how consistent is the diplomatic AI ?

[Blodrast]

hmm, Red Harvest, my general impression from what I've been reading on the boards is that playing Carthage is significantly more difficult than most other factions. Perhaps that has something to do with the problems you've mentioned... e.g. other nations unwilling to ally with you even though there are no apparent reasons...maybe this (and most likely other things) are particular to "more difficult" factions.

So far, all my allies have proved loyal and never backstabbed me (which is a huge relief from MTW, when you could never trust anyone for even one turn). I'm not currently having any diplomatic problems or absurd wars or anything, except for unwillingness to receive gifts (I offered ridiculous amounts of money for map info, just for the heck of it, and I kept getting refused - and no, I don't know their territory yet... what's up with that "We have nothing to offer in return" thing ? and the diplomats were equal (1, 2 influence) on both sides...

[Oaty]

I think it is unlikely that an ally will attack you. But if you get a message that the alliance has been broken you know what to expect soon.

[discovery1]

You don't get a message about an allience ending. They just attacked.

[Thoros of Myr]

You don't get any early warning, though I was attacked by my ally once and a big message popped up saying "Betryed!"

[Mr. Juice]

Pontus and I (Scipii) have been pals for more than 50 years now. After playing M:TW, I am still in complete disbelief. An ally that acts like an ally!

[frogbeastegg]

In my first game, a Julii campaign just for the sake of messing about. The Gauls were my main diplomatic contacts; I asked them for a ceasefire because although I was beating them in the field I desperately needed to sort my negative cashflow and reinforce my troops. The Gauls agreed, they even paid tribute of 2600. On a whim I asked for an alliance; it was accepted. Next turn they broke the alliance. I repeated this process, with around the same amounts of cash each time, every turn for something like 6 turns. My finances were so bad even the huge tributes left me with a negative each turn.

Now I am doing a Brutii short campaign with more serious intentions. This time everything is going quite well, but diplomacy remains ... odd. I allied with the Macedonians; it lasted for maybe 3 turns before they marched an army in and started attacking my cities. I then forged a peace and alliance with the beleagured Greeks to take on Macedon. It lasted one turn.

My Roman allies have been very good, declaring war and ceasefires to match my own dealings, also sending armies to protect my cities from rampaging rebels.

froggy conclusion: non-Roman alliances aren't worth the paper they are written on. The Roman alliances are great, everything I had hoped for.

[Tricky Lady]

My Roman allies have been very good, declaring war and ceasefires to match my own dealings, also sending armies to protect my cities from rampaging rebels.

Agreed. In my currect Julii campaign the Senate sent a full stack to kill off a stack with two rebel units However, the rebels seem to manage to escape or retreat from the senate's army each time so there both just moving through my territory for some 5 turns now... Something I liked: the Senate asked me to send an army to help them surrounding this rebel army. So far my pathfinding has been so lousy that I didn't succeed yet

Got some hard cash from the Gauls now for 2 turns (2 x 1900 denarii) which was invested in city upgrades and recruitment. And now I am about to break the alliance as the senate wants me to capture Narbonensis.
I like this game.