Hi all,

I'm playing a campaign as the Eastern Roman "Empire". I've managed to secure the Aegean and all its jewels, including Rhodos (I traded it out for Limasol, for happy relations with the Armenians), but my position is looking precarious. The Seljuk sultanate has most of Anatolia, and the Venetians have taken northern Thrace and most of the Western Balkans. They both seemed poised to strike at my vulnerable nation (they're constantly sending diplomats and princesses to harass poor Salonika). I have an alliance with Armenia, seeking one with the kingdom of Hungary, and am maintaining a steady profit. The one keep blocking my Byzantium-Salonika coastal road is about to fall to my best general, himself recently led away from the path of insurrection - to my great relief. My prince is a respectable young man. In short, I'm having a blast

My observation is the encroaching Venetians. Am I wrong to guess that they would never venture that far inland through the dark, cloistered Balkans? I'm sure it isn't possible to rig the AI into particular tendencies, ... but it would be nice if it was. I guess it's still fun, so who cares! I'll drive them back into the Adriatic where they belong.

Just a comment.