Play as Papal States?

Is there any way to make the Papal States playable? I've searched this forum from end to end and haven't found what I'm looking for yet. Any help appreciated, thanks!

In the beginning of most factions of the M2TW guides, there is instructions on how to manually unlock factions. Just paste the papal factions over to the playabel factions spot

or you can install carl's problem fixer mod1.22

Hey, kinda new. Where can I get carl's mod? Could someone link us to it?

I kinda looked through the mods forum and saw the ProblemFixer subforum, is that it? I saw a 1.21...

By the way, the FAQ in the sticky section rocks, that's about all I've looked at since I got the game, well done.

this is easy to do with the shelf and patched 1.1 version but it must be done properly.

you go through my computer

cdrive/program list/sega/medieval 2/data/world/maps/campaign/imperial campaign/

click into descr_strat folder

you will see the list of playable factions with the original 5 at the start of the game/ the list of the unlockable factions/ and the list of the non playable factions.

in the non playable factions first note the exact text of the Papal_States and memorize it or write it down. now backspace out the name.

go back up to the playable factions where the big 5 are and click on the area next to the last letter in the list and then press enter to form a new line and type in Papal_States in this new line.

i know its pretty elementary explanation i just wanted to make it as easy to understand as possible.

now when you click out you will discover a message that has something to do with the original folder. this is where my memory fades.

but what you have to do is give this new modification a name that is different than the original. i would suggest descr_strat 1.

then you will have 2 folders in the imperial campaign folder. one with descr_strat and one with descr_strat 1.

now you take the original and rename it descr_strat 2.

then go find the descr_strat 1 folder and retype it in as descr_strat only.

click out of my computer.

now when you start a new campaign you should have no problem playing as the papacy.

Carl is still beta testing 1.22, but if you want to be a tester look up his thread in mod section and let him know.

the papal states have some of the best infantry in the game with pavise crossbowmen, italian spearmen, papal guard and swiss guard, plus the halberdier and pikemen militia which when fully upgraded are pretty good in their own right.

Is this in theory or has it been done. I assumed the papal states where akin to the senate in RTW and never playable. Would the above also apply to the other supposedly unlockable factions ie The Mongols, aztecs etc.

If so Im gonna be pope for the day and excommunicate everyone

yes it has been done as long as you follow the directions. i am currently playing the papacy right now and im up to where i only have about 90 turns left in the campaign and i have had near 100% reliability so far.

there are minor issues such as that you basically have 0 standing with yourself and if you ask for a crusade from yourself you always get turned down. but you can never get excommunicated and you get to use the three most powerful units in the game [papal guard, swiss guard and inquisators 8)]

also the beginning movie calls you the byzantine empire. besides that everything is very good.

Thanks. Thats what I love about the guild someone somewhere always has the answer. I do not know who the nastiest pope to have ever lived was,(the guy who purged the masons?) but mine certainly will be meeting up with the the bad guys down south in the walmer climate rather the up north the dogooders.

i feel that the poor misled christian factions must be taken under the holy fathers "wing" before he can take on the other factions in the game. 8)

I'm playing the Papacy too. I'm using the LtC mod though. One thing you may encounter is that none of the Catholic factions will attack you wether neutral or allied. At least thats been my experiences so far but I have only played this one campaign so far. Even after you go to war with a Catholic faction they tend to avoid attacking. I'm guessing its the code of them not wanting to piss off the Pope (you). Once on the battlefield however they treat you like any other enemy and put up a good battle.

A strong line of Swiss Guards and some Pavise Crossbow men and some artillery and a couple cavalry units can pretty much beat anything. Right now I'm fighting the Turks and they have been the biggest challenge so far IMO. They are not afraid of attacking my armies. I havent encountered the Mongols in this campaign yet. I'm looking forward to it though. I just havent found them yet. Somewhere around Bagdad probably.

A Papal short campaign has a 80 territory win requirement so expect a short campaign to be long.

im playing the long campaign which is 100 provinces[ i think their is somewhere around 110 provinces total] but by then i might as well go for broke. i tricked the timurids out of a fight in a world conquest once by stealing all the cities and not engaging their full armies.

but this time maybe ill go head to head with them with the swiss guard and rocketeer elephants 8)

how do you call a crusade

How do you excommunicate?


Great fun though and awsome troops

1)You cant call a crusade. At least I havent been able to yet. The game does it on its own somehow. I guess its the AI factions doing it.

2)Any Catholic faction you attack instantly gets excommunicated.