查看“权力分配指南”的源代码

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这篇文章主要讲解如何防止 [[faction|派系]] 造反, 重点是你应该如何分封权力。

== 增加个人实力 ==
=== 强化你的直辖领地 ===
定居型统治者（如封建/神权/共和等）应该把建设的重点放在他们的首都和首都公国的直辖领地上，以最大限度地提高领地的征召兵（数量上分别有50%的首都加成，和25%的首都公国加成）。具体应该建造什么建筑请参见 [[Holdings#Strategies|地产#策略]].

而[[Tribalism|部落制]] 和 [[nomadism|游牧制]] 统治者应该将其领地集中在有许多空位的省份。

大多数统治者应尽量将其直辖伯爵领限制在一个小的地理区域内。这样就可以迅速集结军队，避免他们在未集结时被各个击破。它还可以避免触发好感惩罚，如 "持有的公国太多 "或 其它公国头衔的持有者想要收回其法理内你直辖的伯爵领。

然而，集中领地的代价是你把鸡蛋放在一个篮子里。如果你被宣战，就要提高警惕。比如你的首都公国是圣战目标，一场成功的圣战会让你失去一切，严重削弱你的实力，甚至导致游戏结束。
=== 雇佣近卫军（需要罗马遗产DLC） ===
作为一个国王或皇帝，[[retinues|近卫军]] 是你个人军队的主要组成部分。如果你有一个小的或不发达的领地，或者你的领地将由于 [[Gavelkind|均分继承法]] 被大大减少，他们都会变得非常有用。

廉价的近卫军构成（如轻步）可以使你的部队数量膨胀，并使各 [[faction|派系]] 不愿意真正造反（AI会比较双方的兵力）。另一方面，强大的近卫军构成（如重骑）在[[faction|派系]] 造反时将更有利于赢得战斗。

=== 最大限度地从诸侯国获取征召兵 ===
当你的帝国足够大，你需要分封诸侯之时，尽量将其设置为诸侯国的首都与你的首都在同一法律上的帝国（例如将帝国法理内的一处伯爵领授予他成为他的唯一封地，再给他非法理国度的国王/公爵头衔）。这样这些公爵/国王所覆盖的所有省份的征召兵数量会提升。（可参见：[[征召兵]]中的领主征召兵章节）

另外，对外侵略时，最好能占领整个王国，使其在法律上开始转移到你的帝国（需要100年）。

国王的优势在于，公国的转移通常更容易启动，而且法律上的修改因素对同化为王国的改变更大。

=== 合理分封头衔以避免内陆诸侯的出现 ===
在创建大型诸侯国（如多个国王头衔给到同一人）时，尽量确保每个诸侯国都能提供足够的船只来运送他们提供的部队。通常，这可以通过按比例分配陆地和沿海的领土来实现。例如，将安纳托利亚（沿海）与亚美尼亚（内陆）结合起来给到同一个诸侯，可以使从两个王国筹集的部队在安纳托利亚的沿海地区筹集，并有足够的船只运载他们。

与必须在0%的士气下开始陆路跋涉的部队相比，可以立即装船的部队能更快地对战争做出贡献。(通常你应该直接点击地图，从省份视图中筹集诸侯的军队和船只，这样你就可以控制他们出现的位置；相反，如果你只是在军事视图点征召他们只会出现在对应诸侯国的首都，而这可能意味着他们需要长途跋涉才能投入战斗)。

== 保持你的诸侯处于弱势地位 ==

除了强大自身，你还需要让你的诸侯相对于你处于弱势，并在可能时削弱他们的权力，以免他们发起你应付不了的大规模派系叛乱。

一般来说，你希望有足够多的附庸，以至于一小部分人不能以派系要求的方式给你带来惊喜/惊吓，但也不能多到你没有办法安抚他们。（维持过多人的好感是很困难的）

===分配被征服的头衔===
如果你通过 [[Warfare|战争]] 来扩张，你经常会有需要发放的头衔。你应该相当谨慎地对待这些头衔的发放对象，因为很容易出现一个诸侯拥有许多头衔的情况，并最终形成能够挑战你的实力

一般推荐的分配伯爵领的策略是这样的：使用 [[Character finder|角色查找器]] 寻找那些男性、不是统治者、属于你的[[religion|宗教]]、属于你的[[文化]]、属于你的 [[dynasty|家族]]的人物。你现在应该找到一个没有继承权的人，他的继承人也不拥有任何东西。然后，你给这个人一个单一的伯爵领及其下所有的地产。你也可以在搜索栏中输入特质名称，以便找到特别理想的特质，如 "安于现状"。对于印度人来说，还需要进行额外的检查，以便人物的种姓允许他们接受该伯爵领的首府类型（不同的种姓对应城堡/神殿等）。

公国一般应该授予给单伯爵领的诸侯。基于短期考虑，这个成为公爵的伯爵应该是一堆伯爵中和你好感最高的那个人，这样他们成为公爵后更加可以保证对你的忠心。另一种办法是将公国授予拥有其[[首都|公国法理首都]]的伯爵，因为如果一个公爵没有拥有其公国的法理首都，他们会更倾向于吞并它，而这么做的结果就是这个公国的直辖力量得到了扩大；另外，你可以把公国头衔授予最弱的伯爵，这样他们就没有足够的力量来反对你或夺取其公国的首都。

也可以把公国授予那些在这个公国内不持有土地的伯爵。他们可能有和你同文化或同家族的优势，或者能够在一个方便的地方组建这个公国的军队（类型我们对内陆诸侯的处理）。你甚至可以通过给他们的附庸伯爵授予新的公爵头衔来削弱你现有的公爵。（一但某个公爵手下的伯爵也获得了公爵头衔，这意味着他们头衔相同平起平坐，自然会脱离与他的封臣关系）

通过给每个附庸公爵和国王一个小的领地（大部分领地由他们的附庸持有），你可以确保他们无法筹集大量军队。请注意，他们提供给你[[征召兵]]规模只取决于其名下王国内所有领地的建筑，而不是其内部的统治结构；甚至有可能一个附庸为你提供的军队比他们自己能召集的还要多。

===剥夺头衔===
每当有臣子反叛而你击败他们时，你通常应该撤销他们的主要头衔。然后你可以按照上述策略将这个头衔交给其他人。

另一个让他们反叛而不招致暴政的方法是以正当理由（如他们的阴谋被你发现，或拒绝停止参予阴谋）将他们监禁起来。如果[[imprisonment|逮捕]]失败，他们就会反叛，粉碎他们的反叛后，你就可以剥夺他们的两个头衔。如果他们不反叛，你可以赎回他们（赚取金钱并可能有另一次机会逮捕他们），或者让他们安全地被软禁（在那里他们不能制造麻烦）。

[[帝国制]]允许[[剥夺头衔]]公爵总督头衔，而[[伊克塔制|伊克塔政体]]则允许[[剥夺头衔]]任何公国而不受惩罚。由于王国头衔不能以这种方式[[剥夺头衔|剥夺]]，所以能够自由剥夺公国头衔的玩家可能更愿意避免拥有附庸国王，例如通过不让任何公爵控制其所在王国51%以上的土地并销毁其上的王国头衔让他们无法觊觎也无法创建（通常你可以把一个王国一分为三或四，交给不同的公爵来实现这点）。另外，也可以发放只有1或2个法理公国的小王国头衔；这样的国王通常有薄弱的军队。

最后，你有一种技巧可以[[剥夺头衔|剥夺]]任何被发现支持阴谋的臣子的头衔。首先，多次授予和[[剥夺头衔|剥夺]]其荣誉称号。其次，礼貌地要求他们停止支持阴谋。由于他们恨你，他们会拒绝。由于拒绝是一种背叛行为，你可以[[剥夺头衔|剥夺]]一个头衔......然后再要求。

如果 [[御前会议]]DLC 处于激活状态，请确保尽可能长时间地将剥夺头衔的权利保持在议会之外。然而，即使你失去了单方面剥夺头衔的权利，也不要绝望：只要监禁权仍在统治者手中，把叛军关进地牢并扔掉钥匙（让他们后半身一直呆在里面）是可行的。然后在与他们的继承人的关系上下功夫，一旦继承人接班，情况就会有所改善。如果被囚禁的诸侯是一个 "强大 "的诸侯，这个策略甚至更好，因为这样你就可以在议会中找到一个更可能与你投票的替代者。

===防止诸侯国合并===
密切关注你的诸侯之间的战争。考虑完全禁止战争，使用[[王权法|中等王权法]]（没有[[御前会议]]DLC）或[[Realm laws#Vassal wars|领地法]] （有[[御前会议]]DLC）。然而，通过战略性地使用王国[[realm peace|全境和平]]（[[御前会议]]DLC）或要求[[Diplomatic actions#Demand peace|外交行动]]（[[死神索命]]DLC）来进行干预可能会更好。

如果你的臣子没有锁定其继承人，请密切关注他们的婚姻情况。如果公爵和女公爵结婚，他们的继承人将获得两个公国。尽量帮助你的女公爵找到不是统治者或继承人的丈夫。（当然你也可以利用这一点来合并2个国家）

===鼓励诸侯使用均分继承法===
如果没有 "[[御前会议]]DLC"，诸侯只有在你的王权很高的情况下才能改用长子继承制，所以你选择中等王权是很好的。

有了 "[[死神索命]]DLC"，玩家可以通过[[Diplomatic actions#Demand peace|外交行动]]要求一位封臣转变为[[均分继承法]]

对于[[查理曼|查理曼DLC]]，请记住，通过[[Diplomatic actions#Demand peace|外交行动]]授予总督权限可以迫使臣子转为长子继承制。

== Keeping your vassals happy ==
Finally, you should do your best to keep your vassals happy. This makes them both less likely to join factions and inclined to provide more than the minimum levies.

===Cultural and religious unity===
Vassals of the same [[culture]] and [[religion]] have higher opinion and are less inclined to join independence factions.

Having all your vassals of the same religion is especially simple, as at Medium Crown Authority (without Conclave) or Religious Control Mandate (with {{icon|con}}Conclave), you can revoke any title held by a Heretic or Infidel without incurring tyranny; this law is more important if the game rules allow secret cults to form, as cultists who have openly declared their secret religion cannot be forced to convert. Alternatively, you can induce them to convert to your religion. This is especially useful for {{iconify|Zealous}} heretics or infidels. (To do such conversions, discover them plotting (and/or any other methods of just imprisonment), and force them to convert when they are imprisoned). Note that nomads and unreformed pagans cannot demand religious conversion.

For culture, you should simply make sure to never give titles to people of a different culture unless you have a very good reason to, for example so as to push their claim on some other title. You can also (as described above) deliberately make them rebel so that you can give their titles to someone else.

===Participate in crusades===
If you have the opportunity to take part in a [[Crusades, jihads and great holy wars|crusade, jihad, or great holy war]], take it. Send an army to the wargoal led by you and anyone whose opinion of you you want to improve. When you arrive, you both get a [[Traits#Crusader traits|trait]] (e.g. {{iconify|Crusader}}, {{iconify|Kanai}}, or {{iconify|Ukko's Hammer}}) which improves the opinion of all clergy of your religion and anyone else who has that trait. For this purpose, it doesn't matter if the army is very small and gets destroyed immediately, as long as there are enough regiments for everyone you want to improve relations with to lead one.

===Education of vassals===
Without Conclave, vassals are most likely to be happy/loyal if educated by a guardian who is {{iconify|Content}}, {{iconify|Humble}}, and {{iconify|Kind}} (see ''[[Evaluation of guardian traits]]''). You may be able to marry such women into your court. If vassals of other cultures do not like you enough to accept a guardian of your culture, you can still [[Diplomatic actions#Educate child|offer a guardian]] who shares their culture and has these traits.

{{icon|con}}[[Education (Conclave)|Education with the Conclave DLC]] requires more attention to each child's personality, and gives you less control of children who are not your courtiers. Vassal children who happen to be your courtiers should be educated with the Humility focus. Vassal children educated by your courtiers can be switched to the Heritage focus, if their liege picked something dangerous like Pride or Struggle.

In adolescence, three interventions reduce factionalism directly: {{iconify|Timid}} to {{iconify|Content}}, {{iconify|Conscientious}} to {{iconify|Just}}, and {{iconify|Idolizer}} to {{iconify|Kind}}. Additionally, two interventions avoid bad traits: {{iconify|Playful}} to {{iconify|Cruel}} (avoiding ⅓ Deceitful), and {{iconify|Willful}} to {{iconify|Proud}} (avoiding ⅓ Ambitious). In late adolescence, a guardian with 12+ diplomacy has a one-third chance of encouraging the child to become {{iconify|Honest}}, which halves faction inclination.

===Grooming your heir===
: ''Main article: [[Education]] or [[Education (Conclave)]]''

A few good [[traits]] can significantly improve vassal opinion, lowering the chance of rebellion and increasing the troops provided by your remaining vassals.

Without Conclave, you should groom your heir yourself, letting you make important choices throughout their childhood. Aim for personality traits that increase vassal opinion: {{iconify|Diligent}}, {{iconify|Kind}}, {{iconify|Just}}, {{iconify|Brave}}, and {{iconify|Gregarious}}. On the flip-side, avoid bad traits like {{iconify|Slothful}}, which decrease vassal opinion.

Depending on your means of [[Heir#Selecting your heir|selecting your heir]], you may have too many potential successors to educate them all personally. In this case, without Conclave, the [[Evaluation of guardian traits|best ''guardian'' traits]] are {{iconify|Diligent}}, {{iconify|Kind}}, {{iconify|Temperate}}, {{iconify|Proud}}, and {{iconify|Just}}.

Once your heir is an adult, you may have an opportunity to get them a [[Traits#Crusader traits|crusader trait]].

==Using de jure drift==
Try to enable [[De_jure#De_jure_drift|de jure drift]] of neighbouring duchies to your kingdom, or assimilate kingdoms into your empire. While this requires a long time to see results, it can [[Levies#De_Jure_Modifier|greatly increase the levies you can raise from vassals]] while simultaneously decreasing vassal inclination to faction for independence.

However, assimilation increases the number of electors under [[feudal elective]] and may make elections harder to control. Consider changing the succession law or landing your dynasty so that they control many elector titles.

Duchies drifting into kingdoms held by vassals also empowers the vassals. This is more dangerous if your vassal already has a large de jure kingdom to begin with.

==Pleasing individual vassals==

===Monetary bribes===

Unless you actually want someone to rebel, it is usually better to pay them off than to have to crush their rebellion. Monetary [[bribes]] can be effective if you have high [[Attributes#State attributes|state diplomacy]].

Since monetary bribes scale in cost with the recipient's income, they are best used for vassals with high power/income ratios.

Characters with high <code>ai_greed</code> respond better to gifts. Look for vassals with [[traits]] such as {{iconify|greedy}}.

===Honorary titles===

You have a limited number of [[honorary titles]]. These should generally go to powerful vassals. However, some honorary titles have special mechanics worth considering:

* Your ''Cupbearer'' or ''Food Taster'' may be able to poison you if they have negative opinion and any of (15 diplomacy, 15 intrigue, {{iconify|deceitful}}, or {{iconify|envious}}).
* Your ''Designated [[Regent]]'' gets a huge opinion boost, but it is crucial they be both competent and loyal (to both you and your heir). If your heir is an adult, you may want them to be designated regent for the monthly prestige alone.
* Your {{icon|trd}}''[[Court Physician]]'' should be competent and loyal if you wish to live a long life.

===Commander titles===

The minor title of [[Commander]] only gives +5 opinion, but unlike honorary titles, it can be reassigned without angering anyone.

If there's a vassal you don't want dying in combat, you can dismiss them from whatever army flank they are leading, or temporarily make them not be a commander at all.

===Council positions===

Letting a vassal serve on your [[council]] adds +10 opinion. It also switches them from seeing your "state diplomacy" to seeing your "personal diplomacy", which can be a huge boost to opinion if your personal diplomacy skill is high.

Assigning council positions becomes especially important with the {{icon|con}}''[[Conclave]]'' DLC. Your most powerful vassals expect a seat on the council and have -40 opinion if they are eligible but not serving. Depending on your laws, councilors may be prohibited from joining factions. However, {{icon|con}}''Conclave'' also makes it important that your councilors not only be competent but that they also [[council vote|vote]] the way you want them to.

===Vassal transfers===

[[Diplomatic actions#Transfer vassalage|Transferring a count]] can please a duke. This is recommended in several cases:

* The count is a faction member. Even if the duke is also a member, you've reduced the total power of the faction: the count could raise his entire demesne levy but the duke [[Levies#Liege levy|can only raise a portion]].
* The count is a de jure vassal of the duke. This permanently removes the duke's "-25 Desires control of <County>" opinion toward you, in addition to adding the temporary "+10 Vassal transfer" opinion.
* You are over your [[Vassals#Direct vassal limits|vassal limit]].

===Entrusting wards===

Sending a child or grandchild to be educated by a vassal (or by their courtier) increases the vassal's opinion by +10 for 11 years.

There is no direct danger in giving a vassal control over your child, but you may want to keep an eye on whether epidemic [[disease]]s threaten their location.

==Managing factions==
Even if you follow the advice above, you may get dangerous factions, especially in the aftermath of succession. You can take additional steps specifically to suppress factions.

===Marry your vassals===
[[Marriage|Marrying]] within the realm can create [[Alliances#Non-aggression pacts|non-aggression pacts]] with vassals, preventing them from joining factions. In particular, arranging a marriage or betrothal automatically creates a NAP as long as each spouse is closely related to the interacting rulers. These NAPs can be voluntarily renewed in subsequent generations as long as the new rulers are still close relatives of the married/betrothed couple.

Rulers with large families (e.g. from [[concubines]] or [[seduction]]) will be able to form more pacts. Muslims have an advantage in that [[polygamy]] lets them form pacts through their secondary wives directly, as well as through their many children.

There are several downsides to this strategy. 
*Depending on the circumstances of the marriage, it can give a vassal's successors [[claims]] on liege titles.
*Repeated intermarriage risks {{iconify|Inbred}}. 
*You cannot revoke titles from vassals you have a NAP with, even if they become traitors (e.g. if they rebel due to failed [[imprisonment]]).This can be mitigated by an indefinite stay in the dungeon, forcing a regency until the vassal's heir inherits.

===Make vassals unable to join factions===
Even with low opinion, there are several ways to make your vassals [[Factions#Who can join factions|ineligible to join factions]]:
* Send your spymaster to prevent factions. <!-- ("Scheme" job in base game, "Build Spy Network" job with ''[[Monks and Mystics]]'') -->
* [[Diplomatic_actions#Grant_independence|Grant independence]], especially to vassals outside your capital empire (who barely provide any troops even when opinion is high). Of course, if your aim is to achieve de jure shift, this option is not attractive.
* [[Diplomatic_actions#Transfer_vassalage|Transfer them under a vassal of higher rank]].
* [[Imprisonment#Arrest_by_liege|Arrest]] individual vassals. There are many ways to justify arrest, including catching the vassal leading a plot or refusing to stop backing a plot. If a vassal esapes arrest, they will rebel, but this can be useful as it allows you to revoke a title safely and without angering other vassals.
* With {{icon|wol}}[[Way of Life]], you can use the [[intrigue focus]] to fabricate arrest reasons, imprison them directly, or discourage them from joining factions.
* With {{icon|con}}[[Conclave]], you can give powerful vassals council positions (or make your competent vassals powerful). They will not be able to join factions while the council is content and able to vote on war declarations (unless you are tribal or nomadic).

Watch for vassals who are in factions despite high opinion. They might have been coerced into the faction by the leader; you can confirm this suspicion by [[Opinion#Viewing_opinions|checking their opinion]] of the leader. You can solve this by removing the leader from the faction in any way.

===Scatter the demands===
If your faction members cannot unite behind a single demand, they will be unable to issue a strong ultimatum.

* A diverse set of vassals may be unable to agree on a single claimant.
* If you have multiple kingdoms or empires, vassals might be unable to agree on which title should have lowered crown authority, a new succession law, or a new ruler. However, multiple titles prevent de jure shifts and causes vassals to desire the extra titles, resulting in reduced opinion.

===Avoid providing an opportunity by keeping vassals busy===
Faction leaders cannot issue ultimatums while they are direct participants in war. If they're busy, try to keep them busy.

Furthermore, depending on the type of faction, AI vassals will not issue an ultimatum if their liege is already fighting in certain types of wars. By prolonging or chaining these wars, you can make AI faction leaders believe that ''never'' is a good time to issue their ultimatum.

For ''most factions'': AI vassals will not issue an ultimatum if the liege is the ''primary defender'' in any war (except for Overthrow Ruler, e.g. from failed imprisonment or refused revocation). Furthermore, they will not issue an ultimatum if the liege is the ''primary attacker'' in certain wars that would be sure to strengthen the liege: any invasion, holy war (other than Pagan holy war or Buddhist minor holy war), or personal claim (so including "claim all" but not "[[Casus Belli#Claim for other|claim for other]]").

For ''claimant factions'': ???

For ''independence factions'': no ultimatums if the liege is defending in certain types of religious wars, or same religion as liege who is attacking an infidel.

===Consider giving into minor demands===
Sometimes, vassals will demand something that you don't really mind giving them.

{|class="wikitable"
! Demand !! Likely to repeat? !! Other benefits for ruler !! Concerns
|-
| '''[[Gavelkind|Gavelkind succession]]'''          || Impossible || +5 opinion from all vassals.<br>+30% demesne limit. || Weakening of demesne; potential succession wars
|-
| '''[[Feudal elective|Elective succession]]'''     || Impossible || +10 from non-dynastic vassals.<br>Lets you more or less [[Heir#Selecting your heir|select your heir]], with moderate risk. || Risk of dynasty losing primary title 
|-
| '''Lower [[crown authority]]''' (Without Conclave)                   || Lower priority at each step || Higher opinion|| Loss of privileges and lowered minimum levies from vassals.
|-
| '''Increased [[council laws|council power]]''' (With Conclave)    || Lower priority at each step || With ''voting on wars'', non-nomadic, non-tribal council members cannot join factions || Less freedom in dealing with rebellions and aftermath; no control over which two laws will be passed beyond the first two.
|}

==Reasons to create duke-tier vassals==
As a king or emperor, there are several additional but less obvious benefits to creating and giving away duke-tier titles with counts below them, rather than just trying to directly rule over as many "powerless" counts as possible:

* Your vassal's AI vassals cannot plot an assassination against you unless they are heir or pretender to one of your titles, if you are their rival, or in a few [[Assassination#General targets|other rare instances]]. All else being equal, it is also a lot harder for a few dukes to successfully pull off an existing assassination plot compared to many individual counts, simply because fewer characters contribute less overall plot power, which gives you ample time to discover and punish the plotters.

* You gain monthly prestige not just based on your directly held titles, but also for all the titles which your vassals hold.

* Dukes generate technology points while counts don't. This means that in the long term, your realm will fall behind in technology compared to other realms, if you don't let dukes generate their own tech points, especially since feudal realms depend on technology for their construction.

* When trying to convert provinces to your religion, each character tier can task their own chaplain with the proselytize mission. Imagine you had one county in your empire that has a different religion. It belongs to a count of your religion who is vassal to a duke of your religion who is vassal to a king of your religion who is vassal to you. You and each character tier below you may tell their chaplain to convert that province, making the conversion event much more likely to fire.

* Your vassal's vassal opinion of you doesn't matter with regards to how many levies you can get, only your direct vassal's opinion along with the corresponding laws.

===Benefits of having as many individual rulers as possible in the hierarchy under you===
Apart from just retaining more relative power in comparison to your direct vassals, there are additional benefits:

* Your realm grows richer faster since two counts in two counties can build more buildings faster than one person with two counties could due to events and mechanics that generate wealth "out of thin air" for each individual ruler (like for example the "collect taxes" mission for stewards).

* It vastly increases the number of individual courts in your realm, which increases the pool of potentially useful people you can draw from for your own purposes by either inviting them or marrying them, or by granting them titles in newly conquered realms.

* If you revoke the duchy title from a duke with several counts under him, you can just grant the duchy to one of his counts instead, making the troublesome former duke your vassal's vassal. This neutralizes him as a threat, while simultaneously making the new duke happy about their newly-gained title.  

===Disadvantages of splitting the realm down to counts (rogue edit)===
In my experience the above might actually NOT be a good advice.

* AI is notoriously bad at managing money. While in theory two counts in two counties can build faster, in practice they do the opposite. Did you ever notice how even an AI that is richer that the player often has a less developed demesne than the player? That is because AI often wastes money, and the more of them there are the more money they'll waste.

* While levies calculations are weird, taxes calculations are pretty straightforward. Barons pay to counts, counts pay to dukes, dukes pay to kings and kings pay to emperors and every vassal in that chain takes a cut. Let's assume, for simplicity's sake, that all taxes are set to 50% (which is a rather generous assumption). If your direct vassal is a duke that holds all the 5 counties in his duchy himself then you'll get: 25% of the income of all baron tier vassals under him (let's assume it's 5 temples and 5 cities) and 50% of the income of all his holdings (5 castles). If however he only holds one county and the rest are held by counts under him you would get 12.5% of the baron tier vassals in that land (4 temples 4 cities), and 25% of all the holdings held by those counts ( 4 castles), 25% from the barons directly under the duke (1 temple, 1 city) and 50% of his holdings (1 castle). Essentially your "cut" of the profits from those lands dropped by 40% of what it was. Now, theoretically, those cuts don't vanish and should still head towards improving the land, but in practice they'll go towards buying ego-boosting paintings, and bribing nobodies to decrease council authority of a county (what's the count even going to do with that authority of his? revoke a city?). Wherever else it goes, it will certainly NOT go towards improvement of YOUR demesne.

* Having many courts in your realm isn't even remotely as useful as it sounds. It's nice for conversions (every court has a council), but other than that all it gets you is a flood of mostly useless characters and their shenanigans. Expect more secret religions and devil worshippers to deal with and more migrants when those courts fall apart (which is, generally, NOT good for your court).

* One of the four sources of technology spreading is demesne spread. No demesne means no demesne spread. While in theory all those separated counts could go and steal tech, and as a result give your realm one heck of a tech advancement speed, in practice they don't. Tech from your dukes will still spread, but it would spread faster if your dukes held their duchies.

* While it's tempting to get rid of a troublesome duke by making one of his former subjects the next duke, doing so would switch the tech "engine" of the duchy from a county that lead to the county that was being lead essentially wasting progress.

For most of the above mentioned concerns splitting the realm to the single-handedly held single duchies is the optimal solution. Such dukes generate tech points, accelerate their demesne catching up, consolidate the right amount of money (large enough to actually build something, not large enough to start throwing mercs around left and right), and are not big enough to pose a serious threat without many of them "ganging up" on you, which should not happen unless you are disliked by the realm in general (which is not a situation in which you can afford to be for long regardless of how powerless your vassals are).

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