Rule Changes/Proposals

Hey Rogue, Thanks for the replies. About the edicts, I'm not suggestion any change to maritime supremacy. I was pointing out that since maritime supremacy gives a +1 on building fleets, why not have an edict that gives a +1 on other building rolls (fortifications and cities)? Hence my suggestion for a skilled builders edict. It is a bit under-powered, I'll admit. Its main advantages are quick renovation of cities (mostly useful in late game when a player has multiple cities) and quick assembly/transference of fortifications. Helps mostly with defense like royal guard does. Perhaps add "your cities give -1 on attack rolls when an enemy invades your city regions" to the builders edict? But that would basically turn cities into fortifications so I'm not sure.

If there are 8 edicts, I think players need to be able to build at least 4 cities on their own (thresholds being 2 at 20, 3 at 40, and 4 at 60 regions). They can pick up 4 other cities from conquest or client states.

Yeah, if a player doesn't want to be dragged into a war by an ally player, they should be free to cancel the alliance. And there should be a minor prestige penalty to discourage this breaking of the alliance. So I'm good with the rule change for terminating alliances.

Best,
Cats

I think a revolt chance to bring a faction back should only apply to a player faction. Besides that, no I think NPCs should stay dead once killed. If a player joins saying that want Sparta, then have Sparta attempt a revolt in its original capital region. If it fails, tell that player to pick a living faction.

Lord of Cats’ Rule Change Suggestions Compendium
Lol. I’ve organized all my latest suggestions.

Edicts and Cities –
I propose adding two new edicts. An 8-sided die would be rolled when a city is built or captured. The results would be –
1: Royal Guard
2: Double-Agent
3: King-Slayer
4: Revolutionary
5: Silver Tongue: Gives +1 when negotiating one treaty with one NPC per turn.
6: Skilled Builder: Gives +1 when building or renovating a great city. Gives +1 when building a fortification.
7: Maritime Supremacy
8: Drillmaster

This is coupled with increasing the number of cities a faction can build from 3 to 4, with the region thresholds being 2 at 20, 3 at 40, and 4 cities at 60 regions.


Client-States –
I propose limiting the number of client-states a faction can have to 3 for a player faction and 1 for an NPC faction.
I propose tying the client-state relationship to prestige, in that a faction can only be a client-state if its prestige is less than the overlord faction’s prestige. When a client’s prestige surpasses the overlord’s, the client is automatically independent and its relations with the former overlord reverts to what it was before vassalage. This is in addition to Rogue’s rule of the client-state relationship terminating when the client’s cities are lost to an enemy for 3 consecutive turns.
I propose tying edicts strictly to cities and that an overlord can share their client’s edicts. This means an overlord can use its client’s edicts for their own agents, builders, and military if the client hasn’t used them. If the overlord and client(s) have more than 8 cities combined, any extra cities will just produce prestige and not have an edict. If an overlord acquires a client that has the same edicts as the overlord, the client’s edicts are re-rolled.


NPC Factions –
I propose that the easy rebels rule do not apply to NPCs or that the NPCs should waste moves on renovating a city every 5 turns (unless they're at war) in order to slow NPC expansion down.
I propose that NPCs can only use assassins and rebel instigators against NPCs they’re at war with, not against neutral NPCs. Casus Belli can only be potentially used between player factions.
I propose that NPCs can not attempt to end a war between themselves until 10 turns have passed. If, for example, Epirus declares war on the Seleucid Empire, neither one of them should propose a ceasefire or peace treaty to the other until after 10 turns of war or one of the NPCs is down to 1 region. The only exception is if a player faction attempts to persuade one of these NPCs to negotiate a ceasefire or peace treaty before then. Ceasefire should be set to 5 turns, and peace treaty set to 10 turns for NPCs.

Let me know what you all think of these proposals.

Best,
Cats

Rule Suggestions
These rule changes will come into affect when this turn ends (Turn 27) unless a player has objections. Thanks to Lord of Cats for many of these suggestions!

UPDATED Rules

NPC Minimum War Duration Old rule: "NPC factions cannot be forced to sign a peace treaty or ceasefire within the first 2 turns of a war. (I.e, they must be at war for at least 2 full turns before they consider any form of peace)." Updated rule: NPCs cannot make peace/ceasefire with each other in the first 5 turns of war. However, player-led factions can force NPCs to make peace/ceasefire after just 2 turns of war (by persuading them with the usual diplomacy rules).

NEW Rules

NPC Diplomacy Cooldown: NPCs cannot offer the same treaty to the same faction as they did the previous turn. New Edict! (Silver Tongue): 1: Royal Guard 2: Double-Agent 3: King-Slayer 4: Revolutionary 5: Maritime Supremacy 6: Drillmaster 7: Silver Tongue: Gives +1 when negotiating one treaty with one NPC per turn. Client State Limit: A faction may control a maximum of 3 Client States, and establishing a 4th client state will immediately "free" one of the previous three client states that faction owns. NPCs must persuade Client States: NPCs must pass a persuasion check to establish a Client State. A dice is rolled and the usual Diplomacy rules apply (1-3 failure, 4-6 success). Player-controlled factions do not need to pass a persuasion check (they have 100% success chance). Client States can break free with high Prestige: If a Client State meets these requirements they will attempt to break free of its overlord (50% success chance): Client State's Prestige level is greater than the Overlord's Prestige level, and Client State's total Prestige generation the past 3 turns is greater than their Overlord's total Prestige generation the past 3 turns. (This is a "gross" calculation, not "net". Prestige losses are not a factor. Prestige gained from victorious battles counts towards this calculation.)

Rule Clarifications

Clarifying this rule (found in Advanced Rules > Client States): Spoiler Alert, click show to read:  Clarification: Regardless of how a Client State is "freed" from its overlord, the former Client State is immediately put into a state of war against any faction that owns its original cities and is "neutral" with all other factions.

Here's some ideas for the Skilled Builders edict --
6: Skilled Builders: Gives +1 when building or renovating great cities. Gives +1 when building fortifications. Gives -1 to attacks on your great cities (or just the Builders edict city you have). Allows one city or fortification to be dismantled with a free move per turn.

This would be coupled with increasing the number of cities and fortifications that a faction can build (so that this edict will get more use), with the thresholds being every 20 regions for a city and every 10 regions for a fortification. Or the Skilled Builders edict itself allows a faction to build an extra city / lower the region threshold.

Let me know what you all think.
Best,
Cats