Mastering Diplomacy In Civ V: Reacting To Other Players

Diplomacy in Civilization V is a complex system that involves making relations with other game entities, including civilizations and city-states. Each civilization has its own agenda, and their leaders can be cunning, honest, warlike, or peaceful. Players can engage in various diplomatic actions, such as trading, forming alliances, declaring war, demanding withdrawal, and exchanging maps. The current state of relations with a civilization affects all negotiations, and players can check their relationship status on the Diplomacy screen. Additionally, players can gain bonuses by signing Declarations of Friendship or publicly denouncing other civilizations. The Brave New World expansion introduces the World Congress, adding a new layer of complexity to diplomacy, and players can also use spies to gain advantages in their diplomatic pursuits.

Characteristics and Values of Diplomacy Reactions in Civ V

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Trading and trade routes

Trading and establishing trade routes are key aspects of diplomacy in Civilization V. Trade routes are formed between a civilization's cities and its capital, which traders use to conduct their trading. These routes can be established via land, using roads and railroads, or via sea, using harbours. Trade routes can be formed even if the connection is not direct, as long as there is a transport chain ending in the capital. For example, if the capital is connected to City A via a harbour, and City A is connected to City B by road, then both cities are connected to the capital.

Trade routes can be established with your own cities, but also with other civilizations or City-States. International trade routes were introduced in the Brave New World expansion pack, and they are almost essential for the gold income of your empire. To establish these routes, you need to first develop your technology, as various technologies will expand your trading capacity and the number of trade slots your empire has.

Once trade routes are formed, they earn a certain amount of gold for the civilization. The gold output for any trade route between a capital and a city is calculated as follows:

> Gold output = (City population x 1.1) + (Capital population x 0.15) - 1

For example, a capital with 6 citizens and a city with 4 citizens would produce 4.3 gold per turn, while a city with 5 citizens produces 5.4 gold per turn.

In addition to gold, trading also involves the exchange of influence, including culture, science, and religion. The diversity of resources available in both cities also affects the gold output, with +0.5 gold from each improved strategic or luxury resource.

It is important to note that not all trade routes are profitable, as each tile with a road or railroad costs gold per turn. Building improvements such as Machu Picchu, the Colossus, and Petra can increase the yield of trade routes.

City-state influence

Influence is determined by a variety of factors. Acts of hostility, such as demanding tribute, entering a city-state's borders without permission, or declaring war, will cause you to lose influence points. Conversely, acts of kindness, such as gifting units or gold to city-states, completing missions, or planting spies in their cities, will help you gain influence points. Pledging to protect a city-state will also raise your resting points with it by 5.

Friendly city-states lose positive influence points at a slower rate and regain them at a faster rate. They will give you quests like building wonders, connecting them to your cities by road, or finding another civilization's land. Hostile city-states lose positive influence points at a faster rate and regain them at a slower rate. They are generally unfriendly towards other city-states and civilizations, and tend to give quests to eliminate or bully other city-states. Irrational city-states lose and regain positive influence points at a faster rate than normal.

In the Brave New World expansion, diplomacy is taken to a new level with the introduction of the World Congress, in which all civilizations and city-states participate. This provides a new avenue for influencing city-states and advancing your civilization's goals.

Relationship status

The relationship status between civilizations in Civ V is a complex and dynamic aspect of the game, with several factors influencing how players interact with each other. The relationship status can be viewed on the Diplomacy screen, where players can see the current state of their relations with other civilizations. This status is crucial as it affects all negotiations, from trading deals to forming alliances.

There are several relationship levels or approaches that describe the diplomatic stance of one civilization towards another. These include NEUTRAL, FRIENDLY, AFRAID, GUARDED, DECEPTIVE, HOSTILE, and WAR. Each civilization's approach is updated every turn, with a calculation that weighs different factors and determines the dominant approach. For example, a civilization with a NEUTRAL approach has no strong feelings towards the player, tending to ignore them unless their actions catch their attention. On the other hand, a FRIENDLY civilization views the player positively, while a DECEPTIVE civilization may be plotting something nefarious behind the scenes.

Players can also gain insight into their relationships by paying attention to Opinion Modifiers, which provide specific information about how their actions impact their relationships. For instance, declaring war or denouncing another civilization may lead to penalties and negative opinions from other players, while signing a Declaration of Friendship or having a Diplomat in another civilization's capital can improve relationships.

Additionally, the concept of "Relationship status" in Civ V is not limited to interactions with other civilizations but also extends to City-States. In the Brave New World expansion, the introduction of the World Congress adds a new layer of complexity, with all civilizations and City-States participating in multilateral cooperation and contests.

Furthermore, a civilization's reputation, indicated by eight levels from "Spotless" to "Atrocious," also influences their relationships. A civilization with a poor reputation may be shunned for trade, denied alliances, and more susceptible to betrayal by their neighbours.

In summary, the "Relationship status" in Civ V is a multifaceted aspect of the game that influences negotiations, alliances, and overall interactions between players. By understanding the different approaches, paying attention to Opinion Modifiers, and managing their reputation, players can navigate the complex web of relationships and strive for diplomatic victories.

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Espionage

Spies can be used for offensive or defensive purposes. Stationing a Spy in your city can act as a counter-spy, thwarting or killing enemy spies. Alternatively, you can use them offensively to steal technology from other players. However, this may prompt opponents to deploy their spies to counter your operations.

To enhance your Espionage capabilities, consider constructing specific buildings or wonders. For instance, the Constabulary and Police Station buildings reduce the progress rate of enemy spies attempting to steal technology in those cities by 25% each. Additionally, the Great Firewall World Wonder adds another 25% reduction to all your cities, making technology theft nearly impossible.

In Civilization V: Brave New World, Spies can be reassigned as Diplomats when stationed in the capital of another civilization. While Diplomats maintain their spying capabilities, they primarily serve new functions related to the World Congress feature.

Lastly, cultural influence with the target civilization can boost your Spy activities. When your influence reaches the "Popular" level, your Spies act as if they were one level higher, and at the "Influential" level, they act at +2 levels!

World Congress

The World Congress is a new feature introduced to Civilization V in the Brave New World expansion pack, adding a new dimension to mid- and late-game strategies and offering a fresh route to achieving Diplomatic Victory. It is convened once a civilization discovers all other civilizations and researches Printing Press. The first civilization to meet these conditions becomes the host of the World Congress.

The World Congress is a gathering of all leaders of civilizations and city-states, represented by their delegates. Each civilization receives a number of delegates, forming their delegation, and the host gets additional delegates. The core of each delegation is formed by "membership" delegates, starting at one and increasing in later eras. Bonus delegates can be earned, such as for being the host or following the World Religion. From the Industrial Era onwards, civilizations also gain additional delegates from city-state allies, who always vote with their patron.

During each session of the World Congress, two Resolutions are proposed, addressing current world topics like border treaties, religion, trade pacts, and climate. These Resolutions are binding decisions that affect all civilizations and can significantly alter the gameplay environment. Each Resolution passed typically lasts for 30 turns, until the next World Congress Session. The exact Resolutions proposed are era-appropriate and randomized, with probabilities influenced by recent world events. For example, the likelihood of proposing Climate Accords increases with advancing Climate Change stages.

The World Congress also introduces the concept of Scored Competitions, which are optional events that civilizations can choose to participate in. These competitions usually run for 30 turns, during which participants work towards a specific goal. Unlike Resolutions, civilizations are not obligated to take part in Scored Competitions, but they offer an opportunity to earn rewards and Diplomatic Victory points.

Frequently asked questions