Pop not punishing agressors

**Roderick Ponce Von Fontlebotto** · March 06, 2011, 03:34 AM

Why is the Pope threatening me when I fight back at aggressive Christian nations that attack me but not them?

**Lord Minotaur** · March 06, 2011, 03:41 AM

Because the game is medieval 2 total war.

**SirRobin** · March 06, 2011, 03:42 AM

Because the factions attacking you are better friends with the pope than you are - check your relations with the vatican.

**Roderick Ponce Von Fontlebotto** · March 06, 2011, 03:42 AM

So...what the

am I just supposed to let them destroy me or have to get excommunicated...

**Avalanche** · March 06, 2011, 03:57 AM

Well to be honest AI and Pope act in strange ways many times. It's not perfect but there are some rules you can follow and let them eat the dust.

1) If you are warned not to act hostile that means only outside your borders - means you can beat crap of them in your land without consequences

2) you get 2 missions to stop hostile actions - first one you can break - if your Papal favor is high enough you won't be excommed; if you break first mission, in next turn most likely second mission will pop up and if you break this one you probably will be excommed.

If you know this 2, you can plan to blitz your enemy - take all key territories in one turn even if you got first warning - after you cripple enemy he won't be able to strike back

Also it is good to have diplomat near Rome and hand some money to Pope each time you attack Cristian nation or break Popes missions - remember to have 10 crosses in Papal favor befor you finish turn - you should be fine then

Follow this guide and all Christians will fear you like Muslims

**ShockBlast** · March 06, 2011, 04:00 AM

Originally Posted by Roderick Ponce Von Fontlebotto

So...what the

am I just supposed to let them destroy me or have to get excommunicated...

Give His Holiness some shinies and he will like you more.

Try to provoke other Catholics to attack you and always give a small tribute to the Pope but if you want to be very agressive go for total war after a crusade has been launched that way you can't be crusaded even if you are excomunicated and the Papy hates your guts.

**preachercheeze** · March 06, 2011, 04:08 AM

If you fight of besieging armies, navies blocking your ports and such, you won't become excommed... If you fight the enemy on your land you SHOULD not be threatened (but I am not a hundred percent sure about that)... If you repell the attack and then invade you are in no curry-favor with the pope... remember that the warning WILL appear even if you defend yourself... BUT it is only if you go aggressive that the excom will get in effect... you will also get a warning if you want to proceed with an excom attack...

the favor with the pope determines how much he will look through his fingers... high favor might actually let you take a city with only a drop in favor instead of excom, even if you been warned about it just prior....

**♔DARTH LEGO♔** · March 06, 2011, 04:13 AM

The above is solid and true.

always keep a diplomat near Rome to smooth things over......
give him spare cash whenever possible.

and like above you have full sanction to kick the living

out of any invading armies after you have done that just keep your troops lurking on your border.

**Roderick Ponce Von Fontlebotto** · March 06, 2011, 04:21 AM

Ok i didnt know if it was isnide your borders it was ok thats smart.

**♔DARTH LEGO♔** · March 06, 2011, 04:27 AM

Originally Posted by Roderick Ponce Von Fontlebotto

Ok i didnt know if it was isnide your borders it was ok thats smart.

uh huh....

there are also ways to manipulate the pope as well, getting an enemy city under siege before he threatens exco. is a good tactic as most of the time the AI has also received the same warning you have and wont be as eager to risk exco. just like you and so your sieging army will go unpunished.

doesnt work with capitals though....

and also make sure that if you have received the exco warning already check the number of turns as opposed to the no. of turns before the city falls to make sure the mission expires before the city falls.

**Abriael** · March 06, 2011, 06:20 AM

Also, it's not true that the pope isn't punishing the aggressor, you just don't see the "communication" between the pope and the AI, but you'll notice their crosses that indicate papal favor diminish as well, and eventually, if the enemy faction persists, and you use just passive resistance, they will be excommunicated.

**flankstakes** · March 06, 2011, 02:11 PM

this always happens in my catholic campaigns. you besiege one of their towns... and BAM, Pope comes up saying you need to cease hostilities. I think best way to deal with that is to assault cities/castles right away with catapults or spies instead of starving them out or waiting for ladders or rams. Since you capture enemy town(s) in the turn you start hostilities(or before pope gives the mission) you can actually win some regions and not risk being excommunicated.

**Losthief** · March 06, 2011, 02:32 PM

asssinate the pope...no pope no excommunication notices....just sayin.

**k/t** · March 06, 2011, 02:45 PM

Keep a good assassin next to Rome and let the fat guy say whatever he wants.

**SirRobin** · March 06, 2011, 03:27 PM

I have lost count of the amount of "how to deal with the pope" threads.

It's funny, because most people think he's so incredibly annoying, but the satisfaction people get from either killing him or controlling him or dealing with him in other ways makes me think they would miss him sorely if he were removed

.