Diplomacy is definitely a weak link. I've tried to win with it many times, but it is just too difficult, with too little pay off. The entire system feels as though you are tiptoeing around the the inevitable conflict by trying to please the impossible-to-please AI.



"Your military is too strong!"

"Your military is too weak!"

"Our boarders are touching!"

"You defended yourself against an enemy and I hate you for it!"



A Diplo victory forces the player to play in a narrow tunnel or risk sparking a war, which is NOTHING like it should be. Diplomacy offers very little benefit. Diplomacy should be about forging unbreakable partnerships, resulting in a powerful alliance of contiguous empires who share similar goals.