Diplomacy and Trading

[Fal]

Hi all,

I've been playing D2 and D3 for a while, mostly SP games due to time restrain. I am somewhat disappointed to see the lack of diplomacy and trading features in the game. The MP game provides send message/gold/gems features thus creating a extremely flexible diplomatic way to play the game, presumably allowing players to trade, negotiate peace offerings, trade, and forge/fake alliances (though I'm unsure if this is common among the MP players). But in SP game, the negotiation between nations is almost non-exist, if set to normal, the AI would simply attack all neutral provinces before declare war on you. The other two AI aggressiveness level don't leave much space of imaginations either. Personally I would love to see basic diplomacy features in the game (or at least the SP game), for example non-aggression pact/defensive alliance etc... I appreciate the idea of this game being 'destroy all infidels', and adding such feature will make game design considerably more difficult. But the lack of cunning diplomacy and the treacherous deceptions behind warfare would make an epic conflict seem unrealistic and dull. I would love to see game designers bringing a systematic and flexible diplomatic system to the next dominion game. The MP diplomacy can remain unchanged, but more options would be nonetheless very welcome.

Another feature I (and a few other strategy game fans) would love to see is a flexible trading system. For example, if two nations are at peace, they are free to trade with one another, via trade routes (which would cost time and gold to set up)between provinces (much like galactic civilization games), the longer the route is, the more income it generates. Such feature would bring considerable more in-depth strategic thinkings: e.g. Pangaea might wish to use their stealth troops to sabotage enemies' trading routes, or hampering trading by capturing key trading provinces. Trading would, of course, only take place between connected friendly provinces, or via sea, or maybe by a new spell that creates trading routes via the sky!

I love the deep pondering that D2 and D3 have brought me in the past two years, and the addition of the diplomacy and trading features would make this already complex game more exciting and challenging. The players must now considering his economic strength/diplomatic advantages more carefully, thus bringing more pondering into the game. In addition, imo it would potentially make the dominion victory method a more practicable way of winning.

just my 2cents.