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I find that when I expand all kinds of counts will want to swear directly to me. Sometimes they'll break from their dukes to do so. This increases the number of vassals greatly.

On the other hand, if you claim all titles you conquer and give them to your dynasty your badboy will go through the roof.

If you hand out duke titles after the counts in the area swear fealty to you, all the counts in the duchy area should become vassals of your new duke.
 
If you hand out duke titles after the counts in the area swear fealty to you, all the counts in the duchy area should become vassals of your new duke.

Ah, but then at some point said counts become disloyal to their duke, so they swear fealty to you, their king (assuming you hold their provinces king title). Then whatcha' gonna do...

The only way to "give back" the vassals to the duke is to revoke the duke title then regrant it, but while it's not so bad in terms of BB, the hit to all your vassals' loyalty is crazy.
 
Ah, but then at some point said counts become disloyal to their duke, so they swear fealty to you, their king (assuming you hold their provinces king title). Then whatcha' gonna do...

The only way to "give back" the vassals to the duke is to revoke the duke title then regrant it, but while it's not so bad in terms of BB, the hit to all your vassals' loyalty is crazy.

I usually let my dukes handle rebellious counts, and only really intervene directly when the count has a very good shot at winning. The AI does not seem to accumulate BB, so there's no harm if the duke annexes rebels in his domain.
 
I usually let my dukes handle rebellious counts, and only really intervene directly when the count has a very good shot at winning. The AI does not seem to accumulate BB, so there's no harm if the duke annexes rebels in his domain.

Veld posted in another thread, that the AI rulers still get BB, it's just that it has no effect for them. Once your Heir inherits the Kingdom, then his hidden BB will make an effect.
 
I usually let my dukes handle rebellious counts, and only really intervene directly when the count has a very good shot at winning. The AI does not seem to accumulate BB, so there's no harm if the duke annexes rebels in his domain.

So you're saying that if I deny the offer of vassalisation from the counts to me, the duke will automatically be at war with them, then annex them etc? He will get a claim, sure, but until now i've assumed it's far from certain that he'll reconquer the lands of said rebellious counts.
 
The thing I wonder is, WHAT IS THE BREAKING POINT? when is a kingdom too large? Since I know just too well in CK how you can lose everything quite quickly.\

Just to pop your balloon if you think you'll be entirely safe with very few vassals, it doesn't really matter.

I'm currently playing a Duke in Ireland. 5 Count vassals, one just broke free and gave me Realm Duress.

True, the more vassals you have, the more likely it is that at least one of your Vassals will get the Rebellious trait. So, it looks like the breaking point for the chances of rebellion is,,, wait for it,,, one. Good luck :)

nope because he'll inherit 2/3 of your BB instead

I have a sneaky suspicion that even tho the Heir will receive 2/3 of the previous ruler's BB, it gets added to his current 'hidden' BB. There have been far too many posts here about how the new Ruler's BB didn't go down to the 2/3 mark. I'll throw it over to 'Veld, The All-Knowing' to jump in and clear up this point. :)

Edited to clear up the 3rd paragraph and to add another response to a prior post.
 
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The AI is stupid with regard to making peace. A duke fighting a rebellious count might well make peace for a few gold pieces. Or the release of a claim. Even if complete victory is only a few days away.

I've often seen an independent count at peace with its proper duke. They'll often try to become direct vassals of the king. I refuse them three or four times, in the hope that they'll pledge allegiance to their duke instead, but it never seems to happen.
 
Just to pop your balloon if you think you'll be entirely safe with very few vassals, it doesn't really matter.

I'm currently playing a Duke in Ireland. 5 Count vassals, one just broke free and gave me Realm Duress.

True, the more vassals you have, the more likely it is that at least one of your Vassals will get the Rebellious trait. So, it looks like the breaking point for the chances of rebellion is,,, wait for it,,, one. Good luck :)

Yea, i've had realm duress happen with the first or second vassal to break free and declare war... and i've also had situations where 10 vassals declare independence and another 10 or more declare war at me (one rebellious era I fought down over 20 vassals, wasn't at war with the same ones all the time, but in a constant state of war with someone anyway...), and still don't get realm duress.

Then again, you learn to live with it, it's just tedious. It doesn't necessarily break your empire irrevocably. I've even expanded during realm duress (conquered Hungary, I think).
 
So you're saying that if I deny the offer of vassalisation from the counts to me, the duke will automatically be at war with them, then annex them etc? He will get a claim, sure, but until now i've assumed it's far from certain that he'll reconquer the lands of said rebellious counts.

If the count breaks free by declaring war on his former liege, then the duke will get a claim, and usually, will go in and annex the count, barring unlucky circumstances.

Of course, there is also the avenue of declaring independence without war. In that instance, there is indeed no other way than to go in and conquer the rebel by yourself. On the other hand if it's not convenient to annex him right now then you might as well just leave the rebel be, he's not going to do anything if he's not at war with you.
 
BUT, some foreign power might also have claims on the county.

you might end up with someone you don't particularly want occupying that territory, which could be in a strategic location. alternatively, the pagans or saracens might move in.

i find it best to crush the rebellion at its root. a single count will almost never resist your claim on his title, if you try to revoke it.

if he does, you can retake it militarily, and give it back to the duke that he rebelled from in the first place.
 
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Does the AI sign peace more easily because you have a lot of troops fielded? I seem to have a hard time having the Turks sign peace when I keep a lot of reserves undeployed, but tonight I decided to go for grand mobilisation and they quickly accepted my offer
 
BUT, some foreign power might also have claims on the county.

you might end up with someone you don't particularly want occupying that territory, which could be in a strategic location. alternatively, the pagans or saracens might move in.

i find it best to crush the rebellion at its root. a single count will almost never resist your claim on his title, if you try to revoke it.

if he does, you can retake it militarily, and give it back to the duke that he rebelled from in the first place.

It's really a matter of play style and the situation at hand, IMO.

If your position is already secure and/or you need the prestige gain from putting a rebellious vassal in line, sure go for it. If, on the other hand, your monarch's position is already tenuous and your kingdom is leaking vassals left and right, letting them go and coming back when you're stronger may sometimes be the more beneficial strategy.

Does the AI sign peace more easily because you have a lot of troops fielded? I seem to have a hard time having the Turks sign peace when I keep a lot of reserves undeployed, but tonight I decided to go for grand mobilisation and they quickly accepted my offer

In my experience the AI does indeed take the number of troops fielded into account in how readily it will offer to sign peace.
 
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To go back to the question on realm duress five posts ago, if I'm reading the event file directly, a ruler with 12+ diplomacy or a ruler with a chancellor with 15+ diplomacy will never get realm duress. Otherwise, each rebelling vassal has a chance of initiating the downward cycle. I think I'm reading the event correctly because in a recent game I had a D12 king who got illness, and the very next vassal rebellion triggered realm duress.
 
To go back to the question on realm duress five posts ago, if I'm reading the event file directly, a ruler with 12+ diplomacy or a ruler with a chancellor with 15+ diplomacy will never get realm duress. Otherwise, each rebelling vassal has a chance of initiating the downward cycle. I think I'm reading the event correctly because in a recent game I had a D12 king who got illness, and the very next vassal rebellion triggered realm duress.

Can someone confirm this, I tried searching for it myself, but only found the actual notification events where the liege is notified of a vassal declaring war or independence...