Devious Diplomacy

Getting a diplomatic victory often involves scrolling through current alliances looking for the weak point (lowest influence score) to throw more gold at before the world congress. The AI can throw gold at city states itself and one vote flipped is an entire strategy lost.

Until now.

When the world leader vote is due and you have secured all the city states the only civilised way to ensure victory is to declare war on the entire world.

They'll moan, maybe send a unit or two for target practise, but there is no dealing with city states in wartime, you got all the votes - world congress kicks in and you win.

I have no idea how to hasten this victory path, no idea how it works really except getting patriotism, paying attention to notifications and getting cashed up for bribes.

But never again will I be pipped at the post by some overly eager AI with cash.

WAR brings peaceful ends. Suck on that, Alex.

Usually if you buy the remaining city states the turn before the WL vote comes, the AI won't buy them back. I have also read that the AI doesn't buy CSs when it costs more than 500 gold but as you have no way to check how far behind your opponents are on CS influence, that information isn't very useful...

During the game I am always watching quests - when I know I am going to get one completed the next turn, I get ready to slap a 500g gift down once completed. This is a time where you do know how much influence the AI has, and you can plan accordingly. I typically shoot for 180+ influence on every CS, it is not uncommon to be 210+ on them all by the end of the game.

I also typically park a Spy or two in my lowest-influenced Cultural CS's to try to keep them moving upward.

Yes I have been suckered into giving them all so much gold that influence is well over what I need just to secure the alliance. But what if you don't have that much gold...

Or what if you don't want to spend so much gold on alliances...

Anything > 60 influence and a declaration of war will deny all enemies a chance to negotiate. They can build a desired wonder clear a camp denounce the board and still... MY city state.

Yeah spies are useful aye, especially if lucky enough to level them up quickly. I enjoy the intrigue a lot many of the AI are plainly insane...

Would a short DiploV guide highlighting WC mechanics, optimal tech paths and whatnot be of some value to you? I've looked all over this site and have yet to find one.

I've been playing quite a few diplomacy games lately across a wide range of difficulties from deity to warlord and wouldn't mind putting this together if people wanted it.

Maxattack said:

Usually if you buy the remaining city states the turn before the WL vote comes, the AI won't buy them back.

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They get their turn after you but before the vote. I have lost CS on that turn, before I learned that they won’t spend more than 500 gold.

…but as you have no way to check how far behind your opponents are on CS influence

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That your AI opponents are behind you is all that matters. On any turn you loose Ally status, you will not be far behind yourself. Drop 1K at those times. If you drop only 500 gold, and the AI has money, you will find yourself in a bidding war.

Nigel_Tufnel2 said:

…when I know I am going to get one completed the next turn, I get ready to slap a 500g gift down once completed.

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That is very good. Also after a successful coop or vote (when the vote gets you allied status) is good timing. It is nice to only have to spend 500 gold and not 1000.

...or you could be fiends with everyone and buy all their gold, you know true diplomacy

Trendy - I'd love a Diplo guide you are right it is sadly lacking I've searched for something good and come up with nix just the odd useful post or comment nothing definitive.

phillipwyllie - genius lol! I will pay you 5 gpt - oh sorry, you lose.

I am not very good at befriending the whole board. Sometimes I can but typically I'll snatch a tile or spot and someone has a grudge, or it's about competing for
a city state or just my desirable lands...