Refining Governments and Politics (Improved Readability and Two Additional Government Types)

This idea has three basic principles, these are:

1. Firstly, make the connection between political parties, resources, governments and victory conditions more readable in game. I suggest this is done through using colour-coded themes.
2. Secondly, change the colour of the pacifist party to yellow and the religious party to purple, to better reflect their affinity to their corresponding resources and game-play.
3. Thirdly, add two more government types so there is one for each of the corresponding victory conditions.

In Endless Space 2, we have six political factions (the ecologists, pacifists, militarists, industrialists, scientists and the religious), these all share a particular affinity with one of the six resources (food, industry, dust, science, influence and manpower). For example the ecologist party gains political sway within the player's senate through the construction of food  generating buildings; in turn ecological laws are geared towards food production and the booming growth of populations. The ecologist party and the production of food can be benefited by adopting Democracy, a form of government that complements the game-play and aims of the ecologist political party. This also leads, most organically, towards achieving a score victory; because the ecologist strategy favours those that seek to build wide (as opposed to 'tall') empires.

The Endless series prides itself on sleek, easily readable, and user friendly GUI. To make the new political and government systems more readable for new and returning players, the natural link between parties, resources, governments and victory conditions could be themed by the colours of the political parties. To achieve this the pacifist party could be changed to yellow, to match its affinity for dust production (through trade and the manipulation of the market), Likewise the religious party could be changed to purple to highlight its affinity for producing influence. Here is a chart to better emphasise my point:

Currently there are six political parties, six resources (excluding happiness), six victory conditions, but only four governments. I therefore suggest that two more be added, so there is a consistent and clear connection between political parties, resources, governments and victory conditions. Before I get ahead of myself, I want to stress that this is not an attempt to make the player adopt linear strategies, but rather an attempt to create a level of consistency and readability between these four different game concepts. A United Empire player aiming towards the conquest victory may find themselves with a militarist party in their senate, having researched and built buildings that provide them with additional manpower; that have, instead of, adopting a dictatorship have instead chosen to adopt an Oligarchy government because of the bonuses to influence it provides. For player learning and tutorial purposes it also makes it easier to provide an explanation as to how each of these concepts link, and why.

Now that I've covered the basics of my idea, I would like to move on to how existing governments could be refined and how the two new forms of government would work.

Dictatorship

'A system where the monarch, or tyrant, is in absolute power. Leaves space only for a single chosen ideology, regardless of the population's desires.'

Election Process

- Dictators can impose their desired political ideology on their Populations

- However, the further this ideology is from the Populations natural inclinations, the bigger the friction

Election Actions

Finance Campaign

Intimidate Citizens

Round-up

Propaganda

Government Effects

Laws are free to pass or abrogate

Only one law can be active in addition to the forced law

+40% Dust on Systems (changed down from 50%)

+200 maximum manpower stock (added)

Democracy

'A Democracy gives power to the population. Each system votes according to their ideology, creating a supposedly fair representation in the senate.'

Election Process

- Representatives scale with population

- Actions to influence elections are expensive

Election Actions

Finance Campaign

Intimidate Candidates

Press Scandal

Buyout Votes

Government Effects

+25%  food on systems (changed from +25% science on systems)

-25% Diplomacy cost reduction (including with minor factions) on Empire

Meritocracy

'A system which favours the educated and the accomplished. Only those with knowledge and credentials can plot the course of the Empire'

Election Process

- Representatives scale with Hero's level when assigned to a system

- Actions cost science, but have a powerful effect on election outcomes

Election Actions

Finance Campaign

Educate Citizens (provides a strong boost to selected politcal party)

Denounce Candidate (provides a strong penalty to selected political party)

Research Alternatives (provides a strong boost to all other political parties)

Government Effects

+25%  Science on systems

+5 Hero Experience each turn

Republic

'A Republic is less direct than a democracy, dividing populations in groups that share an ideology. The intention, however, stays the same.'

Election Process

- Representatives scale with Population

- Actions have a normal cost and are diversified

Election Actions

Finance Campaign

Intimidate Candidates

Primary Elections

Lobbying

Government Effects

+25% Dust on systems

+10%  Dust on systems per trading company

Oligarchy

'An Oligarchy ensures that power and influence resides within the hands of a select few. The political leanings of this hierarchy are safeguarded at all costs.'

Election Process

- Oligarchies can influence their populations ideologies/representatives through planetary specialisations.

- Specialisations of this kind come with happiness penalties.

Election Actions

Finance Campaign

Intimidate Citizens

Round-up

Impose Decree (provides a very strong boost to selected party, costs alot of influence)

Government Effects

+25% Influence on Systems

Declaring war costs no influence if opposing major civilisation is ruled by a differing political party than your own.

Federation

'A Federation does not waste time on individual populations' desires; rather they gather the governors of systems to decided the political fate of the empire. Of course, more influential governors carry more weight in the outcome...'

Election Process

- Representatives scale with the system level

- Actions to influence elections are powerful

Election Actions

Finance Campaign

Intimidate Candidates

Intimidate Citizens

Imperial Pressure

Government Effects

+25%  Industry on systems

-10% Over-colonisation penalty on Empire

Thank your taking the time to read my suggestions. Please feel free to comment.