Diplomacy

[UesugiKenshin]

Maybe human beings would be perceived to be no different than parasites and cockroaches to THEM. What we think is noble, they may think is heinous. What we think is sweet and charming, they may find cloying and nauseating. They may rue the day they met us, and feel eradication is a safer outcome.

Why? The most difficult wars are information wars where the ideas of free will and natural rights and spiritual belief and so forth infect other groups.

Cartare (whispering) "If those Terrans start an embassy and desire a cultural exchange, and perform ballet, and spread their religions, and show their cinema, it will unravel our very social cohesion. What if their fetanyl gets imported?"

[UesugiKenshin]

As the film Arrival ends, see most feel joy and hope that humans and the heptapods will enter into a thousand years of peace as they bring us technology and we end up saving them..despite causing the death of one of their diplomats.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrival_(film)

But that is Hollywood and subversive. Would you want time unlocked? You would lose surprise. Nothing would happen that you didn't already know about. You would know that a marriage would fail and that children would die or disappoint you.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gqKdf320r6Y

See, I'm not optimistic about that. That does not sound beneficial.

[UesugiKenshin]

My sweet enchanting wife kissed me first...before we even were dating. It's one of my happiest memories. But what if I knew it was going to happen? Would that surprising kiss be as thrilling?

What an extraterrestrial perceives as being beneficial and presumes fosters commonality may not be in humanity's best interest.

I can't believe it as I am playing the devil's advocate and suggesting the prime directive makes sense, when it nauseates me.

[UesugiKenshin]

The AI is quite aware of human player's abilities regarding research, wealth, troop strength, and starships versus espionage and sabotage capability as it seems to affect diplomacy.

The Rotharians have to be aware I am diplomatically sabotaging them as well as spying on them, and are powerless to do anything and hate the Omega.

The Cartare as weak as they have only twice attempted in gain to sabotage the Omega, but are strongly resisting as they have had no sabotage despite the Omega spending 15% on this. No sabotage effect at all. They actually are not a problem and are getting along which is weird.

The Omega are spying only against the Khaoran as they have pathetic sabotage capability and are curious. The Khaorans hate the Omega for spying and we probably would be at war...if it would accomplish anything, which it won't. Ordinarily they would be attacking at the slightest provocation like benign colony ships even close to their sphere of influence.

The Terrans and Heyoun seem blissfully unaware 10% espionage is being done to spy on them. The Heyoun are actually devoted to the Omega.

[UesugiKenshin]

Bullying by parking a strong fleet in a minor race's home sector can work even by demanding with no gift to sweeten the deal. It is akin to a join or else! membership.

[UesugiKenshin]

The Omega cannot properly engage in diplomacy because as a species, they think it's nonsense, but play along. This insincerity is not lost on other species and why membership is difficult in the rush period when scouts are zipping around to cause hailing and provoking diplomatic exchange.

The Omega in my testing are awful at bribery too.

This means they offer "gifts" and as long as you use my commodity manipulation systems, you have such vast wealth that you get a few space faring races...thus minor race torpedo technology which is only generally useful when extensively using the ship designer. If you are not doing that, you are not playing to your full advantage.

Then minor races offer you better treaties like membership. To do it the standard way would mean serious negative morale penalties only offset by many positive morale buildings. Beginners may have difficulties with that.

With tech you can make devastating starships if you use the ship designer and don't actually require minor race tech, but gathering every intel multiplier from minor races is VITAL. The Khaoran most need that as their species despises espionage and sabotage so they cannot properly develop it. Not 1.4 million points like the Omega.

Obviously military sabotage and internal security is the most useful.