protectorates: ?????

[Marquis of Roland]

I suppose the level of tribute is directly related to how much money that province is making?

[lars573]

I'm trying to think of who i had under my "benevolent protection" the longest. But even with 1 or 2 provinces that are only built up to a medium level, the amount was still in the 4 or 5 figure range.

[Productivity]

They contribute to your total number of regions controlled. Good for far away regions, which requrie to much effort to keep happy.

[Craterus]

I thought they were a pointless, buggy "feature" of the game.

[Marquis of Roland]

Okay, so far away provinces make into your protectorate, closer to home just exterminate. gotcha

[Franconicus]

This is the other side of the medal: becoming a protectorate. I never had an offer before playing Scythia. Here three factions offered me to become their protectorate:

1. Parthians: They attacked me and offered prot. I refused, and they made peace.

2. Macedonian: I was in war with Dacia and they invated and besieged Tylis. I rushed with my army south, but they offered me prot and I accepted for 2,000 denarii and anual fee of 500. So I drove my army back to Dacia and bought some nice things with the money. The very next turn they attacked again. My army run south again and teaches the Macs a lesson about 'walk the talk".

3. While my punitive expedition against Mac the Brutii came and besieged my new town Thessalonica. The next turn they offered prot. I accepted to the usual conditions. They did not attack me since. However, they made peace with Mac. How do they think they will protect me??

[King Henry V]

Protectorates are a bit of waste of time and money. Often they only except if you give them loads of provinces (once playing the julii i had to give all of greece and half of asia minor, a lump sum of 15 000 and 1000 a turn).