how to create alliance

I am not a newbie and have been playing this game for some time now (now TA).  However, I still don't know how to for alliances.  In my current game, I am close with most other civs and I am very advanced in the diplomacy tech.  However, I still do not see alliance available when I open the diplomacy screen.  Is there something that I am not doing?
6,552 views 5 replies
Reply #1 Top
I am certain they have the alliance tech as it's somewhat late game any many civs already have alliances.
Reply #2 Top
This one has been tough for a lot of us to figure out, so don't feel bad.

Basically, both parties must have the "Alliance" technology AND the other party has to list you as "Close" in their relations to you. (...Neutral, Warm, Friendly, Close).

Until you have become "Close" with the target race, you will not be able to form an Alliance.

Hope this helps.
Reply #3 Top
Because it's pretty late game, so I am pretty sure everyone's got the alliance tech (in fact, almost all have one or two allies). In addition, I am close with all except one civ. So I am still confused about why it's not working... "close" is a bilateral thing right?
Reply #4 Top
No, civs definitely do not reciprocate feelings!

You can check this out in the "Foreign Policy" screen. When there, go to the "Treaties" tab, the one showing the graphical relationship between all known civs. If you click a specific Civ icon, there is a small box on the right called "Treaty Summary" that lists how each Civ feels about all the others they've met, including yours.

One thing I notice is that Civs rarely feel the same about each other, and in fact they can feel quite the opposite. For example, in a game I'm playing now the Altarians feel "warm" towards the Korx, but the Korx are "hostile" towards the Altarians (naive Altarians!).

I find gift giving, mutual trading, and matching ethical alignments most often lead to the possibility of an alliance.
Reply #5 Top
To verify that they do in fact have the alliance tech, go to the diplomacy dialog and speak to them. Just under their picture you'll see a small drop down that says "Viewscreen". Click on the down arrow to drop down the list, and select "Tech Report". This will show you all the techs you have in common.