I'm currently on a busy campaign with HE on VH difficulty, picking apart HE factions refusing to trade with me. Using collected influence and declaring war on Stragos Empire and some Beastmen tribes, I try to gain as much approval of Brettonians as possible to start trade. Eventually, after destroying a Beastmen tribe & getting a surprising 50+ to positive relations, I sign a non aggression pact. Relations with Britts are neutral, about to turn Friendly, campaigning against HE is going great and all of a fuc*ing sudden, I get a declaration of war from Knights of The Flame at the time they break the non aggression pact! Something I experience the first time in TW series. To make things even more amusing(?), their rep is still somewhat "Reliable" I'm confused...and angry...not only they declared war on a faction which they had a positive growth of relations, they haven't bothered to make any time between breaking a treaty and declaring war!

Furthermore, in my previous campaign with Teclas, I found that I automatically declare war on every ritual-competing faction, on my fourth complete ritual, as the same thing happens on their complete ritual. I do realise the importance of these rituals, probably more than CA can imagine, but why are these matters decided for me? Especially, when trade, the only way Elves make money from, is made with such factions! My reputation went straight from Steadfast to Unreliable, because, of course, no time was given for the broken pact to dissolve and war was declared right away.

Finally, reputation. It would seem meaningless to have a good one, without, you know...needing it to get trade agreements and making money! If the AI doesn't respect it & play by the rules, why should having it matter anyway?

What is the point of this parody-of-a diplomacy? How can you use the only consistent way of money making with HE, if the AI is that much unstable and important diplomatic decisions are decided for the player?