Hi

ok seriously suggest a quick skim over section 3 and 17-19 of the manual. Skip the details for now but they should give you some feeling for how it all slots together

More specifically:

1) raise relations, best route is by sending money, but sometimes you can get a low odds chance of a co-op ...

I've played this game for around an hour or two and I've enjoyed it a bit, but there is a lot I don't understand.

For one, and probably the most important, diplomacy, other than the trait, how do I improve my odds of a cooperation or anything happening?

Secondly combat, even when I have armies ...