Previous 4 x titles were mostly about painting the map in your color but HK wants to innovate and gradually build up conflict and provide a dynamic narrative to them. This is a noble attempt and I think its possible to pull it off successfully

Here are my notes based on second Opendev on what would be needed:

- Massive amounts of factions (min 12) on the map and min 4 continents one of which is not starting position. The more faction the more chance for complex conflicts. If there are too few factions, the player will feel isolated and will gear up without anyone challenging them

- Designate each continent and sea and island chain with unique name. No modifiers if someone owns the entire continent (not everything needs modifiers :)) - these titles would serve to frame the narrative and serve as reference for diplomatic conflicts below:

- Grievance based on Continents and seas: Even if an AI is not directly next to a new outpost on another continent they should take issue on a faction trying to expand into their backyard from another continent (unless they are allies) increasing the chance for the native factions of a continent to gang up on the invader

- AI should aggressively pursue alliances and most if not all AIs should be in some sort of alliance by the Middle Ages - This is to stifen resistance towards large empires at this point and prevent them to steamroll the others one by one

- AI should declare why they enter war against another faction: Because you have settled next to us and raided our trade routes you will pay... Narrative purpose :)

- Minor factions should have a chance to unite and invade major factions with powerfull hordes creating mini-crisis and give reason for all to try and sort them out before they might get into a roll. They should be more agressive in general I dont think there should be a peacefull type of minor faction they should always be hostile toward most factions unless relationship is being built up with them or they happen to be alligned in their edict

- AI should take issue with religions being pushed on them - religious wars should be a thing as religions as very powerfull here and the mechanics are already in place

- Alliances should be clearly marked or even grouped together on the top left corner to clearly visualise blocks of power and lead to 100 years war, WW1, WW2, Cold war etc... Some members should change sides or become neutral depending on their ongoing edict ellignment, or grievences so once an alliance has been established it should not be carved in stone. Should end at some point

- Civil war for empires that have grown large - this is the most difficult to pull of as I dont see the mechanics for it. Such a system needs to be fun to play and not anoying so simply splitting the empire in two is not a good idea. There is a mechanic to create independent regaions I would maybe try and generate spliter faction regions like this that are allied with the player and want to reform the empire. If the player gives way, the edicts and some other aspects change, some regions might become independent but there shoudl be a payoff - alternatively the player can get agressive agaisnt hte splinter faction and recapture them via force giving other nations the opportunity to intervene on the side of the splinter faction. If reconquest is succesfull again payoff is needed - this last part is the most diffciult to properly define but permanently increase stability and stars come to my mind at first glance

- Trade routes are not yet fully in the game (especially sea trade) but of coruse this needs to be affected by the above: Raiding trade routes needs to be super lucrative and yield a high chance that effected AIs go to war over it

The AI does not have a sense of progression or the goal to win (would be too difficutl to program) so a narrative approach could be good fit

Instead of trying to make the AI look like its actually playing the game, have it react to events within the game the same way a player would by standardising these events e.g.: settling next to other factions, buildup of force, traspassing etc... For this to work transparency is needed, lots of moving parts and high chance to spring conflicts if they pile up