What is a protectorate _supposed_ to do?

[Daevyll]

I know that currently protectorates are 'not optimal' so I havent entered into any agreements of this kind, but I am wondering what they are supposed to do?

Do the provinces of the protectorate count towards the required 50 for example?
Are they required to give you tribute as long as they are a protectorate?
Military aid (ie an alliance) ?
Follow your 'external policy', ie declare war on those you declare war on etc?
Something else?

[Akka]

I can't be positive, but according to what I have read both in the manual and the game, I *suppose* that a protectorate pay you a tribute each turn, and that its territories are counted in the victory.

But for now, neither of these options do work.

[Jugurtha]

Another question

The previous poster thinks that protectorates pay tribute, this seems logical to me. However, I have read that in fact YOU end up paying large sums to the protectorate.

Can anyone confirm either way?

[Akka]

Another question

The previous poster thinks that protectorates pay tribute, this seems logical to me. However, I have read that in fact YOU end up paying large sums to the protectorate.

Can anyone confirm either way?
Yes, that's what actually happens.
Because, for now, protectorate is BROKEN. That's exactly the point of the thread : not what protectorate actually does in the game (because it's bugged for now), but what it IS SUPPOSED to do.

[Quillan]

Protectorates are bugged, that's why your money ends up in their hands. In game terms, I think a protectorate is supposed to wrap together an alliance and military access into one bundle, with an addition stipulation that the client (the faction you take as a protectorate) cannot do anything to end the status. Historically, a client kingdom would pay tribute to its patron, and the patron would both leave them in power and protect them from outside threats. I would think a protectorate should automatically give a percentage (say about 20%) of it's total income to the patron faction every turn.

[Colovion]

I think you should also be able to pull soldiers from their population as well - or they should build armies and when you ask them to attack people they have a very good chance to do it.

[Quillan]

That's interesting that you mentioned that, Colovion. I was thinking that perhaps you should be able to recruit your clients military units when you take another faction on as a protectorate. It would make for interesting decisions. Do I capture the Seleucids for their wealth, or do I leave them in game and make them a Protectorate so I can get some elephant units?

[andrewt]

I'm not sure if this is intended but I made the Brutii a protectorate and they attacked me the next turn. Maybe you can't make Roman factions a protectorate or has anybody experienced being attacked by a non-Roman protectorate?

[Colovion]

I made Thrace a protectorate for many turns - probably about 50-70 or so - I ended up breaking it because they were Thrace and I was Greece.... so it had to happen... but I didn't declare war until I absolutely had to.

[Akka]

I'm not sure if this is intended but I made the Brutii a protectorate and they attacked me the next turn. Maybe you can't make Roman factions a protectorate or has anybody experienced being attacked by a non-Roman protectorate?
Yup, I was attacked by Egypt as Scipii.
I suppose it's because, as they drain your denarii, they ends up being statistically stronger than you, which must remove the "protectorate" inhibition.

(or it is yet another protectorate's bug ^^)