Subject empire
A subject is an empire that has a special diplomatic relationship with another empire, called the overlord. In the default galaxy map mode, subjects have the same color as their overlord.
An empire can become a subject willingly via diplomacy, the acceptance dependent on a number of factors, particularly relative power. Having an overall superior or overwhelming relative power enables an empire to use the Subjugation casus belli to forcefully make another empire a subject.
Subjects receive a −50% penalty to their diplomatic weight. In addition, operation difficulty is reduced between subjects and their overlord.
If they have fleets available, subject fleets tend to follow the overlord's.
Loyalty[edit | edit source]
Subjects have a secondary opinion type towards their overlord called Loyalty that ranges from −100 to 100. Subjects with negative loyalty have the Disloyal attitude, which prevents any diplomatic agreements; subjects with positive loyalty have the Loyal attitude, which increases acceptance of diplomatic agreements. Loyalty can also be used as part of trade deals between the overlord and the subject.
Loyalty is gained or lost monthly based on subject's opinion and terms of agreements; ethic compatibility, relative power, and overlord holdings have a lesser impact as well. A
Pledge of Loyalty can also be negotiated via trade, adding
+1.5 monthly loyalty for the duration of the trade deal; if the subject's
opinion of the overlord is at least 150, the Pledge of Loyalty adds
+2.5 monthly loyalty instead.
If an overlord has multiple subjects, each subject gains −1 monthly loyalty for every other subject. This penalty can be removed by the
Feudal Society civic,
Franchising civic, or the
Shared Destiny ascension perk.
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Available only with the Overlord DLC enabled. |
Loyalty also grants experience to specialized subjects. In addition, certain resolutions increase or reduce
monthly loyalty as well.
Terms of agreement[edit | edit source]
All subjects and overlords have an Agreement towards each other, which may include certain obligations for the subject or the overlord. Agreements may only be changed once every 5 years. Reforming the government to add the Feudal Society or
Franchising civics will remove incompatible terms from all agreements. Many agreement terms are restricted by subject type, primarily
Tributary, or by the Suzerains and Sovereignty resolutions.
Category | Terms | Effects | ![]() |
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Requirements | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Subject Integration | Integration Permitted | Overlord can use the Integrate Subject interaction | −50 | −4 | 275 | ||
Integration Prohibited | Overlord cannot use the Integrate Subject interaction | +5 | +0.5 | 0 | |||
Diplomatic Freedom | Limited Diplomacy |
|
−15 | −1 | 100 | ||
Restricted Voting |
|
0 | 0 | 25 | |||
Independent Diplomacy |
|
+5 | +0.5 | 0 | ![]() | ||
Expansion | Expansion Prohibited | Subject cannot construct outposts | −15 | −1 | 100 | ||
Expansion Regulated | Subject must pay the overlord an additional 50% of the ![]() |
−5 | 0 | 50 | |||
Expansion Permitted | Subject can construct outposts | +5 | +0.5 | 0 | |||
Overlord Conflicts | None | The subject joins none of the overlord's wars | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Defensive | The subject joins only the overlord's defensive wars | −1 | 50 | ||||
Offensive | The subject joins only the overlord's offensive wars | −2 | 100 | ||||
All | The subject joins all of the overlord's wars | −3 | 150 | ||||
Subject Conflicts | None | The overlord joins none of the subject's wars | 0 | 0 | 75 | ||
Defensive | The overlord joins only the subject's defensive wars | +5 | +0.5 | 50 | |||
Offensive | The overlord joins only the subject's offensive wars | +10 | +1 | 25 | |||
All | The overlord joins all of the subject's wars |
+15 |
+1.5 | 0 | |||
Holdings Limit | 0 | The overlord cannot construct any holdings on the subject's worlds | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1 | The overlord can construct 1 holding across the subject's worlds | −5 | −0.4 | 25 | |||
2 | The overlord can construct 2 holdings across the subject's worlds | −15 | −1 | 75 | |||
3 | The overlord can construct 3 holdings across the subject's worlds |
−30 |
−2 | 150 | |||
4 | The overlord can construct 4 holdings across the subject's worlds |
−50 |
−4 | 250 | |||
Sensors | Independent Sensors | Subject does not receive sensor data from the overlord | 0 | 0 | 25 | ||
Unified Sensors | Subject receives sensor data from the overlord | +5 | +0.5 | 0 | |||
Contribution | Basic | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Each contribution is adjustable in 15% increments as a proportion of the subject's income.
Each contribution term can be up to −75% as a subsidy (to subject) or +75% as a tax (to overlord). Any contribution other than 0% blocks regular diplomatic trading of those resources. |
0 to −45 | +3.7 to −3.7 | 0 to 225 | |
Advanced | ![]() ![]() |
0 to −45 | +3.7 to −3.7 | 0 to 225 | |||
Research | ![]() |
0 to −90 | +3.7 to −3.7 | 0 to 225 | |||
Strategic | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
0 to −135 |
+3.7 to −3.7 |
0 to 225 |
Subject types[edit | edit source]
There are four types of regular subjects and three types of specialized subjects. There are also six types of preset, non-negotiable subjects.
Negotiable subjects[edit | edit source]
Specialized subjects[edit | edit source]
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Available only with the Overlord DLC enabled. |
Specialized subjects cannot be integrated and have additional effects. They can gain experience to increase in tier and gain additional effects. To reach tier 2, they need 1200 experience, and to reach tier 3, they need 3600 experience. Experience is gained monthly at a value of a tenth of the subject's loyalty. Empires with the
Imperial Fiefdom origin will start as specialized subjects. Protectorates cannot be made into a specialized subject; any other regular type of subject can be turned into a specialized subject through the agreement screen.
Overlord effects do not stack if there are multiple specialized subjects of the same type. The Relay Network effects require a Hyper Relay connection between the overlord and subject's capital systems and only apply to overlord systems connected to the same Hyper Relay network.
Type | Effects for subject | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Overlord gains: |
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+50% | +50% | +75% |
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+50% | +50% | +75% | |
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+50% | +75% | +100% | |
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+50% | +75% | +100% | |
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−25% | −50% | −75% | |
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−25% | −50% | −75% | |
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+2 | +5 | +8 | |
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+100% | +100% | +100% | |
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— | — | −0.3% (−0.5% with ![]() | |
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−20% | −35% | −50% | |
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−20% | −35% | −50% | |
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−20% | −35% | −50% | |
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— | +1 | +1 | |
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— | +2 | +2 | |
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— | ![]() |
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— | ![]() |
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Technologies Unlocked | ![]() |
— | — | |
Technologies added as research options | ![]() | |||
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— | — | ![]() | |
![]() Overlord gains: |
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−10% | −25% | −50% |
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+10% | +20% | +30% | |
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+10% | +20% | +30% | |
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+10% | +20% | +30% | |
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+10% | +20% | +30% | |
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−30% | −40% | −50% | |
20% Yearly chance to discover a resource cache | Only ![]() ![]() |
Also ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Also ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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— | +1 | +1 | |
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— | +2 | +2 | |
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— | ![]() |
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— | ![]() |
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Technologies added as research options | — | |||
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— | — | ![]() | |
![]() Overlord gains: |
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+20% | +30% | +40% |
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+1 | +1 | +1 | |
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−30% | −40% | −50% | |
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+30% | +40% | +50% | |
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+30% | +40% | +50% | |
20% Yearly chance to discover a research cache | ![]() |
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||
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— | +1 | +1 | |
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— | +2 | +2 | |
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— | ![]() |
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— | ![]() |
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— | — | ![]() |
Non-negotiable subjects[edit | edit source]
Non-negotiable types of subjects cannot be proposed by regular empires and have preset terms of agreement. They do not allow subject integration or holdings.
Integration[edit | edit source]
Subjects that have Integration Permitted in the terms of agreement can be integrated into the overlord empire after 10 years via a diplomatic action, transferring control of all systems and ships to the overlord. All leaders, resources, and armies are removed, and new scientists will be required for the new science ships. Only one subject can be integrated at a time. Integration costs 5 influence per month and has a base cost with the following formula:
If the player empire is integrated, the game is automatically lost.
Holdings[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Holdings
Overlord holdings are special buildings which can be constructed on subject's worlds. The max number of holdings across all of a subject's worlds depends on the Holdings Limit agreement term as well as the Bureaucratic Surveillance resolutions.
References[edit | edit source]
Governance | Empire • Ethics • Government • Civics • Policies • Edicts • Leader • Factions • Population • Species rights • Economy • Technology • Traditions • Crime |
Exploration | Exploration • Map • Species • Anomaly • Events • FTL • Fallen empire • Pre-FTL species • Precursors • Spaceborne aliens |
Colonization | Colonization • Celestial body • Planetary features • Planetary management • Districts • Buildings • Ship • Starbase • Megastructures |
Diplomacy | Diplomacy • Trade • Subject empire • Federations • Galactic community • AI personalities • Intelligence |
Warfare | Warfare • Space warfare • Land warfare • Ship designer |
Others | Traits • Terraforming • Pop modification • Slavery • Crisis • Preset empires • AI players • Easter eggs |