So some basic tips on the Diplomacy system.
- At the start of the game you need to decide if you want to use tech trading and or tech brokering. Tech trading with tech brokering enabled allows you to trade a tech say Universal Translator with 1 AI and share it with every other AI. By disabling tech brokering brokering you must have researched the tech first before you can trade it.
- Once you meet an AI and have Universal Translator I recommend going to every AI and each one you meet and trade them open borders. You can get ~50 Credits per AI. AI can still walk into your space with open borders so the only reason you wouldn't trade this is you want to annoy the AI. Not 100% sure but it appears to negate the border friction penalty.
- The deals offer is mostly based your relation which is reflected in pluses and minuses with the AI and how powerful they are compared to you. So if your unfriendly terms they will ask for your house for 1 unit of durantium. However, if your max relation you can get really good deals. If your getting bad deals then make scarier faces and or improve your relation.
- relation doesn't adjust instantly it moves towards the level which is the difference between positive and negative factors.
- positive and negative are reflected as +'s and -'s. THey are not 1 for 1.
+ = +1, +2
++ = +3, +4
+++ = > 5
negatives follow the same trend.
- you can trade with the AI once every 10 turns
- AI values 1 credit per turn for every 50 credits and vice versa.
- diplomatic capital is about 4 credits per every point of diplomatic capital. So if the AI is too broke buy off some of their diplomatic capital.
- They offer more for resources they do not currently have. If they have an abundance of say Anti Matter they will not want more.
- If your using tech trading certain techs are more valuable. Giving an AI Planetary Invasion may seem like a terrible idea but you can trade this with every other AI for other techs and money. Be careful what you trade though. The entire story of GalCiv begins with the Terrans trading hyperdrive with the entire Galaxy.
- The more you trade in a session the less valuable your trades are for the remaining part of the session. Do small trades at a time for best results.
- to increase your relation as well as other value of your trades consider declaring them as friends but be warned their enemies will not like it. Their enemies typically share a sector with them.
- add a diplomat with high social as soon as possible. You also generate diplomatic capital that can be traded to the AI.
- give them tribute. It's 5% of your income.
- send them trade routes.
- keep in mind there are bonuses and penalties based on AI personality.
- luxury goods (monsantium, helios ore, etic..) are worth more than strategic goods (durantium, elerium,...)
- if AI surrender is on and a civ is about to be eliminated they will give all their remaining stuff to someone with high relations.
- war puts about a 20 turn lockout on diplomancy. After that you can offer a peace deal. If you can accept the peace deal then it usually means they are begging for mercy and you can get a really good deal so you should always get as much as possible.
- before declaring war look for other AIs they may have bad relations with. Typically they are sharing borders with that faction. Offer to declare war on the AI you wanted to and see how much they will pay you to do so.
Yor hates organics. Yor and Iconian especially hate eachother.
There is actually a lot more to this system but better relations = better trades in your favor.
