[mac5732]

My opion, only, From all that I read in the thread, it sounds like the best possible trigger would have to do with attitude of the population each planet, each system and empire wide. Civil war could be a planet, which in turn affects the system and several systems infect the empire. If the empire goes to civil war the easiest way (I'm not a modder or programer) I think would be for the computer to check all planets of the empire, those with specific attitudes would have a chance to join or not join depending on their attitude at the time. Example, Jubulient, 95% not join, Happy 85% not join,
unhappy 65% not join, indeferent 50%, riot
30%, total civil disobedience 15%, insurrection 100% to join. This way it would not matter what size the planet was etc, Also the new rebellious empire would automatically be at war with its parent. The AI would treat it the same as any other player, The new empire would have the same make up as its parent, traits, attitudes, ect, or they could be racial traited as warriors or blood thirsty or whatever.
Sorry its so long,
just some ideas mac

For empire civil war, the trigger could be if 2 or more systems rebel, This would give the chance of civil war but not made easy.
Also the new empire would automaticly be given a space yard on the originating planet as well as a Govt. Facility, It would become a new empire. You could code it as either a neutral (I personaly don't like neutrals) or a bona fide expanding empire. Remember, the less hard code changes, the easier it is to implement a change. that's why I think if we look at attitudes and what triggers them it would be easier then massive changes. Example, if your bloodthirsty, at war pop happy, lose battle goes down in that system, if lose world goes down empire wide, If peaceful, war goes down, treaties goes up, If you use biological weapons for some races attitude would go down, others goes up, depends on your racial traits. again sorry for the long post, sometimes i get long winded.
just some ideas mac

[This message has been edited by mac5732 (edited 07 April 2001).]

[This message has been edited by mac5732 (edited 07 April 2001).]