just got finished playin a few test games...all early. it seems the french are consistently strong. it looks like they are the first to get a crusade on the road and it definitely helps in their quest for world domination. as a result it appears as if other factions (~4-6) get wiped out in the early going. i know its impossible to maintain some sort of balance, but it would be nice to play through the ages against more than a couple of superpowers. to that effect i think it might be beneficial if the consequences of ex-communication are upped. historically the pope/RCC was a large influence, but this does not translate that well in the game. i have seen the papacy conquered in almost every game by the sicilians, while other factions ignore excommunication. is it possible to up the dissent penalty for excomm? or other possibilities.
Cheers,

TBB