Maybe I'm counter-current but I always thought that the whole idea at the base of this game is RELIGIOUS wars. All of our units are more or less religious zealots, and the one who gives orders is a Pretender God which looks with EXTREME, UNCONCEIVABLE hatred to whoever is on the way to his goal of ascendance. While to reach that goal we have the need to create temporary pacts, peaces or even "let's go together against a common enemy", including something like coexisting and happily cooperating hand-in-hand, in the game mechanics themselves, doesn't appeal to me.
But I'm the one who pretty much always dislikes potential changes of this game and likes it as it is, so don't consider me too much
