Diplomacy Patch #2 released

Patch Notes for Diplomacy Patch #2 (V0.8.5.0, Build ID 754188)

This smaller diplomacy patch adds a new Strategic Resource system to the game, improved diplomacy AI, randomised race Leaders with personalities, a counter-offer AI system, and the Diplomatic Advisor technology!

Note: The Diplomacy response messages are still placeholders like "Made first contact by detecting colony ship 1" and "Diplomat Busy ANGRY message 1" for now. We had hoped to get the finished dialogue for each race into this patch, but we're taking a little extra time with it to add more responses and a bit more personality to each race. We'll roll this into the next patch after it's released and I think you'll be really happy with the results.

Major Feature: Strategic Resources:

Strategic Resources are deposits of an ultra-rare resource that give global bonuses across your entire empire when harvested. They are harvested with existing infrastructure and each deposit harvested gives the same bonus. Strategic Resources can be shared with other races so that both you and the other race both get access to them, and they're worth a lot in diplomatic negotiations. Each colour of nebula starts the game with a star containing a planet with one of these resources, and up to one more of each will be spread throughout the map.

Helium-3: A rare isotope of Helium that can be used to boost fusion rates. When harvested, a small amount will be added to all ship drives, increasing their speeds by +1 hex in combat and +2 ly/turn in warp.

Osmium-186: A rare isotope of Osmium with useful molecular compression properties. When harvested, small amount will be bonded to all ship armour, improving its effective density and increasing armour HP on all ships by 10%.

Neodymium-150: A rare isotope of Neodymium that can be used to create exceptionally efficient infra red laser focusing crystals. When harvested, the beam weapons on all of your ships will be given a regular supply of Neodymium crystals, increasing beam damage by 10%.

Coffee Beans: What's the point of building an interstellar empire if you can't get a good cup of coffee? Harvesting this rare plant will improve the efficiency of scientists across your empire, increasing all research output by 5%.

Major Feature: Additional Resources:

Fish: Fish is a special resource that spawns exclusively on random Ocean worlds and Ocean homeworlds. It gives +200 food/turn when harvested with a farm and a bonus to population growth rate. This actually isn't harvestable right now as all races are technically Humanoid and can only farm in Terran environments. When we add race stats, Aquatic races will be able to farm Fish with their Aquatic Farms, making this a unique resource for Aquatic races.

Land Animals: A special resource that spawns on random Terran planets and homeworlds. It provides +200 food/turn when harvested with a farm and a 1% morale boost per hex harvested. This is intended as a unique resource that only Humanoids can use.

Major Feature: Counter-Offer AI:

The first iteration of the diplomacy AI could only accept or reject a deal. This patch added the ability to make a counter-offer. The AI will first try adding something it wants from you to the deal (a strategic resource or up to 2 technologies) and if that doesn't make the deal more palatable to them then they'll attempt to remove an item from your list of demands. Counter-offers tend to work out a little worse than deals you could negotiate yourself, but since the other race offered it, there's a 100% chance of acceptance. You're free to change the proposed counter-offer and re-offer it as a new deal, and if you do this repeatedly then the AI will stop making counter-offers for the rest of the diplomacy session.

Major Feature: Diplomatic Advisors:

We've added two technologies to the end of the Sociology tree: Diplomatic Advisors and the Diplomacy Computer.

Diplomatic Advisors: This tech adds a team of three advisors to the diplomacy screen right next to the Propose Deal button: One Military Advisor, one Diplomatic, and one Scientific. You can click on them before proposing a deal and they'll tell you how likely they think it is that the other race will accept. Each one has his own bias, however, so the Military Advisor will tend to overvalue military items in the deal and the scientist will overvalue technology. If the other race makes a counter-offer, the advisors will also advise you on whether you should accept the deal or not.

Diplomacy Computer: This tech unlocks the Diplomacy Bot 4000, an advisor who gives an accurate and impartial estimate based on the other race's actual motivations.

Major Feature: Race Leaders & Government types:

Each race now starts with a randomly selected Government type and Leader, which can be seen on the Diplomacy screen. Each one has slightly different priorities in diplomacy, so if you're trading with a Technocracy then you'll see a scientist instead of a diplomat on the diplomacy screen and he'll over-value technologies and research treaties. Government types are: