Protectorates Deem Free Region Unsuitable?

Playing as GB, I'm invading France with the intention of giving the nation to Brittany. I've already liberated Brittany, and when I came into control of Normandie I tried to give it to them.

But surprisingly they denied it, a totally free region, deeming the deal unsuitable.


Does this happen to anybody else and how to I coax them into accepting the region? I've never heard of a nation denying the ability to gain more territory for no cost. =/

It is a regular occurance, they often deny the oppurtunity to expand, especially if the region had been looted. I reccomend you hold on to it for a few turns, repair any damage that their may be, and try again.

Alternatively, throw in some tech into the deal and it may sweeten it up just enough for them to accept it.

I tried to get rid of regions with too high civil unrest (as in, on the brink of a rebellion) and other nations didn't take it... thought it would have been really stupic of the CAI to take it actually.
If that's not the case, is the region too far from the faction you're trying to give it to maybe?

In my current campaign as GB, my approach on the European mainland has been to take regions and give them to my protectorates. So Belgium, United Netherlands and Italy all now have 4 or 5 regions apiece. They only accept a region if there's no damage to any of the buildings (sometimes it's quicker to demolish completely than repair). I've also found that they need a monetary bribe (however small) to be encouraged to take the new region.

I see. Also another question, why don't protectorates automatically start out at war with your own enemies? Doesn't make sense to liberate a nation from the 'oppressive' rule of another only for the next turn those two nations to get trading rights, an alliance, and become best friends. Defeats the purpose of making a protectorate in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Communist Nazi Republican

...why don't protectorates automatically start out at war with your own enemies? Doesn't make sense to liberate a nation from the 'oppressive' rule of another only for the next turn those two nations to get trading rights, an alliance, and become best friends. Defeats the purpose of making a protectorate in my opinion.

I think the idea is that the liberated nation is run by their own people and not as a direct puppet state. Therefore they choose their foreign relationships. In many ways it would be foolish for them to immediately be at war because they have a very small starting army and treasury, and would be overwhelmed by any nearby enemies very quickly.

This can actually be a useful way of denying a region to an enemy. I usually play as GB and I liberate Brittany as quickly as possible. If I took the region and kept it myself, I'd be under constant attack by army after army from Paris. However, when liberating, the French are at peace with Brittany (and I've never seen them attack) and so never attempt to re-acquire the territory. So the net result is that I gain a region for the game targets (because protectorates count as a held region) and France loses a region, including a naval base in striking range of my ports.

But I thought Brittany and France have always been enemies, similar to the Flems and Dutch?

It's worth remembering that the game does represent an alternate history rather than sticking purely to what would have happened in the real world.

I think it's best to consider it as pragmatism on the part of the two parties. In my example, the folk of Brittany have just been granted their freedom from their former rulers. The newly formed government and hastily formed army are ill-equiped to win a war against the French. So the best solution for them is peace and trade. This allows them to build up the army and develop their economy. For the French, they've lost a region. They can either add another enemy to the (long) list they already have or have a peaceful trading partner. Again it seems that the peace and trade option is the better one for them at that point.

Yes there's no way for I, Great Britain, to use my influence on Brittany as my protectorate to serve the Crown. No way to indebt them to me for liberating them, no way for me to do anything that would historically, even alternate historically, influence Brittany to be at war with Napoleon.

Plus I highly doubt Napoleon, historically and unhistorical, would just let Brittany sit there and forget all about the region of France that was just lost. ESPECIALLY if this nation is an ally of Great Britain, the very nation that just invaded and liberated Brittany.

It just doesn't make sense any way you roll it. Either Brittany should be at war with France due to be indebted to the Crown of England, or France be at war with Brittany in order to seek the requisition of Napoleon's lost lands and retaliation against Britain and its allies.

And let's face it, even if Brittany was allowed it's own government, there's no way historically GB wouldn't somehow have a hand in forming it and a hand in it there after. It just wasn't their way.

If you want to force the AI to accept a gift, then just add a token (100 normally does the trick) amount of money to the trade and they will accept.

I agree with you that protectorates should automatically be at war with whatever countries the parent nation is fighting at the time, otherwise it's too easy to simply form a buffer zone of protectorates which the AI will never try to pass through.

Simple way to get around it: Loot region, offer region and 1 pound sterling. They will accept it as a 'most generous gift'.

I followed this procedure to create a Greater Belgian Empire, Hannoverian Empire, Catalonian Empire and Italian Empire. Later creating a Norwegian Empire when Sweden and Denmark turned against me.

Originally Posted by CarradiceFrench

Simple way to get around it: Loot region, offer region and 1 pound sterling. They will accept it as a 'most generous gift'.

I followed this procedure to create a Greater Belgian Empire, Hannoverian Empire, Catalonian Empire and Italian Empire. Later creating a Norwegian Empire when Sweden and Denmark turned against me.

It works for me but somehow the others claim it doesn't work.

to be fair, i've done that, creating a Brittany that encompasses the entire north french coast. and eventaually France was at war with Brittany, I spend my armies through alongside the Brittanians (correct term? lol) and we both forced our way to Paris, it was quite epic actually.

Remember, that Brittany would be under British protection, and so any act of aggression aginst them, they would have to face off the army that liberated it AND Britanny resistence, so it wouldnt make much sense in attackign straight away. But given enough time (and/or make Brittany big enough lol) France, it seems, will get sick of their new northern neighbour and try an invasion.

of course if you really want it to be at war asap, just bibe them to join the war immediatly

it's because the region you're giving them is . fairly easy to figure out really. repair it. build it up, then give it away again.

Originally Posted by cinco

it's because the region you're giving them is . fairly easy to figure out really. repair it. build it up, then give it away again.

You assume I haven't already?

I've had it happen a few times. I usually just sweetened the pot with a cash bribe or some technology, but I remember there was one time that I could not get rid of a region for the life of me! Can't remember which one it was, but I remember trying to pass it off to more than a handful of my existing protectorates.

Did the system I suggested work? It may be that it works on hard but not very hard.

Originally Posted by CarradiceFrench

Did the system I suggested work? It may be that it works on hard but not very hard.

Haven't had a chance to try it sadly, I've been isolated from my gaming PC for weeks.

I think my greatest peeve with the protectorate system was when, as Austria, I "liberated" Bavaria - and then on the next turn it became French via "Confederation of the Rhine".

So "my" sympathetic "pro Austrian" state in less than a turn (between turns) becomes a fully integrated part of the enemy nation........?

The peeve naturally increased when playing as France I can't get the bastards to come over for love or money!

Originally Posted by Ecka65

I think my greatest peeve with the protectorate system was when, as Austria, I "liberated" Bavaria - and then on the next turn it became French via "Confederation of the Rhine".

So "my" sympathetic "pro Austrian" state in less than a turn (between turns) becomes a fully integrated part of the enemy nation........?

The peeve naturally increased when playing as France I can't get the bastards to come over for love or money!

I agree. I had the same problem. I had 'historical friendship' with Bavaria as Austria. Then, after it becoming French and I invaded it, the city surrendered and I liberated it, we were hostile toward one another with -110 'historical grievances'... what? Two weeks of war? Shurrup!

Then, liberating Wurtemburg, they hated me too... loved France, the next turn, they were at war with France, lost their territory and France invaded Tyrol through a little gap. The buffer zone definitely buggered up there!