Advice needed: My Sultan is forced into being lazy!

[Vlad The Impala]

Hey there! I could really use your help, or at least some hints, tips or info!

Summary of the situation:
I'm playing vanilla, un-modded MTW with the Turks. The year is somewhere in the 1185-1990 area, I'm not exactly sure. I blitzed Egypt at the very start of the game, then attacked Constantinople/the Byzantines, and later the Almohads as well. I now control Spain and North-Africa entirely, the entire Middle-East, and everything up to Georgia and Serbia/Hungary in the East.

I'm still at war with Byzantium, and every Catholic faction that feels the need to launch a Crusade in my general direction. I've conquered Spain (which is my most recent conquest as well) roughly 20 years ago. I have a 100-man garrison everywhere, I've built border forts and town watches everywhere and loyalty is near 200% in most provinces, but certainly over 170%. My Sultan has the 'Magnificent Builder' and 'Great Steward' virtues, which both increase happiness in all provinces, and has either 6 or 7 points of influence (about two less than his dad, who died a few years ago). He is sitting in Serbia, doing nothing, and all is well.

But then! I invade Croatia, which is controlled by the Italians, (who first broke our century-old alliance and then launched a crusade at me, the bastards!), with a large army, which includes my Sultan. And immediately everything goes to hell! I get Almohad re-emergences in the entirety of Spain AND most of North Africa (10 provinces total, I believe), and even peasant uprisings in Egypt and Sinai, even though I've controlled those regions for more than a hundred years. What's going on here? I know you can get re-emergences when loyalty drops below 120%, but my loyalty is far, far above that. I can't imagine that sending your faction leader into combat, and winning, causes your entire population to go mad.

So, what's going on here? What's causing this ruckus? Is there anything I can do about it, or am I supposed to leave my Sultan in some backwater province where he cannot gain any command stars or influence? That would be surely disappointing, so I hope that's not the case. So, if you have any useful insights, I'd be more than happy if you're willing to share them with me!

Cheers, Vlad

(Sorry about the long read, too)

[Ironside]

I can't imagine that sending your faction leader into combat, and winning, causes your entire population to go mad.

Start imagening.

By some reason (bug probably) attacking with the king makes "the distance to the king" to it's maximum value (think trapped on Ireland without a port) during that turn, so if you have a larger emipre everything will rebel.

It's sneaky too as the loyalty is restored on the next turn so you won't see anything loyalty-wise. Doesn't happen when the king is defending though.


As for command stars and influence. Get the command stars with the princes and influence is always gotten, no matter if the king leads or not.
And as max influence generally give exellent hiers you'll get an 8-star king easily, even if the royal family haven't seen combat for 200 years.

[Vlad The Impala]

Excellent, thanks for the fast and accurate response!

I was thinking that I would have to lower taxes in all my provinces, or that I would only be able to use my Sultan in action somewhere near the provinces I recently conquered, or things like that.

I'll just have to let the princes do the dirty work, and let the Sultan do the Grand Opening of shopping malls in Rum instead. o_O

[Geezer57]

How well-connected is your empire with ships? Your Sultan's influence is far less effective if it has to be exerted exclusively overland. Use the"V" key to turn sea areas under your control green.

[Vlad The Impala]

For some reason that doesn't work for me. o_O

My provinces do turn green when I press shift, but the seas don't. Also, if I remember correctly, most of the sea regions seem to be 'neutral', even though I'm the only nation with ships in them. I am the only naval power on the map though, I can also move my regular troops around over sea as much as I want.

[Peasant Phill]

Use the"V" key to turn sea areas under your control green.

press v

[Vlad The Impala]

Doh, I forgot to add the 'v' part to my previous post, I am well aware that the the shift-key doesn't work for naval regions! >_<

[bretwalda]

Doh, I forgot to add the 'v' part to my previous post, I am well aware that the the shift-key doesn't work for naval regions! >_<

I think 'v' key is implemented in one of the patches or - if you are unlucky - then in VI exp. pack.