The Influence of Influence for diplomats

[Tamur]

Hi all,

I've done a good deal of testing on diplomatic influence in many diplomatic situations, and am hypothesising that it only affects situations where:

1. one side or the other of a negotiation is entirely cash-based
2. the diplomat is the target of assassination
   
   • more difficult to assassinate
3. the diplomat is the target of a bribe attempt
   
   • more expensive to bribe
   • if diplomat is more than three points higher in influence than the bribing diplomat, then the bribe will be impossible (not even show up as an option)

Base:

- base diplomat: 1-influence Julii diplomat
- base city: Lemonum, Briton-held, 1393 population, 105% public order, 2% pop. growth, 535 income, garrison of one 121-man warband
- base cost to bribe: 8367
- rebel army: 2 warband
- base army bribe: 790

Method:

- saved at base, and reverted to base for each diplomatic attempt
- added influence points for each iteration
- after adding influence point, attempted to negotiate. The following are in [offer]/[demand] format

• alliance/cash
• alliance/trade rights & cash
• alliance/map information

- in the same turn, attempted to bribe rebel army
- noted results, and reloaded base

Conclusions:

- the 1-influence diplomat had exactly the same results as the 10-influence diplomat in all negotiations
- even cash-only transactions yeilded no difference between 1 and 10-influence attempts
- army bribes and settlement bribes yeilded no difference between 1 and 10-influence diplomats

[Silver Rusher]

I would like to see something happen here. I do not think that influence really does matter in most negotiations. I mean, if some guy came up to you in the best accent of your national tongue speaking charmingly and respectfully, obviously being a very skilled diplomat and asked for an alliance and trade rights, would you be any more likely to accept than if the same question was asked by an obvious foreigner who could barely speak your language let alone the correct accent, and did not have very much diplomatic skill. I know I wouldn't...

That's why I think it was wise of CA to limit the influence of high-influence diplomats in the way that Tamur has stated above.

[Tamur]

I was able to verify that, in all cases, the four-influence difference leads to a no-bribe option situation, for both other faction's family members and other faction's diplomats.