Search
Forum Home | Login
We have re-enabled logins for the forums, please be aware that you may need to reset your password or register for an account again while we continue to restore full functionality.
Chipwich
Chipwich
Join Date 03/2006
+1

Unholy alliance/ Alliance of convenience

July 3, 2009 5:27:31 PM from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

One of the things that is lacking in most 4x games is forming alliances with factions that have a mutual goal but not the best relations. Normally if you want an ally, you have to be best freinds for the entire course of the game. I propose that there should be a mechanic that allows 2 cobelligerents to have the gameplay benefits of an alliance for the duration of a war regardless of relations if Faction A considers faction B to be less of a threat than C.

Locked Post +1 Karma
Search this post
Advanced Search
Subscription Options
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
Martok
Chipwich
Scoutdog
Join Date 07/2008
+195
Reply #1 July 3, 2009 6:54:34 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Sounds good. The alliance might bring them closer together in the long run, too...... of course, there would be all sorts of "betrayal" options, so people would keep their gaurd up..... much fun!

Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
Chipwich
landisaurus
Join Date 06/2008
+154
Reply #2 July 3, 2009 11:30:46 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I like Civ 4's "brothers in arms brings us closer together" or something like that.   If the AI is good at all, faction A will ally with Faction B to take out C even if it doesn't like B provided C is a worse enemy (and mutual, since they wouldn't ally with B against C if B and C are best friends... unless its Sins of a Solar empire, in which case I hate how they are like "go thrash your best friend" all the time)

Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
Chipwich
Cauldyth
Join Date 07/2004
+29
Reply #3 July 3, 2009 11:31:01 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I like it.  It's akin to the Allies and the Soviet Union in World War 2.

Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
Chipwich
pigeonpigeon
Join Date 11/2008
+71
Reply #4 July 4, 2009 12:35:08 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I'd love to see something like this. Temporary alliances with specific terms. Even though we hate each other, we join forces to thrash an even more hated 3rd party but that's it. No obligation to defend each other from new threats or other players, for example, and only limited sharing of intelligence. It would be neat if we could choose what kind of intelligence to share, like any intelligence regarding our mutual enemy, intelligence about our militaries (possibly limited to selected armies, even). For example, we might want each other to know where our offensive forces are for better coordination and such without sharing any information about defenses that we don't think are relevant - basically, sharing information on a need-to-know basis.

Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
Chipwich
SnallTrippin
Join Date 02/2008
+11
Reply #5 July 4, 2009 11:06:09 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I could have sworn I already posted in support of this, but because I apparently didn't: Good idea!

Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
Chipwich
Kitkun
Join Date 06/2008
+175
Reply #6 July 4, 2009 2:12:02 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Alliance of Convenience sounds fine to me. However, to me the Unholy Alliance suggests an extremly far-fetched one between two that are polar opposites. To continue with the WWII reference, Unholy Alliance would be to me Hitler and Churchill teaming up. In GalCiv2 terms, it'd be the morally righteous do-gooder Altarians allying with the xenophobic nd genocidal Korath. 

 

 

Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
Chipwich
pigeonpigeon
Join Date 11/2008
+71
Reply #7 July 4, 2009 2:49:06 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting Kitkun,
reply 6
In GalCiv2 terms, it'd be the morally righteous do-gooder Altarians allying with the xenophobic nd genocidal Korath.

But that would only happen if a third party came a long that was hated by the Altarians and Korath even more than they hate each other, and only if the Altarians and Korath understood that their only chance of victory against this abomination is to join forces. Once that's over (assuming they win) they'd be back at each others' throats - and there would probably be a lot of backstabbing and deception between them even during the conflict.

I'd love to see this happen. For even most hated enemies to temporarily work together against something they both think is even worse, rather than choosing certain destruction by going it alone. Like every other aspect of AI, though, I'd like there to be some randomness, some unpredictability - so even if all the conditions are there, this wouldn't always happen. And it might happen on occasion even when you don't quite expect it to.

Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
Chipwich
Scoutdog
Join Date 07/2008
+195
Reply #8 July 4, 2009 3:45:28 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

For me an "unholy alliance" is any alliance of a weak but devious evil individual and a powerful and eviller force. Sort of like Wormtounge and Saruman in LOTR, or Pettigrew and Voldemort in Harry Potter...... or the Drengin and Dread Lords in GC2. They don't particularly LIKE each other, but are willing to share domination of others.

Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
Chipwich
Ynglaur
Join Date 05/2006
+11
Reply #9 July 9, 2009 3:09:06 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Space Empires V had a great treaty and alliance structure, which unfortunately suffered from so many bugs as to make it far less useful than it could be.  I think something with that number of options, or even a few more, would be great.

Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
Chipwich
Martok
Join Date 02/2002
+13
Reply #10 July 12, 2009 5:03:56 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Personally, I prefer the term "Strange Bedfellows" alliance as opposed to "Unholy" alliance.    Regardless, though, I love the idea!  

 

+1
Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
Chipwich
Robbie.Price
Join Date 04/2007
+12
Reply #11 July 17, 2009 12:47:46 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

+ 1 karma for Strange bedfellows,   I think it's a much better term then unholy alliance to describe the deired alliance type. 

Reason for Karma (Optional)
Successfully updated karma reason!
View all recent posts
Mark all posts as read Delete cookies created by the forum Return to Top
Stardock Forums v        Server Load Time:   Page Render Time:
Stardock

Press | Store

Copyright © 2025 Stardock Entertainment and Valve Corporation. Elemental: Fallen Enchantress and Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes are trademarks of Stardock Entertainment. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All rights reserved.

Career Opportunities | Privacy | Contact Us