Political Parties
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I read somewhere on this forum that the opposing party's number of seats in the senate is somewhat random. I was wondering if there are any plans to do away with this and make the landscape of the sentate more dependent on your actions and galaxy conditions?
I have thought of a few things that I think would be interesting regarding this. For instance, in a republic, democracy, or federation, the colonies have a vote and this decides how the senate seats are filled. In order to have a more well rounded senate (instead of it being just 2 parties with all the seats, with one heavily outweighing the other) there could be conditions that the game looks for with every colony and then decides how that colony votes. This system would not simply be based on your colonies, but a number of factors. These are the conditions I've thought of for various parties.
The War party: Colonies close to enemy sytems or sectors would be inclined to vote war party, thus increases the war parties seats in the senate. If your military is weak compared to the rest of the galaxy this could boost the influence of the war party resulting in more seats. If you are at war and it is going good, this could increase the war parties influence, if its going bad it could decrease their influence resulting in more or fewer seats respectively. Also, systems within a certain number of tiles of a military resource icon might be inclined to vote for this party, increasing their seats.
Pacifists: Colonies close to allied systems or sectors may vote this way, increasing pacifists seats. A war going badly could have a 50/50 chance of giving more influence to the pacifists.
Progressive: The more alliances you have, the more this party gains in influence. Colonies that build more social projects than others would be inclined to vote this way.
Mercantile: The more your income becomes dependent on trade, the more influence this party gets. Colonies with the highest trade income would be inclined to vote for this party. Colonies within a certain number of tiles of an Economic Resource Icon would be inclined to vote this way. All these would increase their seats in the senate.
Federalists: The colony that is also the Economic capital would be inclined to vote for this party thus increasing its seats in the senate.
Populists: Colonies with low population growth might be inclined to vote this way. A colony with an unhappy face icon next to it would be inclined to vote this way. Colonies within a certain number of tiles of a Morale Resource Icon would be influenced towards this party.
Technologists: Colonies that have the highest research output might vote this way. Colonies within a certain number of tiles of a Research Resource Icon would be influenced to vote this way.
Industralists: Colonies that are the worst at research might vote this way. The colony that has the Manufacturing Capital Icon would probably vote this way.
Universalists: Colonies that are well rounded in research, military, and social production might vote this way.
I realize that this would be complicated to implement especially if you had a colony which fit under more than one of these categories, like its the best research colony, but its right next to an enemy sector. During election time, does it increase the technologists seats, or the war party seats? A calculation would then have to be implemented to decide which is more important to the colony. This calculation could be influenced by any of the factors above.
When election year rolls around you could get a report after the election which tells you why certain parties increased/decreased their seats. Implementing this would take out the randomness, but still let the player have some control over which parties come into power since it's the player that chooses where to put capitals and who to go to war and make alliances with. It also takes some control away from the player since you can't control where galactic resources will be, or if someone declares war on you a kicks your butt. In the end, I think it make it well rounded and more complicated.
I have thought of a few things that I think would be interesting regarding this. For instance, in a republic, democracy, or federation, the colonies have a vote and this decides how the senate seats are filled. In order to have a more well rounded senate (instead of it being just 2 parties with all the seats, with one heavily outweighing the other) there could be conditions that the game looks for with every colony and then decides how that colony votes. This system would not simply be based on your colonies, but a number of factors. These are the conditions I've thought of for various parties.
The War party: Colonies close to enemy sytems or sectors would be inclined to vote war party, thus increases the war parties seats in the senate. If your military is weak compared to the rest of the galaxy this could boost the influence of the war party resulting in more seats. If you are at war and it is going good, this could increase the war parties influence, if its going bad it could decrease their influence resulting in more or fewer seats respectively. Also, systems within a certain number of tiles of a military resource icon might be inclined to vote for this party, increasing their seats.
Pacifists: Colonies close to allied systems or sectors may vote this way, increasing pacifists seats. A war going badly could have a 50/50 chance of giving more influence to the pacifists.
Progressive: The more alliances you have, the more this party gains in influence. Colonies that build more social projects than others would be inclined to vote this way.
Mercantile: The more your income becomes dependent on trade, the more influence this party gets. Colonies with the highest trade income would be inclined to vote for this party. Colonies within a certain number of tiles of an Economic Resource Icon would be inclined to vote this way. All these would increase their seats in the senate.
Federalists: The colony that is also the Economic capital would be inclined to vote for this party thus increasing its seats in the senate.
Populists: Colonies with low population growth might be inclined to vote this way. A colony with an unhappy face icon next to it would be inclined to vote this way. Colonies within a certain number of tiles of a Morale Resource Icon would be influenced towards this party.
Technologists: Colonies that have the highest research output might vote this way. Colonies within a certain number of tiles of a Research Resource Icon would be influenced to vote this way.
Industralists: Colonies that are the worst at research might vote this way. The colony that has the Manufacturing Capital Icon would probably vote this way.
Universalists: Colonies that are well rounded in research, military, and social production might vote this way.
I realize that this would be complicated to implement especially if you had a colony which fit under more than one of these categories, like its the best research colony, but its right next to an enemy sector. During election time, does it increase the technologists seats, or the war party seats? A calculation would then have to be implemented to decide which is more important to the colony. This calculation could be influenced by any of the factors above.
When election year rolls around you could get a report after the election which tells you why certain parties increased/decreased their seats. Implementing this would take out the randomness, but still let the player have some control over which parties come into power since it's the player that chooses where to put capitals and who to go to war and make alliances with. It also takes some control away from the player since you can't control where galactic resources will be, or if someone declares war on you a kicks your butt. In the end, I think it make it well rounded and more complicated.
. does it reduce or at least not impact the playability. c). Is the benefit tangable enough to justify its implementation costs. 
