Diplomatic pressure and scare tactics

Hi folks! I think this topic needs a dedicated thread since it's so interesting. I'm mainly interested in your experiences regarding putting heavy weaponry close to an AI with which you have a peaceful relationship, and how it reacts on that. Does it work at all?

Personally I think it would be REALLY nice if you could affect an AI's diplomacy significantly by intentionally displaying, say 5-10 tactical nukes close to his borders (given that you have nuclear weapons and he hasn't). Also, a couple of carriers with fighters should affect an AI's diplomacy pretty strongly if it doesn't have any air defense. This would make the game much more fun to play without making the game more complicated, which I think is important (you shouldn't need to take anything away in order to add this feature).

Unfortunately I think the dynamics around this seems to be a bit too simple today. I suppose the AI does some kind of a simple calculation of the total foe strength around it's cultural borders to determine the "diplomatic pressure" on him. But I'm not sure.. Maybe it doesn't even do that...?

What do you think? Would you like this to be more developed in the coming patches?
What experience do you have around diplomatic pressure on the AI?

I'd also add that stationing large numbers of troops in a capitulated vassal's cities should make them more or less 100% likely to trade you anything they have, gold, techs and resources, as well as stop them carrying out espionage against you.

I'm not really sure how it works in CivIV (with or without BtS), but I agree that being able to affect your standing with other civs through your military presence in an area would be a nice option to have. I've read somewhere how the presence of a US carrier battle group (and previously battleships), would affect international diplomacy. Would be nice to do that in game.

My nukes only move when I fire them.

I would also like there to be more emphasis on military when it comes to diplomacy. I would also like to be able to SELL/TRADE ARMS! I think it's kinda crazy that they did not include this..

shiro_kuma said:

I'm not really sure how it works in CivIV (with or without BtS), but I agree that being able to affect your standing with other civs through your military presence in an area would be a nice option to have. I've read somewhere how the presence of a US carrier battle group (and previously battleships), would affect international diplomacy. Would be nice to do that in game.

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That's exactly what I mean. In reality, 2 US carrier battle groups near the coast of any country is generally seen as a potent threat.

What this little extra functionality would actually mean is that the huge development work laid down on military in Civ would have one more meaningful purpose than just being destructive. It would add a peaceful way of using weapons. It would also mean that peaceful perfectionists like me could build up a perfectly balanced military and actually play around with it, without destroying it all the time.

molst said:

That's exactly what I mean. In reality, 2 US carrier battle groups near the coast of any country is generally seen as a potent threat.

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I hope it would also have the other effect of damaging your long term relations with them. Fairs fair and all that! If you want to throw your weight about, you've got to pay a price too.

Spearthrower said:

I hope it would also have the other effect of damaging your long term relations with them. Fairs fair and all that! If you want to throw your weight about, you've got to pay a price too.

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That's perfect with me too. What's important is that there is an effect. But the effect should, as you intend, also be balanced with positive and negative effects. An effect that would seem logic to me is that they get a bit more scared and might not attack you immediately (if they had such plans they might re-think it), but they might start to spend more on military research and trying to poison the relationships between you and your allies...

Also, if you are weaker than them, BUT focuses potent weapons (that they can't match with effective defensive units or buildings) at their borders, they should definitely take that into consideration. That would be really cool.