[Stone Mill]

Lord Blackmoor has an excellent point.

I hadn't thought of this, but this is an area where SEIV falls really short. I gave up trying to end hostile relations with AI empires long ago, when I first started playing. Once you go to war, it seems there is no peaceful or honorable way out of it. I guess I just got used to this as "the way it is," but I don't much like it.

Let's take more sophisticated political engines, such as Europa Universalis, which generally reflects the way we conduct wars, even to this day. If a counrty decides to go about steamrolling it's neighbors without caution, the remaining countries of the world will absolutely not tolerate it. They will form a coalition against you and pick you apart for your greed.
That is why most wars were short, and civilizied nations came to agreements to end them, usually ceding territory or money as "reparations" to the country who dominated them.
However, it was rare that an entire country or race was completely and successfully euthanised without other nations getting very angry and stepping in.
So, I really don't know why SEIV makes it so darn difficult to end wars, even with peaceful races, who, by character, should encourage every opportunity to end them. Seems like this is a big need for improvement in my opinion...