Stellaris is a galactic sandbox game where players can build planet-spanning cities, form alliances with inter-dimensional beings, and turn hostile empires into loyal subjects as an imperial overlord. Running a successful empire of vassals and protectorates in Stellaris is not easy, and players need to manage their subjects carefully to keep their loyalty high. Loyalty is a measure of a subject’s acceptance of their subjugation, ranging from -100 to 100, and it is crucial for the overlord to keep it high to prevent rebellion and secret alliances with rival empires. In this article, we will discuss the methods that players can use to increase loyalty in Stellaris.
Factors that affect Loyalty:
The first and most important factor that affects a subject’s loyalty is their opinion. The subject’s opinion may be low immediately after their vassalization, especially if they were invaded and conquered or have a long-standing enmity with their new overlord. To raise the subject’s opinion, players can assign envoys to improve relations, give gifts of resources, or favor the subject in events. These actions will improve the subject’s opinion, and therefore, their loyalty.
The second factor that affects a subject’s loyalty is the terms of their agreement. Every 10 years, players can pay an influence cost to modify the agreement with their subject, which covers everything from joining defensive or offensive wars to paying tribute or receiving subsidies. Making the agreement more beneficial to the overlord will cost loyalty instantly, while altering the agreement to the benefit of the subject will boost loyalty. Altering the agreement can sometimes be the only way to preserve the loyalty of a vassal with hostile Stellaris Civics, opposing ethics, or a low opinion, but players should be careful not to make too many concessions to their subjects.
The third factor that affects a subject’s loyalty is their ethics. If a subject’s ethics clash with their overlord’s, both their opinion and their base loyalty will be negatively affected. To mitigate this, players can try to find common ground with their subjects and work towards a shared ethical vision.
Other tips to increase Loyalty:
In addition to raising opinion, sharing ethics, and altering the agreement, there are a few other methods that players can use to raise loyalty or reduce penalties to loyalty. All of an overlord’s subjects get a -1 loyalty penalty for each other subject they have, but this penalty can be negated with the Feudal Society Civic, the Franchising Civic for MegaCorps, or the Shared Destiny Ascension Perk. Players who plan to build a large empire with multiple vassals should make sure they have one of these buffs to avoid the loyalty penalties.
Another way to raise loyalty is to purchase a Pledge of Loyalty from a subject in the Stellaris trade screen. This functions as a +1.5 loyalty buff for the duration of the trade, and can be helpful to recover falling loyalty at the cost of resources. If the subject’s opinion of their overlord is at least 150, the Pledge of Loyalty will add +2.5, allowing an overlord to max loyalty even with an oppressive subject agreement.
In conclusion, dominating other empires as an overlord in Stellaris can be a powerful tactic, but players need to be careful when managing their subjects’ loyalty. The three most important factors affecting a subject’s loyalty are their opinion, ethics, and the terms of their agreement. Players can increase loyalty by raising opinion, sharing ethics, altering the agreement, negating loyalty penalties, and purchasing a Pledge of Loyalty. By paying attention to these factors, players can run a successful empire of vassals and protectorates in Stellaris.