In this world, most civilizations will not automatically be hostile to you, though they may have various inclinations towards war. A civilization that describes itself as an army or horde will probably be more warlike than a republic or megacorporation.

Unlike the vanilla game, each civilization near you is likely to send a caravan, including civilizations which share the same species. This may seem overwhelming at first, and in a sense, it is. There are far too many neighbors for you to make all of them happy. Not without constantly paying tribute to all of them and leaving very little for yourself.

So, it is recommended that you study the borders of your civilization carefully. Try to determine which neighbors are strong, and which are weak. Remember, a war doesn't just affect you. If your actions start a conflict, other sites in your civilization will be targeted, and you can't save them all. Try to keep the most powerful factions on your side, and if you have to send someone away empty-handed, let it be the groups you think you can defend yourself from, or plan to conquer later.