Hi, as the title says, I have some ideas to improve the diplomacy system (hopefully) whithout any major changes.



These changes would improve the game and give diplomacy a more strategic and important role in the game. As with all strategie games with diplomacy-option, there are allways missing some oportunities you usually need to successfuly manipulate the AI-Players in the way you need it.



1. Counterproposal:

In the "Total War Games" it's standart: Your enemy or other factions make you an offer you find ok, but not at all perfect. In ES you have the option to say "yes" or "no". In "Total War" you have the chance to make a counteroffer: You take the - let's say - peacepact only under the condition of...X.



It is also important, that the other party acts accordingly. A party you are at peace with or at cold war sure won't be so happy to sign a counterproposal that benefits just you. But a party loosing his Planets to you under siege, bankrupt and with no chance at all to recover from the war, has no chance but to sign anything - as long as they may keep one last system.

For example: I was at war with the Horatio which had 3 Systems left. I invaded their two main systems, leaving them just the one - becaus I wanted to let them survive with their pitty system as some kind of vassals. But I couldn't make a counterproposal to their peaceoffer and when I tried to "make peace under my conditions" thei just wouldn't listen. So a counterproposal with a more balanced system would be grate.



2. Making somebody a vassal or similar:

As above mentioned, it would be pretty cool if could do more, than just exterminate your enemy. Integrating them in your Empire as a foreign colony under your terms would be more interessting. (Just like in Total War Shogun 2, if you know what I mean.) This would mean the "vassal-party" would give some Dust every round and perhaps share it's scientific accomplishements with you as long they are bound to you.



3. Force Pacts:

Sometimes you need a party to join your alliance with a third party. Or you just want to threaten them with your superior military strengh. The option to threaten instaed of proposing should be an additional option. If you have a better military score than the other party, than they should be more likely to accept terms they usually don't like. But if they are in an alliance with another faction, having their back - they won't be so cooperativ.

Additional, it would be grate to have the option to force someone into a peacetreaty/alliance/war, to prevent other AI-Factions form tearing themselves appart, or preventing you from forming an allience with both factions at war. For the multiplayer, that would mean that you propose another player something he can ignore - with the consequense of risking war or penalties to trade or other treatys.



4. Hiering Pirates or call for a Headhunt

Ok, this idea is perhaps a bit tricky for the stat in which the Beta already is, but I just try it. SINS has already made it and it would be a good improvement in ES as well, or at least as a DLC or Mod later. You trade some Dust, Ships or ressources for other Empires or Pirates to attack an enemy of your choice. Same works for any other faction as well, making your head particullary interessting for everybody.







Ok, I hope these changes are interessting for all of you since this would make diplomacy a more dangerous weapon and give ES options, other games don't have. I am a great fan of diplomacy and if properly programmed it is a tool of destruction.

When Sins of a Solar Empire became the "Diplomacy"-Add-On, I used it to form Allieneces with everybody except for one faction I wanted to see dead. I payed every one else to attack them, hired pirates and waited until my small fleet had just to pick up what was left, colonyships already waiting to do their job. This way, whe word would be more powerfull than the sword.





PS.: I hope this thread is something new and not already discussed elsewhere. If so, pls dear Admins point me in the right direction and don't be too mad at me. lol

i have to agree with everything there. Although alot of this would be incredably difficult to achive with the currant state of the AI diplomacy in game as even when ive managed to get folks to ally with me after a while of play, i cant really help militaraly as when i take a world it seems to count as my expansion and my ally doesnt like it when i expand my empire even when they do the same and it always ends up at war at some point down the line,



i would like to suggest an escalating solid cap for things like empire expansion and perhaps compleatly eliminated when you have enterd into an alliance with said empire, also boarder tensions should be non existent once one has an open boarder pact.



also the AI really needs to a bit more open to trading and opening up pacts as at the moment it seems you need to give an arm and a leg just to get someone to come to a full peace agreement even if they are somewhat friendly towards you.

1,2,3 have been proposed among the threads linked under /#/endless-space/forum/28-game-design/thread/12022-diplomatic-25-year-plans-agreements-loans-and-other-dip-enhancements

Your thread has been linked to the former and is moved to the archives.

4 has already been proposed under another thread.