Some ideas to improve the Diplomacy

from Stardock Forums


Once the empire is growing, and the monsters beguin extinction, the diplomacy takes a bigger role.
At this point of the game, to deal with the other factions should provide some more options to keep the challenge.
And of course, having an improved diplomatic system will benefit the whole game.

The research points trade system should receive a deep revisit, so why not thinking in adding something else?
Reading in different threads about diplomacy, I found some interesting ideas I wanted to show all together:

- To avoid abusing (players and AIs), maybe a cooldown (like 5, 10 or more turns) could be added on some (or all) of them.
- Treaties: Trade cities. I guess it would require a new screen or something to display tradable cities.
- Treaties: Trade units. Probably the same. Only trainable units at least (I don't want to think in a dragon's black market). Did anyone say champions too?
- Propose Pact: Open Borders. Feel free to walk across. Good for the relations.
- Propose Pact: Close Borders. It should decrease relations, then.
- Propose Pact: Break alliance. Can't wait 99 turns? Will it lead to war, or maybe not yet? Add a cooldow here too, 10 or 20 turns better than 99. And that could help in avoiding AI abuse.

- Propose Pact: Demand tribute. What are allies for? Single or regular payment for some turns. It shoud affect the relations too.
- Propose Pact: Offer tribute. Make an option for lasting XX turns, that should improve relations.
- Propose Pact: Resource treat. It would allow to trade 5% or 10% of a certain resource's production for some turns. A limited number of resource treaties should be necessary (maybe one per resource or per AI to see how it works?).

There are many other options, but I specially liked those ones. What do you think? ;)

(Edit) Some more ideas:

- Sometimes AI offers pacts or treaties that you can only accept or reject. I think there should be an option allowing to modify the trading options.

- More to come?

;)

 

11,040 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

I have not thought through all of the possibilities you raise, but note that we have two of these already:

We can already offer tribute, and a non-aggression pact seems equivalent to "Open borders".

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

My 2 points:

- Make alliances available earlier and learn the AI to use them sensibly. Long live pacts and global wars aka GalCiv II!

- Give trade/research treaties some cons as well - diplomatic penalties with civilizations your trade partner is hostile with. Aka: you are trading with my enemy? Relations penalty - 4 etc.

Possibility to trade cities and units sounds sensible as well... finally an opportunity to really help friend in war? :)

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Liberation of cities: If you retake a city that an ally lost, it returns to that ally (not you).

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting dihir, reply 1
We can already offer tribute, and a non-aggression pact seems equivalent to "Open borders".

We can offer tribute but only for one turn, I would like an option to give/receive tribute for XX turns. With its bonus/penalty included oc.

The open borders pact would be to cancell a "close borders" pact. And this may be needed if you don't want other AIs roaming on your dominions.

And it may sound good to use borders, apart from non-agression, to expand diplomacy.

 

Quoting jirkaesch, reply 2
- Give trade/research treaties some cons as well - diplomatic penalties with civilizations your trade partner is hostile with. Aka: you are trading with my enemy? Relations penalty - 4 etc.

I'd like to see some more bonus and penalities in general. Linking them to pacts would give more flavor to diplomacy, sure.

 

Quoting Jim, reply 3
Liberation of cities: If you retake a city that an ally lost, it returns to that ally (not you).

Yes, that is an alternative for "trading cities", or it would be included in it. Let's say you conquer a far city and don't want to keep it or raze it: I would give it (or trade for some money) to a near AI ally.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top


I would certainly like a closed borders option.  I also think it would be good to volunteer some of your troops.  You could possibly even set up a time limit, if they live, they can come back.

 

Quoting dihir, reply 1
I have not thought through all of the possibilities you raise, but note that we have two of these already:

We can already offer tribute, and a non-aggression pact seems equivalent to "Open borders".
  Just because I agreed not to attack you, does not mean I want you wandering around in my lands.  Non-aggression and open/closed borders are two separate things.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Some good ideas from the OP, and I have to say that a "closed borders" option is really needed!  They AI can do it to you, but you can not to the AI.