Can you liberate a city state that you conquered?

[Aaelar]

So, in my game I went to war with Venice, who had a few city state allies. The only one that was close to me was a few hexes from my capitol, so I moved my secondary navy over there and bombarded it until I captured it. Little did I know that since it was next to the Arabians, who I tried the entire game to stay on good terms with, that they guarrented their independence. So after I took their city, they got all pissy (even though I had the best of relations) and they denounced me the next turn. This started a chain reaction where 3-4 other leaders denounced me simply because they were buddy-buddy with the Arabians and they wanted to get on their good side.
I reloaded an autosave and sold the Arabians that city. They immediately liberated it, though in the end the same thing happened with the denounciations.

I digress, however is there a way just to free that state under my control in the first place? Because it seems that if the AI can do it, then I should be able to as well. Also, what am I supposed to do in this situation? If they declare war on me, am I just not allowed to attack because another civ, who isn't the ally of the city state, asks that I don't? I can't seperate peace with them either, becasue that's how the game mechanics work.

[RedChicken]

You can only liberate a city state by winning it from another civilization that's conquered it. You get asked if you want to (1) liberate it, (2) annex it or (3) make it a puppet. After making it a puppet or after annexing it, you will no longer be able to liberate it.
If you go to war against the city state and win it, the liberate option will not be there.

[Damsteri]

You conquered a city state... Eliminating a civilization from a game is considered as a worst crime there is, a genocide. City states are one city civilizations, so conquering a city state is the worst thing you can do to your relations to AI leaders. If you conquer a city state most AIs will hate you almost rest of the game, regardless if they have protected that city state or not. City states are clearly off-limits if you want to retain any peaceful connections to other civilizations. You got huge warmonger penalty to all civilizations which you knew and it will wear off very slow. There is nothing which can remove that penalty immediately.

Only thing you can do is wait, build huge army so they hesitate to attack you and bribe them... and bribe them again. You might avoid war if you cover your diplomatic actions with gold, but that city state conquering washed away many peaceful options. You should not conquer a city state unless it's absolutely necessary (some rare cases, ex. important natural wonder in CS lands or CS location is strategically optimal), or you are warmonger and doesn't care if everyone hates you.

[Ancientciv]

It's almost always better to liberate a city state when you can (only upon capture). The exception might be if you are going all Ghengis on the world (with his ease of city state capture) and just don't care about monger status.

[friend robocat]

Nein

[B-Mo]

since you dont want it under your control anyway, you can just give it to another civ and they will liberate it like you said, i gave one of my allies (that i conquered to keep save from portugal) so they can liberate it (Cause they like city states)

[mss73055]

Sometimes you can trick an allied city state into capturing an enemy city state. Give it a tank, bring down the city yourself. City states don't take blame for capturing other city states. City states also do an excellent job razing cities. Even if the enemy recaptures its city it will be devastated, as city states are not subject to cultural influence.

[WildHunt]

u cant liberate any city state that is puppeted or conqured by Venice or Austria..it become normal city even after anothe civ capture the city. these 2 civ is good at preventing diplomatic victory

[lukebaird84]

Originally posted by mss73055:

Sometimes you can trick an allied city state into capturing an enemy city state. Give it a tank, bring down the city yourself. City states don't take blame for capturing other city states. City states also do an excellent job razing cities. Even if the enemy recaptures its city it will be devastated, as city states are not subject to cultural influence.

I've done this before. I think once I got a city state to become a three-city empire lol

[lukebaird84]

Oh I know what I'm doing next game. Two civs, max city states, see how many cities I can get a single city state to conquer.

[~Panda]

LOL in my game Vilnius has almost an entire continent to its self. It was on the same island as japan when I went to war with japan I never bothered, I was already too busy across the world had no navy or army spare so ignored them completely.

When oda contacted me for a peace treaty I went to check out the island and vilnius was now a 5-city state. It completely destroyed japan!!! Oda had 2 cities left

I gifted Vilnius way too many units me thinks.

[Henry]

Originally posted by Cmdr McTosh:

LOL in my game Vilnius has almost an entire continent to its self. It was on the same island as japan when I went to war with japan I never bothered, I was already too busy across the world had no navy or army spare so ignored them completely.

When oda contacted me for a peace treaty I went to check out the island and vilnius was now a 5-city state. It completely destroyed japan!!! Oda had 2 cities left

I gifted Vilnius way too many units me thinks.

lmao
when the city states need to be nerfed

[lukebaird84]

lol

so far in my game Vilnius has conquered five other city states

[Erate]

I Have Had A Similar Problem, I'm Playing As Venice, And I Accidentaly Bought A City-State Instead Of Conducting A Trade Mission, Although I Wanted To Have That City-State As An Ally, Is There Any Way I Can Give It To An Other Civ And Be Sure They Will Liberate It?

[lukebaird84]

Originally posted by ErateD8:

I Have Had A Similar Problem, I'm Playing As Venice, And I Accidentaly Bought A City-State Instead Of Conducting A Trade Mission, Although I Wanted To Have That City-State As An Ally, Is There Any Way I Can Give It To An Other Civ And Be Sure They Will Liberate It?

Not if you puppetted it with a Merchant of Venice. It's now treated as a regular old city. Same as if you bought it through Diplomatic Marriage as Austria.

[Erate]

Originally posted by lukebaird84:

Originally posted by ErateD8:

I Have Had A Similar Problem, I'm Playing As Venice, And I Accidentaly Bought A City-State Instead Of Conducting A Trade Mission, Although I Wanted To Have That City-State As An Ally, Is There Any Way I Can Give It To An Other Civ And Be Sure They Will Liberate It?

Not if you puppetted it with a Merchant of Venice. It's now treated as a regular old city. Same as if you bought it through Diplomatic Marriage as Austria.

Darn. It Should Ask If I'm Sure I Want To Purchase It.