Benefits of Vassal State

[Peter Harris]

Usually capitulated vassals, but on occasion both. Basically, in a good few months of solid bts play and many many vassals along the way, I have not ever lost ONE! I am quite sure that on some occasions they have met the criteria, but they never make the break.

One factor COULD be that I usually liberate most (if not all, if I don't need them) their cities back to them, and while this often takes them from furious, it doesn't always make them exactly love me - this also of course will often give them (or set them well on the way to) the pop or land mass criteria to break.

I dunno, not complaining like, I just wouldn't mind one break so I know that all is working properly.

Maybe the AI just love me (or know what's good for them) and they realize I'm a merciful and wise master

I understand that people have looked at the code and it has been established that a vassal has the "OPTION" to break free if it has 50% of the masters land area and 50% of the masters military strength. That does not mean that it will choose to break free. The exact circumstances of when a vassal will choose to break free have not been definitively been set out anywhere that I can see.

The following is based on my own in game experiences with voluntary vassals (I don't take capitulated vassals):
- relations appear to factor into the decision (if the vassal loves you less likely to break away)
- whether the vassal is scared of smebody seems to be a factor (umh, you might be the scary monster ) OTH I have had vassals stay loyal with more military strength than me (I get distracted with building and neglect my military a bit at times)
- trade may be a factor, not at all sure about this yet. I don't demand tribute (unless my vassal has the only one of any military resource such as aluminium) but I prefer to trade with my vassals and I gift them ANYTHING I can spare.
- the vassals chances of winning by peaceful means may be a factor, not at all sure of this yet. An advanced vassal with some juicy cities has some chance of a space race win but no real chance of a conquest win if it broke free.
- the aggression level of the civ may be a factor, not at all sure about this yet (I always suck up to the small peaceful civs to lure them into asking to be my vassal and I don't lose them but I have lost nasty ones such as Brennus)

Edit: Neversurrrender, I guess you must be a merciful and wise master!

 

[Gooblah]

Vassal States are great for explotiation.

Step 1: Attack a Civilization close to your in-game rival.
Step 2: Force the enemy to Capitulate.
Step 3: Strip them of all their resources (and gold or techs if possible)
Step 4: Gift them their worst cities back (those that are in the ice, or in the jungle, or about to be culturally washed) and give 'em a few units.
Step 5: Take all your veteran troops to the true rival's border, build a ton more units, heal them, and get ready for battle
Step 6: Declare war on the True Rival
Step 7: Laugh as the Rival eliminates your vassal, then capture his core cities and attack him in two fronts.
Step 8: Laugh even harder as your Vassal breaks free, only to Capitulate to the Enemy.
Step 9: Cackle maniacally when you eliminate two Civs in one.

 

[buffalo6542]

Free resouces, money techs. Gitting rid of crapy cities. leaders to boss around

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Vassal States are great for explotiation.

Step 1: Attack a Civilization close to your in-game rival.
Step 2: Force the enemy to Capitulate.
Step 3: Strip them of all their resources (and gold or techs if possible)
Step 4: Gift them their worst cities back (those that are in the ice, or in the jungle, or about to be culturally washed) and give 'em a few units.
Step 5: Take all your veteran troops to the true rival's border, build a ton more units, heal them, and get ready for battle
Step 6: Declare war on the True Rival
Step 7: Laugh as the Rival eliminates your vassal, then capture his core cities and attack him in two fronts.
Step 8: Laugh even harder as your Vassal breaks free, only to Capitulate to the Enemy.
Step 9: Cackle maniacally when you eliminate two Civs in one.

That sounds like so much work. I like:

Step 1: Force someone warlike to capitulate
Step 2: Gift enough cities back so that that AI can regenerate its SoD
Step 3: DoW on someone else, using your vassal as a distraction or more
Step 4: Another Capitulation
Step 5: Repeat, as the dogpiles start getting too heavy for any civ in the game to deal with.

I did this once, and despite the tech damage from warring for probably more than 50% of my turns, won with rolling capitulations. Monty, Ghandi, and Pacal as vassals, all at or above my tech at the moment (but otherwise smaller), jumped on HC, who had just completed apollo program. Cannons vs infantry sounds bad at first, but there were a LOT of cannons and grenadiers...

Before HC knew what was happening, Monty had 2 of his cities, I had 4, and he was off the continent with only coastal cities here and there to work on his "space race". He never finished one part, and I never caught up to him in tech. I never needed to.

Using vassals as war tools can win games, sometimes faster than any other method, and almost always easier.

 

[ICNP]

The worst part is that they you have no control over their foreign policy. Plus you can't simply rip all their resources or they'll revolt against you.

 

[Gwynnja]

The worst part is that they you have no control over their foreign policy. Plus you can't simply rip all their resources or they'll revolt against you.

you can influence their foreign policy by warring against their friends. Rarely do you need all of their resources.

 

[NeverSurrender]

Has anyone here EVER had a vassal state break free from them?

I still haven't.

 

[Gwynnja]

Has anyone here EVER had a vassal state break free from them?

I still haven't.

I've had them refuse tribute and gone to war with them. Never had them break free due to land area/population ratio.

 

[UnlockPotential]

I once had one breaK free ... maybe because it was me and him vs rival vs rival vassal

He captured and destroyed the rivals vassal, 6 cities or soemthing, and broke free Then I killed him

 

[buffalo6542]

Has anyone here EVER had a vassal state break free from them?

I still haven't.

Went and created new vassal for overseas colonies and Greeks (who were vassal at the time) revolted against me. Still can't figure out why.

 

[Navarre]

Has anyone here EVER had a vassal state break free from them?

I still haven't.

Capitulated, yes, once. I just demanded too much things from him, in the secret hope he would break free so I could kill him. Volontary never, no matter how much I squeeze them.

OTOH I've had capitulated vassals who didn't break free even when they had more than the requirements. They were pleased or frienfly towards me and just seemed to enjoy their status. The fact that I was way more powerful than them and able to vassalize them again at greater cost for them might have played, I don't know.

 

[sadoangel]

Went and created new vassal for overseas colonies and Greeks (who were vassal at the time) revolted against me. Still can't figure out why.

Happened to me as well, only I had several vassals, and they all revolted, but I capitulated all of them (some had previously been voluntary), LOL.