First, take everything you know about the over/undercouncil and throw it out the airlock. I'm starting from scratch here.
SUMMARY:
1) There should be 3 councils, 1 for each alignment. Maybe called: The Shadow League (Evil), The Grey Circle (Neutral), & Synod Lucis (Good)
2) The members, electors, and leaders of each of these 3 councils are citizens of Every nation, not just the leaders of those nations. Membership in each council is a bit heavy in nations of same alignment.
3) Each of these councils is more or less anonymous. Think of them as the Illuminati, or the Freemasons (ok, bad example) or any other "secret society".
4) The corresponding civics for each council represents which council (if any) a nation supports (financially, politically, militarily, etc)
5) These councils don't necessarily do what you want them to do. You can lobby them to take certain actions, but no leader can give them orders.
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DETAILS:
In game terms, I'd like to model membership for each council using a non-state religion, similar to the cult of dragons. Each player's starting city automatically gets representation in the council that corresponds with your initial alignment. The councils spread automatically.The Good and Evil councils don't have a "holy" city until Order and AV, respectively, are founded. Neutral waits until all of the other 5 religions are founded before it gets a holy city. The holy cities move periodically, until someone builds the holy building for that council (thinking Merchant for Evil, Prophet for Good, Bard/Sage/Engineer for Neutral).
Periodically, council events will pop up, some good, some bad, and some giving you a chance to lobby for changes in policy.
Choosing the good/evil/neutral council civic increases the good events for that council, decreases the bad for that council, increases the bad events from the Other 2 councils (esp the opposite council for good/evil), and restricts you to only lobbying that 1 council (but your lobbying is far more effective)
Each council has a theme:
For the Synod, "the ends Always justify the means" pretty much sums it up. Their goal is to rid the world of evil, and if that requires embracing evil, so be it. To paraphrase the bad guy from the movie Serenity, "There's no place for me there [the 'better world' he's making]. I'm a Monster, I have no illusions about what I do."
The Shadow League has a bit more in common with the Council of Esus than it does with the Ashen Veil. The Shadow League believes that "There is nothing money cannot buy". While the League was not initially trying to bring hell to earth, they're getting paid very handsomely (with the additional promises of eternal life, and unlimited power (and money)) to further that goal. But when they're not in bed with the AV, they're more like organized crime.
The Gray Circle actually has 2 themes; the Gray Circle that the world knows about say "We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers. We study the mysteries of [the universe]." The inner council of the Gray Circle, however, has a different theme: Balance. They believe that if either good or evil were to emerge victorious, that all would suffer. And so they attempt (in their spare time, when they're not trying to rebuild Barnaxus) to moderate the war between good & evil, to ensure that neither wins, and if possible, neither fights.
Maybe also have a national limit unit for each council, requiring that council's civic.
A few example events:
"The Synod Lucis is boycotting Death mana. Your citizens are upset at your use of death magic" (+5 unhappiness in all cities for 10 turns)
"The Synod Lucis is boycotting Death mana. Your citizens celebrate their freedom from death (magic)" (+5 happiness in all cities for 10 turns)
"The Synod Lucis is campaigning for a Crusade against Os-Gabella" (relations between Os-Gabella and all nations with Synod Lucis civic suffer -- offers chance to declare war immediately (happiness bonus in your cities), offer material support (+1 extra trade route between all Synod cities), or decline the request (unhappiness?)
"An Adept of the Gray Circle claims to have discovered a way to create a new mana node in your lands. Shall we allow this experiment? Yes No" if yes, 50% chance of creating a new mana resource on the selected tile, otherwise, the tile turns to desert
"Your Minister of Internal Security has caught an assassin who claims diplomatic immunity as a member of the Shadow League. Perhaps we should release him...if he agrees to speak to the Shadow League for us." followed by several options for different events to lobby for.
SUMMARY:
1) There should be 3 councils, 1 for each alignment. Maybe called: The Shadow League (Evil), The Grey Circle (Neutral), & Synod Lucis (Good)
2) The members, electors, and leaders of each of these 3 councils are citizens of Every nation, not just the leaders of those nations. Membership in each council is a bit heavy in nations of same alignment.
3) Each of these councils is more or less anonymous. Think of them as the Illuminati, or the Freemasons (ok, bad example) or any other "secret society".
4) The corresponding civics for each council represents which council (if any) a nation supports (financially, politically, militarily, etc)
5) These councils don't necessarily do what you want them to do. You can lobby them to take certain actions, but no leader can give them orders.
-----
DETAILS:
In game terms, I'd like to model membership for each council using a non-state religion, similar to the cult of dragons. Each player's starting city automatically gets representation in the council that corresponds with your initial alignment. The councils spread automatically.
Periodically, council events will pop up, some good, some bad, and some giving you a chance to lobby for changes in policy.
Choosing the good/evil/neutral council civic increases the good events for that council, decreases the bad for that council, increases the bad events from the Other 2 councils (esp the opposite council for good/evil), and restricts you to only lobbying that 1 council (but your lobbying is far more effective)
Each council has a theme:
For the Synod, "the ends Always justify the means" pretty much sums it up. Their goal is to rid the world of evil, and if that requires embracing evil, so be it. To paraphrase the bad guy from the movie Serenity, "There's no place for me there [the 'better world' he's making]. I'm a Monster, I have no illusions about what I do."
The Shadow League has a bit more in common with the Council of Esus than it does with the Ashen Veil. The Shadow League believes that "There is nothing money cannot buy". While the League was not initially trying to bring hell to earth, they're getting paid very handsomely (with the additional promises of eternal life, and unlimited power (and money)) to further that goal. But when they're not in bed with the AV, they're more like organized crime.
The Gray Circle actually has 2 themes; the Gray Circle that the world knows about say "We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers. We study the mysteries of [the universe]." The inner council of the Gray Circle, however, has a different theme: Balance. They believe that if either good or evil were to emerge victorious, that all would suffer. And so they attempt (in their spare time, when they're not trying to rebuild Barnaxus) to moderate the war between good & evil, to ensure that neither wins, and if possible, neither fights.
Maybe also have a national limit unit for each council, requiring that council's civic.
A few example events:
"The Synod Lucis is boycotting Death mana. Your citizens are upset at your use of death magic" (+5 unhappiness in all cities for 10 turns)
"The Synod Lucis is boycotting Death mana. Your citizens celebrate their freedom from death (magic)" (+5 happiness in all cities for 10 turns)
"The Synod Lucis is campaigning for a Crusade against Os-Gabella" (relations between Os-Gabella and all nations with Synod Lucis civic suffer -- offers chance to declare war immediately (happiness bonus in your cities), offer material support (+1 extra trade route between all Synod cities), or decline the request (unhappiness?)
"An Adept of the Gray Circle claims to have discovered a way to create a new mana node in your lands. Shall we allow this experiment? Yes No" if yes, 50% chance of creating a new mana resource on the selected tile, otherwise, the tile turns to desert
"Your Minister of Internal Security has caught an assassin who claims diplomatic immunity as a member of the Shadow League. Perhaps we should release him...if he agrees to speak to the Shadow League for us." followed by several options for different events to lobby for.
