Wats with the Pope?

[Smileyforall220]

I just was playing a round as Scotland and was proceeding to take over England. I was winning and England had only 2 Towns left when they amassed a giant army. The pope told us to cease hostilities immediatly so I agreed. Well guess what happens next...the English attack my town! The Pope seems unconcerned even as one of my armies comes under attack... Well naturally I attack back, and am excommunicated. England, however, is still in good standings with the Pope! Needless to say I wiped out the English, and had my cardinal become the Pope, but that was just insane. Anyone else had experiences like this with the Pope?

[Viva Espana!]

Same exact thing happened to me. Heh. Except I was England and the aggressor was France. The Pope calls a Crusade... France joins the Crusade. But instead of going to the Middle East, they screw around in the Normandy/Caen region and then attack my city! Sure, there's the whole bit about demoralized troops disbanding, but they still had a large enough army to pose a serious threat. I send a revealing force to defend the city and I get a pop up saying something along the lines of, "Attacking a Crusading army will result in Excommunication." But I'm defending myself! So I manage to slaughter the French army and execute their general and get excommunicated... Damn the Papacy!

This experience was very different from my Spanish Campaign where my Cardinals have been Popes for the last 400 years.

[King Oz]

The cease hostilites mission is about not making hostile acts for the period of time the mission lasts. Also the mission doesnt usually come asap when you have attacked some country so you should have just waited for the English to get it. And it is better to wait for the enemy to attack instead of attacking yourself or you will always end up like that. I have learned this in my previous games even though I havent been excommunicated yet, but it has been near several times.

[Smileyforall220]

I would have let them attack but they were too darn nice. Our factions had insane amounts of happiness, but I just wanted to conquer them. Also the fact that their military power was pitiful, they wouldn't have attacked me.

[General_Genocide]

Here's what I have found out about the Pope.

The Pope loves peace between the catholic factions. If you don't wage war against any catholic faction your reputation with him will be high(as some factions this is impossible). He will attempt to stop you from destroying a catholic faction unless that faction is excommunicated. An excommunicated faction in the Popes eyes is like a muslim faction. He will not care that you wage war against them and wipe them out.

If the English continually attack you they can be excommunicated. The pope is never one sided unless your reputation with him is very low.

Also if your reputation with the Pope is high enough you will not be excommunicated - you'll only suffer a reputation loss which can easily be bought back.

[Renco]

...The Pope loves peace between the catholic factions. If you don't wage war against any catholic faction your reputation with him will be high(as some factions this is impossible). He will attempt to stop you from destroying a catholic faction unless that faction is excommunicated. An excommunicated faction in the Popes eyes is like a muslim faction. He will not care that you wage war against them and wipe them out....

Not necessarily. I've always found that popes with violent traits are just about as vindictive as the Old Testament god himself! I think this is the whole violence/purity thing. Just put priests and cardinals into your army and proceed to avenge any and all insults. Pope might be a tad pissed, but he'll die soon anyway. Also, purging lands of heresy make priests champion of heresy or something, giving 3+ violence. So either keep them preaching to the soldiers or killing heretics. When they become the pope and someone attacks you, He'll definatley support you. Higher chance of crusades, higher chance of excomm (for them). Just need to control the Pope, make sure he lusts for the blood of the enemies of Christendom!

[Kahn]

Do you think maybe if you had priests in your army while on a crusade, they might have fewer troops go A.W.O.L.?

Just a thought.

[General_Genocide]

Do you think maybe if you had priests in your army while on a crusade, they might have fewer troops go A.W.O.L.?

Just a thought.

Priests slow down the movement of your crusading armies since they do not get the movement bonus and actually cause you to lose more troops faster!

It was a terrible experience that I found out when I was trying to relocate England to Egypt.

[Drag529]

when i play as England i take the rebels town first than i build up an army to wipe out the Enlish before the pope even has time to tell me to stop....lol
but then again i was being such a good boy doing all the popes missions he probly didnt belive that i was attacking them....and when it came time to attack the French they were already excommunicated, so it made my job alot easier...espicaly when i can call crusades agaisnt them, just for the hell of it

[Bluice]

England may have had better crosses (in the Pope screen) under their faction therefore the Popes likes them more irrespective of their attack on you, it may have gone down from their attack but not enough to warrant favour on your side compared to theirs.