Lending a helping hand

[chil]

If you enter into a battle between two other factions, does anyone know whether it will actually improve your standing with the one you're helping (in terms of promoting an alliance or ceasefire)? I'm trying to get some ceasefires as my trade income is suffering drastically.

But nobody likes me...

[Procrustes]

If you have an alliance with one combatant then you are "coming to their aid". I don't think it buys you any points with them - in fact, if they don't border you (I mean, you used a fleet to get there) then your "ally" will ransom back your remaining troops afterwards. However, it will by you one influence star for your king, and that may help you get more alliances. If you don't have an alliance with either faction then I believe you are simply picking a fight with both of them at once.

[Don Corleone]

I think you're right. In fact, I'm pretty sure of it. One time, not too long ago, I was playing as the Turks. The Byzantines decided to allow a HUGE French crusade through. BUT... the Byz decided to tag along, without signing an alliance. Now, I was seriously outnumbered...Either the Byz army, or the French could have taken me out (at great cost, I had an awesome position at the top of a hill, which was my tought on the matter, I was going to inflict heavy losses & run). Well, turns out I didn't have to, because they hadn't allied before they mutually attacked me, they entered right next to each other and proceeded to do me the favor of softening each other up.

It was an incredibly costly battle, but I destroyed the crusade and caused a civil war in France. The Byz had 'bet it all on red' on that one... since I decided not to ransom their army back, they had nothing. It was a cakewalk after that.

[Procrustes]

Wild - I would have liked to have seen that.

I'm playing an Italian campaign now. I made friends with Argon and HRE, but France (as usual) turned into an 800lb gorilla and started attacking everyone. Once when France invades Argon with their royal prince I send an army by sea to help my besieged ally. I kick the French out, then have to pay as much in ransom to the King of Argon as I got from the French just to get my troops back. Later on I twice kick the French out of Burgundy when they attack the HRE there. Doesn't matter - a little while later when I end up at war with Sicily the HRE attacks Genoa and Argon drops their alliance with me. After that I decided no more Senor Nice Guy - now the HRE is relegated to one lone province (I may take that, too), the Pope sits with about a hundred measly spearmen in the Papal States, and I've cut the massive French empire into three pieces. When I'm done with Europe I'm going to take on the Turks, who have eliminated Egypt and almost done away with Byzantium.

[macsen rufus]

The best 3-way fun I had was a river battle, and the HRE (who I was invading) had suddenly plunged into civil war, so there were the HRE and rebel armies on the opposite shore, in a huge melee, and my artillery flattening the whole lot from across the river. I only had to send one cav unit across the bridge to mop up