I've played a couple of learning games as the OE so far, and at one point I invaded Byzantium and took Morea off them (that place always reminds me of greedy little beardy people who are trapped and Can't Get Out!!!) and I made Byzantium my vassal. I'd assumed that was that, that they would be my female canines for the rest of the game, sit there and behave themselves untill I was inclined to gobble them up (different religion, so I knew it'd have to be an eventual force-annex).
Anyway the Byzantines did indeed behave themselves, at first, they sat there quitely building up an army while I galavanted across the Balkans (as I am inclined to do as the Ottomons) so I ignored their 30 thousand man project, I assumed they merely wanted the capacity to lend military assistance to me at some point. Anyway, there were complications, there was a falling out with my muslim brothers in the east, and some Hungarians drew exception to some of the things I was doing, there followed... some degree of unpleasantness. This would not have been such I a disaster if my snivelling stab-in-the-back vassal Byzantine hadn't chosen that moment to declare war on me! I wasn't even aware they were dissatisfied with my benevolent overlordship, it's not like they put anything in the suggestion box, they just jumped me!
Anyway now I'm playing the Ottomons again, I was careful to show Thrace no mercy this time, Byzantine is no more, and a number of other states have also embraced Ottomon rule (using generous offers they couldn't refuse). While I was busy in the Balkans (I love the Balkans) I noticed Tunisia had gotten it's paws on the Italian peninsula, probably years of internecine warfare had weakened the Italian states enough for Tunisian land-grabs, so I figured I'd join in, a glorious day for us Sunni's to occupy the home of the hated Catolicos.
The Tunisians took Siena, Firenze, Marchie and Romagna, and I was able to make off with Napoli. However it seems the Tunisians were not sensitive enough to the local ways, because all their holdings revolted within a decade, whereas I (in my wisdom) had decided not to hate the Catolicos so much afterall, so when the rebels in Tunisian Italy declared independance, I was able to quikly make humanitarian-intervention on Marchie (before they could make any pesky alliances ) and add that to my Italian portfolio as well, sucking up the stability hit and ignoring the anti-war demonstrations by pinko liberal un-Ottomon peaceniks.
I've since learnt in another thread though, that the more religions you have in your nation, the more expensive it is to establish Stability, so now I want to divest myself of the Italian holdings but I want to make sure I continue to have a base of operations on the peninsula from which to extend my control into the heart of Europe, and springboard myself at Spain and Portugal before they become colonial powers, but I'm worried that if I start releasing Italian vassals, they might breakaway from my control again, like Byzantium did, and skupper my whole mediteranian game-plan.
So, having enjoyed the sound of my own voice enough, your advises please.
Anyway the Byzantines did indeed behave themselves, at first, they sat there quitely building up an army while I galavanted across the Balkans (as I am inclined to do as the Ottomons) so I ignored their 30 thousand man project, I assumed they merely wanted the capacity to lend military assistance to me at some point. Anyway, there were complications, there was a falling out with my muslim brothers in the east, and some Hungarians drew exception to some of the things I was doing, there followed... some degree of unpleasantness. This would not have been such I a disaster if my snivelling stab-in-the-back vassal Byzantine hadn't chosen that moment to declare war on me! I wasn't even aware they were dissatisfied with my benevolent overlordship, it's not like they put anything in the suggestion box, they just jumped me!
Anyway now I'm playing the Ottomons again, I was careful to show Thrace no mercy this time, Byzantine is no more, and a number of other states have also embraced Ottomon rule (using generous offers they couldn't refuse). While I was busy in the Balkans (I love the Balkans) I noticed Tunisia had gotten it's paws on the Italian peninsula, probably years of internecine warfare had weakened the Italian states enough for Tunisian land-grabs, so I figured I'd join in, a glorious day for us Sunni's to occupy the home of the hated Catolicos.
The Tunisians took Siena, Firenze, Marchie and Romagna, and I was able to make off with Napoli. However it seems the Tunisians were not sensitive enough to the local ways, because all their holdings revolted within a decade, whereas I (in my wisdom) had decided not to hate the Catolicos so much afterall, so when the rebels in Tunisian Italy declared independance, I was able to quikly make humanitarian-intervention on Marchie (before they could make any pesky alliances ) and add that to my Italian portfolio as well, sucking up the stability hit and ignoring the anti-war demonstrations by pinko liberal un-Ottomon peaceniks.
I've since learnt in another thread though, that the more religions you have in your nation, the more expensive it is to establish Stability, so now I want to divest myself of the Italian holdings but I want to make sure I continue to have a base of operations on the peninsula from which to extend my control into the heart of Europe, and springboard myself at Spain and Portugal before they become colonial powers, but I'm worried that if I start releasing Italian vassals, they might breakaway from my control again, like Byzantium did, and skupper my whole mediteranian game-plan.
So, having enjoyed the sound of my own voice enough, your advises please.
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