Starting a world war

[Vulcans]

it is logically the best thing to start a world war when you want to invade, to protect yourself from being backstabbed, to soften up your targets extra military before you attack, and to generally slow down the progress of all the AI while they all fight each other, causing chaos where you will come out with some strategic advantage.

in the guides it often says "bribe an AI declare war on another AI by giving them a technology" or something like that.


but it doesn't seem as simple as that, as all the AI have "declare war on" options marked in red.
They are just too chicken and are all full of excuses.

i was wondering if someone had worked out what are the exact required circumstances needed to make them start accepting bribes.


"we just don't like you that much" = obviously you need the friendship level to a certain level. So bribing people on my side of the religion war will probably be easier. Gifts will always work, I’m sure it’s fairly easy to calculate the relationship level where this kicks in.

“we are afraid of their military might” = what a lame excuse! I don’t care if you’re afraid, Fight them or I’ll kill you!
Don’t you understand you’re purpose? you are just cannon fodder, while I wipe them out, absolutely nothing to be afraid of.

"we have our hands full at the moment" = now that’s a chickens answer! Anyway, I want you to have your hands full so you don’t backstab me.


"we would have nothing to gain” = what do you mean you have nothing to gain? I have some REALLY nice techs I’m willing to give you.

“we couldn’t do that to our brothers of the faith” = why not, there is a price for everything. you guys have such a nice relationship, I’d like to spoil it, so our faith can come and convert you all by the sward.

What I origionally wanted to do is break up the superior might of Montezuma, Rubai, and qin shi who have this little bhuddist club thing happening on the other side of the continent, making them all fight each other to soften their army, then I come in with my Hindu brethren Huayna and saladin to convert them all by the sward.

But the bhuddist club are all too close to start fighting each other, and don’t like me for refusing any tribute, i can't even get open boarders to enlighten them with misionaries, and my wimpy Hindu friends are just too chicken to join the action.

Obviously the friendship rating is important, are there also other important factors, maybe people are more willing to accept your bribe if you have superior military force then them. are there other factors that are important before nations start accepting bribes for war? i want less excuses and more action!

My apologies if this is already written elsewhere in the forum.

Thanks

[ori]

Originally Posted by Vulcans

"we just don't like you that much" = obviously you need the friendship level to a certain level. So bribing people on my side of the religion war will probably be easier. Gifts will always work, I’m sure it’s fairly easy to calculate the relationship level where this kicks in.

Every leader has a DeclareWarRefuseAttitudeThreshold at or below which it will not consider joining a war - this is defined in the CIV4LeaderHeadInfos.xml.

Originally Posted by Vulcans

“we are afraid of their military might” = what a lame excuse! I don’t care if you’re afraid, Fight them or I’ll kill you!
Don’t you understand you’re purpose? you are just cannon fodder, while I wipe them out, absolutely nothing to be afraid of.

A civ will not declare war if the proposed target is above the iMaxWarNearbyPowerRatio or iMaxWarDistantPowerRatio

Originally Posted by Vulcans

"we have our hands full at the moment" = now that’s a chickens answer! Anyway, I want you to have your hands full so you don’t backstab me.

An AI will not trade war if it either already is engaged in a war or has already made a DoWar decision and is in the planning phase.

Originally Posted by Vulcans

"we would have nothing to gain” = what do you mean you have nothing to gain? I have some REALLY nice techs I’m willing to give you.

I am not sure when this excuse is triggered but suspect that it is also a diplomatic relations thing...

Originally Posted by Vulcans

“we couldn’t do that to our brothers of the faith” = why not, there is a price for everything. you guys have such a nice relationship, I’d like to spoil it, so our faith can come and convert you all by the sward.

This is one of the excuses given when the proposed target is at or above the DeclareWarThemRefuseAttitudeThreshold

[cabert]

Originally Posted by Vulcans

in the guides it often says "bribe an AI declare war on another AI by giving them a technology" or something like that.

It usually works.

but it doesn't seem as simple as that, as all the AI have "declare war on" options marked in red.
They are just too chicken and are all full of excuses.

maybe you didn't ask the right guy at the right moment

i was wondering if someone had worked out what are the exact required circumstances needed to make them start accepting bribes.

I'll do my best, but there is one that I just cannot understand really.

"we just don't like you that much" = obviously you need the friendship level to a certain level. So bribing people on my side of the religion war will probably be easier. Gifts will always work, I’m sure it’s fairly easy to calculate the relationship level where this kicks in.

There is a table, modelling the AIs personnalities. It's different for every leader.
Some don't care and will attack for a good bribe regardless of this, some will only fight for a good friend in need.

the table

it's the DeclareWarRefuseAttitudeThreshold row

“we are afraid of their military might” = what a lame excuse! I don’t care if you’re afraid, Fight them or I’ll kill you! Don’t you understand you’re purpose? you are just cannon fodder, while I wipe them out, absolutely nothing to be afraid of.

same table, different row iMaxWarNearbyPowerRatio or iMaxWarDistantPowerRatio


There is a threshold for DoW. They simply check their relative power (you can see the graph in the demographic advisor).
Just as above, some will attack even stronger enemies (Montezuma!), some will attack only very weak enemies (Mansa Musa).

"we have our hands full at the moment" = now that’s a chickens answer! Anyway, I want you to have your hands full so you don’t backstab me.

Yep, they already are at war or already planning to go to war. Too late, they will attack someone, and it may well be you

"we would have nothing to gain” = what do you mean you have nothing to gain? I have some REALLY nice techs I’m willing to give you.

This is the one I don't know. For me it's the same as "fear of military might" for chickens, but I'm not sure at all.

“we couldn’t do that to our brothers of the faith” = why not, there is a price for everything. you guys have such a nice relationship, I’d like to spoil it, so our faith can come and convert you all by the sward.

There is another variation on this theme : "we will never betray our closest friends" or something like that. In short, they like the target too much to attack.
Same table, different row. (DeclareWarThemRefuseAttitudeThreshold). Note that catherine would attack even her closest friend
This is the reason why it's harder to bribe the first AI into his first fight : he has friends. After a few wars, he won't have any friends anymore, and you won't even need to bribe him, he'll attack all alone.