The Rome TW exploit: Being a protectorate

This whole protectorate system appears to have one major weakness which can be exploited to the full, even if you don't actually want to exploit the AI -

Firstly, if you're the protectorate of an AI faction I don't think you ever seem to pay tribute to them (noted by the lack of any funds disappearing from turn to turn and there being no note of it in the 'tribute expenditure' section of the financial scroll...

Second, when the AI offers you to become their protectorate, you can always seem to counter offer and include a large sum in your favour. If the tribute sytem worked (can anyone confirm this or not?) then maybe this would be ok, but as it doesn't when you're the protectorate it just seems like an easy way to get a quick financial fix.

Third, and related to the above, the AI often offers protectorates when it's besiegeing or about to besiege one of your settlements. In effect, they offer you the protectorate and a large sum of money and then they cancel it on the same or the next turn. In otherwords they just shelled out several thousand denari for nothing.

Sigh.:wall:

Anyone help here? Someone please tell me that being a protectorate means you pay the protecting faction? I've noticed it does sometime appear to be the case that you will receive money from your protectorates as a human player, but this doesn't seem to be the case the other way round.

The simplest solution is just to not be anyone's protectorate. It's impossible to win that way, because their faction's territory = theirs + yours, so they'll win first. If you really don't want to exploit, just reject any offers to become another faction's protectorate, because then they won't attack you and you're not supposed to attack them, leading to the scenario where they win the campaign and you lose.

Playing as romans you can screw up your allies protectorates by attacking the protected faction. the alliance forces them to declare war

I had Egypt offer me their protection as Parthia, and being at war with all the factions on the eastern half of the map I accepted. This gave me ceasefires with them all and a single turn of breathing space before the Egyptians renegaded and attacked me again.

In my opinion having protectorates is no good as it can hinder your expansion, and having their settlements under your banner is much more secure than allowing them to have their own lands.

I would say only become a protectorate if the short term benefits outweigh the downside, otherwise keep fighting.

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Originally Posted by Tiberius

The simplest solution is just to not be anyone's protectorate. It's impossible to win that way, because their faction's territory = theirs + yours, so they'll win first. If you really don't want to exploit, just reject any offers to become another faction's protectorate, because then they won't attack you and you're not supposed to attack them, leading to the scenario where they win the campaign and you lose.

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true. but really doesnt matter in a regular campaign. (unless their regions are almost 50)

Egypt offered me a "become protectorate" and I wasnt going to take it so as an insult I counter offered something I didnt think they would go for; one of their cities. But they did go for it! I ended up 1 city better off as Selucid for avoiding conflict. Then the Eggies attacked me a turn or two later anyway.

So they declared war, gave a city to get a protectorate out of me, then threw it away to declare war again. Nice battle plan!

The AI never seems to want to have anything to do with protocterates in my games, pfft.

The AI hasn't got a clue what a protectorate is.

I was playing as Thracians once and the scythians approached me and said "Your freedom is at a end" or something of that sort. I accepted since they had a fairly large army a move away. I was thinking that they would attack me...they didnt. I was able to be at peace with them (and they still had that huge army, with reinforcements by my city) but I cancelled it after 50 or so turns and attacked them.

Of course, scythians dont like to conquer much anyhow.

What were you doing for 50 turns while you were their protectorate exactly?

I was kind of turtling. Fending off the brutii and macedonians isnt too easy either.

I have been offered to become a protectorate, but do to my stubborn and proud nature I always say no. I have offered protection to other factions, but they always say no. Even when they have 1 city and I have a large army coming that way.

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Originally Posted by gmjapan

Egypt offered me a "become protectorate" and I wasnt going to take it so as an insult I counter offered something I didnt think they would go for; one of their cities. But they did go for it! I ended up 1 city better off as Selucid for avoiding conflict. Then the Eggies attacked me a turn or two later anyway.

So they declared war, gave a city to get a protectorate out of me, then threw it away to declare war again. Nice battle plan!

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They said 'all your base are belong to us' right? :laugh4:

They used to, I dont remember seeing it this time though... Come to think of it I havent seen that message for Eggy protectorate since I patched...

Maybe I am not paying enough attention

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Originally Posted by IrishArmenian

I have been offered to become a protectorate, but do to my stubborn and proud nature I always say no. I have offered protection to other factions, but they always say no. Even when they have 1 city and I have a large army coming that way.

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They generaly don't agree to protectorates if they don't see some profit in it (apperantly keeping their heads on their shoulders isn't profitasble enough for them) also they need to be presssed real hard. The best time for ask of protectorate would be when you have all their ports blocaded, and have yust anhiliated half of their entire military strenght. Then you ask them for a protectorate, and if you have conquered many of their base teritories, give them back when asking or a protectorate. Also if you give them some money too they will be deligetfill to kiss your a$$.

Now one question. Does AI ever break protectorate. Meing a faction is your protectorate. Does AI ever attacks you tough you are protecting it.

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Originally Posted by 4th Dimension

Now one question. Does AI ever break protectorate. Meing a faction is your protectorate. Does AI ever attacks you tough you are protecting it.

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No. They barely to anything when in protectorate status. They, however, have no qualms about breaking protectorate status when you attack one of their allies. Even when they have no military power left and your army is still on their doorstep :no: .

Ahh good. But I don't entirely agree with the second statement that they break protectorate easily when you attack an ally of theirs. It seems 50/50 chance thet they will break it if you have a fulll stack on their land. Maby the probability goes down with more armies.

i've always declined offers at protectorates...if fact i wanna attack them the next turn if i can just for trying...if there was a squishy button u could use on the diplomats i'd use it often...
i recall offering it once though to scythians when i was playing briton or german...they accepted, never attacked me but there was only one border...
i only ever did that once though because it seemed to make me poor quickly to have a protectorate.

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Originally Posted by Jambo

Second, when the AI offers you to become their protectorate, you can always seem to counter offer and include a large sum in your favour. If the tribute sytem worked (can anyone confirm this or not?) then maybe this would be ok, but as it doesn't when you're the protectorate it just seems like an easy way to get a quick financial fix.

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This is one of the biggest exploits in the game, btw.