Tribal Alliances

from Elemental Forums

Anyone who has ever played "Age of Empires III" will know what I'm talking about. In the said game, during a skirmish players would come across small tribal communities and if they built a trading post next to the village they would gain access to unique techicnologies and soldiers from that particular tribe.

What I'm suggesting is what if Elemental had a similar system in which players could come across none effilated villages and with some diplomactic skills, or just plain brute force subjugation, to gain the these independent peoples as allies or slaves to aid you glorious empire.

Okay, say you have a scout doing what they do best and it comes across a village of Wood Elves. The diplomacy screen opens up and the community representitive opens up negotiations (depending their mood/disposition and your good/neutral/evil alignment, if there will be one). Lets say you you start off a little shaky but much better than what it could be. The Wood Elf says that if you're willing to give them aid like giving them material goods, clearing a nearby dungeon of monsters, that sort of thing, he will permit you to build a trading post or embassy within their village walls.

You do what he requests and you have built an embassy inside the village. Now what. Simply click on the village and a menu screen will appear where you can request troops, unique Wood Elf techinologies like bow making techiques and medicinal herbs, and the like. Maybe even add a improve relations as an option.

Now how can this be balanced: 1.) Racial dispositon. More xenophobic races would be much harder to open negotiations than other races. 2.) Your faction history. If you have reputation for being a sneaky, conniving backstabber than expect it to be harder for these independent people to even talk to you. 3.) Your sphere of influence. Depending on how far, how close, or even whether or not they're with your sphere of influence could effect their attitude towards. If you have them surrounded with your cities, they'll be more inclined to like you. But if your closest town to them is a continent away, they'll probably ignore you. 4.) competition from rival factions. The clocks ticking on who can get them first. Remember folks only one faction can have access to that independent village at a time 5.) An offer they can't refuse. Depending on how good your relations are with the independent village as to compared to a neighboring faction will depend on how much they will continue being your allies or whether they decide to switch sides and ally themselves with a rival. 6.) One thing at time. Naturally it takes time to negotiate for military aid and technologies and if you can only pick one at a time would make you more careful as to what you think is more important at the moment.

If done right this would add some strategic depth in the diplomatic arena. So what you guys think?

3,577 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

A potentially interesting use for minor races, and an extra incentive for diplomacy (of both the bullying and negotiating kinds). I like it.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

I think this is along the same lines of the minor factions and/or neutral factions being a part of stardard gameplay.    I am very much in support, and I know there have been some ideas about this kind of thing mentioned before.

 

I like it because it will force diplomacy (in terms of AI) to be more important.   If you play a 5 player game, with no AI players filling main slots, you still need to worry about diplomacy because the minor factions could be invaluable.  I expect much from the AI of this game, like being able to coordinate pincer attacks and stuff with me on my enemies, so .... yeah!

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting landisaurus, reply 2
... I know there have been some ideas about this kind of thing mentioned before. ...

If newer folks haven't checked out ckessel's Independent Kingdoms thread, it is a good collection of the sort of ideas landi mentioned.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting GW, reply 3

Quoting landisaurus, reply 2... I know there have been some ideas about this kind of thing mentioned before. ...
If newer folks haven't checked out ckessel's Independent Kingdoms thread, it is a good collection of the sort of ideas landi mentioned.

Yes! Go to that thread and submit to the wonder that is Geoff! :inlove:

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

Heh, heh, i guess you could call them Independent kingdoms. But how I'm looking at these kind of "minor races" are more of a subgroup (like micro races) rather than full blown Minor Races like in Gal Civ 2 in that they're either far too weak to try to fight offensively (but can still defend themselves) or are just not interested in exbanding their borders. Think more in the concept that this type are similar to the mercenary camps in Warcraft 3, but more complex than just hiring a bunch of thugs. They're like a resource (e.g. horses or iron) but with personality and more erratic. Take the various tribal peoples used as auxilary forces in the Roman army as an example.

To be honest, the reason why I called them independent villages or people is for lack of a better word. actually the term Micro Races fits them perfectly

But having Both Minor Races/Kingdoms as independent nations and having Micro Races as potential auxilaries will provide some interesting scenarios like what if a Minor faction manages to gain a few Micro races as auxilaries and starts knocking on your door. Will you send emissaries to these villages to persaude them to defect or will you conquer them for their arrogance in allying with fools and weaklings?