I understand diplomacy is not easy, but some basic changes can have major effects

[ElectricGod]

Diplomacy in this game has a ton of potential, but i understand its difficult even when full teams and studio backing isnt enough and they still have a hard time producing satisfying diplomatic mechanics.

However some basic but effective changes could be made and have a large positive effect on the game because some decisions made here are pure insanity and itd be nice to see shadow empire have at least basic diplomacy features.
Ill start with an example that fully illustrates a very questionable design decision. I have offered to protect my little famer friend. After some time the big mean dog next door comes barking amd suddenly im in possession of everything my little farmer friend owns! I didnt sign up for that, i signed up to protect HIS land, not take it. Why is this the case whether theyre a client state or a defensive partner?l or whatever it seems. Please change it so they stay independent and sovereign i have other means that play into RP and basic game mechanic choices that are available to me when i want to snatch them up

Also the whole backstory is based around the galactic republic so a way to earn Victory Score could be global federations or something like the UN its a feature begging to be implemented but totally overlooked, again nations are INDEPENDENT not everything needs conquered. I love this game bit it could definitely greatly benefit from not seemingly being purely a conquers paradise.

Basic and common across games is to sweeten the pot when trying to execy diplomatic stratagems like with money, resources or maybe even zones!

Opening up peace deals to he dynamic and mot always result in total destruction so we can have a richer player story unfold and opening up more gameplay options.

Im really just tossing stuff out there but am quite frustrated that the nation I'm defending no longer freaking exists cause he was invaded and now i own his stuff it just makes no damn sense so please i hope you read this and agree. If not well.. i still love your game Vic but ill forever shake my fist at this nonsense.

Im on the bus heading to work im sorry for typos, take care y'all.

[Don_Kiyote]

Hello I hope you got to work all right. Mostly I agree with your examination of Diplomacy in SE, in that a I wish diplomacy could be used more creatively and over the long term. To forge a multi-ethnic coalition or something like that. Although there is a Shared Victory strategy, noted.

Anyways, this part of your post jumped out at me...

i signed up to protect HIS land, not take it.

...because I remember thinking about this too, but deciding that it is the best and maybe the only obvious and simple way to handle protection pacts with neutrals, because the game only allows a unit to be in a tile its regime owns. If that makes sense. So you couldnt move through your allies tiles without taking them. So they would be attacked and you would quite probably not be able to do anything about it, unless you could attack their enemy without moving through their, your ally's, territory. Otherwise, you would have to wait until the enemy cut through your ally and made contact with your border, when it would probably be too late.

Bump for AI Diplomacy depth x2, though. I really like to play keeping as many AIs as possible alive and hopefully not begging for extermination.

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Also, as a sort or related idea, Rebel factions deserve to live too, everybody can just get along, if only they could accrue some resources without having to capture somebody else's city to survive, and then like noble pioneers build their own city in their own little captured zone-area. I would like to see former members of my reserve pool across the table in the diplomacy screen more often, and not have to sacrifice a zone to do it.

enjoy