[Ironhawk]

I dont think there is any ettique quide out there for diplomacy. Just get in touch with people however you can and make some deals. Many of the players in this game also spend time in IRC, which is an ideal place to talk and trade. As for whether to expect backstabbing: I've found the dom2 community to be relatively free of that. Occassionally deals will fall through or allegiances will change but even in those cases players usually give a token warning that the shift is immiment.