The Papacy as playable faction?

[fatsheep]

Representing the earthly empire of the Pope, they start with only Rome. They're militarily weak, but can retaliate on aggressors by excommunicating them.

The papacy is one of the five factions mentioned among the likes of England, Holy Roman Empire, and Egypt which leads me to believe it could be playable this time around. This is really a grand assumption I admit but it is a very interesting concept. I really hope they implement this because playing as the pope was something I always wanted to do in Medieval. Just imagine the political possibilites: turning factions on each other with crusades and excommunications. Playing the catholic factions like puppets to set up a window to expand your empire sounds fun.

[Sétanta]

I will definitaly do this. Amazing...cool...awesome

[Zuwxiv]

Playing as the pope with an army of merchants would be an interesting change. Conquer with ideas and gold instead of iron!

[JANOSIK007]

no you can't.

not only there has yet to be an anouncement from CA, it is completely unrealistic considering the goal of the campaign, to conquer the world.

[iKossu]

no you can't.

not only there has yet to be an anouncement from CA, it is completely unrealistic considering the goal of the campaign, to conquer the world.

In XL mod (for MTW) you can play as Papacy. It's like playing any other faction though for you cannot excommunicate and stuff.

Perhaps the Papal states would win when all other religions are eradicated. Not by conquering.

Excellent idea!

[Roman-Warrior]

Ha sounds very inturstesting, but do you think it will be to easy? I mean if you think about it, any faction you don't like, can be destroyed by your will. But then again, it wont be you who is conquering them.
-Wes

[Shadows]

This makes it appear to me that we will be seeing a very in-depth diplomacy system. Especially if we are going to have the ability to excommunicate factions. IMO this will add a very fun twist to the game. Can't wait to hear more about this though. I want to know how it's gonna change diplomatic options.

[fatsheep]

Well anything better then Rome: Total War is a start! Here's a summary of RTW's diplomatic system:

Please do not attack!
Accept or we will attack!!!

[Shadows]

Well anything better then Rome: Total War is a start! Here's a summary of RTW's diplomatic system:

True enough. Although I do want to know how the excommunication option will affect you and the factions you excommunicate. Will the "loyal to the Church" factions attack them?? or put economic pressure on them?? Or just threaten them?? So many options...................

[fatsheep]

Excommunicating a faction will probably invoke outright hostitilty from that faction towards you. So you have to be careful to get the backing of the other catholic nations before you excommunicate somebody, otherwise they will just sweep down opon you, cut off your head, and install their own pope. Also catholic nations will probably be reluctant to attack each other unless they get rewards. Maybe you can simply profit by looking the other way when England expands into France, eliminating yourself of a rival. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Charok]

You guys are just now seeing that old info?

It doesn't say you can play as that faction. It does imply that if someone attacks them, the AI Pope will excommunicate them. It's probably a non-playable faction that was made so the Pope could have an army protecting him and Rome from when you want to go kill him. It seems to be just like the Senate in RTW.

Btw fatsheep, when is that Middle earth mod coming out? Will be out before MTW2 is released? If not, I don't think many will want to go back to the RTW gameplay after MTW2 is out.

[mike007]

I loved getting excomed by the pope in MTW and then pounding them to the ground in revenge!

Did it say the pope will be playable faction?, im thinking not, but im sure a mod coulc change that

[Drexxus Maximus]

I loved getting excomed by the pope in MTW and then pounding them to the ground in revenge!

Did it say the pope will be playable faction?, im thinking not, but im sure a mod coulc change that

I thought I read somewhere that you could play as the Paupacy, might be mistaken though. I hope it's a faction, I'll pound the Hell out of 'em

[Gillam I]

I loved getting excomed by the pope in MTW and then pounding them to the ground in revenge!

i love you.

man i hated the pope, he used to **** me off..i would just attack the pope, just get the papal states, then capture him, then exucute him in battle!!!!!!!!! then i would leave, let a new pope come and do it over again!!! i hated that ****er so much. and i hated crusades, spending all ur money on wicked troops, then sum itlains make them leave....i hate the pope! (btw i was england, the long bow men were to powerful awesome!!!!)

[Lpo]

In MTW you can't sneeze without being excommunicated.

[Sir Robin]

I strongly suspect that even if the Papacy is playable the Pope himself will be like the Senate in RTW. Basically you cannot control the pope only influence him. I did think it was odd to put them in the factions section of the official site but also figured it is one of the big ones as far as influence at least so wasn't to surprised.

I doubt there is any point in the game where the player will directly control or be the pope.

My best guess would be that even if one of your priests ends up becoming the pope that it merely adds a modifier making it more likely for the pope to accept your diplomacy actions.

[Sitarus Originalus PM-30+]

I strongly suspect that even if the Papacy is playable the Pope himself will be like the Senate in RTW. Basically you cannot control the pope only influence him. I did think it was odd to put them in the factions section of the official site but also figured it is one of the big ones as far as influence at least so wasn't to surprised.

i think the same way...

[iKossu]

In MTW you can't sneeze without being excommunicated.

That's true. I guess the Holy Father would have kept his mount shut when I attacked a Catholic faction while owning like 1/2 of the map or more and housing the biggest army the world has seen...

Btw, your priest, cardinal or... well, the dude can get to be the Pope if he's good enough. Well, that's what I've read in the FAQ if I remember correctly.

[Valus]

Well I know that this is off topic but I just need to say it since I think its so funny..When I was playing MTW a couple of weeks ago the Italians managed to declare a crusade against the Papal State! That means that it must have been approved by the pope...

On topic:
It would be neat playing as the pope since that was something that I really wanted to do in MTWI, I mean then you are basically the most powerful man in the game...
I mean just look at Crusader Kings were you can control the pope, which imo is a neat feature..

[Charok]

I did think it was wierd that they picked the Papacy faction to show on the site since that one, more than all the others, would seem to be non-playable out of the box. The info on the Pope so far is confusing. The first thing I read is that the Pope will be elected and if you build churches and do the things he asks you to do, then you can have more influence over him and get him to start a crusade (or maybe excommunicate some faction). Then I read that our priests gain rank or something, like the Senators in RTW, and they can be elected Pope so you will have an even greater influence over him that way. But I haven't read anything about direct control over the Pope, just influencing him.

So I think they will make the same hard-coded, senate-like gameplay and modding them to be playable won't be worth your time if the Pope can't be fully controlled.

I wish they would create an actual King unit in this next game. Kind of like the Regicide mode in Age of Kings where you had to kill the other Kings and protect your own.

fatsheep: I've always liked your mod. I hope you guys don't end it and have wasted all that time spent on making it. But there is always the extra learning experience in most things.
And now I need to get to bed, haha.