Big J Money
Emperor
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2005
- Messages
- 1,030
One reason people criticize civ diplomacy (and did so in V) is when the AI seems to declare war "out of nowhere".
What if there was a more gradual escalation of conflict though? Instead of going from peace to war, civs who grow to dislike you treat you like this:
1. Refuse (and cancel) all (existing) trade agreements
2. Denounce you
3. Declare War
I think it would also help if the game tied these behaviors to the sliding reactions they have when you do things they dislike.
For example, if I go to war and get a warmonger penalty with another civ, IF that penalty pushes me across the escalation line, then the civ will not only tell me that they didn't like my war, but on the same screen they will also mention that this is the reason why they will now stop trading with me.
This isn't to say that civs can't backstab or declare surprise wars. I just think there should be a random chance for that, and when they do it's clear that they are being conniving and backstabbing, and not that you did anything to cause an escalation.
What if there was a more gradual escalation of conflict though? Instead of going from peace to war, civs who grow to dislike you treat you like this:
1. Refuse (and cancel) all (existing) trade agreements
2. Denounce you
3. Declare War
I think it would also help if the game tied these behaviors to the sliding reactions they have when you do things they dislike.
For example, if I go to war and get a warmonger penalty with another civ, IF that penalty pushes me across the escalation line, then the civ will not only tell me that they didn't like my war, but on the same screen they will also mention that this is the reason why they will now stop trading with me.
This isn't to say that civs can't backstab or declare surprise wars. I just think there should be a random chance for that, and when they do it's clear that they are being conniving and backstabbing, and not that you did anything to cause an escalation.
