My colonial nation got attacked and I cant help?!

[Freeed]

Hello, I'm still relativly new to EU4. I believe I am playing the vanilla version of the game as well.

I am playing as france, and has set up several colonial nations at this point. I am currently in a "Cold War" with England, and we are basically racing for territory across the world, but without any direct conflict with each others.

What happened now was that my Western American colony got attacked by an indian tribe nation, the tribes Casus Beli against my colony was "conquest". Two other indian nations followed suit... AND ENGLAND (they were allied with this tribe).

Whats even more frustrating, I was not given an option to join the war. My colony is alone against this 4-way coalition, and if I declare war on any of them I will get a ton of penalty because apparently it's not a Causus Beli to defend your ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ subjects from a powerful aggressor? What bull**** game is this lol?

I even have the "Defender of Faith" title, which is supposed to drag me into a war with any non-catholic nation attack, but apparently that doesnt apply for the indian tribes?
I tried to reload and give some sort of diplomatic protection to my colony like "guarantee rights" but I cant do that either! You can neither ally, give diplomatic protection, guarantee independence or even send any kind of troops...
So they still end up getting attacked and there is literally no way for me to defend them against this 4-way attack.

So can anyone explain this whole scenario to me? How is this even fair or realistic, and what can I do to stop this s**t?

[tonypa]

First of, Defender of the Faith only works against countries on same continent, for France this would be Europe and Asia (I think), but not in Africa, Americas or Australia.

Now the colonial system works by looking where the capital of each country is. Colonial overlord, you, will be called in to defend your colonial nation only if the attacker has capital NOT in colonial region.

So for example:
-england attacks you or your colony, you will be called to defend
-you attack england or their colony, they will be called to defend
-a tribe with capital in Americas attacks you, everyone you are allied with will be called to defend just like normal war
-a tribe with capital in Americas attacks your colony in Americas - you will not be called in to defend. And yes, they can ask their own allies to help, even when their allies are Europeans like England.

The lesson from this is - do not leave native tribes alive around your colonies. Kill them off as fast as you can, they tech is usually low when you find them and even small force can finish them easily. Specially do not let them ally other european nations. If you do not destroy them at least avoid colonizing provinces next to them.

[Freeed]

Originally posted by tonypa:

First of, Defender of the Faith only works against countries on same continent, for France this would be Europe and Asia (I think), but not in Africa, Americas or Australia.

Now the colonial system works by looking where the capital of each country is. Colonial overlord, you, will be called in to defend your colonial nation only if the attacker has capital NOT in colonial region.

So for example:
-england attacks you or your colony, you will be called to defend
-you attack england or their colony, they will be called to defend
-a tribe with capital in Americas attacks you, everyone you are allied with will be called to defend just like normal war
-a tribe with capital in Americas attacks your colony in Americas - you will not be called in to defend. And yes, they can ask their own allies to help, even when their allies are Europeans like England.

The lesson from this is - do not leave native tribes alive around your colonies. Kill them off as fast as you can, they tech is usually low when you find them and even small force can finish them easily. Specially do not let them ally other european nations. If you do not destroy them at least avoid colonizing provinces next to them.

I still find this whole scenario extremely unrealistic in a game that pride itself in its authenticity. Is there even one remote example in history when a colony has been overwhelmingly attacked to the brink of extinction, and the powerful mother-nation with both the power and the means to yet just simply disregard this? Especially in a time of imperialism lol

I understand what you're saying, but it is still very unsatisfying. I basically have to reload from a old file, and then begin to work my way around the game mechanics and take preventive measures against the game structure because nothing else can be done once it happens.

And in short, there is nothing I can do at this point? Besides counter-attack England without a Causus Beli and have the entire world join her in coalition...

[Amtep]

I'm not 100% sure if it works in vanilla EU4, but one option is to do the "enforce peace" diplomatic action on the attacker. Then either they make a quick white peace, or you enter the war against them.

[Freeed]

Originally posted by Amtep:

I'm not 100% sure if it works in vanilla EU4, but one option is to do the "enforce peace" diplomatic action on the attacker. Then either they make a quick white peace, or you enter the war against them.

Not sure if I tried this, but I will look into it, the main priority is to stop England from joining, but I doubt my colonial nation can stop the natives on her own regardless. One of the tribes is pretty large.

I find it a bit funny that I even need a Causus Beli to fight them. 1.It's my land and 2. They are racially inferior heathens lol! (from a historic perspective, please dont report me).
I seem to remember Europeans paid little attention to the will and rights of the natives during settlement frictions, wars and negotiations. :)

[tonypa]

Originally posted by Dildo Shwaggins:

1.It's my land

The land belongs to your Colonial Nation. Once their Liberty desire is high enough they will start Independence War and become separate country (from historic perspective take for example US).

[Freeed]

Originally posted by tonypa:

The land belongs to your Colonial Nation. Once their Liberty desire is high enough they will start Independence War and become separate country (from historic perspective take for example US).

If they dont have independence, then they are still subjects to the crown, and thus I should have the final authority, especially if the land is being violated and getting attacked by heathens and my greateat rival. The absurdity over the fact that I am unable to join the war is comic from a historic perspective (or just a rational one in general).
Why even have this whole Causus Beli structure if it's going to ignore one of the most fundemental scenarios ever presented lol...

[mystafyi]

Your save is from just before the war, so attack the one of the tribes not allied with england. You should be able pull in their allies into war, giving you a war against 3 natives, precluding the tribe from attcking colony and pulling england into war since they are at war with you already :)

[bri]

Enforce peace, problem solved...

[Freeed]

I ended up simply declaring war on the native nation without any Causus Beli before they would attack my colonial nation. The diplomatic penalties were actually quite low and I didnt notice any real negative effects.

The 3 native nations joined him, and after a few minutes England joined as well, however I was able to call on both Portugal and Castille to my side.

So World War 1 broke out. England had a monsterous navy, but with Portugal and Castille, it was kept away from me. I had several small armies deployed all over the world so a lot of fighting began in South America, North America, Africa and Europe (England began to ship armies into France with impunity, but I had one single army there who kept them from either landing or uniting).

England got f***ed overseas and virtually all her colonial nations and posessions got occupied. Her navy won every sea battle but she kept funnel all her troops into france instead of anywhere else, where they got bogged down in siege fights.

Ultimately peace was settled. Two of the 3 tribes got completed annexed to my colonial nation, as well as a few natural harbour regions England had in Africa to me. Her remaining overseas territory are now swarmed with rebel armies, and other native tribes in both Americas and Africa has attacked her. England entire colonial empre shrank by at least 50% in a fight, and her troublesome native allies has now been conquered.

A happy ending.

[Tulduil Iphukiir]

For the future:

Preventing wars:
- Attack natives before they attack your CN. Exploration Ideas finisher gives you the ability to fabricate claims everywhere in America (and Australia), giving you a valid CB. Note that you/your CN can only core provinces if they are adjacent to owned provinces (before Age of Revolutions). The other (easy) options to get a CB (before Imperialism) are to set native provinces bordering your CN as Vital Interest and your CN will eventually fabricate claims, giving you your CN's CB or finishing Religious Ideas which gives you a CB on all nations which have a different religion and have a border with one of your provinces (unfinished colonies count for this!)
- Give subsidies to your CNs. If they have an income of 2+ ducats they can afford their colonist, growing them and making them stronger. Furthermore, they can afford more troops/mercs, helping in wars-to-come
- (Optional, depends on situation) Don't stop colonizing in one region after a CN forms, keep colonizing in this region to strengthen your CN
- Build buildings in their provinces: More more for them = more troops (and more money for you), Forts stall the attacker and can wear down his manpower (and paying off debts from fort maintemance can be used to reduce Liberty Desire)

During wars:
- Enforce peace on the attacker (as already mentioned), creates a white peace or lets you enter the war on the defender's side (+100 opinion with defender required -> keep your relations with your CNs high)
- Send gifts: More money = more mercs
- Indirectly help your CN by killing rebels
- Indirectly help your CN by attackiing the attacker in another war (with any possible CB (just kill armies and maybe siege forts, no need to take land in your war, your CN will take land in its), or as a no-CB war)

[Sl3]

bro go to a rez and come back alive tell me they wont burn ur village to the ground