Faction Re-emergance

[Xehh II]

Is it possible to stop factions re-emerging by having high loyalty?

[Haccapelite]

Yes it is, if you are able to keep the happiness of provinces previously owned by an eliminated faction above 120%, the faction won't re-emerge on your territories. But i'm not entirely sure if it is still possible that a re-emerging faction can "spread" to your provinces even if you have the happines above 120% and the re-emergence starts for example from your neighboring province.
By the way, does the computer keep track of eliminated factions' royal family for a certain time or can re-emergencies occur no matter how long it has been since the faction was destroyed?

[Taedius]

As far as I understand, the game follows the heirs not yet of age. So it's possible for a faction to reemerge for about 60 years after elimination.

120 % loyalty should keep you clear, untill you own 60 % of the map.

[drone]

If you keep your provinces at 120% or more, you should not be affected. My understanding of the prerequisites for reemergences: 1)A living heir that was underaged at the time of the faction's demise (hence the ~60 year danger timeframe), and 2) A rebellion/uprising in a province they previously owned.

The reemergence will ride the coattails of a normal rebellion, so a province (somewhere) with lower than 100% is needed to start it. Once a province "qualifies", surrounding lands are checked against 120% loyalty, and get sucked in if they are lower. In most cases, a properly managed empire can avoid most of them, but problems can arise when excomms happen, neighboring factions have loyalty drops, the king dies or gets isolated, or islands get blockaded.

[Geezer57]

Yes it is, if you are able to keep the happiness of provinces previously owned by an eliminated faction above 120%, the faction won't re-emerge on your territories.

120% loyalty should keep you clear, until you own 60% of the map.

If you keep your provinces at 120% or more, you should not be affected.

All the above is good advice - just keep in mind that, even if your provinces show above 120% before you click on the "END YEAR" button, events taking place during the computer factions' phase of the turn can lower loyalty below that threshold. I like to keep it above 150% in the early part of a campaign, later when the budget grows 200% is better. This game is great in that regard - it keeps throwing surprises at you!

[PershsNhpios]

I do not like those surprises. I enjoy seeing the Pope give me 1000 florins. I do not enjoy the idea of having the Almoravids, Portucale, Venice and Castile rise underneath me.

What happens when you have 60% of the map?

I have never managed that, but I have seen several AI factions do so.

[Fagar]

Owning 60% of the map will give you a lesser victory.
You receive a screen letting you know you are the dominant faction and have the ear of the world but are not the sole ruler.
You have the choice to accept this lesser victory and get a pretty cool victory speech about how you are great but not so great you were able to achieve total domination or you can continue on and attempt to obtain100% ownership of the map.

[drone]

60% of the map is also the point in which it the computer will try to screw with your empire. Supposedly, unrest becomes more troublesome at this point, so rebellions (and thus reemergences) become more common. This does not affect the threshold percentages though, if you keep your provinces at 120% happiness you will not see a problem. Personally, I've never really had a problem at 60%, managing taxes and garrisons properly will keep you secure.

[Fagar]

No I am the same I have never had a real problem at 60%.
Then I am a careful player. I expand only after consideration. I check my loyalty often, normally maintain it above 150% and no matter how far away my frontiers every province has a garrison of say 120 UM, 60 archers and a light horse.
I rely on a good economy, both farmlands and trade and am often making 15-20,000 Florins per turn profit so can afford to maintain these garrison and therefore loyalty.

[caravel]

I tend to turtle so I see the effects of the "bloat effect" but it rarely causes serious issues.

[Fagar]

Turtling is definately the easiest way to control your expansion and economy.
Myself I tend to go in patches.
I will crusade or invade via sea into one province, consolidate and then turtle through another 4-5 provinces, and do it again.
Lately i have found I am not fully reuniting my empire until around 1250 or so.

[caravel]

Yes I also tend to go for surges. I will generally only move when I can blitz two provinces and hit the enemy hard, at the same time securing a strategic position. The surges are preceded by a troop build up that can stretch the economy somewhat.

[Fagar]

Ahh our military strategies seem very similar.
Another advantage of hitting hard and taking several provinces quickly is of course the possibility of sparking civil war within your enemy.
So much easier than a long 100 year protracted war!

[PershsNhpios]

It is fair to imagine that most experienced players would conduct a vicious and swiftly decisive war, and inexperienced players would hope for one.

My only difficulty is my mercy! I like to spare the loser, but those patriotic Arabs - and those Germans - too proud! They have me excommunicated for my love of clemency!

[Taedius]

Remember, you are not slaughtering the population. You are simply replacing their ruling class. There is no need for clemency in this game.

I play swift and vicious when I can afford it. I'm having success with the HRE, early XL, at the moment. Speed has been of the essence when dealing with catholic neighbours; I cannot afford an excommunication. However, I cannot afford to overstretch my forces either...

[PershsNhpios]

It is very enjoyable for me, once my kingdom is established, to play the Overlord of my neighbours.

If a war starts, I favour one side, and generally take part as the judge in cases of territorial disputes.

If a faction attacks my own Kingdom, they are reduced to their last province and besieged, and then I leave them to the whim of their greedy rivals. I like to have a large and overwhelming kingdom, but not a trans-continental empire.

A finger in every pie is what I enjoy maintaining.

I have respect for you - taking on the responsibility of that doomed Empire! I have never yet dared to play it!

There are many factions I never play, I always consider them too uncomfortable for my playing style.. they are; HRE, England, Byzantium, Kiev, Cumans, Almoravids.

The Turks were among that list - but I am about to attempt their position for the sake of an AAR in the stickied thread.

[Fagar]

Playing the overlord also helps in stopping the annoying faction re-emergences.
My theory is if you do not wipe them out they cannot come back!

In my current campaign, playing as the English I was having a pitched battle with the Almo's over the moorish regions as the Spanish had been reduced to a mere shadow of thier former glory and were holed up in Navarre.
Well at this stage the French and the Italians decided it would be a good time for some incursions into my territory.
What they didn't realise was that I was waiting for this opportunity.
It took a long time due to constant warnings from the pope but I have reduced both to one territory each. Deliberatley leaving them a poor and underdeveloped province each. Where I can sit brooding over them and at every turn of the season remind them of my might.
The almo's were pushed back and now only have Morocco as the Egyptians have taken their territory the other way.
So the Spanish, Almohads, Italians and French only have one territory each.
I am eyeing off my next victim.

I have done it before and it is hard to do but great fun nonetheless.
Keep all factions alive, intervene if necessary to assure this with factions that are just about to be wiped out. Use the sword or marry princessess off to apparently barren kings, whatever it takes.
Ignore the 60% victory and when you have the entire map apart from the 1 territory each faction has move in for the kill, hit them all in the one turn.
it is glorious you fight so many battles in a row and the reward for these victories (which are a given because you have reduced your enemies to puppets) is the total victory in the game.
Fine Fine Fun.