Diplomacy *does* work

[Musashi]

I don't think diplomacy is completely broken or anything, but I'm still bothered about how the AI handles offers of ceasefires or vassalage status.

I think an AI state on the verge of defeat would come to you begging for a ceasefire or vassalage, to ensure their survival, but I haven't seen that happening. I think if your relations to them are abysmal (which naturally they are after many turns of war) then they wont agree to anything, even if it means their destruction.

I plan to write a fuller post on this issue soon. Have you had any offers of ceasefire brought to you or any of your offers accepted?

The AI comes to me requesting ceasefires all the time. Generally the moment they suffer a single crushing defeat.

In fact I often have to eliminate their diplomats so that I don't have to say no to a ceasefire when I want to keep taking territory.

At one point I got a faction to give me long term tribute in exchange for a ceasefire... I really wish I had tried for making them a vassal, because the offer I gave them was rated "very generous" so I probably could have milked them much harder.

Oh and another time, playing as Russia, the Hungarians gave me a province in exchange for a ceasefire.

The fact that I always maintain an excellent global reputation might have something to do with that however.