Best Diplomacy Model

Can't think of any other games. I like the idea of banning weapon types, but I think that would fit better as a UP proposal than a diplomatic option.

I would love to have more diplomatic options. Alliances can be more than just a way to win the game or for help if you get attacked.

Maybe in the trade screen you can have a list of future techs" where you agree to research something next and you ask the AI to do the same and when you both have researched your assigned tech you automatically trade with eachother. For instance i'll pick phasors II and then on the AI (who is my ally) side of the screen i pick for a list of all techs he hasnt done yet, say terraforming. If it is acceptable it will be green just with all trading. When i hit send its done and when i finish my next tech, phasors II will automatically be my next project, same with my ally. in a few weeks we'll both be done and we trade. While you wait for the AI to finish, you can research as you normally do.

It would make having alliances more enticing since you can have a say in what they research and you can work towards a common goal. It would be even better if the AI could do the suggesting of what you should do.

Also, you may be able to click a box that will forbid eother or both parties from retrading a tech. it would mean that iyt will cost more but then you can feel ok with giving an ally, or a minor, or anyone, a tech and the wont give it to an enemy.


I hate to have a rerun but i also had this idea that kinda deals with diplomacy:
A new protection treaty i guess you could call it. Where someone pays you every turn (amount is negotiated in the trade screen) to protect them. That is you will fight who ever starts a war with them. Or you can pay an AI money to fight for you if you are attcaked.

WHY? First this can keep some of the weaker races in the game. Especially the minors. If the Krynn are getting paid to protect one, they won't be so easy to just wipe away when you or an AI feels like having their planet.

second it can be a good way to make more tribute income. or enabling you to concentrate on research and pay some one to fight for you. this is more than just trading cash for a declaration of war. This would be a good use of the Korx who are otherswise no so useful.

Yes, it does look very similar to an alliance, but a weak civ can never form an alliance. Some other differences are:
-With an alliance you can still choose to back out if your ally is attacked.
-This treaty is a one-way street.
-When paying a civ to go to war, its immediate and definite. This is a just-in-case thing.
-In order to even get an alliance you have to be on close terms with the civ. In this case you can even have a civ that practically hates you accept an offer to protect you if the money is right. the stronger your military or the greater the difference in militaries the more you can charge. And its paid weekly until one side decides to end to business relationship. I think some players might like to get rich off their strong military.

I was really thinking of this because of what happens to the minors all the time. This way they can last, and if you are getting money from them you may be able to tolerate their existance longer. But i still think it can work for the majors too.

The rules can be something like:

- you can not start a war with someone you are protecting. you must first cancel the treaty, and then wait a turn. You will not be able to start the war, a screen will tell you that you have to wait a week.

- you have no choice but to fight. a question will not even be asked, but a screen will tell you that due to someone attacking them you are now at war with the other race, and that race is at war with you.

- you can have multiple protectors.

- some other rules will have to be developed for when a loop gets created. can't have you going to war against yourself now.

Sorry for the long post but I'm on a roll...

Another place where additions to diplomacy could be initiated is that since this is a turn based game, if a battle is about to take place it can wait until everyone as taken their turn. This could mean that an icon will show where a battle is about to take place and you can join as a third party to a fight to help an ally. or you can have a 3way brawl. As long as your ships were close enough during their turn.

So i see so sort of icon and i know that a fight between and enemy and an ally is pending. So i send my feelt there too and a screen showing who is present comes up and i can click who im attacking. If one is an ally then its automatic that im helping them. my shipd will thejn be added to theirs for that battle. Maybe other Ai's will join too but i doubt there would be that many in the vicinity.

I have no idea if this is even possible but i guess the mechanics would be like a temporary increase in logistics and a temporary change of ownership (as if you traded ships with the AI) of the ships. when the fight is over ownership goes back. So the program will have to do some behind the scenes work.

I think the one-on-one diplomacy is generally decent, although having the ability to negotiate more subtle trade and economic/research treaties would be nice, as would non-aggression pacts and such. Mostly, though I'd like to see the UP play a bigger role.

Some examples of a scenario I would like to see, perhaps normally, perhaps as mega-events:

President Alan Bradley took a deep breath as he entered the United Planets chamber, glaring across the council room at the crimson-robed form of his nemesis, Lord Kona. For the past year, the UP had languished under the control of that despot, who had strong-armed the other nations of the UP into electing him Chancellor, then proceeded to use his power to repeal many of the reforms that Bradley and the UP had spent years establishing.

No more. Today that ended.

Bradley looked down at his PDA, which showed the voting distribution of the Chancellory elections. He and Lord Kona were neck-to-neck, based on the best estimates of his analysts, but even now, his diplomats were in last-minute negotiations with the centrist parties. There was no point in negotiating with the Yor or the Drath: indications were 99% that they would vote for Lord Kona, and his relations with them were not close enough to hope to sway their opinion. The Arceans and Altarians would surely support him: they were allies, after all, and it had only taken a few assurances that he would work to restore the prior reforms for them to agree to support his bid. The Torians and Thalans were 70% likely to vote for him as well.

The Krynn were the problem. They were the most middle-of-the-road of all the members, fence-sitters to the very end, and it was there that Bradley's diplomats put their best efforts.

Fifteen minutes left before the ballots would be finally tallied, and Bradley recieved a ping on his comlink. He answered it: "Bradley."

"Chandra." It was Linus Chandrasegarampilii, Bradley's best negotiator and the leader of the Krynn diplomatic envoy. "Alan, it's been tough, but I think we can get the Krynn vote. We're down to two sticking points. First, they need our assurances that they can count on us for aid if Lord Kona decides to retaliate. Some of their worlds are right on the border of Drengin territory. . ."

"Garrety, how many resources can we spare?" Alan asked his Defense Minister.

Rebecca Garrety brought up a quick list of available ships. "We can 'give' them TAS Monitor and TAS Farragut, and assign their crew as 'advisors.' That should be enough to maintain border security for the time being."

"Do it. Next issue."

"That's the tough one," Chandra sighed. "They want us to break our alliance with the Carinoids. They've had their eye on them for a long time, but they've held off because of our military strength. They want us to agree to a non-aggression pact for the next year, to agree not to get involved in their war."

"Absolutely not! The Carinoids are a peaceful race, they've got no expansionist policies, and you want me to hang them out to dry? Out of the question!"

"Alan. . . this point is not negotiable. If they don't get a non-agression pact with us, they will throw in their vote with the Drengin. The Drengin have had their eye on the Carinoids too. The difference is, the Krynn just want to conquer them, not eat them."

"Damn. . ." Bradley clenched his fists. Two minutes left. "Do it," he said, and the words were like a knife turning in his gut. "Tell them we won't get involved, but that they need to agree to UP terms concerning the treatment of conquered peoples."

"Done. I'm sorry, Alan," Chandra said. He hung up.

Alan Bradley watched grimly as the seconds ticked down. He knew when the Krynn vote had been recorded by the cries of outrage from the Drengin delegation. By that time, it was too late: the final votes were in. "1,700,794 to 1,600,018," the Mediator of the Vote declared. "Alan Bradley of the Terran Confederation will be the next Chancellor of the United Planets for the term of one standard year. Our next meeting will be in three months. Chancellor Bradley will make his announcements regarding any chances to UP procedures tomorrow. This session is adjourned."

"This is an outrage!" Lord Kona roared. "This session is a farce! The Drengin Empire will have nothing to do with this idiotic, squabbling pack of animals!" He spit in the direction of the Terran contingent, baring his teeth threateningly at Alan Bradley. "The Drengin Empire hereby withdraws from the United Planets and rejects all of its so-called edicts!" As the other delegations rose to their feet in outrage, Lord Kona and his guards turned and left the council room, their scarlet robes billowing."

"That was stupid," Garrety sighed. "Now the entire UP is going to be at their throats. Lord Kona is going to talk fast if he doesn't want to end up at war with the entire galaxy."

"I don't know,"Bradley admitted. "The Yor and Drath are certain to side with them, and between those three, they control 45% of the known galaxy. The UP could be in for a tough fight."

"Don't worry about the Drath," Garrety said thoughtfully. "I've got a couple of ideas for them."

"Do what you have to. Let's go." He packed up his suitcase and prepared for his press conference, going through his notes on what reforms he planned to reinstate. As he did so, he noticed a little sidebar stating that a Krynn fleet had opened fire upon a Carinoids mining colony, destroying it and killing all ten thousand workers on board. His hands clenched into fists. Had he just truly won a victory? Or had he sold his soul to the devil?

He had a feeling he'd be wondering about that for a long time to come