Take Claimed State or Conquer?

[trackday]

What's the difference? Is the result the same?

[glythe]

Taking the land directly means you own it (and have to defend it) but if it's not your core you get something like 60% of the factories/resources.

If you puppet they keep everything but you can trade for their resources at a massively reduced cost. You can trade with a puppet for 80 oil instead of 8 oil per factory.

But wait : there's a really lovely compromise now.

You can puppet a nation, demand their resources AND their factories. For something like three years you get all their resources and factories if you impose sanctions on the country in question.

[trackday]

So I pick Conquer to puppet a state, and i don't get that option with 'Take Claimed State'?

[Balcy]

The only difference between conquering and taking a claimed state is that when you take a claimed state to yourself, it costs less warscore and generates less tension. The option to take a claimed state will only be available if you have a claimed (obviously) or core state in another nations border.

[trackday]

Thank you for the replies. Just to pull everyone's chain, here is the reply from ChatGPT:

In Hearts of Iron IV (HOI4), the decision of whether to "Conquer" or "Take Claimed State" when justifying a war goal against Albania as Italy depends on your strategic objectives and long-term plans.

Conquer: If you choose to "Conquer" Albania, you will annex the entire country and gain full control over its territories. This option can be beneficial if you want to exert direct control over Albania's resources, infrastructure, and population. It allows you to fully integrate Albania into your own territory and potentially exploit its resources to support your war efforts or strengthen your industry.

Take Claimed State: Selecting "Take Claimed State" means you will only occupy and control the specific state(s) you claim in Albania. This option may be more suitable if your main objective is to secure a particular region, perhaps due to its strategic importance or resources. Taking claimed states can be a faster and less resource-intensive approach compared to annexing the entire country.

Consider the following factors when making your decision:

a) Resources: Assess whether Albania possesses valuable resources that can benefit your economy or military. If so, annexing the entire country through the "Conquer" option would allow you to exploit those resources fully.

b) Diplomatic considerations: Conquering a country outright might strain your diplomatic relations with other nations, especially if they have interests in the region or have treaties protecting Albania. Taking only the claimed state(s) could be a more politically cautious choice.

c) Military capacity: Evaluate your military strength and available manpower. Annexing Albania entirely may require more resources, troops, and logistical support. If you're not adequately prepared, taking the claimed state(s) might be a more manageable objective.

d) Long-term plans: Consider your broader strategy and objectives. If you aim to establish a larger Italian sphere of influence in the Balkans, annexing Albania entirely may align better with your plans. Conversely, if you seek to expand gradually or maintain better diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, taking the claimed state(s) could be a more prudent choice.

Ultimately, the decision rests on your specific circumstances, goals, and available resources. Assess your situation, weigh the pros and cons, and choose the option that best aligns with your overall strategy as Italy in HOI4.

[Curfuffle]

I prefer Balcy's answer. That answer from chatgpt is a proper mess.

[Citizen X]

The "Conquer" justification is the default justification for war available to anyone against any nation. If you want to go to war with someone, this is the mechanic to do that in-game. "Take Claimed States" are justifcaitions that only pop up when you have a Claim on a state. and this is used pretty much to simulate the geopolitical situation for the time. Some nations have claims on states already, but other than that, Claims can really only be gained through the Focus Tree and events.

Anyways, these "Take Claimed States" should require less time and cause less World Tension. Currently, the mechanics for war goals and how that translates into peace deals is extremely poor, so IT DOES NOT MATTER which justification you use. You can still do whatever you want in the Peace Deal.