City-State Diplomacy[]
by Gazebo
Design Philosophy[]
This mod is a complete overhaul of the city-state diplomacy system. It removes the 'Gifts of Gold' mechanic, introduces a new, unit-based system of influence, and adds many new city-state quests. This mod also greatly enhances the World Congress by adding additional means of gaining votes, new congress resolutions, and strategies for players that wish to use diplomacy to harm other players and benefit themselves.
Players are encouraged to build and use diplomatic units and/or complete city-state quests if they wish to earn influence. Because city-state diplomacy now requires production, time, and planning, players must actively and consciously strive to maintain good relations with city-states throughout the game. Furthermore, diplomatic units, being defenseless, are liable to capture or destruction if sent too far from safety, thus long-distance city-state diplomacy now utilizes a risk-reward system. In short, CSD brings geopolitics to CiV, thus forcing players to adapt to varied diplomatic situations with each new game.
All of the features of CSD, from diplomatic units to world congress resolutions, have been thoroughly tested for balance, compatibility and gameplay value. Every feature works, and CSD has been tested extensively for stability and performance. Of these features, the most exciting are CSD's tweaks and additions to the AI. The AI has been trained to utilize every new system in CSD, and will play a much smarter diplomatic game in and out of the World Congress. For example, the AI has been trained to spend its gold on buildings and units it needs, to compete for the favor of geographically significant city-states, and to use the new World Congress resolutions to either gain influence for itself, or to deny influence to other players. Do not be surprised if you see diplomatic units from many different civilizations criss-crossing the world, and your empire, in search of city-state allies!
Included in this mod:[]
This mod includes 4 new diplomatic units, one new great person, one new specialist, one new improvement, two new diplomacy-centric buildings, six new national wonders, six world wonders (three used for WC projects), a modified Patronage tree, eight new world congress resolutions (and overhauls of all standard resolutions), nine new city-state quests and a modification of the AI's city-state diplomacy mechanic. There are also balance tweaks for religious beliefs, policies and civilization traits, as well as an intelligent system for AI gold purchasing of buildings and units.
Gameplay changes:[]
- Diplomatic Units: Starting at Writing, players will be able to build Diplomatic Units in their cities. These units require Paper, a strategic resource that can only be acquired through trade with other civilizations, or through the construction of CSD buildings such as the Chancery. Once built, players must then move the Diplomatic Unit into the territory of the City-State they wish to influence, and then expend it. This consumes the unit, freeing up its Paper resource for you to build additional diplomatic units. This is now the only method, aside from quests or Spies, of gaining influence with a city-state.
- United Nations: The World Congress no longer transitions into the United Nations naturally as a consequence of technology. In order to create the United Nations, and thus enable the Diplomatic Victory, players must first propose, and pass, the United Nations project (unlocks at Combined Arms). Completing the project will construct the United Nations wonder in the highest-producing civilization's capital, granting them important diplomatic bonuses and enabling the start of the United Nations WC session.
- Diplomatic Victory: The Diplomatic Victory (now referred to as Global Hegemony in the game) does not naturally become available as in the base game. Now, players must have completed two international tasks first: the United Nations project must be completed, and a World Ideology must be active. If these two prerequisites are met, the Diplomatic Victory will become available. Players may disrupt this process if the current World Ideology is repealed.
- Pioneers and Colonists: Settlers upgrade into advanced settlers during the mid and late periods of the game. These upgraded settlers build cities with larger starting populations, and a collection of basic buildings (such as granaries, or libraries) in order to jump-start new cities founded in the late-game. This is an optional feature, and can be disabled in the mod's Options.sql file.
- City-State Quests: There are many new City-State quests available in CSD, all of which focus on elements of the game ignored by vanilla BNW (archaeological digs, tourism, etc.). If a player fails to complete a quest for a City-State (particularly a global quest, such as clearing a barbarian camp), that player will receive an influence penalty with the City-State. Lastly, two of the new quests – Barbarian Horde and Rebellion – grant no immediate benefit, but will punish players if failed.
- AI Difficulty: I've set the AI's default handicap values to be more in line with the 'Prince' setting, and I've increased the % cost decrease for AI values as the goes along. So, if the AI's unit/building cost starts out at 100%, on Emperor difficulty it will cost them 65% of their actual cost by the end of the game. To offset these nerfs, when an AI reaches regular intervals it will receive boosts to science, gold and happiness, as well as free units. Capital cities also start with higher base populations. These bonuses make the AI much more evenly competitive, allowing players to have access to early game wonders, but still have to compete in the late game This can be disabled in the options.sql file.
The Diplomatic units:[]
- Emissary (unlocked at Writing); Costs 1 Paper.
- Promotion: Initiate– Grants 20 Influence from Diplomatic Missions.
- Envoy (unlocked at Education); Costs 2 Paper.
- Promotion: Adept– Grants 30 Influence from Diplomatic Missions.
- Diplomat (unlocked at Industrialization); Costs 3 Paper.
- Promotion: Professional– Grants 40 Influence from Diplomatic Missions.
- Ambassador (unlocked at Atomic Theory); Costs 4 Paper.
- Promotion: Plenipotentiary– Grants 50 Influence from Diplomatic Missions.
- Great Diplomat; Great Person.
- Promotion: Master Diplomat - Grants 75 Influence from Diplomatic Missions. This value scales as the game progresses. Can also build the Embassy in City-State lands, which grants +1 World Congress vote.