Goblin Squad Member
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Individuals control their own destiny, and can make their own decisions, so when an encounter between two individual players occurs, each can decide what they will do and suffer the consequences. Larger groups can’t unanimously make a decision, might not be online at the same time or agree on what course of action to take, so the larger the organization the longer amount of time it takes for a decision to go into effect.
Below is a proposed matrix of wait times for individual or organizational decisions to go into effect. Ideally each player could target another player, right click (or a similarly easy and intuitive mechanic) chose the option for “Diplomacy” and choose the option desired. For groups of company size or larger only the next step up or down would be visible since there is a wait time for the change to take effect. Company, settlement and kingdoms diplomatic menus would have options similar to individuals but the interface would be within the organizational menu in a settlement structure of Kingdom capital.
Only certain members of the groups can make the change in diplomatic status since these changes can bring on greater obligations for alliances, or greater risks for declarations of war. Also it would give members of both groups time to shift positions physically, to discuss matters of state with allies (and enemies if trying to negotiate a peace treaty, or for the threatening group to wring out concessions from the smaller group).
Finally, for settlement and Kingdom level diplomatic changes a character must be trained to certain levels in certain skills in order to make changes of larger impact. A low level diplomat is not able to declare a war between kingdoms; that responsibility is reserved for the most senior official. Therefore the aristocrat role should have skills that increase the settlement and kingdom level activities that effect interactions at that level.
The color codes in the below matrix are suggestions only, and do not take into account any exception for colorblindness. Critters, animals and neutral creatures would default to gray.
Status-----Color------Individual----Company-----Settlement-----Kingdom
Allied-------Purple----Immediate---24 hours----48 hours-------72 hours
Helpful----Lavender---Immediate-----12 hours----24 hours-------48 hours
Friendly---Blue-------Immediate-----6 hours-----12 hours-------24 hours
Helpful----Green------Immediate-----3 hours-----6 hours--------12 hours
Neutral----White------Immediate-----90 minutes--3 hours--------6 hours
Wary-------Yellow-----Immediate-----3 hours-----6 hours--------12 hours
Unfriendly-Orange-----Immediate-----6 hours-----12 hours-------24 hours
Hostile----Rust-------Immediate-----12 hours----24 hours-------48 hours
War--------Red--------Immediate-----24 hours----48 hours-------72 hours
This is -way- too complicated
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Goblin Squad Member
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Are you proposing some kind of mechanic related to diplomatic status? If so, can you describe it?
Sure. If you have the proper training(aristocrat training for later game when the mechanics are in place for settlement and kingdom conflict and diplomacy) changes in the diplomatic status between entities should be allowed at the company, settlement and kingdom level. The higher the "level" the entity the longer that implementation of that change in diplomatic status should take. The delay gives all the members of the organizations involved time to assess, or reassess their diplomatic situation, position on the map, time to communicate their decision to the members, and allows the other entity (a rival kingdom, a bothersome neighboring settlement, or a company competing for a meteor hex) time to prepare.
How much time depends on the above matrix. For individuals, zero time, as players can make their own decisions on their own behalf, But at company and above, the further from neutral you go, the longer the time for the diplomatic status to change. So, a kingdoms cannot go from ally to enemy in one day. In fact it would take many days for that dramatic of a change to take place. Almost two weeks to go from one extreme to another. The same change would take far less time at the company level; about 4 days.
It is worth noting that individual players can always do whatever they like and suffer the consequences...this system is for the larger geopolitical changes. Nations do not just go berserk and fight in one day...there are political struggles that occur, council meetings making friends with other entities in preparation for battle, coalitions that form, alliances that dissolve over land rights, or access to a meteor hex, or a mountain pass, or access to a waterway.
the color codes are part of the control panel the person authorized to make the change would see, and you could only shift one level at a time. This simulates the diplomatic activity happening behind the scenes which the players would have to do...secret meetings, assassination of key players, arranging supply in advance of a war, or hoarding supplies in advance of an impending siege.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Really a diplomacy tool. It allows those in charge of groups to change diplomatic status of other groups, but there is a delay in the implementation depending on the type of group involved (company, settlement, kingdom) and the severity of the change. A control panel for diplomacy in the UI for settlement management.