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Asid:
Moodboard & Designer Notes #4 - Meritocracy
Mon, 23 June 2025
Vic (VR Designs) is hard at work completing Republica DLC for Shadow Empire, an expansion that focuses on politics. With this DLC, we?re introducing a completely new layer of depth to how regimes are governed, and how political systems can evolve over time.
To showcase the themes of Republica as development continues, we?re presenting a series of narrative sketches and designer notes that explore all nine political systems featured in the DLC.
Today?s spotlight: Meritocracy.
The essence of meritocracy is in selecting the best candidate for the job. Not one of your friends.
Please note that these images and ideas are conceptual representations of the Republica DLC, meant to illustrate the narrative and thematic tone of the DLC. In-game footage and visual assets will be revealed later in development.
Moodboard: Meritocracy
The Supreme Leader strode through the vast expanse of the newly completed Level IV industrial complex, his presence flanked by the Zone Governor, the Foreign Affairs Council Leader, and a retinue of silent apparatchiks. The air hummed with the thrum of the heavy machinery.
?This is remarkable,? the Supreme Leader remarked, his voice reverberating in the huge factory space. ?And all of this? made possible by the technology shared with us by the Atlantean Federation??
The Council Leader, a man of few words but great gravitas, nodded with a grunt. ?Yes, Supreme Leader. Though, it?s worth noting they?ll be significantly enhancing their tank armor thanks to our research pact. That?s the price we pay.?
The Governor, eager to direct the Supreme Leader?s attention, placed a hand on his shoulder and pointed towards a distant section of the factory. There, four conveyor belts converged into a complex, robotized assembly. ?Do you see that, Supreme Leader?? he said, his voice tinged with awe. ?I?ve never witnessed such efficiency. Ammunition production has tripled in the past year alone. It?s astonishing!?
They continued their tour, eventually arriving at the foundries, where steam and noise blended into a general mayhem that overwhelmed the senses. Molten metal flowed like a river, cascading into leaden molds. The Governor?s Vidcom device buzzed, pulling him away from the group. He excused himself, retreating to a quieter corner to take the call.
Seizing the moment, the Council Leader leaned in closer to the Supreme Leader, raising his voice to be heard over the machinery. ?We need to replace our easily impressed Governor, and soon. His awe is endearing, but he?s failing in his managerial duties.?
The Supreme Leader nodded thoughtfully. ?I trust your judgment,? he replied, his gaze following the Governor, who, oblivious to the conversation, waved back with an ingratiating smile, gesturing that he needed more time.
The Supreme Leader turned back to the Council Leader. ?Moreover,? he continued, ?wasn?t Governor Zarko something of a brute in the old days??
The Council Leader chuckled, a dark sound barely audible above the industrial din. ?Indeed. He was notorious for personally overseeing the most brutal tortures. He still clings to the immense wealth he accumulated during the oligarchy. It?s clear?his time is up, not just for the sake of efficiency.?
The Supreme Leader?s expression remained inscrutable as he nodded once more. ?Your concerns are duly noted, Council Leader.?
As the Governor returned, the Council Leader greeted him with a thin smile. ?Ah, Zarko the Terrible,? he muttered under his breath. ?Not so terrible now, are we??
Out loud, he said, ?Welcome back, Governor. No bad news, I trust??
Designer Notes: Meritocracy in Republica DLC
Meritocracy is one of the better systems that provides the player with plenty of bonuses and good Regime Feats. On top of that having a Senate instead of a Parliament means there will be less Laws voted and no danger of overburdening the Nation with legislation. A Senate will also pay much more head to any desires of the Supreme Leader. But it is also one of the more fragile systems because there is both a lack of checks and balances as well as a lack of absolute authority of the Supreme Leader.
Meritocracy means the rule of those with the most merit. Now there are many definitions of merit possible. Any definition would really be quite subjective. Who decides what merit is after all? The best for whom? In the Shadow Empire Universe the ideal form of Meritocracy is the rule of the most capable: those most skilled, most wise, those best at their job. This is exactly what we see happening in the story above, the Zone governor is not very suitable for his job, and voices will go up to replace him.
However once the Virtus Score of the nation goes down the definition will change and will shift towards the rule of those that have the most Social Standing. Lower Virtus Meritocracy will thuswise slowly devolve into an Oligarchy.
Be careful to not be too complacent with an Oligarchy as it has a tendency to entrench itself. Atrophy in your ranks will set in as your Senate will start to substitute Social Standing for Suitability and Capability. It will get harder to get new Leaders to important positions.
Once things turn sour for the Populace due to exploitation by the Oligarchs they might rise up in revolt to dispose of the hated Oligarchs and install a democracy so everybody gets equal power. After all, why would only a small percentage of the Populace have the power? Especially when using it in their own naked interest only?
Obviously the more a Meritocracy turns into an Oligarchy the more hated the Senatorial elite will be. At high Virtus Meritocracy the elite tries to strive to get the best man on the job and that helps in commanding respect for the system? In an Oligarchy it becomes clear that the elite only has its own interests at heart.
Asid:
Shadow Empire: Republica | Moodboard & Designer Notes #5 - Oligarchy
Mon, 14 July 2025
In the previous entries of the Moodboard & Designer Notes series, we explored the various faces of democracy and introduced Meritocracy. Today we dive deeper into another political system featured in the Republica DLC: Oligarchy.
The essence of meritocracy is in selecting the best candidate for the job. Not just selecting one of your friends or business partners.
This series of articles aims to showcase the main themes of Shadow Empire: Republica DLC, an expansion currently in development by Vic (VR Designs) that focuses on politics.
Please note: the following images and ideas are conceptual representations meant to illustrate the narrative and thematic tone of the DLC. In-game footage and new visual assets will be revealed later in development.
Moodboard: Oligarchy
The President activated the Vidcom wall screen, the large display casting a blue-ish light in the dimly lit chamber. The images of the three candidates flickered into view, none of the faces he saw inspired confidence. ?Commander of the 1st Armored Corps is a serious position,? he muttered. ?How can we have these numskulls as nominees??
He turned to his Human Resources Advisor, who sat patiently beside him in a wheelchair, impaired but with his eyes still sharp. The Advisor was a good man with a deep commitment to the greater good. The president asked, ?Isn?t it possible to dismiss some of these candidates? For example, that Jerome fellow? He doesn?t even have any military experience. How can he be a nominee in the first place??
?Well, sir?? replied the HR Advisor, his voice filled with a blend of frustration and hope, ?it is not so much an exercise in meritocracy here but more like a complicated game of patronage.?
The president sighed deeply, the weight of their stagnating society pressing heavily upon him. ?I know, I know? But why don?t these bastards adhere to our principles anymore? The best man gets the most important job??
?In a way, they do,? replied the HR apparatchik, raising an eyebrow, ?In many ways, they are the true winners. Only those most adept in the arts of clientelism and corruption have managed to climb so high that they can influence the choices of the military selection committee.?
The president?s expression darkened as he contemplated their predicament. ?How did we end up here? Instead of selecting the best candidates for the whole country, we are selecting the best candidates for a tiny clan of oligarchs.?
The HR apparatchik took the Vidcom control from the table, his hands steady despite his degraded health. He tapped it a few times until an image showed up of the great victory over the Nomadic Alliance. The flickering screen displayed scenes of past glory, of battles won, sacrifices made and parades of victory. ?Remember?? he murmured.
?How could I not?,? said the president in an equally grumpy voice. ?You lost your legs, for starters??
The Advisor looked down at his wheelchair and his missing legs. The President continued: ?Those were the times? we fought? everybody fought? sacrificed themselves for the homeland.?
?Ehm? Indeed,? confirmed the slightly disturbed apparatchik. ?But do you also remember what happened afterwards??
?Yeah,? said the president, his tone heavy with regret. ?Things went downhill? all the way to us nominating this former vacuum-cleaning salesman as Commander of our elite armored Corps??
The HR Advisor sighed, rolling his wheelchair back a bit, and patiently said, ?No, I am talking about the frontline and our military operations.?
The president took the clue, his mind going back to the days of conflict and victory. ?Well? we won and we managed to reap the benefits, right? We got hold of those Alliance?s Rare Metals mines and gave our populace what they deserved after all their efforts: Quality of Life, lower taxes, and even access to more luxury goods.?
?Indeed,? nodded the HR Advisor. ?I?ve thought a lot about it, and I believe it?s precisely that? we went soft. Our people started to spend more time on themselves instead of on their country. They began to prefer fancy clothing over military fatigues, career building over heroics.?
The president nodded slowly, absorbing the analysis of his Advisor and the gravity of their situation. ?That makes perfect sense. You?re more insightful than meets the eye, Advisor. But does that mean we just have to start a new war to get out of this mess??
The Advisor switched the Vidcom screen back to the three candidates, the images now looking even more inadequate under the scrutiny of their conversation. Slumped in his wheelchair, he said, ?Alas? no? it?s far too late for that, President. We will not win any wars with guys like Jerome in charge.?
Designer Notes: Meritocracy turning to Oligarchy in Republica DLC
Once Virtus goes down in a Meritocracy the question of who should govern will be answered differently by your elites. Instead of the most ?capable? it will slide into the most ?deserving.?
In practice the most deserving according to your elites will often be the one with the most Social Standing, the most Seniority or the most Patronage. Once you have arrived here you find yourself in an Oligarchy. As our President did in the story above. They wiggle their way into positions of power and leave you little choice but to appoint their ?friends? as well.
Meritocracy turning to Oligarchy is like atrophy setting in. Be careful to not be too complacent with a light Oligarchy as it has a tendency to entrench itself. It will get harder to get new Leaders to important positions once Oligarchs start to dominate your Leader Pool.
When Virtus goes low your Leaders will get a chance to get the Oligarch Feat. This Feat will make them siphon off funds and pass contracts to their business friends (kick-back). What they do is semi-legal (as opposed to outright corruption) and their subversion only works well under low Virtus conditions because it takes two to Tango: An oligarchic Leader as well as a society/business or government culture that?s willing to think likewise.
The Wealth acquired by Oligarchs will often be spent on Social Standing Leader Feats. This will give them higher Social Standing Scores, which will help the Oligarchs with most Social Standing to secure the top jobs.
Furthermore Oligarchs with a lot of Wealth will become the Patrons of Client Leaders, ensuring their support within their Faction and bringing closer their goal of becoming Faction Leader.
In game theory terms: Oligarchs will siphon off funds and use those funds to rise to the top of the pyramid where they will spread their lack of Virtus all over the place.
There is a real danger of getting caught in a downwards spiral with Oligarchy. As happened to the Nation in the story. As the Oligarchs demoralize the Nation and drag down Virtus, which further reduces their barriers to growing more powerful and grabbing more resources.
Over time this could give rise to Dynastic Families that will basically be above the law. But this would involve a system change from Oligarchy to Aristocracy. We?ll discuss that next Moodboard.
The story above ended on a desperate note, but there is hope in darkness? when things turn really sour for the Populace, due to exploitation by the Oligarchs, they might rise up in revolt to dispose of the hated Oligarchs and install a democracy. So everybody gets equal power. After all? why would only a small percentage of the Populace have all the power?
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Asid:
Shadow Empire - Rank & Rebalancing
Fri, 29 August 2025
Changelog | Patch Notes v1.27a and all the updates since the last major patch
Today?s patch brings a lot of tuning, boosting and nerfing to Shadow Empire. There are many, but most importantly tanks have become somewhat weaker when out of their element and artillery has become somewhat stronger especially when targetting troops with low experience levels. It also brings a new feature: Rank. Leaders can be given a Rank in order to pay them a lot more salary and make them happier. The AI has received quite some improvements as well. Furthermore advanced tools have been added for modders to allow doing some magic with the Vidcom graphics.
1.27a (#223)
- Split Theocratic Major Regimes into Theocratic and Elitist Major Regimes. They are very similar but their Factions are different. The Elitist Regimes have the Factions: Criterians (reasonable but definitely not stupid), Regents (self preservation), Optimates (more aggressive and militarist) *
- Fixed getting too much high Cap Leaders on higher difficulty levels *
- Fixed some Stratagems displaying stuff like <NATION> in their text blurb.
- Fixed exploit with moving into enemy hex using the P key.
- Militia Troops will no longer be sent back to SHQ if they have quality level obsolete. Furthermore SHQ will allow obsolete troop types to be sent out to Militia Units if they have the ?militia people?.
- Vidcom NewGfx Switch added to Prefs, by default it is on. If switched off only old style graphics are used for Vidcom, this does also mean less diverse graphical illustrations. In a few months a similar switch should become available for Stratagems. I hope this pleases the part of the player base that does not want to use the NewGfx, at least somewhat. -For Matrix Open Beta the above this doesn?t work completely as I cannot remove existing files, so in the Matrix Open Beta switching off NewGfx actually still shows the Arachnid + Danger newer graphics. Link to NewGfx Vidcom modding: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sf_DqtVhBMQsYfKG-KhYNWmIq5Ck6N1HB1Mm8KAuIKs/edit?usp=sharing
1.26o (#222):
Some relatively big combat balance changes with this patch. Artillery has been boosted and AFVs have been nerfed, but only in specific circumstances.
- Increased the Artillery KILL chance a bit (did not make many kills, but should make 20% more kills now, a tad bit, but read on below) *
- Added ACCIDENTS rule for AFVs, for in order of vulnerability: Tanks, APC and Walkers. See below for more info. *
- Artillery RETREAT hit can translate to KILL hit with (relatively) low XP targets. See below for more info. *
- Militia Replacement Troops can now be low level Models as well. This was inconsistent before with new Units having the possibility for regular Model usage, but not their replacements troops. -AI is now more inclined to upgrade troops (especially at lower XP levels if seriously better equipment available)
- Faction Stratagem gifts did not take into account the Profile preferences of the Faction in question for the selection of the Profile Stratagem given, they do now, though some randomness remains.
- Fixed possible issue with Decision not raising worker happiness.
- Fixed an issue with non-Cabinet members actually being able to vote during Politburo elections.
- Fixed issue with not being able to manually transfer Militia from SHQ to Militia Unit in same Hex.
- Mech Artillery/Launchers now have 10 readiness loss for 100 AP move instead of 30. *
- Absorption Critter Feat now always has 10% chance to fail (caused an issue before at level V which made a fail impossible)
- Changed the weighting of possible culture groups on Planet; should result in more diverse cultures on newly generated maps *
- High Tradition >100 was still not allowing a tiny chance of CAS raise, this should now work, though it will be really slow.
- Some mouse over fixes for some skills, techs and stratagems *
- ACCIDENTS During offensive warfare and when scoring a KILL/RETREAT hit, Tanks, Walkers and APCs have a small chance to get destroyed by last minute (suicidal) enemy counter actions accidents or accidents (or combination of both). This can only happen against highly entrenched adversaries or in landscapes or river crossings that are not well suited for the Troop Type in question. Tanks attacking unentrenched enemies in Plains Landscape Type for example will have 0% chance to suffer an accident, however Tanks attacking in Forest have a 3% chance to suffer an accident (remember: only upon scoring a KILL/RETREAT hit there is a test). APCs and Walkers have only half that chance, note also that Walkers do not have any Landscape Types that give them penalties in the first place (though major rivers still expose them).
- HIGHER ARTILLERY KILL CHANCE WHEN FIGHTING LOW XP TROOPS
- - A Retreat Hit by Artillery can be transformed into a KILL hit if the XP of the target is below 40.
- - At 10xp or lower the chance is almost 30%
- - At 20xp the chance is about 10%
- - At 30xp the chance is about 5%
- - At 39xp the chance is about 2.5%
- - At 40xp or higher the chance is 0%.
1.26n(#221):
- New Faction?s first Faction Leader during the game is now usually much better aligned with their new Faction. They sort of trade their previous ideology for a potential position of power. Ambitious Leaders have more chance to align and to found a new Faction during the game.
- Added some more log entries on Private Credits in the Zone Logs & did some general QA work on tracking this really correctly (for me and for the player)
- Fixed faulty XP in raising formation with SHQ Troops
- Fixed misconfigured conditions for raising Light and Heavy Armor Grenadier Army.*
- Fixed the amount of Energy/Food/Ammo/Fuel/Water/IP that is being kept by Zone in case it will not have enough maximum storage points to do so; in that case it will send items back to SHQ even though it needs them next round, better than losing them. (Big thx to Dave with this rather rare case).
- Fixed a small reporting glitch with energy in the inventory tab (consumption need reported was not taking energy rebate into account of agri facilities)
- Verified Disband Militia is working; it is working. But you need to play a scenario started with #220 or later.
- Major AI on higher difficulties now does higher Tech Level starts with Models utilizing the best Tech thats available at start of game.
- Major AI in early game is now more keen to design better versions of much used equipment/models when important new tech becomes available
- Major AI is now more sensitive to recognizing another Major is getting too much ahead (but stays sensitive to especially victory pact for non-game winning reasons)
- AI gets better Leaders at higher difficulty levels (upto +1 cap level at extreme difficulty)
- AI fix where it was not perceiving possible longer term encirclements as good as it could
- Limited budget changes for Organisations to minimum 1% per organisation. There is minimal upkeep needed to keep the lights on.
- Fixed feedback when using ?Call To? diplomatic Cards to explain the addition of dem,aut or mer to your ROLL. *
- Fixed small glitch in Crime Syndicate algorithms (destroyed security asset without crew) *
- Fixed issue with some other Cultures Milita Units losing Unit Feats.
- Fixed crash with sentient alien units and using the Battlegroup Order.
- Correct mouse over now for Major Diplomatic Pact Stratagems.
1.26m (#220):
- Salary effect on Natural Relation Point has been lowered *
- Rank Feature added. HR Task now also produces Increase/Decrease Rank (title) Stratagems that can give a Leaders a higher salary and more prestige from their job *
- In Leader Management Tab you can now also inspect the Leader Feats
- AI change on tactical level: added an extra move algorithm option on normal AI speed or higher, should result in slightly better tactical moves.
- Fixed glitch with losing of Quality Levels when reforming unit/HQ (Zarohn)
- When depleting the Militia Pool the Population will be reduced (if possible)
- When rebel units form the Population will be reduced (if possible)
- When suboptimal recon the Unit counters now show the same value on map as in the troops breakdown in the bottom.
- Fixed glitch where logistical points need of Asset was reduced by city level multiplier (farmstead III req 50 logistical pts instead of 150)
- Fixed having the Model graphics show up in the Battlegroup Popup Window
- Private Economy will stop upgrading private mines that dont have enough reserves left in the ground
- Private Economy will favor industry/scav assets more often again
- Fixed a tiny glitch with not selecting the city hex when clicking in left side window
- Fixed mouse over for make peace Strategem
- Fixed issue with some Profiles not changing with diplomatic major events *
- Fixed transferring from Zone to SHQ in same Hex if no logistical points available.
- Militia can now be disbanded as well. (because it could be scrapped, like this is more consistent)
- Regular Troops can now no longer be transferred into Militia units (was an exploit)
- HQ reports now show up even when round 70 passed or advice turned off.
- Extra notes on the new Rank feature:
- - Giving a higher rank title to a Leader immediately gives some relation effects. It also increases the Natural Relation Point for monetary as well for honor-related reasons. It also increases the Prestige from the Job they are doing.
- - Rank 1 = salary * 5, prestige from job +10 pts
- - Rank 2 = salary * 25, prestige from job +20 pts
- - Rank 3 = salary * 125, prestige from job +30 pts
- - Rank 4 = salary * 625, prestige from job +40 pts
1.26k2 (#219) :
- Major Fix with AI regimes not being set to a story mode (friends, blackmail, etc) and subsequent events not triggering. This has been fixed for new games and running games (retro-active fix will take a new round to go into effect)
- Further AI changes on tactical level to try to strike the right mix between timid (too often previous subversion) and audacious depending on the number of units on the frontline.
- Fixed the Base Design formula for aircraft , it no longer takes ?aircraft ruggedness? into account a bonus as it causes issues with field testing. On top of that ?aircraft ruggedness? should never have given a bonus to the base design in the first place, it is already giving a bonus to Hitpoints. (Thanks Felius!) *
1.26k (#217) :
- AI changes on the tactical level especially on medium and slow level (extra searches, small nudges & some code fixes). The AI should be a bit more wary now against encirclement and holes in the line, however it might have gotten a bit bore timid in some circumstances too, where it is better to drive forward. So feel free to send me a save game of any such instance where it should have played offensive cat & mouse instead of trying to avoid encirclement. This will be probably be worked upon for the next open beta. Feedback is thus crucial.
- Expanded rather limited implementation of moveRedux effects of artillery on transporter (truck/apc) speed. Used to be only applied if the trucks had an AP cost decrease (fast trucks), now also for all others (normal and slower than normal)
- MTH Stratagems are now handled by Economic Council Director (instead of Foreign Affairs Director) *
- Salary impact on Natural Relation Point is now optimal at Leader Egoism=50 and slacks of going towards 0 or 100. In the first case because the leader is altruistic and doesnt value rewards very high, in the other case because it wants more and more credits as egoism creeps higher. (note that the stratagem gifts do work well on high egoism because the public ceremonial nature (PP expenditure) of these gifts does scratch their itch) *
- Waterfall Turbine Hex Feat description fixed*
- Mod Library usage fixed. Thx Magirot! It now loads mods again without crashing. Apologies here, not sure how this bug snuck in.
- Fixed Danger Event preview with too high modifier on skill roll
- Fixed map centering in some cases (big thanks to JeanLeChauve for this report and many others)
- Fixed mothballing of private mines when necc
- A cap on egoism loss with leaders with low ambition and parliament regime feat active. Iit cannot go lower than ambition now. *
- Agri preview production fixed
- Made fixed AI Admin level (based on round) now more variabl also depending on BP production *
- Arachnids less chance to be present on planet where they have no prey to hunt
*=requires a new game start
Asid:
Moodboard & Designer Notes #7 - Autocracy
Mon, 8 September 2025
Vic (VR Designs) is hard at work on completing the upcoming Republica DLC for Shadow Empire, an expansion that places politics at the heart of the experience. This series of articles aims to explore each of the 9 political systems that will be playable with Republica DLC.
In our last entry, we examined Aristocracy. This time, we turn our attention to Autocracy.
Before moving on, a quick reminder for those who might have missed our last announcement: if you?d like to dive deeper into what?s coming, save the date and join us at the Home of Wargamers event on September 25th.
The Supreme Leader is hailed and followed by all!
Please note: the following images and ideas are conceptual representations meant to illustrate the narrative and thematic tone of the DLC. In-game footage and new visual assets will be revealed later in development.
Moodboard: Autocracy
"Go! Go! Go!" shouted the Lieutenant, his voice cutting through the chaos as infantry stormed past him, their boots pounding against the broken streets toward the citadel.
The inspecting Commander beside him, a man of sharp features and a sharper mind, wore a broad grin. The city was theirs, and he reveled in the moment. "This was almost too easy, Igorovitz," he said, his tone laced with satisfaction. "It seems the Computer is suffering crashes and the Syndics are losing their will to fight."
The Lieutenant, his focus split between the Commander and the comms traffic buzzing in his earpiece, nodded. "Yes, sir," he replied after a moment, his voice tinged with disbelief at their rapid success, "We caught them completely off guard. The city center, the water mines, the domes?all secure. Only the Citadel and the Governor remain."
The Commander?s grin widened, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "He should have joined us when he had the chance."
"Sir," the lieutenant interrupted, "I?ve just received a request for a Vidcom call from Governor Morklord."
The commander chuckled, a rather humorless sound. He activated his Vidcom handheld, his finger hovering over the screen and he said, "Patch him through, Igorovitz."
The Vidcom crackled to life, and the governor?s voice, strained and crackling, filled the air. "Is that you, Commander Sehlix?"
"Sure is," Commander Sehlix replied, his voice bright with a twisted sort of cheer. "What can I do for you, Governor?"
"You must?" the governor?s voice wavered through the static, "you must immediately stop this? this rebellion!"
Sehlix exchanged a knowing glance with his Lieutenant, a silent acknowledgment of the futility of the governor?s plea. "No rebellion here, Governor," Sehlix replied, his tone almost conversational. "We?re simply restoring power to our president. Your democratic computer-collaborator factions have jeopardized the nation and its army for long enough. We?re offering a chance for survival, nothing more."
The vidcom?s screen flickered, and for a moment, the governor?s face seemed frozen, a statue carved in fear. But it was not, the Governor?s weary eyes still blinked. "This? this betrayal? it?s a complete shock to me!" the governor stammered, desperation leaking into his voice. "Hold your attack! I need time to think, to contact the Computer?"
Sehlix cut him off, his voice cold and final. "You?ve got ten seconds, Governor. Surrender, or I?ll order the artillery to open fire."
The governor?s response was a garbled mess of panicky words and seemingly random shouting, but Sehlix didn?t bother to listen. He began a slow, deliberate countdown, his gaze never leaving the screen.
"Ten? Nine? Eight?" His voice was a death knell, each number a step closer to the inevitable. Commander Sehlix was no longer listening to what the Governor was trying to tell him.
As Sehlix?s countdown reached zero he turned off the Vidcom with a flick of his wrist, his expression one of detached amusement. "Thought so," he muttered. "Completely out of touch with reality. No one will miss him."
He turned to the lieutenant, who was already waiting, anticipation gleaming in his eyes. "Igorovitz, would you do the honors? Call in fire from the 3rd Heavy Artillery Regiment."
"Yes, sir," the lieutenant replied, a grin of his own forming as he added, "with pleasure."
Artillery crews are awaiting orders to open fire on the Citadel
Designer Notes: Autocracy, from Stability to Tyranny
In the above story we follow the events during a Military Coup against a Syndic Democracy. The problem with many radical political systems as Syndic Democracy is that once the system (the computer in this case) gets entrenched it becomes very hard to change the system.
Except that is by a revolution of some kind. In the case of an entrenched Syndic Democracy the only way out is by a Palace Revolution or a Military Coup. The former might prove difficult once the Computer has removed all disloyal elements stationed in the Cities. The only Leaders the Computer cannot really eliminate well are the military Commanders that are often physically outside of its reach. Finally an advantage to a wasteland, right?
The military however is loyal to the political leadership by nature and will only be tempted to commit a coup if the situation is truly dire and the pressure from outside is clearly leading to a disaster for the nation.
Once the coup in the story will have been completed the coup Commanders will take charge of the most important Councils, unplug the Computer and declare Autocracy. Virtus will rise due to the relief of being saved from a path to disaster and new hope for a brighter future.
The Autocracy political system itself is probably the simplest to play. Basically you have wide ranging discretionary powers. If there are any Laws proposed by your politburo they can be vetoed at a minimal PP cost. On top of that it is a system that has lower Virtus decay than all others.
Perfect right? Well? it will take some time but at some point your Commanders will start to emulate the system on a lower scale and they?ll think themselves supreme Leaders in their own little domains. Depending on their personality they?ll become little Tyrants. Which will lead to all sorts of excesses that will terrorize their subjects (soldiers, workers or population). And beware Tyrants might devolve further into Sadists.
At some point your system will risk to devolve into a Tyranny, no matter how noble the intentions of the Supreme Leader.
Though it might be possible to avoid this. Probably the best way to try this is keeping everybody on their toes against an external enemy. One of the options to restore Virtus will be to declare a Crusade, reinvigorating Virtus, as the final victory will seem to be in reach!
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