How about changing the demote mechanics so that the object donations are taken into account. Say if an Elite is demoting a lower member, if that member has 1000 gold in donations, the Elite should cover those vast donations with his own, therefore in order to demote a person so high in donations he should spend his donations to a certain amount which would be linked to an object's donations amount.

Abstract example:

Subject donations - 1000 gold.
Object donations - 200 gold.

Demote cost = 20 gold.

------

Subject donations - 200 gold.
Object donations - 1000 gold.

Demote cost - 500 gold (effectively can't demote, bring more gold to coffers, loser).

------

Subject donations - 300 gold.
Object donations - 300 gold.

Demote cost - 100 gold (will think twice and won't demote if cheapskate).

If anything, what I would like to see is people quit being so whiny about being demoted for doing something stupid. That's one of the upsides, and downsides, about Empire... Easy come, easy go.

All that aside, you often have higher level/higher sect rank people with lower demotions because their funds have been tapped from promotions for people, placing centurions and other such things. Just because you have a higher donation amount than someone else doesn't mean you can tell them to piss off because you don't agree with what they are telling you to do.

You make a perfectly valid point.

My imperials pretty much never call centurions. And as a non imperial I do whack centurions simply to cost the imperial gold.

Plus you could be a crap imperial precisely because you spend all your time farming income.

This sounds awful to me, but I'll defer to Team Empire.

NT