Territorial Expansion Penalty?

[Flavius Gonzo]

Is it just me, or do you get dinged with the "territorial expansion" penalty to diplomatic relations everytime you capture a region, regardless of what you do with it?

If I understand correctly, if I conquer a region, and then give it back to the previous owner (or someone else), that territorial expansion number still increases, right? And if I lose a province and regain it, it will go up again, right? So, In an extreme case, if I lost and regained the same European region 10 times, it would have the same effect on relations as if I conquered 10 new provinces, right?

I think this needs to change -- if you give away a province, it should decrease that number. Or at least, if you give it back to the previous owner it should remove the penalty you accrued for taking it. And definitely you shouldn't get dinged for expanding by conquering the same province twice, right?

[Didz]

Yep! I've noticed it too. Its not terribly logical the way it works at the minute as some nations don;t seem to be bothered whilst others get upset without any real justification. However, as the Friend-o-Meter doesn't really make a lot of difference to the game play its not really worth getting stressed about.

[Belgolas]

Well I am just happy that diplomacy is kinda working in this game and allies for the most part stay allies. I have only had a couple times when my ally declared war on me so it is an improvement.

[Lemur]

I find it irritating, since often the only way to make an irrational faction accept peace is to take a territory and offer it back (*cough* *cough* Sweden *cough* *cough).

[Dayve]

I find France to be very rational when it comes to diplomacy. In the last 10 years of my campaign they have declared war 8 times for no reason, and immediately accepted peace without exchange of hostility every single time the very next turn.

Most rational indeed.

Illogical.

But rational.

[Didz]

Well I am just happy that diplomacy is kinda working in this game and allies for the most part stay allies. I have only had a couple times when my ally declared war on me so it is an improvement.

I think you'll find thats just luck. As far as I know Allies are not excluded from the random DOW list. Well in fact, they can't be excluded otherwise they would never declare war on you, which they occassionally do.

@Dayve: Yes just had that happen to me. France declared war, lost a couple of frigates and then accepted peace. However, they are still at war with just about the entire of Europe already (1709) as are Sweden, Austria, and Poland. All seperate wars with everyone else and each other.