Rats hiding in pots of Rice

[Muagan_ra]

When one is engaged in a gruelling but successful war against the Mongols, and has wittled them down into a position where a Crusade from mighty Jerusalem into their homeland around Antioch could break the back of the Golden Horde; when one has meticulously planned ones Great crusade to finally be rid of them; when one has established strong naval transport to bring in reinforcements from downshore and Cyprus...

When one has laid the most careful of plans, sure to result in a glorious and outstanding victory - what is the worst thing that could happen?

I'll tell you; rats.

Yes, rats.

Hairy little rats, hitching a ride to Europe. Hairy little rats poppin out of a pot 'a rice to pop a cap in yo' ass.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my war of final annihalition has been inexplicably thrown into jeopardy by the Black Death.

Not only is my economy quickly becoming incapable of producing the reinforcements of fresh troops that I need to cut down the Mongol hordes, but even when I can find the money, those troops are plagued. I have to use them, or I may loose - so I add to them to my army. Which plagues my army. Which fights the Mongol that brought the rats who live in the house that Jesus built!

It both infuriates and excites me at the same time.

[Commander5xl]

Ahh, the Black death lol, you know the best country for handling this is? Moors, possibly Russia...

move your generals to Timbuktu and like African population, in my games the plague never reaches their, with Russia move them to deep in the territory? though im not 100% sure this is scripted , it could be with Moors maybe with Russia never played Russia, or maybe I got lucky

[Viking Prince]

Does anybody know whether the volume of trade or perhaps port based trade affects the chances of the plague?

[Commander5xl]

most likely though i dont know, which could be why it doesn't reach Africa and possible the northern parts of Russia (can anyone confirm if it gets there) and can can anyone confirm if they have seen the plague in timbuktu?

[Muagan_ra]

Funny you should say that, as Marrakesh was my only posession that remained plague-free. Tunis, however, did - why this one corner of Africa?

[Pink Beard]

Funny you should say that, as Marrakesh was my only posession that remained plague-free. Tunis, however, did - why this one corner of Africa?

I think that's because Tunis is were merchants and traders (via sea) gather, bringing with them on their voyages the plague...

[Deadman1709]

Yeah, the Black plaques. The most devastating thing evar happened to my force. I wasn't fighting the Mongols at that time so I got some leeway.

Trade was tremendously affected, nearly no taxes, no trade. The entire economy freezes. The economy which was only manage to support a huge force now crippled. Drastic measures was taken.

My force in cities/castle was reduced to the bare minimum to keep my people happy. Entire armies was disbanded, keeping only 1/3 of their original strength + and artillery (these are slow as ). Instead of doing defense by cities, I had to fight any armies trying to take my cities in open field. And with a seriously understrength force.

The only thing I can do is to keep my coffer not to fall below 0.

[InThayne]

Just had the Black Death today. Timbuktu stayed clean, as well as Bologna, Florence and Nuremburg.

[Nazgûl Killer]

My story of the black death...
I've had it three times now, as England, as HRE and as Venice.
With Venice it killed my Doge and heir, along with some family members, but it passed after 3 turns thanks to the fact I didn't move any forces, at all, so it didn't spread (Every city was affected).
With the HRE I wasn't so lucky, every city I had was affected, 18/20 of my generals died, leaving me with a terrible king, my income was less than 10K per turn, which at turn 100, is bad, my army was completely annihilated, and rival factions took away half of Spain, the whole of Italy and some of Poland from me, I eventually came around though, mustered up my troops again (But by the time it took me, I already lost Spain and some of France, same about Poland, I lost everything I had in Poland, almost Frankfurt too), anyways, after rebuilding my army I came back and with brute force annihilated any opposition. The plague lasted 30 turns.
With England, I was moderately lucky, even though half my characters died, along with my armies, and I lost every single battle I fought when I was affected by the plague, I hardly lost any ground because I had a lot of soldiers in my frontier cities/castles, so they dared not attack me, I started off (Start of the plague) with Great Britain, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and France. I lost Holland, Belgium and Denmark. The plague lasted 31 turns.

The only cure for the plague is to stay still, not move ANYONE around, because that spreads the plague terribly (My spy, which was infected, moved from the infected Nottingham to London... It wasn't pretty...), just hang tight, try to keep the people as happy as possible and increase growth rate (minimal taxes, remove most of your armies)... That's the best you can do, really.

[Commander5xl]

yepp, though I think Timbuktu wasn't affected (even though its huge profit off road trade) was because most o f the trade seems to becoming within Africa YEA FOR TRADING WITH FACTIONS THAT ARENT PART OF THE CAMPAIGN!

[Thatdumbpope]

i really dont like the black plague. Once i was playing as denmark, stayed completly still for 50 years or so and BAM, the black death hits arhus. My income went from 7000 to 2000, trade was my main income source, and it completly stopped, as did farming.Trade was established between every single catholic faction as well, all destroyed by the black death... all gone.

[Nazgûl Killer]

UUUPPPDATTEEEEEE:
Playing as Spain, I've been infected with the black death, but by a stroke of luck it disappeared from my lands (Only 2 were infected, Toulouse and Bordeaux), but it did not from my enemies' lands, after 3 turns I see: "Faction Destroyed: Scotland", another turn; "Faction Destroyed: France", I lol'd. Hard.