HRE: member borders that are also the furthest external borders of the empire use a unique HRE empire-tier border instead; in cases where non-HRE nation borders cross HRE borders, the HRE border will become slightly transparent following de-jure territory borders. If the reform turning the emperor into an inherited title is passed, the border color changes to the emperor-nation's color. If the reform turning willing nation's into direct vassals is passed, consenting nations will change to a mix of their and emperor's color (as in preceding vassal example).
In brief: Country and border colors represent the leading administration/empire, country border designs represent the local/cultural authority and relevant government tier.
-- Customization --
In Vassal Interaction/Nation Designer/Client State creation, let these elements be edited freely.
Bonus points: Allow heraldic augmentation of your nation and subordinates based on your personal unions/marches/vassals (marshaling such as Spain), colonial nations (per pale/charges etc.), and trade companies/protectorates (naval ensigns etc.); if cores/cultural claims are lost, then at least you can show the world that you once owned such-and-such lands.
-- Notes --
*The functional purpose of the borders is as another way to distinguish (culturally) between, say for example, the red of Japan (as an empire) against the red of Great Britain (as an empire) if they take adjacent territory; likewise, if Great Britain (as an empire) takes territory adjacent to Denmark (as a kingdom), the more elaborate empire-tier border of the British will be apparent. (Possible color-blind support!)
**To account for HRE and other atomized regions, perhaps borrow the HOI4 model of fading out country color from borders to a slight transparency with the terrain layer visible beneath; In this manner, even the least saturated duchy OPMs will still be easy to spot since they will have less of a border color falloff.
]-- Government Rank --
Empires - Most-saturated colors with (culture-based*) empire-tier border design. |:}{:|
Kingdoms - Mid-saturated colors with (culture-based*) kingdom-tier border design. |[:]|
Duchies - Least-saturated colors with (culture-based*) duchy-tier border design. |:|
-- Government Type --
Along with different border designs for government tier and culture groups, further variation could be included based on government type (ultimately based on tech level). In this way, the visual design will progress through time from a Renaissance/heraldic/figure-based border design to more modern styles akin to naval ensigns/national flags.
-- Subordinates --
|[:]| Independent Nation - No additional changes to country color**.
|[:]| Personal Union - Border color from senior partner nation is adopted, but nation color (fading portion) and government-tier border design remains the same.
|:| Vassal - A beginning 80% vassal/20% overlord color mix (vassal's border color and design remain unique); if overlord begins to integrate, the color mix begins to shift to the overlords color based on integration progress.
|[:]| March - Overlord's color and border/design adopted, differentiated by the lighter tint of government rank and culture (if different from overlord).
|[:]| Colonial Nation - Same as March except the border design takes on a more rugged look.
|[:]| Trade Company - Less-saturated version of overlord colors except (1) border colors adopted from trade region colors, (2) border design based on local culture, and (3) text over territory taken from trade company name (i.e. "British East India Company" instead of "Great Britain" in Bengal Delta) when zoomed out.
|:| Protectorate - A 20% overlord/80% vassal color mix (vassal's border color/design/tier remain unique); if vassal begins to westernize, the color mix begins to shift to vassal's color based on progress (imagine opposite of vassal integration).
|:}{:| HRE - Special rules for HRE: member borders that are also the furthest external borders of the empire use a unique HRE empire-tier border instead; in cases where non-HRE nation borders cross HRE borders, the HRE border will become slightly transparent following de-jure territory borders. If the reform turning the emperor into an inherited title is passed, the border color changes to the emperor-nation's color. If the reform turning willing nation's into direct vassals is passed, consenting nations will change to a mix of their and emperor's color (as in preceding vassal example).
In brief: Country and border colors represent the leading administration/empire, country border designs represent the local/cultural authority and relevant government tier.
-- Customization --
In Vassal Interaction/Nation Designer/Client State creation, let these elements be edited freely.
Bonus points: Allow heraldic augmentation of your nation and subordinates based on your personal unions/marches/vassals (marshaling such as Spain), colonial nations (per pale/charges etc.), and trade companies/protectorates (naval ensigns etc.); if cores/cultural claims are lost, then at least you can show the world that you once owned such-and-such lands.
-- Notes --
*The functional purpose of the borders is as another way to distinguish (culturally) between, say for example, the red of Japan (as an empire) against the red of Great Britain (as an empire) if they take adjacent territory; likewise, if Great Britain (as an empire) takes territory adjacent to Denmark (as a kingdom), the more elaborate empire-tier border of the British will be apparent. (Possible color-blind support!
)**To account for HRE and other atomized regions, perhaps borrow the HOI4 model of fading out country color from borders to a slight transparency with the terrain layer visible beneath; In this manner, even the least saturated duchy OPMs will still be easy to spot since they will have less of a border color falloff.
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