Making the AI start a war

[shayovitz]

Hello guys.

I haven't seen anyone post anything about this, so here goes. I'm looking for ways to fight the AI but not be the one to declare the war. I have tried to make the Persians furious at me, and they were, but they only asked me to withdraw my forces, they never actually declared war. I got tired after a few tries, and I finally declared.

Do you have any tips on making the AI the one that declares war ? All the civs in my game are so peaceful, I want to make things more alive.
It's so important, especially being the strong Democracy I am, to have the AI declare war and get saved from some war weariness.

Thanks.

[Alex 14]

Sign a trade embargo against them, keep demanding tribute and keep demanding they withdraw - this should be a start.

[Monoriu]

I haven't been successful at provoking a war but then I haven't tried hard. If I really want the AI to declare war on me, here is what I will do as a start:

Plant spies.
Keep trespassing with military units near their important cities. Do it in a large scale like advancing 30 infantry, 30 artillery, and 10 cavalry toward their capital. Act like its already a war. Ignore all demands to withdraw them. Refuse to see their envoys.
Keep demanding insane tributes like all their cities.
keep demanding them withdraw their forces
Sign trade embargoes against them
Help their enemies and neighbours in every way you can: give free techs, cheap resource and luxury deals etc
Send several suicide workers inside their territory as baits
Send units to occupy their strategic resource/luxury tiles.

[MarshalN]

I haven't really tried, but from my experience, sending units/workers in next to the targeted enemy's offensive units seems to be the best way. If you see a horseman of theirs somewhere, put a defenseless unit next to them, and sometimes they'll take the bait.

Best way is to keep a small army, and they'll bully you and ask you to give them stuff. You refuse, they declare. Simple. But that's running a risk

[shayovitz]

Sounds great, thanks!
More! More! Keep 'em comin'!

[Monoriu]

Well, when I think about it, maybe someone figured out the 99999999 gold trick this way, they were just trying to provoke a war

[23 Skidoo]

I've seen this four times now: drop a new city right in the middle of a rival civ's territory, either in their borders, or in free areas hemmed in by their borders. it especially seems to tick them off if your new city takes over what used to be one of their strategic resources or luxuries, or cuts off trade routes. This doesn't always work, but if you keep pressing them, eventually they'll declare war.

In two instances, civs that were only medieval declared war on me, and I was modern.