Changing the diplomacy system

Bring your suggestions

from Sins Forums
I'm loving Sins, but I don't think I'm alone in my disappointment over the diplomacy system. For a game that's supposed to be 4X, the diplomacy seems rather weak and oftentimes silly. I'm really hoping the devs will release some major changes to it soon, and I wanted to voice what I thought needed changing.

Firstly, I hate that there's no clearcut way to see who is allied with who. In a world where ships can break light speed, it seems weird that you somehow can't get information on alliances. I really hope the diplomacy screen would get a new tab to show everyone's relationships with each other. Even better, I'd like to see an alliance system implemented, so players could invite each other into alliances or request entry into already formed ones. This would make things so much more clearcut as to who was allied with who.

Most of the other changes I'd like to see are in respect to the AI diplomacy. Frankly, it's silly for the alliance who I have just beaten half to death to order me to attack my ally as a mission. Why? It makes no sense.

I have no real problem with the mission system, I just dislike how silly the requests often are. I think firstly, an AI should never make a mission request if you are at war with them. Instead, if you are at war, the most they could request would be a cease fire. If you have a cease fire, they could request that you join their alliance or request to join yours. Only once in a true alliance with you would the AI attempt to make requests.

Even once the AI does start giving you missions, they should be realistic based on your power size to each other and not be related to assaulting enemies. Instead, I'd rather have it so that a larger empire would request money as tribute from a smaller empire. Meanwhile, the smaller empire wouldn't request tribute, but would request fleet support, but only defensive fleet support.

Furthermore, a smaller empire should never openly turn on a larger empire. If it is never getting support from the larger empire though, it should join another alliance. If the larger empire isn't getting tribute from a small, weak alliance, it should turn, but even then only if it isn't under assault.

I think this setup would be a lot more realistic than having that guy I despise constantly telling me to pay him and bomb my ally when we don't even have a ceasefire. The only other change I'd like to make would be to let human players send these requests to both AI and other humans in a formal system. That way I could make it very clear to that tiny little empire just what I wanted and get it quickly. :-D

So, anyone else have other suggestions? Let's get the ideas flowing.
9,479 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
I think the diplomacy could use a little work espacially the mission system. Half the time you get missions that are just stupid or close to impossible to do which kinda negates there value. It would also be fun if you could give them a mission.

But i dont think an alliance should be present before being able to receive missions. Maybe a cease fire or relations above 50% would be better.

One suggestion i have been thinking about is race preferences. This would entail that, for instance, a Vasari AI would be more likely to ally with another Vasari then for instance a TEC. This would not be a huge bonus, maybe a 10 or 20% base increase in relations would do the trick. This would really give you the feel that between the factions in the game there is some sort of cultural background.

My 2 cents
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
I can't said more, but not alwasy request, like large empire allies with smaller empire if smaller empire never ask support, same to large empire never ask for resoure or something from smaller empire, it's up to leader, some let's leaven them alone as well other leave them alone, if larger empire request smaller empire yet smaller empire dont need any thier help before, then they feel a large empire theating them, they dont like it because large empire dont do anything for them they ask for. if Smaller empire keep ask for help, and large empire do help them, but they dont return kind back to them, they dont like it. Sometime not alwasy request. Unless it's allience that its,It's should be easier to make friendly if same race maybe?
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
What I'm waiting for is Ironclad (Blair? Craig?) to say something about future plans for diplomacy, pirates, AI, etc. - things that go beyond simple tweaks.

Until then, keep giving feedback I guess. I'm still waiting for my friends to find a place to buy the game... LOL.