Improved Minor Faction Interactions

Minor factions should be a feature of the game that players deal with throughout the entire game, rather than just for a short period of time.

Spending a brief burst of influence or other resources to assimilate them in a single turn is not terribly engaging gameplay, nor does it give enemies any chance to react to the player, and it leaves all minor factions feeling essentially the same.

As a solution, I would like to suggest a system in which minor factions require a greater effort over a longer period of time to sway, and keeping them alive and (semi-)independent is rewarding.

Feature Summary

• Each MF has a Culture (e.g. Eusocial), Personality (e.g. Warmonger), Attitude (e.g. +27: Trusting), and Diplomatic Status (e.g. Alliance)
• Personalities are no longer a one-dimensional measure of aggression
• Attitude is tracked on a scale of -100 to +100 with certain “attitude category” thresholds (same as now)

(-100) Hostile (-60) Aggressive (-20) Neutral (20) Trusting (60) Friendly (100)

This scale might need adjustment, and could even be influenced by a “minor faction aggressiveness” setting in the game options (E.g. shift all thresholds 20 points up)

• Attitude does not always decay, but move towards a Base Attitude determined by Personality. Decay may be linear, depend on difference to Base Attitude, or by individual modifier
• attitude, much like population politics, is influenced by events (see examples below)
• behavior is determined by a combination of personality and attitude
• Assimilation bonuses are gained through vassalizing (or allying) the faction, or assimilating from the population screen once a threshold (e.g. 10 population) is reached
• attitude and diplomatic status (and to some extent culture) determine the availability and effectiveness of actions taken on the MF screen

Event Examples

• Blockade System: -10
• Attack: -20
• Protect System (lift pirate or enemy empire blockade) +20
• Kill enemies +15
• Shared/Opposing Ruling Party (does not decay while active) +/-10 for party, +/-5 per active law
• Respect for military (Warmongers and scavengers only) +10 - +20
• Technological progress (technologists only) +2 per era section unlocked
• Scan Curiosity in MF System (extra for Technologists) +5 (+10 for Technologists and Traders)
• Respect Borders +1/turn, max +10 (max +15 for isolationists)
• Population +4 per exchanged population (no effect on isolationists)
• Declared war on Minor Faction -30 (-15 for Warmongers)
• border tension -5 - -15 (double for Isolationists)
• Bribe (MF Action): +20
• Trade (MF Action): +10, +20 for traders
• Threaten: +200 for one turn, -40 afterwards
• Demand Tribute: -20; 0 if fighting common enemy
• At Peace: +20 (permanent)
• Allied: +40 (permanent)
• Vassal: +40 (permanent)

Culture

• Primitive: Easier to Threaten, [needs specific action]
• Scavenger: More Effective Bribes, Raid Action
• Technologists: More difficult to Threaten, Research Initiative Action
• Eusocial: Less effective bribes, [needs specific action]

Personalities:

• Warmonger: -30 Base Attitude, actively attacks player fleets at neutral or worse attitude
• Isolationist: 0 base attitude: concentrates fleet in home system
• Trader: 0 base attitude
• Pacifist: 30 base attitude, does not attack at neutral attitude

Attitudes:

• Hostile: Attacks player fleets in player territory, starts invasions
• Aggressive: Attacks player fleets in neutral territory
• Neutral: Attacks player fleets in their home system
• Trusting: Does not attack player fleets
• Friendly: Does not attack player fleets

Diplomatic Status:

• War: The MF will actively seek to destroy player fleets, regardless of attitude. Frequently starts blockades and invasions
• Cold War: Default status
• Peace: Does not attack player, regardless of attitude. Prerequisite for.alliance
• Alliance: MF will join player's war (unless they like the enemy better)
• Vassal: The player receives 50% of the faction's Dust, Science, and Resource generation, and their assimilation bonus, but must defend them if war is declared on them. Gives access to small ship hull template. Prerequisite for Integration
• Integrated: System has been absorbed into a major empire. Gives access to medium hull template (at sufficient population, e.g. 20). Liberation might be a possible game mechanic.

Actions:

• Assist
• Bribe: Exchange a randomly determined resource/dust for an attitude boost (resource selection weighted by Culture)
• Trade: Buy a resource produced by the faction for dust.
• Threaten: If player has sufficient military, they can force a temporary attitude boost, but it is replaced with a large and long-lasting penalty once it wears off.
• Demand Tribute: Receive dust or resources from the minor faction. Incurs attitude penalty except in specific circumstances.
• Enlist: Spawn a small mercenary fleet under player control
• Raid (Scavengers) Spawn a moderately sized MF fleet that moves to territory of other empires
• Research Initiative (Technologists): 20% Research bonus to one random technology (if exclusive tech, apply to both)