Star Trek Clan 101 - Diplomacy

Back in the old days of clans, like Quake and some of the other older FPS games, and even in old style BBS RPG clans, diplomacy has occurred. However, since the days after the end of 2000, and with the massive rise of federation based clans in the majority of the Star Trek games, one aspect of clanning has taken a major rise to the current massive levels it is today...Diplomacy.

Diplomacy in clans, just like the real world has implications, especially if the clan you are in has some unfriendly clans who are after it, quite frankly the more allied clans you have, theoretically, the more safer your clans are in a war, although it doesn't always turn out like that. No doubt you have all read the basis of 'Starting A Clan' in this same section, and you have also read the guide to making a basic web page.

Diplomacy should ONLY be started when you have a clan that's got at least 5 members and already has a fully running website, if you start diplomacy too early with a clan of only 2 or 3 and no site, few clans will take your request seriously. You need a stable clan first of all before you even attempt to pull on the resources of good diplomacy. Diplomacy in Trek based clans can fall under several categories, even having a designated 'Outside Clan Poster' who goes from clan to clan posting 'hi' and having a chat in other clans forums can be considered diplomacy and that kind of thing is happening a lot nowadays. The reliance on just using a site like the clan directory or other clan directories to get first contact under way is now more apparent than ever and directories like this or the GCD is a massive resource for things like that.

The other direction for diplomat is of course the direct approach, actually contacting someone in the clan, either a diplomatic rep or the actual clan leader, and requesting some kind of diplomatic arrangement. It's this road that really counts in the overall running of diplomacy, you can post away in other clans forums but never get any kind of treaty formed, but if you have treaty formed and still post away in that clans forums the members of that clan, and your own, will start to see dialog and more friendly matches in game server with your clan, and the clan you have contacted.

Part 2: The diplomatic types, and what they mean

One thing you need to know before you start making diplomatic advances is to know the different styles and treaties that make up the diplomatic world of Star Trek clans.

1: Neutrality

The neutrality option hasn't actually been used for a very long time now, its rare for a clan to make a diplomatic treaty to another clan of being 'Neutral'. However, when a war is happening between one clan and another, and if your clan is friendly with BOTH of these clans then an announcement of neutrality will make sure both of these clans know your intentions and that you own members know not to get involved in a war.

2: N.A.P

N.A.P, or the Non Aggression Pact is the next step up from neutrality. It basically means that your clan, and the clan you wish to form a N.A.P with will not attack each other in anger, and only in friendly matches or even training games. N.A.P is the more common diplomatic tie between 2 clans and has many variants and styles. If anything a N.A.P between 2 clans means that you respect each others clans, it also means that diplomatic and member to member ties and chats/games will be less aggressive and more friendly...normally anyway.

3: M.P.P

The M.P.P is the major one that a lot of smaller and even larger clans are after. M.P.P, or Mutual Protection Pact, is the basis of a lot of diplomatic ties with regards to the larger clans in Star Trek. It's the step below a full blown alliance and basically means that if your clan, or the clan you made the agreement with goes to war with a 3rd clan then you, or your M.P.P clan will step into the war and defend you, and you will defend them. It's the backdoor way of other clans getting involved in a war that they had no idea was happening until an M.P.P was called with a clan they made an agreement with M.P.P is a sure fire way of stacking a war in your own favour if you actually do get involved in a clan war. However it isn't the be all and end all. If your other clan you have an MPP with also has an MPP with the clan you are at war with it usually means that clan you wanted to help you fight will usually decide to stay neutral.

4: F.A.P

F.A.P, or the Full Alliance Pact, is only agreed to if both the clans involved know each other well. Full alliances means a sharing of resources like intelligence, other ties to clans and resources that the other clan may want. It means that both the clans who agreed to it are basically in there own form of republic with each clan there own state. A full alliance has all the perks of the MPP as well, which means if one of the clans go to war with another or war is declared on another clan the alliance clan is obliged and bound by the treaty to help in any way with the defence of the clan they allied with.

That's the basic 4. There are variations of those 4 which include other ideas that each clan agrees to but they generally fall under those 4 categories. When approaching a clan for some kind of diplomatic talks it is best to actually know the clan first of all. It's no use walking into some clans boards that you don't know and ask for some kind of diplomacy treaty if neither clan actually knows each other, this is especially more true if your clan is new and is relatively unknown. The next thing to consider is when NOT to ask for a form of diplomacy...Continue to Section 2