Tribute, Alliances and AI + Mercenaries...

[Knonfoda]

OK, so I don't know if this is in the right forum, but I don't think it belongs in the ''Bugs'' or technical help as its not exactly a bug or ''technical'' for that matter. Feel free to edit this if its in the wrong place however.

Right, so I am playing as the Romani, on M/M (I have actually completed a campaign on VH/VH but the idea of the AI getting ridiculous bonuses does not appeal to me) and I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, I have reduced the Koinon Hellenon to a protectorate (along with Epirus), but while I have managed to get Epirus to pay tribute to me, the Greeks will not do so. I have even tried to give them like 400,000+ money and then like 2000 x 20 turns tribute but they just say no. This is with Force Deiplomacy Mod installed, and it works for everything else but this. I don't understand. They can't possibly not have money because I can pump them with it if I want to.

Notice I do this with certain factions I want to subjugate. Seeing as when I am playing the chances of any other faction having a positive financial balance is near nil (I don't get to approach them with diplomats when its their turn now do I - when they collect the taxes and have money) my strategy around that is to add money to myself, give it to them, and then collect some of it back (in the form of a ''single payment'' - or indemnity) and the rest in tribute (after all this is what happened back then) even if it does amount to a form of cheating. Its worked with everybody else, but not the Greeks. They just don't want to pay tribute full stop. Any ideas?

Secondly, I can't ally with the Arveni, who are currently at war with the Aedui. My diplomat is seasoned and experienced, I have no allies with the Enemies of the Arveni or any other ''incompatible'' treaties, but the option ''Alliance'' in the diplomacy tab just does not show up. Why? I want to ally with them to combat the Aedui. Divide and conquer as indeed Caesar did in his campaigns in Gaul.

Thirdly, is it true on medium the AI does not hire mercenaries? Like I said, I have played on VH/VH, but I never noticed that there were roaming stacks of Eleutheroi armies that raided your cities. My current campaign has such stacks which do approach dangerously near my provincial borders, but never cross them.

I think that is all for now. In advance, thanks for all the help. EB is by far the best game out there!

[/Bean\]

Firstly making a faction a protectorate automatically means they pay you tribute. Check your income in the finance scroll.

Secondly, double check alliances and at-wars and stuff, but sometimes this does just happen. Wait till they cease fire with the Arverni and try again.

Thirdly, I think AI merc recruitment is generally limited to H/VH levels, so it should be sporadic at best. Eleutheroi rarely attack you in M as well, apart from when scripted like the Caledonians in the Casse campaign. You can basically leave your cities garrisonless and not worry.

[Knonfoda]

I see, thanks /Bean\

Its just strange I managed to get Epirus as my protectorate to pay tribute forcefully, but not Greece. Its a shame about the AI, I didn't know that it doesn't attack on medium. As for the alliances, I will try again later. I did think it could be random/sporadic.

Cheers.

[Chris1959]

A protectorate pays tribute by giving you all the money they have left at the end of a turn, after paying maintenance, buildings etc. It may be that Greece has no money left to pay, you can test by giving them a huge lump of cash and then see if you get it back next turn!

[DionCaesar]

I don't know wheter it is possible for a faction to be protectorate to 2 other civs. If it is, then they perhaps tribute all their money to that other faction.

(I actually doubt it myself but it would be an explanation).

Good thing you're playing as Romani though

[Jebivjetar]

As Carthage i had Aedui as a protectorate once. But i did not see any tribute incomes in my finance scroll

[/Bean\]

Several people see the player making AI protectorates as cheating, or rather an unneccessary middle man in cheating. The AI factions all get lots of dosh via the script every turn, and they pay all excess to their protectors (the player). In other words you might as well use the add_money cheat and cut out the middle man.

[Jebivjetar]

Aedui in my campaign accepted to became my protectorate when i asked them to do so just for fun ( i didn't offered them anything): nobody else ever did accept that except that one time. Anyway i had no money problems befora that and the only thing i liked about protectorate thing is that you can rid of endless enemy fullstacks attacking you all the time.

[Maion Maroneios]

AFAIK, it's generally difficult to force the AI to become your protectorate. Even if you've hammered them so bad, that they have absolutely no hopes of surviving. There is were FD comes in, but take into mind that forcing an enemy faction to become your protectorate will give you a ridiculous amount of money per turn (due to the scripted money AI factions get by the EBBS). It's better to force them to accept an Alliance and give you Military access. You should also consider gifting them some money, after all they're your Protectorate right?

Maion

[Jebivjetar]

Well, it's weird: i don't use FD (it causes CTDs on my comp). And two more things you will find interesting too: 1) Aedui did have about 10 cities when they agreed to became my protectorate 2) Arverni had Aeui as their protector

I'm not joking!

[Tartaros]

just tested a game with epeiros. i smashed the macedonians to a lesbian local kingdom and become the mighty protector. Every second or forth turn my diplomatic summary fills with 15.000 - 16.000 mnai.
next step is to reduce koine helenon to sparte and see what they can offer.

[Maion Maroneios]

just tested a game with epeiros. i smashed the macedonians to a lesbian local kingdom and become the mighty protector. Every second or forth turn my diplomatic summary fills with 15.000 - 16.000 mnai.
next step is to reduce koine helenon to sparte and see what they can offer.

Lucky you

Maion

[Chris1959]

I once gave my Arverni protectorate 1 million mnai and hey presto next move they gave it me back. Given that I role play my campaigns I like the protectorate as it make a peace treaty more binding (Also stops a lot of CTD's from FDing ceasefires) with the AI, I don't like the fact I get money from it and do my best to keep giving it back.
Would there be some way to stop a protectorate paying you money?

[Tartaros]

Lucky you

[Antinous]

Lucky you

Maion

Bravo Maion bravo!! You deserve this a lot!!

[/Bean\]

Maion, do you pay people to pointlessly flatter you like this? Or is it just your natural charm and fear factor?

[Cullhwch]

You can force a faction to become a protectorate by giving them ONE MILLION MNAI on hard campaign difficulty. This works for any faction, even the strong ones.

[Skullheadhq]

ONE MILLION??
How did you ever get THAT amount of money.
With 1.000.000 mina you could back then IRL buy the world for something like 6 times and upkeep an army of all world citizens!

[Valion]

Well far into the game 1 million isnt unrealistic to get, with a huge empire specially if you control Greece you'l be swimming in more than 1million mnai.

[Tartaros]

a million should be no problem, bubble-economies rules! (thanx to the mnai-script that put it into my "protector"bag)
my next test: i give you a million - do you become my puppet. i think i will try with kart-hadast

[Maion Maroneios]

Maion, do you pay people to pointlessly flatter you like this? Or is it just your natural charm and fear factor?

The second, of course. What can I do? It's a natural gift and charisma, not all of us are blessed with that.

Maion

[Watchman]

And modesty. Don't forget that.

[Maion Maroneios]

Especially modesty.

Maion

[DionCaesar]

Maion, do you pay people to pointlessly flatter you like this? Or is it just your natural charm and fear factor?

It's obvious he's using FD on those guys. Other than that I can only think of his # of posts being a fearfactor :P.

I'd have given him a balloon for being pointlessly flattered by other people, if he wasn't member leader of those Romaioktonoi.

(Julius Caesar was also pointlessly flattered by others, so everyone who is should get a balloon, unless you hate Romans of course hehe).

[Jebivjetar]

Can you hear the sound of birds singing when romaioi are dead?
If you can not, i will kill them for you: you have to hear that music!
It's a pleasant sound you know
All those bastards dying
It is pleasant
You know
Romaioi dying
You know...

[DionCaesar]

Can you hear the sound of birds singing when romaioi are dead?
If you can not, i will kill them for you: you have to hear that music!
It's a pleasant sound you know
All those bastards dying
It is pleasant
You know
Romaioi dying
You know...

It must be very painfull for you that Illyria (your country Croatia included) was one of Caesar's provinces heheh gnagna .

lol just couldn't resist.

After all, the Roman empire did fall, so you guys got what you wanted. Now back on topic: having more than 1 million mnai (how much denarii is that btw, and what could you 'buy' for that? (and don't say)) get's you a lot of ''rich, richer, richest'' traits. That way, your familymembers will be very, very influencial, which isn't very good for roleplaying purposes (at least, in my case). It's also very corrupting.

[Jebivjetar]

It must be very painfull for you that Illyria (your country Kroatia included) was one of Caesar's provinces heheh gnagna .

l

It's Croatia, not Kroatia

[Jebivjetar]

After all, the Roman empire did fall,

[Jebivjetar]

I've been watching some statues of romaioi- dogs in our museum (those dogs had some legionary camp around here, called Aquama; http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%8Cakovec), and i've found our street dogs more cooler than romaioi dogs

[Cute Wolf]

Hey guys, I just found up how to made someone as your protectorate without using FD on hard campaign... without 1000000 minai.

Let them attack you first
Siege their provinces one. Take them... offer peace w 1000 minai as "compensation"
let them attack you again, so for "punishment"... take another province from them, and offer peace without compensation, or we'll attack you!
If they reject, took one of their province, and say that again one time.
If they accept, just let them attack you, repeat.
Now, if they attack again... offer peace with they must paid 10000 minai to you, as they must compensate......... or we will attack!
If they reject, just take one of their city again... repeat, but reduce the ammount of compensation they must pay.
If they accept... just wait for some years of peace.... and when they attack, offer protectorate, they must paid 20000 minai (more or less) for compensation, or we will attack them, raze to the ground, and spread salts on their cities......... They'll accept your supperiority, and become your loyal dogs for almost a century.

At least, that what did I do as Sweboz to Aedui and Getai.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

note: The Romaioi didn't deserve protectorate status, just kill them and sack Barbaropolis, that's all.