Megacorps should offer specialised services

[Xyre255]

Megacorps currently don't have any special diplomatic interactions tied to them. The problem is that most megacorps with the exception of Criminal Heritage and Gospel of the Masses don't affect the core playstyle that much. There are civics that have a lot of potential for interesting gameplay implications like Media Conglomerate or even potentially Naval Contractors or Private Military Companies (But the flavour text doesn't support it, atleast for now)

Let me explain what I mean on some examples of how it might work.

• A Media Conglomerate setting up on a planet would obviously have some effect on the population of said planet. They would obviously do stuff like movies, news and so on but they would put their own spin on things. Basically making propaganda to change the public opinion on said planet and by extention the empire to allign more with what the megacorp wants. Basically forgin fake news about Empire X eating Empire Y babies because you have Empire X as a rival and need the help of Empire Y to deal with them.
• A Megacorp that specialises in PMC could potentially "lend" its fleet and or army to another empire for a price. Basically the Condottieri from EU4 but in SPACE. There would be a price to negotiate and a time for how long a army/fleet can be rented out. If a war is won you gain opinion and if a war is lost you lose opinion.
• Idyllic Bloom should be made avilable to megacorps so that they can sell terraforming services to other empires. Basically a enviromental/ecological engineering company on a galactic scale. . You would be able to build Corporate Gaia Seeders on worlds you have a branch office on for huge opinion boosts. Optionally a normal empire could buy their terraforming services. On a sidenote Idyllic Bloom feels more like it should be a origin instead of a civic looking at how it works.
• Other civics should also get this treatment if possible. If not they should atleast get either a unique corporate buildings or upgraded versions of the default ones.

This would obviously warrant some system of corporate missions. Such missions would have a timelimit and would give you opinion if finished in time. If not finished in time you would get a call from your customer about why you didn't fullfill your side of the deal yet. You would be given 3 options to chose from "Delay", "Refund", "Take the money and run". What the consequences of each option should be obvious.
Also diplomacy between megacorps should work slightly differently than between normal empires. Megacorps that sell the same services should have negative opinions of eachother as they stand in competition. If they don't do that they shouldn't have this problem.

These are just some thoughts I had about making megacorps more diverse gameplay wise.

 

[st360]

Most of these seem kinda duplicative.

Bonuses offered by your 1) seem similar to bonuses offered by enclaves. 2) is again offered via well, mercenaries that already exist. Considering regular empires can already terraform, there is a terraform edict, and a teraform ascension perk, having a fourth teraforming option seems too much.

As far as I can tell, Stellaris is already having a hard time inventing new rewards and bonuses, since everything is already taken. I'm having trouble thinking up of any relevant resource/modifier a megacorp could offer that's not already offered by something in game.

 

[Quinzal]

I like the concept.

For some more ideas:

Private Prospectors could sell colony ships to those who don't want to put in the valuable resources. This might be especially useful to Machine Intelligences, as, as an example, 1000 Credits are usually a lot easier to come by than 400 alloys. Maybe a little more expensive to ensure that the colony ship has the species they want, and not just a random one from the MegaCorp's worlds.

Trading Posts could let you set up stations in other empires' territory that increase their own trade value based on their economy, with them paying a 'rent' on it every so often to keep the benefits. These stations would operate like the Galactic Market Hub, being there but not being functional outside of the buff.

Gospel of the Masses might have Spiritualist empires sponsor you in other empires that need a little god in their lives. Maybe their sponsoring you could also let you build Branch Offices on select worlds without needing a Commercial Pact.

And, of course, Public Relations Specialists could put in a good word between empires.

 

[Maolove]

hello! we have Suggestions forum)