Some "diplomatic" Ideas...

[Stefan the Berserker]

Well, for an Add-on to Rome I would intend the Diplomacy should get Hostages.

Hostages can be requested or offered for diffrent kinds of Deals, or as a "present". A Hostage is a foreign Familymember, forced to work for you during the Turns defined by the treaty. Through the personal window of the Hostage you can kill it, as a kind of punishment if its original faction attacks you or just for joy.

Giving your Kid as a Hostage to the romans for some time can be strategically senseful for barbarian factions, unless it will return with interessting Experiances and Attendants.

Historically that affected Attila the Hun and germanic Arimnius.

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Improoved Protectorate...

The Mission-System for the connection between the roman families and S.P.Q.R. is transferred to the Protectorate. If you get a protectorate of an AI-controlled faction you recive Missions you must do for them. The other way around you can force defeated Countries to attack Cities and block Harbors through diplomatic request, effictivly giving you control of your Protectorate.

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Other Ideas?

[soibean]

I like both ideas, although it would be sweet to be able to use that hostage idea for when you say... capture the king or heir of a throne and use them as hostages, seeing as how they're very important to that nation and all, to get you more gold/trade agreements/map/ceasefire or whatever you want.

and it would be nice, for those occasions where they finally do agree to become a protectorate, if you did have some control over their armies. Like you said having them attack a city or send them against some stacked general to wittle away his forces with "expendable" men... their men that is.
I like it.

[nokhor]

i really like the hostages idea. especially if the hostage has to stay in the enemy's capital. if the capital is civilized, then the hostage gains managment traits because of the academy type building in the capital. also, the hostage should automatically gain command +1 against whatever faction he lived with, when he returns home. and maybe an automatic influence +1 as well.