With the new tribal defenders (they're great!) minor start lost one of the biggest appeals (early empire growth). Having stumbled upon a wikipedia article on egypt-hittite relations I was thinking that the early game (prehistoric,ancient) diplomacy could be spiced up and made a bit more interesting. I'm aware those are some rather big changes and probably won't be easily implemented via XML editing alone and maybe they aren't even possible at all but I just want to get the ideas out here. It's just a first idea and open to critique.
1. Opt-in open borders, opt-in NAP aka loose Diplomacy.
The idea is that once you have first contact with another civ you recognize each other but don't sign on any initial (currently baseline) diplomatic agreements, meaning
- you can openly enter enemy territory
- you can openly attack enemy units
This obviously also means you have a rather bad relationship with those civilizations. Alternatively you could also just start AT WAR with everyone at first. But the key then is that your base relation with other civs should be as negative as it needs to be to not allow peace treaties.
2. Region specific Languages
The negative base relation would be named "We don't speak the same language" - because your 'native culture' (american, european, african etc.) should provide you with a distinct language (obviously only once you researched language). This language gives you a boost to all other civs with the same language, allowing for early negotiations, but nothing more than "don't just kill our guys" treaties.
The twist on this is that after a certain amount of time (whatever is appropriate for the gamespeed you play at) you will be able to learn the language of the other civ, probably by building a specific building, increasing relation due to "same language". This would allow simple treaties with non-native civs (e.g. egypt-hittite).
Some ideas to interact with that design: reduce turns it takes to be able to learn the language when exposed by either:
- Militaric action (low % chance on victory "taking slaves/POW", not as actual units just as a explaination for the mechanic)
- Capturing civilians like Gatherers (should always reduce the time by a few turns)
- Mixed culture, when there is foreign culture of the civ you want to learn the language from that should reduce the time too - or just give a production bonus on the language building once you are able to build it.
- Also an Ancient Rosetta Stone, unlocked with Writing, requires Stone or Marble halves the time it takes to be able to learn a foreign language (obsoletes late ancient, before medieval) for you and any civ you have contact with.
- Diplomatic/Religious leaders should have a higher chance for "learning" (building) foreign languages once available while more war-mongering leaders will just do it when they feel like it.
3. Further advanced foreign relations
I think religions already give a relation bonus and if nothing changed I think other leaders will automatically get their favorite religion in their capital once they are founded. This would simulate cultural proximity which usually expresses itself in similar religious choice (well 'choice' *cough*) and allow for further improvements in relation and more diplomacy once state religions are available (should be mid-late prehistoric, right?) Maybe the numbers need a tweak here.
The next step should be at Writing, School of Scribes should increase the relation with all leaders whose language you're capable of speaking. Either at that point or with research of alphabet (increasing the +relation of school of scribes) you should be able to do diplomacy with other civs as usual, obviously influenced by all the normal factors like different civics, military history, religion etc the normal stuff.
I think religious civics should also play into those relations, pagan/religionless or more free religious civs should care less about different religions (i.e. a Divine Cult Druidic civ would have +relation to another Druidic civ even when they have Free Church. but would have strong -relation to a civ who has Kemetism as state religion even when they have Divine Cult active too. The Free Church Druidic civ would still have a bit -relation with the Kemetism civ but not as much, but the Kemetism civ would hate the Druidic civ even though they have Free Religion - sorry if I'm rambling here)
Possibly have a further +relation with "known language civs" with Education/School(Building) but not to the point where +relation is abundant and too easy to come by.
Feel free to instantly shoot me down should this be impossible with the engine or add/improve on this idea
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