Question: has this happened to anyone who didn't have a LOT of the map under their control? I'm wondering if this is the AI's version of an anti- trust mechanic. An unintended (hopefully) means of increasing the difficulty to keep the player kingdom from snowballing..
I've had it happend to me in a play where we imo didnt control "alot" of the map.
Sturgia faction.
We had all starting fiefs - Neveyans Castle Battania owned that(was lost to Vlandia, and then Battania got it).
We had taken Gersegos Castle + Lageta + Vernon Castle.
+ the 2 Khuzait Castles Dinar and and the last one I dont recall the name of, next to Baltakhand aswell.
Thats it.
We were at peace, and then Khuzait declares war upon us.
Boom Godun and his clan Vagiroving left the faction.
Besides owning Tyal + Uriksala castle, he also was the owner of Vernon Castle though + the 2 Khuzait Castles we had captured.
I can understand to some degree why he would leave kind of, as he would be getting the brunt of the Khuzait attack.
Imo this isnt controlling much of the land, and shouldnt be trigger any anti-snowball mechanics imo?
I think its more to do with proximity of hostiles and if they think they can be safer in the new faction?(speculation)
In another play Vlandia clan Dey Rothad lead by Berican, had taken Neveyansk castle, but other than that Vlandia didnt have anymore new land. So he had his starting + that castle.
When Battania declared war upon Vlandia - he defected