Governors and Agents
This is an alternative proposal I thought of after spending some time playing Civ VI. Maybe we could use a system similar to their governor system. I think that might be more appealing to people who might not want to contend with potentially hundreds or even thousands of leaders floating around.
Basically there would be two types of leaders: Governors and Agents, and either will be necessary to conduct influence projects.
Governors
Governors would have a set maximum number, be locked through the tech tree (the new themed tech tree). You would have one governor for each technology theme, each unlocked at a different tier. Also telepathic species would start off with their own special governor. Giving a maximum of seven. Your governor's species portrait is determined by whichever species holds the capitol at the time you get that governor. Governors can be assigned to any populated planet you own or any unclaimed native planet. Governors effect all planets you own in that system. Each governor will have a unique promotion tree
- The Executive: tier 1, Mech theme, increased production output, bonus to supply, extra bonuses from gas giants
- The Surveyor: tier 2, Crystal theme, extra happiness from lithic species, bonus to infrastructure, extra bonuses from asteroid belts
- The Programmer: tier 3, Cyber theme, extra happiness from robotic species, increased influence output, counts as an extra agent
- The Geneticist: tier 4, Biotech theme, extra happiness from organic species, bonus to population, special bonuses from metabolism specials
- The Technocrat: tier 5, Energy Theme, extra happiness from phototrophic species, increased research output, extra bonuses from star type
- The High Cleric: tier 6, Void Theme, extra happiness from self-sustaining species, less happiness from other species, special bonuses at malus to population
- The Psionic: unlocked at game start, telepathic species only, extra happiness from telepathic species, special bonuses to telepathic species
Agents
Each Governor would have a number of agents at their disposal. Agents travel at your maximum travel speed from their governor's location to their destination. Agents can be assigned to any planet you have information on. Multiple agents, up to a certain limit, can work on an influence project to make it go faster. Some influence projects will require a minimum number of agents working on it. Agents performing "counter influence" projects can counter the appropriate type of influence project being performed. The number of agents assigned to either side of the project or its counter-project determines ho "wins". Agents can be "recruited", "turned" or "assassinated".
Governors can recruit new agents from planets they are assigned to that you own through a special influence project if they are not at their maximum number of agents. Governors can recruit 5 agents at tiers 1 or 2, another 5 at tiers 3 or 4, and yet another 5 at tiers 5 or 6. The exception to this is The Psionic, who starts off able to recruit 10 agents and does not get more through technology. This gives a maximum of 100 agents.
One Governor or two agents can turn a rival agent to your empire. To turn an agent you must know their location and send at least two agents to their location.
Agents can be assassinated by other agents, either through an assassination project or through project/counter-project combat. To intentionally assassinate an agent you must know their location and send at least one agent to that location. Once at the location you must being the "assassinate agent" influence project. Otherwise you can kill agents through beating them in "combat". When this occurs an agent on the losing side is picked and eliminated. If there are multiple agents on the losing side this is determined at random.
Acquiring Planets through Agents:
Planet are acquired through sending agents to them. For every three agents you send you increase your relationship with that planet. Sending a governor counts as sending to agents (except The Programmer, who counts as three).
For peaceful integration of native planets:
At three agents you can perform the "establish first contact" influence project, which creates the First Contact Monument building on the planet, this also prevents anyone else from establishing "first contact" with the planet in question. At six agents you can perform the "establish relations" influence project which creates the Interstellar Embassy building. At nine agents you can perform the "integrate planet" influence project that brings the planet into your empire.
For subversive integration of native and rival-owned planets:
At three agents you can perform the "infiltrate planet" influence project, that applies the Infiltrated Planet special. At six agents you can perform the "replace leadership" influence project that applies the Replaced Leadership special. At nine agents you can either perform the "assimilate planet" influence project if it is an unclaimed native planet, or the "subvert planet" influence project if it is owned by a rival empire. Either project will bring the planet into your empire.
All of my contributions should be considered released under creative commons attribution share-alike license, CC-BY-SA 3.0 for use in, by and with the Free Orion project.