minor/magnate civs?

[Aussie Mick]

I wouldn't consider it enslaving, more like joining like the federation for star trek.

Sure it is, it's not like joining the Federation from Blake's 7 at all. Really it was entirely voluntary. Those 15 Starcruisers were just there to provide fireworks for the celebrations afterwards.

[Yeeha]

What if the minor races form some kind of guild, so close by minor races can stick together and hold some power, enough to talk other bigger races into letting them live.

I like that idea, all weaklings declaring war at super advanced and powerful civ would be very funny and would bring more diplomatic situations. Specially funny would be if some uber spy race would be able to trick them to think other civ is a bad guy. Many otherwise good strategy games simply lack that alive feeling, that was one of the things why moo2 was success imho, all civilizations had personality and diplomacy felt more than one strategic level of the game. Littlebit offtopic but does sword of stars feels alive like that?

[Aussie Mick]

Well, severall "major" nations on our good old earth tried to get rid of some minors. Didn't work that well. All former colonies are independent again, and some minors even found ways to hurt the majors badly. <snip>

Well not quite all, the Cadigal band certainly haven't kicked the British Empire out of Sydney, Australia for a start. Many of the American civilisations were pretty thoroughly subjugated as well. All depends on the tech difference and how much a ruling elite wants the resources.

[Yeeha]

Also, some intelligent spacemonster groups could be a faction in this alliance aswell. And friendship with this alliance could eventually give them so much trust in you that they let themselves studyed by your scientists unlocking special bioresearches otherwise unavailable. Just some wild brainstorming...

[marhawkman]

Mexico is kinda different here as the locals slowly took over the government. The conquistadors conquered the Aztec, Mayan, and Inca civilizations and setup their own system of governments instead. Now? The "Spaniards" have become a non-entity and the "subjugated" peoples have taken over. Of course the modern civilization is more like that of the Spanish, but not quite the same.