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Sina Invicta

Updated for 1.5.1.0 checksum 0ef1!

Alternative upload in case steam doesn't work: https://www.mediafire.com/?kfm4xa3c1q3pli4

----- Introduction -----
Hi everyone, what I'm intending to do with this mod is to reconceptualise the way westernisation is approached as Ming. The game currently requires you to meet and gain territory next to a western power. It is problematic in two respects: First, the mechanics of westernisation themselves make little sense in the context of the Ming. It seems farfetched to suggest that the primary reason that a country 200 million strong stagnated was because it didn't sail halfway across the world to place a city next to a German village of 3,000. It is far more realistic to argue that it stagnated due to a series of institutional failings. Secondly, the way that a human player interacts with this system produces unrealistic and ahistorical results. Every human Ming player would dive immediately for Africa in order to secure a position next to European colonies. Not would would the AI or a player without this knowledge not do this, if we were to travel back in time and actually BE the Ming, it is questionable whether anyone would find this to be a valid idea.

In this mod, I take the approach that the Ming can undergo a series of institutional reforms to address its internal problems to achieve technological parity with the Europeans. I introduce a six-step process by which the Ming can eliminate their technological penalties. I also added 6 additional units to bring the military side more in line with the European nations. Regular westernisation will still be available for anyone who wants to go that way. The AI will not undertake this new process.

In addition, what I intend to do with this mod is to boost the Ming from a second tier country into a first tier along the lines of Rome. I have thus also reworked Ming' national ideas. Whereas the westernisation ideas are more ahistorical in the sense that the Ming could have, but never did undertake them, the national ideas are comparatively more historical in the sense that the Ming did achieve them in some form or other.

The core idea I'm alluding to with these changes is that rather than running away from uniqueness, you instead undergo a process of self-improvement and achieve self-actualisation. Rather than starting off as a Celestial Empire (a bad government with a pointless reduction in revolt risk) and trying to become a westernised despotic monarchy, Ming now starts off as an administrative monarchy (much like in EU3) and becomes Celestial Empire at the end (now giving +7 to diplomatic reputation and bonus to land morale). Inward perfecion will be removed over the westernisation process, but mandate of heaven will stick around (as it's a very important concept in Chinese political theory).

----- Westernisation Decisions -----
Each decision will require the player to be at +1 stability and to have the mandate of heaven. Each decision causes the player to lose 3 stability, and gain a modifier that forces mandate of heaven to be lost for 10 years and reduces legitimacy in the mean time to simulate the challenges and dangers of reform. A total of 6 decisions are present in the game, each giving -10% to tech costs, the enactment of all six would eliminate Ming's technological penalties.

Without giving away the bonuses (you should subscribe to find out!), here are the decisions:

Re-establish the Chancellery
"The fear of rebellion drove the Hongwu Emperor to abolish the chancellery. However, in light of the increasing complexity of the state, we must re-establish the office to alleviate the workload of the Emperor and the Grand Secretary. We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

Abolish the Household Registry System
"The household registry system was enacted in the past to limit migration and ensure stability. Though it will introduce more strains on record keeping, we must abolish this system to allow the settlement of less populated areas and efficient distribution of resources."

Hereditary Classifications Abolished
"Assigning families to serve hereditarily in the army was effective in earlier years in ensuring the availability of manpower. With time, however, the quality of our army gradually declined. We must act in line with our Confucian meritocratic tradition and build a professional army on the basis of talent and skill rather than birth."

Enforce Monogamy, Abolish Polygamy
"Current laws allow the rich and powerful to marry multiple women and take them as concubines. This poses a risk to stability by leaving the country with a pool of poor unmarried men at the bottom of the social ladder who have little to lose. We can resolve this problem by outlawing polygamy and enforcing monogamy. Don't expect the upper classes to give up their privilege willingly, however."

Remove the Eunuchs!
"It seems strange now that a criminal could, after castration, become a trusted servant of the emperor's household. We can no longer tolerate the atrocities conducted by the enunchs' secret police programs. The son of heaven must lead his nation through exemplary conduct. It is time to back the scholar-officials and kick the enunchs out of politics once and for all."

Rectification of Names
"Achieving The Good requires us to use proper names and designations in the web of relationships. To cement our legacy as the successor to the Han and Tang and the rightful heir to the Chinese civilisation, we must move to the old capital Chang'an and conduct ourselves as the sages and emperors in the past did. We shall focus not on petty political intrigues, but the growth of our nation and the prosperity of our people. Glory to the Celestial Empire! Sina invicta!"

----- National Ideas -----
In the interest of word count, I'll just leave the names here and you can check out the descriptions and bonuses in game.

'Let the people rest'
Fund the Confucian Academies
The Treasure Fleet
Masters of Artillery
Cheap Paper
Accurate Censuses
'Emperors defend the gates, kings die for the state'

----- Additional Changes -----
The Neo-Confucianism decisions have had the magnitude of their bonuses and penalties increased. In particular, the promote Neo-Confucianism decision increases tolerance for your own religion as well religious unity to increase its attractiveness.

The temples faction event that converts your provinces to buddhism will now only fire if you also have the promote neo-confucianism modifier.

6 new units have been added to the Chinese tech tree to bring the Ming military more in line with European Units at higher tech levels.

----- Future Directions -----
I always thought that the tier 3 graphic (which we will see very often now given the context of this mod) for Ming looked a bit dorky. If I can manage to learn how to do textures I'll likely try to make a graphics mod to change it.

----- Finishing Thoughts -----
Hope you enjoyed the mod, please rate and subscribe!