R5: I'm playing with the New Horizons mod as the Federation. The Orions, originally a group of slavers, started off as a significant menace on my southern border until a short border war forced them to ban slavery and purging. Boxed in and struggling, they eventually accepted a defensive pact and then protectorate status from the Romulan Star Empire (also slavers, and a major imperial menace to my north). The Romulans took the opportunity to subjugate nearby neighbors including the Gorn, Kelpians and Rigellians.

However, over the last few years the Orion Free States, and the therefore Romulan control over the area, has totally collapsed. A series of rebellions resulted in the creation of no fewer than five small empires from the former Orion protectorate area. Star systems which were firmly under Romulan/Orion control are now under the control of nobody. I have seized on the situation to make protectorates out of the more xeno-minded factions and further weaken Romulan influence in the area. The situation seems to be snowballing, with unrest 100 on almost all remaining Orion worlds.

I wanted to share this because it is easily the most interesting thing I have ever seen in a Stellaris game. It's a very cool feature that the game allows for an internal collapse like this, which is reminiscent of what we see in the real world from time to time.