An OS reinstall fixed this. Very strange, and I hope it doesn't happen frequently, as reinstalling my OS every time this craps out isn't going to be fun.

<t> I reinstalled after I posted that message and the problem persisted. Since then I've kinda got used to it and have just been playing without that screen. It still lets me perform diplomacy, I just have to wait until the other race speaks to me first. It's just annoying, more than gamestopping ...

<t> Hi, I am having a strange problem.<br/>
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At some point during my last game, the diplomacy screen stopped working. It hasn't resumed working for any new games, so I don't know what to do. This is the exception text:<br/>
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System.MethodAccessException: DistantWorlds.Types.Empire ...