Did AI <> AI diplomatic interactions get changed?

[Dominion]

Anti-blob mechanisms were originally alliance nets and similar aimed to subtly act against the player because we show this kind of behavior far more often. However it has always been fair and comprehensible.
Starting as a small nation down to OPM starts allowed you to use them the exact same way.
A bit more complicated than normal diplomacy, but nothing out of the ordinary.

There have been a few updates to this recently and I've started to experience alliances that do not make any sense whatsoever though.
Mostly because they weren't directed against me or anyone for that matter.

Excluding obvious things like alliance nets based on leagues or the aforementioned anti-blob alliances, there have been alliances between AI nations that should not exist.

For example minors being half a continent away from each other while being the only two nations of similar size without being threatened by the same nations, not having the same rivals, sometimes not even following the same religion, but also major > minor alliances without any RM, improved relations and all the other usual modifiers.

At first glance it looks like the idea behind most of them is to just have them to put an artificial (minor) block to any nation's expansion.
Neither nation should send them in the first place, even if it was possible to send the offer for either.

Is there some kind of obligation for AI nations to fill relationship slots with alliances live?


Disclaimer: Only seen a few of those so far, may be a total coincidence (which is why I'm asking the board for similar experiences), but it's definitely new behavior and looks highly exploitable.

 

[Bibor]

I noticed no inconsistencies regarding AI alliances. Alliance foci are the threats, not their own countries. Thus, if ottomans span from egypt to bengal, or have a colony in taiwan, a Tunis / Ming alliance might happen. I’m giving an unlikely and extreme example but you get the point.

 

[Dominion]

I noticed no inconsistencies regarding AI alliances. Alliance foci are the threats, not their own countries. Thus, if ottomans span from egypt to bengal, or have a colony in taiwan, a Tunis / Ming alliance might happen. I’m giving an unlikely and extreme example but you get the point.

Counterexample is an alliance between Novgorod and Brandenburg after BB got hit by a punitive war. They hadn't improved relations with Nov.
Nov did improve relations earlier for no reason, everything else shows the same. Modifiers won't allow BB to send an offer, Nov had to have sent it.

No common rivals, no common threats, nothing. The only reason Nov would ally them would be some kind of "we have a slot open, let's send alliance offers to anyone in reach willing to join."

Haven't gotten any of those offers myself, so I felt like humans weren't deemed a potential target. Would be the first time the AI actively acts against human players.
Well, not necessarily against them. Just without them. Not like humans would accept that kind of alliance anyways.

Maybe I'm seeing ghosts. Gonna watch out for it though.

 

[Lilly Santtos]

I know that Ming rivaled me, but i didn't rival them back, but they still managed to ally Delhi (my rival in Afghanistan game), i'm fine with the web of alliances, but Ming had a forcelimit 5 times bigger than Delhi, i was weak and the only reason to Ming bem able to rival me, was because i had colonialism, such alliance shound't happen, is the Peak of nonsense. Again, i'm fine with webs, but things like that are reality frustrating

 

[Bibor]

Counterexample is an alliance between Novgorod and Brandenburg after BB got hit by a punitive war. They hadn't improved relations with Nov.
Nov did improve relations earlier for no reason, everything else shows the same. Modifiers won't allow BB to send an offer, Nov had to have sent it.

No common rivals, no common threats, nothing. The only reason Nov would ally them would be some kind of "we have a slot open, let's send alliance offers to anyone in reach willing to join.".

Brandenburg has proximity and not many friends (considering you said they got hit by punitive war). Their power probably also diminished. Novgorod has very few options to make friends, not only because they have bordering hostiles, but because potential friends are too big to take care (and are of heretic religion).
A BB/Novgobear alliance might not make sense at first glance, but lack of options, as you say, make
them friends in need. I have no quarrel over such alliances. European nobility truly knew no borders, else how could french cadet branches reign in italy and rise to throne of hungary?

 

[bradles0]

The only reason Nov would ally them would be some kind of "we have a slot open, let's send alliance offers to anyone in reach willing to join."

Humans do that all the time, or at least I do. If i have an open slot and no particular plans for it i'll just hit up the diplo macro and see who'll accept an alliance offer.

 

[Vulkandrache]

No common rivals, no common threats, nothing. The only reason Nov would ally them would be some kind of "we have a slot open, let's send alliance offers to anyone in reach willing to join."

I still think the AI is a bit too paranoid with the whole "these guys are really expansive next to us, lets ally across the whole continent to stall them".
Ming + Ottomans
Russia guaranteing 2pm Otto remains
Otto + Transoxiana
Mamluks + PLC
Spain + large PLC, after PLC rivaled me, despite Spain being my lifelong Ally
Delhi + Ming/Otto/Transoxiana/Bengal depending on whose "annul treaties" just ran out

and guaranteing everything and their mother. Especially right after breaking their alliances. Because f you.
Its really annoying having to fight the same nation over and over again and they wont peace out because lololol its a fresh war so we get full "length of war" again even if we have 0 manpower and dept like crazy, but the super AE we have against you makes us accept any sort of CTA no matter how messed up our country has become.

 

[Rocketskates]

isnt there a mapmode where the AI determines how dangerous the player is? more strict on higher difficulties aswell, think its just that, and what other options they have fending off the player?

 

[Coffer]

It's not even just a matter of distance. The AI seems to fear literally any threat whatsoever and will ally anyone, no matter how small (Livonian Order in Muscovy's case, Novgorod in the Ottomans' case etc), to increase their chances even if they would easily win under normal circumstances (Muscovy vs PLC once they've killed off Novgorod). They're very single-minded right now, and from my recent runs (especially with LO), it seems to be because the big AI nations become friendly extremely quickly this patch.

It's definitely not restricted to actions against the player either. Blobbing makes you a more likely target for the big AIs, sure, but they do it with one another just as well.