Cede vs. Return Province

[AmbroStoics]

So I have a PU over Hesse. Hesse has a core on Westfalen and Padeborn from pre-PU back-and-forth with Cologne. I declare war with the reconquest casus belli, to take the province. Rip Cologne to pieces, now I can offer peace. I have two options:

- I can use cede provinces to get them, resulting in 6.9 aggressive expansion malus
- I can use return core for 3.5 aggressive expansion malus

No brainer I take the second one. Lo and behold, it is recorded as the "Unsccessful reconquest of Westfalen" in the chronicles.

First off, I should not have two choices to begin with, especially since one of them has a 50% advantage over the other. IMO, I should only be able use cede provinces, as the PU means I'm basically that country, so even with return cores, I'm actually taking that land for myself. Second of all, if I have both, at least don't punish me for using the option that makes sense. I know that the chronicle is just a superficial and fun feature, that has no bearing on the game, but it really annoys me that it's calling me a loser.

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a bug, but it definately makes no - common - sense.

 

[EvilKnievel82]

"Return province" always costs diplomatic points but "cede province" can be for free (Imperialism cassus belli, conquest cassus belli with a claim). So the reduced aggressive expansion comes at the cost of extra diplomatic points. I think it is completely valid to have both options especialy since they have different prequisites.

 

[Danfish77]

And the idea that being in a Personal Union makes you basically the same country is like the argument that giving a province to a vassal is the same as taking a province yourself. Personal unions end, vassals break away, it's not the same and the nuances make the game interesting.

...The naming thing does sound like a bug, however. That should be fixed.