There is a diplomatic backlash. Other factions responses to your diplomacy will end with reference to your previous lack of honour. Conversley giving money regulary to a faction will better keep good relations.

Overall though the sentiments expressed by other posters prevail. Diplomacy in RTW is not very transparent and often behaves in a seemingly illogical way.


Most amusing recent example:

As Perthia I was fighting Egypt. One of Egypts best diplomatic lines is their request that you become a protectorate.."..all your bases are ours..." speech. Sure enough up it pops. They want me to be a protectorate of theirs.

No matter that I am beating them, am bigger in regions and armed forces. Yes I say provided they give me one of your regions. They accept. Cool. Ive got another region and a garrison to go with it.

The best bit...I close the diplomacy screen and its still Egypts turn. They attack me breaking the protectorate status. How neat was that! Protectorate for about 3 seconds. Only downside perhaps was cash. I have a suspion that they got half my cash balance...€3000. Still it was a good value exchange. They can ask for my bases again.