[licker]

Honestly back when I was doing MP Dom2 I don't remember NAPs being this big of a sticking point. Then again it may have just been the group of guys I normally MPed with. NAPs were occasionally broken early, but rarely with a surprise attack, unless the surprise led to an immediate victory (and in that case more power to the winner...).

Seems to me if you rely solely on the NAP to defend yourself and your NAPper can basically crush you out with a coordinated strike that's on you, not him. Of course if all he can do is poach a couple of provinces then its pretty stupid of him to break the NAP.

I don't know, maybe I'm more paranoid than most, but at some point in the game you have to figure everyone who has a chance is going to try to actually win and not just wait around for someone else to do it.

As I said earlier, if that's your expectation play in defined team games, or exercise more care in your diplomatic dealings with your neighbors.