Civilization VI Diplomacy Guide will help you better understand why others don’t play nice and how to deal with their hidden agendas. Moreover, how important it is to have positive relationship with other Civilizations.
For more help on Civilization VI check out Best Placements For Districts, Planning Wonders, Building Improvements, Tile Placements and Starter Guide – Leaders, City-States, Turns.
Civilization 6 Diplomacy Guide
All Civilizations Have Agendas
You need to understand that there are two types of agendas in Civilization 6. Each leader you came across has an open agenda as well as a hidden agenda. The personal or open agenda is a trait that will always be the same. To better understand this, lets take the example of Pericles who comes with his Delian League agenda.
Pericles don’t appreciate Civilizations that compete with him for the same City State Alliances. The best tip here is to not send more envoys if you see Pericles on the map.
Meanwhile, hidden agendas are random so they change from time to time. For example, Teddy Roosevelt may have a hidden agenda of Environmentalist so he will not appreciate you chopping down trees.
If you are friends with someone who is in conflict with Teddy, it isn’t easy working together with both entities.
Turf Expansions and Other Issues
- The AI is irrational so don’t expect it to be rational, expect irrational behaviour
- Everyone is concerned with fulfilling their own goals and agendas
- Your neighbors are affected by your decisions
- Moving a settler tile in the direction of your neighbor will trigger an alarm
- Leaders with room to grow will not have issues with your expansion
- Focus on trade and production rather than wild expansions
- Allies will send spies of affect your production
Bribe to Make Allies
Gifts goes a long way with allies and with those you want to be allies with. You need to be polite and approach the other nation via a trade delegation.
Hostile nations, if they choose to trade with you, will trade at a higher price at first but will slowly bring down their prices. The AI will start to think of you as in investment which is exactly what you need.
Trade even the tiniest of things to make them rethink their strategy about you. One you generate a positive relationship with other civs, the first thing you need to do is establish an embassy in their capital. Keep in mind that gifting bonus caps at +10.
Declaration of Friendship is not easy to get but it is necessary for a diplomatic relationship with others. If the AI doesn’t know you well enough, it will not accept your friendship. You need to work toward getting open border by developing tangible lines of communication.
Once you manage to get open borders, send a trader to their productive cities and start trading. If rejected by aggressive leaders, you need to repeat the gift process. Once open borders are live, ask for DOF followed by a Defense Pact.
To solidify your friendship, you now need to offer another gift. Offer something valuable like a luxury, diamonds etc.
You will see yourself moved up to Top Secret Access. Keep in mind that being friends will too many civs mean managing these relationships which isn’t an easy thing to do. However, keep following the same strategies to manage your relationships.
