Is it a good idea to vassalize natives?

[SpySappinMyUser]

Greetings Monarchs, Archbishops, Dukes and Nobles.

I'm playing as Portugal and I've recently encountered the Americas. My troops are easily able to defeat natives and I've established the Portuguese Thirteen Colonies (almost); anyway, I'm in a war with some of the bigger native tribes, and have a full war score (100%). Is it a good idea to vassalize natives? I'm on the fence because I don't want to be responsible for holding back the dozens of other tribes that are their rivals; but they also provide a buffer against other native tribes. Opinions are appreciated.

Cheers

 

[TheRevanchist]

I don't think you can vassalize them. Only protectorate.

Also your font is hard to read.

 

[SpySappinMyUser]

I don't think you can vassalize them. Only protectorate.

Also your font is hard to read.

Thank you for that. But is it an actually good idea?

 

[Tub]

Thank you for that. But is it an actually good idea?

No. Protectorates essentially give you no benefits; if you've already got a colonial nation there, just annex them and you won't have to deal with overextension - the territory will go straight to your colony.

Why would you need a buffer zone, anyway? Natives are ridiculously easy to crush, even in an outnumbered 5:1 scenario.

 

[SpySappinMyUser]

No. Protectorates essentially give you no benefits; if you've already got a colonial nation there, just annex them and you won't have to deal with overextension - the territory will go straight to your colony.

Why would you need a buffer zone, anyway? Natives are ridiculously easy to crush, even in an outnumbered 5:1 scenario.

You make a good point. I probably should of checked that, I meant as buffer states against other colonial empires. But still your point stands even in a sort of balance of power scenario. Thanks.

 

[solidprice]

Less advanced nations can be still indrectly vassled. Al you have to do is annex and release said nation as vassle.a Easy way to eat through
Nations if you have the time but not the adm.
But since this is the Americans a.k.a free vassle and no more land for you.....

 

[Tub]

Less advanced nations can be still indrectly vassled. Al you have to do is annex and release said nation as vassle.a Easy way to eat through
Nations if you have the time but not the adm.
But since this is the Americans a.k.a free vassle and no more land for you.....

If you do that - ie, fully annex, and then release a less advanced nation - they'll still be a protectorate. Their tech group is linked to their cores.

So, if I fully annexed Mali as Portugal, I'd be releasing it as a protectorate rather than as a vassal.

 

[delpiero1234]

Is it a good idea to vassalize natives?

No

 

[Valkyrie-Lemons]

Protectorates are only really useful to obtain certain modifiers in the decision screen. The only real difference between protectorates and vassals is that protectorates don't require a diplomatic relation slot.

In the early game, their 50% trade transference is useful too, but taking the territory outright is better. A strategy could be to use the protectorate to gain its trade while you colonise around it, then annex it later (although not via diplo-annexing, since this is disabled). I can't remember if a colonial nation also gives over some of it's trade power to you, but I don't think it's as high as 50%.

 

[Tub]

Protectorates are only really useful to obtain certain modifiers in the decision screen. The only real difference between protectorates and vassals is that protectorates don't require a diplomatic relation slot.

In the early game, their 50% trade transference is useful too, but taking the territory outright is better. A strategy could be to use the protectorate to gain its trade while you colonise around it, then annex it later (although not via diplo-annexing, since this is disabled). I can't remember if a colonial nation also gives over some of it's trade power to you, but I don't think it's as high as 50%.

No, I'm pretty sure CNs give 50% Trade power too. I'm always the biggest trade power in Chesapeake Bay, with barely any ships and no provinces of my own there.

Bottom line is, it's best not to protectorate, ever. They block of your expansion, don't provide you with any meaningful benefits, you can't annex them, and they cost you a stability to break. I mean, seriously? Vassals don't cost stability, but if you want to break ties with a three province Native tribe on the other side of the world, everybody loses their shit.

Also, they're pretty bugged at the moment - your colonial nation could declare on it, and you'd get pulled into a war against your colonial nation, or vice versa. 1.5 was meant to fix this, but from what I've gathered, Paradox hasn't actually done so - or, there's something else causing it other to that which they thought was causing it, and they didn't realise it was still there in testing. If they did test it. Which I doubt.

 

[Beagá]

Yeah, just conquer all the natives.

Besides, it means pretty borders. And pretty borders mean happy eyes.