Government System

"Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives- choice, not chance, determines your destiny."

-Aristotle

Conquest is never an easy thing! Dealing with the vast and complicated issues of a conquered people groups and their religion, culture and shifting national identities are ripe for possible conflict and disagreement. It can take many years for a conquered people to fully accept and understand their status as a conquered people, and even then one wrong move can mean betrayal. In order to conquer a people successfully, the right means of governance and freedoms must be allowed. Too much freedom and you have an unruly mob. Too little and the people are likely to rise up against you. The most successful Empires have always understood this.

In Ancient Empires, to emulate the complexities of managing a conquered people a more multifaceted government system is in place. Unlike vanilla Attila, or many other mods, a regions main building chain isn't a single chain to just upgrade as you increase in size and power. You will usually have a choice of 4 different government systems for a conquered region, each of which can then also be upgraded in size. These four different chains each represent a different form of government to be put in place; from a strict, closely governed one; to a more free, allied one.

The type of government you put in place can have major effects on your economy, public order, native discontent, unit recruitment choices and amount, cultural influence, food consumption and more. It is a good idea to pay careful attention to what type of chain you build according to the particular culture and situation you are in. A newly conquered province may need a lighter hand with more autonomy at first, but can be converted to a more strict regime as the people come more firmly under your influence. This also helps simulate changing situations in an empire as people are granted citizenship or more fully allowed to be a part of a ruling nations politics. As Aristotle says, "... choice, not chance, determines your destiny."

Types of Government
The government systems and their effects as well as the way the chains function are unique to each culture. In general however, they can be broken down into four main types for a conquered region and then your province capital will also have a unique chain. Hordes also only have a single chain until they settle, as they are not actually ruling over a horde as one would a city. The four main types of government are State, Tribute, Allied and Independent. The actual names of these will differ by culture.

Faction Capitals
All faction capital cities have a chain specifically for the capital which is unique and can only be built there. This will often, but not always, include a larger garrison and usually an ability to recruit some units without needing a specific military building. This is to make sure your capital is harder to capture and also means you have an ability to create some form of starting army. They are usually better than the other chains with less public order issues. They represent your factions heartlands, where your people originate from and have been settled in the longest.

State Government
This represent the strictest or most direct form of control. The army has taken over, a governor has moved in and the people are now expected to live and work as the conquerers do. In general, this form of government has the highest native discontent- simulating the local peoples annoyance at foreign rule- but also the least negatives to your income and unit recruitment. The people are firmly yours and this means they are more willing to fight in your armies, increasing unit recruitment. Your empires heartland regions and those that have been under your control for a long time will usually want to be under this form of government.

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Tributary State
A tributary state is one that has been forced under firm rule to submit, perhaps being a particularly troublesome and warlike people in the past. They are forced to pay money to the conquerors in recompense as well as hostages to fight in their armies. This plays out in a higher set amount of income received from this form of government, however still with rather high levels of native discontent- although not as high as the state government. Because they have been forcibly incorporated into the empire they retain much of their local culture which means the troops they provide will be in the local style, giving an increase to auxiliary recruitment but not main chain recruitment. A region that has a culture similar to yours or one that has rebelled and retaken could handle this government type as its high native discontent needs to be taken into account.

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Allied State
An Allied state is one that has chosen to be a part of the empire. This is in lieu of a lack of mechanics in Attila to represent a closely allied, and yet still submitted, people. They are considered friends, though they are not completely free; perhaps due to a lingering army or personal threats. As an ally, it keeps its own army and much of its local traditions, but it still pays its conquerors for support and protection. This plays out in lower native discontent and better recruitment for auxiliary style troops. It also means your local culture will not grow as strongly and they do not pay as much money in taxes. This government type simulates a city such as Massalia towards Rome; one which you might want to keep many of its local troops, or do not have the resources to constantly keep in line.

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Independent State
An independent state is one that is largely left alone and to their own devices, though still paying a tribute to their conquerors. They may be too much trouble to bring under firm rule or may just function better on their own. It is much the opposite to the state controlled government, with the lowest native discontent and, in fact, it is the only government that doesn't have a negative to native discontent due to the locals being able to live as they are. This however also means it has a smaller income from its people and a smaller unit recruitment pool. In gameplay terms, this government is helpful for a newly conquered region or one on the outskirts of your realm without an army to easily access it.

* specific effects here*