Government type + and -

[Ichon]

It has been hinted that factions will be able to change their government types; what kind of government types should be included and what are 2 positive and 2 negative features of each.

My ideas...

1. Republic
+immune to dynastic turbulence, rise of pretenders
+higher amount of armed citizens rise in defense against invaders
-senate interferes with ministers/tax policy, gives nonsensical missions
-unable to make a large professional army as that undermines the authority of the Republic but limited professional units recruitable

2. Confederation (usually tribes)
+bonus in trade even with low infrastructure (other factions figure more chaotic less of a threat and less central authority means always someone to trade with)
+cheaper cost recruiting troops, a few professionals allowed
- higher cost of upkeep supplies
-unable to build some higher infrastructures with no central planning to marshal needed resources

3. Monarchy
+able to maintain large professional army but military still partially relies on non professionals
+less corruption/better diplomacy (diplomats speak with the will of the monarch and are less likely to seek a side deal)
-dynastic disputes and pretenders to the throne supported by enemies common
-low amount of armed citizens in defense against invaders

4. Democracy
+high amount of armed citizens similar to Republic
+trade bonus similar to confederation
-vulnerable to rise of tyrants/outbreaks of public unrest especially with unpopular measures like increases in taxes or maintaining too large an army
-no professional army other than mercenaries

5. Theocracy
+policy changes have very little unrest so high taxes can run for years without unrest though still affect growth
+professional army available
-losses in battle create unrest potentially changing government type/emergent factions
-lower trade as the priests don't negotiate very well

6. Imperium
+fully professional military
+cheaper upkeep/supplies so easier to maintain long distance rule
-vulnerable to civil wars/pretenders/rise of other forms of government/revolts of emergent factions
-low amount of armed citizens as trust in the professional army to protect them and laws against armed groups not loyal to the Imperium

[Yomamashouse]

Based on a cursory glance, I like your stats. The one problem I have is that full professional armies are not the exclusive property of Empires. History buffs feel free to step in and correct me, but if I am not mistaken, the costs of upkeep soared through the roof once Rome adopted professional armies and became Imperial, so that trait would also be somewhat incorrect.

[Ichon]

Based on a cursory glance, I like your stats. The one problem I have is that full professional armies are not the exclusive property of Empires. History buffs feel free to step in and correct me, but if I am not mistaken, the costs of upkeep soared through the roof once Rome adopted professional armies and became Imperial, so that trait would also be somewhat incorrect.

Costs do rise for professional armies but they reflect the power of the state and the cost of not maintaining them is often higher as invaders on the borders press inwards. The overall military in an Empire is often a larger percentage of a budget but the central planning of logistics by scale and planning keeps costs somewhat lower than a state undertaking a large expedition without adequate administration. That is what 'fully professional' means- there aren't any cheap militia units. Auxillaries by vassals/allies are the closest but still require regular pay, just a bit lower than the full professionals though in Rome the pay of both became fairly similar over time. So overall costs would go up simply that upkeep/supplies would be a smaller portion compared to other systems so recruiting cost is a higher part of the cost which means longer serving units become cheaper overtime as the higher upfront cost is cost averaged down. The idea would be that professionals are more effective than militia system but cost upfront alot more, however given smaller size of professional armies compared to what militias could raise the logistics footprint is smaller and with more effective central administration power projection is relatively cheaper so far off invasions cost less than a Republic sending militias to invade far away would cost as they are more numerous requiring more food, aren't paying taxes while away, and there is less central administration to organize the supplies.

I don't know many examples of a fully professional army that is not under a type of government similar to an Empire. Some examples might exist but Monarchy and Theocracy both have access to large amount of professionals but still have some class based soldiers as well. I hope some other proposals are made as this isn't a be all, end all list.

Most of the time when a professional army arises the form of government changes either due to requirement for central planning to maintain a professional army, the army coming under sway of its generals, etc. It would be nice to show a gradual change in government type but that might be alot to ask from CA. IE- as the Republican legions went on very long campaigns and the bequests and shared loot granted by their Legates/Consuls grew they became basically professionals and Rome as a Republic did not last very long as first Sulla, then Caesar used them to rule(basically tyrants) then a brief attempt to restore the Republic until the inheritor of Caesar's legions (Octavian) formed an Imperium.