Diplomacy / Peacful England Game

Hi guys. I'm looking for some advice or at least some alternatives.

I'm playing as England Hard/Hard grand campaign. I am limiting myself to no aggressive wars unless sanctioned by the Pope. I won't retaliate against an attacker other than to drive him off my land (not that anyone has attacked me). I keep all of my alliances, treaties etc. I will not use Spies except defensively. I won't use assassins at all. I'm going for Merchant guilds in just about every city with the exceptions of York (Theologians) and Caernarvan (Theives).

I have alliances with most of the Catholic nations and the Pope. I have Military access with France and Scotland. I am allied with Russia and the Turks.

I have expanded into the rebel territories of Ireland, York, Rennes, Bruges and Antwerp. I bribed Dijon which is now my capital. I took Rhodes during my successful Crusade on Jerusalem. I took Acre during the second Crusade.

I have acheived deadlock. I am teching up and upgrading my armies (slowly) while maintaining merchants in and around Bordeaux, Norhtern Italy, Denmark, Constantinople. I have diplomats near just about every nation. But until the Pope allows another Crusade, I can't expand under my restrictions. I'm not making enough to buy provinces, bribe the few remaining rebel territories or get Egypt to make peace with me. I can't get the Pope to give me Military Access either.

No one is really a military threat to me. I'm usually #1 or #2 as the most advanced. I net about 4 - 5K Florins/turn which I can improve slightly by seizing assets of opposing merchants.

Any suggestions on what I might do within my restrictions to break the deadlock?

Thanks All

SG

Well, off the top of my head, I'd say your best bet may be too give one nation large chunks of cash. This'll allow them to create a bigger army and they'll get more aggressive. Keep it up until they get excommunicated and then you'll get to have a large conflict with a strong opponent while still staying within your 'rules'.

If you have a high enough standing with the Pope (level 8 should do) then you can ask him to call a crusade. You can also position ships in places that may make a faction angry enough to attack you and help get it excommed or station some troops in a country in a threatening position or on a resource - the AI can get upset at such eventually. Since you have taken Dijon, I think you can anticipate either Milan or France trying to take it, if you leave it weakly defended. Some eastern power is sure to try and take Antioch. If the Mongols or Timurids come in down south then they will try to take it as it seems to be scripted as one of their "Homes" (they want it to be their capital).

I have played at least one campaign such as yours (with the Scots) and the biggest problem was the same spread out empire that you have. At one point my cash flow was so bad that I switched my capital to Antioch because the Scottish hometownnes were so very poor.

sounds like a real mess spread out all over.
sounds like you are doing solid tho.

as far as getting some war, you could do a crusade, or just wait for someone to attack you, and tech up in the mean time.

I've successfully completed my fourth Crusade. I have taken Jerusalem, Acre, Constantinople and Antioch. I also took the rebel held castles of Adana and Aleppo both of which I gave to the Pope for Military Access. The Mongols just appeared but I missed the message as to where. Since I haven't seen them, I'm guessing they're north of the mountains headed for Kiev.

Shortly after my last post, HRE decided to attack me at Dijon, twice. This annoyed me since I had been paying them tribute since the beginning of the game. I took Metz and then stopped because they reconciled with the Pope. Then Milan attacks me in Rhodes and at Dijon on the same turn. I fend both off and am debating invading Northern Italy when I have the opportunity. Then Spain decides to attack Ireland???? Why I'm not sure. Their army was the remnant of a battle gone horribly wrong for them, and they attack me? Stupid AI. On the same turn the Turks blockade one of my ports and declare a Jihad on Jerusalem.

No problem with going on a rampage now. I just have to decide against who. I took Iconium on my way back to Antioch for the Crusade, so I guess I started with the Turks, but I sort of want them as a buffer againt the Mongols until I can refortify Jerusalem after fighting off the Jihad.

Apparently Jeddah? (the territory SE of Jerusalem) is still rebel held, so I might take that before I conquer the Egyptians and Turks. If I have enough money, I might try to get Milan to reconcile before turning on Spain. France (my bestest friend ever) has been at war with them for quite a while.

The good news is, I might get to see the Timurids before winning this game. Bad news is, I probably won't have time to finish because I just got my orders and I have to report next week for my deployment to Iraq.

Oh well. It's been fun.

SG

'bout the Mongols- they get to Turkey VERY quickly and through it like lightning. You'd better send a horde of diplomats north from Antioch and Jerusalem etc. or ruin your reputation by sending armies (and even that's losing men for no reason: you should see the size of the horde)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by scipiosgoblin

The good news is, I might get to see the Timurids before winning this game. Bad news is, I probably won't have time to finish because I just got my orders and I have to report next week for my deployment to Iraq.

Oh well. It's been fun.

SG

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Good luck in iraq, dude. I hope you get back to this game after your deployment.