How do you actually make a federation?

[Strifeboy]

Ive always ignored it because you get a -50 base and idk how on earth you overcome that with good relations?

[Lumen]

You pick the talent, get very good standings with them and then you invite them.
The tooltip on the invite button shows what standings you need and in the invite screen you get a raw score how likely it it that they accept.
Just give it a try, play a game on very fast and you can have a federation up in 5-10 minutes unless you are very unlucky boxed by xenophobes.

[Tiasmoon]

Empire's opinion of you will change for each treaty you have with them (it accumulates over time). You can also trade them for (their) favors, and use those to get +5 each for a max of +50.

[CrUsHeR]

Obviously you can increase their opinion by having envoys improve relations.
Getting regular treaties will also build up trust, which is further opinion.

You can boost their opinion instantly by up to +100, by sending them a gift with an acceptance of exactly 100 (sending more is a waste because 100 is the opinion cap).

Mostly they also don't like your war policy (offensive wars allowed/forbidden), which can also be fixed by changing that for the federation invitation, and changing it back 10 years later.
But only change that if your intel level clearly states this in the acceptance - changing this blindly will have the opposite effect if they are okay with your current war policy already.

Lastly you can get up to 10 favors, each giving +5 acceptance for any interaction.
This is usually very cheap because the AI is always starving for strategic resources later in the game. And early game, something like 1000 food might be enough already.

So you just need at least -49 acceptance, then with 10 favors you can invite them.

[Strifeboy]

My biggest issue is the -50 base acceptance, why is it so high to start a federation, I dropped 100 opinion worth of trade goods on them and they already love me to the max of what it will go. We do have a distance negative modifier but it doesn't change anything. Like, they are pathetic in all areas compared to me and I get bonuses for it. Its confusing why I already need to be so op to win this game by myself to form a federation.

[Tiasmoon]

You dont have to be op, you just need good relations with them.

[HyperKnight]

Federation is meant for equals, just vassalize them.
And distance matters, so if they aren't close it may be the deciding factor.

[Strifeboy]

Originally posted by Tiasmoon:

You dont have to be op, you just need good relations with them.

good relations with trade only gets you max around 40 and its not enough for the -50 base to federate. Do you know how much xenophile effects acceptance cause I'm thinking of abandoning this game as its 100 years in and I can't do what i want?

[HyperKnight]

Originally posted by Strifeboy:

I'm thinking of abandoning this game as its 100 years in and I can't do what i want?

Be content with AI not doing with you what it wants.

[Strifeboy]

Originally posted by Neckbeard:

Originally posted by Strifeboy:

I'm thinking of abandoning this game as its 100 years in and I can't do what i want?

Be content with AI not doing with you what it wants.

Never, they will love me and make a federation with me if they like it or not!

[Tiasmoon]

Then you could try reading what we wrote, and doing that.

[HyperKnight]

You can check your factions and see if you can embrace Xenophile.

[Strifeboy]

Originally posted by Tiasmoon:

Then you could try reading what we wrote, and doing that.

Alright, Im bad at this game, thanks for your first post that i miss understood about trading for their favours not mine to join federations. I had no idea you could do that and it was driving me insane trying to get over that -50 base, thanks again.

[Peter34]

One thing to note is that the acceptance value shown is for a standard type Federation. AI empires with the Erudite Explorer personality will be 10 points more willing if you propose a research-type Federation. Thus, if acceptance is at -8 or -9, they might say yes to some variant (depending on personality). And as others have said, you can use Favours too, to compensate for minor reluctance.