How to get vassal states???

[Bad Player]

I know this is noobish but I've never really worked it out (or had a vassal in civ 4 or ffh2!!!). I think one way is to be absolute best buddies with someone much weaker than you - right?? How do you get civs that you are at war with and crushing to become your vassals? They never want to capitulate to me!!

 

[reverend oats]

1. Do you have knowledge of feudalism?

2. What is the message that comes up when you put your mouse on "capitulation" in the diplo screen?

 

[JeffSteel]

From my experience, you must first research feudalism. Then if a neighbor is very weak and friendly with you, they might just ask to be your vassal, if your lucky.

Otherwise the typical scenario is to beat the bejesus out of them until the capitulation option whitens up (that is, kill units, take cities). The real trick is getting them back up to friendly status afterward, so that you can strip them of their palace mana.

 

[Arcite36575]

The real trick is getting them back up to friendly status afterward, so that you can strip them of their palace mana.

If the civ has capitulated to you, then I don't think it doesn't really matters if they have "furious" status to you anymore. You can demand as much tribute as you want as long as the vassal state's military is much weaker than your military.

I generally don't like the "voluntary vassal" option. If another civ voluntary swears alliegance to me, that means that I only have temporary support of the civilization. That civ will almost certainly break from me at some point in the future. Also, in the meantime, while the vassal can renounce you at any time, YOU cannot declare war or break relations with the vassal.

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

. Also, in the meantime, while the vassal can renounce you at any time, YOU cannot declare war or break relations with the vassal.

agreed, that sucks. would be really really nice if it got changed to be fair

 

[mahazel]

Also, in the meantime, while the vassal can renounce you at any time, YOU cannot declare war or break relations with the vassal.

Just use Maelstorm, Tsunami, Ring of Fire or another range spell. I know It's pure evil strategy to declare war with 3 or 4 civilization when your vassal is between you and yours opponents, then cast maelstorm, start war with him, and get peace with all another (you have additional diplomatic bonus)

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

well that would work, but is unnecessarily complicated

 

[JeffSteel]

If the civ has capitulated to you, then I don't think it doesn't really matters if they have "furious" status to you anymore. You can demand as much tribute as you want as long as the vassal state's military is much weaker than your military.

Such is what I thought, and indeed for the first ten turns after capitulation they will give you their mana for free. After ten turns though they cancel the deal, and if you try to reimpose it on them they will refuse, starting the war anew. The only time I have ever maintained a reliable supply of vassal mana was when I was able to get them to friendly status, so that they would accept my offer.

 

[onedreamer]

Given that I have always disabled the Vassal State option for FFH2 because I find it very unfitting and not balanced for the mod, I do have some experience with Vassal States in BtS:

If the civ has capitulated to you, then I don't think it doesn't really matters if they have "furious" status to you anymore. You can demand as much tribute as you want as long as the vassal state's military is much weaker than your military.

Well, you can't demand as much as you want actually (you can, but the result is not guaranteed ). This only happens if the vassal state has volountarily asked you to become your vassal.

I generally don't like the "voluntary vassal" option. If another civ voluntary swears alliegance to me, that means that I only have temporary support of the civilization. That civ will almost certainly break from me at some point in the future. Also, in the meantime, while the vassal can renounce you at any time, YOU cannot declare war or break relations with the vassal.

They can't renounce at your "protection" at any time, there are certain conditions that must be met in order for them to have this option, the most important one being about the extension of their territory which should be much bigger compared to the one they had when they were vassalized. This means that if you vassalize a one city civ it will be easy for it to break off, but if you vassalize it when it's not yet so small they're unlikely to meet prerequisites to break off from you.

 

[zbelg]

While this is under discussion, I often can't vassalize someone who obviously is weak enough (as in, I'm right outside their last city defended by a scout), the option to capitulate isn't available because "Surely, you must be joking." What does that refer to? It drives me insane in every mod.

 

[onedreamer]

In such cases you shouldn't bother too much to understand what's in the AI's mind. In fact, there is nothing in the AI's mind
Just shrug and proceed to eliminate the last midget defending their capital.

 

[zbelg]

In such cases you shouldn't bother too much to understand what's in the AI's mind. In fact, there is nothing in the AI's mind
Just shrug and proceed to eliminate the last midget defending their capital.

That's often easy enough and it's what I usually do if the AI is being stubborn, but it can be a real pain in the ass if I'm working vassalizing them into my strategy- say, going for their mana.

 

[Visage Darkskin]

Yes, the "Surely, you must be joking" message is quite annoying. I'm sure at least once the message was due to me also being in a war against another AI. If they became vassals, they would then have to declare war against this friend/ally of theirs, or against another civ they feared. Also, sometimes it worked to pay other civs in war with the one I wanted to vassalize to declare peace with them, before I offered them the chance to become my vassal. You may also try doing other things that may please them, like changing your religion or civics or council membership to match theirs. Once they're your vassals you can change back and ask them to change to what you changed back to. Although sometimes, they just hate your guts so much that they would rather die. C'est la mort.

 

[Arctic Circle]

I say that most players crush any nearby AI civ that happens to be weaker at the first hint of possible victory. They can't ask to be vassal states if they are dead and you've burned their cities...

 

[zup]

It's not the neighbor civs that ask for a master ... It's the ones on the other side of the huge, flat map.