I admit I'm intrigued by the possiblity of being assigned missions by other factions, and especially by specific people within a faction. On paper at least, it sounds like this feature could add a nice level of complexity and depth that I wouldn't have expected the game to possess.

And I second Dutch Guy: Let's hear it for civil wars and coordinated "Rebels"! I still really wish this had been a feature that could've been added to the original Medieval.