China keeps losing warlord puppets

[heliostellar]

I am playing as Nationalist China and after the Subjugate the Warlords focus I obviously get a randomized set of warlords that become puppets by event.

Randomly, a lot of them just stop being puppets for no apparent reason even in the middle of war.

Is this intended? How do I keep them so that I can rely on them?

 

[Jorge Firebomb]

The warlord tree has a focus that makes them independent again, I'm pretty sure. The only way to make sure they stay on your side is to finish the integration decisions (which eventually results in annexation) before they take that focus.

 

[heliostellar]

The warlord tree has a focus that makes them independent again, I'm pretty sure. The only way to make sure they stay on your side is to finish the integration decisions (which eventually results in annexation) before they take that focus.

This latest attempt, it was almost instantly that they dropped off. I guess I'll have to watch their foci then.

 

[Rider_of_Doom]

If you do a run with China without historical focus turned on, the warlords will choose the focus "Opposition" sometimes. This will make them independent again, if you subjugated them before via your focus. To avoid this, wait, until the warlords took their path or play with historical focus turned on, because no warlord chooses this focus there.

 

[heliostellar]

If you do a run with China without historical focus turned on, the warlords will choose the focus "Opposition" sometimes. This will make them independent again, if you subjugated them before via your focus. To avoid this, wait, until the warlords took their path or play with historical focus turned on, because no warlord chooses this focus there.

That's good to know. There is no tooltip that explains that the focus tree has such an effect, of course. I mean, it does make sense storywise.

EDIT: Actually it doesn't make sense storywise. If they chose to submit, then why would they just immediately change their mind by pursuing a strategy that's the exact opposite?

 

[KalypsoKirin]

On top of that, everyone and their mother gets a focus to demand the warlords become puppets, which leads to a lot of puppet stealing.
My most recent Manchukuo game had almost all the warlords switch sides, overwhelming china and xibei san ma.

 

[Rider_of_Doom]

That's good to know. There is no tooltip that explains that the focus tree has such an effect, of course. I mean, it does make sense storywise.

The tooltip only appears, if the warlord who is doing this focus is a puppet at this moment. I don't know why that's the case, because it should be stated there always, regardless of anything else.

 

[Meglok]

On top of that, everyone and their mother gets a focus to demand the warlords become puppets, which leads to a lot of puppet stealing.
My most recent Manchukuo game had almost all the warlords switch sides, overwhelming china and xibei san ma.

Please report that. Once they become a puppet they are supposed to be unavailable to interact with any more decisions from other nations.

 

[heliostellar]

I guess the moral of the story is that you need to integrate ASAP because puppets are not reliable.