Pledge to Protect (CS) Useless?

[fmlizard2]

Does pledging to protect a CS do anything at all? I might play the most patronage heavy playstyle of anyone on this entire forum and I still haven't found any use for it whatsoever.

 

[Hamburger]

I believe pledging protection makes it known to the world that CS is associated with you. If they then attack it and you attack that AI then you should get less of a diplo penalty since you were provoked. Also, I have had the AI pop up and let me know So-and-So is in their sphere of influence and that I should back off. Announcing a pledge of protection lets them know the same thing.

 

[ShahJahanII]

I think it makes the AI less likely to attack the CS in general...

 

[logintime]

I for one am shocked, shocked, to hear that a Pledge/Declaration/Pact might be useless...

 

[The_Quasar]

It seems that it is a way of claiming the CS as part of your sphere of influence, without actually donating them credits. At least, I don't see the point of using it if I have donated credits, as they will then be my Friend or Ally, which makes the point quite obvious.

However, if by pledging to protect, it makes a possible enemy wary of influencing that CS themselves, then it is worth it. The AI often do this as a way of protecting CSs they might later wish to associate with, especially, I have noticed, Greece and Siam.

 

[Vo01985]

From when on are we able to Pledge of Protect? When I meet a CS for the first time early in the game I can not pledge to protect them. If I try it a long time later sometimes I am able to, sometimes I am not. How does it work?

 

[Bechhold]

Never found much use in Pledging to protect a city state as you have to put money where your mouth is in order to get extra , , units, resources etc.

I just get it done early and try and maintain it throughout the game by placing units within the borders and if the AI is going to attack, which it usually does, I'm prepared.