Let me get a few things out of the way first. This is not another b*** thread about how the diplomacy in sins isn't up to scratch - we all know that. So now, lets talk about how to improve it. Hopefully with plenty of good quality posts and suggestions, we can have this thread stickyed and read by the devs.

Thanks

A Little Problem called Leverage

The current problem is that if the AI choses to attack you, there is nothing you can do about it, appart from retaliating with your own forces - no bribery, subterfuge or cunning involved. Games like Civs and especially Alpha Centauri allowed the player to brocker temporary deals with the AI in order to gain time to finish off the current task ( be it securing resources, destroying a target or just re-building). I'm not saying that 2SE should be like those games, I'm simply using their diplomacy system as an example.

Why do we need leverage? The answer is to transition between the 3 diplomatic states (War, Truce and Alliance) without resorting to brute force. I'll leave out the protectorate state (also known as the Bitch to SMAC fans) for now. The following graph shows the 3 states in a diplomatic relationship. (note: there is a 3rd one-way arrow that goes from Alliance to War)

WAR <-----> TRUCE <-----> ALLIANCE

At the moment in 2SE, we all know that travelling up and down these states is absolutely up to the AI and not the player. Strangely enough, in a reversal of roles, the player has become the AI's Bitch - we prefer it the other way around.

Take a look at Alpha Centauri for example and you'll discover all sorts of ways to travel between these 3 states. We don't want a game to be reduced to: "I have the biggest army therefore I win". We want cunning and that's where diplomacy comes in and Alpha Centauri did it very well. Here is a list of possible solutions you could use when trapped between a rock and a hard place in SMAC:

• Threaten with:
• Cancelling a trade pact
• Cancelling an alliance
• Going to war
• Trade:
• bases
• resources
• technologies
• unit
• Bribe/gift with:
• units
• techs
• bases
• resources
• Ask an ally to declare peace/war on another player
• Coordinate military forces with the AI

Even then I think I forgot a few. It has been a while...

The above list of possibilities allows you to create all sorts of strategies, as an example I'll tell you an awesome story from my Alpha Centauri days: Enjoy!

I was stuck on a continent with two other AIs (I can't remember what factions). I quickly kissed butt to one of them forming an alliance against the other. I started in the west, my ally in the middle and the enemy in the east. I managed to convince (more kissing arse) my ally to go to war with the 2nd AI and all was going well - our combined forces out matched our enemie's.

Then disaster hit, each military victory was providing more experience, more bases and more resources to my ever growing ally - it was harder for me to acquire these as I was on the other side of the continent. My ally started to flex his new found muscles by refusing certain valuable tech trades with me.

Something had to be done, he was starting to out class me. He had to go! That's when I thought up my little ploy, I couldn't risk all out war with him, especially with the other factions circulating like vultures. So I took a page out of the USA's strategy book during the Iraq/Iran war. I funneled technology, resources and military units to the enemy who started to perk up a little.

With my resources backing him, the enemy engaged my ally in a war of attrition. I bidded my time and rebuilt my forces. Once the two AI's had weakened each other, I betrayed my ally and took him by surprise. He fell swiftly to my new and improved forces. The second AI soon followed.

Now isn't that one of the best 4X stories ever? Wish sins was like that? Lets help/push the Devs together.