How Many of You Have Accepted Being a Vassal?

[Garrett]

Just curious to ask . I have fought to avoid it ....but It does seem hard to avoid at some stage?

[[Wahr] Eogard]

Yeah I'm also considering becoming a cassal or my Liu Bei campaign will stop earlier than anticipated.

Can you win the campaign by helping your Lord to become Emperor ?

[Garrett]

Originally posted by Wahr Eogard:

Yeah I'm also considering becoming a cassal or my Liu Bei campaign will stop earlier than anticipated.

Can you win the campaign by helping your Lord to become Emperor ?

Good Question. I don't know.

[Garrett]

Anyone else accepted life as a vassal ? I'm sure lots of players must?

[Edbi]

never in any strategy game, better to die :D
btw it is good to start as vassal and beat your master but villingly become vassal is not my thing

[lefty1117]

I'm pretty sure you can declare independence as a vassal, so it seems like it might be a good option if you're down on your luck.

[Hemlock]

Becoming a vassal does not mean you immediately lose, it just subjugates you to another faction (you get forced into their wars, and cannot declare war without their permission).

If you're facing down a really tough enemy faction, like Yuan Shao early game, becoming a vassal is a good way to ensure your own safety while you focus on building up your economy. Once you're stronger you can ask for freedom (more likely the more friendly you are with them - I did this and they didn't even demand anything for it), or declare your independence and conquer your former master (can be helpful to wait until they're fighting a few wars themselves and are unable to defend their lands).

I don't think you can technically win by helping an AI faction become emperor, but you could probably do that in a co-op campaign if you're playing as one of the governors supporting your co-op buddy (I'm not sure this is true, haven't tried it).

[Caelestus]

As Zheng Jiang, it is my duty to break the wh- wait a minute... Anyway, I've lost territories and items for it... I will not bow.

[reevestone]

I haven't had to do it personally, though I would have certainly considered or outright done it in my Kong Rong campaign had it proven necessary. Though there's a point of pride in remaining independent, being vassalized is certainly not the end of the game, just think of it as one more step in your rise to power, and it's certainly preferable to being crushed by whatever out-of-control big boy you're worried about. Being vassalized suddenly protects you from being crushed by the big boy, and instead turns him into your shield and your friend, his armies and power indirectly protect you while assisting in your own ongoing expansion. You lose the ability to declare war on your own, but since your vassal master will probably love you, it shouldn't normally be too hard to bribe them to do what you want.

Then you just keep growing in strength, and bide your time. Yuan Shao eventually dies and is succeeded by a much more ineffective heir, and the political structure once the game reaches the 3 Kingdoms period usually radically changes from what came before. The big boy's vassal empire (most commonly Yuan Shao, but sometimes it's Sun Jian, or Liu Bei, or Cao Cao, but there's usually someone in the pre-3K period that ends up in a dominating position with a ton of vassals) will eventually fall apart. You yourself can help accelerate this by, while under the cover of being a given lord's vassal, gradually purchase that lord's land away from them, continually parasitically weakening their position and putting their vassals (including you) in a better and better position to revolt.

[Ambush66]

Yes I did, although it is against my principles :D. But it helped me greatly. I proposed a war to my master. He was so glad that he gave me his blessing and more than 25k in money. Jumping ship later at just the right time to pick up the pieces of other clan’s misfortune.

[Fang]

Never! Death before dishonor!

[Magni]

I accepted vassalization by Yuan Shao in my Cao Cao campaign, so he'd come save me out of a mess I had gotten myself into.

Then afterwards I manipulated some of his other vassals to hate him, instigated a couple proxy wars against him, watched his vassal network collapse into a mess of infighting and finally stabbed him in the back.

Just Cao Cao things, basically.

[reevestone]

Originally posted by Magni:

I acepted vassalization by Yuan Shao in my Cao Cao campaign, so he'd come save me out of a mess I had gotten myself into.

Then afterwards I manipulated some of his other vassals to hate him, instigated a couple proxy wars against him, watched his vassal network collapse into a mess of infighting and finally stabbed him in the back.

Just Cao Cao things, basically. :lunar2019crylaughingpig:

When someone is significantly stronger than you, it definitely is a lot easier to stab them in the back than in the front XD

[Fais]

me being a vassal? SHAMFUR DISPRAY!

[Avenger_0047]

never In any total war game ever have I accepted becoming a vassal for two reasons. One is he pride thing, what would my men and my burgeoning kingdom think if I did this? And two, total war Isnt that hard of a game you can generally dig yourself out of any hole wether you put yourself there or something else did.

[Platonov]

everyone except rebel personalities.