Does Allying With the Pope as Egypt Make the Game Too Easy?

[rtizzy]

So in a recent campaign with Egypt, the first thing I did was build some boats in Alexandria and send my diplomat up to Rome to get an alliance with the pope. In the mean time, I stayed away from Jerusalem and Antioch to make sure he wouldn't call a crusade against me. The alliance stood for 70 turns with no crusades. Does this make the game too easy for the Egyptians? It's turn 100 and I've conquered all of the Middle East (except for Tbilisi and Yerevan, which belong to my vassals, the Turks), the Byzantines, Hungary and Poland, and all of Italy. The campaing was played on VH and it was really easy. By the time the Mongols arrive, I had a bigger army than they did and they never overtook me in that category.

[rtizzy]

I know it's up to me, but I just want some of your opinions.

[Silverheart]

Well, usually the pope still calls crusades on you, regardless of alliances or relations - that decision is made based upon the papal favor of the faction that requests the crusade. Maybe you just got lucky, and no catholic faction had enough papal favor or practical reasons to call crusades?

[Sweger]

I've experienced that the Papacy was allied to Egypt and crusades were still called out. The funny thing was that the Pope broke all his alliaces with the factions that joined it.

[rtizzy]

I've experienced that the Papacy was allied to Egypt and crusades were still called out. The funny thing was that the Pope broke all his alliaces with the factions that joined it.

That's funny.. I wonder why no crusades were called against me? It's literally the first campaign where there was no crusade against either Antioch or Jerusalem. I thought that there was an obvious causal relationship between allying with the pope and not being crusaded against, but there must have been some other factor.

[Silverheart]

As I said, it probably had to do with all catholic factions not having enough papal favor or being excommunicated - since that´s what determines if the pope will acknowledge their crusade request or not. An alliance with the Papal states is an alliance with the faction, not the pope personally. Alliances doesn´t matter when he decides to call crusades or not.
It´s highly unlikely, but I can´t think of any other factors that might have affected this.

[eXistenZ]

yeah i was really annoyed when he called a crusade on me; i bet he was a milanese pope

[Alexanderos]

yeah i was really annoyed when he called a crusade on me; i bet he was a milanese pope

It doesn't really matter , the pope will always be annoying

[Maklodes]

There's actually a pretty funny thread and AAR about a guy who was playing the Spanish and got excommunicated for answering a crusade against Egypt because the Papal states was allied with Egypt.

Initial thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=469301

AAR: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=469487

[Sweger]

There's actually a pretty funny thread and AAR about a guy who was playing the Spanish and got excommunicated for answering a crusade against Egypt because the Papal states was allied with Egypt.

Initial thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=469301

AAR: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=469487

Yes, that was so strange that I got encouraged to write an AAR about that, however, that project is kond dead now...but still free to read and comment it!

[King William the Conqueror]

I usually do it anyways. It makes a good start

[AngryTitusPullo]

Next time don't send diplomats. Send armies and take Rome itself.

[Ferdiad]

Next time don't send diplomats. Send armies and take Rome itself.

He might have more pressing concerns than the Pope.

[VikingOfSixth]

The Papacy is just too much fun to pass up. On my 80th turn playing as Portugal VH/VH and we have yet to have single crusade outside of Western Europe. The majority of the crusades have been against France yet France often controls ole St. Peter's Chair and has the highest favor with Rome.

So I sailed my King Gill the Killer (who also had the Crown of Thrones in his retinue) over to Jerusalem, killed a few mobs of Egyptians, and then gifted the city to Papal States. My reasoning was that Egypt was going to arrive with her main armies and attack the Pope and then Western Europe would be good Crusaders and go East.

Pope is now allied to Egypt and our next crusade has just been called on Milan. Damn Italians.

[Aymer de Valence]

Always nice to make an alliance with him, but since I am the player, he feels little love for me compared to other AI factions....