Reasons why AI doesn't want to be bribed into a war

[TheNoseKnows]

Sometimes the AI will refuse any attempts on my part to bribe it into a war, even when the prerequisite diplomatic conditions are met.

They usually say "We would have nothing to gain", but on rare occasions also "We have our reasons". I know that "We have our reasons" is used to deny you technology when they want to build an associated wonder, but using it as an excuse not to go to war strikes me as odd.

Could someone explain those reasons to me, especially the second one?

 

[lymond]

I don't have the answers to all your questions, but you might find this Strategy article useful in determining if you have the minimum conditions met:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/civ-illustrated-1-know-your-enemy.478563/

There's one bit in there for each character about "bribing into war" the required diplomatic attitude that leader has with you and with the target.

I'm not learned with respect to the coding of other conditions, and honestly don't recall seeing the "We have our reasons' message in terms of bribing. Someone with more insight on the coding may chime in here. I do think the peace weights probably factor, as some leaders are just more inclined to want to fight than others. Also, I'm pretty sure distance is a factor, as an AI that otherwise meets the diplo conditions, will more likely be attracted to fighting a nearby or bordering enemy than one that is farther away or on a different continent or land mass. I'm pretty sure that factors into the "We have nothing to gain" response.

(oh.probably good idea to confirm which Civ version you are playing - like BTS, as there may be some differences in conditions)

I can only guess at the "We have our reasons" thing. Possibly the AI has a conflicting agenda, mode or objective at the moment. For instance, they are still in the "expansion" mode in the very early parts of the game. Like they need X number of cities or a certain overall power rating to be bribable. Or their war exhaustion is still too high from a previous war.

I would highly suspect that, while the "We have nothing to gain" thing - which is not uncommon to see - could last a long time, the "We have our reasons" is probably a more temporary condition, so I would keep checking that out each turn.