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Legitimacy - a New Mechanic for the Empire

UPDATE 1: this update brings a number of bug and balance fixes, but most importantly introduces a way to return province capitals to their original owners. More details can be found in the "change notes" section.

UPDATE 1.5, take 2: Destroying or confederating with an Elector will now prevent further legitimacy penalties being applied when occupying that Elector's associated province. Existing legitimacy penalties will remain in place.

This time around, the way I've done it shouldn't blow up the game.

I hope.

SUMMON THE ELECTOR COUNTS!

This mod adds adding a new mechanic to the Empire - “Legitimacy” – that will affect your relations with the Elector Counts. This new resource ensures that if you behave like a good Emperor – treating your vassals fairly and defending the realm against threats – you will receive substantial bonuses. All in all, it should allow for a more unique and diplomatic style of campaign.

For those who just want the region gifting system from this mod, go here: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=907561347

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Disclaimer: this mod is somewhat experimental, so there are likely to be bugs and oddities. Please let me know if you find any. I will try to fix these as soon as possible, as well as add new ways to gain and lose Legitimacy as time goes on.

One bug worth flagging up in advance is this: the UI currently incorrectly says you'll receive a penalty when occupying regions in Marienburg or Reikland. The UI is wrong - it is intended for you to be able to capture these provinces without penalty, and no penalty will be applied if you do so. So feel safe to expand into these regions.

*********FAQ***********

----1. What is “Legitimacy”?-----

The Emperor of Man rules not by fiat but by consent. He is beholden to the Electors who chose to elevate him – most importantly, the Elector Counts. No Emperor can disregard the ancient obligations he owes to these powerful men and women. However, the Electors are also bound by tradition – if an Emperor acts in a way befitting an heir to the crown of Sigmar, they will find it hard to reject his commands.

This is represented in this mod by a new resource, legitimacy, which functions like a hybrid between the dwarven Grudge system and the Bretonnian Chivalry system. Being a good Emperor will increase your legitimacy score, which in turn offers an array of bonuses.

-----2. What does Legitimacy do?-----

There are ten tiers of legitimacy: five positive and five negative. The positive tiers will offer bonuses to diplomatic relations with the Elector Counts, public order, corruption reduction and eventually income.

The negative levels impose increasingly harsh penalties on public order, morale and diplomatic relations. But those who decide to fully embrace rule by terror may find that it can provide benefits... if you are willing to fully commit.

-----3. How do I gain Legitimacy?-----

The following will provide a decent amount of baseline legitimacy:
- Building impressive buildings
- Securing the famous symbols of the Empire - such as Ghal Maraz, the Jade Griffon and the Staff of Volans.
- Recruting other Legendary lords
- Filling offices

But to achieve the highest levels of legitimacy, you’ll need to show that you can fulfil the highest duty of the Emperor: the defence of the realm. Sending your armies into battles against the forces destruction will please the Electors, and decisive actions against the settlements of Norscans, Vampires and the Greenskins will provide further boosts to your legitimacy.

Note, however, that these boosts are only temporary, and the Elector Counts will not reward you if you focus over-much on a single threat. The greatest benefits are to be had if you can sustain victories against your foes on multiple fronts. The more cynical members of the court suggest that the Emperor is best served by leaving some enemies weakened but alive – after all, without such enemies, why would the Electors need an Emperor?

The largest gains of all are from liberating destroyed Elector Counts, or through returning provincial capitals via the new Region Gifting System.


------4. How do I lose Legitimacy?-----

The borders of the Imperial Provinces are ancient, dating back to the arrival of the tribes in the age of Sigmar - woe betide the Emperor who seeks to change them. If the Emperor occupies any of the ancient territories belonging to the Elector Counts (i.e. their starting regions), that territory will be harder to govern and will contribute to a reduced legitimacy rating, at least for a time.

But the greatest crime any lord can commit is to breach the duty of protection owed to their subjects. Razing or sacking any settlement owned by an Elector Count will have a powerful, long-lasting effect on your legitimacy.


-----5.Does that mean I’m punished for fighting the Elector Counts?----

Not necessarily. Sometimes the balance between the Elector Counts is disrupted, threatening the Empire’s stability. In these cases, force might be necessary – but a wise Emperor should temper such action with mercy. The new “punish” occupation option allows you to retaliate against recalcitrant Electors in a demonstrative way. Such decisive – but restrained – action will boost your legitimacy and hopefully restore peace.

Furthermore, the Emperor can now liberate occupied Electors, providing a large and sustained legitimacy boost and bringing any oversized vassals back down to size. And confederating with other factions will no longer impose penalties, making peaceful expansions easier.

Most exciting of all, if you capture the province capital of a surviving Elector Count, you'll be offered a dilemma in which you can choose to return the city; perfect for reclaiming regions from those pesky Vampires or encouraging re-colonisation.

------Technical notes-------
I advise you start a new campaign with this mod, though it is technically save-game compatible.

COMPATIBILITY: There is a reasonable chance that this will be incompatible with other mods that affect the Grand Campaign. If you are having problems, try deactivating any such mods and see if the issue persists. Cosmetic and battle mods should not be a problem.

It is 100% not compatible with any mod that changes the wh_campaign_setup.lua scripts.

I've had reports that it works fine with SFO and Crysnos faction unlock. Some people report ther have been problems with the more building slots sub-mod for Crysnos mods. No idea why. In the future I will try and make this mod as compatible as possible, but my current focus is on fixing bugs and adding features.

This will affect the AI-controlled Empire, though I haven’t yet done extensive testing on how the AI will do with the new changes. If you want to play it safe, it’s probably best to disable this mod while playing other factions.


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