New Ideas for race AI

[jimbob55]

Sounds like you want to impliment a 'racial outlook' type feature for the AI.
Something like big endians and little endians from starships unlimited. You're more likely to get on with a species that shares your core beliefs.

Maybe making more than 2 or 3 outlooks would be more interesting.
The criteria for cooperation should really revolve around environment (which it does already) and 'values'. Maybe pick 2 or 3 precepts about the universe for your race :-
The universe is
1. hostile, 2. filled with resources to be exploited, 3. OURS, 4. fascinating in its complexity
Our species members are
1. Disposable for the common good, 2. Resources to be exploited, 3. the progenitors of our glorious future, 4. valued for their unique perspectives

Alien species are
1. Dangerous, 2. Useful as potential laborforce, 3. OURS, 4. sentients to learn from.

Sort of like one of those attrocious 'personality tests' from a magazine. Each shared value increases ease of diplomacy, each value that differs by more than 1 points decreases ease of diplomacy. any difference of 1 makes no odds to diplomacy.
It's a very rough draft, but you get the idea. I think MOO3 is doing something like this but with Theology. SMAC had something similar. It allows for 'love at first sight' and 'hate at first sight' between species.

Mad rambling finished for the moment