Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth throws a couple of new features into the Diplomacy system (largely carried over from Civ V) that can help you get ahead in the game if you use them wisely. Here are a couple of new diplomatic features you can use to grow stronger in the world of Beyond Earth.
Introducing Share Play For PS4 Fireware Update 2.0
Favors
Favors are a new type of pseudo-currency that can be exchanged in the game's diplomacy screen. If a computer player wants a certain resource from you but doesn't have anything to trade in return, it can offer you a favor instead. If you accept, you then have a favor to spend with that leader, and you can cash it in later for some free resources you need. If you stock up enough favors with a single civ, you can even entice them into declaring war on a third leader. Quite the payout after years of giving them some Titanium for free.
Be careful about hording favors, though. If that civ decides to declare war on you, the favors they previously owed you become void. Also, if that civ gets wiped off the map, don't expect any other civ to honor their outstanding favors. And if you're starting to come up with any master plans to get free resources just by handing out favors like they were pamphlets, think again. Favors can only be given out from a computer player to the human player, and only human players can cash favors in. It's a one-way street, likely to avoid frustrating situations where a computer player comes out of nowhere and takes resources you desperately need just by spending a favor.
Alliances
Alliances are like the Defensive Pacts of Civ V, but with an interesting twist. If you form an alliance with a friendly civ, they will go to war against any civ who attacks you. They'll also go to war against any civ that you attack yourself. Likewise, you'll automatically declare war on any civ that your ally attacks or is attacked by. It's a powerful tool to force friendly civs to join you in war efforts that you want to initiate. Alliances are hard to come by, though. You'll need years upon years of positive relations with a civilization before they'll consider allying with you. If you do manage to snag that key alliance with a military power, then enjoy your newfound partner in crime as you declare war on your enemies.
Science Trading
Trading science as a resource disappeared in Civ V, but it makes its return in Beyond Earth. Players can now trade Science Per Turn on the standard Diplomacy screen, but science isn't cheap. Be prepared to drop some serious coin (well, energy in this game) for just a couple of beakers from your opponent's yield. If you feel confidant in your own science production and are in dire need of some quick coin, however, feel free to pawn it off on a neighboring civ and enjoy your new income.
Strategic Resource Trading
Okay, so this part isn't a new feature, but it has become much more important in Beyond Earth. Three of the game's strategic resources – Firaxite, Xenomass and Floatstone – are intricately tied to the games three Affinities – Supremacy, Harmony and Purity, respectively. This means that these three resources will always be in high demand on the world market. Pursuing Harmony but found a mass of Firaxite near one of your cities? Sell that off to a civ across the map who's rushing Supremacy. You'll make a pretty penny, and you won't even lose anything valuable to you since your low Supremacy level locks off most of that resource's uses anyway.
Civilization: Beyond Earth is now available for PC. Mac and Linux versions are coming later this year.
