Because i sometimes wonder if anyone has actually thought about diplomacy in the TW series. It has basically been the same throughout the series. Doesn't that make you think this is the way CA want the diplomacy to be. So that you can't just sit there in peace surrounded by allies, you have to fight, and be in WAR.

If you take the time to work on diplomacy, you can get long standing alliances(record for me: 168 turns as the English allied with the Scots.). You can get ceasfires if you dont beat up an enemy nation, as then you've just mad eth enenemy made towards you. Yes, the ai backstabs you. But the player backstabs the ai all the time. The ai is trying to stop you from winning, it is you vs the ai to conquer the world.

Just some thoughts.