Princesses in Diplomacy

[Sokar Rostau]

I remember seeing a thread about Diplomats doing their Diplomacy animation with nothing happening. IIRC the reason was that they were trying to Bribe the settlement and that it is an indication that the faction doing it will soon attack you.

What about Princesses?

In my Venice campaign, Sicily and the Papal States have been my staunchest allies, we have had an unbroken alliance for 175 turns. The three of us are currently at war with Turkey, Venice and Sicily are at war with both Spain and Portugal and Papal States somehow got involved in my war with Egypt. Basically, with the exception of my wars with France and Byzantium, if I'm at war with someone one or both of these allies is also at war with them.

The worrying thing is that a Sicilian Princess has been doing her Diplomatic thing on one of my settlements for about 20 turns. Is she trying to court a husband or is this an indication that the Sicilians will soon break our long-standing, and very beneficial, alliance while they are trying to survive a bloody, and drawn out, war in Iberia with Spain and Portugal?

[pwijnands]

She's not trying to court a husband as that always leads to the princess disappearing off the map (and either turning the general to her faction or she joining his).
I'm not 100% sure on wether or not they are attempting a bribe either. If you get a diplomat to her and make any deal (attack a faction for money for example), they usually go away. Maybe they are trying to initiate diplomacy but don't have anything to ask (the computer's equivalent of closing the diplomacy scroll).

[N3rull]

Princesses can't Bribe.
Marriage attempts always pop up an info window, regardless of whether they are successful or failed.

I strongly believe that such diplomacy attempts without effect are such that the AI tries to enter diplomacy, but is unable to make an offer because the game mechanics say to it that its proposal is 'very demanding'. As we withdraw from entering diplomacy when our target sees our offer unacceptable ('very demanding'), I think the AI as well. They just want something but they don't have the means.
I think.

[johnhughthom]

Princesses can't Bribe.
Marriage attempts always pop up an info window, regardless of whether they are successful or failed.

I strongly believe that such diplomacy attempts without effect are such that the AI tries to enter diplomacy, but is unable to make an offer because the game mechanics say to it that its proposal is 'very demanding'. As we withdraw from entering diplomacy when our target sees our offer unacceptable ('very demanding'), I think the AI as well. They just want something but they don't have the means.
I think.

That's probably what it is, I have always thought (since RTW) that the diplomacy animation meant they were trying to bribe a settlement, but the "very demanding" thing seems likely.

[Sokar Rostau]

When I asked if she was trying to find a husband I meant it in the same way that it sometimes happened in MTW where factions had no unmarried men left. The Doge is getting elderly and doesn't seem to be as virile as he once was.

So I don't need to worry about Sicily stabbing me in the back?

[pwijnands]

Well anyone can stab you in the back in this game. You can prevent it by keeping good relations and a good reputation, followed by adequate (but not too adequate) garrisons in neighbouring provinces.
If an AI faction sees an easy target they will be inclined to take it and if you are allies and you are vastly superior (in production and military strength) they will expect an invasion if you have a strong military presence in neighbouring regions. I have the same issue with one of my allies in a Rome game, they aren't attacking other settlements and fill their cities with lots of troops in preparation of defense.

[UhOhIt'sAnArrow]

She could possibly be trying to A: Bribe your nation, or B: trying to steal one of your generals. Since it takes incredibly high diplomacy or whatever it's called for princesses to steal a general, she probably won't succeed in that unless its a new general and shes pretty damn fine. Damn fine. But yeah princesses just act mostly the same way as a diplomat but two things.

They won't die to an asssassin as easy, and they can charm other people. Have fun.

[pwijnands]

Bribing seems unlikely to me as well. I've never had anything bribed and have never been able to bribe anything.

[Sokar Rostau]

I've had a number of Generals and Captains bribed, but it doesn't seem to work properly. I once had a Spanish Diplomat bribe the General garrisoning Marseilles. I got a message to the effect that "one of our Generals has betrayed us and now serves our enemy!", thing is though, the settlement went Rebel, not Spanish. I've had the same thing happen three or four other times with Diplomats walking up to an army in the field, doing their Diplomacy animation and then getting the same message, but they always go Rebel, not the Faction that bribed them. These aren't the same as when a Captain, for example, decides to go Rebel (I've had more than my fair share of that as well), there's always been a Diplomat involved.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Bribery is a very expensive business. The thread I read on the subject had a few people complaining that it costs over 5000 Florins to bribe an army of a few Peasants and Militia.