Question about peace treaties

[QuantumEleven]

I browsed these boards for awhile looking for an answer to this, and I couldn't find it - if I missed it and it's already been answered somewhere else then I apologise!

Anyway, here goes - I'm playing C3C 1.15, and I was recently introduced to the fact that you can view currently active agreements with other Civs in the Foreign Advisor screen (which is incredibly helpful!). Now, with some Civs, I have a peace treaty that seems to last 20 turns (or at least it's got a number in brackets after it, which I interpret as the number of turns left until the agreement expires), and others that don't seem to expire at all. Can anyone explain the difference between these two? Could it be that the 20-turn peace treaties are the ones signed after a war, while the other ones are the ones that exist after first contact...? Is there any way to sign a "permanent" peace treaty with another Civ, or can you only sign a treaty lasting 20 turns?

Thanks in advance for all your help! These boards are great

 

[marioh]

20 turn treaties are after war. If you don't have GPT/ROP/MPP/luxuries/resources attached with the peace treaty, then it will automatically renew until war is re-declared by either party.

 

[Taé Shala]

If you sign a peace-treaty with a civ it will last until you or the other declares war. The turns in brackets only show that there will be a reputation penalty if you break the treaty within the remaining turns.

 

[tomart109]

To simplify: the ones without a number in brackets, are ongoing. It's either someone you never had war with, or peace has lasted at least 20 turns; either way, it's the status quo now. No penalty for declaring war (unless there's some other treaty or you have a unit in their territory.)

Think of a peace treaty with a number as within the 20-turn 'probation' period: if it's broken, there's a penalty.

 

[QuantumEleven]

Wow - thanks for all the quick replies! That's answered my question, cheers!