My 2nd game overall, playing Cravers and assimilating minor races by invasion. Got 5 minor races, none were militarist, and approval is abysmal even for the starting system.

Was bribing off the unrest until I missed one turn, and my government was changed to democracy with single pacifist representation.

Didn't bother and continued ongoing war. Few turns later got Militarist democracy with pacifist and industrialist representation, and everyone was happy.

So I just endured a few turns and saved a big amount of influence (and related science) to switch to democracy for free, which makes everyone happy (even though they're still slaves) and allows more laws.

I wonder what benefits a dictatorship government brings? And the play-style it encourages?

Only has one benefit: You can choose any political party in each election. The downside is that you only have one senator.

Democracy has 3 senators, and an additional law but you cannot influence the political party too much. Also give 1 approval per pop.

Republic has +25% industry and -25% expansion disapproval. Two senators.

Federation Laws are 50% stronger. Two senators.

Ninakoru wrote:

Only has one benefit: You can choose any political party in each election. The downside is that you only have one senator.

Democracy has 3 senators, and an additional law but you cannot influence the political party too much. Also give 1 approval per pop.

Republic has +25% industry and -25% expansion disapproval. Two senators.

Federation Laws are 50% stronger. Two senators.

Actually, dictatorship has one more bonus. The ideology you choose will always be at potent-level. This means that you can quickly and easily select laws that need stronger support without needing to wait for the ideology that the law is in to be potent. 

PowerofTwo wrote:

Pacifists, it's for pacifists Cravers :) 

Not joking a rediter, Zennok came up with it, since you're a dictatorship you can be a pacifist any time you want, got to peace with every empire pass the law that gives either +Happines or +Fids / peace treaty. This either boosts your economy to stupid levels with the Cravers natural +Fids before depletion or counteracts the slavery unhappynes :P

It's wierd but it show abit of a flaw in the political system, i've hard , especialy early to REMAIN a militarist empire, building ships will boost military aproval, but expansion, pop growth, infrastructure... alot of basic, unavoidable things will boost ecologist / pacifist / religious ALOT. Then again ... reliably being a militarist  / pacifist Republic Cravers would be kinda... insane....

Ayy. 

Hmm, so there are some benefits, and it's useful to switch to ecologist at times.

But the number of law slots are way to few to justify that.

And most of the times political opinion is just some inertia from actions the prior turns so not really that useful.