This is the fourth of a set of five related ideas.


The Ministry of Truth is presently a mutually exclusive empire competition -- there can be only one winner and everyone else has sour grapes (they only get a dust refund).  I propose that this structure should have counterplay possible by capturing the system on which it is built -- this can be military capture, pacific capture, diplomatic capture, etc.


1) The system on which the MoT (Ministry of Truth) is built should get an icon above it on the galaxy view just like home systems, the academy, and the trade clearing bureau.  This will allow enemy empires to locate the system on which the MoT is built.


2) If the system is captured, a solo quest is presented to the new owner with options similar to the following.


2.1.0) Part 1 of 1: Militarist: No one should have it.  The MoT's effects are disabled.  Disassemble the structure and obtain half of the construction costs: 75 orichalcix, 75 quadrinix, TBD dust equivalent to 9360 industry.  Hold the system for six turns (or whatever half of a full occupation would take according to the current game mode: 8% occupation per turn = 12.5 turns for full occupation -> half would be six turns).  On completion, can have some fancy quest epilogue that says "The deed is done and this wonder is now lost to the galaxy forever".

2.2.1) Part 1 of 2: Industrialist: We should move it.  The MoT's effects are disabled.  Disassemble the structure by holding the system for six turns.

2.2.2) Part 2 of 2: Industrialist: Build the structure again, but for half the cost: 75 orichalcix, 75 quadrinix, 9360 industry.  On completion, your empire now gets the MoT bonus.

2.3.0) Part 1 of 1: Neutral: We can hold it.  The MoT's effects stay active and it stays bound to the current planetary system.  Note that by not moving the MoT like in option 2.2, this gives the former owners the chance to take back the system.  I would argue that if they do take it back, they should also be given the same choices to destroy/move/keep the MoT now that it has changed hands again.


3) Since this is a tier five deed, I think that empires should be forced to build this somewhere other than their home system, but I can't come up with anything solid from a lore perspective to justify it (like with the TCB).  I suppose just flag it for diminishing returns like with the ITER and ERP.  For example:


+50 industry per Empires at War

+50 industry if Unique (Unique system improvements hinder other unique system improvements.  The Galactic HQ of an empire's home system also counts as a unique system improvement.)

-15% upkeep on Empire

-10% upkeep on Empire if Unique

(Can only be built once per galaxy and cannot be moved with an Ark)


Being a tier five deed, at this point in the game the empire probably has a spare high industry system other than their home system to build this on to min/max the Unique bonus.  At the very least, there is some motivation to build it on its own system thereby exposing it to counterplay options.


4) Squashing bugs ahead of time:

4.1) Make sure that the MoT stays protected against other player actions -- they can't manually scrap it, it doesn't die accidentally during ground invasions, it isn't removed when a system is razed/vacated.

4.2) Make sure that corner cases for multiple possession changes don't break things.  For example, Player B captures the MoT system from Player A, then on the same turn without clicking any of the solo quest actions, does a diplomatic exchange and sells the system to their ally Player C.


5) As an added bonus, the MoT should be made into a structure visible on the star system management and planet view just like how the academy is visible.  Not sure how you'd decide which planet to attach it to though.  Does the game keep track of which planet was the original outpost in every system?  That would be my first choice.


6) If the MoT can be assigned to a specific planet, can make destroying that planet with a core cracker automatically trigger 2.1.0 above.  It would be a great way to make late game core crackers more impactful.


-HP