Didn't see anyone post this, but imagine if the minor factions function somewhere between civ5 (city states), GC2/3, AoW3 (minor independents) and EL.



This way they can be pirates, self sufficient systems, trading partners, or integrated population of your empire.

I think minor factions on some planets are good idea for space opera. But not the same fantasy factions from EL of course.

Nasarog wrote:
Didn't see anyone post this, but imagine if the minor factions function somewhere between civ5 (city states), GC2/3, AoW3 (minor independents) and EL.



This way they can be pirates, self sufficient systems, trading partners, or integrated population of your empire.

Something like this would be fun, though I also enjoy the concept of having an integrated minor faction be a sort of automated second faction within your empire. Like you set their behaviors and they run the script -- have them automatically colonize selected systems, form an a blockade of a specific route in part of your empire that you're not focusing on, etc. Have them use a color-shifted variant of your ship tech and colonized planet graphics (when applicable), and allow them to have a minor diplomacy role (boosts/detriments based on their traits). This might be a little too much to ask though. ^_^

and allow them to have a minor diplomacy role

I'd like to see it. Your treatment of minors should have effect on diplomacy - if you go exterminating them left and right the other major empires should be more reluctant to deal with you, especially if they have integrated their own minor factions. And you should get a diplomacy bonus if you have peacefully integrated minors.

Osmedirez wrote:
I also enjoy the concept of having an integrated minor faction be a sort of automated second faction within your empire.

I agree, a higher level of autonomy would make minor factions more enjoyable than the ones in EL. Imo the minors in EL were boring, just kinda sat there and gave stat bonuses and let you build units.

I'd like to see Minor Factions be more dynamic than how they are in Endless Legend. Where they have their own ships(more than one class), technology tree(albeit far more limited than a main players) as well as unique techs(although), and have the ability to expand to other planets.(ei, a minor faction that is basically the Broken Lords from EL their homeworld is a Desert Planet and as their tech tree expands they will start to colonize Arid Worlds and maybe Terran ones. and depending on the RNG your you may start with a minor faction in your starting constellation and you may have to fight them or try diplomacy to make peace or even allow integration with your empire(giving you access to their technologies)

I definitely like the idea of minor factions having preferred planet types they can expand to. Maybe not full colonies beyond their homeworld but maybe outposts you can exterminate, enslave, or integrate. Some like arid worlds, others like oceans, still others like gas giants or asteroids, etc.

I think a mixture of Galactic Civ 2 and Endless Legend minor factions would be interesting.



In Galactic Civ 2, minor factions stayed on one planets (unless you gave them planets, in which case they start to expand), they have a small economy, a small military, some tech...etc. You can establish commerce with them, economic and research treaties, give them weapons, buy and sell tech, buy influence points from them (which gives you more votes in the United Planets council)...etc. The cool thing about them however is that sometimes galactic events occurred where new minor factions emerge that have several planets (and an alignment) quickly becoming a major power, or sometimes a minor race steals a major faction's tech which you can get in exchange for something...etc. Minor factions felt alive and you could interact with them. However, they all operated the same way (minus those galactic events big minor factions with an alignment that hate other alignments), and you were limited in how to integrate them into your empire (essentially you don't, they remain independent but potentially within your sphere of influence).



So having the ability to integrate and assimilate a variety of diverse minor factions for unique bonuses and military assets as in EL, would be a very nice addition to the aforementioned formula. That, in addition to having the ability to exterminate or enslave.



I think having the best of both worlds is possible, or at least it seems within the realm of possibility.

KnightofPhoenix wrote:
(which gives you more votes in the United Planets council)

I can't see this becoming a thing. In Civ it makes sense, because throughout history there were several attempts at global peace councils, but in a vast universe we're exploring and expanding into, it wouldn't make much sense. Can you imagine a Cravers representative just chilling there while you're trying to pass a motion banning war? No, the Cravers rep would have come in guns blazing with his 200 friends and burned the place to the ground.



It's interesting to see other factions react to your treatment of minor factions, but I don't see a global diplomatic attempt being a thing that makes sense. In traditional SF, these kind of overarching organizations are typically seen in much more stable/advanced universes, such as Dune's Landsraad or the Conclave in Scalzi's Old Man's War (other SF universes I'm thinking of with multiple races don't seem to have such a body, like David Brin's Uplift universe).





On an unrelated note, I would for these minor factions to add a certain flair to the UI, their own personal touch. It would be pretty rad.

Oh I agree, I don't think a galactic council thing can work in the context of Endless Space. The closest thing we can hope for is to have interactions and coordination within alliances and coalitions, as opposed to the basic alliance system that we have.

I was just using the influence of Galactic Civ as one example of how you can interact with minor factions.

Fair enough, I thought you were volunteering a feature.



I do like the idea of minor factions having a certain weight in the grand scheme of things... heck it could be an Amoeba thing to try and make that council happen, even if that means destroying those who oppose the idea of peace.