Diplomatic Distance

WillyNilly · #1 July 21st, 2002, 06:08 PM

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 · #2 July 21st, 2002, 06:30 PM

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 · #3 July 21st, 2002, 07:51 PM

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 · #4 July 21st, 2002, 08:00 PM

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 · #5 July 21st, 2002, 08:39 PM

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 · #6 July 21st, 2002, 09:12 PM

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.

Taera · #7 July 21st, 2002, 09:29 PM

Perharps it was a simple thing known as "random event"?

Puke · #8 July 21st, 2002, 09:30 PM

nope, distance is definitly not a factor. i have had contact between races on oposite ends of the map.

if a race's planets are destroyed or captured, and they still have ships left, you will lose contact with them but you will not get the 'empire destroyed' message. this is probably what happened. someone destroyed their Last colony, you lost contact, but they still had ships (or sats, or mines) floating around somewhere.

this is also a problem that can make the 'peace' victory condition nearly impossible. if everyone is at peace, and an old enemy has been defeated but he still has a satelite in a nebulae somewhere, or an old mine floating off in space, you will lose contact with him but he wont be destroyed. so victory conditions cant be met.

Taera · #9 July 21st, 2002, 10:07 PM

hate to go off topic but this raises a problem in the game. perharps a check if there is a ship that has colony module, SY or troops would be useful? (those are the things one would requie to survive - any of them)

PvK · #10 July 21st, 2002, 10:32 PM

I dunno - I kind of like that empires remain in play when they have something that exists. In fact, I'd probably use an option that removed knowledge of when an empire was destroyed, because it is artificial knowledge.

If players see that everyone is at peace, they've explored the whole quadrant so they haven't missed anyone, and they want the game to end, they can end the game voluntarily.

I like the ability to survive with just some ships, even without a SY or colonizer. It gives the chance someone will donate such resources, and also makes some things more possible to survive like monster/pirate/nomad races.

PvK