While modern games often feature complex diplomacy, classic arcade machines handled dynamic systems through clever design limitations. They utilized branching narrative structures, where player choices at key junctures triggered predefined diplomatic states using finite state machines. Resource constraints like ROM space dictated the scope, leading to binary or limited-alignment outcomes (e.g., ally/enemy). Player actions—such as sparing foes or completing objectives—altered variables tracked via score or hidden flags, shifting NPC behaviors and unlocking paths. This created the illusion of fluid diplomacy within hardware limits, emphasizing replayability through consequential, if simplified, choices.