I'd like to see a few more basic features/options added to the trade screen. Not really big issues or additions, but would make the game a little more interesting, and would allow for a few more personality types to be created in the game.
Firstly, we all know that you can talk the AI into going to war against someone if they like you enough, and you give them enough tech(s)/gold/resources. What about expanding this? By that, I mean mercenaries. Allow me to explain. The AI is in a war, and it's going alright for them, but they're suffering heavy loses and it's no longer as beneficial for them. You see this, and then open diplomatic channels with them. This is where the idea comes in. You can offer to go to war against the other Civ if the AI gives you a tech/resources/gold. That's right, YOU get paid for going to war. This would allow for "mercenary" personalities in leaders, where they jump into someone else's war for a price. Taking from the Civ 4 bonus/penalty against diplomacy, if you do this (Maybe twice or more?), any Civ that is war would automatically become cautious of you selling your army/services to the other side.
With that, what about the ability to trade units? As it is, you can gift units to the AI, but you don't get anything out of it. What about if you could trade your units to the AI in return for certain things? Think of it like trading resources. You'll give the AI 5-10 archers, and they'll offer to give you a tech, or gold, or other units. Take this for example:
The AI is in a war against AI2, and, for whatever reason, finds itself with a lot of extra workers, and a lack of military units now to get a final push going. You on the other hand have been playing peacefully, so you have a lot of extra units, but due to your aggressive expansion, are lacking workers to make the expansions pay themselves off fast enough.
You begin diplomatic talks with the AI, and you begin to barter. You offer to give them 5 extra Axemen(Or whatever unit really), in exchange, you'd get a worker.
This may seem like a stupid idea, but think of the possibilities. You find yourself declared on, and have a weak army but a lot of extra workers. Now, instead of those workers needing to rush somewhere else and do work on the other side of the country, and you needing to slave rush military units, you instead can start talks with another AI, and offer to give them 2 or 3 workers, and in turn, they'll give you X workers. It's true that you may never use this feature towards the end of the game, but at least the option is there, and it may even be extremely beneficial at the start of the game, and could possibly grant a bonus to diplomatic relations due to mutual help/slave trade.
Lastly, in Civ as is, there is only diplomacy between you and AI1. What about expanding this so that AI2 can get into the mix? By that, I mean a 3 or more nation trade. Below is an example:
Civ A has resource X that you want, but Civ A doesn't see anything from you that it wants. Civ B has resource Y which Civ A wants, but Civ A has nothing Civ B wants, but you have something Civ B wants, which we will call Z.
All 3 nations come to the table, and you begin trade talks. You offer to give Z to Civ B, but only if they'll give Y to Civ A, and in turn Civ A will give you X. I think this would add a lot to the diplomacy, especially if added in with the mercenary idea and the unit trading ideas.
Diplomacy in Civ is great, but it really just brakes down into resources, techs and gold. Civics and religions do play a big role in Civ 4's diplomacy, but as it is, all you can really trade are resouces, gold and techs. With these ideas, there is a 4th trade item added, as well as a new game dynamic, and a more in-depth diplomacy. These ideas have probably been posted in the past I imagine, but they're just some things I thought of.
Firstly, we all know that you can talk the AI into going to war against someone if they like you enough, and you give them enough tech(s)/gold/resources. What about expanding this? By that, I mean mercenaries. Allow me to explain. The AI is in a war, and it's going alright for them, but they're suffering heavy loses and it's no longer as beneficial for them. You see this, and then open diplomatic channels with them. This is where the idea comes in. You can offer to go to war against the other Civ if the AI gives you a tech/resources/gold. That's right, YOU get paid for going to war. This would allow for "mercenary" personalities in leaders, where they jump into someone else's war for a price. Taking from the Civ 4 bonus/penalty against diplomacy, if you do this (Maybe twice or more?), any Civ that is war would automatically become cautious of you selling your army/services to the other side.
With that, what about the ability to trade units? As it is, you can gift units to the AI, but you don't get anything out of it. What about if you could trade your units to the AI in return for certain things? Think of it like trading resources. You'll give the AI 5-10 archers, and they'll offer to give you a tech, or gold, or other units. Take this for example:
The AI is in a war against AI2, and, for whatever reason, finds itself with a lot of extra workers, and a lack of military units now to get a final push going. You on the other hand have been playing peacefully, so you have a lot of extra units, but due to your aggressive expansion, are lacking workers to make the expansions pay themselves off fast enough.
You begin diplomatic talks with the AI, and you begin to barter. You offer to give them 5 extra Axemen(Or whatever unit really), in exchange, you'd get a worker.
This may seem like a stupid idea, but think of the possibilities. You find yourself declared on, and have a weak army but a lot of extra workers. Now, instead of those workers needing to rush somewhere else and do work on the other side of the country, and you needing to slave rush military units, you instead can start talks with another AI, and offer to give them 2 or 3 workers, and in turn, they'll give you X workers. It's true that you may never use this feature towards the end of the game, but at least the option is there, and it may even be extremely beneficial at the start of the game, and could possibly grant a bonus to diplomatic relations due to mutual help/slave trade.
Lastly, in Civ as is, there is only diplomacy between you and AI1. What about expanding this so that AI2 can get into the mix? By that, I mean a 3 or more nation trade. Below is an example:
Civ A has resource X that you want, but Civ A doesn't see anything from you that it wants. Civ B has resource Y which Civ A wants, but Civ A has nothing Civ B wants, but you have something Civ B wants, which we will call Z.
All 3 nations come to the table, and you begin trade talks. You offer to give Z to Civ B, but only if they'll give Y to Civ A, and in turn Civ A will give you X. I think this would add a lot to the diplomacy, especially if added in with the mercenary idea and the unit trading ideas.
Diplomacy in Civ is great, but it really just brakes down into resources, techs and gold. Civics and religions do play a big role in Civ 4's diplomacy, but as it is, all you can really trade are resouces, gold and techs. With these ideas, there is a 4th trade item added, as well as a new game dynamic, and a more in-depth diplomacy. These ideas have probably been posted in the past I imagine, but they're just some things I thought of.
