Do you support your vassals economically?

[Finnish Dragon]

What is your policy towards your vassals economically? Do you just exploit them or do you give them gifts of money to build new improvements if you have extra money available?

Earlier I used the laissez faire policy towards my vassals. I just gathered money to have a lot money reserves available. I have changed my policy. I noticed that when your vassals have enough money they build new improvements for their provinces.

I think it is a good idea to support them if you have enough money available. This is possible later when your provinces improved and you make a annual healthy profit. In short term you lose money but in a long run your vassals provinces are have better economy and they are better fortified.

 

[unmerged(28851)]

I always give them money, when I can afford it.

 

[unmerged(34070)]

Me too. I try to make them build castles.

 

[SJG]

I generally give money to vassals once I reach the comfort zone.

 

[unmerged(25476)]

Same... I'll give money to those who hold strategicly important locations where I want big armies and castles...

other than that only if they are really behind on the upgrades...

 

[Winkelried]

Laissez faire, laissez aller. But I usually keep scutage low or at zero, unless I really need more money.

 

[Chaingun]

First statement: I always let my vassals off the hook with low scutage if I have enough income from my demesne. The following equation is the reason:

Low scutage = Happy vassals + Larger vassal regiments.

Those extra troops can be very handy instead of the very marginal income you otherwise receive from scutage. Also, since your vassals get more money left they upgrade province improvements faster and thereby you will only benefit in length.

Second statement: Yes, I do aid my vassals a lot if I'm floating on a pile of cash. I see it as an investment which does not exactly generate such a high return as my own demsne, but still sufficient enough for me to realize that hoarded money is much less efficient than money invested. Additionally I hate to see provinces with only a few primitive buildings; I want to be able to be proud over my vassals' lands

 

[unmerged(34070)]

Additionally I hate to see provinces with only a few primitive buildings; I want to be able to be proud over my vassals' lands

Must admit that`s one of my main reasons too...

 

[Patricius]

I do nothing for them. They usually try to rebel at some point anyhow. They build fairly steadily in the latest patches, anyhow. The only real limiter is technology. Helping vassals is a bit of a waste, in my opinion.

 

[unmerged(33525)]

Once I've built about evrything I can, I give money to my vassals to let them improve their provinces ratehr than letting a growing unused cash pile.

Of course when i'm planning war, i hoard some cash in advance, but if kicking minor pagan butt, my income is enough to keep me in the black with the levied troops.

 

[Crusher Bob]

I give cash to my vassals early and often to encourage tech spread. If you have vassals next to the empire or the moslem ubermensch, then getting your vassals to build extesive road nextworks is a much. Once almost all or your realm has extensive road networks tech (and sickness) really seems to spread quickly.

 

[unmerged(34070)]

Isn`t it also nice to know that you`re the ruler of a big as well as civilized Empire?

 

[unmerged(28851)]

Isn`t it also nice to know that you`re the ruler of a big as well as civilized Empire?

Who cares about that ? If they have breweries and mines, it's usually enough for me. That's a big boost economically and militarily for a Byzantium sized realm.

 

[unmerged(18894)]

What money to vassals! Me no give my preciousesss away! I teach my vassals the important talent of self-relience: pillage! plunder and burn all that you find! :rofl

In truth i sometimes give my vassals money if they happen to own poor provinces, they are my rulers relatives or I have bleeded them dry in wars. And when the Burning Legion arrives I give my vassals money to keep them loyal and fighting with the war lasting about 10 000 years.

 

[Dunlaing]

I only give money to the disloyal vassals.

I just hope the AI doesn't figure out that I'm providing an incentive for disloyalty...

 

[unmerged(21937)]

I tend to check if vassal has something useful to build and then give. For example, I try to get my all vassals with extensive road network, because it helps tech spread and because it practically cuts attrition to zero in my own lands for armies up to 10-15k size. I hate to see my 5k army die of attrition when marching from my kingdom's western end to the eastern.

 

[Garuda]

I always gift money to vassals who are related and part of my dynasty. You never know when you might end up playing as their descendents if your own heirs run out. If they happen to revolt at some point and spread your dynasty out across the map then thats ok.

But I don't give money to non-related vassals. Why give greater power to your potential enemies?

 

[TheArchMede]

It depends. If they haven't built things like monasteries and churches, I may just revoke their title and take the piety for the construction myself. Roads, castles, breweries etc. they can build themselves with my money. When I start off as a count, I hate paying all that scutage that gets squeezed out of me, so when my heirs go up in the world, they don't take any from their vassals.

 

[Blackberry]

What is your policy towards your vassals economically? Do you just exploit them or do you give them gifts of money to build new improvements if you have extra money available?

Well I support them when I have built a sufficent reserve of cash that assures I can pay for the cost of war and potential county improvements in my demise.

Once I have the above, my policy is to give economic assitance on the following:

-- How closely are they related to me. The closer the relation the higher on the list of potentially receiving subsidies by their liege (me).
-- How poor are they. The poorer they are the most generous I am to get those counties "on par" with the better off vassals.
-- How much I want a particular improvement built, there seems to be a set list though of what vassals will build in order, so this can be difficult sometimes.

If the vassal is particularly poor and of particularly poor character (i.e. very bad traits) then I will remove him (by revoking title or if nessecary, by military action) and rule the county as part of my personal demise until I get it built up sufficently, then turn it over to another vassal.

 

[Chaingun]

I don't give money to non-related vassals. Why give greater power to your potential enemies?

I don't think anybody has suggested that because it is so totally illogical and obvious. :wacko: