Allow using Threaten War on tributaries

[annulen]

Right now (if needed DLCs are active) it's possible to seize province from almost any country without starting war:

• from unrelated countries: Threaten War action if target province is claim or core of attacker, is not a capital of defender, and defender agrees on that;
• from subjects: if subject is vassal or march, liberty desire is lower than 50%, and target province is not capital.

Tributary is a loose form of subject, something in the middle between independent country and vassal. However, it's possible to use neither Threaten War (because it's a subject) nor Seize Land (because it's unavailable for tributaries). The only option left is breaking tributary relation, or starting war on tributary (and taking stab hit).

 

[kdsw]

The core problem is treating tributaries as subjects instead of them just paying for a guarantee.

 

[annulen]

The core problem is treating tributaries as subjects instead of them just paying for a guarantee.

If your "paying for guarantee" is an euphemism for racketeering, and payment doesn't have to be monetary, this statement can be true with certain reservations. In particular, it wasn't unheard for overlord to mess with political structure of tributary, approve or disapprove its rulers, etc.

From viewpoint of game mechanics, tributary has to be a kind of subject because it needs to provide subject interaction UI. However, in certain aspects game recognizes different status of tributaries, e.g. overlord can rent them condottieri (which is forbidden with other types of subjects). However, other actions treat them like other subjects for no good reason, e.g. Threaten War (this suggestion), Transfer Trade Power, Enforce Peace and Send Warning.

 

[annulen]

Also, it's not possible to Offer Vassalization to tributary without breaking relation first.

 

[Zohtun]

Also, it's not possible to Offer Vassalization to tributary without breaking relation first.

Sadly that's unlikely to ever be fixed since the inability to turn a tributary into a vassal was turned into a feature, where the Empire of China gains the ability to do exactly that as their final reform.

 

[annulen]

Sadly that's unlikely to ever be fixed since the inability to turn a tributary into a vassal was turned into a feature, where the Empire of China gains the ability to do exactly that as their final reform.

I've addressed this concern in linked comment - reform is still more powerful because you don't need to meet annoying diplovassalization prerequisites. On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt to make EoC's reform a bit more power so it becomes worth spending mandate, as discussed here, e.g. allow vassalization of larger and larger tributaries progressively.