Matrix Games Forums

Just curious,

I am playing a scenario as Spain and Portugal became a protectorate of Britain and Britain gained their fleets as a result. This did not sit well with me, so I attacked Portugal, which triggered a war with Britain. After a few months I had conquered the entire country of Portugal and the game announced that Britain had lost Portugal as a protectorate. However, the Portugese fleets stayed under British control. Why? Is this intentional? Do fleets stay with the first power which gained the protectorate indefinitely?

If it is an intentional design decision, I don't mind. But if it is a "bug", then it should be fixed.

Mmm I saw that happen to me and just figured it was as designed.  but I am now curious if it might be a bug.  It would sure make you keep your fleets segregatedf nationally either that are put protectorate fleets into your own at very disadvantaged numbers.
 
BTW I was playing Sweden and Russia aligned Denmark.. I was.. to say the least... very put out!

What happens if you form a protectorate out of newly conquered Portugal?  I suspect the fleets might revert to your control.  Test it.

From what I understand from the manual, you don't capture fleets when you capture a province unless your own fleet is blockading that target fleet during the capture of the province. 

I SUPPOSE this could be explained as....the Portuguese really really really love the Brits. Like crazy about them. Now you evil Spaniards annexed them, so the valiant Portuguese navy continues the struggle under the flag of their master, Britain.

But do try to release Portugal as a protectorate, would be interesting to see if the navy "sees the light" to fight for Portugal...er....Spain again.

ptan54, I agree perhaps.  I don't know if I think the Portugese fleets should be controlled by me (evil Spain) after I conquer Portugal.  After all, they freely decided on joining Britain. 
 
I was really just putting this up for discussion to see if there were any other angles out there on this type of event.

This is working as designed from what I understand.  I had a similar question in the tech support forum about couped countries.  Eric said it was WAD.

sw30, cool.  Thanks for that.  By the way, what does WAD mean?   LOL[:D]

WAD - working as designed.

Whoever gets fleets first as conquered/protectorate keeps them from then on.

So, after a minor nation becomes the protectorate of a player nation, the only way to remove the fleet from the control of that major nation is to force the major nation to surrender and "liberate the protectorate"?  Will that even work?  Because I have conquered all of Portugal now and the Portugese fleet still belongs to Britain.  The game even said, "Britain loses its Protectorate with Portugal" when I conquered the last provence.  I don't think forcing Britain to surrender to release the Portugese fleets from British control even makes sense.  Or?  Thoughts anyone?

Sorry Barbarossa2,
You can NEVER stop that fleet from being Brit without blockading them in a port and taking that province thereby capturing the fleet as your own.
Once a major power gets control of a fleet through conquest or protectorate - it is permanent no matter what happens to the minor nation. Think of it as - the ships are manned by the new owner's sailors and wooden boats have no mind of their own.
Which is why I suggested some penalty to a major power controller in terms of some damage, manpower/money cost for refit/reman, and/or random scuttlings to represent the efforts of the major power to refit, recrew or 'intern the old nation's sailors' when their homeland changes sides. Seems obvious the 'previous owners' would cause some kind of ruckus even if they just handed over the ships peaceably, some money/material/manpower outlay would be needed to refit and recrew.
In game terms, be the first to get them LOL!