Subjects or annexation?

[RenWex]

When do you choose to create a subject rather than directly get controll over a conquered territory? I suppose there are situations inwhich I'd prefer a tributary, client state, feudatory or tribal vassal?
What do you think? How do you use it?

[Xero_Daxter]

i usually try to avoid having tribal vassal and tributary as they offer the least help and profit. If your playing as rome, you can try to vassal swarm and subjecate them to client state or feudatory from south of italy since most of them arnt tribes. Other than that it would be better to just take the land instead if your planning to expand rather than subjecate.

[Captain_Narol]

I think it's a matter of personal taste, for one I find a lot more fun to have as many feudatories and client states as possible.

[Morindacil]

I try to have as many feudatories and client states, though mostly if they're at areas that I don't really want or if I just want the extra manpower. Vassal swarming an enemy is a good tactic. Saves you manpower and resources. Useful against other large powers.

[Dray Prescot]

Once you get the Roman Roads built, then Client States that provide units become more attractive. Before you get the Roads built, once Rome gets fairly large it can start taking a long time for their units to move up to the War front from their home locations. With your own units, you can move them into position near the planned war front before the war starts, you can not preposition Client State units.

One problem with Client State units, you can be keeping your own units from being too large to cause attrition in low supply limit regions (sieges in particular), but then a Client State unit will move in and cause attrition for both units.

Another problem with Client States for the Romans: the Romans can NOT build Roman Roads in Client State territory, which costs you one of the better advantages for the Romans in Client State territory. This also slows down bringing Client State units into action, particularly Rome's starting Client States. It also means if a Client State is on the border with a potential enemy, you can Not build the Roman Roads along the border during peace time.
(PS I tried building a Roman Road in conquered territory during a War and was unable to do so.)

It would be very useful to have the ability to attach a particular Client State unit to a particular unit of your army. As it is the Client State units have a tendency to wander around on their own, and fairly often get caught in battles where they are badly outnumbered, without the support of your own units.

[Jehzir]

I will vassal at least 1 tribe, sometimes more, that is of the same culture or religion, does not matter which one, if it happens to be both even better. I save them to annex when the family starts to die off and you need to pump some life back into your "hopefully" expanding empire.

It really depends on your location and goals for that game. Each government presents its own set of problems with tributaries/vassals/client states.

Swarming can also come with a loyalty downside if you take a large AE bite. I had swarmed all of the islands west of Rome turned them into vassals. Well, Carthage did not like it and DoW on me and brought a southern Iberian Tribe of 90+ cities as an ally with it.

About 2 months in the tribe bailed when it got attacked and in the peace deal gave me 58 of its cities without a single battle against it. It probably saw that I was beating the snot out of Carthage with 148 cohorts to about 120 for the two of them combined. That was a 60 point AE burp. I sacked Carthage, not once but twice, as a set of pirates with heavy ships took it (lolz, broken pirates in 1.2 Beta) I made peace with Carthage taking 85 of its cities. That was now good for 92 AE score YAY!

Next thing I know all of the vassals break away, formed new alliances and I had a huge problem on my hands. Those vassals were harder than the 2 larger powers. The vassals started forming mega-stacks for this fiasco. 9 island nations/tribes at 25-30 cohorts, that got as large as 125 stack at one point, takes a while to get under control.

[Dray Prescot]

Do a White Peace (as it was called in EU) with the large Tribe and take very little to no territory from them while trying to break them up into pieces. Remember that the game tells you that bad things start happening to you at over a total 50 Aggressive Expansion for your country. Plus take a religious option to reduce AE early in the war. Then when you win against Carthage do things like release Vassals instead of taking provinces in the Peace Treaty, since I think that this causes less AE.