Matrix Games Forums

NoMinorAnnexation, A Shadow Empire Multiplayer Balance Mod

Changelog
Version 1:
- Initial Release
Version 2:
- Added Cancel Pacts card
Version 3:
- An alternate version that also removeds client/make protectorate cards from play and removes the redundant cancel pacts card

Installation instructions
- Make sure your game is updated to the latest patch for compatibility.
- Place the zip file in your Shadow Empire directory and extract it there, it'll dump the necessary files into the shadowscenarios folder.
- Select the "Modlib picker" button, click on NoMinorAnnexation in the list and check the button in the bottom right to flag the mod to be loaded when starting a new game.
- Generate a new planet and start a new game to use the mod.

Current Mod Features

Version 2:
- Removes the Unification and Annexation minor diplomacy cards from the Minor diplomacy stratagem tab and prevents them from ever being bought using your Foreign Affairs organisation's minorDiplomacyCardPoints.
- Adds a card to cancel client or protectorate status on minor regimes that you've made a client or protectorate state of yours

Alternate Version 3:
- Removes the Unification, Annexation, Make Client and Make Protectorate Minor diplomacy stratagem cards from play removing the essentially risk-free option of annexing a minor regime forcing you to conquer minor regimes which actually poses some form of risk to you as a major regime in the form of troop casualties and potential damage to the minor regime's city.

Download link for Version 2: https://www.dropbox.com/s/caswbu2w30ccj93/NoMinorAnnexationv2.zip?dl=0

Download link for Alternate Version 3 https://www.dropbox.com/s/6ljqfbs9qf0l83q/NoMinorAnnexationv3.zip?dl=0

works as a stopgap but would lead to a weird gameplay with staking out the minors with no way to adsorb or attack them. The system needs a rework or total disabling of minor politics

ORIGINAL: Voker57

works as a stopgap but would lead to a weird gameplay with staking out the minors with no way to adsorb or attack them. The system needs a rework or total disabling of minor politics

I do intend to develop this mod further, what I'm planning is to reinstate the Annexation card but change the PP cost to make it fairly expensive and change the effects so it always leads to a declaration of war on the minor so you can then conquer them but in-lore that political power is used to diplomatically justify the war goal of annexing the minor so declaring war on minors that you've made into your protectorates or vassals this way would have significantly less severe diplomatic fallout than violating their borders and declaring war on them with one of your units which is always very severe for regimes you have high relationship values with, and minors you've made peace with via the story event for choosing to respect their borders and successfully played Offer Protection or Offer Client stratagem cards usually have high relationship scores with you.

I've updated the mod to include a card that cancels client or protectorate status, incidentally I also discovered a bug in the Annexation card in the process

As requested by a user I have created a third alternative version of NoMinorAnnexation that removes the Make Client/Make Protectorate cards entirely and only leaves you the option of conquering minor regimes, I'll be keeping the download link to version 2 up but will also be simultaneously hosting a link for version 3 which allows you to choose which arrangement you would prefer for your games.