Here's some story about how my campaign with the Danes is progressing (VH/VH) with respect to the diplomacy/foreign relations part.
I started out with taking Hamburg, Stettin and later on Magdebrug. These were still Rebels.. In between I took Stockholm and Oslo, so a nice pretty little empire. I even got a meesage once at that time I was the strongest faction, to give an idea about my progression regarding to the AI nations. Now, taking Magdeburg was technically in Rebels hands, but right when I wanted to take it, the Polish were lying Siege to it. The Pope ordered it, and I was in the mood, ánd it was a logical addition to my empire, so I attacked the Polish, which retreated without fighting(they were in low numbers, attacking the town would have been tricky at best for them), I took the town and the Polish backed off.
That was my start of hostilities with the outside world save for Rebels. Now, Poland and I didnt really clash for a couple of turns later. I wasn't interested in fighting them yet, and nor were they, since they lacked the forces to confront me (there were no large armies of them in the field, while I was walking around with half a stack).
Now, later on there followed occaisional battles, including twice the order to blockade Thorn, and I took Breslau, but IIRC, this also was still Rebel. Somwhere in this, I also get the order from the Pope not to battle with the Poles, for five turns. I honor this, save for a blockade still in progress. No consequences AFAIK came from this. Somehow, I grew stronger and stronger in relation to Poland, and this is then reflected in Poland offering a ceasefire. I barter, and succeed in getting Thorn through Diplomacy, this settling the ceasefire.
In the meantime, Poland allies with the HRE, and I end up in a war with Poland again, and the HRE attacks me aswell. I manage to fend off their attacks, and defeat both HRE and the Poles in two major battles, depriving them of a stack each. The HRE offer a ceasefire (got some money!), and the Pope asks me to refrain from attacking them aswell, at about the same time.
Oh yes, somehwere in the mean time, I take Antioch on a crusade the Pope ordered and standings improved with the Papacy. And off course, one or two of my diplomats are travelling the world selling trade rights and maps, giving a modest though occasional boost to my treasury.
Now, one could ask, what is your point?
Well, seeing the above, the diplomacy/relations in my campaign till thusfar are pretty normal, convicingly realistic even. The only thing is that I never could ask for a ceasefire myself, which seems to be the biggest complaint on diplomacy, along with 'suicide attacks'. Indeed, I too wasn't able to get a ceasefire from the HRE, but it would not have been realistic per se, since they had an equal or bigger militairy might then me.
Regarding the suicide attacks, I don't see them. Poland attacked me when allied to HRE. Both HRE and Poland offered ceasefire when the tables turned on them. Sometimes I do see a small stack besieging a lower stacked city, but not often. Maybe the HRE and Poland only decided to offer peace because they had other losses besides the one I inflicted on them, but that is unknown to me, and does not change the point.
I'm curious to see what happens if I grow bigger. If people still offer ceasefires when I get Bullier. Till thusfar though, nothing wrong with the diplomacy front in my campaign..
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