Concept
Diplomacy links nations via relations, trust, rivals, subjects, and treaties. Better positioning unlocks growth without constant wars. Strategic diplomacy reduces war exposure and enables peaceful expansion.
Core Levers
- Relations and Trust: Govern alliance stability and access to deals. Trust builds over time and affects reliability. Rivals boost power projection but raise coalition risk.
- Subjects (Vassals, Unions): Outsource force projection and admin burden. Integrate only when the economy can absorb it. Keep subjects loyal through relative strength and favors.
- Aggressive Expansion and Opinion: Stacking determines dogpiles. Fewer enemies early is safer. Manage heat from conquests to avoid coalition triggers.
3-Step Opener
1. Map Read
Name one threat and one equal-weight ally. Avoid entangling alliances that pull you cross-continent. Identify your immediate neighbors and strategic interests.
2. Relation Economy
Improve with neighbors and trade partners. Rival a local peer, not a distant hegemon. Build trust through consistent diplomatic actions.
3. Subject Value
Vassalize soft targets for manpower and income. Keep subjects loyal through relative strength and favors. Integrate only when the economy can absorb it.
Tip
Pro Tip: In EU5, deeper diplomacy and politics emphasize estates and population interests when evaluating deals. Expect more context-sensitive AI that responds to your internal stability and economic situation.
Pitfalls
- Ally Chains: Dragging you into cascading wars. Be selective about which alliances you honor.
- Annexing Without State Capacity: Expanding without economy to hold leads to instability and collapse.
Patch Angle
Patch Change
Deeper politics/estates and population interests make AI more context-sensitive—expect offers and threats to reflect internal pressures. AI evaluates deals based on your estates and population interests.