Quote Originally Posted by econ21 View Post
I just hit my first realm divide.

Got a nice video and then went to look at my diplomacy screen. Everyone had a -20 for realm divide, but they all still liked me just as before. "This is not so bad", I thought.

Pressed end turn.
No kidding. Fun isn't it?

Happily as Shimazu I had a very long term friendship with the Mori, so I was able to keep trading with them. I paid attention to the diplomacy screen and whenver my relationship with them became indifferent or worse, I always paid 1000 koku/turn in tribute to keep them happy. Eventually they attacked one of my vassals, but I have since been able to get my fleets, one field army, and one scrub army (fine for taking undefended cities!) around and I'm currently hammering them.

My key right now is that I am constantly making vassals to trade with. Sure, they might turn on me come Kyoto time, but I have Kyoto totally isolated and I will be fully prepared to be stabbed in the back at that point. Vassals are so much more valuable than owning the provices themselves (especially poor areas like where the Mori establish themselves!), I'm hardly bothing capture and hold. I also like them because I don't need to keep an army doing nothing pacifying, so I can move on and keep on kicking the Mori!