Being a Good Christian Nation (Reputation)

[Quickening]

Apologies for so many topics of late (not that this place is busy), but Ive been away for a few months and there are a few things Ive been trying out in the interum.

Ive noticed a lot of people mention how their Kingdoms have a reputation that is "trustworthy", Ive never ever managed to get this no matter how nice I am. At best I get "Mixed". Is there some secret to this?

In my next campaign either as the HRE or France Im going to try and be the perfect Catholic nation. I may sin by accident of course (a general getting Winning First for example) but I will always do my best to atone.
The trouble is, how can you win the game being the perfect Catholic nation when you will have to go to war with another Catholic country at some time or another. I suppose you could have them excommunicated but considering that you have only 225 turns (or so) this might be quite a struggle.

So has anyone got any advice for being the most Catholic and Chivalrous empire on earth?

[Ferret]

If they declare war on you then your reputation will not change at all.

[Quickening]

If they declare war on you then your reputation will not change at all.

But if I attack them it will won't it?

[Quillan]

I started my first 1.2 campaign a few days ago, and I found that the things that improved reputation in version 1.1 make a much larger difference in 1.2. Basically, occupying cities, releasing prisoners, and maintaining diplomatic agreements raising your reputation, while sacking or exterminating cities, executing prisoners and breaking alliances lowers it. I started an English campaign playing at 2 turns per year, and by the time I got to the year 1100 AD I'd hit Very Reliable. This is just from taking York, Caernarvon, Rennes, Bruges, and Antwerp. I occupied all of them, made alliances with France, HRE, and Denmark (the latter two by marriage). There might be other things that affect it, but those were the major hits. Attacking someone with a good reputation used to adversely affect yours, but not by a lot.

[Grog]

I managed immaculate in my current HRE game by turn 112:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This was achieved by playing to a chivalrous set of houserules, and by planning and maintaining long term alliances

So I'll always occupy a settlement (yes, including rebels), release all prisoners from all battles (incl. horde).

For battles, I will balance my army against the enemy. Even if I arrive with more, I will split off 'enough' troops to win the battle. I also play 95% of battles (only AR militia vs weak rebels). I always end the battle when the screen comes up.

On the strategic side: I allied with pope end of turn 2 (his diplomat came to bologna in ai moves). I then called a crusade on antioch turn 3, and sent my faction heir on the way. My first diplomat secured marriage alliance with france (turn5) whilst I was blitzing all nearby rebels. Always give and receive military access with your allies btw.

By turn 15 I had occupied antioch, was sieging rebel aleppo. My priority now was shortest path to cathedral in antioch, then pump priests like crazy to convert all the holylands proir to occupation. I hit reliable rep around now.

Second crusade I ran to rebel vilinus, then bought Thorn from the poles. This built a nice buffer between poland and denmark, allowing me to ally danes and keep them busy fighting scots/england. I also let venice get excommed against me at this time so I could grab a few provinces from them.

After a bit of pruning and funding wars between hungary/poles I allied hungary. I had been keeping france and milan in an on and off war as well, marseille changed hands 3-4 times in this period, seemingly on whim of the HRE treasury

First papal election went my way at turn 45, mainly due to conversion work in the middle east. Trustworthy rep by turn 51. College of cardinals was fully dominated by turn 60 or so.

I then relocated the papal states to yerevan/tbsili/edessa in the way of the horde so I could destroy them on the popes doorstep for extra brownie points.

Mongol wars first engagement was mid turn70's in Yerevan. Hit V.trustworthy at turn81. Immaculate at 112. Mongol faction destroyed turn 116 (immaculate held).

I dropped back to V trustworthy in the late 120's after my 4 spies and priest horde tipped turkish constantinople in front of 4 crusade stacks (my crusade stack took it next turn).

I'm currently riding the plague on early turn 140, fully tecched up and waiting for the timurids to get back to immaculate on

[DVX BELLORVM]

Grog, what difficulty level are you playing on? How did you manage to keep peace with your neighbors?

I'm also playing with the HRE (hard/very hard), and by the turn 120 my reputation is Very reliable. It was Trustworthy once, but after my allies went to war against each other on two occasions, my rep dropped to Reliable. It improved later.

Like you, I'm playing a chivalrous game, always occupying settlements and releasing the prisoners (sometimes I ransom). I have 4 long time allies (with military access), but am in war with 5 factions.