Influence

[Qilue]

Apart from conquest and certain events which raise it, does anyone know what exactly improves influence?

I've recently discovered how important influence is and it's effect on new princes.

Thank-you to anyone who is able to give a definitive answer.

[frogbeastegg]

Successful crusades and Jihads always raise influence significantly. For the most part influence is governed by common sense, you will lose influence if your empire is going down the pan or if you lead a failed crusade and you will gain influence for running a successful empire.

Crusading and launching Jihads is the most reliable way to boost influence so you should reach for the holy book when your influence is low. At the same time you must make sure that you can win the battle so try launching your holy war on a close, easy target and stuff it full of quality troops. Several successful holy wars should max out your influence.

[tuopaolo]

Does Influence do anything besides make factions more likely to make treaties with you?

[Qilue]

Influence is the single most important stat due its effect on princes. The higher your influence, the better your princes. This is why the Byzantines always get demi-gods and most other factions get chimps, all those influence increasing events.

Edit section -
A crusade/jihad is conquest, I was wondering about non-conquest/effent ways to improve influence.

[ToranagaSama]

I can't answer your question as specifically as you might wish, as only as a result of the 56 Bug have I begun to pay truly close attention in this regard.

I strongly suspect that outside of conquest, Influence is increased or decreased as a result of cumulitive effects.

Some of the pre-requisites I *think*, are things like, Great Builder. Achieve that status in addition to building Churches and Cathedrals and its a good bet Influence will increase as a result.

In what may sound like a Catch-22 for many, successfully marrying your Princes (Brothers *and* Sons) and Princesses into the other factions has an effect.

Also, successfully, backing up your Ally on the battlefield probably helps a bit, too.

Trade may also be of import. Poor Kings probably have little influence or so it seems.

You may find that when much of the above isn't going too well, neither is your Campaign and/or Influence. Logic would dictate that the confluence must also serve.

In my last Campaign, my *newly* ascended King successfully put down a Civil War and his Influence was raised. One is left to presume that this would be catagorized as conquest.

Hope that was of some help, at least as a train of thought.

Lastly, I suggest strongly in picking your Ally(ies) wisely and sparingly. Don't you ally with *every* faction who offers. The result is that rather soon you *must* break alliances in order to begin conquest which effects Influence negatively. In my experience, the key to easily raising Influence is to avoid engaging in negative effects as much as possible.

As a Catholic faction, I rarely ally with non-Catholics unless the strategic advantage is overwhelmingly necessary. I don't think the Pope likes that sort of thing, and having the good graces of the Pope, I believe, is huge.

OH Ally with the Pope asap, and NEVER break the alliance or start wars with those allied with the Pope This is a sure negative influencer. IMHO, this is Huge.

If I notice anything more concrete I'll post.

[Revenant69]

Holy Jebus i learned alot from this thread. I didn't know that influence has an effect on your princes (I'll have to test that). Oh and the allying thing is very very interesting. I always allied with everyone b4. Hmm, very cool thread.

[Oaty]

What I have noticed is that a King with high influence makes a high loyal prince so when that prince becomes king his loyalty lets just say it was 6, his 6 loyalty becomes 6 influence so that makes it very important to try to keep a high influence line of monarchs because high influence kings make high loyal generals for the most part

Influence does have a partial effect on treaties, I've had low influence kings that couldnt make an alliance for crap but had a high influence kings that could quickly bring a ceasefire

[Oaty]

Another note once you start owning close to 40 percent of Europe, more influence has very little effect unless you have the Byzantines who own the other 40 percent (ok it could be any faction that owns that other 40 percent) but anyways when the Byzantines own that other 40 percent it does make treaties possible, but if your the only horde on the map it is hard to get an alliance

[Cazbol]

Last night my emperor's influence shot up from 5 to 9 in one turn. The only thing I can atribute this to is the fact that the Spanish king was slain while trying to take one of my provinces. I did not gain any land, a Spanish prince was captured and not ransomed back, 1 or 2 sieges may have come to a patient conclusion and I think I won two small naval battles. I'm therefore wondering if one perhaps can increase influence by assassinating kings. Anyone?

[The_Emperor]

For me the most important effect of influence is Loyalty. High influence gives a high loyalty in your empire, your people will love you and your Generals will have a higher loyalty rating.

As has been said above, It does provide some very good Princes but that isn't as important to me as keeping my commanders loyal and powerful.

The loss of influence due to a failed Crusade or Jihad can be enough to destroy an Empire with Civil War.

Quote[/b] ]Last night my emperor's influence shot up from 5 to 9 in one turn. The only thing I can atribute this to is the fact that the Spanish king was slain while trying to take one of my provinces. I did not gain any land, a Spanish prince was captured and not ransomed back, 1 or 2 sieges may have come to a patient conclusion and I think I won two small naval battles. I'm therefore wondering if one perhaps can increase influence by assassinating kings. Anyone?

I once had my influence go up just because someone came and offered me an Alliance. From what I can gather many things effect influnce, victories in defending or attacking, killing a famous commander or a King... or even getting the big guys to make an alliance with you.

However the most efficient way to raise influence remains through Holy War and General Conquest

[Tiwaz]

I noticed, while playing with Egyptians in early, that my influence went up one or two after succesful campaigns againt Turks and Byzantine. I don't think I even had defeated Byz at the point.