Better to satellite or annex?

[Ambigore]

Just wondering what are everybody's perspective on satelliting vs annexing a country?

Annexing seems good from your country's POV, but I understand non-national POPs have their productivity halved, so every non-national province that is annexed damages the world's economy. But on the otherhand your national POPs will have first dibs on the resources from annexed provinces.

Also do satellites earn prestige for their master? So if you have 10 satellites, you'll earn more prestige per year than a country without any.

Satelliting also costs far less BB than annexing so doing a WC via satelliting is relatively doable.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[Dietmar1982]

Well I allmost allways satellite. But thats mostly for roleplaying purposes.
I don't know if satellites earn prestige for their masters, if they do, it's not enough to make a difference in my experience.
Sometimes it also just easier to satellite when the provinces in question have useless RGO's filled with non national POPs revolting all the time

 

[noddysseus]

Two other great reasons to satellite;

1. If you satellite a country which you have cores on, then you get all those provinces from the country, without having to request them in the peace negotiations. You even get them BB free!

2. If you satellite an uncivilized country, whilst requesting provinces off them, you get the provinces BB free!

 

[Phoenix VII]

Most of the time I annex countries that are minor or uncivilized and satellite large civilized countries that have over 12 provinces after taking from them whatever provinces I want.

 

[Iche_Bins]

2. If you satellite an uncivilized country, whilst requesting provinces off them, you get the provinces BB free!

Every province you take from an unciv country is BB free as long as you don't annex it.

 

[Eärendil]

Satellites earn prestige for their masters.

 

[Hardstuff]

Two other great reasons to satellite;

1. If you satellite a country which you have cores on, then you get all those provinces from the country, without having to request them in the peace negotiations. You even get them BB free!

2. If you satellite an uncivilized country, whilst requesting provinces off them, you get the provinces BB free!

Also, if a country is satellited while at war with other nations who are in control of their territory, these provinces are automatically ceded to the controller thereof and peace ensues.

 

[Sleepyhead]

The only times I don't annex is when I need to ally with another country. Don't worry about the production. If you own the province you benefit from it and if you got good technology and several railroad-levels (and capitalists building them) you will most likely increase the production. Unless of course you're playing on a high difficulty, then every AI country get a huge production bonus.

 

[shasla6]

These days I satellite for role playing reasons, but functionally speaking they are nearly worthless.

 

[NikkTheTrick]

These days I satellite for role playing reasons, but functionally speaking they are nearly worthless.

They will not DoW you, so if that is a nation that happens to rise 100-division army super fast (Like USA does in my games), satelliting it will get rid of the problem.

 

[Minarchist]

It largely depends on what country you are playing with.

With Japan, why in the world would you satellite China instead of annexing?

With Prussia/Germany, why in the world would you annex Russia's poor Polish provinces instead of satelliting?

Also keep in mind that satelliting will always cost 70% WS, while just a couple rich provinces can easily exceed that. I generally satellite unless I can do a far better job getting value from a province. ie, with Japan, I would never, ever satellite Korea because I can build railroads and yield more from the mines than my satellite could.

I ask 'how can we maximize the value of a province'? If my satellite can do it better than I can, then I will give it to them. They are fighting on my side, in any case.

You also have to keep in mind that even if you take tons of provinces from a nation, other nations will be more likely to go to war with you, and the defeated nation will probably go all revanchist on you.

 

[unmerged(1047)]

The best part about satellite is getting the cores - in some cases this is the only reasonable way to do so; for example the historic US-Mexico war of 1846. There's no way you can get enough warscore to demand all the provinces, California alone ends up being too much. But if you satellite Mexico you get all of the territory (plus the Gadsen Purchase territory too, for free).

 

[shasla6]

The best part about satellite is getting the cores - in some cases this is the only reasonable way to do so; for example the historic US-Mexico war of 1846. There's no way you can get enough warscore to demand all the provinces, California alone ends up being too much. But if you satellite Mexico you get all of the territory (plus the Gadsen Purchase territory too, for free).

It would be more historically correct to just to trigger Guadalupe-Hidalgo. It's actually easier than getting a proper victory anyway.

 

[Garek Maxwell]

I found out in a Spain game a sneaky and kinda evil way of using satelliting.

You can, if you strike early enough and build up enough strength, prevent Italian unification by joining the wars when Venetian and that other Italian state pops up and almost everyone in the world goes to war with them. You then work as quickly as possible to satellite every Italian state you can get to. This is keep them from going to war with each other, if you hit the right ones...I think. I somehow managed to keep them from unifrying anyway.

Another really nasty thing you can do is mess up Japan. If you go to war and don't think you can take it all in one go before they civilize (especially if they spawned millions of troops in the last providence you need), then try and go for satelliting them. What will happen is that later on when the Tokugawa (I think that's the right name) split, Japan won't go to war with them as they normally would. This leaves you the opportunity to take a LOT of land from an uncivilized nation that starts out with no troops and is very weak. If you had trouble taking "Japan" before, this time it should be much easier.

...Or you could just play very aggressively and take all of Germany. I was just doing my own thing with Spain and loving every minute of it.

Oh, and this probably will work with Germany too, providing you defend your satellites.

 

[ninjaska]

They will not DoW you, so if that is a nation that happens to rise 100-division army super fast (Like USA does in my games), satelliting it will get rid of the problem.

Oi,
Yup, thats the best way to deal with USA, when you are playing Mexico. You can beat them in the first war, but not later. So satellite them in 1838 and you are on the way to eternal glory. They will give prestige boost, they will protect against France and Spain, and let you keep California.
Generally its good option against monstrous neighbour: Brazil, USA, France or Austria.

Satellite is, also, good option when are playing Ottomans. In the war with Egipt you satellite them to get whole Syria (you have cores on it). Later you still can DOW them.

 

[Outsider1580]

Depends on play style

Annexing versus Satellite. I think I annex more then I satellite because I just like to have my colors everywhere, true satellite means less revolts but seriously.

 

[NikkTheTrick]

Generally its good option against monstrous neighbour: Brazil, USA, France or Austria.

How does Mexico get past abomination that is called Royal Navy?

 

[henryjai]

With Prussia/Germany, why in the world would you annex Russia's poor Polish provinces instead of satelliting?

i don't like to annex, i buy them.

 

[zdlugasz]

...

Annexing seems good from your country's POV, but I understand non-national POPs have their productivity halved, so every non-national province that is annexed damages the world's economy.

...

Wouldn't you profit from it? Assuming that world's production is dropping it means that prices go up and if you became major exporter you earn more money.

 

[henryjai]

Wouldn't you profit from it? Assuming that world's production is dropping it means that prices go up and if you became major exporter you earn more money.

if you take land from unciv, it's likely that the production increase...

since you got techs.