                              Concept : Treaties

 Treaties in Empire are used to help limit the actions  of  nations  generally
relating to the conduct of war and the building of war materials.

To effect a treaty, a nation must execute the offer command.  The  offer  com-
mand defines the length and conditions of the treaty.  The nation to which the
treaty is offered can either sign or reject the treaty.  When  the  treaty  is
signed,  enforcement  starts  immediately  and continues until the treaty time
expires.

Each update consists of a fixed number of  ETUs  --  currently  defaulting  to
around 16, though this value can be easily changed by the Deity.  Each update,
all signed treaties have their "time  remaining"  fields  decremented  by  the
amount of ETUs per update.  Each treaty whose time has run out is deleted.

Treaty clauses can affect many different aspects of the game.  Treaty  clauses
can
        prohibit attack         commands affected

        sectors                 attack,

                              Concept : Treaties

                                assault,
                                bomb (sectors),
                                fire,
                                launch (conventional)
                                paradrop,
                                shell
        shipping                engage,
                                board,
                                bomb (ships)
        planes                  bomb (planes)
        missiles                bomb (missiles)
        spacecraft              bomb (spacecraft)

        prohibit construction   commands affected

        ships                   build
        planes                  build
        missiles                build
        nuclear weapons         build
        spacecraft              build

                              Concept : Treaties

        prohibit action         commands affected

        nuclear detonations     launch (nuclear),
                                bomb (nuclear)
        spacecraft launch       orbit
        minelaying              mine

Unfortunately, while treaties are useful instruments when both  parties  actu-
ally  wish to hold to the clauses of the treaty, they are not of much use when
either nation chooses to abrogate them.  Either party to a treaty can  at  any
time  decide  to  ignore any and all provisions of the treaty.  Each violation
will be noted and reported by the Empire Newshounds, but beyond  the  negative
publicity  generated by such bad faith, no penalty is assessed by the game for
treaty-breakers.

Also, at any point during the life of a treaty,  either  side  can  choose  to
force the treaty to expire earlier by executing the abrogate command.

As in the real world, treaties are only as good as the signatories.

                              Concept : Treaties

See also (concept) : nation, update.  See also (commands) :  abrogate,  offer,
reject, retract, sign, treaty.

