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FuzzyMatrix
FuzzyMatrix
Join Date 07/2002
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Diplo: So much from so little...

April 24, 2005 7:05:59 PM from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Here I resume (below) a great [url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/empire-earth-2/596757p1.html?fromint=1]GameSpy article[/url] about EA2 (Empire Earth 2).


To resume, the EA2 options of diplomatic agreements are:
1- durations
2- LOS sharing (so you see other's armies)
3- border permission, and
4- ressource tariff

But from this few and simple rules... so much fun and so many strategic options come in:
"I'm gonna mess you up, but not now. " This is typically a timed alliance I make with someone I don't fear. I'll let them move through my base, because I want to move through theirs, and I don't really care if you see my stuff. In fact, it may help to scare you away from doing something dumb. Beware, though. Your erstwhile "ally" could have another alliance and be feeding info to a more powerful foe.

"I respect your power, and I need to work with you to kill someone even bigger." This is a timed alliance with no border permissions, because you don't want a surprise army waiting in your base when the alliance expires. Give LOS from units so you can coordinate troops, but why reveal where all your buildings are? Remember, you can still use spies on allies!

"I'm gonna mess you up at any moment." This alliance is not timed, and does not reveal LOS, because I don't want you to see the massive army I'm sending your way to break the treaty.

"I am but a submissive dog; this is my belly, please don't eviscerate me." When I'm seriously in trouble, I'll offer up untimed, full LOS, full border permissions, lots of tributes treaties to whoever will listen. By being so clearly helpless, you can often be thought of as a pawn by a more powerful player, and this can buy you time -- or kill you.




After getting an idea of this, do you disagree with me that so much can be done from so little and simple? Only FOUR little things, and it becomes a game with diplomatic depth (batteries and backstabbing included). From so little...

Of course, GalCiv is on some aspect a whole other context (ressources, "duration" is more RTS-based...). But SO MUCH diplomatic depth from so little is an eye-opener.

Tons of possibilities exist, but the AI might not evaluate this well... that's why EA2 truly shines in multiplayer (backstabs...). Still, the strategy described in the quote brings the possibility of "obeying pawns", "you send your armies AT THIS PRECISE POINT (at the other corner of the map )", "you do this, I do that: coordination rules", "we agree to fight the enemy by obligation... even if we hate each other and know what's after", etc.
It's infinite.
The point would be to find only 3-5 little exchangeable things which would permit to get the best out of GalCiv2 diplomacy with unprohibitive costs. A way to "release tensions" as was done by Krutchev in Cold War has serious effects, and it seems included easily in all this (stop fight... to build up). A bit of diplomacy seems to do miracles on EA2.
diplomacy
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FuzzyMatrix
CortesMaltose
Join Date 09/2003
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Reply #1 April 24, 2005 7:19:57 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
What about the AI in EA2 ? Can it handle those diplomatic options reasonably well ?
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FuzzyMatrix
FuzzyMatrix
Join Date 07/2002
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Reply #2 April 25, 2005 5:54:14 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Well apparently it does... but the non-multiplayer game is really just a taste of what it really becomes with the hindsighted backstabbing and strategy of humans. The reviewer at GameSpy said that the AI was more useful as a tutorial for the player to grasp and manage EA2's complexity.

But while the AI might be a problem, I remember very well that one of GalCiv's surprising strength (compare to other games) is exactly that: its capacity to handle things "intelligently". So... I never went further than QBasic so I'm a long way from doing an AI even capable of counting to 5.
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FuzzyMatrix
Foslex
Join Date 04/2005
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Reply #3 April 25, 2005 9:44:53 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
That sounds like great diplomacy. Some of the options sound easily incorporated into GalCiv, and I have little doubt that the AI could handle them well.

Line of Sight sharing - Planets only, ships only, all. This one is really cool, and since we know that the AI doesn't cheat and know where everyone's ships are we know that such deals would be interesting. Perhaps the diplomacy script could include relevant information so the player has an idea as to what he's getting:

"My planets can see over 22% of the galaxy, while you're can see 18%. Would you like to openly transmit our information to one another?"

Deals could easily be timed in number of turns, and with ones like that it would make sense.
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FuzzyMatrix
Beta Tesla
Join Date 04/2005
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Reply #4 October 30, 2005 7:11:32 PM
from Stardock ForumsStardock Forums
A lot from a little... Great Idea! But how do you coodinate attacks?
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