Diplomacy is Not an Option

Diplomacy is Not an Option is a base-building real-time strategy game set in a medieval fantasy world. Players defend a castle against very large hordes of enemies, with more than 25,000 attacking on procedurally generated maps. The story casts the player in a conflict with a spendthrift king, where peasants are revolting over unfair taxes. The player can suppress the rebellion or join it, and encounters the Sarranga tribe and an Undead faction along the way.

Defence relies on building fortifications, raising armies and managing an economy based on food, wood, stone, iron and gold. Arrows, catapult stones and launched enemies are physically modelled, so towers, lines of sight, gates and kill-zones affect how battles play out. Players also look after their population by farming, building houses, burying the dead to prevent plague and treating the infected. Trade is handled through a merchant dirigible that delivers emergency supplies. Magic is part of the game too, with magical monuments, soul crystals, fireballs, magical beams and summoned ghosts, as well as an active pause spell. Battles can be played in real time or with frequent pausing.

The game offers four modes: Endless Mode, Story Campaign, Challenge Mode and Sandbox Mode. A Map Editor lets players create their own scenarios. Different strategies are supported, such as building walls early, fielding large armies or concentrating on economic growth.