Denouncing warmongers

[Abaxial]

If you are aiming for a domination victory, and are therefore warmongering, you actually WANT other civs to denounce you, as then you can declare formal war on them without waiting ten turns. Denouncing another civ only makes sense if you are planning to attack them. Otherwise, it's like painting a big target on your shirt.

So it's another dumb move of the AI to do it!

 

[Linklite]

If you are aiming for a domination victory, and are therefore warmongering, you actually WANT other civs to denounce you, as then you can declare formal war on them without waiting ten turns. Denouncing another civ only makes sense if you are planning to attack them. Otherwise, it's like painting a big target on your shirt.

So it's another dumb move of the AI to do it!

I think it's only 5 turns between denouncing and being able to declare war.

But yeah, it is a bit of a weakness. I do see why they included the mechanic, but the A.I. so rarely follows up that I'm not sure what they're trying to achieve.

When I first started playing, it used to make me panic a bit, thinking that had to prepare to go to war. Now it's gotten to the point that I just consider it just an annoying interruption, like the pointless demands that I give them something or other - even when I massively outgun them and almost spoiling for a fight that they cannot win. Occasionally it acts as a notification that they no longer like me, but most of the time it doesn't mean anything to me anymore.

 

[bengalryan9]

I think it's only 5 turns between denouncing and being able to declare war.

But yeah, it is a bit of a weakness. I do see why they included the mechanic, but the A.I. so rarely follows up that I'm not sure what they're trying to achieve.

When I first started playing, it used to make me panic a bit, thinking that had to prepare to go to war. Now it's gotten to the point that I just consider it just an annoying interruption, like the pointless demands that I give them something or other - even when I massively outgun them and almost spoiling for a fight that they cannot win. Occasionally it acts as a notification that they no longer like me, but most of the time it doesn't mean anything to me anymore.

Do the AI ever even bother with using cassus belli? Seems like when they do want to go to war all I've ever seen is a surprise war, and that's even after they've denounced me.

 

[Beaver79]

Do the AI ever even bother with using cassus belli? Seems like when they do want to go to war all I've ever seen is a surprise war, and that's even after they've denounced me.

Yep. It's the only reason why Canada's ability works. I've been denounced playing as him, but never declared war on. It's probably the reason the AI does this. That or just a bug.

When they denounce you it just gives grievances towards you or lowers your grievances with them, so it actually helps that they do this. Except you can't get open borders with an AI that denounced you. Unless you already had them of course.

 

[Archon_Wing]

Actually I think a bigger problem is they won't denounce you if they don't hate you; making it impossible to backstab unless they're doing a surprise war. This makes it so that Canada is actually much more effective against the AI than it should be.

But beyond the war weariness who really cares about diplomacy in a domination victory?