I don't create buffer states. I use armies to patrol my borders. Like the Romans, I have a policy of "agressive defense."

I use mobile armies backed by a strategic reserve to defend myself. To pay for this strategy, I purge my Huge cities for cash every once in a while.

Because of the craptacular diplomacy I never really had a protectorate. The one time I did they turned around and attacked me on their first turn.

Diplomacy doesn't work for crap. Kill everybody. Period.

diplomacy works for me, sometime, like in my current selucid game, I just finished off the senate, bu I am leaving the juli as my protectorate to protect from the gauls whil I invade carthage, and sed an army to the back of gaul, and then by that time, my army from carthage will be invading gaul, then I will backtrack and kill the juli.
I have never been betrayed by a roman protectorate.

I occasionally do. For example, against the Egyptians, I try to do so. I kept Numidia in Eastern North Africa for the sake of using them as a buffer state so that I can fight Egypt on the Asian front instead of on the African front until I can build up a large enough force on the African front to penetrate through Numidian territory, and capture Lower Egypt, then sweep north and wipe the foul Egyptian scum out. I find it's less necessary in most other places, though I've used Thrace and Dacia as a buffer between me and Scythia, and the Seleucids as an allied buffer between me and Parthia.

I prefer to simplify the diplomacy by removing variables from the equation (killing factions off). You then get a few more allies, who are less likely to betray you from my experience, but they still always betray you if you attack one of their allies.

Of course. If Thrace and I were allied with eachother and with Scythia, if I was to attack Scythia, why would Thrace say with me? I do think it should be a random factor as to which faction loses the alliance, instead of the way it is now.

zomgedit

[This message has been edited by Adder (edited 09-25-2005 @ 10:02 PM).]

I don't trust nobody in the world map. If I want to stop expanding in a certain direction, like my Scipii campaign towards the Northeast, I take a line of cities and store a huge amount of archers in them. The enemy (thrace, in this instance) doesn't dare to go past the border cities, because then I just launch an army of archers at him, and he can't besiege my cities because they have so many archers. If he tries both, however, then I'm in trouble, but usually I find I can build up a half-decent army in two turns, using cities behind the border ones.

So no, I don't use allies as buffers because I have only 1 ally, and I don't like leaving my cities open to anyone except my own generals. I think that the risk and worry is too much, not to mention you can just have the cities yourself.

Hmm, y'all don't appear to be using buffer states. Well, I think that buffer states run by protectorates are cheaper. You get income from the protectorate, which probably goes up when the protectorate gets more cash. Plus, you don't have to pay to maintain their armies. Finally, you get to take whatever border patrol armies and use them to conquer more land.

That is assuming that:

1) You get someone to be your protectorate
2) They don't attack you
3) They don't get overrun

I can never get anybody to be my protectorate and if they do they just turn right around and attack me. Same thing for accepting to be their protectoate: they attack me.

It's stupid and I really wish they would fix it or get rid of those options alltogehter.

Quote:

No, I mean for instance Armenia (me) allied to Scythia. Scythia is allied to the Seleucids, to whom I am neutral. I attack the Seleucids and Scythia break off our alliance, even though I am by far the stronger faction, who they would be far better off supporting (as they found out later when I took Tanais and Campus Scythii).

The buffer states idea must be sound, cos contrary to opinion above, Rome made extensive use of this policy in the Eastern Meditteranean. Herod and Cleopatra's for example, were both Roman client states. They warded off the naughty Parthians whilst Rome encouraged Divide et Impera in the Levant, when its military forces were elsewise engaged during the 2nd Triumvirate.
Thing is though, Buffer states have a habit of becoming Tougher states, and you end up having Enuffa them States. (ahem!)
I like to create them anyway, cos it livens up the game when you become the predominant power. I'm giving the Parthians the whole of Persia, they have one city only currently. This'll split me empire in two, leaving the Greeks with India, and the meditteranean. See what the Parthians get up to. Then obliterate them....

I often do this. Not only because I don't have to spend money to maintian the armies in those states, but also for trade. I don't have to pay for the upkeep of the town and yet I get ca$h from trading with them.

I usually do this with someone that I trust, but will not shed tears over their body. For me, the main point of a buffer state is to give you some warning when the enemy is attacking.

Also, if they were to attack me, I would storm in and commit mass genocide. That would show them who is boss.

Oh, also, "trust" on the campaign is different than "trust" elsewhere. When I "trust" a nation, I "trust" that they see that attacking me would be a rather painful way to commit suicide. I don't "trust" that they don't hate my guts. If I did, I wouldn't "trust" their sanity.

I have one mobile army that will be centered within striking distance and set to protect 3 provinces. Will even put them up in a fort to make them feel more at home. As empire grows it does cost a bit, but once I secure an area where I know no more attacks will be coming close to there, I have another army ready made for a campaign.

I use buffer states as much as I can. In my Selucid campaigns I typically center myself around Antioch, but just this last game I tried giving Sardis and Selucia to Armenia. I hoped this would limit Parthian and Pontic growth, or force them all to war, they kept the peace and Armenia attacked me, but it was worth a shot.

Does anyone else become a buffer state? In that game Armenia offered to "protect" me, I said yes, and since then I have had peace on that front. I also do this with Numidia. It gives time to build economies and armies. I think the issue with protectorates is the AI. Offer protectorates and accept them only if there is no army of that faction within striking distance. When I get past the first turn I usually have peace and they do not turn on me.