Diplomacy - An Initial Guide

**Tamur** · 10-01-2004, 08:40

Revision up, with much added information, corrections pointed out here and elsewhere, revised Traits/Retinue info, a Diplomatic Disaster section, and a new Diplomatic Strategy -- the Robin Hood Maneuver

**JR-** · 10-01-2004, 12:39

very nice, thanks.

**therother** · 10-01-2004, 15:00

Excellent guide, very useful indeed!

I have one small quibble though: I've managed to bribe an army without it melting away. I believe the army has to be composed of units you could build yourself, i.e. bribing a Roman army when you are another Roman faction will result in you getting your mitts on the whole army, including any family members and agents.

**Soulflame** · 10-01-2004, 16:02

Very nice. It's very detailed and very easily readable. I think even my silly cat can work it out

.
Personally, (just started) I love the map exchanges. They usually demand around 5000 for the maps if I offer my maps too, but I can grind it down to 1500-3000 usually. I think it also relates to how much information they have.

One important thing that you might want to add to the guide is that if you get the map information, it's permanent. So if another faction takes over a region which you can see on the map, you see that! Even without units present! For free! (So basically you only need to buy map information for all regions just once.)
However, if the faction you bought the map info off expands into other territories, you don't get those for free (need to buy/trade for map info again).

Maybe I'm a bit unclear, so I'll use an example:
If you buy map info from the Gauls, but Germania takesover a region from the Gauls after you bought the map info, you can see the change in owner on the minimap.
However, if the Gauls expand after you bought the map info, you don't see that.

**Tamur** · 10-01-2004, 17:02

Ahha, great, thanks for the clarification. I had wondered especially about the map info remaining as when you bought it, or if it were an ongoing exchange of map info.

I have forgotten twice now to add info about bribing family members... didn't know that about Roman bribery though, that could come in very, very handy, and his without a doubt historically accurate

I'll add and post up a new version sometime before the day is out.

**Sjakihata** · 10-02-2004, 03:16

Originally Posted by therother

Excellent guide, very useful indeed!

I have one small quibble though: I've managed to bribe an army without it melting away. I believe the army has to be composed of units you could build yourself, i.e. bribing a Roman army when you are another Roman faction will result in you getting your mitts on the whole army, including any family members and agents.

when you bribe a normal general (actually captain) it melts away/disbands. when a family member leads the army it becomes yours. nothing to do with which units are in the army AFAIK

**Encaitar** · 10-02-2004, 06:28

I just finished a full campaign as the Julii, and I had a diplomat going around bribing Brutii armies to get them out of the way, and every one of them joined my faction, rather than disbanding. None of them was led by a family member, they varied from 1 unit to about a dozen units, and my diplomat wasn't anything special skill-wise. But when bribing enemy armies earlier in the game (from non-Roman factions), I'd found that they would disband unless led by a family member.

**therother** · 10-02-2004, 15:11

Originally Posted by Sjakihata

when you bribe a normal general (actually captain) it melts away/disbands. when a family member leads the army it becomes yours. nothing to do with which units are in the army AFAIK

I think you may well be wrong there. My experience, as well as a few others that I've read, would suggest that the culture of the army (whether led by a family member or a captain) is the crucial factor.

On a similar vein, I just made one of my cities rebel, and I moved a diplomat in to bribe them. Although they didn't accept the bribe - he was a pretty pathetic diplomat - the offer was for the peasant/gladiator army to join my faction in its entirety, and not disband. So it would seem you can bribe and keep your own rebels.

On a side note, bribing would seem to be the only way, as Brutii, that I can get my hands on the more advanced Gladiator units, the Samnite and Mirmillo gladiators, available only to train by the Senate/Julii and Scipii factions respectively. Well according to export_descr_buildings.txt anyway, I'm only still on my first game as Brutii, although I've managed to unlock half a dozen playable factions so far.

If you'll suffer me to wander a little OT, I must say I wasn't too keen on this unlocking business, but I'm warming to it. It does make you feel like you've achieved something, plus you get a good introduction to the faction by whipping its armies and taking its cities. Certainly makes the initial selection a little less daunting and a lot more interesting!

Originally Posted by Encaitar

But when bribing enemy armies earlier in the game (from non-Roman factions), I'd found that they would disband unless led by a family member.

Do you mean you took command of the whole army led by the family member? That is not my experience. I've always just got the family member, without any of his men, which is a big problem if you've bribed a city with a different culture!

**Tamur** · 10-02-2004, 15:36

More updates up, with a bit of reorganisation, some rewording, about fifteen small and large information additions/corrections, and a new section: How Do I... which is a start on covering the basic questions that are asked about succeeding with diplomats.

Thanks to everyone who's written, PM'd, and posted here with discussions. Lots of great info!