How usefull is a small civ as your vassal.

[Dominico]

I have often thought about (but never ever done it for some reason lol) making a small civ my vassal when im fighting them.

Im talking about when you get down to the last couple of cities and you know they can not do anything to resist. I just sometimes wonder about making them vassals instead of wiping them out but that small clause that you get an extra cost for everyone of your cities when you have a vassal always puts me off.

The thing is i dont know how bad this financial hit you take is. Is it worth taking on one or two cities as a vassal or is it best to just trounce them and then carry on playing as normal.

Thanks for any pointers.

 

[bardolph]

I have often thought about (but never ever done it for some reason lol) making a small civ my vassal when im fighting them.

Im talking about when you get down to the last couple of cities and you know they can not do anything to resist. I just sometimes wonder about making them vassals instead of wiping them out but that small clause that you get an extra cost for everyone of your cities when you have a vassal always puts me off.

The thing is i dont know how bad this financial hit you take is. Is it worth taking on one or two cities as a vassal or is it best to just trounce them and then carry on playing as normal.

Thanks for any pointers.

Taking the vassal gives you +1 in all of your cities, but the cities that you've taken will have "We yearn to join our motherland " factor, plus other AI civs will take a diplomatic hit after you take on the vassal.

The economic hit is small. Your other cities will calcualate # of cities maintenance based on the total of your cities + your vassal's cities. Once you hit your maintenance cap then vassalization gives you no economic ht at all.

If the civ in question only has a couple of cities left and you have enough military to crush them, then do it. It's worth it just to stamp out their culture in the rest of your cities.

 

[Supr49er]

Grind 'em up. I don't see the benefits of having a vassal.

If you don't want all their cities, raze the bad ones.

 

[Dominico]

Cool, thanks that was the most comprehensive answer ever I think i will try it next time i get someone i semi like and have them as slaves. How come you get plus one happiness in all cities? Also is the "we yearn to join our motherland" crippling in those cities or not?

 

[thomson_2001]

if you can keep a vassal fairly so so (maybe 3-4 cities and liberate a captured one) they can be VERY handy as second researchers. ive gotten vassals in past to research a few older techs i wanted and thats prtty big. also the fact that you can have buffer between yuo and foe can be useful. is very situational though. sometimes pointlessto have them

 

[SwordofStriker]

If a potential vassal is between my empire and a powerful rival, then I definitely want them as a vassal. Buffer zones are by far the best early warning systems you can have. They are much better than spies because you can always lose a spy on any given turn.

 

[Jormungandr]

Depends on whether I like their diplo music enough not to wipe them off the face of the planet

 

[Legal_My_Deagle]

I possibly just had a genius idea...Vassal economy? Research using some other means until you can get a popular civ to become your Vassal, turn off the tech slider and demand every new tech your Vassal gets his hands on...?

Anybody tried that?

 

[Infantry#14]

^^ you cant demand tech from vassal. They just ignore you even if they had capitulated.

 

[Freedom]

Little to no benefit, I'd go so far as to say they're a liability because of flips and inability to declare war on them

 

[InvisibleStalke]

I possibly just had a genius idea...Vassal economy? Research using some other means until you can get a popular civ to become your Vassal, turn off the tech slider and demand every new tech your Vassal gets his hands on...?

Anybody tried that?

I've ran an economy where my vassal had a similar tech rate to me - I directed her to research techs I wanted and researched other techs myself and then we traded. Worked pretty well - effectively doubling my research rate.

Normally its a bit more lopsided, but you can take vassals that have a comparable economy by:

1) Running a big army yourself (which is partly why the vassal could equal my research)
2) Taking just enough cities and land to get the potential vassal under 50%.
3) Keep killing their units after then until they start to feel that they are outgunned and would be better as vassals. Since their army is destroyed their maintenance is lower and they can spend their income on research.

 

[thomson_2001]

its very hard to get the vassal researching at agood rate. normally they only capitulate when they have very few cicites so u might have to liberate a few back (watching the freedom rules!). keeping them powerful enough but not too important is crucial. Also it allows you to beeline ahead a direction ignoring certain techs which ur vassal can research relatively quickly. as long as u have a few techs on them at most point they will trade you.

 

[Alltidxx]

Wouldn't an ambition to reach diplomatic victory alone justify taking on a vassal?

 

[Cookie Crumbs]

Late in the game Wang Kong asked me to be his vassal, which I accepted. Then I promptly drained all of his resources, including ALL of his metals/seafood/rice because I had Sushi and Mining Inc.

So, they are extremely useful for resources.

 

[laserburn]

I usually do not destroy civilization completely, but make them capitulate and let them keep few unimportant cities in thundra. If I would keep such cities they would just be burden to my economy and if I razed them someone else would settle there. If they have happen to have oil, marble or deer even better, I can get them from my vassal who can’t refuse anything to me.

I also often accept capitulation when I’m in a tech race with some other civilization, so I can’t afford to switch from Representation to Police State and take the research hit, so as a result unhappiness from prolonged war is hitting me hard. In such situations IMHO it’s better to take vassal and end war than to destroy your economy completely by waiting for last 3 or 4 cities to fall.

 

[Bino]

All in all vassals dont contribute for domination %? I think yes, so instead of wasting turns taking every faraway puny city is better to vassalize them imho.

 

[jkp1187]

Taking the vassal gives you +1 in all of your cities, but the cities that you've taken will have "We yearn to join our motherland " factor, plus other AI civs will take a diplomatic hit after you take on the vassal.

I don't think that's exactly correct. I am positive that there is some variance in receiving the diplomatic penalty. I think you'll only receive the diplomatic penalty if your new vassal had poor relations with those civs (and thus, is a "rival".) If they were friendly, you won't receive the penalty.

 

[Diamondeye]

All in all vassals dont contribute for domination %? I think yes, so instead of wasting turns taking every faraway puny city is better to vassalize them imho.

Vassals contribute 50% of their pop and area to yours, and keep the other half self.

How come you get plus one happiness in all cities?

... "We influence other civilizations"

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

I accept their capitulation if I think they will turn to another of my enemies for help. I never like fighting a war that is that long.

 

[Omegon3]

Grind 'em up. I don't see the benefits of having a vassal.

You don't see a benefit of having a guaranteed support in U.N. victory elections (unless, of course, they are the one running against you)? Or an ally who will trade you their ONLY resouce of a given type just for your asking? One thing you can always count a vassal for is support...