HPR4570: Playing Civilization V, Part 8

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In our next look at the game mechanics for Civilization V we examine several related topics: Diplomacy, Spies, and Religious Pressure. They are all ways to interact with other players without the force of arms being involved. And we will discuss the Diplomatic Victory, which is a new victory type added in Civilization V and can be fun to play.

Playing Civilization V, Part 8 - Diplomacy

Other Players

With other players you have a relationship based on their approach to you. They are:

• Neutral – This is not Friendly nor is it Hostile. Trades you make with them will be fair from their point of view


• Friendly – They like you, and will accept requests from you more often. Trades will be slightly in your favor from their point of view.


• Afraid – This only happens if you have a a very substantial advantage in strength, so this is rare. They will readily accept requests from you, and trades will be in your favor


• Guarded – They are suspicious and defensive, and will be more likely to be unfriendly. Trades will be harder to achieve, and favor them rather than you.


• Deceptive – They will pretend to be friendly, but they are plotting against you. They may bribe other players to declare war on you. They will not accept requests for help, and trades will be hard to achieve.


• Hostile – They hate you, and are completely open about it. Trade deals, if you can get them, will be heavily against you.


• War – This means they have decided to go to war with you. But they need the right conditions, so they may pretend to be Friendly, Neutral, Guarded, or Hostile while they wait for those conditions to mature.

These are not set in stone, as you can modify how the other player feels towards you by your actions. If you have friends in common that will improve your relationship, or if you have enemies in common. Agreeing to their requests will also improve things. But if you cannot agree, just say so. The worst negative modifier is when you agree to do something, and then do the opposite. Saying no is also negative, but not as bad. Finally, remember that negatives will erode over time if they are not reinforced. If you want a very detailed look at the mechanics and details of this, check out