[dumbluck]

sorry its been so long since i replied. I have a couple of questions, though:
-What does MEE stand for?

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One might wonder how the AI ever got happy enough with you to offer you a treaty if it was coveting your planets. The answer is that most of the AIs (14 of the 20 default races) covet more of their allies' planets than they do of their enemies' planets. This seems totally backwards to me, but it's true. So as soon as you become an ally, they start lusting after more of your planets, which makes them angrier.

Example: the Cue Cappa covet 10% of allied planets and 0% of enemy planets. In one game, the CueCappa and I were both partners of the Praetorians, who had ships through half my empire 'cause they were at war with the Norak and the shortest path was across my empire. The Cue Cappa and I had no treaty, they offered me a trade alliance, I accepted, and 4 turns later they were murderous and at war with me ('cause they were suddenly coveting 10% of half my empire, which they could see via the Praetorians).

The easiest way to get treaties is either (a) to send a scout far away to a race that can't see any of your planets, or (b) talk to the Eee, Phong, Praetorian or Toltayan empires, who don't covet.
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My problem with this is that I AM sending scouts far away. Like 3-4 system between the AI and any of my colonized systems. I do claim systems w/ breathable planets in them, even before I manage to get them colonized. Would the AI covet these systems, too? Even if (to my knowledge) they have never even seen these systems yet!!

My gifts and tributes (even of systems w/ their breathable planets in it) generally just get refused. I'm almost tempted to completely ignore the diplomacy aspects of the game. They do me no good anyway; in fact, it usually hurts me when an otherwise friendly AI suddenly declares war on me simply because I was foolish enough to accept their treaty.

Which is sad, because other than this miserably executed diplomacy system, I love this game (what little i've played it. not much free time lately). Can anyone tell me if I'm wrong? SHOULD I simply ignore all requests for treaties, or is there some way to get them to like me?



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May your Life prosper and your Dreams be sweet.