[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Diplomacy

["Per I. Mathisen" <per@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 22 Feb 2003, Gregory Berkolaiko wrote:
> Davide's request makes sense. As for "confusing" people, just rename "no
> contact" to "never met". This will answer an earlier question of "how do I 
> tell
> if I ever met them foreigners".

Ok.

> > > The cost of a diplomat (i.e. 30 coin) isn't acceptable.
> > > The default should be the same amount of coin you should pay if you want
> > > to rush a diplomat in a city from scratch in one turn.
> >
> > And that means... how much exactly? And who should pay this cost, the one
> > receiving it or the one giving it?
>
> Not that I really care, but paying for an embassy is not elegant. An embassy
> should be a standard clause, like everything else.

Yes, but unlike you I feel this strongly. Introducing costs for clauses is
incredibly stupid. It complicates a beautifully simple concept. I don't
see why it is needed. Sure, you have to pay for it if you use a diplomat,
but often (for hostile civs), diplomats will be the only way to get an
embassy to the other player, since the other guy/gal can always reject
your proposal to send over an ambassador.

So what if this makes the diplomat less important? The diplomat is _way_
overpowered as it is!

(Yes, I'll provide full civ2 compatibility for that ruleset.)

> Even better, it can be like
> shared vision, so can be withdrawn (or, rather, expelled).Establishing an
> embassy by diplomat should still be possible, but should be thought of more 
> like
> establishing an unofficial spy network.If "expel diplomats" should become an
> option, there should be cooling-off period between establishing embassy and
> possible expulsion(otherwise there is no sense in sending a diplomat).CivI/II
> rules, although, archaic, would still be supported through a set of server 
> options.

I like the way you think. Ideally we should divide what an "embassy" does
today into "embassy" and "spy network", or something. But this is
something for later.

> > > Provided this, I ask also that Embassy require (mandatory) the knowledge
> > > of writing.
>
> This is a pain to code and will have minimal effect on the gameplay, everyone
> sane discovers writing really early, rushing for the republic, IIRC.

Actually, this won't be much of a hassle to code, so if this makes passage
of the patch easier, I can do it.

But the big hurdle is embassy cost. I really don't want it.

  - Per