Perhaps better known as ‘diplomacy’, this aspect of the game is no less crucial than robust governors or quick expansion. It’s a topic worthy of a guide in itself, and I won’t venture to give any sort of comprehensive coverage of this area. I do have an advice or two for the new player.
Since the mechanics of the game drives you to attack players of roughly equal power (reputation), your relations with the other players will have tremendous importance to how well you fare in your galaxies.
When two players of equal strength do battle, it tends to be a drawn-out and costly affair as planets swap hands, possibly many times over. While this wanton destruction goes on, more peaceful corners of the galaxy prosper (diverting no small share of that prosperity to arms, to be sure). In order to have a quick and decisive victory, you need friends. It’s really as simple as that.
On the other hand, it’s not really all that simple. At the time of writing, I consider the diplomatic deals and underhanded schemes to be one of the most challenging and exiting areas of the game. You might end up with sharing your entire galaxy view with the best friend of your worst enemy. Frustrating? You bet. Creating tension and yet other intricacies? No doubt.
Ask them how they’re doing, if they need any resources, trade maps, ask to trade resources even if you don’t really need it. You wont regret it. While they’re asking for help, you get vital information on their weak spots. You might be able to tell from your recon screen that there’s just one planet with Deuterium deposits in his empire, while he willingly serves up that he’s low on it too! Maybe you’re not that good a neighbour after all? It’s all up to you.
Even with your help, the besieged empire may not pull through in the end. But the player behind remains, and though the scores are reset in the next galaxy he won’t have forgotten. Whether that lingering memory is accompanied with feelings of endebtment or retribution is, again, up to you. While you may have bet on a losing horse this galaxy, future galaxies will have the groundwork laid when it comes time to convince that horse to somehow pull a little of the load (that is, your load).
Sooner or later, you’ll be the one with a deuterium shortage or worse. Don’t be afraid to ask for help in these situations. It’s true that you will be revealing your weakness, but people are generally much more likely to help you out, than they are to fall on you. Like you, they have an interest in building lasting, trusting relationships, and asking for help is how those begin.
While you may have been on the receiving end of a knife in the back, my advice would be to take your precautions with that player in the future, but focussing on repay is a poor choice of strategy and aren’t likely to earn you a good rank. Of course, if word gets out that you’re vengeful beyond the rational, people might think twice before attacking you in the future. I myself, however, try to forget as quickly as possible. New constallations of player treaties will always form in subsequent galaxies, and to rule out a beneficial partnership just because that player is better than you (well, he beat you, didn’t he?), is just plain dumb. Of course, a peace treaty might even be the way to really get him back
Finally, I’d like to comment on the length of treaties. This is an area I’ve made more than a couple of mistakes. I don’t think I’ve been happy with a single treaty I had running for more than 250 turns, and many people flat out refuses to sign treaties longer than the default length. Though I personally would sign longer treaties with players I trust, I too refrain from entering treaties longer than the default when dealing with new acquaintances. You can always extend when the treaty has run half its length, giving you plenty of time to prepare for war if he refuses to extend, while not binding you to him for longer than can be tolerated.
Remember that once a treaty is signed, it’s impossible to get out of it again for all practical purposes, and you don’t want that ‘ally’ giving out your shared view to your enemies for the next 500 turns (trust me!).
Remember, likewise, that an expired treaty isn’t worth the bits that stores it. Never, ever mistake a non-binding treaty for an actual treaty.
guides\nongolfguide\foreignrelations.txt · Last modified: 2012/02/26 22:17 by jackjack
