Christian vikings

[Sir Price]

Hey all, I tried Medieval: Total War at my littlebrothers, then went out and got the Battle Collection a few days later, which is about a month ago today.
I'm currently finishing my second campaign as the vikings, this time on expert, and was just wondering, does anyone ever let their viking hordes get converted to christianity? I always assassinate any bishops and such, to keep my warriors pagan, just because I don't like anyone telling me who or what to believe in. Also, the raiding is how i keep my warchest full, and the 'no need for ports' and raid destruction bonus are a great help.

On a similar note, is it possible, in the original game, to convert other factions to your religion, if you send in enough religious agents? I'm running a campaign with Spain (early, hard), and was wondering if my inquisitors might have other uses than burning infidels (or questionable believers)?

Thx, Sir Price.

[Ludens]

No, I don't allow my Vikings to become civilized. Why should I?

Apart from the Vikings, it is not possible to convert other factions. But since it can be done with the Vikings, it must possible to mod it in someway.

[Sjakihata]

I think the way to do it, is simply, if you play as a catholic faction, send in enough religious agents into muslim provinces untill they start a religious rebellion. Then you can move in and help them hold the province.

[ah_dut]

welcome to the Org Sir Price, sorry to correct you but you can't really burn infidels with the Inq squaddies. you use tyhem as religious assasains and kill other christians and raise zeal in various places, that's what they're for

[katank]

they can still torch the populace and lower income in noncatholic provinces though.

[Colovion]

when in VI as Vikings I tend to finish the game before I ever get converted.

[Sir Price]

Thanks all, and thank you for clearing up the inquisitor-thing ah_dut, haven't really used them that much, though i probably should, since no-one expects the Spanish Inquisition (gotta love that Monty Python sketch ).

I considered converting at one point, but since there really is no reason, other than the historical realism thing, I didn't bother. Maybe if the game had some bonus for being Christian... I mean, since the game allows for converting, it seems something is missing, maybe some trade bonus/other factions more likely to ally/new units/whatever.

And oh yeah, thanks for the welcome, I am new here, though i have checked the Org regularly ever since I first tried the game. Looking forward to participating instead of just spectating.

[massamuusi]

Since it's impossible to maintain historical realism through your campaign, there really is no reason why you should try to follow the historical things.
It's relatively easy to keep the provinces pagan, even spread paganism to england, just do a good job looting abbeys and churches, and at same time establish those pagan sanctuary things.

[katank]

yep, you don't need alliances.

every decade or two, you can do an abbey tour an destroy all the abbeys in england.

after that's done, pull back and autoceasefire so you can trade again and rinse repeat.

pagan shrine everywhere is also a viable and very good strategy.

[Al Khalifah]

Quote[/b] ]On a similar note, is it possible, in the original game, to convert other factions to your religion, if you send in enough religious agents? I'm running a campaign with Spain (early, hard), and was wondering if my inquisitors might have other uses than burning infidels (or questionable believers)?

I would like the idea of being able to do this in the original game, but in a historical context (with the exception of the Vikings) it just didn't really happen. The Catholic nations of western Europe were extremely unlikely to embrace any other religion because of the wrath they would face from the Papacy and other Catholic nations.
While areas and regions could and did change religion in the period, the nations themselves tended to remain constant until the Protestant reforms later on. This is because the only real methods that could be used to convert populations were to slowly (or forcefully) integrate the indigenous population with your own which would gradually wear down their culture. The other method (preferred in Iberia) was to declare your religion the correct one and kick out or burn anyone who didn't share your beliefs. It wasn't subtle but it worked. Both these methods would require military conquest of the region by a seperate faction which a different religion.

Basically, nations only really tend to change their religion when their culture has been worn to such an extent that they should to maintain hegemony or when there would be a significant profit to the rulers of the nation in doings so. For example, The Crown was bankrupt in England until Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries.

[Sir Price]

I know it's easy to keep the vikings pagan, and even though historical realism is hard to obtain, and the only reason for it is fun, it seems a good enough reason to me


Also, if you send in your religious agents, I assume they spread the word, so to speak. I guess that makes it easier for one self, when/if you decide to conquer the province, as part of the population already have the same beliefs, but are there other effects?

[Al Khalifah]

I always thought the British factions couldn't conquer Scandinavia in VI. I could be wrong as I never really played much of the Viking campaign but I swear when I won as the Scots I didn't have to take the Viking homeland. I don't think the British factions have ships that can cross deep sea.

In general if you send religous agents into an opponent's province who is of a different religion you can cause a religous uprising of the population if the province becomes majorly your religion. And yes, its a great way to prepare for an invasion so that this doesn't happen to you