[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Diplomacy

["Anthony J. Stuckey" <astuckey@xxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Feb 17, 2003 at 07:23:12PM +0100, Davide Pagnin wrote:
> Ok, now that it is clear that you proposed a contact that lasts for 1
> turn, I say that 1 turn is not enough. Imagine the you make your move at
> the end of your turn, and you move forward and back (that is like a unit
> that is making a sentry loop). If you discover a new player in that
> moment, you will not be able to contact him unless you try to find him
> again.

        Sentry loops should be interrupted and the unit acquire focus when
a unit from another tribe is detected.  You should always have the chance
to determine what action to take from there.

> Anyway, the example isn't important, but I think that 1 turn for making
> contacts isn't enough, at least I think that this time should be
> configurable. (Say 0 for forever, and any number for a fixed amount of
> turns, the default can be 20 as in Civ2 or less, if you prefer).

        Is 20 documented somewhere or empirically determinable as a Civ2
number?

        I have no problem with 1 being a number to start with.

> What is required for having an embassy?
> 
> 1) Discover writing
> 2) Produce a diplomat
> (Both point 1 and 2 can be avoided, if someone else do build an embassy
> with us and then give us a diplomat)
>
> 3) Reach a foreign city with the diplomat without being destroyed
> (Implicit into 3 there is the fact that you know where is a foreign
> city, at least!)
> 
> 4) Marco Polo's make it possible to have an embassy without having nor
> writing nor a diplomat but its effect is not permanent.
> 
> My point is that, anything that is normally needed for having the
> embassy, should be part of the meeting exchange.
> 
> This means, for example: NO diplomat ---> No embassy
> 
> In a modpack where a diplomat isn't present, than it is not needed for
> making the embassy (but then we need to develop another way of creating
> the embassy, perhaps money?)

        Correct.  The idea of completely free embassies in the default ruleset
irritates me.  Modpack authors can define whatever they want.  Really, I
don't think it's that interesting.  Either posession of an embassy will
exist as a separate game mechanic (Civ1/2) or it won't (SMAC).  It should
still be possible to support Diplomat-only Embassy establishment for
hardcore compatibility.   But in any case, the really interesting things
are going to be the treaty evaluations.

        As to the topic of information obtainable from having an embassy, this
varied with difficulty level in Civ1/2.  Treasury size, capital city name,
number of military units, and many other things were avalable.  Embassies
also changed the Demographics reports.  (Highest ranked tribe would be
listed by each measure, if an embassy with that tribe existed.)