Why does the AI declare war?

It kind of surprises me that, with all the great articles in the war academy, there is nothing about why the AI attacks.

So I was wondering what people thought or if anyone had done any digging.

I assume that factors include:

Military power (an AI with a larger military than you is more likely to attack)
Attitude (a furious AI is more likely to attack)
Score (an AI with a lower score is likely to see you as a threat, an AI with a higher score may see you as an opportunity)
Strategic/luxury resources (an AI without oil may attack you to get it)
Need to expand.
The UU - it seems that AI's often get into wars when their UU is available.
AI Aggressiveness level (Bismark is more likely to attack than Joan)

These things interplay, though. I was reading someone (sorry - dont' remember who) who tried a no military approach. It didn't work on lower levels, perhaps because they were ahead in score but weak in military, but worked on Deity, because they were behind in score - basically, they were no threat to AI.

Anyone looked into how these things interplay?

 

No, but I completely backed into my only Diplo win, with no wars at all, on Warlord or Regent, some lower level. I just didn't have to fight, and didn't try to expand, simply went for space race, and, when UN became available, everyone showered me with lipstick kisses. Honestly, I don't recall the civ - likely either Maya or Greek.

Joe

 

@Automated Teller all of the reasons you mentioned have to do with the AI warring. I also find there are certain civs that are more aggressive than others. IE Japan, Portugal (for some reason), Rome, Mayans, Aztecs etc. The UU and militaristic trait seems to also contribute to this.
Here's a very entertaining story by a player who is truly "rare air" Charis.
This thread is a game where Charis did not build one military unit the whole game (unfortunately the pictures are gone from the spoiler ).

Mongolian Peackeepers

For flair he chose a militaristic nation to boot.
Final score: 2688 Emperor level Diplomatic win.
Great Wonders: Hanging Gardens, Universal Suffrage, United Nations.
Diplomatic Victory for the Ultrapacifist, 1665AD

 

Why does the AI declare war?

"Those who turn their swords into plows, plow for those who don't!"

I read that in a sig somewhere on this forum

 

You know; AI = Atavistic Instinct. Dogs and such. If you run away from a dog, the chase and catch instinct kicks in.

 

The AI declares war because the AI races are barbaric backward dogs, and it is our duty to civilise them; at sword and gun point if necessary (as it often is).

*goosesteps into Sumeria*

[EDIT: honestly, I don't know what factors into an AI's decision to go to war. Usually when an AI's at war in my game, it's because I've invaded them. Also, they often declare on my when I refuse to give in to their demands for a sum of gold or a technology.]

 

I've always been curious about this... the AI seems to declare war at the stupidest times.

 

i am convinced, though i'm not sure how to prove it, that the ai declares war much more frequently on a civ with a bad reputation. this alone is an excellent reason to maintain your own rep. but it is also a reason to mess with the ai's rep. this can be done for example by making alliances with them when you go to war with a third party, and then watching them break their deals to honor the brand new alliances.

 

Remember that the AI never "thinks" more than one turn in advance. So it only bases its decision on whether or not to go to war on the immediate situation and what it thinks it can get out of it. So you may have perfect relations with a neighbor, and have enough military to pound them into the dust, but they'll still ROP rape you and declare war just to take one city that you've left ungarrisoned. But yeah, I assume that most of the other factors play into the "decision" as well.

 

Who needs to civilize them... its better to use their cities to your advantage

 

Not *your* advantage. The advantage of the whole world.

 

due to AI stopidety, this actually works in its disadvantage.

 

I believe the emotional attitude also tends to have long term prejudice. If you had previous wars, even in the distant past, it will tend to stick, especially if you razed that civ's city. I had that happen after I culture-flipped a city with the other civ's citizens. I didn't like the location, and razed it, and instantly that leader was furious (But it wasn't his city?) (I had been culture-flipping others of his cities, and giving him free gifts to keep him cautious or better, but that one raze pissed him off completely).

The best strategy for good relations is to always placate, and not attack unless you reckon you will eventually fight them to their very last city. A good strategy is to try to give freebies and alliances to the countries on other continents that you don't meet. They're more agreeable.
The guys on your starting continent are usually the ones you should eliminate or keep under your thumb. An anecdotal experience is even friendly passive-aggressive blockading of an AI civ's expansion is likely to get them to get angry and declare war. Possibly you could pre-empt it with embassies and free gifts, but they might not warn you.

 

Actually, I love this part of the game. I once was playing as the Celts. Against me, all that remained were the Greeks and the Chinese. The Greeks and Chinese fought a huge war, which China lost, big time. The Chinese were knocked down to one costal city with three people in it, and for some reason they could never grow.
About 100 years after the war ended, out of the blue, China declares on me. ME! With the most enormous military might in the world (I had just crushed the Greeks benieth my jackboot of doom). One city... against about 60!
Mao was gone in two turns.

AIs aren't logical, or rational. Sometimes, they appear completely mad. God, They're funny sometimes.