I wonder if people are interested in an "event" similar to that voting event in GalCiv II?  I only played the demo, but it seems it's some kind of meeting where all the factions vote on an issue which changes the game a bit, such as having more trade routes or whatever.  Of course, I may be wrong about this, but the idea might still work for Elemental.

What I mean to suggest is that maybe we can add a tech which forces people to the table to talk.  Initially, I thought that only people who researched the tech could meet and vote, but then if no one else bothers to research diplomacy, you might be pretty lonely at the empty table.  But how about if you research the tech, then you have the ability to call a meeting with all players once you have over X amount of diplomatic points?

For example,

• I research "Diplomatic Convention" and have the building that increases diplomacy capital.
• I get 1,000 diplomatic capital (or 1,000 diplomatic capital greater than the other players or something) and can call a convention (through diplomatic pressure).
• I pick an issue (maybe like the diplomacy screen) such as allowing 2 caravans per city, or calling off the war between Pariden and Capitar, or increasing caravan trade by 10% or increasing tech trade by 5%... etc.
• Maybe we can vote according to population (I think GalCiv II worked like this?  Correct me if I'm wrong) or we can vote according to diplomatic capital?  You can put however much diplomatic capital into Yes or No, and after all sides do this, whichever side has more, that's the outcome.

Any comments?  Thanks.