Diplomacy suggestion: Influence points

[t6.28]

This is a suggestion for a rather big change in diplomacy:

There would be a new resource type called influence points. Every nation would have a certain amount of influence points for each other. Influence points for a specific country could be acquired in multiple ways:

-By accepting their requests (alliance, royal marriage, military access, call to arms, ...)
-A new covert action
-Very good relations
-A new peace term

The amount of influence points you gain would be influenced by certain factors:

-Having a royal marriage
-Sharing a dynasty
-Having an alliance
-Being rivals (negatively)
-Distance

Influence points could then be spend on the following things:

-Making them accept requests they otherwise wouldn't (call to arms (even offensive ones against their allies), military access, alliance, etc.)
-Making decisions in their name (changing their rivals, allies, etc. (would be expensive))
-Getting your dynasty on their throne (if their king dies without an heir, spending enough influence points would make your dynasty, instead of the most developed country's ones, ascend to their throne)
-Improving your relations
-Gaining influence points with countries they have high influence with (This would not be a 1:1 exchange, you would gain less influence points then you spend)

This system could of course be expanded further.

 

[Maq]

What you suggest are basically additional opinion modifiers. For that purpose we don't need any 'influence points', but re-evaluation of the existing ones. Paradox is doing it with every new patch, and successful touches prevail.

 

[t6.28]

What you suggest are basically additional opinion modifiers.

It is distinct from other opinion modifiers in that it is not a permanent one, but something you spend (more like cashing in a favor). That's something that is, in my opinion, not really covered by current mechanics.

 

[Maq]

It is distinct from other opinion modifiers in that it is not a permanent one, but something you spend (more like cashing in a favor). That's something that is, in my opinion, not really covered by current mechanics.

Current mechanics... I feel deep respect to them, or rather to the great amount of work Paradox invested in them. I feel free to mod about everything, but very hesitant to touch opinion modifiers, since consequences are innumerable.
In other words, I'm quite sceptical to any idea which is presented as major improvement in this very field. But that's just my own opinion, obviously.

 

[Danfish77]

Influence points (or "Favors", you might say) should also decay slowly over time; less slowly if you have neutral or higher relations, more quickly if you have negative relations (rivals and hostile nations should drop them relatively quickly).

 

[Maq]

Influence points (or "Favors", you might say) should also decay slowly over time; less slowly if you have neutral or higher relations, more quickly if you have negative relations (rivals and hostile nations should drop them relatively quickly).

Well, yes, but I still can't see a new quality in them. In the end, they're just opinion modifiers.
Let's say, you keep a stock of some 100 'Influence points' and can choose towards whom you use them and to what effect.
Right. And what's the difference? Now you have 2 or 3 diplomats and you can choose with whom they improve your relations, and you have a treasury, and you can choose whom you send a gift. The result is always the same: improved relations, which make more diplomatic actions towards selected country possible.

 

[t6.28]

Well, yes, but I still can't see a new quality in them. In the end, they're just opinion modifiers.

The basic idea behind it is two things:
First, it allow you (if you have lots of influence) to force nations to do things they really wouldn't otherwise, like joining an offensive war against their ally.
Second it enables better plotting. With just improving relations its hard to accumulate a huge force against a strong nation (even more so, if it is diplomatically popular). With influence points, you could, at the right time, call in some favors and have a giant alliance tare them apart (it would, of course, require stockpiling influence for quite some time). Or imagine you are a little OPM and your OPM neighbor is protected by PLC, you could then, if you managed to get enough influence, force Poland to break their alliance, opening the gates for your conquest.

 

[Maq]

The basic idea behind it is two things:
First, it allow you (if you have lots of influence) to force nations to do things they really wouldn't otherwise, like joining an offensive war against their ally.
Second it enables better plotting. With just improving relations its hard to accumulate a huge force against a strong nation (even more so, if it is diplomatically popular). With influence points, you could, at the right time, call in some favors and have a giant alliance tare them apart (it would, of course, require stockpiling influence for quite some time). Or imagine you are a little OPM and your OPM neighbor is protected by PLC, you could then, if you managed to get enough influence, force Poland to break their alliance, opening the gates for your conquest.

Well, yes, I believe now I can see your point. But what about the AI? Would it be able to use this feature in a way that makes sense? And if yes, then God be merciful to human player!

 

[Podtxt]

This game is about conquest and I would like to see some sort of Sphere of Influence mechanics.

 

[Vistariel]

I am personally in favor of a dynastic/ruler system overhaul that actually brings some significance to rulers and dynasties beyond monarch points and a name. I think that having a form of diplomatic capital to invest in specific diplomatic interactions (similar to papal influence and imperial integrity mechanics) could be a good addition. However, I think these should be limited mainly to nations with which the nation has good relations. I would have to disagree with the idea of having any mechanism by which you could forcibly coerce an AI to do your bidding. I cannot fathom a realistic setting in which that would ever occur. Now if it added more points to their judgment FOR joining your war vs. not joining, it could be understandable, but it would have to have a limit (like sending gifts, can only be done to a max of +25 opinion and only every so often). Limits are everything in this game. A contemptuous rival would never respond to anything less than force, regardless of the diplomatic capabilities of the other nation.

I think a good means of building up this capital would be a function of diplomatic reputation.