How difficult is this game?

[llamabeast]

The AI is always either at war or at peace with you. It tells you when it goes from peace to war (it sends you a message declaring war), but unhelpfully it doesn't tell you if it decides to stop attacking you.

If you attack an AI it will become at war with you without telling you. If you fight it by both moving on the same turn into an independent province though, it won't take offence.