My Vassal Doesn't Like Me - At All

[WLFobe]

So back in the beginning of the game I had a neighbor who was a fanatical purifier, and had a deep dislike for me. Like -950 dislike. But he didn't have the forces to back up his dislike, and ended being force-vassalized.

So for the last 100+ years he has been my vassal, and his dislike for me has ranged from -960 to -980. On very rare occasions he insults me, but I don't take that personally. When I have gone to war with his neighbors, his fleets always show up, very helpfully.

Is this normal? Shouldn't he occasionally revolt or something?

(Playing on normal settings, if that makes a difference.)

 

[Chaos_TLW]

He's a fanatical purifier, so year. That's their whole schtick. Normal aka non-fanatically-genocidal empires aren't usually too hard to get into your good graces after a few years.

 

[Endless Rain]

Is this normal? Shouldn't he occasionally revolt or something?

Only if your vassal is actually strong enough to win a war against you. Fanatic Purifiers may be evil, but they aren't stupid enough to invade someone who they have no chance of defeating.

 

[-Marauder-]

Only if your vassal is actually strong enough to win a war against you. Fanatic Purifiers may be evil, but they aren't stupid enough to invade someone who they have no chance of defeating.

Pretty much this. You can have a whole bunch of illoyal vassals and they will not do a thing if you are vastly stronger than them.

 

[The Founder]

Only if your vassal is actually strong enough to win a war against you. Fanatic Purifiers may be evil, but they aren't stupid enough to invade someone who they have no chance of defeating.

The "can I revolt?" check is basically a ofshoot of hte Opportunist AI Flag.
Only if the disloyal Vassals can actually win a war (like you loosing your Fleet), will they declare for independance. Other disloyal vassals and "Support Independance" claims are included into that strenght calculation.

So for the last 100+ years he has been my vassal, and his dislike for me has ranged from -960 to -980. On very rare occasions he insults me, but I don't take that personally. When I have gone to war with his neighbors, his fleets always show up, very helpfully.

That dislike makes sense. Xenophobia + Fanatic Purifier is -1040. No way a mere +100 Trust can counter that. I prefer to first switch such a peoples allegiance before vassalizing them, using liberation. The new Faction/Ethos system may include a way for vassals to slowly adapt to your ethos over time. Nothng concrete, but I get that vibe from it.

About the fleets showing up:
One thing to kee in mind is that the AI is a bunch of disconnected AI's. The Admiral AI does not even care who the enemy is (Are we are war? Spaceborne Aliens? Flying Asteroids in another empires borders? Who cares!). So it does not care for the Diplomatic relations either.

 

[Yenzen]

Trick: Once you're mid-sized, don't vassalize such empires outright. Conquer all of their planets but their smallest one, which you liberate instead. This newly liberated empire will have your ethics, so unless you're also xenophonic, will probably like you. Ask for this empire to join you as a vassal (or worst case, force it), then hand it the other planets.

 

[iniudan]

Trick: Once you're mid-sized, don't vassalize such empires outright. Conquer all of their planets but their smallest one, which you liberate instead. This newly liberated empire will have your ethics, so unless you're also xenophonic, will probably like you. Ask for this empire to join you as a vassal (or worst case, force it), then hand it the other planets.

You usually can easily vassalize 3 planets state. An other alternative is do everything in two war, first war you liberate yourself a vassal. 10 years later, you claim the rest for said vassal and no badboy diplomacy penalty involved, as those were planet where the vassal were the predominant species. Usually what I do when I am playing with liberation war policy or got federation member who are reluctant having planet ceded for that specific target for some reason.

 

[Secret Master]

xenophonic

They hate spoken language?

 

[essi2]

They hate spoken language?

Nah, Just 'Other' spoken languages.

 

[The Founder]

But if they are xenophonic, that means they are speaking (only?) foreign languages.

 

[Slarkon]

best thing to do is liberate a single one of his worlds early on on your border, then deamnd vasalise it - when the war comes around again after 10 year truce take control of his planets and then gift them to the one you liberated in the first war. You have your vaseel and because you liberated and gave a decent gift they will be like + 200 or so