Diplomacy Suggestion
Trading resources
We should be able to make deals like in Civilization where we can trade some number of a item for another number of items per turn to last for 20 turns. So I could trade some crystals to Umber for some food to help me over a food shortfall. Horses/Wargs/Food/Metal/Crystal/Material/Gold should all be able to be traded in this manner.
Diplomatic Capital
Do away with DC being the ‘omnigel’ of diplomacy and use it as a prerequisite for various diplomatic options.
Any treaty can be broken by enough DC used against it. For example, Resoln and Magnar reach a trade agreement. This treaty appears in a diplomatic relations screen (would need to be designed). By using enough DC, I can cause the treaty to terminate. You can also add extra DC to a treaty thereby making that much harder to break.
Diplomatic Capital can be used to cause unrest or promote popularity with a kingdom or Empire. Using the same diplomatic screen mentioned above, I can use DC to increase my relations with another faction or decrease a target’s relations with another faction thus encouraging war.
Finally, I would like to see DC used as an Espionage device. Using DC directly against a faction I can do things like increase construction times, decrease food supplies, impact technological or arcane advancement. Of course I can also use DC to decrease or eliminate these events used against me (sort of a counter espionage).
DC should not be used as a cheap substitute for gold. It should be used to increase the likelihood that something that I want done happens.
Example: My relationship with Kraxis is ‘Hate’ but I really need to make a trade with him for some particular resources. Even if the deal is acceptable in terms of fairness, he shouldn’t trade with me simply because he hates my guts. Adding DC to the deal, simply has the direct effect of making the deal that wouldn’t happen, possible.
Better Allies (i.e. More Magical)
Whoever decided that Spiders would be a good ally didn’t take into account that most people dislike Spiders. Also Allies should have additional MAGICAL abilities that make them more than just a replacement foot soldier. Here’s some suggestions.
Wolves (to replace Spiders). You can recruit 3 types of wolves. The basic WOLF that can be recruited as a pack of 4 as a basic soldier replacement. A ICE WOLF that can breathe a blast of ice particles once every 3 tactical turns that does additional damage over the normal attack. A SPIRIT WOLF that can blink around the battlefield once every 3 turns.
Bears. You can recruit 3 types of Bears. The CAVE BEAR is the soldier replacement. The WAR BEAR uses a roar of fear (one use) that can affect all enemies on the battle field by either causing them to flee for 1 turn, lose a turn or losing 1/3rd of their attack value for 1 turn. Finally the SABERTOOTH BEAR that uses the Pull of the Earth spell on any unit that comes adjacent to it.
Darklings. You can recruit 3 types of Darklings. The WARRIOR version that is a soldier replacement. A PRIEST that can use the Heal spell once each round and the SHAMAN that can use the Arcane Arrow spell once each round.
Elementals. You can recruit one of 4 types of Elemtals. Air/Ice/Fire or Earth. Each works like the normal creature.
You can also add Trolls, Ogres and Sions. All of which should come in various versions that may require either additional Diplomatic research or perhaps the use of Diplomatic capital to recruit the higher forms of each creature.
Just some thoughts to make Diplomacy better. Some of these I’m sure have been mentioned before.