I've enjoyed SE4 since it came out (and SE3 before that). I will buy MOO3 when (if?) it comes out. I expect to enjoy that as well.
One thing I truly hope that MOO3 does better than SE4 is, indeed, the Diplomacy. In SE4 it is worse than useless. I'm not even convinced that it is implemented. It doesnt appear to do a blessed thing.
I was showing a new player the game and he was thrilled by all of the options in Diplomacy. He was at war with one race and he went through all of his allies and asked them to break their agreements with that race etc. They all agreed and some agreed to attack that race as well (some to the effect of "Together we will destroy the Piundon".) But looking at the relations the next turn and they all still have Partnerships with the enemy... And it happened repeatedly. He became very disenchanted with the game at that point.
IMO, there is no reason to even included diplomacy features in the game if they arent going to do anything. All it does is frustrate players. About the only things that appear to work are the treaties. And even they are just an exchange of points. There are no 'alliances' in the game that I can see. I've never seen a race raise a hand to help in a war (that wasnt inadvertant) and I've never seen them sever relations even when they are requested to and agreed to.
The truly annoying thing about this to me is that it really wouldnt be that hard to fix. Just have those agreements to break relations be MANDATORY and have a period of time (10 turns maybe?) where they cant establish relations again above maybe Non-Aggression. If they agree to 'declare war', the declaration should be there for a minimum amount of turns as well.
At any rate, that completes my rant on diplomacy in SE4.
I think it only really bugs me now because it cost me a potential player in my area. I had more or less just ignored it since a week into playing as I had dismissed it as a waste of time. But after watching him try it and become frustrated, I was reminded just how inane it really was.
Talenn