Governor Challenge

[Mart]

Governor Challenge, an idea, and I think maybe someone already proposed something like this, but here, let it be a special flavour and maybe a new type of challenge. In short, you fully control only one base, your HQ base. All other bases are run by governors.
This is the first version of the rules:

Governor Challenge Rules (version 0.1)

• The only base, that can have governor option set to "not active" is your headquarter base. All other bases have to have the governor set to active from the very moment of their establishment or take over from another faction or acquisition in another way.
• Governor must be set with the following options:

- All options ON, apart from:
- Governor sets new units to "fully automate" is OFF
- Governor may HURRY production is OFF

• You cannot set workers in field in bases, where governors are set. In case you attempt to do it, e.g. by clicking on base icon in base screen, you have open Governor pane and reset option 'Governor manages citizens and specialists (including drone riots)' to ON.
  
• You can let other bases (Governor bases) to upkeep units build in your HQ base.
• You can fully control any and all units of faction, including formers, no matter what bases upkeep them. you can rehome crawlers to HQ base. You cannot use bug, where a pacted faction upkeep your units.
• You cannot change decisions made by governors, e.g. base produces colony pod with one population and colony pod would be completed too early. You must let AI do it, accepting loss of minerals.
• You can fully control faction social engineering, EC, and you can hurry production in bases controlled by governors. You can add crawlers to Secret Project started by governors.
• You have to accept facilities built by governors, even if they cost too many EC/turn.
• You have to accept way the governors deal with drone riots, e.g. they do not build Rec commons when you like.

And additions/modifications of rules:

• It is allowed to change Governor plan between 4 directions: explore, build,conquer,discover. It is like "discussing" or "issuing orders" to your governors.

Attached is a scenario to test. Let's play it and test such challenge. Refine the rules.
Folder is to be placed in scenario folder, inside is .SC file.
IMPORTANT: must be played with Yitzi patch 2.4c !

I also started AAR: Link
I plan to post ruleset modifications as the testing progresses.

[Geo]

Ah, you started it.

[Mart]

As I play it longer now, I think there may be two kinds of this gameplay:

- less strict, when you can influence governor by setting single or multiple priorities. One can get various effects and when "playing" with unit workshop settings; e.g. setting some units to obsolete, one can achieve sometimes desired effects. This is not decreasing micromanagement much.

- more strict playing. You maybe set all priorities ON and do not touch it. Probably much more difficult play style, but less micromanagement.

[Kirov]

I've read about the 'Governor' challenge, but never really tried it. Will have to give it a shot someday...

One of the most interesting self-restricting scenarios is 'switching sides', with variable rules (you either change to the weakest every 50 turns or change to the weakest only when you get to be the strongest). In essence, you play against yourself and it's never possible to win... Just try to switch sides as much as you can.