I love vassals....

[rvg]

Usually playing as Byz, I find vassalage to be the absolute BEST way to shield myself from the Western European aggression. By beating both Venice and Hungary into the ground until they accept vassalage and then giving them back some provinces (+ conquering some new provinces for them) sems to work like a charm: I have a bunch of buffer states on my western border, who are very docile and submissive., yet other European powers are reluctant to attack my vassals as well as my empire (not sharing a common land border seems to be a biggie in reducing their aggression against me).

The best part yet is that tribute money is pouring in while I have zero worries about building up or garrisoning the provinces that get sacked and gifted to my vassals.

Nothing makes Byz feel really imperial like a bunch of lackeys and underlings manning my western front.

[IsItStillThere]

How far did you have to beat them down before they accepted Vassal status? I've never been able to get the AI to agree to it.

Also, do you know, does getting an AI as a vassal count as "eliminating" it as per victory conditions? For example, one of the short campaign victory conditions for England is to eliminate Scotland. Does getting Scotland to be a vassal count?

[Snipafist]

How far did you have to beat them down before they accepted Vassal status? I've never been able to get the AI to agree to it.

Also, do you know, does getting an AI as a vassal count as "eliminating" it as per victory conditions? For example, one of the short campaign victory conditions for England is to eliminate Scotland. Does getting Scotland to be a vassal count?

No, I don't believe it does. Those factions need to be wiped off the map, as if they're still around, you haven't "outlasted" them.

[rvg]

How far did you have to beat them down before they accepted Vassal status? I've never been able to get the AI to agree to it.

Also, do you know, does getting an AI as a vassal count as "eliminating" it as per victory conditions? For example, one of the short campaign victory conditions for England is to eliminate Scotland. Does getting Scotland to be a vassal count?

Had to beat them down to 1 province, defeat their last sizable army and have a large force parked and ready to siege their last settlement.

[TevashSzat]

still, that will not always guarantee a vassalage sincei have had three full stacks sieging the last french city before and yet they still don't accept vassalge even when i give them 50k if they accept. My reputation was mixed at that point