What use do defensive pacts have?

[Dregora]

So i'm new to the franchise and in every game in early game there are always pacts formed, defensive pacts, against me. Are these merely a way to make sure I won't attack one of them? I assume if I attack one of them that is part of the pact, all included in the pact will declare war on me.

I'm asking because there's one against me right now and one of my friends that I have friendly relationships with, also joined it. So i'm not sure if I should worry or if it's more of a ''don't you dare attack us'' type of thing.

[Lighthope]

Originally posted by Dregora:

So i'm new to the franchise and in every game in early game there are always pacts formed, defensive pacts, against me. Are these merely a way to make sure I won't attack one of them?

Yup.

I'm asking because there's one against me right now and one of my friends that I have friendly relationships with, also joined it. So i'm not sure if I should worry or if it's more of a ''don't you dare attack us'' type of thing.

Yeah, I was always confused about that. But even a county with good relations can be part of a defense pact against you.

[Chompers]

Like 8 nations around me joined a defensive pact against my Kingdom, and I am very intimidated lol

[tudyniuz]

They just don't like you.

[Shanomach]

Originally posted by Chompers:

Like 8 nations around me joined a defensive pact against my Kingdom, and I am very intimidated lol

Increase relations with them. Were you bullying them and/or just much bigger?

[Dregora]

Originally posted by tudyniuz:

They just don't like you.

That's the thing, even the guy i'm very friendly with, had a NAP with, trade agreement etc, joined it. It sounds like your relationships with them isn't super relevant in regards to those or i'm missing something else.

[Neo King Arthur]

I think defensive pacts are like the medieval version of NATO. Like the NATO have members that's actually against the USSR at the time. They're not going to attack them or anything, unless they attack a member of NATO and the entire NATO countries will retaliate at the same time.

Same with the Defensive pacts in the game, even though they have it against you, they're not going to do anything, it's not a declaration of war or anything. It's just something for them to defend against you "in case" you declare war on them, then the entire member of the defensive pact will join the war against you in their defense.

So as long as you keep to yourself and keep being friends with them, defensive pacts against you doesn't do anything.

[ShadowFox]

Originally posted by Dregora:

So i'm new to the franchise and in every game in early game there are always pacts formed, defensive pacts, against me. Are these merely a way to make sure I won't attack one of them? I assume if I attack one of them that is part of the pact, all included in the pact will declare war on me.

I'm asking because there's one against me right now and one of my friends that I have friendly relationships with, also joined it. So i'm not sure if I should worry or if it's more of a ''don't you dare attack us'' type of thing.

3 small kingdoms have defensive pact against larger kingdom that they could not fight alone. If large kingdom attacks they are then in 3 wars instead of 1.

[Berserk Belta]

Originally posted by Dregora:

Originally posted by tudyniuz:

They just don't like you.

That's the thing, even the guy i'm very friendly with, had a NAP with, trade agreement etc, joined it. It sounds like your relationships with them isn't super relevant in regards to those or i'm missing something else.

Yeah, which makes sense diplomatically if you think about it - in the real world treaties/pacts/alliances overlap all the time. Exclusivity across the board is really just a computer game thing.

It's early days, but treaty overlap + the ability to turn other powers against each other with your spies are two things that bode well for the diplomacy in this game.

[Neo King Arthur]

Also something that happens in real life too. People lie, you joined a club hoping to achieve something together, and the one guy you're close with end up stabbing you in the back and gets all the credit.

[Berserk Belta]

Originally posted by Neo:

Also something that happens in real life too. People lie, you joined a club hoping to achieve something together, and the one guy you're close with end up stabbing you in the back and gets all the credit.

Yeah, sadly its the way the world works. Some people don't know how to accept the friendship or honesty of others in good faith and end up creating the devious, faithless, miserable evil world they fear. A self-fulfilling prophecy. A lot of people are broken inside in this regard, especially the kind of person who will stoop to pick up power.

[Mr Chill Chill]

If a region or country signs an NAP with you, I don't see it as being a hit to them for also signing a defensive pact in case you're the aggressor. Where I have a problem is if all of a sudden someone attacks you that has a NAP, and doesn't face instability issues because of it. For the player there's certainly penalties, and for the AI it should be painful as well. I'm okay with defensive pacts and coalitions, but everyone piling in to join a war, regardless of agreements in place, is silly. NAPs typically aren't cheap, so it should be rare that they're broken, and like stated, should cost a huge hit in stability. That at least helps offset some of the aggression as they're having to face revolts, or potential of revolts.