Protectorates, new stuff

This "protectorate" feature has had it's share of criticism since it first showed up in a TW title. Now this is what I've noticed in ETW - and some parts kinda bug me off:

1. It's so easy to become a minor's faction protector. Just throw in some cash and you're done.
2. Now it looks like you have to be at peace with that faction to offer protectorate; couldn't find the "become protectorate" option with factions I was at war with. Different from MTW2.
3. Protectorates territories don't seem to count anymore in your province number count. As GB, I have Malta as an objective. Made the Knights there my protectorate, but the province isn't checked in my objective list (this is different from MTW2). Guess I'll have to destroy the poor Knights. Not nice.
4. I dunno if this is a bug or intended to be so, but military access to a protectorate does not include sea lanes. For instance, Morrocco has some ships parked at Gibraltar Straits. As GB, I own Gibraltar, Morrocco is my protectorate but I cannot move my fleets in the Mediterranean. Gonna have to stab those guys in the back, I hate it.

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Originally Posted by Vlad Tzepes

2. Now it looks like you have to be at peace with that faction to offer protectorate; couldn't find the "become protectorate" option with factions I was at war with. Different from MTW2.

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no u just have to offer them peace, i did this with mughal, i demanded they become my protectorate if they wanted a peace deal, they accepted, then i killed them cos it didnt count to my province count and was giving me like 100g a turn so not worth it.

3. This is really annoying since victory is evaluated at dates now anyways, not when you fullfill the objective. Its just ends up rather annoying...

4. Fleets should be able to pass each other unless the player being passed elects to intercept.

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Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

4. Fleets should be able to pass each other unless the player being passed elects to intercept.

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This is a really annoying bug and seems to have something to to with straits & landbridges. Even if MY OWN ship is parked on the landbridge near Gibraltar, I can't move other ships in or out the Mediterrainean. If Morocco is still existing this lead to the need of having to seperate fleets...

Also I can't move agents and armies across the bosporus from either direction playing as the Ottomans. You first have to give them the order to move into Constantinople and then out again. Really annoying...

I wish Protectorates counted toward Victory Conditions. As it is now, I am forced to annex much more than I wish or feel is a reasonable goal. One more thing for the modders to tackle.

whats the advantages of a protectorate anyway?

They pay you a monetary tribute each turn (I think someone said 50% of their income), otherwise it acts like an alliance (possibly they have to back you in wars rather than it being optional, not sure about this).

Alliance, military access and a part of their money. Exactly how much money it's one of the longest and most unbreakable mysteries of Total War.

Results may vary, anyway.

I hate Morocco, too. I conquered Madrid and need to have a separate navy for the Med.

The AI Minor Power Protectorates can actually get some fairly scary armies because of cash bonuses and the never ending AI army production.

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Originally Posted by PBI

(possibly they have to back you in wars rather than it being optional, not sure about this).

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you have to back them in wars, as they are paying you for protection

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Originally Posted by Vlad Tzepes

Alliance, military access and a part of their money. Exactly how much money it's one of the longest and most unbreakable mysteries of Total War.

Results may vary, anyway.

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Actually, the advisor tells you that it's half their income.

Anybody know why protectorates dont count towards your victory conditions? I noticed that they do count towards the total domination of a theatre achievement.... but kinda pointless otherwise... and I feel so dirty slaughtering my protectorates to win the campaign!

On the Straight of Gibraltar, there are 2 sea boxes that have no adjacent boxes to the north or south. Since you can't have 2 fleets from different nations in the same box, the only way to pass through the Straight is if you hold both of those boxes. It looks like this...

..SPAIN
X........X
XX....XX
XXABXX
XX....XX
X........X
MOROCCO

You have to hold A and B to pass. To pass through, merge your fleet with the ship you have in box A, then select those ships again (leave out the ship used to hold box A), and merge them with the ship in box B. Then select your fleet again (and again leave the ship holding box B alone), and move your fleet into the Med. This does mean that fleets can't exceed 13 ships to do this, since you can only have 14 ships max in a fleet and you need to leave one slot open to merge with the gatekeeprs holding A and B.

Protectorates do not show up as actual territorys in M2TW do they?? I wasent aware of that.