Empires

This would be different than conquering and absorbing cities. It would involve leaving the weak civ intact.

You could demand tribute, scientific lightbulbs, resources, station troops, dictate relations, etc.

In addition corruption would be reduced by using its palace and forbidden city. You would also have access to its wonders.

Of course, there would be the chance of widespread revolt. There would also be the option of releasing the dominated civ.

The civ would nominally be a part of your civ under its release or game end.

Finally if your civ is on the verge of being wiped out you could attempt the latch onto a greater civ (think Cleopatra and Rome) to survive and continue playing the game, perhaps freeing yourself if circumstances allow.

Wow that sounds like an amazing idea- especially the part of you being able to latch onto a greater civ. I would definetly play games where I wasn't clearly in the advantage if I could do something like that.

No offense to your idea, Justy, but I think that this would be a wasted feature. Afterall, read through this forum alone and you would see all the time people reload when they do not get a good starting location, or restart when something does not go their way. With that in mind, I do not see many players continuing to play when they are a pawn to the AI.

Just my 2 cents.

That final aspect may be wasted by many, but I still think that it would be an interesting feature.

This would, in fact, be a great way for players who DO start in a bad position-or whose position ends up being bad-to win the game, albiet as part of an 'Allied' or 'Protectorate' victory.
The thing is that SMAC had protectorates, which worked along similar lines to what you have suggested Justy. I think that it would be a fantastic edition to the diplomacy side of the game-alongside MPP's, Alliances and Peace Treaties (and Non-Aggression pacts and cease-fire treaties of course ).
As far as who would use it, well I've heard of many more people who, in spite of having bad positions, still try to continue on regardless-sometimes they lose, but sometimes they pull victory from the jaws of defeat. A protectorate might give players, in these positions, a chance of living another day, so that they can come along and snatch power later on (as has actually happened historically )!
Lastly, if the people who reload games that give them a bad start position don't want to use this feature, then I reckon it's THEIR loss!

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.