Diplomatic Blandishments
Diplomatic Blandishments
While war is an instrument of policy widely recognised by the public, it is not the only or even the most widely used form of coercion governments employ. Indeed governments tend to employ a combination of carrot and stick in order to attempt to persuade other states to act (or not act) in a way that is compatible with their interests.
Obviously their precise effect on relations will be up to the GM or play.
Carrots
Aid Payment AKA Bribe
The simplest carrot to offer an amount of wealth in order to gain compliance, this is a historically favoured tactic of rich nations, for instance it was used by the United States several times during it’s period of dominance during the 20th and early 21st century.
Leadership Visit
A visit by a national leader of a significant power (IE, most PCs and major NPCs) is a significant event, and generally shows support for a government, especially if that nation is popular. This generally works best when relations between the two powers area least warm granting a temporary + morale as the government shows it’s self to be a good international player.
Non-Aggression Pact
A treaty stating neither side will attack the other, non-aggression pacts are reassuring to both sides. However they should not be entered into lightly, attacking the other signatory of a non-aggression pact, at least in the short term will cause major damage to a powers relationship with all others.
Research Treaty
A research treaty allows scientists and universities to work together on projects of mutual interest, sometimes civilian, sometimes military. In general this means each power involved in a treaty receives +X RP in a field the other has access to.
Sports Team Visit
Ping-Pong Diplomacy and cricket diplomacy are popular ways to improve relations. Generally sports teams are assumed to visit between any power that does not have at least cold relations. Allowing a sports team to visit a power can serve as the first step towards further diplomatic gains.
Trade Liberalisation
While each block is assumed to be a free trade zone, outside a block there are still levels of tariffs. Trade Liberalisation cuts away a number of tariffs with a power outside your block. This gives that power a +X bonus to trade.
However, liberalising trade more than X times leads to morale penalties as locals are hit by unemployment and local industries are destroyed by foreign competitors.
Sticks
Detain Citizens
A popular tactic among more oppressive regimes, detaining another powers citizens as spies or drug traffickers will inflict a small, temporary –morale penalty on them unless they can deal with the situation. Performing this action too often will quickly lead to you becoming an international pariah.
Popular Outcry
It’s quiet easy for a government to ferment popular outcry against another government by briefing against them, or through the political machinery it maintains either for elections or for propaganda. This gives you a temporary +morale but if overused is just as likely to cause a rift in relations as for compliance.
Sell Currency
(this one should cost DP)
A popular tactic among rich powers, sell currency allows you to bid an amount of wealth against another state, and forces them to match that amount or suffer currency devaluation and must pay three times the difference next quarter.
However, if they succeed in matching your bid, they receive 50% of the wealth they invested back, while the attacking power loses it all.
Summon/Expel Ambassadors
Embassies are highly useful to governments, not just for diplomacy but also for intelligence. Expelling an enemy embassy is powerful sign of displeasure, first it completely prevents the use of DP on a power (if it’s an NPC) secondly, it penalises their intelligence gather giving an X penalty to all spy attempts.
You may also recall your own embassy, or at least the ambassador which gives similar mechanical penalties (your own spying operations are assumed to have been previously moved away from the embassy)
Tariffs & Trade Sanctions
TBA