Ack! Automatic Alliances!

from Stardock Forums
The big kid nobody likes decides I'm his buddy and suddenly I'm being pulled into wars destroying downtrodden civilizations! Now, I guess I should just be saying no, but if I say yes, does this count against me evil-wise? Anyway, shouldn't I have a chance to say yes or no to the alliance in the first place?

And if I decide not to object, is just clicking yes enough support or am I (in this or a future version) expected to attack things, hand over ships etc.? Usually I just poach planets that my ally has softened up or I finish off starbases my ally has beaten up pretty good and poach the galactic resources. My ally never seems to catch on to this. I've also given up tech to get immediate peace treaties with civilizations that my ally's declared war against, but then they (or their allies!) keep declaring war against me be because my ally won't stop attacking them.

Don't get me wrong, alliances are supposed to work this way, but it would be nice to both have some discretion as to who I want to ally with and to perhaps have some influence on my ally's actions (and they on mine) or be able to break off alliances arbitrarily if I want. For instance, you would have to propose an attack to your allies and get back their consent or denial and then if you want to attack anyway, *you* have to break the alliance first. And, of course, all this vice versa.

-Robert
390 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
It's a bug.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Aha--thanks!

Well I guess the workaround is to just click "no" for now. However, I am curious as to what kind of support I will be committing to if I agree to go to war with an ally. If I just sit around on my lazy ass and let them wage war without me will they get peeved? Ultimately, I mean, not just in this version.

-Robert
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
You can break alliances from the main diplomacy screen so you can get out of them without penalty.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Actually, there doesn't seem to be a penalty if you tell your ally to f*** off--I mean, click "no". They just drop back to "Friendly." So, since there's no penalty, I guess it's not so bad to have people watching your back, except that nobody wants to ally with the puny and weak. :) (I guess--maybe really "good" races do.)

By the way, it would be nice if there was a way to protect the minor races. Maybe if you're good enough you'd be obligated to, or maybe you could explicitly "announce" various intentions by which others would wish to ally with you to accomplish, such as wiping the galaxy clean of mechanoid life forms and their twisted machine-loving buddies or protecting cute little minor races--at least the ones that don't bite. This would have the effect of allowing you to proactively affect your morality rating, perhaps. Just a random idea...

-Robert
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
There is another strategic problem with this, though. If I want to attack some helpless alien race, I don't want to be allied with anyone else when I do this. Otherwise, they might surrender to them, not me. So I might not *want* an automatic alliance with one of the alien species. I'd prefer to stay "just friends" and remain at "close".
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
I have also noticed "automatic alliances". I think I should have a say in who I am allied with and who I don't want to be allied with.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
I just won a game totally by accident because of automatic alliances. I wasn't paying attention -- allied to two of three remaining major civs -- the Bradian A.I. took out the one I wasn't allied with -- and poof! I won!

I wouldn't mind, if that's what I was trying to do...
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
I wish there was an option when they inform you they are going to war with X.. to say are you out of your frelling mimd? Your gonna lose! ;)