How to get defensive pacts?

[Recursive]

I am betting that the way forward would be to understand that there are some valid strategies, and then " roll a die" for each AI, and pick one, at a few different points in the game..maybe every following era after DP is discovered. If the strategies given by the table plus the die roll are compatible, then the AIs will form DPs, or ask the player for a DP.
Super challenging though to come up with such a table of valid strategies. It is not anywhere near as simple as what i suggested, either. It will also depend on relative geographic location, and potentially even UA and policy choice. For instance, aztecs and assyrians have to play as sharks ..uh, i was going to say "swim or die" , but really it is about eating. Aztecs need to constantly be killing units, and assyrians need to capture cities. There are other civs in a similar position.

You see the problems, I'm sure. This is too vague to be actionable.

 

[JamesNinelives]

I've never gone out of my way to get defensive pacts, but I still get offered them. If I had to guess I would say it's just a combination of military power, accruing positive dilpo modifiers and avoiding negative ones. Especially in the most recent beta I've seen a lot of them. Probably my game settings help. You're not likely to get a DP with someone you have a border dispute with, so larger maps mean more potentially friendly civs. Might also be that I tend to play on a difficulty that I can win without making enemies of everyone as well.

The problem is if you have a big enough army you don't really need a pact

Sometimes, but I'd say there is a very important middle ground. Just because you can defend yourself doesn't mean having help when you have to isn't extremely useful.

Even if you do not need them, when AIs approach you for DPs they usually give you stuff for it. Maybe they should start making DP offers in your favour (i.e. they're stronger than you militarily), but with a cost?

They actually do at the moment. I remember Ghandi offering me a DP and asking for most of my wealth in exchange. He was weaker than me at the time too, kinda funny.

Seems that the current system is very anti-human.

Only in the sense that it's easier for the AI to spam offers. It's not as bad at the moment either, because the AI is much more assertive about offering you things. I've seen more DP offers in the last couple of betas than in any previous version.