[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Diplomacy

[Ross Wetmore <rwetmore@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think there are two competing models for how embassies work
and a distinction between embassy and spy capability.

In Alpha Centauri, they are free on contact and "call numbers"
or whatever can be exchanged by diplomatic clauses. No unit
action is required, other than to meet with another faction.
They never expire. But there is a separate spy concept that
works on a different scheme for information gathering.
Embassies are free because they really don't give you any
concrete advantage, but just allow diplomatic discourse.

In Civ III, they are bought after contact and include spy
capability. But again there is no unit action. They cost
money because there is a tangible advantage.

In Civ II and Civ I a diplomat creates an embassy at any
foreign city. The diplomat can also carry out spy actions
instead, i.e. the unit handles everything. Both actions
are considered an advantage and cost something.

I'm happy with the Alpha Centauri model that you (Per) like
but only if it can't be used for any real advantage.

I think that any spy capability should have a cost, and I
have no problem with a risk also being attached like having
to manoeuvre a unit up to a target to carry out the task.
Another way is that spy actions have a cost and a random
probability of success. This  probability should also take
into account the difficulty of actually learning something
about a location that is deeply buried in the center of a
hostile empire vs a peripheral village.

So the question really comes down to what can an embassy do,
and what should that cost?

On a technical note, one should probably be able to handle
all the above cases with appropriate rules options.

Cheers,
RossW
=====

Per I. Mathisen wrote:
> On Sat, 22 Feb 2003, Gregory Berkolaiko wrote:
[...]
> > > > 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.
[...]
> But the big hurdle is embassy cost. I really don't want it.
>
>   - Per