I edited it for you because i thought it was a neat idead. I think you meant this:

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I noticed that there are a few people that seem to want more uses for the sphere of influence, but it seems that since they play civ4, a land game, they always immediately just copy that idea as a suggestion . But after all, outerspace is vastly huge so you can't enforce it.

Now as you know, countries can require foreigners to do certain things before entering their territory. In order to enforce it, you have to catch them, so they get the picture that they have to follow your country's rules if want to come in. There are many different requirements to have.

Now how does this apply to outer space? After all it is vastly larger a then planet. But wait! You have forgotten that the Terran Alliance invented the Hyperdrive engine. So spaceships that are built can enforce rules in the sphere of influence if they can get to those that decided not follow the rules, catching them in the act.

Now the closer a relationship you have to another race, the better chances that they are going to follow the rules you set for them. Also, Races that are good aligned are more like follow your rules (if not at war with them). Also be aware that if you don’t follow other races rules your alignment rating goes down to a certain point. And also at a certain point it can raise your alignment. Also relations with a race can go up if you follow their rules or down by breaking them to show trustworthiness or untrustworthiness.

What kind of laws can you put on foreigners entering your sphere of influence? Well obviously: No trespassing, Limit to only certain kinds of ships, Tax all or on certain ships.
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However, I see two problems.

1. It's too much for the AI to handle.
2. Influence borders are different from military controls. In a system where sphere of influence is the same as zone of control, you'd have restrictions on ships and taxes within your own system. You'd need a seperate border system, because sphere of influence is solely a cultural measure, and can't be used for anything else under the current usage.

I don't want Cultural border to equal the Political border. Influence is a very fliud element in GCII as it changes from week to week sometimes. Political Borders are much more rigid on those same timeframes in that they don't change from week to week. I also don't want the same thing that Civ 4 does, because well, thats a different game.

What I would like as a solution would be to extend the diplomacy screen so that you can create treaties with AI civs for control over specific sectors (or parts of sectors maybe). I outlined this idea in another, similar post elsewhere, so I won't go too deep.

Essentially, you get to use diplomacy to negotiate for specific rights/activities and control over a specified sector or sectors. These treaties only affect those AIs that are specified in the treaty. This allows even the UP to have some different votes on sector allocations/rules.

So you could have a treaty that limits the Drengin from travel thru sector 5, 5 and the Korx have trade passage rights for a nominal fee and the Altairans have free reign because no treaty has been specified yet.

The UP could meet and vote on a resolution that would limit trade tarrifs thru controlled sectors to a) 1BC 2BC c) 5BC or d) 0BC.

To those that talk about how "this is space" and "vast distances". I would like to remind you that early in the game I can build a ship that can zip across a whole sector in 1 week, not to mention that the planetary systems in this game show planets several parsecs away from their suns, which of course is ludicrous. As far as "how would you enforce borders?", please refer to my comment above about my ship and then put some sensors in the area (or Eyes) and, like borders on our own world, each nation is responsible for policing their own. If an AI violates your Treaty, you can start a trade embargo or go to war, etc.

The diplomacy screen is one of the pieces of the game that could have alot of new features added to make the game that much more entertaining.

Cheers,
Reaver

1. It's too much for the AI to handle.

As this not really that hard for simply going to ship that does not pay border price then tell pay or else. With what laws use more how evil race is.

2. Influence borders are different from military controls. In a system where sphere of influence is the same as zone of control, you'd have restrictions on ships and taxes within your own system. You'd need a seperate border system, because sphere of influence is solely a cultural measure, and can't be used for anything else under the current usage.

Actual that why should use for measurement for add more careful planning to becafe don't happen or to get out of it. Actual recall influnce border is also call ownership check name by minimap symbol. So, actual the influence border its by defualts yours, so you should be able set rules in it.
Though like revise part about enforce it. One set different for each race you know about. First step is be able click ship that not complied and say ask complied or kick out. If turn goes by and they don't do that then destroy ship and war less like to happendue last commucation might got them who kill them. Though for this to work then war declared without good reason should make more evil.
The good reason would be list of offense that other race did to you. So you have to be more careful then out right decareing war.
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Reaver idea use sound good and simpler then my idea. Actual is realistic in way. but more think about more realise why for instanced would race agread no trespassing or fact any other type treaty?
Whole certain sector where treaty would start confuseing when star make lot of them(Special most bigest galexy map).

Sorry about that quixotecoyote but saddly english is my main launage. At the moment I really do not feel like rereading it, to correct error that I have in it.