Diplomatic Distance

[WillyNilly]

In the past, when another enemy cuts through an area I "lose contact" with a race. It becomes as if I never met them and must fight through an alien in order to reconnect. I wasn't sure the distance that was required to cause me to lose connection, but I didn't care.

I'm currently in a multi-player game where I'm slightly winning (shock beyond shock), but my two human opponents are aware of this and they current share a border of one system. I'm convienced they are sharing technology, research, et cetera and so I wish to sever their relationship. I could barge and take the one border system and perhaps spread them out a few extra systems, but I'm not sure how far apart I have to drive them. Obviously if it is too far apart (5 or so systems) I'd be better off just pummeling the weakest of the two opponents.

Does anyone know what the "Diplomatic Distance is?" Most computer players are defeated so I don't have to worry about their interference.

Thanks.

[Grandpa Kim]

AFAIK the only way you can cut contact with an empire is to NOT be able to trace a route to it. A viable route can go through bad warp points and unknown territory. Usually you have to close several warp points to cut contact between two empires. In PBW games it is common to have diplomatic relations with empires you have never met by trading for comm links. Distance is immaterial.

Kim

[Baron Munchausen]

I've seen that message occasionally too, but I've never figured out exactly what conditions caused it.

It would be nice if diplomatic relations were optional, wouldn't it? It should be a 'treaty' of some sort that you can refuse, accept, and break. Then there could be an 'Embassy' facility that keeps diplomatic relations open when the direct links between empires are severed and improves diplomatic communications.

You could disrupt much of your enemies' tech trading with the 'Communications Taps' Intel project, and 'Trade Disruption' would reduce the benefits of their trade treaty.

[PvK]

This is another area where the "not allowed to trade technology" game setup option makes things more interesting, because to trade tech, they would need to send ships with the tech between each other for analysis, and those ships could be intercepted (unless they establish shipyards in each other's space, which they could do by building space-based shipyards for each other in their own space).

I think the Baron meant Communications Mimic rather than Taps. Taps just let you know what they're trading, if you're really lucky.

It would make sense to break contact when the space between two empires is blocked by systems occupied exclusively by no-treaty empires - maybe that's what causes the natural contact break.

PvK

[Baron Munchausen]

Ok, 'Communication Interceptors' then. I thought it was 'Taps' that prevented Messages. So many of MM's components and intel projects have such odd names that it's sometimes difficult to remember when one is appropriately named.

[WillyNilly]

I've got the message that race contact has been broken before and it was so early in the game there is no way anyone could close a warp point. I believe there must be some distance rule. It might be in Light Years or warp points, I'm not really sure.