defense treaty

[martindo]

I think the brief discussion in the online manual is clear as far as it goes: if you have a pact and either of you attacks another player, the pact dissolves.

Sometimes it seems that if you have a pact with TWO AI, only one will come to your aid, which then dissolves all pacts. Other times, both will assist you.

I also recall being attacked by two and pact with one, which only helped me by declareing war on the first AI that attacked me, not the second.

Probably more significant: if you sign a defense pact AFTER someone declares war on you but BEFORE you attack any of their units, it seems that the pact is meaningless -- it only protects you against ANOTHER AI piling on by declaring war a couple turns later. True?

Is there a set of clear rules on this posted anywhere?

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

Probably more significant: if you sign a defense pact AFTER someone declares war on you but BEFORE you attack any of their units, it seems that the pact is meaningless -- it only protects you against ANOTHER AI piling on by declaring war a couple turns later. True?

Yep, that's what a defensive pact is. It obliges the signatories to fight together when either of them has a war declared upon them FROM THE MOMENT (OR TURN) the pact was signed. It doesn't take into account any ongoing conflicts from before the pact.

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

I also recall being attacked by two and pact with one, which only helped me by declareing war on the first AI that attacked me, not the second.

Maybe they had an active peace treaty with the second? I don't know whether a peace treaty would override a defensive pact, but I think it should, because that's how it works in the Paradox games

 

[martindo]

Maybe they had an active peace treaty with the second? I don't know whether a peace treaty would override a defensive pact, but I think it should, because that's how it works in the Paradox games

That could be true. It should override. There is enough chaos with "backstabbed you" and false flag "x is planning to invade your city".