Some ideas that might make Diplomacy more attractive to the online multiplayer community:

Modify the game to allow us to set up 6v6's and 7v7's.  All we need is one huge random single star map that would accomodate 14 players.  Just set it up so that no player color may be used more than twice.

Allow for custom map auto-download.  (I'm referring to Galaxy Forge-made maps.)

Create some new standard planet types and a checkbox for the Game Option area where the host can check off whether to use the original planet types or include the new ones.

AMEN. THAT is what a diplomacy upgrade should do. Maybe not EXACTLY that, but the kinds of bells and whistles that let you do stuff like pay for protection, or make a weaker player pay you not to attack them. I've always offered a CPU a peace treaty JUST before I crush them. In the real world, they'd already be pretty much defeated at that point, and there'd be a decent chance of a surrender or something.

Making an update I'd imagine would take more time than this "Diplomacy" expansion has. Why? Because if you're making a balance patch, you need to play a bunch of 3+ hour games on different map sizes, etc, to make sure that everything feels "right." It's not a matter of coding, it's a matter of tweaking numbers.

I can fully understand why THAT would take a while. But from what I've seen of Diplomacy, I'm not impressed. If they add in stuff like what Guesswho described... that would be somewhat different

As far as all of us complaining about Diplomacy... Up until I saw that youtube video, I was planning on just buying it to support Ironclad. I didn't expect it to do much. But I'm so thoroughly unimpressed that I might not now. I'll wait for more official information first, of course. So if Diplomacy is as small a change as it seems, then I can understand why they aren't saying anything - it would hurt sales. I know Diplomacy isn't done, I get that. But it will need a lot more (than what hasn't been announced except to PAXbrats) to get any money from me.

That should explain it.

There are a few different places you can put maps. In my case, since these maps require a mod I use, I didn't want to accidentally load them when not using the mod. So, it has to go in the mod folder, and then you need to modify the .manifest or it won't notice them. Which is dumb.

[Bad attitude]I appreciate you assuming I was lazy and hadn't looked into it...[/Bad attitude]

I had to manually type in 30 filenames in the file to get it to work. Not a huge deal, but a pain in the ass nonetheless.

Besides, what if you want to join an online game, but don't have the map? Guess you can't join if there is no download available on the internet.

Sorry Whippersnapper, I've been in a sour mood today...

While your solution works, it still is leaps and bounds behind other multiplayer games. Ironclad (or Stardock) ought to give us a better solution. Even if that just means they give you a place to specify a CLICKABLE download URL.

The links effectively show that with some research, you can do what the AI can already do. Yeah, that's simplifying it a tad, but there's not a ton more than that, that we know of. Nothing that's been mentioned will change gameplay more than a little, at best.

Still waiting for some official news...

So far everyone seems clear of it

I have to admit, the teaser info sounds really underwhelming so far.  Improved diplomacy options only really benefits single player.  Team games and co-op vs. the AI will be totally unaffected.  Balance changes to cap ships and pirates is nice, but frankly should have been included with a patch for Entrenchment seeing as how it's the improved defences that make them a total joke these days (and certain cap types have ALWAYS been a joke).

The community is dying off these days, which means the modding community has no incentive to continue their work.  The modding community are generally the most die-hard fans, so when they start to move on it's not a good sign.  More information ASAP to get people fired up again is badly needed.  This cannot be understated.

(Sorry about the double-post... I tried editing the original but with all the quotes, it wasn't quoting properly)

A decent chunk of the expansion will be a total revamp of the diplomacy system which on the surface, may appear to only affect games vs. AI.  However, the ability to form trade and research pacts as well as give your fellow players missions will undoubtedly have a very positive effect on multiplayer games.  The new Envoy Cruiser will also give you the ability to subvert enemy planets over time via espionage giving you a non-violent way to conquer planets.  We have a lot in store for this expansion, so don’t underestimate it.

That sounds like a good peak into what's up.

Does anyone know if Blair posted that dev journal he had a few months ago?  I've been reading up on game designers recently and want to see how IC does it.

I want a facepalm smiley!

actually, not quite. the official infos only mentioned the envoy cruiser, but said nothing about their function. the unofficial youtube clip showed that the envoy cruiser was able to do sabotage. however, that this includes taking over planets, in whatever way that would be, is to my knowledge a new information. and could be a fairly significant one.

I do wonder though how this ship could get near a world. would it be invisible or cloaked as a trade ship? or would attacking it automatically produce war? but then it would be useless in a war situation if the enemy can simply destroy it like any other ship. or letting it in could produce some big benefit also.