Relations as Gondor

[wohnzimmer]

Hello,
I play as Gondor and my relations to the Dwarfs, Dale and mainly the High Elves get constantly worse, but I don't know why. I'm not at war with an alliance of the named factions and don't needle them in any way, but constyntly "relations worsed"
Can anybody advise the reason?

Regards, livingroom

[Muffer Nl]

On VH/VH the relationship with other factions keeps on getting worse every turn. Try to get trade rights and an alliance as this improves your standing with them. Frequently give them map information and some cash every now and then. Your rating will also drop when you are at war with one of their ally´s.

[Ellin Athinaios]

If you play in Very Hard, all relations with other factions gradually become worse by default.

Giving them small gifts of money and map information from time to time would help. Or even better, try offering them a settlement, they'll become your best friends.

Edit: damn you Dutchman, you're everywhere.

[Muffer Nl]

Whenever I´m not at work or...
Well I´m also online at school so...

[IHV]

what about vassals, Isengard is High elves vassal all the sudden, what happens if i attack isengard? Will i automatically become war with High elves?

[Some Random Evil Guy]

what about vassals, Isengard is High elves vassal all the sudden, what happens if i attack isengard? Will i automatically become war with High elves?

Yeah, you can't attack someones protectorate and not expect them to go to war with you. So yes, you will be declaring war on the High Elfs if you attack Isengard. It's how on my first campaign as Isengard I ended up saving Gondor from Mordor and Harad.

[wohnzimmer]

Ah ok, I played the first time on VH/VH, usually i could imagine it myself
Thanks for the answers

livingroom

[Muffer Nl]

You can also create a signature for this forum at your control panel huiskamer...

[Michael X]

Yep! Exactly the same way I saved Gondor from Mordor and Harad! They even got excommunicated!

[Aeglos]

sorry to go off topic, but can someone please expain what becoming a vassal entails? Also, how do you get a faction to accept becoming your vassal?

[Hermes Trismegistos]

Basically they are like allies, only that they don't start wars of their own (invasions seem to be an exception). I believe they also give you some money, I heard you would get everything they haven't spend at the end of their turn, but I'm not totally sure about that. Also all their regions count as yours concerning thr victory conditions - in my HE game I thought I was only 1 province away from victory, but when I startet war on my vassals, the SE (because of their vassals the OotMM, yes it was complicated), suddenly there were 5 more to conquer, because the SE had 4 provinces...

It seems to me that the best way to get vassals is to conquer most settlements of a faction and siege the rest (or some of the rest), then offer them to become your vassals and offer them some provinces back. You can also improve your offer with some money, you will get at leat a part of it back anyway.

[desean]

a faction becomes your vassal when it is desperate, wich means the factions is almost striped of money, land , family members and army, but sometimes its easier the AI tends to be unpredictable, and at game turn you get all that factions positive money (if they arent full of debts), some vassals can be very profitable.
NEVER give money to your vassal
NEVER hope to gain help from your vassal
DONT trust your vassal, keep an army near it to mantain fear on him or else it will try to rebel,
ive seem vassals go to war with its master allies just to break their vassal status. They will also use the crusades if they can to break their vassal status.
DONT give or return or leave castles for your vassal
-army production -> BAD
-cities with income for you -> GOOD
also you and your vassal get an alliance with trade rights and military access right for both
Having a vassal with the same religion as you makes things easier

[Aeglos]

I always wondered what it meant, and now I know. Thanks.

Wooh, 100th post.

[Some Random Evil Guy]

Does gaining a vassal always mean that the factions at war with them also declare war on you, or does it depend on how much they like you?

[Hermes Trismegistos]

No, when I had the SE as my vassals they constantly had war with factions I was at peace at - but you can't be allied with their enemies. It's basically like when you are allied with someone - only that they hate you (at leats in the beginning, it seems to improve rather quickly). If a war starts with one of your allies you get to choose with whom you want to stay allied, like when two of your allies are fighting vs. each other - if you decide against your vassal they will come free.

The crusade thing can be a problem from both sides, when you are good and have an evil vassal they might decide to join, if they are good and you are evil a crusade might be called against them, they might be at war with all your allies - meaning you loose either them or your allies. Another reason for only having vassals of the same alignment...

[RuleBritannia]

Odd, I'm playing VH/M and only once did I see my relations with my ally (Rohan) drop, and then they went up again without me doing anything.

[Muffer Nl]

Are they perhaps at war with one of your enemy´s? If you attack one of their enemy´s your standing will also improve.