A “vassal,” as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he has vowed homage and fealty.” Basically, in the olden days, when a feudal lord took over a territory, the residents of that territory became their vassals, effectively becoming their subjects in exchange for not beating them up. This applies on both micro and macro scales, and in Humankind, you can use the latter to your advantage. So, what is a vassal empire in Humankind?
In Humankind, you will undoubtedly get into punch-ups with other empires around the world as you seek to expand your own. When a war reaches its climax, things can go one of two directions: either your dudes completely wipe the other guys off the map, or the other guys present terms of surrender to you. If an empire surrenders to you, you can opt to make them your empire’s vassal (which makes you their liege).
What is a Vassal Empire in Humankind?
When an empire becomes your vassal, they effectively become an extension of your own empire’s influence. You’ll have free reign of their cities and settlements, all of which will be required to pay you regular tribute every turn. You can avail yourself of their resources, both Strategic and Luxury, as well as control their Diplomatic States, State Religion, and Treaties. Making empires your vassals is a great way to expand your access to resources without spending all of the resources it’d take to knock them off their land entirely.
However, while you may be the liege and them the vassal, this is still a give and take relationship. The people of the vassal empire still need to be cared for, and if another empire tries to start something with them, you’re obligated to go to bat on their behalf. If you don’t take proper care of your vassal empires, they may rise up and demand freedom from your rule, which could lead to some unpleasant conflicts.
Published: Aug 25, 2021 04:51 am