Indefinite ExCom

**stratfiend** · February 23, 2012, 09:54 AM

My goal for the past few days has been to win the grand campaign as Sicily on hard difficulty. Have had many goes at it, and can honestly say it's the hardest faction I've played so far. In any case, I've finally got good foothold, but have run into a bit of a problem. I seem to be indefinitely excommunicated. I tried to leave the Pope alone and go for Milan and Venice first, but the Pope decided to blockade my ports (followed shortly by the Moors and HRE). Tried for a good 40 turns to sue for peace, but he just won't have it. After taking most of northern Italy, I say the hell with it I'll just take Rome and kill the guy.

So I occupied Rome, slit the Pope's throat, and one of my Cardinals became the new Pope. But for some reason I'm still at war with him, still excommed, yet they have no apparent territory. I found one of their Diplomats and tried to reconcile with an offering of 2 island territories, 10000 florins, and 1000 florins/turn for 10 turns and he just won't have it.

How the hell? This is the first time I've taken Rome as a Catholic faction, so I'm a bit confused.

**Adamat** · February 23, 2012, 10:06 AM

You first need a ceasefire. Then you kill the man and the new pope will reconciliate you.

**Aeratus** · February 23, 2012, 10:51 AM

It's because you're at war with the Papacy. If you're at war, you remain excommunicated.

**Silverheart** · February 23, 2012, 11:05 AM

Since you appear to have already adapted to being in a state of long-term excommunication, I suggest you just go and kill all the Popes´ troops, blockade any regions he might have (I trust he doesn´t by now) and just leave it at that.
If you just keep battering his troops and assassinating the new popes he should eventually come to you for a ceasefire.

Another alternative is the old classic and just drop your faction leader - HE`s the one who´s excommunicated, and if he dies you should receive reconciliation.

**Aeratus** · February 23, 2012, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Silverheart

Another alternative is the old classic and just drop your faction leader - HE`s the one who´s excommunicated, and if he dies you should receive reconciliation.

If you're at war with the papacy, the excommunication continues even if your faction leader dies.

**stratfiend** · February 23, 2012, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Aeratus

If you're at war with the papacy, the excommunication continues even if your faction leader dies.

Ah that explains that. I remember my leader dying and expecting to be resolved after that, but nope, still damned.

Does the Papacy take less bribing for a simple Ceasefire rather than Ceasefire+Reconcilation? I remember trying to get him to just take a Ceasefire first and he wouldn't cooperate (no matter how much I offered him it would only be "balanced" and he'd decline). I've even taken to only occupying and releasing captured troops to try to keep my rep up. I thought diplomacy in Civ4 was flawed. And I don't think he has any territories since he was secluded to Rome in the first place. Shortly after I occupied Rome a massive stack popped up in Ajjacio out of seemingly nowhere. I assumed it was scripted similarly to the Mongols so that the Pope could make a new home, but there was no Pope/General and they failed to take my city even though I was practically letting them have it. So now I have no idea where the Pope is, and I've scouted everything except the British Isles and west Africa.

**Aeratus** · February 23, 2012, 12:43 PM

There are no scripts that give the pope free stacks. Usually what happens is that the Pope had a hidden stack hiding in the forest that you didn't originally notice.

If the Pope didn't spawn at Rome, then he spawned at Marrakesh. There's a bug that causes the pope to spawn there.

I think there's a way to force ceasefire by having your cardinal get elected to pope.

**stratfiend** · February 23, 2012, 12:52 PM

Ah Marrakesh would have to be it then since I haven't put eyes out that direction, I've seen a few of his ships near Iberia and the Moors recently capitulated to Portugal. Thanks.

After killing the Pope one of my Cardinals got elected and I assumed everything would be back to normal, but come the next turn I was still at war and excommed.

But even if I go assassinate/destroy the Pope again, how do I guarantee I'll get a ceasefire?

**Silverheart** · February 23, 2012, 12:54 PM

It takes much less to sway the pope into a ceasefire than a ceasefire+reconciliation. If you can, you should just go for a ceasefire - eventually something will happen that will make you reconciliated.

That stack in Ajaccio should more likely have been landed there by a navy, or possibly they had landed sometime in the past and just stayed hidden in the forested parts.
The pope doesn´t get any new troops if he loses all his regions - it´s just the pope himself and whatever survivors he have left at his command.