So, I'm just getting back into this great game and I have a question. How much does offering tribute really affect your reputation with the AI wizard?

In my current game, I'm trying to create a Wizard pact with Jafar, who is currently neutral to me. He's also Lawful, so I know that creates a positive bonus already. However, when I offer him a 1300 gold tribute (which is the highest listed), it doesn't even change his eye color. So, I'm wondering if anyone has any experience on how much is needed to really make a difference. Here is what I have found so far but it doesn't mention monetary tribute:

https://lparchive.org/Master-of-Magic/Update%2079/

According to this, if nothing positive happens, the relations will start moving into a more neutral state. Improving your relations appears to be difficult until you get a pact going...

Anyways, any advice / help would be appreciated.

Which version are you playing? Base game, Community Patch, or Caster of Magic?

I'm primarily familiar with the base game, and my answer is for that version. I 'm not sure how much the community patch or CoM have changed diplomacy.

The simple answer to your question is that offering tribute does improve a wizard's opinion of you, but it can take quite a bit of gold to make a difference depending on where your relationship stood. I suspect that the size of their treasury might also affect how much gold you have to give to make a difference; a rich wizard cares less for your pennies than a poor wizard. I don't know exactly how much a given gift changes the meter, so just watch the gargoyle eyes while you keep gifting gold.

If you're playing the base game, then there are some things to know for diplomacy.
1) Tributing gold will improve their relations with you, but it can take quite a bit of gold. More than once I've gifted gold until the gargoyles had green eyes, but it took multiple gifts (which increased in size as I gave more and more gold).

2) The AI can be wildly erratic in their relations, suddenly deciding you have to die regardless of how they were feeling a few turns ago. Therefore, I wouldn't suggest giving them anything unless you want something right then (like trading more spells). As a corollary, don't expect peace treaties that you make to be very stable.

3) Each AI wizard has a certain amount of patience for negotiating with you. If they like you, they are generally willing to chat longer, but if they don't like you, then they'll probably cut communication quickly. Every action you take on the diplomacy screen drains some of their patience (including tributing gold to them!), and when it runs out they hang up the metaphorical phone. Diplomatic requests that favor them, like giving them gold or giving them a better deal during a spell trade (ex. giving them your Phantom Beast for their Phantom Warrior), drains their patience less than diplomatic request that doesn't favor them, like giving your Phantom Warrior for their Phantom Beast, or especially threatening to attack them. Their patience will build back up as turns pass, so wait several turns before calling back if they hang up on you.

Ok, thank you both for that information. I'm currently playing the community mod patch.

I had known of few of those but others are new to me.

It sounds like the best way is to have a good income coming in, give a substantial tribute, and then get some more to further tribute. My guess would be that, once I can get him into a reasonable state, he'd be willing to sign a wizard pact, thus keeping us in better diplomatic relations.

Also, it appears that I'd want to tribute when he doesn't have a lot of money himself...

As he is lawful, I believe it will be easier to keep relations with him stable.