Quote Originally Posted by mad cat mech
it shouldnt matter unless you have a lot of catholic subjects and of course the pope may call a crusade. i think the two christian religions were in a state of schism during the middle ages so byzantines shouldnt be able to be excommunicated.
This is something the game doesn't reflect very well. In fact, during this period, both Orthodox and Roman churches considered themselves 'Catholic': the Christian faith was universal (that's what Catholic means) and indivisible. Several Popes and Byzantine Emperors worked to reunite the two churches, which had been divided over doctrinal and hierarchical issues.

Things came to a head around the time M2TW starts, when two Papal legates visited Byzantium, got into a huge row and proceeded to excommunicate their hosts (something their official capacity didn't entitle them to do). The Byzantine Patriarch (who was as idiotic and stubborn as the legates) went an excommunicated them right back. And the denominations have been in Schism ever since - both still to be part of the same Catholic church but completely divided theologically, liturgically and culturally.

The point is that excommunication only operates on a personal level (whole countries don't get excommunicated, they get put under Interdict) and that the official sanctions on both sides should have lapsed with the death of the excommunicates. As a result, even during Schism, both sides could and did work toward reconciliation. This is something that the game could have reflected.

The situation could have been made far more accurate and interesting in the game by including the Byzantines on the Pope-o-meter and giving them the choice of Catholic or Orthodox church buildings. They'd start with abysmal Papal relations and excommunicate. Playing as Byzantine Emperor, you'd have the choice to 'go Catholic'.

If you did, until you managed significant conversions, this would cause huge problems with unrest but, on the other hand, your relations with the Pope would be outstanding and other factions would be in real trouble for attacking you. If you didn't, you'd face all the usual sanctions for excommunicate factions but you'd have a happier populace.

This would be accurate and would make the faction far more interesting to play and to play against. Bit late now, of course.