Reputation Q

[lonck]

How can I increase my rep? I play through a game where I never declare war and I occasionally give settlements as gifts to others by my rep always stays mixed.
Also, if I attack a faction which is at war with my ally do I lose rep? If I do lose rep, is there a way to declare war w/o loosing rep?

[Flavius Merobaudes]

Hello lonck!

First of all, which difficulty are you playing with? There is a modifier to decrease your reputation on hard and very hard. Same thing the other way round on easy.

Things to do for high rep are obviously:
- keep good relations with the pope
- chose alliances carefully so you don't have to break them, e.g. it doesn't help to ally with Venice AND Byzantium
- behave chivalric, never exterminate nor kill prisoners
- don't just cancel alliances or trade agreements, make it a diplomatic offer with some cash for the other party in exchange

The last point is very important, never break any agreements.
You can give the AI factions some money as a present to improve your relationship.

[Daveybaby]

Never use spies or assassins (you can use spies to scout areas, but dont perform actual spy operations on characters, armies or cities)

When capturing a city/castle, never exterminate or sack.

Always release prisoners.

[FactionHeir]

Never use spies or assassins (you can use spies to scout areas, but dont perform actual spy operations on characters, armies or cities)

Wrong. The rest of your post is correct though.

Staying allied, not at war, occupy/release, not breaking treaties, getting treaties all help.

[Flavius Merobaudes]

One more thing, because you might do that: If you gave a settlement to another faction, you mustn't ever take it back, or you'll get a huge reputation hit. Even if they attacked you first! However, I don't know how this works if it was taken by a third faction in the meantime. Anybody knows that?

[Old Geezer]

I just retook a city which I had given to the Pope and he had lost to rebellion. I took a huge hit in Papal favor which I took to be some sort of wrap-around bug (where your rep gets over the top and goes negative) but I did not notice if it affected my diplomacy rep (which was so low that I doubt that it did). I reloaded and waited a turn more to give it to him and everything worked out OK with my rep with the Pope being perfect. It did not help my diplomatic rep in the least apparently.
Does taking back a province which you have previously given away when you do so on a crusade still cause the diplomatic penalty?
Once you get to the low end of the diplomatic rep you are apparently stuck there for several hundred years no matter what you do because no one will trust you to form a new alliance or trade that will improve your rep.

[lonck]

medium/medium difficulties. And I amlost always play byz so pope favor isn't important. I always execute prisoners and always occupy settlement. I often take settlements I gave as gift but always give them back as a gift. I never really ally with anybody. K thnx guys I'll try the tips next time I start a new game.

[Jason X]

hi lonke

see this thread for more info

[Daveybaby]

Wrong. The rest of your post is correct though.

Are you sure? I'm pretty sure your leader gets traits with reputation penalties if you spy/assassinate.

[FactionHeir]

Are you sure? I'm pretty sure your leader gets traits with reputation penalties if you spy/assassinate.

Nope, not in unmodded M2TW.

[WhiskeyGhost]

You get Dread/Authority traits from it =)

[Daveybaby]

Doh! Youre right.

Still, seems counterintuitive to me that you can go around assassination your allies left right and centre and not take a reputation hit.

[Jason X]

do relations with a given faction go down if they catch an assassin or spy?

that would have an indirect effect on rep, no?

[WhiskeyGhost]

do relations with a given faction go down if they catch an assassin or spy?

that would have an indirect effect on rep, no?

I've had the AI declare war just about every time i try to assassinate a family member (not just a general, i'm talking Prince/King, not sure if the other members count). That in turn would lower rep via the war and "Abysmal" relations you'll soon end up with

[MerlinusCDXX]

This was in Broken Crescent, but vanilla is probably similar;

I attempted to assasinate a merchant from one of my vassals. the attempt failed and the vassal broke the vassal agreement. also, relations took a nosedive (from outstanding to very poor in 1 turn), so don't assasinate your vassals' agents if you want to keep your vassal.

[Yoyoma1910]

Unlike the Merchant, which is considered just buisiness as usual, assassination attempts are considered acts of war. Also, failing spying missions can lower your relations with another faction as it is also considered an act of agression, albeit less serious.

There is also a chance each time that you spy that you will lower your chivalry traits. Goodby king Louis the Honourable, hello King Louis the Watcher.

As a spy heavy ruler, you can still maintian very reliable or trustworthy status.

[Jedi Bruno]

Having a dreaded because of spying like William the Conqueror, affects your reputation?
Do authority influence reputation or just loyality?

[ezoons]

This was in Broken Crescent, but vanilla is probably similar;

I attempted to assasinate a merchant from one of my vassals. the attempt failed and the vassal broke the vassal agreement. also, relations took a nosedive (from outstanding to very poor in 1 turn), so don't assasinate your vassals' agents if you want to keep your vassal.

Why would you want to assassinate a merchant? Especially if he belongs to your vassal?

[Ramses II CP]

The system is a little different in BC, merchants have lower odds of taking over each other's business while assassins have a much easier time knocking off high experience merchants, so you end up using assassins to clear the top enemy merchants off valuable goods.

The same thing happened to me when I was allied to the Ghorids.

[Yoyoma1910]

Having a dreaded because of spying like William the Conqueror, affects your reputation?

No, but undertaking acts of war against another faction, either by troop or agent, might depending on the situation.




Also, continually entering into Treaties that are going to be broken, even if not by you, will drop you like a rock. For instance, Let's say Venice has Durazzo, and Sicily wants it. Both of them are your allies, so you choose to stick with Venice. But then really with Sicily to halt their attack on Venice. Then Sicily attacks again, so you do the same thing. And again. After a few times you'll notice your rep slipping.

Do authority influence reputation or just loyality?

I do not believe so. Otherwise your reputation would fluctuate based on ruler ship and not diplomacy. Though, it might, though not that I've noticed.

As a side point, I've always been a little curious why the Faction Heir gets an Authority boost.

[Mek Simmur al Ragaski]

To increase my reputation i usually dont backstab allies and get my chivalry up and do all the popes commands, it keeps me happy, him happy, and those darn egyptians unhappy, is there a downside?