Diplomacy?

[Jetman123 (OP)]

I came across a post in the Rules thread saying that back in 4.1 it'd been updated as such that it's no longer possible for communication to ever become impossible - yet it happens constantly now. I don't run across a single friendly race, it seems, and everybody I try to talk to quickly bottoms out at -400 after wasted effort (even with a skill 130 diplomatic team) with the diplomats concluding that it's impossible.

Is it really impossible, or will leaving them assigned eventually produce results? Am I locked into eternal war with this species simply because we couldn't speak each other's languages? I'd really like an ally, as I'm surrounded by hostile NPRs at this point. I've met a nice galactic empire that's only at -50, and am working as best as I can on pumping it up there, but I'm wondering if I can't perhaps make peace with some of the other enemies at my gates.

Any other info on diplomatic information (beyond the obvious "don't blow the enemy up" rule of staying in their good graces) would be welcome.

[EarthquakeDamage]

If you're told it's impossible, then it's impossible.  You will always be at war with that race.  On the bright side, you will only be unable to communicate with three races per game.

Also, are you sure you're surrounded by hostile races?  Check the intelligence window.  Most of them are probably neutral toward you, and you should be able to declare yourself neutral toward them.

[ardem]

Only three races that is a bit limited. So no federation then.

[randal7]

Generally communication seems to be established fairly quickly. If you are told you will not be able to establish communications, you have met one of the three built-in hostile aliens. These aliens can appear in more than one system, even separated by great distances; this may account for your many hostiles.

[Jetman123 (OP)]

Ohhhh. So I probably met the Swarmers and whatnot then. (It feels so much like being besieged when you get hostile battles and contacts showing up in every system more than two jumps away from your homeworld! D:) So every other race is possible to communicate with? Awesome, then the galactic empire I met who's at -50 will probably wanna be friends if I keep working on him!

Thanks guys!

[Tarran]

Generally communication seems to be established fairly quickly.  If you are told you will not be able to establish communications, you have met one of the three built-in hostile aliens.

Actually, not being able to communicate is not limited only to the three non-randomly generated NPRs.  It can also happen with normal NPRs.  I'm pretty sure one time I had a game where I had little to no military forces and I found an NPR right next to Sol and I couldn't communicate.  I gave up on that game there and then.  And I'm pretty darn sure they weren't precursors since they had a significant planet population with all their ships grouped up around their home planet and the planet was within the range for NPRs to be generated on and they didn't fire on sight.

[EarthquakeDamage]

Actually, not being able to communicate is not limited only to the three non-randomly generated NPRs.  It can also happen with normal NPRs.  I'm pretty sure one time I had a game where I had little to no military forces and I found an NPR right next to Sol and I couldn't communicate.  I gave up on that game there and then.  And I'm pretty darn sure they weren't precursors since they had a significant planet population with all their ships grouped up around their home planet and the planet was within the range for NPRs to be generated on and they didn't fire on sight.

I'm pretty sure Steve said somewhere along the line that he changed it so you can always communicate with ordinary NPRs (i.e. any except the standard three).

[UnLimiTeD]

Hmm, in his recent Fiction he had that case once.
However, yes, you seem to be exeptionally unlucky in finding everything that could potentially see you as prey. Be on your toes.
And good luck with the first non-hostile ones

[Jetman123 (OP)]

Thanks, it's appreciated. The galactic empire doesn't seem like the friendliest of folks, but they're slowly warming up.