hey all - longtime reader, first time writer. first let me say that HK rules, i'm a total convert with 300+ hours and thank you for this incredible game.

i've been thinking about the endgame; despite innovative mechanics and a fun culture system, this game is still most of the time won or lost by the end of medieval. there aren't enough ways to overcome a technologically stronger opponent. i also have found vertical play (small number of very developed cities) to be pretty much unviable compared to horizontal play (large number of less developed cities). that means fame turns out to be kind of a proxy for the same old 4X win conditions.

one reason we see historical empire turnover in the real world is that administering an enormous multicontinent empire is just hard. it's expensive, politically challenging, and the great empires of the past haven't been able to do it and have eventually collapsed under their own weight. the 4X genre represents economic and technological exchange between cities as a simple sum as if coordinating a research effort across 3,000 miles was as easy as doing it across 3.

i'd like to see an additional empire management mechanic come to HK that reproduces that challenge. stability is a start, but you can solve stability through conquest, so that actually just reinforces world-spanning empire. the existing city limit that places a drain on influence is also easily overcome. i'd like to propose one or more of the following:

- an Identity/Affinity/Loyalty score that measures a city's affinity for the empire it's a part of. the score could be modified by existing religion, sphere of influence, stability mechanics, and perhaps world reputation.

- percentage penalties on FIMS for exceeding the city limit to reflect administrative drain.

- administrative districts and/or units (agents) that reduce the penalties of empire.

- revised rebellions. rebellion generates a handful of underpowered military units that are easily squashed, contributing military stars, or that even wander off and attack neighbors. in my play so far, i've been thankful for rebellions more often than not. rebellions could represent strikes within the city that disable and destroy infrastructure - much more threatening.

yes

Great suggestions, you've well identified some of the issues the game faces, too.

I have thought before about how a 'governership' sort of system could be used to achieve these goals, but wasn't sure if that would act as a perfect fit, however the ideas you've proposed are executed, I think they'd be worthwhile.