Hi everyone, and especially devs at paradox, I have and will pay out in this post 1. How the team that works on imperator has a once in a lifetime opportunity to build upon imperator and make a game that would be by all accounts an outstanding acheivment, so bare with my as I lay the groundwork. I apologize for the walk of text!
I am editing this because of some of what I feel is misunderstanding and blowback: we already have systems where family interests don’t align with the state, we should expand this at the least so that we have internal dynamics where families compete and governors for an example don’t necessarily have the same motivations as the central state. In this historic period the focus was many times on the accrual of family wealth and power, we have many examples of Roman governors acting in their own interest without restraint from the central government. Implementing this multi tiered system with the possibility of playing at the level of a family I think would add a lot of dynamism and depth to the current systems.
Currently in imperator you play as the nebulous spirit of the nation, actions you take are assumed to be guiding your nation from a detached level. However paradox has created two other systems, a population and class interest system similar to Victoria, and a barebones character system which could be so much more. So my next question is how can we utilize both these systems and tie them together in a compelling way that would bring so much more value to the experience.
The answer is relatively simply, have the current game mode, and have a game mode much more in line with crusader kings but utilizing the same systems as the core game.
Let me give an example from the very top to bottom: say you start as a low standing character in From a patrician background. You goal is to work your way to to either become famous an accomplished enough to found a new family, or to be adopted into existing one. This would mean you would need good attributes and position to leverage them in to achieve monetary wealth or political influence until you can establish the family or adopted. You might be a governor, and as governor you can enrich yourself or stand out as a great administrator, or you might as they historically did conquer local territories in the province for Rome. You would be rewarded for this as the current system allows and be given an estate and further political position as compensation. While there you could worm your way into a family or attempt to undermine another one.
Once you are in a major family we see the first shift, because now it’s about the power dynamics between families - for example lobbying and finding over various offices and government roles that are given out by the family head or by the senate. So building relationships with the head of family and members of the senate or government can secure you profitable positions. At this point you are trying to accrue power to become the head of the family.
Once that is achieved the game continues but now you are a major internal power representing your families interests and counter balancing other families power grabs. You might cement power and be able to acquire enough resources to build for a revolt, maybe even a revolution if you are populist. If you have autocratic leaning s maybe you want a an autocratic republic that’s only accessible to a few. You can now interact with another layer already exiting and that is the pop system. You could build support for policies or your rule by sponsoring and have support within the nobles, citizen or even freemen for a populist. Cementing regional power would give you a wedge to make changes.
There could also be the case if you are part of a conquered nation, you could work within to form separatist alliances waiting for when they can make their brake for independence. Or alternatively, you could be a integrated family fighting against those interests - if you don’t decide to make your power base in a new conquered area, because you could go local and use that to your advantage.
You certainly have a strong interest in stopping dictatorship, unless it’s you of course! So playing the counter balance until it’s your time to shine would be great! During this period you would be interacting with the macro wider world by lobbying for a government policy position, for example invading Greece and maybe leading the army, because if you manage to gain loyal legions and have enough allies, you could topple the republic yourself! The last step would be where you play as the nation as imperator currently is, but there is always the chance that you could lose your grip on power!
That being said it would be great to have this mode in addition to the current one.
TLDR: there is a great opportunity here to make big and meaningful additions to the game snd make it the star of paradoxes catalogue by implementing a dual play system for the nation and the character something it.
I am editing this because of some of what I feel is misunderstanding and blowback: we already have systems where family interests don’t align with the state, we should expand this at the least so that we have internal dynamics where families compete and governors for an example don’t necessarily have the same motivations as the central state. In this historic period the focus was many times on the accrual of family wealth and power, we have many examples of Roman governors acting in their own interest without restraint from the central government. Implementing this multi tiered system with the possibility of playing at the level of a family I think would add a lot of dynamism and depth to the current systems.
Currently in imperator you play as the nebulous spirit of the nation, actions you take are assumed to be guiding your nation from a detached level. However paradox has created two other systems, a population and class interest system similar to Victoria, and a barebones character system which could be so much more. So my next question is how can we utilize both these systems and tie them together in a compelling way that would bring so much more value to the experience.
The answer is relatively simply, have the current game mode, and have a game mode much more in line with crusader kings but utilizing the same systems as the core game.
Let me give an example from the very top to bottom: say you start as a low standing character in From a patrician background. You goal is to work your way to to either become famous an accomplished enough to found a new family, or to be adopted into existing one. This would mean you would need good attributes and position to leverage them in to achieve monetary wealth or political influence until you can establish the family or adopted. You might be a governor, and as governor you can enrich yourself or stand out as a great administrator, or you might as they historically did conquer local territories in the province for Rome. You would be rewarded for this as the current system allows and be given an estate and further political position as compensation. While there you could worm your way into a family or attempt to undermine another one.
Once you are in a major family we see the first shift, because now it’s about the power dynamics between families - for example lobbying and finding over various offices and government roles that are given out by the family head or by the senate. So building relationships with the head of family and members of the senate or government can secure you profitable positions. At this point you are trying to accrue power to become the head of the family.
Once that is achieved the game continues but now you are a major internal power representing your families interests and counter balancing other families power grabs. You might cement power and be able to acquire enough resources to build for a revolt, maybe even a revolution if you are populist. If you have autocratic leaning s maybe you want a an autocratic republic that’s only accessible to a few. You can now interact with another layer already exiting and that is the pop system. You could build support for policies or your rule by sponsoring and have support within the nobles, citizen or even freemen for a populist. Cementing regional power would give you a wedge to make changes.
There could also be the case if you are part of a conquered nation, you could work within to form separatist alliances waiting for when they can make their brake for independence. Or alternatively, you could be a integrated family fighting against those interests - if you don’t decide to make your power base in a new conquered area, because you could go local and use that to your advantage.
You certainly have a strong interest in stopping dictatorship, unless it’s you of course! So playing the counter balance until it’s your time to shine would be great! During this period you would be interacting with the macro wider world by lobbying for a government policy position, for example invading Greece and maybe leading the army, because if you manage to gain loyal legions and have enough allies, you could topple the republic yourself! The last step would be where you play as the nation as imperator currently is, but there is always the chance that you could lose your grip on power!
That being said it would be great to have this mode in addition to the current one.
TLDR: there is a great opportunity here to make big and meaningful additions to the game snd make it the star of paradoxes catalogue by implementing a dual play system for the nation and the character something it.
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