Why should troops make a population jubilant...

[Baron Munchausen]

Well, that's essentially the same thing. Yes, I think each race should have a happiness setting, not each empire. Then they could retain it with their other different characteristics when conquered.

[Suicide Junkie]

How many points would this cost?

If it were arbitrary, based on description or something, there would be absolutely nothing to stop everybody from saying "Never give up, never surrender! Riot till they go away!"

[Baron Munchausen]

No 'points' cost should be necessary. It's the character of the race and therefore self-limiting. They should act the same whether you are ruling them or someone else is ruling them, or nearly so. The meaner you make them, the meaner they are for you, too. A slight modifier for 'alien' rulers is a good idea, but could you honestly make a race that's civil and governable while under their own rulership and ugly when conquered and call it realistic?

If they retain this 'happiness setting' along with their various aptitudes life could get really interesting as you try to get a cantakerous race that happens to have great intel bonuses to work your intel facilities for you and they keep rioting. Or even if you get control of a fairly passive race population that breathes another atmosphere and has no 'great' production bonuses do you use them to 'expand' planets of the appropriate atmosphere or wait for atmosphere converters and use your own race which has better bonuses? (Penalties for mass genocide need to be installed to deter the obvious solution that som smart aleck will now post: use them now, space them when you get atmosphere converters and can send in your own race...)

[ July 18, 2002, 02:31: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Suicide Junkie]

I'd imagine the Norak would be dramatically bipolar in just that way.

[Baron Munchausen]

Nah, they're religious zealots. There would be plenty of infighting over who had the 'blessing' of the reigning deity, and an instant necktie-party (or the Norak equivalent) for any leaders who seemed to have violated tenets of The Faith. The races classed as 'forgiving' in that summary posted how ever many ages ago... Cue Cappa, Eee, Phong, Toltayan, Ukra Tal, etc. would be the most logical races to be 'domesticatable'. Of course even they should be able to recognize when their conqueror has stumbled and re-constitute their fallen empire. I hope SE V, at least, will have provisions for 'underground' racial morale and be able to bring back conquered peoples.

[ July 18, 2002, 15:24: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]