Basic Diplomacy

[boomingburritos]

Hey everyone, I've started making guide videos for the mod on my channel and am planning on creating a basic (and later advanced) diplomacy video. I already know about all the big things like DOW, Research Agreements, Defensive Pacts, relationship modifiers, etc..

What I was wondering was whether anybody knew any more discreet/obscure topics about diplomacy (like special conditions on defensive pacts for example) that many people might miss? I want to make my videos as accurate and informative as possible.
Thanks in advance.

 

[tu_79]

A thing many people miss is that a few of those deals have requirements. For example, you can only make a defense pact with someone you have a declaration of friendship. Also, establishing embassies is required for some advanced actions like tech trading.

Declaration of war is quite simple, but sometimes AI approaches you with the offer to attack the same enemy. You can attack right now, ask for 10 turns to prepare, betray the offer (telling the other) or do nothing. This kind of pacted war, obliges to stay at war for 15 turns, I think. So when you can't make peace with some other civ, that civ is probably under a brokered war.

 

[neo_arcadia]

Some that pop on my head are:
1. A "dead" civ can be revived by capturing one of its city. Doing so grants you 200 diplomatic points and making them your vassal
2. Sometimes a civ will denounce you and making their portraits glow red that turn. Two or three turns later their portraits are back to white? indicating neutral stance or even green. I take it as "Look, we like you but because denouncing you give us positive modifier with other civ we are doing it anyway"
3. The dialogue "I see you are friend with -city state A-. This makes it kinda bit awkward. Maybe you just need to shoo away" happens when one civ made allies to that city state for the first time and you are friend with that city state. Doesn't matter even if you have been 3000 YEARS being allied with that city state. As soon as they managed to top you they will make this dialogue shortly in some next turns.
4. Negative modifiers: warmonger-related penalty, different ideology, they know you are competing with them and they hate it, wonder race, city state alliance, aggressive expansion, territorial dispute, breaking a promise (like soldier near territory, dont expand close to us, dont buy tile close to us) and its temporary modifier until "you keep your promise" notification popped up, active religious spread, pretty sure there's many
5. Positive modifiers: same ideology, fighting common enemy, trade partners, hmmmm what else..
6. Declaring war using trade screen means a brokered war. It costs you money. Asking for war declaration using discuss screen sometimes cost you diplomatic penalty when fails. The safe way is to use trade screen because you can always know when the AI not willing to agree with your offer.

 

[tu_79]

A thing that bothers me sometimes is when should I trade away my strategic resources.

Other thing worth explaining is the extra options when you have a spy as an embassador in AI capital. You can trade for votes, know what wonders they are building, discover intrigues (and share them with your friends) and it increases tourism bonus.

 

[Bascule2000]

A thing many people miss is that a few of those deals have requirements. For example, you can only make a defense pact with someone you have a declaration of friendship.

That's certainly not the case. I often make defensive pacts with other civs in the hope that it will lead to a declaration of friendship later (which it often does).

 

[ElliotS]

It's hard but possible to demand resources from an opponent like tributing a city state. It's much easier to ask for help from a friend. Free stuff!

 

[Stalker0]

A thing that bothers me sometimes is when should I trade away my strategic resources.

Other thing worth explaining is the extra options when you have a spy as an embassador in AI capital. You can trade for votes, know what wonders they are building, discover intrigues (and share them with your friends) and it increases tourism bonus.

Generally i trade strategics to non-neighbors or people low on score. It gives them a chance to catch up and possibly hinders my stronger opponents.

I do the same thing with techs. I’ll give military techs to weak civs that have no chance to catch me, but might make a dent in an opponent.

Also, early game if I have both iron and horses I’ll generally trade the iron. Horses are very powerful early but iron less so until mid game.

 

[tu_79]

From Wikipedia Civilopedia:
"Embassies are necessary for trading Open Borders or making Defensive Pacts or Research Agreements, and once set up, will also show you the location of an opposing player's capital."

"When assigning a spy to the capital of another civilization, you can choose to assign them as a Diplomat. Diplomats do not steal technology, and are only there to gather information. [...] They become even more useful when the World Congress is founded, delivering information on how other civilizations are planning to vote, and allowing votes to be traded via diplomacy."

@boomingburritos , I suggest you take a look at the Diplomacy entry in Wikipedia Civilopedia. It's the second icon "Game Concepts", then go to Diplomacy section. Also check Espionage for the entries on Diplomats, and Culture:Antiquity Sites, for additional use of Open Borders.

 

[hr_oskar]

From Wikipedia:
"Embassies are necessary for trading Open Borders or making Defensive Pacts or Research Agreements, and once set up, will also show you the location of an opposing player's capital."

"When assigning a spy to the capital of another civilization, you can choose to assign them as a Diplomat. Diplomats do not steal technology, and are only there to gather information. [...] They become even more useful when the World Congress is founded, delivering information on how other civilizations are planning to vote, and allowing votes to be traded via diplomacy."

@boomingburritos , I suggest you take a look at the Diplomacy entry in Wikipedia. It's the second icon "Game Concepts", then go to Diplomacy section. Also check Espionage for the entries on Diplomats, and Culture:Antiquity Sites, for additional use of Open Borders.

You mean the Civ 5 CBP Wikia... I was a bit confused at first by your reference to Wikipedia (that would be the internet's one and only free encyclopedia). Just calling it "the wiki" should be clear enough from context anyway.

You can't quite trust the VP wiki though -- not all the info there is updated to the current version. I've been doing little corrections and updates here and there, including some changes from the newest beta version. I suppose the sections you refer to are mostly up-to-date.

 

[tu_79]

You mean the Civ 5 CBP Wikia... I was a bit confused at first by your reference to Wikipedia (that would be the internet's one and only free encyclopedia). Just calling it "the wiki" should be clear enough from context anyway.

You can't quite trust the VP wiki though -- not all the info there is updated to the current version. I've been doing little corrections and updates here and there, including some changes from the newest beta version. I suppose the sections you refer to are mostly up-to-date.

I actually wanted to say Civiliopedia. Thanks for pointing out.

 

[boomingburritos]

UPDATE: I have the video released. If anybody is interested, here's the link:

 

[tu_79]

Good job. Very thoroughly explanation. Video in the background is not very related to what you are talking about. I miss a few diplomatic screens to see what you are talking about.

Minor quibble, I think that declaring war on a third does not break defense pacts anymore. Civilopedia may be outdated in this description.

 

[boomingburritos]

Good job. Very thoroughly explanation. Video in the background is not very related to what you are talking about. I miss a few diplomatic screens to see what you are talking about.

Minor quibble, I think that declaring war on a third does not break defense pacts anymore. Civilopedia may be outdated in this description.

I'll make an effort to show the screens I am talking about longer. I just didn't want people to have nothing to look at. I always thought it was a rather basic mechanic that a DOW would break a defensive pact.

Also, how about a video showing some VP multiplayer, let me know if you're interested in playing a few games along with some other people as well.

 

[tu_79]

I'll make an effort to show the screens I am talking about longer. I just didn't want people to have nothing to look at. I always thought it was a rather basic mechanic that a DOW would break a defensive pact.

Also, how about a video showing some VP multiplayer, let me know if you're interested in playing a few games along with some other people as well.

Your video, your take.

I'm not able for multiplaying, too many things going on in my life. Sorry.