How long does a cease fire last?

[rjmatsleepers]

I thought a cease fire lasted 16 turns. But yesterday, after I captured Paris, the French offered a cease fire which I accepted. I completed my turn and in the next French turn I got a message saying the cease fire had expired - less than one complete turn.

Was I just unlucky or is this a well known AI "cheat"?

RJM at Sleepers

[DaveV]

The AI seem to have considerable flexibility in whether or not they observe their treaties. In the most irritating case, they can cancel the treaty on their side while you are still obliged to observe it. You are told "we are at peace with the Romans" if you try to attack, but you are not given the option to demand a withdrawal of troops.

To answer your question directly, I recall that cease fires last a random 8-16 turns.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by DaveV
The AI seem to have considerable flexibility in whether or not they observe their treaties.

Lol, succinctly put.

[Gatekeeper]

Originally posted by DaveV
The AI seem to have considerable flexibility in whether or not they observe their treaties. In the most irritating case, they can cancel the treaty on their side while you are still obliged to observe it. You are told "we are at peace with the Romans" if you try to attack, but you are not given the option to demand a withdrawal of troops.

To answer your question directly, I recall that cease fires last a random 8-16 turns.

I've found that when the AI civilization does that to you — i.e., letting its peace treaty "expire" with you due to lack of contact or whatever formula determines that — you can attack it w/o any damage to your reputation. The same goes for cease-fires, and I've had a "one-turn" cease-fire end w/it expiring during my turn on a rare occasion.

Gatekeeper

[ramses II.]

A cease fire or peace treaty lasts until you press enter ....

[Bloody Monk]

Originally posted by ramses II.
A cease fire or peace treaty lasts until you press enter ....

It seems to especially happen that way when YOU really need a respite.

Monk

[Scouse Gits]

Originally posted by DaveV
The AI seem to have considerable flexibility in whether or not they observe their treaties. In the most irritating case, they can cancel the treaty on their side while you are still obliged to observe it. You are told "we are at peace with the Romans" if you try to attack, but you are not given the option to demand a withdrawal of troops.

To answer your question directly, I recall that cease fires last a random 8-16 turns.

This situation - peace, but no ability to demand tribute - seems to be certain indicator of the AI's intent to sneak attack on the turn!

SG[1]

[rah]

Originally posted by Scouse Gits
This situation - peace, but no ability to demand tribute - seems to be certain indicator of the AI's intent to sneak attack on the turn!
SG[1]

Yes, that has been postulated and accepted as a quasi-truth.

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

Yet another reason to keep in close contact with the AIs via the diplomacy screen... you get an early warning when the sneak attack is coming. Plus, you may provoke war... and it's always better to do that during your turn then during the AI's.

[Caesar the Great]

never trust the AI, they have no reputation

[Gatekeeper]

Actually, the AI's reputation *is* affected from time to time when it violates cease-fires and peace treaties ... but it seems to only take a hit when it does so within a few turns of such agreements.

Gatekeeper

[Bloody Monk]

And if you have a senate to consider, it seems like you don't get overruled as often against an AI that has repeatedly broken treaties, cease fires. If that is true then the AI does take reputation hits.

Monk

[My Wife Hates CIV]

I have found that the AI will break cease fires more often when it is allied with other AI civ's against you. The more allied AI civs it has (against you) the more often it will break them and in less time.

I think the AI is doing what probably most of us do. If I'm attacking an AI civ and all of a sudden they throw in a cease fire it can slow an attack. Contact another CIV which is currently at war with the first AI and the message I always get first is 'Lets teach them a lesson' or something like that.

If you are not at peace or allied with someone who is at war with the CIV just pay someone off to declare war with them. Pop back into diplomacy and the question 'teach them a lesson' comes up.

So, this maybe is what the AI is doing. ?? dunno, just a guess.

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

Sounds reasonable, MWHC.

The trick to diplomacy is waiting for the time when you can't demand tribute or demand withdrawal (of course, you can't demand withdrawal until the first turn after a peace treaty). At that moment, you contact their enemy and agree to declare war. That way, the breaking of the peace happens on your turn, not the AI's.

[rah]

Yes, always better on your turn, Since the AI gets a sneak attack bonus against you, and you don't against them.