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Diplomacy revolves around managing relationships and agreements with other leaders, Independent Power Independent Powers, and City-State City-States in Civilization VII and its expansions. Unlike previous games, diplomacy is now primarily based on transactions using the new Influence Influence yield. Most Diplomatic Action diplomatic actions — whether it's revealing each other's Capital Capitals, forming beneficial agreements, or sanctioning other civilizations — require spending Influence Influence to initiate.

Mechanics[]

Diplomacy allows leaders to interact and negotiate with one another, either through mutually beneficial exchanges or one-sided deals where only one party gains. There are four main types of Diplomatic Action diplomatic actions a leader can initiate:

All of these actions impact relationships with other leaders. Positive agreements help strengthen diplomatic ties, while hostile actions can damage them. To make the most of diplomacy, players must carefully manage their Influence Influence — the primary diplomatic resource used to initiate and respond to proposals. A strong Influence Influence income provides greater flexibility in negotiations and can be strategically leveraged for diplomatic manipulation.

Relationships[]

Beyond a high Influence Influence accumulation, players who want to excel in diplomacy and gain passive benefits from other leaders must focus on maintaining good relationships. Leaders with strong relationships are far more responsive and open to negotiations, often agreeing to terms and supporting Endeavor Endeavors.

Relationship tiers[]

A leader's relationship score determines how they perceive another leader. The scale is divided into five tiers (statuses), as outlined in the table below.

Status Score
Hostile Below -60
Unfriendly -60 to -20
Neutral -20 to +20
Friendly +20 to +60
Helpful Above +60

Relationship status primarily affects the likelihood of Treaty Treaties and agreements being accepted. The better your relationship with another leader, the more likely they are to accept, support, or even propose Endeavor Endeavors to you — giving you the advantage of deciding whether to accept or support them — and more importantly, unlocking access to powerful Endeavor Endeavors that are exclusive to the other leader's diplomacy pool, which they'll only offer if your relationship is good.

Conversely, leaders with a poor relationship are often unwilling to even speak with you. They'll reject most proposals, avoid offering anything in return, and are far more likely to act aggressively or even declare war. Since rejected proposals further damage relations, recovering from a Hostile Hostile relationship can be extremely difficult.

Engaging in diplomacy naturally improves relationships, while strong relationships make Diplomatic Action diplomatic actions more effective. This creates a diplomatic snowball effect — accepting terms leads to more favorable terms, while rejecting them worsens relationships, resulting in even more rejections.

That said, a bad relationship isn't without advantages. Hostile Hostile leaders can be attacked without incurring penalties (Formal War), which can be a strategic opportunity — whether to claim contested land or to cripple a strong rival. War mechanics and consequences are explained in more detail further in the article.

Alliance[]

At the opposite end of the spectrum, leaders with a Helpful Helpful status can form Alliance Alliances. These come with significant benefits, including extra bonuses from Social Policies Social Policies or Civic Civics that specifically benefit from having Alliance Alliances. One of the most powerful perks is tied to spending Attribute Attribute points in the Diplomatic Diplomatic tree: spending 4 points grants a +% increase across all your yield outputs for each Alliance Alliance you maintain. Since these points can be spent repeatedly and the bonuses stack cumulatively, it's possible to achieve massive yield boosts just by maintaining multiple Alliance Alliances and good diplomatic standing.

In addition to these development-oriented bonuses, Alliance Alliances come with a set of diplomatic expectations and obligations:

  • Mutual Defense:Alliance Allied leaders are automatically drawn into each other's wars. Refusing to join immediately ends the Alliance Alliance. Additionally, enemies may be more hesitant to declare war on you, knowing you're backed by powerful Alliance Allies.
  • No Backstabbing: – You cannot impose Sanction Sanctions on Alliance Allies (although Espionage Espionage remains allowed). Declaring war on an Alliance Ally is possible, but will completely sever the relationship for the rest of the Age and inflict maximum war support penalties.
  • Increased Cooperation:Alliance Allies are significantly more willing to engage in trade, offer deals, and support your Endeavor Endeavors, creating a more stable and rewarding diplomatic relationship.
  • Territory Access:Alliance Allies will always grant you Open Border Agreements at no Influence Influence cost, significantly improving your ability to traverse new terrain — whether for maneuvering and deploying troops or for scouting unexplored regions.

Altogether, forming Alliance Alliances is a highly valuable objective in nearly any game, as it simultaneously boosts your defense, international influence, and internal development.

Influencing relationships[]

Various actions can influence your relationship with another leader, either strengthening or weakening it.

The following actions improve relationships:

  • Offering a Friendly Friendly greeting
  • Complimenting their agenda
  • Sharing the same Government Government or ideology
  • Making agreements
  • Accepting or supporting Endeavor Endeavors
  • Having an established Trade Route Trade Route
  • Forming an Alliance Alliance
  • Fighting together in a joint war

The following actions harm relationships:

  • Offering an Unfriendly Unfriendly greeting
  • Going against their agenda
  • Settling too close to their Capital Capital
  • Border friction (when your borders touch theirs)
  • Failing to reach an agreement
  • Rejecting Endeavor Endeavors
  • Initiating Sanction Sanctions
  • Getting caught in Espionage Espionage
  • Dispersing a befriended Independent Power Independent Power
  • Rejecting or breaking an Alliance Alliance
  • Declaring war
  • Forcing an unfavorable peace deal
  • Razing a befriended Independent Power Independent Power
  • Eliminating another civilization

While these are not all possible actions, they represent the most significant ways to influence relationships in the game.

At the start of each new Age, all relationship modifiers reset. Instead of carrying over all previous interactions, each leader receives a single positive or negative modifier based on how their relationship stood in the previous Age. However, this modifier is heavily toned down, allowing leaders to shift their diplomatic approach — whether towards peace or aggression.

Diplomatic actions[]

As mentioned earlier, diplomatic interactions can take many forms, ranging from cooperative agreements to hostile actions. Diplomatic Action Diplomatic actions are transactional offers that can be:

  • Accepted – by agreeing without paying any Influence Influence.
  • Rejected – by paying double the Influence Influence spent back to the initiator.
  • Supported – in the case of Endeavor Endeavors – by paying a certain amount of Influence Influence to benefit both parties.

Additionally, players cannot have the same action running with multiple leaders simultaneously.

Treaty[]

Treaty Treaties are formal agreements between two leaders that establish mutual rules or restrictions for a set duration or indefinitely. Treaty Treaties often modify active gameplay mechanics, such as trade or military access.

  • Accepting a Treaty Treaty increases the relationship by +TBA.
  • Rejecting an Treaty Treaty decreases the relationship by -TBA.
List of treaties[]

Leaders can establish three types of agreements at any stage of the game:

Treaty Treaty Effect
Open Borders The target player grants open borders to the proposer for 15 turns, allowing unrestricted Movement Movement through their territory.
Improve Trade Relations Increases the number of Trade Route Trade Routes a player can establish with the target civilization by +1 untill the next Age.
Denounce Military Presence Requests that the target player withdraw their military units from your borders. If rejected or if the target fails to comply, relationship will decrease. This option is only available when enemy units are near your borders.

Endeavor[]

Endeavors are diplomatic gestures that showcase trust and goodwill between leaders. When a leader proposes an endeavor, accepting it provides mutual benefits — such as increased yields, strategic advantages, or cultural influence — while also strengthening diplomatic relations. Leaders can further support an Endeavor Endeavor, enhancing the bonuses for both parties.

Each leader has a base set of Endeavor Endeavors determined by their Attribute Attributes, but some are unique to specific leaders or must be unlocked through Civic Civics or Wonder Wonders. Each Endeavor Endeavor typically lasts 15 turns and grants bonuses each turn for its entire duration.

Because Endeavor Endeavors can significantly boost a civilization's progress, especially at the start of a new Age, leaders with good relationships can leverage them to gain an advantage over rivals. The following reactions to proposals will influence the relationship:

  • Accepting an Endeavor Endeavor increases the relationship by +5.
  • Supporting an Endeavor Endeavor increases the relationship by +12.
  • Rejecting an Endeavor Endeavor decreases the relationship by -TBA.
List of endeavors[]

The following table lists the available Endeavor Endeavors. The Influence Influence initiation costs are based on the base value, which will be multiplied by the number of the Age you are in (*1, *2, *3). All Endeavor Endeavors (Except Wonder Construction) are available in any Age and give the following bonuses per Age when accepted:

Endeavor Endeavor Requirements Cost Proposer Receiver Support

Open Markets
Economic Economic leader Attribute Attribute 60 Influence +4 Gold Gold +2 Gold Gold +6 Gold Gold

Cultural Exchange
Cultural Cultural leader Attribute Attribute 60 Influence +4 Culture Culture +2 Culture Culture +6 Culture Culture

Local Festival
Diplomatic Diplomatic leader Attribute Attribute 60 Influence +2 Happiness Happiness in your Cities Cities +2 Influence Influence +3 Happiness Happiness in both players' Cities Cities

Farmers Market
Expansionist Expansionist leader Attribute Attribute 60 Influence +4 Food Food in your Town Towns +2 Food Food in their Town Towns +6 Food Food in both players' Town Towns

Military Aid
Militaristic Militaristic leader Attribute Attribute 60 Influence +2 Combat Strength Combat Strength to your units +2 Gold Gold +3 Combat Strength Combat Strength to both players' units

Research Collaboration
Scientific Scientific leader Attribute Attribute 60 Influence +4 Science Science +2 Science Science +6 Science Science

Wonder Construction
Citizenship II
Citizenship II
60 Influence +10% Production Production towards Wonder Wonders +6 Culture Culture +15% Production Production towards Wonder Wonders

Reconciliation
Have Hostile Hostile relationships 60 Influence +30 Relationship +30 Relationship +60 Relationship

Send Aid
Have an Alliance Alliance 15 Influence Gives a chosen amount of Gold Gold Receives a chosen amount of Gold Gold N/A

Ginseng Agreement
Emile Bell Emile Bell 60 Influence

Friend of Wei
Himiko, Queen of Wa Himiko, Queen of Wa
Have an Alliance Alliance
90 Influence +25% Science Science +25% Science Science N/A

Reform
Lafayette Lafayette 180 Influence +1 Social Policy Social Policy slot. +4 Gold Gold +1 Social Policy Social Policy slot.

Trade Map
Ibn Battuta Ibn Battuta 60 Influence Reveals the receiver's claimed territory over the duration. Reveals the proposer's claimed territory over the duration. N/A

Sanction[]

Sanction Sanctions are punitive actions a leader can impose on another civilization, restricting their growth, limiting their influence, or simply signaling hostility. They serve as a strategic tool to weaken opponents, slow down their progress, or pressure them into changing their approach. However, Sanction Sanctions are highly provocative and can push the targeted leader toward retaliation or even war. Weak leaders who impose Sanction Sanctions without the means to back them up may find themselves facing severe consequences.

Like Endeavor Endeavors, some Sanction Sanctions are unique to certain leaders. A Sanction Sanction typically lasts for 10 turns and reduces the relationship by 30. However, with sufficient Influence Influence, Sanction Sanctions can be blocked, refunding all invested Influence Influence.

List of sanctions[]

The following table lists the available Sanction Sanctions. The Influence Influence initiation costs are based on the base value, which will be multiplied by the number of the Age you are in (*1, *2, *3). All Sanction Sanctions are available in any Age:

Sanction Sanction Requirements Cost Effect

Hinder Finances
Economic Economic leader Attribute Attribute 80 Influence -10% Gold Gold output in the target empire.

Hinder Civic Study
Cultural Cultural leader Attribute Attribute 80 Influence -10% Culture Culture output in the target empire.

Hinder Public Morale
Diplomatic Diplomatic leader Attribute Attribute 80 Influence -10% Happiness Happiness output in the target empire.

Hinder Agriculture
Expansionist Expansionist leader Attribute Attribute 80 Influence -20% Food Food output in the target Settlement Settlement.

Hinder Military Production
Militaristic Militaristic leader Attribute Attribute 80 Influence +20% Production Production cost to train units in the target empire.

Hinder Research
Scientific Scientific leader Attribute Attribute 80 Influence -10% Science Science output in the target empire.

Denounce
Have Unfriendly Unfriendly or better relationships. 60 Influence Decreases the relationship with the target leader by -60 over 10 turns.

Continental System
Napoleon Napoleon 60 Influence -1 Trade Route Trade Route limit with all civilizations to target leader.

Espionage[]

Espionage Espionage allows leaders to secretly gather intelligence or sabotage infrastructure in rival civilizations, offering strategic advantages but also posing significant diplomatic risks. Unlocked through advancements in the Technology Technology tree, Espionage Espionage missions typically take 9-15 turns to complete and cannot be completely blocked. However, they carry a risk of failure or exposure, which results in negative effects for the initiator.

Exposing a spy will reduce the relationship between the leaders and impose an Influence Influence penalty on the spy's owner for 10 turns, while providing Influence Influence per turn to the target. This discourages reckless Espionage Espionage, ensuring that leaders face consequences for repeated covert actions and preventing Espionage Espionage from being used without risk.

Leaders concerned about enemy spies can engage in counter espionage, which increases the time required for enemy missions and raises the chances of revealing the spy, making infiltration a riskier venture.

While some Espionage Espionage actions are available throughout all Ages, others emerge as civilizations progress and their strategic priorities evolve. Espionage Espionage offers critical opportunities to gain an edge over rivals, but its covert nature means each mission is a calculated risk.

List of espionage actions[]

The following table lists the available Espionage Espionage actions. The Influence Influence initiation and punishment costs are based on the base value, which will be multiplied by the number of the Age you are in (*1, *2, *3). Some actions remain available across all Ages, while others are only relevant in specific Ages:

Age Espionage Espionage Action Requirement Cost Effect Success Chance Reveal Chance Reveal Punishment (10 turns) Execute Time (turns)
All
Military Sabotage
N/A 40 Influence Decreases -3 Combat Strength Combat Strength of target leader's military units for 10 turns 100% 30% -2 Influence 9-15

Steal Technological Advancement
Writing II
Writing II
80 Influence Gain a free Technology Technology that the target civilization has but you do not 100% 50% -8 Influence 9-15

Steal Government Secrets
Code of Laws II
Code of Laws II
80 Influence Gain a free Civic Civic from the target civilization 100% 50% -8 Influence 9-15

Military Infiltration
The Wheel
The Wheel
40 Influence Gain vision of all enemy Commanders for 5 turns 100% 20% -2 Influence 9-15
Exploration
Open the Gates
Castles II
Castles II
80 Influence Destroys fortifications of a target district 100% 50% -4 Influence 9-15

Sabotage Specialist Morale
Society II
Society II
80 Influence Disable Specialist Specialists in target Settlement Settlement for 10 turns 100% 50% -4 Influence 9-15

Convert Population
Reformation
Reformation
40 Influence Converts target Settlement Settlement to your religion 100% 100% N/A 4-8
Exploration + Modern
Counter Spy
Authority
Authority
40 Influence Doubles the time required and increases the failure chance of Espionage Espionage actions performed against you by the target leader by 30% for 20 turns. N/A N/A N/A N/A
Modern
Sabotage Shipping
Mass Production II
Mass Production II
80 Influence Destroys all ports and rail stations in target City City 100% 50% -4 Influence 9-15

Infiltrate Enemy Positions
Nationalism II
Nationalism II
80 Influence All siege units will use Bombard Strength Bombard Strength against target leader's units for 10 turns 100% 100% -4 Influence 9-15

Spread Rumors of Fake Artifacts
Globalism II
Globalism II
80 Influence Removes all yields from the target leader's displayed artifacts for 10 turns. 100% 50% -4 Influence 9-15

Sabotage Space Program
Rocketry
Rocketry
80 Influence increases construction time of launch pad and Launch Satellite Project in target City City 100% 100% -4 Influence 4-8

Diplomacy beyond civilizations[]

Diplomacy isn't limited to interactions between civilizations and leaders — it also extends to Independent Power Independent Powers. These entities exist outside of the major civilizations but can be influenced or befriended. With enough Influence Influence, they may even transform into City-State City-States under your Suzerainty, granting unique benefits.

Independent Power[]

Independent Power Independent Powers can be influenced or integrated into a player's sphere of control. These small, isolated Settlement Settlements have their own culture and exist independently on the map. Upon discovery, an Independent Power Independent Power may be either Neutral Neutral or Hostile Hostile towards you:

  • Neutral Neutral powers remain passive unless targeted for a declaration of war or drawn into war by their leader.
  • Hostile Hostile powers are aggressive and may construct extra units to seize Settlement Settlements when their Scouts discover them.
List of independent power actions[]

Their are three Diplomatic Action diplomatic actions that can be initiated on Independent Power Independent Powers:

Action Cost Effect
Incite Raid 60 Influence Provokes an Independent Power Independent Power to raid a target Settlement Settlement for 2 turns
Befriend Independent 170 Influence Accumulates 2 Befriend Points each turn until 60 points are reached. At 30 points, the Independent Power Independent Power becomes Neutral Neutral; at 45 points, a yield reward is granted; and at 60 points, Suzerainty is awarded. Neutral Neutral powers already start at 30 points. Multiple leaders can initiate this action, but Suzerainty is granted to the first one to reach the full threshold.
Add Support 100 Influence Increases +1 Befriend Points per turn
Itsaraphab (Siamese only) 255 Influence Instantly converts Independent Power Independent Power into City-State City-State under your Suzerainty.

City-State[]

When a player reaches 60 Befriend points, an Independent Power Independent Power transforms into a City-State City-State with the player as its Suzerain, granting additional strategic and diplomatic advantages.

In addition to the Suzerainty benefits — such as boosts from Social Policies Social Policies or the Suzerainty reward — City-State City-States also act as permanent Alliance Allies, automatically joining their Suzerain in war. Any leader who declares war on a City-State City-State is also declaring war on its Suzerain. As a result, it is impossible to declare war on one's own City-State City-States.

List of city-state actions[]

The following is a list of Diplomatic Action diplomatic actions that a Suzerain can initiate with their City-State City-State.

Action Effect
Promote Growth City-State City-State gains +15 Food Food for 10 turns
Bolster Military City-State City-State produces a military unit within 3 turns
Levy Unit Takes control of a selected unit (with the Influence Influence cost based on the unit's Production Production cost)
Incorporate Converts the City-State City-State into a Town Town of your ownership after 10 turns

War[]

In diplomacy, not all conflicts can be resolved with words, and some leaders will inevitably clash. When negotiations fail, or when leaders refuse to compromise, war becomes the ultimate resolution.

Players can declare war at any time — even against their Alliance Allies. The only exception is when peace was negotiated within the last 10 turns. There are three distinct types of war declarations:

  • Formal War – Can be declared against any leader with whom you have a Hostile Hostile relationship.
  • Surprise War – Can be declared against any leader, regardless of relations. However, this results in additional diplomatic penalties and a loss of war support, which scales with the prior relationship (the better the relationship, the harsher the penalty).
  • Joint War – Whenever an Alliance Ally is at war, you have the option to join them. Declaring war this way carries no war support penalties, regardless of the relationship you had with the opposing side beforehand.

When war is declared, the following occur immediately:

  • All existing Endeavor Endeavors between both parties are canceled.
  • All trade between the two civilizations ceases.
  • All military and most civilian units can now be attacked by enemy forces.
  • All units can enter each other's borders freely.
  • All City-State City-States will join the war alongside their involved Suzerain.
  • All Alliance Allies of both civilizations must immediately decide whether to join the war and back their Alliance Ally or break their Alliance Alliance.
  • Relationship status with the target leader will decrease significantly, depending on the type of war and the circumstances leading up to it.

Once war begins, peace cannot be proposed for at least 10 turns, making it a high-risk decision that requires careful planning. Poorly prepared wars can lead to devastating losses in resources, Settlement Settlements, and military forces. To ensure stability and success, players should secure the following before going to war:

  • Combat Readiness: Having a strong army is essential. Analyze which Settlement Settlements and borders are exposed and vulnerable, and reinforce them with garrisoned units and fortifications to prevent enemy invasions.
  • Intel & Strategy: Knowledge is power. Gather intelligence on your opponent's unit numbers, unit quality, Alliance Alliances, and potential invasion routes to anticipate their Movement Movements and avoid surprises.
  • Gold Gold Reserves: War is expensive. Units require maintenance costs, and having a strong economy allows for emergency unit recruitment or fortifications in case of unexpected developments.
  • Influence Influence & Stability: War impacts your people. Unrest and unhappiness can lead to revolts, reduced yields, and economic stagnation. Keeping public support high is critical for maintaining a strong war effort.

After 10 turns, players can negotiate peace. A peace deal may involve demanding enemy Settlement Settlements as leverage or ceding Settlement Settlements to appease opponents. The likelihood of a successful peace agreement increases if one side has inflicted significant damage or has a strong military presence within enemy borders.

War support[]

One of the most influential aspects of war is "war support" — a measure of how much your people believe in the war and whether they consider it justified. High war support boosts army morale and combat effectiveness, while low war support results in penalties, including -1 Combat Strength Combat Strength per negative war support point for military units and increased war weariness among Citizen Citizens.

The following elements can increase the amount of war Support your leader has during an ongoing war:

  • Spending Influence Influence: Players can spend Influence Influence to rally their people behind the war effort, though the cost increases with each war support point gained.
  • Declaring a Surprise War: Surprise wars are seen as dishonorable and cause a massive war support penalty, especially if declared against a Friendly Friendly leader.
  • Militaristic Militaristic Attribute Attribute: Early on players can spend 1 Militaristic Militaristic Attribute Attribute point to permanently gain +1 War support on all wars.
  • Gate of All Nations: This Wonder Wonder grants +2 war support for every ongoing war.

Most war support penalties and bonuses expire at the end of the war, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

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See also[]

External links[]

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