SP - General A list of diplomacy suggestions

[BjornP]

1. Have the designated Scout work as a "Royal Messenger", that you can use to send letters to other kingdom leaders and lords to.
2. Make alliances between kingdoms possible. Particularly when a kingdom becomes OP, like Western Empire seems to become in most of my playthroughs, there should be an option for other kingdoms to band together in a temporary alliance against an OP kingdom. When AI Western Empire tries to sue for peace, each individual kingdom in the alliance, even if hard hit, will have to leave alliance to sue for peace OR appeal for either more help from the other alliance members OR ask the alliance leader to sue for peace on the alliance's behalf.
3. More options for peaceful player clans. I've actually come to enjoy playing as a master trader clan with six caravans and seven workshops and becoming insanely rich simply by trade. Rather than going for making war on Calradia a goal, the goal for a clan could also be to become a neutral peacebroker between kingdoms - all for the good of trade. My suggestion is for the option for, instead of a kingdom, that the player can become leader of a trade consortium, own their own major merchant home in a town of their choice. Player earns influence by clearing out bandits, looters and generally keeping the trade lanes clear, with AI guvernors handing out contracts for clearing hideouts and large bandit parties. Consortiums may ally with kingdoms, but only if a kingdom is becoming too powerful - see point 2.
4. Intrigue. The ability for both AI to intrigue against you, and you to persuade lords and clan members of other, and your own kingdoms to intrigue against lords and kingdom leaders. Example: You think the personality trait of the leader of clanname X is too hostile, cruel, etc. You send a messenger with a bribe, gift, your daughter or son's hand in marriage, or a favor, to a lord or clan member that makes him consider assassinating, usurping or otherwise influence against a lord/king. It would work by sending a messager, and when it arrives the game pops up the NPC interaction screen with the text: "In your letter to (x) you suggested that X should do (A, B, C, D, etc.)", and then you get to pick what it said in the letter. Your Charm affects results like with regular persuasion checks. This means you, if you're succesful can get lords to coup against a leader, or rival lord in your own faction. Downside should be that you can be found out, and lose alot of relationship with that leader/lord, and it would open up for that lord/leader to vote you out of the faction - or if you tried to assassinate him/her, even execute you and you'd have to play as your heir.
5. Vassal kingdoms. If your kingdom is weak, or if you just managed to grab your first town/castle and declare yourself a king, you might quickly find yourself with alot of enemies, and not enough troops to defend yourself. Option should be there to ask for, or accept a position of vassalage. This would change your title of "king" to "Grand Prince", put a penalty on daily influence gain, give an immidiate influence drop and town loyalty. The AI can also chose this option, but AI kings would become vary of kingdoms, both player and AI, who have chosen to end their vassalage, and declare war on their vassal king in the past. This way it's also a tool that can't be used indefinitely against the same vassal king.
6. (edited) Include option to persuade lords to attack certain keeps or towns. Just witnessed the Aserei skip several towns to take Danustica, when they've just lost what they just gained just to the north of Quaraz. They won't attack there because the troop concentration of Western Empire towns are very high... but then there should be an option to send a message/persuasion (se. point 4) to multiple army leaders to attack the same town to add troops to balance the scales.