"Refuses to Talk" question

[Buntaro]

Sometimes, you get a "Refuses to talk" message when you mouseover the other rulers. Usually, this is right after a war starts, or after you cut off trade because another ruler demanded it. Those I understand. They last a number of turns then go away.

However, In my present game, I have noticed that one opponent in a very long war keeps switching in and out of the "Refuses to talk" state. I can't seem to quantify when it happens, except that when I'm not interested in peace, he's willing to talk, but when I am interested in peace, he won't talk.

Are there known actions that provoke this?

 

[ShredZ]

In my last game, a similar thing happened to me, it turns out that ( i think ) after it turned off, the civ i was warring with became a vassal of another civ which then declared war on me, and it again became "refuses to talk!"

At first I just noticed the "refuses to talk!" part, and was confused, had to do some digging to figure out he became a vassal, sure with the announcement was a little more ... hmm... announced!

 

[AnitaGaribaldi]

If the AI is pillaging you and you are not able to stop it, or, if the AI is taking way your cities, it might not want peace. Once the AI was pillaging my sea resources and I could do nothing to prevent it. While I haven't built some ships to destroy its ships, and I haven't sent a caravel into his territory, it was "refuses to talk!". You have to annoy him, pillage and/or raze some cities, make clear that it will lose a lot being in war with you. A war ally helps. You might just look weak to it. If it proposes peace, the price can be high, once was a city for me . If you are in war against more than one AI, it's harder to get peace.

 

[Remberido]

I do agree with Garibaldi... as long as you're not capable of posing a treat against the AI, they're no way going to change their policy of "refuse to talk"