Darius is a funny guy.

[Sherlock]

The Persians were expanding too much near me so I took two of their cities.

For peace I asked for another city, which they gave me. It wasn't much of a city and didn't do me much good.

Some time later Darius and I are friends, trading, etc. I sell him back his city for 1600 gold.

Very next turn up pops Darius who says, 'Things have been tight around here lately, can you give me 1600 gold? I'd appreciate it'.

Pretty funny.

 

[Bandersnatching]

Oh god, I hate it when that sort of thing happens.
"Hey, things aren't going so well around here right now. Can you give me 300$ so I can enter a research agreement with the player you're currently at war with? No, I won't pay you back. If you ask for help, or refuse my request, I'll just denounce you later, thus ruining your reputation. K thx bye."

 

[joncnunn]

The Persians were expanding too much near me so I took two of their cities.

For peace I asked for another city, which they gave me. It wasn't much of a city and didn't do me much good.

Some time later Darius and I are friends, trading, etc. I sell him back his city for 1600 gold.

Very next turn up pops Darius who says, 'Things have been tight around here lately, can you give me 1600 gold? I'd appreciate it'.

Pretty funny.

Time to take out the time machine and either not sell back the city or immediately spend the cash the same turn.

Large amounts of cash attract DOF requests.

But you'd have been better off NOT making the DOF to begin win. In addition to those requests all DOF does is make their enemies yours.

 

[binhthuy71]

The one-sided nature of DoFs, along with the fact that they do little to counter negative diplo modifiers, is why I stopped signing them. They just seem like a method for your "friends" to relieve you of money and resources. A non-allied CS can request units in time of war and, depending on my goals, I'll provide them. On the other hand, if you are attacked then your options under a DoF are the same as those without one; try to bribe your "friends" into DoWing on your opponent or going it alone. A DoF has never seemed to have any influence on whether or not a "friend" would join me in a war.

To me, DoFs are another potentially excellent, but sadly broken aspect of diplomacy in Civ 5.

 

[Bandersnatching]

I've found that DOF's can be very useful when used for science/cultural victories, as you try to spend your money as quickly as you can get it. I still hold by what I said in my last post, but if you play it right, making DOF's can be relatively painless. I think that they're best when you build up to 4 cities, don't have really close neighbors, and have spare luxuries and stuff that you can appease them with. It really sucks when, the turn you connect your second luxury, they ask for it before you can do anything with it. But the benefit is not going to war with somebody when you can't afford to/don't want to.

 

[thadian]

DoF in my opinion is only good for assigning a diplo hit. If you know an AI is about to attack you soon, and they are willing to sign one, they get a diplo hit with other AI for betraying a friend.

However the AI's will never hate him enough to deny a research agreement, the AI simply plays under a different set of rules. Its like playing Axis and Allies as Japan when your germany friend attacks russia with all infantry and no tanks then builds a first turn navy, thus leaving europe to be eaten by russia and britan. Once you come to japans turn, you are now alone against an entire team!

Or with the A&A comparison imagine your friend playing Germany accepts a cigarette from the England player to empty west europe and not attack russia. By making these bribes, they are playing under a different rule set than yours, have fun trying to play.