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View Full Version : What's with the pope?



jakester
05-30-2003, 01:22
I'm new here, hello all. I don't have VI yet, but plan to get it soon, or just wait for RTW. Anyway I'm having a problem with the pope in my current single player campaign.

The problem is, I have had a long time alliance with the Spanish and was parked on their border with about 3 more then a gadzillion troops. For no reason other then boredom I guess, the Spanish decided to attack me. No problem know it's nothing personal, so I casually proceed into their closest providence and basically overrun them. I forget the name, it's just south of Naverre on the Spanish peninsula. They leave without even giving a fight. (Sounds ok so far right?)

So the pope, who I had been allied with since the beginning of the game, gives me the typical leave them alone warning. On that turn I assault the castle and it's now mine, 1 year short of the warning. Ok no problem, so here I sit with the Spanish eliminating my fleet and launching countless attacks against me. Of course they will never get excommunicated, but if I raise a finger to retaliate, I know I will. To top it off the Papacy decides to attack me too. It must have been how selfish I was, throwing away my ships to the Spanish in attempt to keep the peace.

So it hasn't happened yet, but my prediction is I get excommunicated, most of my providences will rebel, there will be the inevitable civil war as a result. I won't be able to afford my current army and the golden horde will attack in the East setting me back half the game. I have played quite a few campaigns and this is the first I ever seen fall apart this quick. The whole pope' thing, I simply find an annoying addition to TW. I'm going to lose this game, and it has nothing to do with military strategy.

Any ideas how to resolve this one would be appreciated, I just think it's just new campaign time. Does the VI expansion curb the pope, or AI behavior at all? I really hope the senate in RTW is not like this.

Longasc
05-30-2003, 01:29
Hm... I often got excommunicated and well -> I survived it. No real problems with rebellions.

Viking Invasion changes some things: Rebellions do not produce huge armies anymore -> only 1-4 units.

And I think you have less trouble with revolts, but I am not sure...

I think the Pope is no longer as quick in excommunicating as before -> I started a Late Era HRE campaign and he did not care too much about me killing the Danes and the Swiss... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

rasoforos
05-30-2003, 01:36
there is nothing wrong with getting excommunicated , sometimes its actually very convenient since you can solve old differences with your catholic enemies without any fear ( you are already damned and going to hell ,says the pope http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif ), rebellions and civil wars do not happen that often with an excommunication , ussually nothing happens , in addition if you keep decent guards in your provinces those rebellions will just be fun .
so do not worry anymore , go get excommunicated , kick your opponents ass and i ll see you in hell http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

jakester
05-30-2003, 01:53
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif LMAO Ras, hey actually after some thought, I may take it one better. I'll do what I can as quickly as possible against the Spanish, then off the pope to clean my slate. It might work I'll play it out and see how it goes.

Gregoshi
05-30-2003, 04:44
Welcome to the Org jakester. Ex-comms are welcome here too. Heck, I bet nearly everyone here has been ex-commed at one time or another.

If you go after the Pope, be prepared to play Whack a mole with him.

The_Emperor
05-30-2003, 09:12
Our old pal the Pope always seems to get a lot of threads devoted to him these days...

Anyway remember if your ruler dies or the Pope Dies your excommunication status is gone.

Personally I'd much rather kill the Pope rather than sacrifice my great leader, but I am not above sending my king on a suicide mission if no high level assassins are around. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

squippy
05-30-2003, 09:23
Quote[/b] ]I'm going to lose this game, and it has nothing to do with military strategy.

Correct. Not military strategy, political strategy.


Quote[/b] ]
Any ideas how to resolve this one would be appreciated

Kill the pope and install your own puppet in Rome. This pope is obviously mad and possessed by Satan.

jakester
05-30-2003, 14:43
RFLMAO Well thanks for the great input and humorous feedback. If nothing else, it was worth a smile.

It worked out great. I did have 3 rebellions, but was able to squash it quick enough, mainly because I knew it was coming. After killing off the Spanish I took the advice about using the excommunication to my benefit and hunted the Hungarians and Polish to extinction. After I was done I conquered Italy and all the papacy providences. I sold all the buildings to keep the pope from producing anything decent and so I wouldn't have to park expensive units there, to fight the endless rebellions. After killing off his large fleet and evacuating the Italian peninsula, I cheerfully had him assassinated (he respawned again, very quickly).

No more excommunication, it worked perfect and I had no more Christian enemies to fight. The papacy stayed contained for the rest of the game. Rather ironic though, a few turns after the assassination, the new pope wanted an alliance with me. So although he may have been possessed by Satan, he most definitely was a masochist.

Thanks for the ideas, it ended up being a great game.