Why EVERYONE attacks me?

[Looks like Duke]

I do not understand why at some point everyone starts attacking me, even the ones I had good relationship. I kind of understand why first couple of guys attack me (usually I reject payments or use a spy), but after a few battles everyone and their dog declares war. The game is not playable for me because of that. I have no indication that this will happen until it happens.

[Mr.Kill]

Is your military absolutely pathetic or vulnerable? because they will attack you just like any human player would if you're not doing well militarily.

[Zak0r]

Check the diplomacy screen if those attacking you have "massive troop formations" in comparison. This means they have almost twice your army strength. The AI is programmed to make use of such an opportunity if other factors like good relations, possibly backstabbing neighbours, long distance etc. don't stop them. Good relations will gradually decline if your army is much weaker because they AI will take it as you investing too much in economy and research instead of units and therefore be a threat later if you don't get stopped in your tracks.

[Ail]

While relationship is an important parameters considered by the AI whether to go to war with someone or not, it's by far not the only one!

The parameter that is responsible for having people declare war on you even if they like you and are far away is:

"Is this guy already at war and if so, how strong are the combined forces of his opponents?"

In order to prevent falling behind the AI is very opportunistic in that regard.

So if someone declares war on someone else, they won't just watch how the stronger one eats the weaker one and doubles his city-count.

Why do they do that? Because there's a high potential reward for almost no risk.

The initial declaree has a much higher risk as he can only guess how others will react. He will make sure to really have enough military for a prologued campain.

But once someone entered a war, it will usually escalate into a world-war most of the time.

The thing to prevent is the initial war-declaration. Best ways to prevent it is to try and keep up with military and to try and keep good relations with at least the ones directly adjacent.

Once someone declares on you, it usually is already too late to get out of it. Sometimes in early-game you can get out of it when there's noone around that feels like being opportunistic. But in mid-game when all factions know each other it is almost impossible.

[Looks like Duke]

I had both situations. In one game, I was weaker. In another - stronger. Still same result. Averyone attaks me within few turns.

[Ail]

Can you please describe exactly the situation in the game where you were stronger?
Best would be a savegame of the turn where the first AI declared war to analyze.
Or a screenshot showing how factions are aligned.
I'd like to know the exact circumstances.
Which faction was it that declared war first? Did they hate you? Did you found a new city directly on their border?
Did they have noone on the other side and only a border with you?
Let me have a look at the source-code real quickly and calculate it.
...
Okay, it actually is possible.

When Divine Ascension is Furious towards you, everyone else loves them, your closest city is 2 tiles away, from where the majority of their army is stationed, their army mostly consists of units with more than 2 movement (water- and aircraft) then they can theoretically think it would be a good idea to declare war.
In the same situation Heid, Yi, Schreiber and Preston would have to be at solid-military and Vermillion+Palomino would have to be at strong military.

[Ail]

@ntnsvc: You mean you declared war on the Divine Ascension and a faction that before had been generous towards you turned your back on?