SP - General Kingdom relations and policy suggestions

[StaceMcGate]

In this thread I'll be listing ideas on how to make the current Kingdom mechanics (as of 1.5.10) more dynamic and to be prevent the current homogenous
state it currently is in


Increasing relation gains and decreases

- (Bug) As a ruler, your decisions have no gains or decreases despite the text saying it will. This bug has existed since EA launch and needs to be fixed.

- Currently, when voting in favor of a decision or fief grant, you receive +5/15/30 for voting with a lord and -1/3/5 for voting against. I think that
voting against a lord should have the same impact. So when you vote in favor of another lord, you receive -5/15/30 respectively for those you vote against.
This would apply to all voters in a decision.

- Rulers would receive a base +/- 15 for decisions for those you vote with or against. In cases where the popular decision is ignored (greater than 20%), the +/- would instead be +/- 30.

- Proposing a policy or diplomatic action does not carry any relation increases or decreases currently. I propose adding a +/- 15 relation mechanic instead.

Periodic relation gains and decreases

- Each week, lords will receive gains and decreases towards ruler clan based on their settlement ownership

- Castles would give +1 each, and towns would give +3 each.

- Ownership of no fiefs would give -5 per week.

Policy and Diplomacy influence cost increased

- Proposing a policy is increased from 100 to 200 influence.

- Proposing war is increased from 100 to 250 influence.

- Proposing peace is increased from 100 to 200 influence.

Policies need to be renewed

- Two years after enactment, policies would be put up to a vote to continue or discontinue its continued use.

- This would be automatically and not cost influence.


This next section is more evolved and my personal opinion on how to create greater involvement with Kingdom mechanics


Political Parties

- AI clans would be assigned to political parties within a kingdom. This would be based on the clan leaders traits and relations within the kingdom.

- These clans would have greater preference towards certain policies and would strongly oppose policies against their parties' ideology.

- Their party preference could change based on the ascension of a new clan leader.

Political Party Examples

Loyalist

- Leaders with honorable or valor traits

- Party Agenda: Extend the power of the ruler clan to ensure that the Kingdom is ruled by a strong central leader.

- Example policies: Sacred Majesty, Royal Privilege, Debasement of Currency

Stability

- Leaders with generous or merciful traits

- Party Agenda: Ensure settlements are peacefully ruled and reduce chance of rebellion.

- Example policies: Charter of Liberties, Forgiveness of Debts, Bailiffs

Economic

- Leaders with close-fisted or cruel traits

- Party Agenda: Maximize profits from settlements

- Example polices: Road Tolls, Land Tax, Hunting Rights

Independent

- Leaders with devious or calculating traits

- Party Agenda: Strengthen the power of individual clans.

- Example policies: Senate, Peerage, Marshals




Why I suggest this

- Kingdom relations are stagnant at the moment. Vassals are far too loyal to all Rulers despite the situation their kingdoms are in. There exist no rivalries within factions and nothing can threaten the stability of a kingdom apart from player interference. By increasing relation gains and decreases, this can hopefully lead to a more dynamic campaign map that will ensure new situations in each playthrough. To this date, I have never seen the AI attempt to remove a clan or annex a settlement and wonder why these are even in the game.

- Policy voting is stagnant. The AI always votes favorably for the same policies and against other policies. It's only concern currently is increasing troop size, influence gains, and profits. By assigning policy preference with traits, we can see more variety in this mechanic.

- Influence is currently a poorly implemented resource. Clans will have thousand of influence by day 600 and it is reflected in campaign decisions. Forming large armies is hardly a problem, constant wars will be declared, and this creates a snowball effect in which the player kingdom will constantly be attacked by its neighbors. By increasing the cost of diplomatic actions and creating differing opinions within a kingdom, hopefully we can avert this issue.

 

[blackfalcon]

- Currently, when voting in favor of a decision or fief grant, you receive +5/15/30 for voting with a lord and -1/3/5 for voting against. I think that
voting against a lord should have the same impact. So when you vote in favor of another lord, you receive -5/15/30 respectively for those you vote against.
This would apply to all voters in a decision.

I dont know if you played warband but in that game when you gave someone a fief everyone else lost reputation with you. This meant that not only was it very hard to have happy lords but the more fiefs you gave out the worse it got. When you vote in favor of someone you are voting against two people, thus voting would cause you to lose 30 rep sum. As a ruler, where you can not abstain, this would, again, make running a kingdom simply impossible. I could understand splitting the difference so if it is +30 for voting for someone it is -15 for each of the two people you vote against making it 0 sum, but making every fief a net loss on reputation would mean that 90% of your time would be spent just trying to find ways to make your lords not hate you.

 

[five bucks]

I really like this political parties thing. This would be a great way of making traits REALLY matter and making lords vote differently on issues, as opposed to voting all the same way.

Or even without parties, tying traits to particular voting options would be enough. Under the policies tab, where the options are displayed, a description could let you know that particular personalities are disposed to vote for a particular policy.

For example;

"Precarial Land Tenure: Land grants are considered to be temporary offices rather than the rightful inheritance of lords. In practice heirs tend to take over their family fiefs, but it's easier under Depositions to remove them. Lords with a Greedy personality will be particularly opposed to this policy."

 

[svelok]

Factions exist in Diplomacy (one of the best mods rn imo), although I think for now they only do civil wars. Pretty much every feature of Diplomacy is just a great idea.