The whole vassalage stuff

[Archont]

Jak się powiedziało "A"...

OK, laconically.

I proposed in another topic introducing a Vassal-Sovereign (VS) agreements (treaties), either as an application to an alliance or as a separate type of treaty.

Reasons:
1. to gave a objective, indisputable ranking measure,
2. to solve once for all problem of players who does not claim victory though obviously won the game, eg. by participating in massive alliance,
3. to embed noob protection of some kind.

Ad.1.: Each Sovereign would get a small point for each VS treaty. Each Vassal would get a small point for just surviving in the game. Each Lone Gunman (neither Vassal nor Sovereign) would not get even one small point. Big points would be calculated from the equation: SP + 1 == 2^BP, that is:
0 BP for 0 SP
1 BP for 1 SP
2 BP for 2 SP
3 BP for 4 SP
4 BP for 8 SP
5 BP for 16 SP
etc.
Current ranking value would be the arithmetic mean from sum of big points divided by number of games played.

Ad.2. I heard you do not like mudki^W players who do not play the game to win it. They would be natural Vassals and players who want to win would be natural Sovereigns. The game would turn from bloodlusty melee into political rivalry for Vassals, who could on their own rise Sovereigns into power and abolish them just by signing appropriate treaties. The role of Sovereigns would be to deliver their Vassals with ingame fun and pleasure, panem et circenes.

Ad.3. Only alive Vassal would be valuable Vassal. Period. Unless, of course, you like your company of old foxes so much that you do not want any fresh blood in Longturn.

Little dirty details (thanks, Dimitril!):
- a Vassal would inherit diplomatic status of Sovereign: any Sovereign's ally would automatically become his Vassals' ally, every war waged by Sovereign would be also waged by his Vassals and so on;
- a Sovereign would share his Vassal's vision, but not otherwise;
- a VS treaty could be ceased by agreement of both participants;
- the only participant allowed to break VS treaty would be Vassal and he could start war with his ex-Sovereign no earlier then after two turns.

Also a Sovereign could force his Vassal to pay him "gifts" each turn, not higher, however, that 25% of Vassal's total turn income.

If you ask, who shall code this all - well, I never saw even a line of FreeCiv code, but I know C and have plenty of free time.

Any enriching suggestions and constructive critics are welcomed. Detailed explanations, why this business has no right to work at all are welcomed too.