guvidus
09-07-2007, 09:45
I was playing Russia campaing and i decided to use a special tactic for succes. First of all i decided to expand fast to the west, along the Baltic Sea to improve my finances, leaving the landlocked provinces to the rebels. As soon as i took Thorn, i was atacked by the Poles...so i thought to neutralise any future catholic agresion. How?......Well i eliminated the Poles&Hungarians after some heavy fighting, and gave all their provices(8 in total) to the Pope in exchange for aliance, trade rights and military acces. Everything was OK, he was very happy, and right after this a have marched S-E from Thorn to the Black Sea, taking 2 settlements in the process, and VOILA - between my lands and the catholics i had a nearly full barrier of papal lands, with just a tiny border with the rebels north near Thorn.
So far so good, i figured - no catholic country will atack me now and no crusade will be called against me. The mongols have poped up, sa i turned my atention East, taking Moscow and Smolensk, moving my military East, in the case they will come north of the Black Sea. They didnt appear, but i continued to develop my cities and economy (merchant guild HQ in Novgorod hehe), hoping they will go south and keep the Turks and Egyptiens ocupied until the Tims and the crusades will turn that region into a blood bath.
Nothing dangerous semed to happend , so i got lazy, not reading the diplomacy msgs anymore, just building and sending merchants to the best spots to get lot of gold.
But....after a while, something strange happened in Europe. Venice got eliminated, and HRE soon after. Hmmm. I took my diplomat from the sicilian capital up to Rome to my dear friend the Pope to exchange maps and see how central Europe looks like that days (i was too lazy to build a proper network of spies - just watch towers on borders) and SURPRISE - Rome was a rebel town. Go further up, get to Venice, and guess what, it was owned by the Pope. Quick exchange the maps, with a 10.000 gold donation from my part and what i see? the Papal States are the largest country in the world, bordering with the Byz in the Balkans, with me in East, Milan&Sicily their middle South, Danes in the North and French in the West.
WTF??? Trying to secure my western flank so i can fight the mongols undisturbed, i created a monster state in Europe with around 20-25 provinces.
I want to know if will he continue his expansion, and if he will, in what direction, bcs right now i really dont have a chance to stop him with my thin forces in the west and no capable general, since the good ones are in Siberia with the brunt of my army waiting for the mongols who aparently are smoking marijuana or something for 30 turns now.
Please give me an advice for this situation.
P.S. - can the Pope "crusade"?
So far so good, i figured - no catholic country will atack me now and no crusade will be called against me. The mongols have poped up, sa i turned my atention East, taking Moscow and Smolensk, moving my military East, in the case they will come north of the Black Sea. They didnt appear, but i continued to develop my cities and economy (merchant guild HQ in Novgorod hehe), hoping they will go south and keep the Turks and Egyptiens ocupied until the Tims and the crusades will turn that region into a blood bath.
Nothing dangerous semed to happend , so i got lazy, not reading the diplomacy msgs anymore, just building and sending merchants to the best spots to get lot of gold.
But....after a while, something strange happened in Europe. Venice got eliminated, and HRE soon after. Hmmm. I took my diplomat from the sicilian capital up to Rome to my dear friend the Pope to exchange maps and see how central Europe looks like that days (i was too lazy to build a proper network of spies - just watch towers on borders) and SURPRISE - Rome was a rebel town. Go further up, get to Venice, and guess what, it was owned by the Pope. Quick exchange the maps, with a 10.000 gold donation from my part and what i see? the Papal States are the largest country in the world, bordering with the Byz in the Balkans, with me in East, Milan&Sicily their middle South, Danes in the North and French in the West.
WTF??? Trying to secure my western flank so i can fight the mongols undisturbed, i created a monster state in Europe with around 20-25 provinces.
I want to know if will he continue his expansion, and if he will, in what direction, bcs right now i really dont have a chance to stop him with my thin forces in the west and no capable general, since the good ones are in Siberia with the brunt of my army waiting for the mongols who aparently are smoking marijuana or something for 30 turns now.
Please give me an advice for this situation.
P.S. - can the Pope "crusade"?