I posted this before but when Smok said that Ed had posted everything there was about the subject, well, . . .

1) Build lots of happiness: spies, religious agents, taverns, Town Militias, churches, and upgraded farms all help happiness. The more buildings the happier the province it seems.

2) Do not auto-tax. I keep taxes at Normal or High usually, but each turn I hit the Shift Key, this allows me to check my provinces at a glance. Always keep your province happiness at above 100, above 120 if possible.

3) Keep at least 100 peasants or spearmen, 60 archers, and a 60-man infantry unit in each province. Keep more in Portugal, Scotland, Ireland, Arabia, Leon (and a few others that are trouble spots). I use the theory that keeps a big wall of troops along my borders, but in the interior I keep old, beat up, cheap units. Keep extra troops on islands or in distant provinces.

4) Check your Generals from time to time, especially after your king dies. Do not let a General with less than 4 loyalty command a stack. Keep disloyal heirs and powerful Gens in a stack with the King.

OK you say, I do all of that already.

5) Keep your King connected to the rest of your army. Never take your King to an island. If the King gets cut off from the rest of the army they lose loyalty - big time. Keep your King in a province with a port. Never let your King get trapped inside a castle siege. Always have control of the seas - keep connected by navy.

6) When you have heirs then fight with your King in situations where you have a good chance of not getting slaughtered. This increases your King's valor and other virtues. The best is a 7-star King. Above that and they have low valor children. Try to marry your Kings to other factions daughters. Do not stop conquering for too long; it seems like when I stop expanding my armies become restless.

7) Assassinate or otherwise remove royalty with bad vices. Same goes for Generals with vices that reduce their loyalty or happiness (Envy, Blackmailer, etc.)

8) When your King dies the new King appears in one of your most highly developed provinces - make sure this is not on an island. This is a critical time, as he does not have the loyalty of all of his men yet. Not a good time to fight, but check everyone. Everytime my King dies, that's when I go through my stacks and inspect my Generals and Governors.

9) Marry your daughters to your own Generals, not to other factions. This improves their loyalty.

10) Ransom back captured troops. When you fail to ransom back your guys that have been captured it sends a message to your other Generals (not sure about this one, but sure seems true).

11) The computer is programmed to trip you up. As you get bigger, it slows you down by giving vices to your Governors and Generals that decrease happiness and loyalty. Just before you get ot the 60% of Europe conquered level, and again just as you approach total victory, the level of revolt rises. In these times boost your level of troops garrisioned in each province. At the end of the game I try to have as a minimum: 2 100-man unit, 1 60-man infantry, 1 60 man missile, 2 40-man cav, and a few odd units in each province, along with a spy, bishop, emissary, and assassin.

12) Repeat, check every province at the end of each turn. Before hitting End Year, hit Shift Key and look at map. Greens are OK, Yellows and Reds need attention.

13) Don't get excommed

Hope that helps

ichi