Quote Originally Posted by Matty
I've just come back to the game too and tried the GA mode - much better to avoid all those rebelling provinces just when you thought you had the whole world under control. I'm currently the Italians at 1210, and very, very rich. Lots of points on crusades, but I was wondering how long you have to hold them for - I got pushed out by rebelling Egyptians and got a message that due to the zeal of the people a new crusade marker was placed at the starting point. I can't recall whether I lost the GA pionts when I lost the province. I also got shunted out of Palestine (captured in 1205, just under the bar) by a Spanish crusade (I yielded as I didn't think it proper that 2 crusaders should fight over the same territory) - still ended up at war with the Spanish over it though...
You need to be holding the province in 1204 when it switches to high. You get the points the minute you conquer it but lose them if you lose the territory before the clock rolls over. Then you have to conquer it again in time to get them back.

I also love GA. I hate the endless expansion against ever less impressive enemies and with ever more rebellions and pathetic governors. Much more fun to develop your own nation with only limited expansion and let others build up at the same time. You spend a lot more time on the campaign map than in battles, but get to use some fun late units and fight some actually built up enemies.