Abandon the Cross!!!!

**Titus Livius** · June 14, 2008, 11:27 PM

So i am on crusades and i have realized that the turks which have jerusalem are too powerful and that constantinople is weak. So i want to attack the Byzantine capital and from there pump out troops to destroy the turks

So how do i stop my crusade from deserting. i noticed the button which allows you to drop out of the crusade but will all my army desert the next turn? Will the pope become displeased with me or will nothing happen.
Also, can i rejoin the crusade once i have abandoned it?

**YD23** · June 15, 2008, 12:12 AM

Well, having a great general with high loyalty, authority, command would be a good start. I think, if you abandon, it will definitely have a worse effect than desertion.

Honestly, I don't really do any crusades, because I pick faction that are way too far from all the action, or they are orthodox. So I would wait for someone with, eh, more experience. The could tell you more information about those things.

**roy34543** · June 15, 2008, 12:15 AM

Well you have the original 8 men you joined with i think, They will almost always desert if you quit. Then you have anything else then that which you can garrison in a town and will be fine. (or is it that the 8 men you can have are interchangable? im not sure)

**TemplarLord** · June 15, 2008, 02:46 AM

Abandon a Crusade in the name of God?!?! Burn the Heretic!!!

**-Aquila-** · June 15, 2008, 03:32 AM

if you abandon the crusader, next turn you will get a message saying you should rejoin otherwise yuor men will desert. So to answer you question, yes they will desert.

Which is rather logical, if you join a crusader in the name of God and then your general decides not to go ahead with it, wouldn't you be a bit pissed off with him wasting years of your life!

**Militia Cavalry** · June 15, 2008, 03:33 AM

Capture a random city, or go into one of your own. Move the general out of it, recruit some random mercs. Then go off the crusade- with any luck it should mean the troops in the city stay.

**Lynn** · June 16, 2008, 12:57 AM

Originally Posted by Militia Cavalry

Capture a random city, or go into one of your own. Move the general out of it, recruit some random mercs. Then go off the crusade- with any luck it should mean the troops in the city stay.

I employed almost the same strategy to get rid of the holy burden. The difference is I just call off the crusade outside the city/stronghold without recruiting any mercs and save the entire army in the turns to come. Don't know whether there is any negative consequence...But, it surely works.

**Bloobyhubbahabba** · June 15, 2008, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by TemplarLord

Abandon a Crusade in the name of God?!?! Burn the Heretic!!!

**moosey** · June 15, 2008, 11:48 AM

best bet is to make it so that the city you want is roughly on the way to the crusade target, then if you attack it, or leave the crusade and attack it, for one turn you should have youre full force, then when you take the city, come out of it and hire mercs to garrisson in case youre troops desert until you can build new garrison units

**Maniacal** · June 15, 2008, 01:45 PM

I have to wonder how the AI doesn't lose it's crusading armies to desertion, I lose units IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN to desertion (or did as explained later) when I am heading straight for the target. Now I wait until I am there or almost there to join.

**DeaDBolT** · June 15, 2008, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Maniacal

I have to wonder how the AI doesn't lose it's crusading armies to desertion, I lose units IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN to desertion (or did as explained later) when I am heading straight for the target. Now I wait until I am there or almost there to join.

I know, crusade desertion hardly makes sense most of the time. Like, if you play Norway or Denmark you have to sail around Europe or cross the HRE and Italy. There is just no shorter route, but still your units desert because its not going fast enough...and its just broken because i cant get there any faster!!!

So i increased the desertion tile distance to 500 so they will practically never desert unless you abandon the Crusade which makes much more sense, because in reality a lot of Crusading armies would just plunder settlements along the way anyways. Anyone remember the Crusaders plundering Constantinople on the way to the Holy land?

Sadly i reinstalled SS recently and i forgot where the file i need to edit is located, anyone have an idea?

**gurachn** · June 15, 2008, 08:35 PM

The prohibition against attacking christians with crusading armies is one of the most blatant non-historical features of the game.

To keep with realism you should be able to sack, loot and rape your whole way to the target and back.
I mean, why not? With blanket dispensation for your sins as long as you don the cross and take to the road, you might as well go nuts.
All will be forgiven in the end.

**Maniacal** · June 16, 2008, 02:57 AM

Originally Posted by gurachn

The prohibition against attacking christians with crusading armies is one of the most blatant non-historical features of the game.

To keep with realism you should be able to sack, loot and rape your whole way to the target and back.
I mean, why not? With blanket dispensation for your sins as long as you don the cross and take to the road, you might as well go nuts.
All will be forgiven in the end.

I do beleive that Crusading/Jihading armeis get a movement boost, perhaps morale too? I think it is to prevent players from abusing it against the crappy vanilla AI. Although the desertion rate would also prevent that.

**moosey** · June 16, 2008, 09:00 AM

one of the things i hate most playing as byzantium are those random ex-crusading armies just milling around my provinces blocking of bridges etc... its really annoying and you cant really get rid of them as most of them are allied to you and it would result in crusades against you... actually, thats what i usually do, lol. I have never lost constantinople!!! once against 3 crusading armies in as many turns with no reinforcements, HARUUUH!!!!!!