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I wonder about the throne picture, somehow I find it annoying... Maybe it's because of the black background and it should be inside a border+background (as a big picture at the top?) Or maybe drazw this throne as a screen background and it will become fully visible after you get rid (deny or grant) of the audiences for the turn?

It was just a mockup for showing the concept. Your sci-fi game certainly shouldn't use a 1700 AD throne, and you previously mentioned you'd like guards visible around the throne. The scene background is a great idea, uncovering the picture more, and might look good with a gathered crowd of courtiers in semi-silhouette looking towards the throne from the bottom, with the audience panels partially covering them.

Yes, I know. I just think than no matter how polished the front view throne image would still look odd...

I think 2 solutions are possible here:

1) top down full screen background with the throne room picture, as explained before

2) Small/medium interactive icons at the top, the biggest one would be the throne (with stars as indicator of focus points left), smaller icons of guards (when you mouse over it shows the chance of surviving assassination attempt), a chancellor with a number on it which shows how many people are waiting for audience (if they don't fit on the screen), maybe portraits of ministers (you get a report after clicking) or some advisors (with advices).

How about ressolving audiences after the turn? During a turn you can only select "grant audience" or "reject" (if non of these selected the audience rquest simply carry over next turn or expire waits too long). When you click the end turn you are presented the decisions for each audience one by one (you can't come back, just a seriest of decisions), audiences that do not require decision are not presented after the turn, just carried over.

Does it make sense? Should I go for this mechanic or is there a better one?

2) Small/medium interactive icons at the top, the biggest one would be the throne (with stars as indicator of focus points left), smaller icons of guards (when you mouse over it shows the chance of surviving assassination attempt), a chancellor with a number on it which shows how many people are waiting for audience (if they don't fit on the screen), maybe portraits of ministers (you get a report after clicking) or some advisors (with advices).

Sounds good - I guess the only way to know is to try it out and fine-tune it.

How about ressolving audiences after the turn? During a turn you can only select "grant audience" or "reject" (if non of these selected the audience rquest simply carry over next turn or expire waits too long). When you click the end turn you are presented the decisions for each audience one by one (you can't come back, just a seriest of decisions), audiences that do not require decision are not presented after the turn, just carried over.
Does it make sense? Should I go for this mechanic or is there a better one?

It might get confusing if you choose which X audiences you want, and later on actually see those X audiences, because you might mix up in your mind which audience is which.

I'd personally prefer click-to-grant, and then immediately get to view and decide (for audiences that require a decision). Click "grant audience" for the general's situation report, view the report, then make a decision, before granting any other audiences. Imagine an audience that is a report only with no decision-making.
"Lieutenant SoandSo is here to brief you on the economic state of your empire." -> Grant audience -> "Great! You'll grant this audience... at some future time, after you've ended your turn, when you've already forgotten (or stopped caring) about it."

What if I wanted to be briefed on the economic state of my empire specifically to decide whether to even grant audiences to the politicians requesting funds for a new satellite colony?
As a player, if I say "grant audience", I'd want it granted immediately. Imagine using Photoshop: "Apply motion blur to image." -> "Photoshop: Sure! I'll apply the motion blur sometime in the future, perhaps when you next minimize the window."

It'd be very irritating, which would be semi-acceptable if it had a good gameplay reason why it should be that way. But I can't think of any way it benefits the gameplay.

It'd be very irritating, which would be semi-acceptable if it had a good gameplay reason why it should be that way. But I can't think of any way it benefits the gameplay.

My thinking is like this: you have 3 focus points, you decide to grant audience to the general (click), to the banker (click), then to your researcher (click), then to the diplomat because there is a war (click - BEEP, action impossible, no focus points left), you stop and think, OK, the banker can be dealt with later (you unclick the grant audience button or reject audience). Then, after end turn all audiences that require a decision are ressolved (alternatively there could be "make decision" button that appears after audience is granted (if it requires it) which would allow you to make a decision instantly (but you still can ignore/change it later by ungranting/rejecting audience, the actual effect is always carried on after the turn)).

Two step audience is bad for details/outcome of the audience but good for managing whom you wish to grant the audience. It would work best if most audiences were just bonuses (like: grant audience to a governor and the morale on planet X improves by +2 and overall empire corruption falls by -1) or an instant decision (the survey ship encountered a planet with an ancient relic machinery, by granting the audience you tell them to investigate it further - also granting the audience locks 5 scout ships for X turns).

As for granting audience to get a report... well, I think (or rather, I'm quite sure) it should not use any focus points and therefore would not need any button at all (just "more details" button). Generally, I hesitate if I should put reports in audience mechanic in the first place... Maybe it should be done some other way?

Two step audience is bad for details/outcome of the audience but good for managing whom you wish to grant the audience. It would work best if most audiences were just bonuses (like: grant audience to a governor and the morale on planet X improves by +2 and overall empire corruption falls by -1) or an instant decision (the survey ship encountered a planet with an ancient relic machinery, by granting the audience you tell them to investigate it further - also granting the audience locks 5 scout ships for X turns).

It sounds reasonable. It would depend on the presentation though. You'd have to present enough information in the "audience requesting" phase for playings to make an informed decision. It can't just say, "General Grahm is requesting an audience", or you won't know what makes Grahm's audience of more worth to you than Grand Minister Sam's audience request. It has to say, "General Grahm is requesting more resources for the war effort in the Alpha Centauri system."

Then, in the "audience granting" phase, it'd have to remind you (using the exact same text snippet) why you granted the audience.
[General Grahm is requesting more resources for the war effort in the Alpha Centauri system.] [Grant Audience]
[Another person you already agreed to give an audience to] [Grant Audience]
[The third person you agreed to give an audience to] [Grant Audience]

As for granting audience to get a report... well, I think (or rather, I'm quite sure) it should not use any focus points and therefore would not need any button at all (just "more details" button). Generally, I hesitate if I should put reports in audience mechanic in the first place... Maybe it should be done some other way?

That makes sense. Maybe you can show all the reports first, before accepting audiences, breaking it into two distinct phases.

Have you tried the game Long Live the Queen? In it you play through the first year of the reign of a new queen and have to deal political conspiracies, rebel forces, war, and a cult of evil wizards.

Half of each turn is training skills and the other is dealing with events and petitions.

You'll get a petition like a noble has invaded the lands of a neighbor and the they want you to resolve the situation. The game gives you choices based on your skills and additional in formation during conversations if you the right skills. For instance if you have high enough knowledge of internal affairs then you will see extra text explaining the relationship between the two nobles.

There are many ways to resolve the incident such as:

• Send the army
• Buy off the noble who has lost land
• Convince the invader to leave
• Threaten with magic
• Force her to marry some to satisfy the invaded party

Your choices will determine if one or both nobles join the conspiracy against you, it may cost valuable funds, or weaken your army all of which will have an effect on the resolution of future events.

I could see how an approach like that could work with your game idea. Your minsters my offer additional information during a petition or offer their suggestions on how to deal with it, you could even delegate things to them.

I like the idea of seeing the headline of their petition then you click on the one you want to get involved in and a dialogue begins where you hear their problem your minsters offer advice or solutions and you decided how to deal with it. Maybe you can also delegate other petitions to a minister who will deal with it how they feel best. There might be some danger in this as it increases their influence and too much influence means you can't control them or they rebel.

Say you have two petitions

1. Vega Colony has discovered a vast network of caves filled with giant crystals.
2. The Martians are staging independence protests

You choose the first hear the suggestions and decided to make them a tourist attractions. But you don't care about the martians so you assign your military advisory to deal with it. He sends in the troops and causes a small rebellion but his influence over the military and domestic affairs increases.

Later on as his influence grows to high he may enforce his own choices. So when the finance minster comes calling asking what to do with the big revenue boost Vega Colony has introduced your military adviser tells you not worry and he automatically takes charge of the petition.

I think the focus or time point system could be good in this game where you can only do 2 or 3 actions a turn so you have to choose carefully. Do you use them hearing petitions, training, visiting potential empresses, or indulging.

Have you tried the game Long Live the Queen? In it you play through the first year of the reign of a new queen and have to deal political conspiracies, rebel forces, war, and a cult of evil wizards.

An interesting take on Princess Maker mechanic. The thing is it's meant for different audience. Princess Maker clones are played more by jRPG lovers, what I try to make is turn based strategy, for people who play Civilization, Master of Orion, etc. Also I strive for higher replayability. Also, as you said, this is great for a game where you can only do 2 or 3 actions a turn and I'm not trying to make that kind of game (althrough, maybe I should :D).

But.. .the scripted thematic audience there indeed is appealing... How about exactly one audience (after you click end turn)? It would be a full screen with only just this one petition, so you can have all choices with explanation of consequences and even advisors. These audience could be based on semi random chain of events (like at the start of the game there are randomy decided what kind of scenarios will be played "ancient ruins", "lost brother wants to usurp the throne", "plague", "military coup", "mad researcher causes the sun to blow up" and then these events will be presented as audiences with following events/audiences depending how you handled the previous ones) also there could be regular standard events (like imperial senate gathering once per 10 turns, tax collector's problems, corruption of planetary governors).

There would be exactly one such audience per turn.

Now, about the previously discussed "spend focus points to decide which audience to grant". Should I:

a) choose the "spend focus points to decide which audience to grant"

b) choose the "one audience per turn" (a bit like in the Long Live the Queen)

c) do both