Mod Idea: Diplomat Unit (espionage-type mechanics)

[mauporte]

I think there is an extra layer that can be added to the game that would create a sense of strengthening and developing relationships between civilizations that can be achieved by copying the espionage mechanism and adding a new unit: the diplomat.

Diplomats are civilian units that can always be created by the palace building after researching political philosophy. You gain one more with civil service, diplomatic service, nationalism and ideology for a total of five. Catherine could receive an extra one with the writing tech.

You can send diplomats to cities from civilizations with which you have a delegation or embassy and execute missions just like with spies. These missions can have a success/failure ratio dependent on the relationship between both civilizations and their missions are district dependent just as with spies:

campus: research agreement (eureka for the cheapest common unknown tech between both civs)
commercial hub: trade agreement (boost to gold for trade routes between both civs)
harbors: trade agreement (boost to gold for trade routes between both civs)
theater square: arts festival (inspiration for the cheapest common unknown civic between both civs)
neighborhood: ad campaign (boost to tourism rate for the diplomat's civ)

failing a mission grants negative points while succeeding grants positive points towards relations between both civs. Also, diplomats can carry out the lobbying mission which works like the gain sources mission from spies and the which works as the listening post mission from spies.

I haven't thought out much about the promotion tree, nor the diplomatic civics that would have to be introduced that would boost construction and efficacy of diplomats.

Any ideas/suggestions? I really don't have the expertise to make this, but I'm willing to learn/cooperate.

 

[Simo]

Nice idea, the diplomat was a unit in civ 1 and 2 that like many cool features fell through the cracks. I like your adaptation to civ6. I would add that you can expel diplomats like in civ 1 & 2 and this may be a modifier not quite as strong as a denouncement but a way to reduce the intelligence level of a civ you are unhappy with for whatever reason (if and when diplomacy and denouncements actually make any sense in this game!)

 

[Simo]

Sounds pretty good. I'd add in the ability to 'flip' tiles of the target civ that are adjacent to your civs as a more aggressive option

Should only be possible with either heaps of gold or a large advance in culture or something as when they first brought in culture flipping in civ 3 in was quite silly at the ease of city flipping early (like they got carried away with there idea). Tile flipping is obviously not as grand as city flipping and I like the concept just dont want it to be overdone as city flipping was in early civ 3.