[quote=Dannaroo]
How is diplomacy with npc nations handled? Do all diplomatic actions require orders or just treaties? How are npc attitudes toward players decided? Is it just by rolls? or gm discretion? Is the historical relationship between the two nations taken into account?
[/quote]

I believe that Diplomacy is handled by contacting Outcast. He takes the role of the NPC nation. Orders I believe depend on the type of treaty. For example, declaration of War has taken no orders; but I know giving territory/trade/training requires orders. 

As for the rest I'm not certain. I imagine that Outcast does his best to take historical relationships into account, but I think that with all the PC Nations involved that he does not really mess with them unless a PC player directly effects it.