Diplomacy

[Taqwus]

One bit --

A race reduced to NO planets and only immobile ships (bases / cripples shipsb) should probably surrender. It has no population and very little hope of getting a planet from anybody else.

I did see a race with *0* ships, units, or planets left still listed with a score (0); they still had a minefield. However, you can't ask a minefield to surrender (contact lost), so they would remain until each and every mine was removed.

(Unrelated bug -- I had ships whose Combat Sensors III didn't work. 11% or so to hit a BATTLESTATION at range 4 with Enveloping Acid Globules?! Considering ships that I *captured* had working sensors (i.e. usually hit, with +0% experience), this is weird. I'm wondering if there's a bad interaction between having long-range and combat sensors on the same ship, or a bug if the combat sensors are the Last component of the ship.)

[EDIT: Apparently NOT bug; I'd been comparing to ships with WMGs. Did some checking and WMGs appear to get +30% hit. Score one for the 'Big Gun' approach.
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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

[This message has been edited by Taqwus (edited 05 November 2000).]

[Commander G]

quote:

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Originally posted by SirOscar:
One problem I have with Diplomacy is that it does not have enough options. If I set up a trade and research agreegment with another race the first thing that happens is they plop down a colony in one of my systems. What I would like to see is a sub class to each major class.
A) NO ship travel or colonys in any system I currently have a colony in.
B) Ship travel but no colonys in any system I have a colony in.
C) Systems open to ships and colonys

Of course the agreement would work both ways and you could use the same options with any of the agreements. As it stands now the only thing I can do if they plop a colony down in one of my systems is to ask them to remove it and they always say no. This means I have two choices, war or allow a foreign power in my back yard.

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I really don't see a problem with the AI colonizing unsettled worlds in a trading partner's system. If you want those worlds, colonize them before making the agreement. I've noticed the AI does break treaties and go to war if you move ships into their space. I also recommend that you play against other people if you want more details in treaties. A human player may break-off a treaty if you settle in his system. I view the AI as a tool to learn the mechanics of the game. Once I get the non Demo Version, I intend to play against human opponents and use AIs just to test my race designs. My impression is that Human players are much more cooperative than AI players. Human players will usually make big Technology trades since they benefit both players. AI's tend to reject offers that humans would gladly accept. I have brotherly trade partners that reject 'Gas Giant' for 'Rock' colonization, but humans readily make this sort of deal, providing they like different atmospherese.