One of my favorite things in games is when you can see what the AI is thinking. Consider the opposite, how many times have you played a 4X game where one opponent seems to attack you for no reason or refuses to end a war that they are disastrously losing. That sort of play always takes me out of a game.
On the other hand, even if it isn’t a great strategy, when you can see what the AI is trying to do it makes it much more impressive. I think this is one key reason why the relationships in games like Crusader Kings feel more organic than those in Civilization. In Crusader Kings since each war needs a casus belli you know why the war started. You can also see exactly how much each AI likes you and why. Civilization hides a lot more of this, so you have no idea exactly why an ally betrayed you. Did they think you were weak? Did they not like you because of some ideological reason? It adds a lot to the immersion to see what the AI is trying to do.
Not a lot of games are great at this. …