The idea is to straight up buff the "Criminal Heritage" civic, so that it's viable against AI and in MP. It was meant for coop play with friends but I wanted to share it, in case someone wanted something similar and also to improve the balancing. Since the mod changes Criminal Heritage, the DLC "Megacorp" is necessary but the "Nemesis" DLC is also recommended because most new buildings add buffs to espionage.
I'd love feedback for balancing and whatnot!

Started up a game with the mod and it neither murdered itself nor me, so that's a win. I've also finagled it to let me build branch offices on mega corp and normal empire planets but not your own. I hope it works, it's being held together with duct tape and hope. The only places you can't build branch offices are, like mentioned, your planets, crime corp planets (because that's how I got it to work and imagine it thematically as if the crime lords not allowing another family in) and then the usual empires who'd rather kill, maim, eat or assimilate you.

IF THINGS BREAK, REPORT IT, I'm off trying to enjoy the game again :D

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--New Capital Planet Building:
PR Bureau

• Envoys: +2
  
• Codebreaking: +1
  
• Encryption: +1
  
• Trust Cap: -20
  

---

--New Branch Office Buildings:

Criminal Headquarters:
-Planet Modifier

• Corrupt Bureaucrat Jobs: +1
  
• (Crime: +35) Temporarily removed, for balance testing purposes
  
• Trade Value: +10
  
• Branch Office Tradevalue: +10
  

High Society Clubs:
-Planet Modifier

• Corrupt Entertainer Jobs: +1
  
• Worker Happiness: -5%
  
• Specialist Happiness: -5%
  
• Branch Office Tradevalue: +10

-Corporate Empire Modifier

• Infiltration Speed: +0.05
  
• Maximum Infiltration Level: +2
  
• Envoy Improve Relations: +20%
  

Infiltrated Church:
-Planet Modifier

• Corrupt Priest Jobs: +1
  
• Branch Office Tradevalue: +5
  
• Spiritualist Ethics Attraction: +50%
  

-Corporate Empire Modifier

• Infiltration Speed: +0.05
  
• Maximum Infiltration Level: +2
  

Union-Busting Lawfirm:
-Planet Modifier

• Corrupt Lawyer Jobs: +1
  
• Branch Office Tradevalue: +5
  
• Worker Happiness: -10%
  

-Corporate Empire Modifier

• Infiltration Speed: +0.05
  
• Maximum Infiltration Level: +2
  

Unregulated Research Labs:
-Planet Modifier

• Corrupt Researcher Jobs: +1
  
• Branch Office Tradevalue: +5
  
• Habitability: -5%
  

-Corporate Empire Modifier

• Infiltration Speed: +0.05
  
• Maximum Infiltration Level: +2
  

Unregulated Factories:
-Planet Modifier

• Corrupt Manager Jobs: +1
  
• Branch Office Tradevalue: +5
  
• Specialist Happiness: -10%
  

-Corporate Empire Modifier

• Infiltration Speed: +0.05
  
• Maximum Infiltration Level: +2
  

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--New Jobs
Corrupt Bureaucrat:
This one's weird. He increases the crime on the planet, if there's an increase in Enforcers, but also reduces the Tradevalue on it. The progression goes a follows:

• Enforcer on Planet:2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10
  
• Crime: +60/90/120/150/180/210/240/270/300
  
• Trade Value: +25/ +21.875/ +18.75/ +15.635/ +12.5/ +9.375/ +6.25/ +3.125/0
  
• Branch Office Tradevalue: +25/ +21.875/ +18.75/ +15.635/ +12.5/ +9.375/ +6.25/ +3.125/0
  

Corrupt Entertainer:

• Ruler Happiness: +10%
  
• Ruler Output: +5%
  

Corrupt Priest:

• Governing Ethics Attraction: -25%
  
• Stability: +10
  

Corrupt Lawyer:

• Worker Pop Resource Output: +10%
  

Corrupt Researcher:

• Researcher Output: +10%
  

Corrupt Manager:

• Alloys/GC from Jobs: +10%
  

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Additional Changes and Ideas:

-removes the lock on the "No branch offices on other Megacorp planets" (edits the "can_support_branch_offices" rule), although the current solution is very awkward and probably not the final solution. I'm not entirely sure exactly what it does but it seems to do what it's supposed to do, for the most part.


What I wanted to buff as well, is the espionage part of the game. It's nothing great or particularly balanced, most buildings just flat out increase network build speed (which allows you to fire the missions more often) and the network max level (which give you a bigger pool for these missions and also better intel).

The last aspect of the mod are the buffs for the host planet of these branch offices. Most buildings (currently) give a hefty buff to the host planet (10% researcher output, 10% alloy/CG output, stuff like that). These buffs are there to balance it's effectiveness against the AI but also to make them more attractive for other players. To balance all of this out a bit more, the buildings are pretty expensive to build and their upkeep is also nothing to laugh at, although the buffs should be more than worth it.

Since this mod buffs a small part of the espionage gameplay, I recommend the following mods to enhance that aspect of the game:
Expanded Diplomacy and Espionage
Stage a coup
Other Stuff

A collection with all of my current mods, works well together if you want to play a spy-focused game.


For some of the icons, I'd like to thank Tom Stone and his collection of free assets over at https://github.com/quetzatcoatl/Stellaris-Moding-Assets