Frustrated with well, lack, of diplomacy

from Stardock Forums
I've played a few games now, and noticed something that has me about ready to return the game.

If you are not #1 in military, whoever is #1 will start making outrageous demands every three months, and if you don't give in, go to war. It doesn't matter if you are #2. It doesn't matter if they are on the other side of the galaxy and can't get to you...they'll build starbases just to do so.

Obviously, they are extorting tech and cash from the other AIs to fund this oging.

This is sending the fun factor of this game down to 0 rapidly. I see it happening again and again, in pretty much every game I don't dominate from the moment I meet the aliens.
404 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Good relations also work. I recently had a game in which I was dead last in military and wasn't attacked by anywone. (it might have been because they didn't see me as a threat with not so many planets and only a few starbases)
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
s w: I am often 2nd to last militarily, and still doing well and winning in the end. Could it be there is something wrong with your strategy? ;)
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Just pay this civilization once for declaration of war to another race. It will cost like 30-45 bc for 100 turns (for larger galaxies) or trade goods for smaller ones.

~SDC~
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I've found this to be troublesome as well s w, and my initial reaction wasn't unlike yours. But I'm gradually learning how to cope. There actually seems to be a variety of ways to deal with this problem, witness the posts above. I suggest you try one of these strategies. Or you could do what I do, which is simply accept the fact that someone will declare war on me in the early to middle part of the game, and be prepared to ride it out.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
wow, if you want great diplomacy, try Moo3.(har.)Honestly, I think the diplomacy in GalCiv is ok. No computer game is perfect, but I've seen fairly realistic dealings in all my games. Sorry if you dont like it. Let me know if you can take it back as I have a buttload of games I am dissapointed with and the new return policies of most stores prohibit returns.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
Get some trade routes to that Civ ASAP. They are much less likely to declare war if they will lose a big chunk of their economy by losing the trade routes. Just another suggestion that works.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
The main thing I do is check to make sure my military is rated over 100.

It doesn't seem to matter THAT much if you are first second, or third.... over 100 they won't demand tribute.

They will declare war sometimes though.

Somebody above posted that they try to start a war, that works great too.... one AI is too far ahead, start a war with #2 and their military rating tanks... no more demands.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Re military rating above 100: how can you see what your exact rating in numbers is?
Apart from the yearly report, of course.
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
In the beginning, I produce a few corvettes in with my defensive ships. It helps to get your rating up. It's offensive firepower only that gets rated (changing in the next version I believe) Even though I know on big maps these will be useless, they are good cheap ways to avoid getting the shakedown. Also, rejecting one tribute demand often times leads to worsenned relations, but not war. Some peeps produce starfighters in this manner. I usually go with corvettes simply b/c unlike starfighters, a corvette can take out a constructor or transport so it's not completely useless.
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
This all being said, I kind of like this ai that weighs whether it can punk you or not and demands tribute accordingly.

And sometimes this ai will bluff.

In civ, recall, the ai demanded tribute more when it was behind (jealous) and would declare war on you for not giving it even if you could totally punk em.

And the Moo ai declares war even if it's across the Galaxy, can't get near you and won't ever invade your planets anyway even if it can totally punk you.
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
I played a game yesterday with all genius AIs in which I was never at war. Ever. Me, the Yor and the Drengin were in a more or less constant arms race throughout the game with the other 3 civs lagging far behind. Good relations and lots of trade help meant I was safe when either of the other big two pulled ahead. Funding wars and giving aid to either power if it looked like it was going to be crushed by the other also helped stop either of them become too powerful.