How exactly does the Diplomatic League policy work?

[Idleray]

The policy says that "the first envoy you send to each city-state counts as two envoys".

Well from the wording of that you'd assume it was retroactive; I have at least 1 envoy with every city-state and after applying this policy I don't see a change to any of the numbers in the city-state tab.

Some of them which I previously had 2 envoys with did not get bumped to 3, which is what I had assumed. All the numbers were the same.

Do I have to send out envoys AFTER I apply this policy to see the effect?

 

[CaiusDrewart]

Yes.

 

[Onii-chan]

It only applies for first ones you send out while it's active yes (or complete their first quest with it active)

I.E: it's not a card you ever keep for a long time, just something you quickly grab just before hitting 100 influence, send out your envoy, and then switch back to Charismatic Leader

 

[Balkans]

You use it on any city state that you didn't discover first. So you jump from 0 to 2 envoys. Pretty simple.
Good strategy would be if you know that there are a lot of city states undiscovered early game, and you have for example 3 scouts, then you could hold that card instead of 2 points per turn, and run around the map and every time you discover new city state you would get 2 envoys.
As soon as it's too late do discover city states as first civilization, you save envoys and just use them by swapping the card when you wan't to jump from 0 to 2. As soon as all city states are discovered, and you are not at 0 envoys with any city state, it's over for this card.
edit: one more thing i forgot, if you do city state mission, and it's first one if you have card you get 2 envoys.

 

[Ryika]

Realistically at the point where the cards become available most, if not all, city states have already been discovered, at least on higher difficulties.

The only real use I see for the card is if you have not done any scouting early on and now have a ton of 0-envoy states, but even then... the difference between 1 and 2 has no direct effect, so I'd probably still run the +2 per Turn card to get to become ally of a few good city states instead of pushing "all" city states a bit further and then having to spend another envoy on them to get the extra bonus. Especially given that in the "mainstream strategy" you'll not have the districts to benefit from at least 3 of the city state types, and getting a bit of extra Gold is nice, but I'd say it's not worth lowering your chances to become allied with other states for some of the strong bonuses.

 

[kaspergm]

I use it occasionally. It's not my go-to diplo card, but for instance on continents map, there'll be a time in mid-game where you discover a bunch of new city states, and then switch to that policy to plug in an envoy in each of your newly met city states. Works better if you have a government that gives you 2 or even 3 envoys at a time, but around mid-game there are a lot of policies which grant a free envoy, so you can quickly bump up many city states to 2 envoys that way. But even in my current game on pangaea map, I only discovered three or four city states in renaissance era, so again it was useful.

 

[Galbias]

I find it useful, I'll put it on and off a couple times per game once I've saved up some Envoys, and then send a bunch to city-states I'm at 0 with. Of course, there will be games where going for the Suzurain bonuses is preferable, but that depends on the city-states available.

 

[joncnunn]

If you'd totally ignore all requests from the city state; then indeed that card is a waste of time, but if you are thinking about getting a city you already know about to 3 envoys but currently have no envoys, then using this policy brings you closer.
Early on it's also somewhat better due to more time to get a self-fulfilling quest.