Diplomacy

from Elemental Forums

I have thought about this, and I am starting to think that one of the biggest flaws of the games diplomacy is the AI's unwillingness to realize they are getting their asses kicked.  I can destroy army after army, and take several cities, but the AI will still want thousands of gold for peace.  Once war is declared, one side pretty much has to be destroyed for it to end.  I wish the AI could realise that it's either losing or that a prolonged war would not benefit them and then try to negotiate peace.  But the last game I played, I had taken every town and beaten every army but the Sov herself, and to get peace, she wanted me to pay 250 gold, but she agreed to surrender.  So, she would rather surrender than have peace.  Surrender setting was normal.  

18,664 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Strongly agree. Diplomatic AI definitely needs some tweaking, of not outright rewriting. There are occasions where it makes sense for the AI to fight to the death, but they should be relatively rare. As it is, it's (to use that term) immersion breaking. (But in a relatively minor way.)

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

On this point, I agree with other players who have said that the AI should not be playing to win as much as to provide an immersive experience for the player.  A bit hard to get immersed when every other faction leader is basically a homicidal totalitarian.

Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

I see that the Black Knight diplomacy has successfully migrated from Empire Total War to the world of Elemental.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Does the faction you are trying to sue for peace with have the Proud diplo attribute?  This could explain what your seeing.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting mqpiffle, reply 5
Does the faction you are trying to sue for peace with have the Proud diplo attribute?  This could explain what your seeing.

I've never checked, but I've noticed it with every faction I've defeated.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

I've had this issue with every faction I've ever fought as well. The OP is lucky that he could even get a surrender. I've never managed to do even that. I also think the AI is too difficult to acquire and maintain peaceful relations with. I play a diplomatic oriented character and sometimes peace is out of the question for anybody unless you are absolutely dominating. I'd like it if the AI weren't so hell bent on winning that it sometimes forgoes making rational, and even favorable, diplomatic decisions. 

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

A big part of it is that the AI is horrible at calculating relative strength. Your big stack may crush the AI repeatedly and be unstoppable but the AI still has tons of small groups and weak units everywhere so they think they are tougher then you. Thus they don't think they need to sue for peace even as that unstoppable stack is heading for their capital. The AI needs to compare it's toughest stack versus it's opponents toughest stack more, and ignore it's weak stacks, when determining military strength. 

If the AI was better at creating it's own stacks of doom and focusing it's strength then it would also help.