Nations are made of a hierarchy of States attached to one another with a Nation leader at it's head. Each Nation member can have one direct superior (the State is owes allegiance to) of superior rank, and multiple direct subordinates (the States who owe allegiance to it) of lower ranks.
By default, every State is fully sovereign as the head of its own 'single-State' Nation. A State changes Nation either as the result of a voluntary agreement or of forced subjugation as the outcome of a lost war.
Subordinate duties[]
Subordinates have the obligation to follow any superior in their wars: if a superior enters a war, it will automatically bring with him all of its subordinates (direct or indirect) as co-belligerents.
Subordinates can be subject to taxation, paid to their direct superior. Taxation rate is defined by the nation rank, which are setup by the Nation leader. The taxable income is the raw income of the State's government before any expenses, similarly to Taxation through treaties.
The formations of subordinates may be controlled by nation superiors if they are of a type that allows for it, which can be used in larger wars to better coordinate military actions. Army Marshalls can control these formations even if they do not belong to a subordinate.
Subordinates follow their direct superior if it leaves or changes Nation.
Number of subordinates[]
Players do not start with the ability to get subordinates and need to unlock them with technologies.
| Knowledge | Direct Subordinates |
|---|---|
| Copper Age | |
| Alliance Marriages | +1 |
| Tributes | +1 |
| Council (Knowledge) | +1 |
| Bronze Age | |
| Diplomatic Treaties | +7 |
| Iron Age | |
| Vassalage | Allows for direct subordinates to have subordinates of their own |