Diplomacy changes

Suggestions
1

I would like to see some more love to the Diplomacy part of the game. Current system is a bit “basic” :smiley:. I also know that it might be a huge undertaking to make something more robust.

I’ve been thinking for some time about how to improve the current system. Here are a few of my thoughts:

A dedicated tab for each race, broken down into:

Estimation (like in ground combat troop tonnage) of alien race DP (Diplomatic Points) value and if that race is ganing or loosing DP towarsd Player Empire.

DP gains:

  • points generated periodically (ships and stations with a diplomatic module, listing their name and location)
  • points generated by treaties (more on this later)
  • one-off point gains (transfer of POWs, agreement etc.) with the date specified (up to one year back)

DP losses:

  • presence of ships, stations, probes (including their location and point value),
  • treaties
  • one-off losses (destruction of probes, firing on ships, ‘agreements’)

It would be helpful if some graphical notation were assigned to this, so that it is easy to distinguish which gains/losses are one-off and which are periodic.

Depending on the level of the ‘relationship’, additional options for signing an Agreements or Treates could be available.

All Treates and Agreements (Treates are periodical, Agreements are one off), might be composed of few elements that can have values.

Agreements might be used to gain some DP capital for other Diplomatic actions.

  • transfer of funds, minerals, fuel, population? POWs,
  • transfer of technology components (I don’t know if transfering technology is a good option, it can be very expensive) maybe transfer of a bluprint of a component,
  • tranfer of starchart for a specific system,
  • joint naval exercises (that you need to provide a specific PPV value in a specific location),

Treates (for an indefinite or fixed period), might have ongoing parts and one off DP value.

  • ceasefire (in specific system/systems, until a date), so you could send a Diplomatic ship. Small fixed value, and some periodic value,
  • mining rights (to a specific system body) will cost you DP,
  • trade,
  • research,

To avoid gathering DP for a long time if you don’t care, there might be a racial cap, that could be increased by a Treaty.

Implementation:

First make it so the current system would swich to the new one on a basic level, and than make addition like another Agreements and Treates.

I have in mind that more complicated Agreements and Treates might only be composed by the Player.

The aim for this Diplomatic change would be that you could push for something that you would like to get from NPR, but you need to give something back.

2

Quite a lot already exists. You already generate diplomatic points for diplomatic ships, treaties and POWs and lose for the reasons stated.

However, giving you informed on the amount of DPs lost or gained would give you far too much information about the NPR. You would know the xenophobia rating and the value (to the NPR) of each system. Just like in the real world, you can generally only judge other nations by their actions. You don’t know for sure what impact any of your actions had on their opinion of you.

One option might be to add an espionage result (through POW interrogation, ELINT, etc.) regarding the NPR’s general view of you.

Treaties are already periodical in the sense that they can be revoked by either party if the relationship changes. There are already trade and research treaties (and geo/grav).

There are already agreements about the ownership specific systems and you already have ‘mining rights’ anywhere, as long as no one objects. Perhaps a ‘joint ownership’ agreement could be added.

As ‘temporary ceasefire’ is effectively a reset of diplomatic points to neutral. I do think a ceasefire or armistice agreement would be a useful addition, rather than the current method of not fighting while the relationship slowly returns to normal.

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3

IIRC the espionage result you mention might actually exist already. I have a faint memory of getting an update of the NPRs opinion of me at one point through an ELINT ship.

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4

I like the idea of expanding the possibilities of diplomacy. I would like to see something like requests for help in the war or defense of a particular system, exchange of resources, and so on.

Right now, my whole diplomacy with NPR looks like “send a diplomat to some minor system and forget about them for a decade”. :slightly_smiling_face:

Is there any way we can transfer POWs to other races? I once tried to do this by picking up lifepods after a battle between NPRs. I have not found a way to do this.

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5

You can release POWs, which moves them back to their parent race and improves relations. The button is the POW tab of the Economics window.

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