Diplomacy and Reputations a bit of a rant

**cfc_kev** · 11-18-2006, 21:00

It seems to me that the AI has a couple of diplomatic options that the human player doesn't. the game really needs a "warning" option, when a neutral factions soldiers are wandering through your land you need a "transgression" option. it's really frustrating watching them come, knowing what they're up to but if you attack first the pope is mad at you! It'd be nice to have a diplomat go out and tell them they're entering a world of pain if they come any nearer.
It's quite annoying when you get the runt of the faction litter come up to your army and say "give us money or we attack" when you know that 5 turns after their attack they'll be wiped out. so it's also a bit odd that the AI can "firmly refuse" you but you cant do the same.

Does anyone know how your reputation is worked out? When I send out a diplomat mine often comes up as "Very Untrustworthy" but I have never broken an alliance even though plenty have broken with me.

**Bob the Insane** · 11-19-2006, 00:06

I could live without the 'Transgression' option if attacking another faction's army on your land (while they do not have a military access agreement) was seen as a defensive action both diplomatically and by the Pope...

**IPoseTheQuestionYouReturnTheAnswer** · 11-19-2006, 07:22

I don't really get diplomacy in this game at all. The AI will get angry at me for reasons that cannot be explained by any currently developed language.

Case in point: after a peaceful series of turns, I am surprised upon the arrival of this message after ending a turn:

*whiney voice* Why does everyone hate me so much?

**Comrade Alexeo** · 11-19-2006, 07:31

Er... maybe that's why?

Have to agree with the original poster; I like how in my HRE campaign that, say, my ally Venice can attack Vienna with no repercussions from either the Pope or from my other allies...

...I can repulse them, and then besiege Venice with my main army...

...and then, right as they're about to be starved out, first have Sicily (both my ally and Venice's) attack me, and then suddenly I find myself having a ceasefire with Venice for absolutely no reason whatever and now facing the Sicilians, who also managed to avoid both the Pope and my allies' wrath...

So, when my army reaches Naples, am I going to suddenly find out that the Sicilians also obtain a magical ceasefire from thin air and then, say, be excommunicated for, I dunno, existing?

**sarjenius** · 11-19-2006, 10:34

Originally Posted by IPoseTheQuestionYouReturnTheAnswer

I don't really get diplomacy in this game at all. The AI will get angry at me for reasons that cannot be explained by any currently developed language.

Case in point: after a peaceful series of turns, I am surprised upon the arrival of this message after ending a turn:

A crusade by the pope was announced and they all hopped into the ships to attack you.

..and then, right as they're about to be starved out, first have Sicily (both my ally and Venice's) attack me, and then suddenly I find myself having a ceasefire with Venice for absolutely no reason whatever and now facing the Sicilians, who also managed to avoid both the Pope and my allies' wrath...

Could it be that Sicily has made a ceasefire or an alliance with them this turn? Then it could happen that you get an "enforced" truce with them. After that the attack from Sicily as a partner of Venice makes sense as you are indeed attacking an ally from them (even if you were the first ally). But i think there was a bug reported for that case.

**Ciddler** · 11-19-2006, 11:59

Now I am also playing as Turkey and it was completly normal for me to notice that a whole bunch of nations hated me when a crusade was declared on Antioch. However only 1 nation got through with an army (Polish) the rest had crusade armies but offered me cease-fire agreements, so they only joined the Crusade to impress the pope but lastly did not act on it.

However I would like to know how to improve my stance towards others besides bribes. I was betrayed about 4 times by the egyptians and they got a really bad name for themselves, I however got the exact same stance as he does now even though I was always the one attacked (except for a Jihad on Constantinople). How can I make other nations like me on a long-term basis. I give them money, we even get in alliances but after around 10 turns they just say "hey I like that city" and attack me. No matter what I do I can't get our relations above "very weak".

**Debe2233** · 11-19-2006, 13:51

I think diplomacy is better but far from perfect, the main concern for me being enemies not agreeing to a cease-fire, i was Milan the enemy was Byzantium i had 15 cities they had 3, my power was absolute they were bottom, i offered them 20,000 for a ceasefire... they wouldnt accept it, i mean... WHY i have never attacked them, they got involved because they were allied to an enemy that attacked me at sea when their fleet was nearby.

The reputations as well seems strange, i've never broken an alliance or attacked someone without provocation yet i have an awful reputation... how come?.

On the other hand i find keeping good relations with other factions can be fairly easy and from my personal experience allies which have good relations with you are unlikely to attack unless your in the only direction they can expand.