Alliance Questions

Alliances/Foreign Relations
What must be done to secure a status higher than friendly with alien races. I've played 5 games so far on different maps with different numbers and races of opponents and While my status with them at any given time is usually friendly, even in cases where I only have positives in my favor on the relations report screen I still cannot coax the AI to get 'close'. I have the highest diplomacy rating of any species in the game, 3 trade routes with every species, and the strongest military. I've even been giving them 150bc every 5-10 turns.

If Species A is allied to both Species B and C, and B and C declare war, what does A do? How is this determined?

If two races are allied, do the remaining races take that into account when deciding to declare war? Ie, If the Arceans and Terrans are allied, and the Yor want to declare war on the Terrans, will it look to see who else will be drawn into the fight and adjust its strategy accordingly?

If A and B are allies, and C attacks B, and then A joins, can A later make a separate peace with C, or does A need to wait until B makes peace with C? If A doesnt wait, will that break the alliance?

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, I appreciate it.
Oh also this is for GC2 only, not DA, if that makes a difference.

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kryo

Join Date 05/2003

+458

have the highest diplomacy rating of any species in the game, 3 trade routes with every species, and the strongest military.

You may want to try focusing more trade routes on a single race at a time. The more their economy depends on you, the more they'll like you. Being the same alignment helps as well.

If Species A is allied to both Species B and C, and B and C declare war, what does A do? How is this determined?

The defending race will ask for A to assist. Alliances are really mutual defense agreements.

A later make a separate peace with C, or does A need to wait until B makes peace with C

You can make peace with a common foe independently of your allies.

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In my experience it's preposterously easy to achieve close relations, to the point where I've disabled Alliance Victories in my games because they're just cheap IMO. I'm not sure what you're not doing exactly, but here's how I usually end up with close relations:

1) Stay at peace with the power, over time this'll produce ++ for "historic friendship"
2) Try to maintain military power at least at parity with them, so as not to accrue any negatives.
3) Send them multiple trade routes, you can get a ++ that way.
4) Have higher diplo ability, which it sounds like you have. That's good for a + at least.
5) In DA, try to get a treaty with them. That's good for a ++ as well.
6) Try to avoid culture pressing them or having military ships too near them lest you pick up the "We know what you're doing" -

That's all that comes to mind at the moment. Generally speaking, using those tips, I'm able to get alliances with any neutral or good species in the game 90% of the time if I'm neutral or good myself. It's a little trickier if you're evil, but still not that hard. Once you have an alliance you can basically do anything to the power in question, too. They generally won't respond to cultural or research victories against them on your part. I'm getting to the point where I'd like to be able to turn the whole alliance mechanic off, honestly.

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I'm getting to the point where I'd like to be able to turn the whole alliance mechanic off, honestly.

I second that, of which ive posted about numerous times. Although I will say since the release of DA, the alliances have been tweaked more in my favor of how id like them to be. ie; its not everyone allied to everyone else and constant all-out war all the time. kudos.

as for o1derfull1's question, im not sure i understand why you cant get close relations either. like kryo and vinraith suggested, are you evil and trying to ally with neutral or good races? their other points make sense, why would anyone want to ally with someone who is viewed as a threat or a possible threat in the future? maybe youre to militarily advanced for them and to intimidating?

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Alliances are just another layer of the game. Some people love playing the politics with the AI, some hate it.

Kryo is right, three trade routes are only good for a +. Try 4 or 5 routes, that will get you into the ++ range, after you form an alliance, feel free to end the route and use it on a new race.

Also, bribes will have less and less effect on an AI if you use them consistently. Try to drop a love bomb on them instead of a river of love!

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BastianEX: Actually it's the other way around, you want a military at least as powerful as theirs and preferably more powerful, so that they're both afraid to piss you off and pleased at the idea of having you as a military ally and protector.

Teancum:

Alliances are just another layer of the game.

Right now they're a layer of the game that it's incredibly easy to abuse, rather like tech trading. The relations system honestly seems to work better without them. I wouldn't mind seeing a toggle to simply turn them off.

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I appreciate all the advice and help. Honestly I dont know what more I can do (other than love bomb v. consistent trickle, or more trade) but I have +dipolmacy, ++historic friendship, ++trade, etc... the only negatives I have are -our close borders and -militaristic... and I dont know how to make the AI less militaristic, or get rid of our clsoe borders. I'm 'neutral' and the rest of the AIs are good leaning neutral. The whole reason I'm interested in alliances is that all 4 of my opponents are allied with each other, so if I try to declare war on one, I'll end up fighting everyone. I need to secure allances with at least 3/4 before I try to go to war to give my self a fighting chance.

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I can't get aliens to close, either, and it's holding me up in the campaign game. I feel like I've done all the right things, too.

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Yay!! I finally got the Yor to ally with me! This is when I'm backed to the wall like a cornered rat, alliance is the only way you can win, I have conquered everybody but the Yor on a map you're not supposed to be able to conquer, and I'm sitting there doing nothing but hitting the "Turn" button over and over again and gifting him every colonization tech in the book....

Alliance is just not my thing, I guess.

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