I want to suggest a rework to the political systems and to expand upon it. At the moment except for the gestalt and megacorp governments doesn't really matter that much. Factions also don't really matter that much (at least in my experience.). I Believe that it would offer a more immersive experience.
GOVERNMENTS
-Democratic
Using a similar system present in Imperator Rome. with factions being... well... factions or parties. The mechanics can vary if one wants to expand on this where parliamentary republics have parliaments.
And when elections come, one can see what colonies/world's dominant faction would be and thus would give the player an indication as to how that planet would "vote". Basically a "Political Landscape"
I can go further and say that sector governors can also be elected by the planets they govern. It can stop there or that governor could also be autonomous in governing his/her sector. Maybe even promoting his/her faction's interests via decisions and maybe even a couple of allocated building slots. The power of governors can maybe be set in policies/laws.
-Imperial/Monarchical
Maybe using a simplified version of CK3. using a simpler family tree. Giving simple character mechanics. Maybe a monarch can “marry” another leader within the country to produce an heir or heirs with specific traits. The standard Imperial governments may act just like dictatorship
If you have something like a feudal or bandit kingdom you have a house and other houses which may be included in or replace factions. These houses will have loyalty. Low loyalty would risk rebellion and counter productive leaders. High loyalty would give you surpluses to certain things, which can change through a lot of ways. E.g employing a member of a house to a general position or changing a law that that house doesn’t agree with. Maybe “marrying” with a leader from a certain house can greatly boost their loyalty or, like in CK3 prevent them from rebelling.
Should there be no heir there could be a possibility that another leader takes the crown. Otherwise civil war in some sort of way will take place
-Dictatorial
This form of government would probably not see much change. The Dictator can also be from a certain faction/party and may appoint a successor from his faction/party if none is appointed an election could take place or a succession crisis. Maybe even a leader with the most “power” or “claim” takes his/her place.
FACTIONS
Factions can be seen as parties in especially democratic systems. These factions could be based on ideology and/or species. The player starts with a faction representing his ideology and species with an opposing faction also existing from the start while new factions form over time
There can be 2 types of factions in general. Pops can be a member of both
Standard Factions/Parties
Think of these as the Democratic party or the Republican party or the CCP or Terra Firma (Mass effect). In a standard Democratic government, leaders of these factions can be elected as leaders. Pops will vote/side with a faction based on their own ethics. Factions can also have “capitals” and holdings like a head office of sorts.
In a standard dictatorial, standard imperial (not feudal or bandit) and some oligarchical systems one would want to suppress/outlaw these factions and keep your empire a one party state. These outlawed factions may become organizations with low happiness and higher radicalization.
Should these factions and their supporters be very unhappy with the player’s rule, they may simply secede with that faction becoming the ruling faction of the seceding faction. The player should choose to simply accept it or to fight the separatists to keep his/her empire united. Think of the American civil war.
Organizations
Organizations are factions that would want to subvert or influence your empire’s politics. They do not partake in elections. However these organizations when very unhappy can cause problems to the point of revolting and starting a full blown civil war. An organization could be either activist or hostile depending on the events and their radicalization ( an attribute of an organization determining their willingness to fight you).
An Activist organization would just simply subvert your pops and attempt to turn them to their ideology. (Think Antifa, BLM, the KKK)
A hostile faction would effectively declare you the enemy and would start a revolution. ( think Star Wars civil war era or the communists in Russia and China.)
A way of doing this is that pops supporting this faction can take up an organization job that would decrease stability and in the end should the stability be low will determine with how much strength the rebels attack should they win the faction would gain control of that star system if all planets fell (every revolt from this faction would belong to the same “country”). Should the organization be dominant on a world the world would just flip to the side of the rebels without resistance.
One can also say that if there is another organization that is unhappy and shares an ethic with the hostile organization or a species that is oppressed, they may become a faction of the rebels and also become hostile.
It can also be that foreign empire might donate fleets and resources to these rebels.
Holdings
Factions may build faction/political holdings. These can be by governors or events. Most faction capitals would I imagine have a headquarter (unless they are a hostile organization). Hostile organizations can build things like training camps. Should you have houses instead as with feudal and bandit kingdoms they may have something like the noble estates as a holding.
POLICIES/LAWS
I think this system may remain relatively the same with added laws. Some policies same as the game now would be restricted due to the players ethics.
This is just a suggestion and this is all changes I could think of that can be added in a political update.
GOVERNMENTS
-Democratic
Using a similar system present in Imperator Rome. with factions being... well... factions or parties. The mechanics can vary if one wants to expand on this where parliamentary republics have parliaments.
And when elections come, one can see what colonies/world's dominant faction would be and thus would give the player an indication as to how that planet would "vote". Basically a "Political Landscape"
I can go further and say that sector governors can also be elected by the planets they govern. It can stop there or that governor could also be autonomous in governing his/her sector. Maybe even promoting his/her faction's interests via decisions and maybe even a couple of allocated building slots. The power of governors can maybe be set in policies/laws.
-Imperial/Monarchical
Maybe using a simplified version of CK3. using a simpler family tree. Giving simple character mechanics. Maybe a monarch can “marry” another leader within the country to produce an heir or heirs with specific traits. The standard Imperial governments may act just like dictatorship
If you have something like a feudal or bandit kingdom you have a house and other houses which may be included in or replace factions. These houses will have loyalty. Low loyalty would risk rebellion and counter productive leaders. High loyalty would give you surpluses to certain things, which can change through a lot of ways. E.g employing a member of a house to a general position or changing a law that that house doesn’t agree with. Maybe “marrying” with a leader from a certain house can greatly boost their loyalty or, like in CK3 prevent them from rebelling.
Should there be no heir there could be a possibility that another leader takes the crown. Otherwise civil war in some sort of way will take place
-Dictatorial
This form of government would probably not see much change. The Dictator can also be from a certain faction/party and may appoint a successor from his faction/party if none is appointed an election could take place or a succession crisis. Maybe even a leader with the most “power” or “claim” takes his/her place.
FACTIONS
Factions can be seen as parties in especially democratic systems. These factions could be based on ideology and/or species. The player starts with a faction representing his ideology and species with an opposing faction also existing from the start while new factions form over time
There can be 2 types of factions in general. Pops can be a member of both
Standard Factions/Parties
Think of these as the Democratic party or the Republican party or the CCP or Terra Firma (Mass effect). In a standard Democratic government, leaders of these factions can be elected as leaders. Pops will vote/side with a faction based on their own ethics. Factions can also have “capitals” and holdings like a head office of sorts.
In a standard dictatorial, standard imperial (not feudal or bandit) and some oligarchical systems one would want to suppress/outlaw these factions and keep your empire a one party state. These outlawed factions may become organizations with low happiness and higher radicalization.
Should these factions and their supporters be very unhappy with the player’s rule, they may simply secede with that faction becoming the ruling faction of the seceding faction. The player should choose to simply accept it or to fight the separatists to keep his/her empire united. Think of the American civil war.
Organizations
Organizations are factions that would want to subvert or influence your empire’s politics. They do not partake in elections. However these organizations when very unhappy can cause problems to the point of revolting and starting a full blown civil war. An organization could be either activist or hostile depending on the events and their radicalization ( an attribute of an organization determining their willingness to fight you).
An Activist organization would just simply subvert your pops and attempt to turn them to their ideology. (Think Antifa, BLM, the KKK)
A hostile faction would effectively declare you the enemy and would start a revolution. ( think Star Wars civil war era or the communists in Russia and China.)
A way of doing this is that pops supporting this faction can take up an organization job that would decrease stability and in the end should the stability be low will determine with how much strength the rebels attack should they win the faction would gain control of that star system if all planets fell (every revolt from this faction would belong to the same “country”). Should the organization be dominant on a world the world would just flip to the side of the rebels without resistance.
One can also say that if there is another organization that is unhappy and shares an ethic with the hostile organization or a species that is oppressed, they may become a faction of the rebels and also become hostile.
It can also be that foreign empire might donate fleets and resources to these rebels.
Holdings
Factions may build faction/political holdings. These can be by governors or events. Most faction capitals would I imagine have a headquarter (unless they are a hostile organization). Hostile organizations can build things like training camps. Should you have houses instead as with feudal and bandit kingdoms they may have something like the noble estates as a holding.
POLICIES/LAWS
I think this system may remain relatively the same with added laws. Some policies same as the game now would be restricted due to the players ethics.
This is just a suggestion and this is all changes I could think of that can be added in a political update.
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