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Government
At the beginning of Call To Power II, you rule your empire as a tyrant. Your grip on power in your nascent nation is tenuous, and there is a lack of formal government structures. As you progress through the technology tree, you will discover new forms of government, which open your empire to new levels of prosperity and growth.
Your government type represents a particular ideology. Most of the structures that comprise a government type, be they a strong military, a tight grip on the means of production, a laissez-faire market economy, or a strict religious code of conduct are born of the unique viewpoint native to the particular government type.
Effects of Government
The type of government you choose to rule your empire has an impact on many of the key factors of the game.
Maximum Number of Cities
While some governments are suited to large empires, others are not. In general, the more advanced the form of government, the better equipped it is to handle empires with greater numbers of cities. Tyranny, the first form of government, is suited to small empires only. It has a small max cities number.
When your empire reaches the maximum cities allowed by your current government, you will get a message warning you of that fact. If your empire continues to grow beyond the levels your government is suited to, you will start to incur a happiness penalty. If you switch to a government that can accommodate larger empires, the unhappiness associated with the government type will go away.
Growth Rate
Government type has an effect on how quickly your cities grow.
Production
Government type has an effect on how much production your empire produces.
Research
Some governments consider science and scientific achievement a necessary and worthwhile pursuit, whereas others see it as frivolous. If technological and cultural advancement is important to you, select a government that has a high science rating.
Economic
Some governments are conducive to economic growth and developments. Others opt to keep tight control on markets, trade, and commerce. The higher the economic rating, the better commerce and gold production will be.
Crime and Corruption
Different government types have varying levels of control over crime. Some governments are rife with internal corruption and have little control over the criminal activity in their cities. Others run a tight ship and have powerful police forces that successfully monitor criminal activity. Lower crime ratings indicate a government in control of crime and corruption. This means more efficient food, production and commerce output and lower crime in cities across the nation.
Military Support
Not all governments are well suited to supporting the military. As a result, military support costs vary from government to government. If you are a militaristic leader, you may want to seek a government that will make it possible to have a large army for as little cost as possible. On the other hand, peaceful nations may opt to funnel resources in to other areas.
National Loyalty
The loyalty of your people has a bearing on your power as a leader. Some governments incline people to support the leader unflaggingly, making it possible for you to rule with impunity. As long as their basic needs are taken care of, these people will be happy. Other government types have a culture of popular contribution to public policy. People in these types of governments will want to have a say in whether your nation goes to war or not. National loyalties range from apathetic to fanatical.
Martial Law
Government type has a bearing on how effective your military units are at keeping the peace within cities. Governments with a harsh or strict martial law have strong police forces. In other words, if happiness drops low in a city, units garrisoned with that city will maintain order through force of arms. Relaxed martial law rating strips police of certain powers, which equates with a population with more power of assembly, civil disobedience, and dissent.
Anti-Pollution Measures
Under some government types, your people will have varying levels of tolerance for pollution. Some governments, most notable the Ecotopia, have no tolerance for pollution. Other government types have relaxed attitudes toward pollution. In addition, government types produce different levels of pollution. Some enforce strict regulations on industry and cities, demanding they minimize their detrimental impact on the environment. Still others have relaxed policies regarding pollution, and thus free people to pollute with impunity. The anti-pollution measures rating for governments reflects both anti-pollution regulations as well as the pollution tolerance of people.
Why Change Governments?
While some governments require greater investment in workday, rations, and wages, they may also increase the production, commercial, or research capabilities of your empire. Different governments may also enhance or degrade the level of control you have over your population in the form of loyalty. The more loyal your citizens, the more hardship they will endure and the less likely they will be to revolt. Certain governments provide special units that offer superior military might or subversive capabilities.
How Do I Change My Government?
Whenever you change government types there is a brief period of anarchy. This represents the dramatic upheaval in daily life that a major shift in power creates. During this time, it will seem as if your empire has ground to a halt. Cities will cease to produce food, commerce, and production. Within four turns, however, your new government will be enacted and all the benefits of the new government type will take effect.
To change government types, open the Empire Manager by clicking on the top-most button of the Helm, then select the Government tab.
You will see your current government as well as a list of that government’s levels for growth, production, etc. Under the Compare To: heading, click the pull-down menu once. This will show you all of the forms of government that are available to you. To view a particular government type’s levels, click the name of the government type. Under each government type's name, you will see the comparison of levels. Words in green indicate a better value compared to the other. Words in red indicate a worse value. Black words indicate an identical value.
If you do not like the way the new government affects the factors of your empire, you may choose another government type to view, or simply close the Empire Manager. Unless you press the Enact Button, you will maintain your current government. This enables you to compare different government types without consequence.
Regardless of which government you choose, your empire will first spend several turns in anarchy. During this time production, science, growth, commerce, and food production will stop. Once your new government is enacted you will resume progress, albeit at new levels.
Remember: you will not switch to the new government until you click the Enact button!
Government Types in Call To Power II
There are twelve forms of government in Call to Power II including anarchy. Anarchy is less a form of government than a state of chaos that exists between governments.
Anarchy
Anarchy is the brief period of lawlessness and upheaval that is brought about by a change in government. It never lasts more than four turns. All production, research, food production, and economic activity cease during this period of political upheaval.
Communism
This form of government affords high productivity and is well-suited to medium sized empires wanting to build up their cities and military. Communist empires tend to have poor economies in comparison to others, but are excellent at waging war.
Corporate Republic
This post-modern form of government is efficient and economically robust. Scientific research thrives under this government, and its people tend to be happy and productive.
Democracy
Democracies are well balanced for growth and advancement. Their people have a low tolerance for pollution, war, or a heavy military presence in their cities. Otherwise, their citizens are generally content and productive.
Ecotopia
As the name suggests, Ecotopian empires strive to marry technological progress with environmental responsibility. They believe the ultimate expression of humanity is an ecologically harmonious way of life. The Ecotopian ideology inspires growth, economic strength and avid research. Ecotopians have little regard or patience for chronically polluting empires.
Fascism
This harsh form of government limits the personal freedoms and privacy of its populace. Nevertheless, it inspires fierce loyalty and is able to maintain a powerful military. Fascist cities are productive, but are handicapped by slow growth and weak economies.
Monarchy
Monarchies advance most aspects of their empires beyond the pathetic state of tyranny. Strict martial law keeps cities safe, and people are devoted to their sovereign.
Republic
The republic, another early form of government, provides stronger growth potential, greater production, and more emphasis on research than a monarchy. Its economy and military, on the other hand, are slightly weaker.
Technocracy
Another post-modern government, the technocracy places the highest emphasis on science and technology. Technocracies move swiftly through the technology tree, and their cities are productive. Commerce is very strong within a technocracy, and the people are loyal.
Theocracy
The theocracy knows no separation of church and state. It is growth-oriented, and promotes commerce and a healthy economy. Its support for the military is strong, but its commitment to science is not. People are loyal and moderately productive.
Tyranny
You begin your empire in tyranny, a form of government characterized by poor city growth, production, and scientific development. It is best for your empire, and your people, that you move beyond this type of government as soon as possible.
Virtual Democracy
Empires achieving this future government form are highly advanced and very peaceful. They also tend to be rich, prosperous, fast-growing, and very large. Virtual Democracies place high importance on research, commerce, and the environment.
Governments and Special Units
Certain governments enable special units that cannot be built under any other form of government. The cleric, for example, can only exist under a theocracy. Any of these special units you build can only exist under the government in which they were built. When you enact a new form of government, all of these special units will automatically disband and disappear from the game. For example, all clerics created under a theocracy will be lost when you switch to a republic. Special units by government are as follows:
- Cleric: Can be built by a theocracy.
- Fascist: Can be built by a fascist empire.
- Eco-Terrorist: Can be built by an ecotopia.
- Eco-Ranger: Can be built by an ecotopia.
Diplomacy
Making contact
In the beginning of Call to Power II you know very little of the world around you and have no contact with or any knowledge of other nations. By exploring the map or by encountering a foreign unit that wanders into your country, you eventually cross paths with other civilizations. Once you make contact with another empire, you may begin diplomatic relations. Making contact is simple: just place one of your units next to a unit or city from another empire. What you do next-whether you offer a gift, request an advance, or propose a treaty-is up to you. In this section, you will learn all you need to know about the machinations of the Call to Power II diplomacy system.
Regard and Trust - The Keys To Diplomacy
Regard
Your regard with other nations is critical to your success in the realm of diplomacy. What your fellow world leaders think of you, your government, and your policies, both foreign and domestic, is a very important indicator to monitor. High regard on behalf of other empires means that they are more likely to grant your diplomatic requests. On the other hand, low regard might indicate that a nation is angry, mistrustful, and may even be on the brink of declaring war on you.
Your overall regard within the world community as a whole is important as well. If other leaders see that you are well-liked across the world, they are more inclined to trust you. Low regard with many nations might nudge your rivals against you.
Trust
Although trust and regard are interrelated, there are still distinct parts of diplomatic negotiations. In other words, nations may regard you highly, admiring your nation, celebrating when you vanquish their enemies, and grateful when you come to their aid. However, the same nation may not trust you, due to your conduct with other nations, your history of keeping or breaking agreements, and your track record with regards to observing the rules of war. If a nation does not trust you, they will be less inclined to enter into agreements with you. On the other side of the coin, a nation may have little regard for you but maintain a high level of trust. In this case, they will enter agreements with you, but only if it fits their goals and proves advantageous to them.
The following factors affect trust:
- Every turn you maintain an alliance, treaty, or pact, your trust level goes up.
- Breaking agreements, on the other hand, erodes trust.
- Unprovoked attacks on cities and units drastically undermines your trust. If you are not explicitly at war with another nation, you run the risk of appearing as a backstabbing, rogue nation by attacking them with no warning. This especially applies to non-military units (settlers, diplomats, etc.).
The Diplomacy Manager
In order to initiate and respond to diplomatic correspondence, you must use the Diplomacy Manager screen. You can access it by clicking the button with the shaking hands icon on the Helm.
Once you open the Diplomacy Manager, you will see a list of every empire that you have made contact with. They will be listed with the following headings:
Nation
The Nation column lists each empire by name.
Regard
Under this heading, there is a small icon that shows a face. This indicates the nation’s regard for you. Happy faces indicate high regard. Sad or angry faces indicate low regard.
Strength
This icon gives you an indication of how powerful each nation is.
Embassy
This column indicates whether you have established an embassy in any of their cities. (See the Diplomats section below for more information on establishing embassies.)
Alliances/Treaties
This heading indicates any active agreements you have with each nation. Agreements can include pollution or trade pacts, peace treaties, and alliances.
See the Treaties section, on page 60, for more information.
Intelligence
If you would like to see the latest intelligence report on a particular nation, select the nation and click the Details Button in the Diplomacy Manager. From there you will learn about the leader of your rival nation including the leader’s name, personality, and their general disposition toward you.
Foreign Relations
The Foreign Relations Tab provides a list similar to the one in the Diplomacy Manager, from the rival nation’s point of view. Other empires contacted by the rival nation will be listed along with their regard, strength, any embassies, and alliances or treaties. It is important to note that the regard listed is that of the foreign nations toward the rival nation you selected for your Intelligence Report. For example, if you selected France and then clicked Intelligence, the Regard listed with England and Rome represent how they feel about France. Similarly, the Embassy column will indicate whether France, your selected rival nation, has established an embassy in any of the foreign nations it has contacted.
Domestic Info
The Domestic Tab displays information about your rival such as their empire size (i.e. how many cities they have), population, pollution level, the name of their nation’s capital, and so on. It also lists the names of all of the wonders they have built. This is privileged information, however. If you wish to learn more about your rivals and access privileged information, you must establishing an embassy in one of their cities.
Science Info
This information is also only available with an established embassy. If you have an embassy with your rival, the Science Tab will compare the advances known to you and your rival. These lists display advances your rival has that you do not, and those you have that your rival does not. These lists do not pertain to the rest of the world. For example, when Gunpowder is listed for your rival, it means that you do not have Gunpowder.
Sending Diplomatic Messages
To send a diplomatic message, open the Diplomacy Manager, select a nation, and click the Create Proposal Button.
Select Recipient
You can change the recipient of the message if you wish. To do this, click the name of the recipient and choose another nation from the pop-up menu. Your choices will be limited to the nations with which you have established contact.
Tone of Voice
After you have selected your recipient, choose the tone of voice in which the message will be written. You should consult your Intelligence Report before choosing your tone, as it will substantially affect your recipient’s response to your messages.
Magnanimous/Kind
A magnanimous tone communicates generosity, benevolence, and nobility. It is appropriate for addressing empires that are weaker than you are.
Friendly/Equal
A friendly tone conveys a neighborly, trusting sentiment. It is appropriate for addressing empires with which you either have an established friendship, or are equal to in size and strength.
Obsequious/Meek
An obsequious tone conveys subservience and deference to your audience. Use this tone with an empire that is stronger than you, in order to curry favor with them.
Haughty/Indignant
A haughty tone brings across unabashed arrogance. Your messages will have an unmistakably disdainful, superior attitude. It is only appropriate for addressing civilizations you suspect are weaker than you.
Hostile/Angry
The hostile tone is plainly antagonistic and belligerent. It communicates little to no regard for your audience and is suited to addressing civilizations that are much weaker than you, or that you are enemies with. Don’t use this tone unless you want to make steadfast enemies with other nations!
Formulating your message
Once you’ve carefully selected your tone of voice, click the Next Button. Select the request type by selecting the Request, Offer, or Treaty tabs. Below these headings, you have several options.
Requests
• Request City…
If you select this request, you will be prompted to specify the city you are requesting. If the recipient agrees to this request, they will relinquish control of the specified city and it immediately joins your empire.
• Request Withdrawal
This asks the recipient to remove their units from your soil. After this, they will actually need to honor that agreement since they are not automatically "bumped out". You will need to monitor their compliance.
• Request They Stop Piracy
This asks the recipient to stop pirating your trade routes.
• Request They Break Agreements…
This asks the recipient to break any agreements, treaties, or pacts they have with a particular nation. If you choose this request, you will be prompted to specify the nation you would like the agreements broken with.
• Request They Honor Military Agreement
This requests that the recipient honor their military agreement with you. This option will only appear if you have entered into an agreement with another player to provide military support for each other.
• Request They Honor Pollution Agreement
This requests that the recipient honor their pollution agreement with you. This option will only appear if you have signed a mutual reduce pollution agreement.
• Request They Stop Research
This requests the recipient to stop researching their current advance and switch to another one.
• Request Nuke Reduction…
This asks the recipient to reduce their arsenal of nuclear weapons by a certain percentage. You will have the opportunity to specify the percentage.
• Request Bio Weapon Reduction…
This asks the recipient to reduce their arsenal of biological warfare weapons by a specific percentage. You must stipulate the percentage to initiate the request.
• Request Nano Weapon Reduction…
This requests the recipient to reduce their nanotechnology weapons arsenal by a certain percentage. You will be prompted to specify the percentage.
• Request Advance…
This requests that the recipient give you the secrets to an advance that they have and you do not. You will be able to specify the advance. If this request is honored, you will immediately discover the advance and be able to reap the benefits.
• Request Gold…
This asks for a gift of gold in the amount you stipulate. You will be prompted to specify an amount. If this request is honored, your treasury will automatically be credited.
• Request Pollution Reduction…
This requests the recipient reduce their total pollution by a certain percentage. You will be prompted to provide the required numeric amount. Be sure to consult your Domestic information in the Intelligence screen.
• Request Map
This asks the recipient to reveal their map to you. If this request is honored, you will see all of the areas of the map that the recipient nation has explored to date, including their cities and units, as well as any foreign cities or units they have knowledge of.
• Request End Trade Embargo
This asks the recipient to cease their embargo of trade against you.
Offers
• Offer City…
This offers the recipient control of one of your cities. You will be prompted to specify the city. If the recipient accepts the offer, the city and all the units it contains will immediately join their empire.
• Offer To Withdraw
This is an offer to withdraw your units from the recipient’s territory. If the recipient accepts, they will expect you to manually move (or disband) your units out of their territory as soon as possible.
• Offer To Stop Piracy
This is an offer to stop pirating the recipient’s trade routes.
• Offer To Break Agreements…
This is an offer to break your agreements with a particular nation. You will be prompted to specify the nation. If the recipient accepts the offer, all of your treaties and/or pacts will be nullified with the nation you specify.
• Offer To Honor Military Agreement
This is an offer to honor the agreements you made with the recipient nation. If the recipient accepts the offer, you will be expected to uphold any treaty or pact you have made with the recipient nation.
• Offer To Honor Pollution Agreement
With this, you pledge to honor the pollution agreement you previously made with the recipient nation. If the recipient accepts the offer, you will be expected to uphold any treaty or pact you have made with the recipient nation.
• Offer To Stop Research
This is an offer to stop researching the advance you are currently working on. If the recipient accepts the offer, you will be expected to change to an advance they find less threatening.
• Offer To Reduce Nukes…
This is an offer to reduce your nuclear weapons arsenal by a fixed percentage. You will be prompted to specify the percentage.
• Offer To Reduce Bio Weapons…
This is an offer to reduce your biological weapons arsenal by a fixed percentage. You will be prompted to specify the percentage.
• Offer To Reduce Nano Weapons…
This is an offer to reduce your nanotech weapons arsenal by a fixed percentage. You will be prompted to specify the percentage.
• Offer Advance…
This is an offer to share an advance with the recipient nation. If they accept your offer, they will immediately gain the advance you specify.
• Offer Gold…
This is an offer of a gift in the form of gold. You will be prompted to specify an amount. If they accept your offer, the amount of gold will be deducted from your treasury at once.
• Offer To Reduce Pollution…
This is an offer to reduce your empire’s total pollution by a fixed percentage.
• Offer Map
This is an offer to reveal your map to the recipient. If they accept your offer, they will see all of the areas of the map that you have explored to date, including your cities and units, as well as any foreign cities or units you have knowledge of.
• Offer to End Trade Embargo
With this offer, you agree to lift
your ban on trade with the recipient nation. If you make this offer and
they accept, the nation will be free to trade with you once again.
Treaties
• Declare War…
This is a pledge to declare war on the empire you specify. You will be prompted to name the empire you intend to declare war on.
• Cease-Fire
This is a proposal to end all fighting between you and another empire. If both empires agree to a cease-fire, they must refrain from attacking any units or cities.
• Peace Treaty
This is a proposal to not only stop any fighting between nations, but to actually declare a state of peace between them. A peace treaty signifies that there is no conflict between nations.
• Trade Pact
This is a proposal to enter into a trade agreement with another nation. Two empires that sign a trade pact get a bonus for each trade route they have between each other’s cities.
• Research Pact
This agreement gives both nations who sign it a bonus to their science.
• Military Pact
This is a pledge to come to the aid of another nation should they require military assistance. If you sign a military pact, you will be expected to provide military assistance should the other signer need it.
• Pollution Pact…
This is an agreement to keep pollution below a certain level. You will be prompted to specify the level. Two nations who agree to this pact are obligated to take measures to curb the total pollution their cities create and maintain it at or below the level specified.
• Alliance
An alliance is the supreme achievement of diplomacy in Call To Power II. An alliance is actually a combination of agreements, treaties, and pacts that signify a robust and long-term partnership between two empires. If you enter into an alliance with another nation, both of you must abide by the terms of a peace treaty and a military pact.
If you have a trade or research pact with a nation you are also allied with, there is an additional bonus to trade and science.
Threats
• Embargo
This is a threat to stop trading with the recipient.
• Declare War
This is a threat to declare war on the recipient.
• Destroy City
This is a threat to use weapons of mass destruction.
Declaring War
If all diplomatic options have been fruitlessly explored, or if you are militaristically inclined, you may want to declare war on one or more of your neighbors. To do this, select a country in the Diplomacy Manager and then click the Declare War Button. You will be asked to confirm the order. If you choose Yes, your martial intentions will become public knowledge. Every nation on the map, regardless of their affiliation with you will receive word that you have declared war on a rival. You may attack another empire without a formal declaration of war, but it will have a negative effect on your regard and trust levels with other nations.
Diplomats and Empathic Diplomats
The diplomat and, later in the game, the empathic diplomat are units which provide a powerful way to take diplomacy to the next level. Although you do not need to build or deploy diplomats in order to conduct diplomacy, without them your diplomatic options will be limited.
Diplomats serve a variety of functions. They "grease the wheels" of communication between rivals, act as your representatives in the halls of foreign governments, and establish embassies.
Establishing Embassies
An embassy increases your diplomatic options with the empire in which it is established. It also enables you to see which advances the other empire has that you do not, and vice versa. See Intelligence, above, for more on what embassies provide. To establish an embassy, move your diplomat next to a foreign city you are not at war with. Then choose the Establish Embassy order from the Unit Tab or by right-clicking on your Diplomat, and click on the target city.
If you go to war with a nation, any embassies you have are destroyed; and if you construct the Forbidden City wonder, all of your embassies in foreign cities will be closed.
Holding Receptions
Diplomats can hold a reception in a foreign city. Although the event costs you gold, it gives you a regard bonus with that empire. You cannot hold a reception in a foreign city if you are at war with that empire. To hold a reception, place your diplomat next to a foreign city with which you are friendly. Select the Hold Reception order from the Unit Tab or right-click on your Diplomat, and click on the target city.
Other Factors that affect Diplomacy
Your success in diplomacy depends largely on how other nations regard you as a leader and as a nation. If you wish to be effective in diplomacy, consider the following things when interacting with other nations:
Pillaging and Pirating
Pillaging another nation’s tile improvements and pirating their trade routes will lower their regard for you. On the other hand, if you happen to be the victim of a nation which pillages your land or pirates your trade, it can be easy to escalate into war by attacking the offending units. Consider expelling the offending units as an alternative to attacking them.
Breaking Alliances
Nations will hold you in contempt when you break cease-fires, peace treaties, or alliances and attack their units or cities. Violating other agreements, like a stop piracy agreement, will also lower their opinion of you.
Unconventional Warfare
Although unconventional warfare seldom ends in the loss of human life, it can severely affect a nation's day-to-day operations. City conversions, lawsuits, injunctions, and franchises can drain resources from a rival’s empire, while contract hits on public figures, uprisings, and revolutions reduce happiness and can even result in the loss of a city. Since stealth units perpetrate most of these attacks, they often complete their objectives under a veil of secrecy. Occasionally, a vigilant nation will capture a stealth unit in the act. In this event, the victim nation certainly expresses outrage at the attacker's underhandedness and guile. Remember, stealth attacks that succeed can be devastating. But even the best fail or get sloppy once in a while. The ensuing diplomatic firestorm is usually hard to weather.
Wonders
A few wonders of the world can increase your regard with all nations. If you are inclined to win the game diplomatically, it is advised that you seek to build these regard-enhancing wonders as soon as possible.
Atrocities
Although any military aggression is certain to anger your enemies, there are certain attacks that the world community considers heinous crimes, worthy of scorn and contempt. Attacks with nuclear, biological, and nanotechnological weapons are all considered atrocities. Although these will be at your disposal throughout the game, you will invite the condemnation of all nations should you opt to unleash them on your foes. Atrocities substantially decrease your regard and trust with all nations for a long time. You should consider the price of your actions, and the inevitability of rogue nation status, before you give the order to launch weapons of mass destruction.