How Will The New *Liberation* Tab Work?

What the title says. I'm just wondering how it works. Do liberated nations owe an alliance to you, or a protectorate? Will they support you in war, or will there be any other benefits to liberating a country, rather than conquering it?

In another post some people seem to be saying that liberated factions/provinces will emerge as a protectorate to whomever liberated them. However, as I think that its mostly speculation.

I doubt if they would make the option to liberate a faction have zero benefits, so I think it would make sense that the liberated faction becomes a protectorate or has a very strong alliance to its liberatator, but who knows?

Let's just hope the option works at all.

Ptotectorates probably...

How will it work ? It probably wont. Like trying to get vassals and protectorates in certain previous titles.

Originally Posted by JohntheKern

How will it work ? It probably wont. Like trying to get vassals and protectorates in certain previous titles.

I am sure you meant to say every title.

From what we've heard, it sounds like they will automatically be granted independence as protectorates. They will have extremely friendly relations towards you as well. If they aren't "protectorates" in terms of cash payments, they will still become satellites or client-states - independent, but they love you and will (most likely) do your bidding. All the new diplomatic options that influence foreign policy (joining wars, breaking alliances, forcing embargoes) will probably be no-brainers for client-states.

One benefit, as you said, is having hegemony over your client-states. You won't control the domestic policies (building, research, troop recruitment) but you will control (or at least influence) the foreign policy through the new diplomatic options.

Lastly, a sort of hidden bonus: while you won't command the troops directly, its most likely that you will be able to get more troops out of the deal than if you annexed a province. A one-province satellite will only have a certain number of building slots, and once those are fully upgraded, they will funnel all of their cash into troops. If you annexed the province, you'd probably end up spreading its income across your empire, building structures in other provinces. Therefore, a one-province minor might be able to afford a full-stack of troops, while had you annexed it, it might have only provided enough income for an additional half-stack.

You can use it strategically; say you're France. You want to cripple Austria, who has been attacking you through Italy. Of course, you could strip away provinces for yourself - but they'd be subject to frequent attacks from Russia and Prussia - they'll raid your cities, your trade roads, and basically turn these new provinces into money sinks. Instead, you could march an army through and liberate Hungary, creating a client state. This weakens Austria, as it represents both a loss of territory and the creation of a new enemy - but you no longer have to spend your cash rebuilding raided towns, when you drastically need that cash to fend off the British naval attacks in the Channel. Instead, park a half-stack of French troops in Hungary, to help fight off any Austrian incursions - but in time, Hungary will train its own substantial army, and you've created for yourself a decently-armed ally to harass your enemies in the east while you focus on Britain.

Ideally, of course. That's the player involved strategy - it will depend on how the client-states behave in-game. We've been hearing some good things from previewers though (I've read a couple occasions of Austrian armies backing up Venetian towns and vice versa in the Italian Campaign - so perhaps we'll see some smart troop movements and interactions through the liberation feature.

Originally Posted by KippyK

From what we've heard, it sounds like they will automatically be granted independence as protectorates. They will have extremely friendly relations towards you as well. If they aren't "protectorates" in terms of cash payments, they will still become satellites or client-states - independent, but they love you and will (most likely) do your bidding. All the new diplomatic options that influence foreign policy (joining wars, breaking alliances, forcing embargoes) will probably be no-brainers for client-states.

One benefit, as you said, is having hegemony over your client-states. You won't control the domestic policies (building, research, troop recruitment) but you will control (or at least influence) the foreign policy through the new diplomatic options.

Lastly, a sort of hidden bonus: while you won't command the troops directly, its most likely that you will be able to get more troops out of the deal than if you annexed a province. A one-province satellite will only have a certain number of building slots, and once those are fully upgraded, they will funnel all of their cash into troops. If you annexed the province, you'd probably end up spreading its income across your empire, building structures in other provinces. Therefore, a one-province minor might be able to afford a full-stack of troops, while had you annexed it, it might have only provided enough income for an additional half-stack.

You can use it strategically; say you're France. You want to cripple Austria, who has been attacking you through Italy. Of course, you could strip away provinces for yourself - but they'd be subject to frequent attacks from Russia and Prussia - they'll raid your cities, your trade roads, and basically turn these new provinces into money sinks. Instead, you could march an army through and liberate Hungary, creating a client state. This weakens Austria, as it represents both a loss of territory and the creation of a new enemy - but you no longer have to spend your cash rebuilding raided towns, when you drastically need that cash to fend off the British naval attacks in the Channel. Instead, park a half-stack of French troops in Hungary, to help fight off any Austrian incursions - but in time, Hungary will train its own substantial army, and you've created for yourself a decently-armed ally to harass your enemies in the east while you focus on Britain.

Ideally, of course. That's the player involved strategy - it will depend on how the client-states behave in-game. We've been hearing some good things from previewers though (I've read a couple occasions of Austrian armies backing up Venetian towns and vice versa in the Italian Campaign - so perhaps we'll see some smart troop movements and interactions through the liberation feature.

The way you word that makes me wish its true. Let us hope, eh?

Originally Posted by Emperor Xenophon

The way you word that makes me wish its true. Let us hope, eh?

Indeed, let us hope

I'm really excited for this feature, as you can tell! I had been pushing for it to be in Empire in the months preceding its release as well. Now that its finally here, I am dreaming up all kinds of possibilities; now I'm just wishing they'll come true!

This all sounds very interesting. I am looking forward to the release.

I want to see more modding capabilities also. For the love that God bears us, if only we could experience the quality of the AI and diplomacy in Stainless Steel/MTW2 for Napoleon!