Prince-Arch Nemesis

[JonathanOfArc]

I used to always appoint a Prince-Archbishop or High Priest to Kingdoms I've ruled. Just sort of a house rule for myself to have my own top religious person. Lots of times I also create a Doge (though usually inland so I don't have all those patrician families running around).

Lately they seem to cause far more trouble then they're worth. Our government types don't match up, and that is a problem, but it seems like now they are always a nuisance. They always seem like they want to join factions and go against my ruler, more so than I'd expect. It's like they become possessed and hellbent on being a thorn in my side.

Is it now a bigger deal being liege to a vassal of a different government type? My feudal king having theocratic and burger duke vassals. Is that so bad?

 

[Waffen9999]

I make vassal republics and Archbishoprics all the time. They help give money, otherwise it's coming solely from yourself unless you decide to tax your nobles. So, you could span the entire world and still make roughly 60 gold a month due to the fact that none of your vassals are paying you anything otherwise.

 

[josefrees]

Yeah merchant republics are good. Just have to make sure not to give them too good of land otherwise they become thornier. Same with theocracies. They might not like you as much but if they don't have much power they aren't going to be too much of a threat.

Also if you are doing merchant republics it can be a good idea to set someone from your dynasty there. they pull heirs to the dynasty house through unlanded members of your dynasty so those old unlanded distant cousins can win elections somewhat easily as well

 

[JonathanOfArc]

I make vassal republics and Archbishoprics all the time. They help give money, otherwise it's coming solely from yourself unless you decide to tax your nobles. So, you could span the entire world and still make roughly 60 gold a month due to the fact that none of your vassals are paying you anything otherwise.

Oh yeah the money is always nice. I tend to keep tax/levy marker right in the middle for nobles and tax the burghers and clergy.

Yeah merchant republics are good. Just have to make sure not to give them too good of land otherwise they become thornier. Same with theocracies. They might not like you as much but if they don't have much power they aren't going to be too much of a threat.

Also if you are doing merchant republics it can be a good idea to set someone from your dynasty there. they pull heirs to the dynasty house through unlanded members of your dynasty so those old unlanded distant cousins can win elections somewhat easily as well

I usually keep my duke level burghers inland. I only make a sea republic if there's no other option. My problem these days is that these two types of vassal are always just so determined to undermine me. I tend to try to keep them weak, and in the past they were always pretty docile. Now they always seem out to get me. If there are factions, the Doge and Prince-Archbishop are sure to be members.

 

[SaphireSeas]

Is it now a bigger deal being liege to a vassal of a different government type? My feudal king having theocratic and burger duke vassals. Is that so bad?

Vassals of a different government type are more likely to join independence factions. Also, remeber conclave halved the opinion modifiers, which means it's harder to get them up into the magical 50s and 80s

 

[Mike Louis]

In my games starting from 769, I make my first merchant republic in Tripoli (modern Lebanon) for trade post access to the Mediterranean so I don't have to raise taxes on my direct vassals. When I conquer Mesopotamia via a Great Holy War, I install my second merchant republic in Barsa for trade post access to the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. Those two merchant republics with their trade networks combined with the Silk Road trade posts encourages me to go with a "growing tall" mercantile power strategy.