How does the CS tribute system work?

[Hruberen]

How EXACTLY does it work, the part about overall military strength is straightforward enough, but for presence near the city, I could have a unit knocking on their doors and it won't add pressure.

The times when it actually adds pressure seem to be from high movement units, especially ships.

The best explanation that I can come up with is that if the unit can move to all tiles around a city, then the pressure is added. This doesn't apply all the time however...

This was very frustrating while going for an Autocracy diplomacy victory.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I think it looks at all the units in its vicinity (range unknown) and is afraid of which civ has the most units there.

 

[Hruberen]

I don't think that's it either as some times when I had no presence despite my units, I was the only civilization there, and the no presence thing happes to land units much more often than sea units.

 

[bcaiko]

Yeah, I really like that hovering over the demand tribute option displays numbers now, but it does lead to more questions. In my latest game, I had a Knight hanging around a city state for turns, then even going into its territory. The calculation wouldn't acknowledge that I had my military near the city. Perhaps I needed more, or perhaps it was a bug.

 

[adwcta]

I think it looks at all the units in its vicinity (range unknown) and is afraid of which civ has the most units there.

I tested it, the range is 8 tiles from the CS. If you move a couple of units into that range, and you currently have a strong (relative to other civs) military, and that city state is not under the protection of another civ (or else you have to be even stronger), then you can do it.

 

[Hruberen]

I tested it, the range is 8 tiles from the CS. If you move a couple of units into that range, and you currently have a strong (relative to other civs) military, and that city state is not under the protection of another civ (or else you have to be even stronger), then you can do it.

What unit(s) did you test with, because i've certainly had at least 3 land units right outside the city states borders and was still not getting any near military bonus...

 

[rexman07]

Bump. I'm currently trying to use Gunboat Diplomacy -- +6 influence/turn (on standard speed) with city-states that you could demand tribute from -- and I'm just dancing around my units and clicking the "Ask for Tribute" button over and over again. It's frustrating. Not a very good UI.

Playing as Autocratic Zulu on Immortal difficulty, Normal Continents, Epic speed:

My "Overall Military Strength" is currently 60.

Some data points for "Military near City-State" from some city-states I'm currently trying to extort:

One Infantry near the city-state
=
0

2 Destroyers, 1 Caravel, 1 Artillery in or near the city-state
1 Destroyer exactly 8 tiles away
=
"(+20) near city-state"

2 Infantry and 1 Destroyer in the city-state's borders
1 Artillery and 1 Destroyer near the city-state
1 Machine Gun, 1 Submarine, 2 Artillery, 2 Great War Bombers, and 3 Triplanes all exactly 8 tiles away
=
"(+60) near city-state"

1 Landship, 2 Frigates, and 2 Destroyers in or adjacent to city-state borders
2 Artillery garrisonning cities within 8 tiles
=
"(+100) near city-state"

Here's one interesting observation. That last city-state just lost half of its units in my war against a major civ. In fact the only military units it has left within its borders is a Great War Infantry and a Galleas. It would be easy for me to conquer them. The tooltip doesn't say anything about the city-state's own military strength, but given the staggering +100 number I'm getting from that city state (where the other city state is only giving +60 for a similar composition of units), I think the city-state fear formula must take into account its own strength. Either it's a simple formula (like the ratio between their units' strength and your nearby units' strength), or it's actually running a simulation of you attempting to conquer them with the units you have near it.

 

[MarshalN]

Yeah, I really like that hovering over the demand tribute option displays numbers now, but it does lead to more questions. In my latest game, I had a Knight hanging around a city state for turns, then even going into its territory. The calculation wouldn't acknowledge that I had my military near the city. Perhaps I needed more, or perhaps it was a bug.

Maybe it figures a knight can't possibly take the city, so it doesn't count (or not much)?

 

[steveg700]

Either it's a simple formula (like the ratio between their units' strength and your nearby units' strength), or it's actually running a simulation of you attempting to conquer them with the units you have near it.

In all likelihood, it's a plain old pointiest-stick comparison.

 

[Magma_Dragoon]

What about the X is bankrupt! quest? The text indicates giving the cs money will make it mor resistant to future demands. Also, I saw Mongolia demand tribute with 0 units near the city state. I mean anywhere remotely near, the city was almost completely enveloped by my borders.

 

[rexman07]

What about the X is bankrupt! quest? The text indicates giving the cs money will make it mor resistant to future demands. Also, I saw Mongolia demand tribute with 0 units near the city state. I mean anywhere remotely near, the city was almost completely enveloped by my borders.

I think it's pledging to protect a city-state that will make it more resistant to future demands. The "X is bankrupt" quest is different than the "X wants you to pledge protection to them" quest.

I wonder if it might be optimal to un-pledge-to-protect a city-state I'm already friends with that I think another civ is going to bully, so I can get the free 20 influence when they ask me to pledge to protect. Maybe they put in code to prevent that exploit.