[spoiler]Hello, I've discovered Endless Space fairly recently and must say it was a wonderful surprise. I'm often attracted to 4X type game but don't stay interested for long in most of the cases. I like many mechanisms in this game, but started quite quickly to hope for more[/spoiler]



I tend to don't like games that involve extending over too many systems because of the shift to macro and because most systems turns to be fairly similar in that kind of cases. I would like the game to be more immersive, not by the way of more writing/AI interaction, but the way you can pick possibilities for your galactic empire. Actually I find that the different faction identity is mostly found in the lore and the ship design. The basic trait is often quite different and will be quite important for game start but that characteristics may fade with time.



This is due to an array of factors :

-> research trees are really codependent, which is not a bad thing, and research cost scaling means that in most case you will explore your options in a circular pattern. Faction specific techs are quite rare.

-> sowers aside, to properly function all systems will require the same kind of things. You may specialize planets but unless severely limited in industry or mist you don't have really a need to make specific choices per system. If you manage to get some trade and have unlocked some financial techs, most upkeep will not be that punishing.

-> the way happiness work you have to handle it the same way across factions, just considering the balance between expansion and unlocking happiness techs.



The suggestion : add some system improvements that would be like planetary exploitation, aka exclusive to each other, and make their availability different from faction to faction.

This could be a way to differentiate between a tightly knit empire or something akin more to a loose confederation, etc.



With proper technology the following governments are available on system.



Normal : nothing changed, and it's the default value.



Core World : this system is an important center of the empire, its production well integrated within it but lacking freedom.

Traits :

+ Movement bonus within limits, science/mist prod from industry higher, bonus to defense and fleet regen, maybe reduced upkeep on fleet on orbit or hangar (may be difficult to implement)

- population counts toward more expansion unhappiness, losing system to another faction gives empire wide unhappiness malus

Conditions : at least 6 pop/ 2/3 of planets colonized, not an outpost (anything saying that it's important enough), not more than 1 for 3/4 system in empire.

Availability : more "empire like" factions : cravers, UE (of course), Horatio, Hissho...



Frontier World : A recently acquired system or somewhere remote. people won't expect much help from empire nor will they participate actively to it.

Traits :

+ don't count toward expansion unhappiness (or huge reduction), reduced planet unhappiness

- reduction on mist acquired, upkeep augmentation, science/mist conversion from industry less effective.

Conditions : less than 6 pop total (will revert to normal afterward)

Availability : all but factions that wouldn't leave systems on the margins (sophons?, Hissho, Amoeba)



Federation World : This system has the right to more autonomy, but they don't like their well-being being affected by nationhood

Traits :

+ reduced empire expansion and invasion unhappiness, bonus on science

- empire taxation unhappiness majored. defense value per pop decreased, mist speedup cost increased

Availability : all but factions that wouldn't tolerate lack of control : horatio, crawers



Governor World : This system is an hand of one individual or a group loyal to the empire but minding its own business

Traits :

+ reduced empire expansion unhappiness, bonus on trade routes, amplified bonus on luxury goods.

- more mist lost due to distance, reduced science in system.

Availability : all but factions that wouldn't tolerate such local "unfair" power : pilgrims, amoeba, sophons



General rules

Changing a government is not possible while being under siege.

Changing a government creates temporary unhappiness and production drop, scaling with system population.

This should avoid easily changing governments as a way to exploit.



Of course the pro/cons for each are highly debatable, the idea is to have the following effect for each kind of system

Normal as in vanilla ES

Core World a highly efficient system that needs an efficient empire with happiness in check.

Frontier world a loose part of the empire. Don't cost/need much, won't provide much.

Federation world the "democratic" autonomous system, more happiness, more susceptible to invasion, less easy to invest into.

Governor world the "autocratic" autonomous system, more happiness, less benefit from it unless highly trade based. Anything less adding the feeling of "loose control" over them could be nice, maybe some empire wide malus growing with each of these systems.



Adding some faction specific upgrades/limitation toward those systems could help giving a different "wibe" on the kind of empire you're playing. Of course those are only ideas, and ideally they shouldn't translate into a "no alternative" system, aka mandatory choices. The main point is that an empires lacking the appropriate tech level may choose to have a more "loose" configuration.