While I have whined about the status of "ally" elsewhere, I would like to draw attention to one aspect of the current diplomacy and relations algorithmic processes which seems to me to be broken. I would like to illustrate it by means of an example.
In a recent game, Arcea (genius AI) is far ahead, since its lucky starting position gave it a dozen planets and the most resources (and, as I found out later, a Precursor bonus to research). For whichever reasons, Arcea is friendly to me, as are two other races. Arcea's military is much better than mine, and perhaps for this reason, it demands tribute of me of 650bc. I only have about 300 (but an income of about 120), but I agree to pay. Immediately, my relations go from "friendly" to "close". Since I had recently researched "Alliances", I can immediately offer Arcea an alliance, to which it readily agrees (with a trifling tuppence added by me).
This, I think, is broken -- especially considering the fact that now the most powerful nation is my ally and nothing I do can upset it. (I have tested this by willfully building military bases near his homeworld.) Of course, I turn "Diplomatic Victory" OFF, since getting alliances is already far too easy, but still: from this stage of the game on, the most powerful opponent is no longer a worry, and in fact will protect me from anyone else who tries to pick on me.
By agreeing to pay for his tribute he demanded of me for being so weak, I have invested almost nothing for the largest strategic advantage I could have gleaned in the entire game bar none. I have insurance against the Drengi (the second most powerful), I have no worries whatsoever from Arcea, and I am free to devote my entire shipping to other nations, no longer needing to please Arcea. Since we are allies, I can trade goods much more easily now as well.
Although I know that you are no longer interested in patching this game, I think this needs to be done:
1. Payment of tribute must NOT be considered into the "++ historic friendship" algorithm
2. Alliances need to be maintained; the AI MUST consider terminating alliances it no longer feels are worthwhile, that is, the AI NEEDS an algorithm by which it compares its allies actions and strengths and determines if that ally is worthy of such good relations; alliances must be able to be terminated if the ally behaves badly or gets too weak
Thank you for listening and your constructive replies