Treaties are formal agreements between factions that provide mutual benefits and steadily improve relations. Treaties form a chain — each one requires the previous treaty as a prerequisite, and a minimum relationship score to propose.
Treaty Chain
- Peace Treaty: Ends active warfare. Can be proposed during war. Requires score of -20 or higher. Both factions withdraw fleets from each other's territory.
- Non-Aggression Pact: A formal pledge to avoid military action. Requires Peace Treaty and score of +15.
- Open Borders: Allows free movement and settlement in each other's territory. Requires Non-Aggression Pact and score of +20.
- Trade Agreement: Full economic partnership providing +5 credits per turn to each side. Requires Open Borders and score of +30.
Treaty Benefits
Each active treaty provides a per-turn relationship bonus that keeps the score trending upward. Stacking multiple treaties creates a strong, self-reinforcing partnership. Open borders also provide additional goodwill beyond the base treaty drift.
Treaty Collapse & Violations
If your relationship score drops too far below a treaty's required threshold, that treaty automatically collapses. Declaring war while treaties are active incurs severe violation penalties — a -40 score hit plus a combat effectiveness penalty that lasts for 10 turns. Break treaties at your own peril.
Proposals & Cooldowns
After proposing or receiving a treaty, there is a 5-turn cooldown before another proposal can be made with that faction. After signing a peace treaty, a 10-turn cooldown prevents either side from immediately re-declaring war.