I really enjoy the new diplomatic system of Rising Tide. AI is more transparent regarding their respect/fear of you (though that notification sound should be disabled) and it rewards factions for interacting with each other. After a few play-throughs though I started wishing for more ways to use diplomatic capital, alliances, and the new found joy of interacting with other factions. My suggestion is thus: borrow from SMAC, and bring back the planetary council! It would further enrich the diplomatic landscape and even offer another victory condition (unite behind the supreme chancellor and lead the republic into a new age of order... wait, wrong universe. *shrug).
The system could be devised as such -- after the requisite tech is researched and the wonder is built (tower of bable inspired wonder possibly), every X amount of years, the council convenes. During that time, there would be five phases.
1) Each faction picks one thing they want to vote on (list later in this rant)
2) Each faction reviews what is on the table
3) Each faction has the opportunity to bribe one (or many) other faction per thing on the table. Want to keep it simple, so i say limit it to one. During this time, you can expend diplomatic capital to sway an individual.
4) Each faction votes (bribes should probably be binding). Voting by AI is determined by alliances, affinity similarities, fear and or respect, etc. I believe different metrics should be used depending upon what is being voted upon.
5) Each faction sees the results and the break down of votes
There might be an easier way to set this up, but this might be a good place to start.
Ideas for things to vote upon (again, just some ideas):
1) Elect Planetary President -- this dude gets +x% extra votes and +x% more diplomatic capital during each turn during his reign.
2) Implement Sanctions -- no one can trade with a certain faction (and vise versa). Can be used in lieu of actually going to war with someone, stunting the leader, etc. Does not apply to stations.
3) Cybernetic Trade Web - Supremacy factions (those with the most points in supremacy comparatively) get +X science/energy per turn per point of supremacy affinity.
4) Gaian Trade Cluster - Harmony factions (those with the most points in harmony comparatively) get +X food/city growth/health per turn per point of harmony affinity.
5) Purification Pact - Purity factions (those with the most points in purity comparatively) get +X% attack bonus per point of purity affinity.
6) Multifactional Planetary Station - each faction gets one tech (that it doesnt have) that at least half of the other remaining factions do have.
7) Elect Supreme Chancellor - 'Cause we gotta unite and fight the Progenitors! Or something.
Let me know your thoughts!
Thanks guys and sorry if someone already had this idea
The system could be devised as such -- after the requisite tech is researched and the wonder is built (tower of bable inspired wonder possibly), every X amount of years, the council convenes. During that time, there would be five phases.
1) Each faction picks one thing they want to vote on (list later in this rant)
2) Each faction reviews what is on the table
3) Each faction has the opportunity to bribe one (or many) other faction per thing on the table. Want to keep it simple, so i say limit it to one. During this time, you can expend diplomatic capital to sway an individual.
4) Each faction votes (bribes should probably be binding). Voting by AI is determined by alliances, affinity similarities, fear and or respect, etc. I believe different metrics should be used depending upon what is being voted upon.
5) Each faction sees the results and the break down of votes
There might be an easier way to set this up, but this might be a good place to start.
Ideas for things to vote upon (again, just some ideas):
1) Elect Planetary President -- this dude gets +x% extra votes and +x% more diplomatic capital during each turn during his reign.
2) Implement Sanctions -- no one can trade with a certain faction (and vise versa). Can be used in lieu of actually going to war with someone, stunting the leader, etc. Does not apply to stations.
3) Cybernetic Trade Web - Supremacy factions (those with the most points in supremacy comparatively) get +X science/energy per turn per point of supremacy affinity.
4) Gaian Trade Cluster - Harmony factions (those with the most points in harmony comparatively) get +X food/city growth/health per turn per point of harmony affinity.
5) Purification Pact - Purity factions (those with the most points in purity comparatively) get +X% attack bonus per point of purity affinity.
6) Multifactional Planetary Station - each faction gets one tech (that it doesnt have) that at least half of the other remaining factions do have.
7) Elect Supreme Chancellor - 'Cause we gotta unite and fight the Progenitors! Or something.
Let me know your thoughts!
Thanks guys and sorry if someone already had this idea