Treaties..... whats the point?

[dogscoff]

You can get intel points without intel facilities, you just need to be in a partnership or MA with someone who has intel facilities.

Oh, and if you become a superpower, the AI *will* all turn on you, unless you have switched off the Mega Evil Empire option.

And I do find such small treaties beneficial, even with neutrals. the extra resources aren't much, but can be helpful, and I like to play the nice guy. Besides all that, allies improve your economy by not draining it: If you're not at war with someone, that's one less border to build warships and defences for.

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by dogscoff:
If you're not at war with someone, that's one less border to build warships and defences for.

If you can keep them at war with your enemy, using the intell communications mimic, and keep them friendly with you, which is a challange, you have a fun role-play situation.

[ January 15, 2003, 14:21: Message edited by: Arkcon ]

[dbt1949]

How do you switch off the "mega evil empire" option?

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by couslee:
I feel like responding to this little empire, sure, I will trade with you. I will give you a lesson in abject humility, and you give me your planets.

Of course, the treatys have a variety of uses for multiplayer -- I just started a play-by-web and found that I'm subjugated -- and I don't know why. I'll role play this for a little while, but I may have to prepare a lesson for those imperialist dogs

[dogscoff]

Open the file data/settings.txt with notepad, and change

AI Uses Mega Evil Empire := True

to false.

Everything you ever needed to know about Mega Evil Empire

[ January 15, 2003, 14:29: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

[dbt1949]

That's what I needed to know. Thanks!

[rdouglass]

Originally posted by couslee:
[QB...and now serve my empire on methane worlds i wish to colonize...[/QB]

That's how I make treaties....

[couslee]

I appreciate the role-playing aspects, and do so to an extent. After reading about the MEE, I can appreciate that it is in the game. My main concern, was these two peacefull empires would use the benefits of my trade alliance to build a war machine to attack me. IRL, that is not going to happen. Using them as puppet attackers is a good idea, that way they can expand>>>>>> the other direction and irritate the other races. As I said before, in any of the other 4x games I have played, the AI views you as a MEE all the time, which is just silly. It would be like Togo (no offence to any Togoniese) saying they were going to take their one crop duster and attack the evil American empire..... and expect to have any other result than a good arse-wuppin. (just ask afganistan). The sad part, is the lack of coordination with the AIs. from what I read tho, ALL the AIs AT ONCE declare the war, which is fine. by the time I reach that point, the game will need something to make the mop-up more fun. The peck here, peck there is not a challange nor fun. There have been countless games of civ/smac that never got finished because of that, but if ALL the factions declared war at once, I might have been quite challanged.

I tried in other games to play the good guy super power, where I have even given fully developed cities/bases to help out the little guy, but they always turned out to be ingrates after a short period.

If you pass the MEE threshold, do "partnership" treaties also get canceled? I don't think they should, just as they should not be able to be canceled for any other reason. Deadlock2 was that way, a victory pact could not be canceled or brokien, and it had an impact on your final score. (shared points) If that is not the case here, I would like to see it in SEV or in the next upgrade/patch.

I hadn't thought of getting intel points from a treaty prior to being able to build the facilities. That certainly would explain why CI1 is there. kewl

[couslee]

In my current game, I have met a number of races, 3 of which have survived. One is fairly large, and we are locking horns at every turn. No problem. There are two other minor races than didn't think their tiny empire could take on mine and are still around. One has one system and five planets, the other has one system and three planets. They keep wanting to establish a trade alliance with my 15 system 32 planet empire. Now, what could they possibly offer that would make me agree to that? Their production is a widow's mite compared to mine. Certainly, getting a percentage of my production would be a big boon for them, and quite possible enough to make them a threat later on. I have no desire to provide the means for them to attack me. And the production percentage I would get from them is trivial. yes, I get a happiness boost the turn I sign a treaty, but nothing after that. So, what the point?

And as for treaties with races that are comperable in size, that may be good to avoid a two front war, but I am sure eventualy things will go sour. All part of the conquest game genre'.

I feel like responding to this little empire, sure, I will trade with you. I will give you a lesson in abject humility, and you give me your planets.

[dogscoff]

Depends on your play style. Some ppl like to play the role of a more benevolent superpower who would like to help the little guy out.

Also, there may be strategic advantages: Getting a military alliance or partnership with one of them might extend your range (using their resupply depots) or give you valuable information (enemy ships designs, views of systems you have no presence in).

The thing is, you're right. Playing to win against the AI and stomping them all into the ground really isn't that hard once you've played a few games, so you have to either:
a> start playing multiplayer
b> give the AI a chance (refrain from using certain techs, refrain from trading with the AI, disadvantage yourself at game setup)
c> Play not to win, but for the joy of playing. (usually involves some degree of roleplaying)
d> move onto some other game
e> mod your own game out of SEIV.