Can we talk a bit about diplomacy now?

[Fenarid]

I think we can all agree that diplomacy sucks in almost all 4X games.There is only one game that has a decent diplomacy system and that is Europa Universalis 4. Mainly thanks to the "trust" and "favors" system.

I would like to know what diplomacy looks like in DW2?

[Galaxy227]

Diplomacy is generally pretty weak in Distant Worlds, especially if you're using Europa Universalis as a point of reference. Off the top of my head, DW2 will see improvement in terms of the available economic treaties, coupled alongside an expanded set of interactions with independent colonies. One downside is pirates, where we take a step back from DW:U and lose some features associated with our lawless friends. Another misfortune is multilateral treaties, or the lack thereof. Both DW:U and DW2 are completely devoid of diplomacy involving three or more parties. You can kiss alliances goodbye.

Let's just put it like this: if there were a single area of Distant Worlds I could choose to be improved, it would be diplomacy. That, and more statistics. The game needs charts, damnit!

[sinbuster]

EU4 does have a good system for the most part. I particularly like the coalition concept (if it ever worked properly) where Aggressive Expansion can result in quick action by the AI. However, it is pretty easy to keep AE under a certain threshold and expand rapidly anyway. The Bad Boy or AE system has been a central part of EU for a long time and it's an important component. You have a layer of diplomacy above the normal marriage/alliance system that reflects your growing power and other nations response to it. The same rules apply to the AI as well, which is as it should be.

I'm trying to remember if Stellaris uses the same favors system but it's been some time since I last played.

[Staby_Mcstabman]

Yeah, Visualization should be overhauled especially trying to conquer civilizations with rowdy populations. EU4 has a great system although I think Total War: Three Kingdoms has the best. Even something simplified like Humankind would have been nice.

[Fenarid]

Stellaris have trust and favors system, Paradox added it with Federations DLC.

[Jorgen_CAB]

I would say the trust and favour system in Stellaris is really bad as it is just a point system where you wait the for clock to run and use resources to buy favour which then is used in a very "gamey" non dynamic way... let's hope we get nothing like that.

The system in EU4 is allot better...

A good Diplomacy system should be based on what you do and the cultural differences between different factions. Relationships also is not a black and white system and often include other parties as well. Diplomacy and relations forms large communities if there are more than two factions in contact with each other. Actions need to have consequences... good or bad... the player also need to find it very difficult to antagonize factions they have had good relations for a long time or other factions that have cultural similarities... players often have a bit too much power in most games in terms of deciding what relationships they want to have with their neighbours.

[ncc1701e]

ORIGINAL: Fenarid

I would like to know what diplomacy looks like in DW2?

Excellent question!

[arvcran2]

There was a table top game called Diplomacy simpler than the game Risk. It was a simple system modeled on our world map. it was turn based and had two phases:

1. - diplomacy: every one had a 2 minute time slice to talk to each player and attempt to establish deals. Or something similar.
2. - action: Every one wrote down what they would do and it was revealed all at one - and played out on the map.

[Jorgen_CAB]

ORIGINAL: arvcran2

There was a table top game called Diplomacy simpler than the game Risk. It was a simple system modeled on our world map. it was turn based and had two phases:

1. - diplomacy: every one had a 2 minute time slice to talk to each player and attempt to establish deals. Or something similar.
2. - action: Every one wrote down what they would do and it was revealed all at one - and played out on the map.

This was a very fun and to be fair difficult game. The game mechanic was really simple but your skill in diplomacy or deal making was quite significant, especially if you played the same people more than once so you would not dare screw someone over without masking it as some sort of mistake or that you were forced to change the deal for some reason... or you would have trouble the next time you played with that same person... fun memories indeed...

[Gertjan]

Good question, I hope we get a dev diary on this important topic. Indeed alliances should be added to the game (e.g. like star trek, we want to be able to create a federation).

[Jorgen_CAB]

I think they already said that diplomacy are very similar to DW1 and that is what they aim for at release and might improve on this later on down the line.

[SirHoraceHarkness]

To me since this is a real time 4x space conquest game diplomacy is a secondary consideration to the conquest part. Yeah it would be nice to have some more options for alliances and such but when I play its not with sending diplomats to other empires in mind I want to explore and expand and exploit then finally exterminate. Diplomacy just gets in the way of that unless you want to lull an empire into thinking you are cool with them up to the point your massive fleets and clouds of troop transports descend upon them. [:'(]

[Gertjan]

To each their own of course. I like to have more diplomacy options. But it is okay if it will be improved further down the line. I am now very eager to get the game ASAP.

[SirHoraceHarkness]

Well it was stated that there are an expanded list of diplomacy options in the new game. We just don't know the exact details yet past no option for a multi empire alliance.

[DrWolfsherz]

When thinking about good diplomacy, Alpha Centauri always comes to my mind. That was a fantastic system which was really involving.

[SirHoraceHarkness]

Sins of a solar empire had some expanded diplomacy modes where you could win the game without a fight or keep the other empires at each others throats as you took over everything. They even did a dedicated expansion on it.

[ncc1701e]

Yes, I will be glad to have some news on this topic.

[Erik Rutins]

We should be talking about Diplomacy about 3-4 Dev Diaries from now. [8D]

[StormingKiwi]

So based on a 3 week cycle for dev diary releases, I guess that means DW2 is being released next year?

[ncc1701e]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

We should be talking about Diplomacy about 3-4 Dev Diaries from now. [8D]

Yeah