Leave me alone!

[Sursion]

I'm playing as England in SS 6.3 and I am being attacked left, right, and centre. I'm using Savage AI, which is SUPPOSED to be an even mix between peace and war. But so far it's turn 19 and I'm being attacked by Portugal, Leon, and France. Leon and Portugal are just being dicks and blockading my ports, which is causing my reputation, relations, and Pope standing to go down because I'm fighting back. France is a different story; they have huge 15-20 unit stacks assaulting Caen. I was forced to ally myself with Scotland just so I can not worry about one flank (though they will probably betray me soon enough).

The worst part about this is that Portugal blockaded Caen, and it made my pope standing go down... And it made theirs go up!? None of this makes sense. What exactly am I doing wrong here... :'(

[Ferdiad]

What difficulty are you using.

[Sursion]

Very hard. For both campaign and battle. I realize it's not supposed to be easy, but I wasn't expecting three factions to attack right off the bat. Portugal even asked for a ceasefire, so I agreed. Then two turns later they were blockading my ports again.

[Ferdiad]

VH makes faction relations go down every turn which will make every faction hate you.

[smitty]

If I recall correctly, the blockading ports is a hardcoded script that is a nuisance, has no reasoning behind it, and is inevitable. Many campaign AI editors have tried to find a way to halt it, and the latest conversation on the topic is making ports impossible to select as a target. For now though, that's going to happen regardless. Also, count on Novgorod blockading you at some point too for no reason

The best way to avoiding simple piracy turning into full wars is by stationing 2 boats outside your ports, one at each corner of the physical port on the campaign map, and the red blockage space will usually intercept the enemy boats and the AI will re-route to some other random naval destination. It can be costly, but cheaper than paying for a foreign war or losing port trade.

[Sursion]

Would changing to Lusted AI make it better? I don't mind being at war with three factions, as long as it's deserved. Simply sending single ships across the map to blockade ports just seems pointless to me.

Edit:

If I recall correctly, the blockading ports is a hardcoded script that is a nuisance, has no reasoning behind it, and is inevitable. Many campaign AI editors have tried to find a way to halt it, and the latest conversation on the topic is making ports impossible to select as a target. For now though, that's going to happen regardless. Also, count on Novgorod blockading you at some point too for no reason

The best way to avoiding simple piracy turning into full wars is by stationing 2 boats outside your ports, one at each corner of the physical port on the campaign map, and the red blockage space will usually intercept the enemy boats and the AI will re-route to some other random naval destination. It can be costly, but cheaper than paying for a foreign war or losing port trade.

Ah, I see. Thanks for that. That's a shame

[Strengelicher]

It has been a while since I last played England, but as far as I recall, here are some recommendations:

1. If the Portuguese or Castilians blockade your ports, do not fight back. You will lose some money, but they will eventually lift the blockade, because their standing with the Pope will go down if they continue. Keep your own Papal standing up by NOT fighting back.

2. Try to bring a diplomat down to the Iberian peninsula as early as possible. It may be clever to send a merchant with the same ship and drop him in the province of Marrakesh, as there is a gold resource there which can bring you good money. Let your diplomat get trade rights and alliances with Portugal and Castille. This will make them less likely to attack you or blockade your ports. You may also get trade rights with the Moors to take full advantage of the gold resource in Marrakesh.

3. If the Portuguese or Castilians blockade your ports and start a war by doing so, they will be sorry after a few turns. Remember that AI factions dislike being at war with several factions at once. Enter into diplomatic negotiations with them each turn if at war and see if their priorities switch to "peace". If so, they will readily make peace with you and even pay a regular tribute to get it. Take the tribute to boost your economy.

4. Even if their priorities are shown as "unknown" in the diplomacy screen, you may click "Ceasefire" into the offer screen to see if they regard it as generous or even very generous. If they don't like it, do not press "offer" (as they will refuse and your diplomat will get negative traits), just close the diplomacy screen.

5. Try to get trade rights and an alliance with France, maybe even a marriage and military access for both parties. I dimly remember that for an alliance, trade rights and some money they even sold me Angers very early in the game. Having both Caen and Angers is a valuable asset, because if one castle is besieged, the other one can still recruit troops and send them to rescue the other on the next turn. Also, you will cut off the province of Rennes from French territory and "reserve" it for your own conquest later.

6. Keep Caen (and, if you get it, Angers) well garrisoned. The French will be seeking a target to expand their territory soon, and they will strike at the weakest enemy. If your garrison is strong, they may turn against the HRE or Genoa first. This gives you time to eradicate the Scots, the natural enemy of the English.

7. Make it your first priority to destroy the Scottish. You may choose the Machiavellian way and get an alliance and trade rights from them at the start. If you do so, they will likely move the bulk of their troops to Bruges or Antwerp. Move to grab York and Edinburgh quickly, then Aberdeen. At that point, they are almost done. Finish them off. If you want to do it the honorable way, well... try the same procedure.

8. If possible, try not to get excommunicated. When attacking another Christian faction's settlement, try to bring along catapults and conquer in one move, ie do not besiege. Do not kill the prisoners. Just occupy, do not sack. If you can spare another diplomat, send him to Rome to appease the Pope.

9. Only when you have destroyed the Scots, move to take Caernavon, then Dublin. Leave the other Irish settlement for now.

10. Keep your economy running. This is the key to getting money and troops. Get familiar with the economy of the game. If you have Caen and Angers, try to keep trade rights with the French as long as possible. If you are at war with France and there are still Scots to finish off, try to make peace with the French again (see above - Portugal and Castille - on how to do it). Also offer them trade rights in the process, they will like that very much if they have several bordering provinces. See how the income in your settlements bordering with French territory goes up when you get trade rights. Try to get trade rights with all factions you are sharing borders with for as long as possible. Recruit merchants in London whenever you can and send them to attractive resources by ship - gold in Marrakesh, silk in southern Spain, amber in Denmark. If they get taken over by other merchants, never mind and make new ones. Always do it in London to get and upgrade the Merchants' Guild.

Well, that would be all to start with. I am currently playing all my campaigns with SS 6.4 SavageAI vh/vh BGR IV-E and found England not too difficult. You will get along fine. Just do not get enraged over other factions going to war with you. This game is not called "Total Peace".

[SonofaBooyah]

Just be lucky it's only blockading, they sometimes just go straight for the invasion, especially Portugal on Ireland.

[Ferdiad]

If the Iberians are distracted with you they will get roflstomped by the Moors, so It's in your best interest to just wait it out.

[Manuel II]

I don't understand your complaining, playing as England you've got probably the best defensible position on Europe. So, it sounds to me you just didn't put in enough prior work before invading.

Other factions blockading your ports? Sounds to me you didn't build much of a navy beforehand.
Invading Europe having left Scotland on your rear? That is a serious tactical error.

Hand out your European holdings to your enemies in exchange for peace.
Take those armies of yours and wipe out Scotland or at least force them into vassalage.

Cement alliances.
Build more stacks.
Buid a navy.
Invade.

[╬Ritterbruder╬]

I don't understand your complaining, playing as England you've got probably the best defensible position on Europe. So, it sounds to me you just didn't put in enough prior work before invading.

Other factions blockading your ports? Sounds to me you didn't build much of a navy beforehand.
Invading Europe having left Scotland on your rear? That is a serious tactical error.

Hand out your European holdings to your enemies in exchange for peace.
Take those armies of yours and wipe out Scotland or at least force them into vassalage.

Cement alliances.
Build more stacks.
Buid a navy.
Invade.

I think you missed the point, his problem is that he's getting attacked from the start of the game by several nations. On very hard, it's not that easy to subdue the scots, build up a navy and stop iberian invasions at the same time

[Sursion]

I don't understand your complaining, playing as England you've got probably the best defensible position on Europe. So, it sounds to me you just didn't put in enough prior work before invading.

Other factions blockading your ports? Sounds to me you didn't build much of a navy beforehand.
Invading Europe having left Scotland on your rear? That is a serious tactical error.

Hand out your European holdings to your enemies in exchange for peace.
Take those armies of yours and wipe out Scotland or at least force them into vassalage.

Cement alliances.
Build more stacks.
Buid a navy.
Invade.

I was never complaining about the wars. I was complaining about the pointlessness of the naval blockades and the sheer amount of people attacking me and I wanted to know if it was possible to make it stop. As I said, I don't mind being at war with three nations at once, as long as there was a good reason behind it. Simply sending a single ship across the map just to blockade a port and get vapourized the next turn is just annoying.

Also, I do have a navy. How would that prevent nations from blockading my ports? On my turn I obliterate their ships, but simply having a navy isn't going to stop anyone from blockading things.

Lastly, what is this talk about invading continental Europe? All I did was take Ireland and Wales. You start the game with Caen. There was never any invading going on at all. I was leaving the Scots alone because they had an alliance with the Papacy. I was going to wait until he was old and going to die before I invaded them.

You're making a lot of assumptions with zero facts.

[Ichon]

Also, I do have a navy. How would that prevent nations from blockading my ports? On my turn I obliterate their ships, but simply having a navy isn't going to stop anyone from blockading things.

Yeah- AI does not care how large your navy is for these weird attacks as far as I can tell. Also navy posted out in the sea does not help because to stop the AI from attacking you have to start war anyway or it takes 7 ships to protect a single dock. Not worth it.

If you are at war already a couple spies on ships out in Atlantic just a bit off course from an approach from the south, a single spy on a ship to the east with a larger navy in range works well to defend the Isles. That is doable and cheaper than maintaining a large army.

[Manuel II]

I was never complaining about the wars. I was complaining about the pointlessness of the naval blockades and the sheer amount of people attacking me and I wanted to know if it was possible to make it stop. As I said, I don't mind being at war with three nations at once, as long as there was a good reason behind it. Simply sending a single ship across the map just to blockade a port and get vapourized the next turn is just annoying.

Also, I do have a navy. How would that prevent nations from blockading my ports? On my turn I obliterate their ships, but simply having a navy isn't going to stop anyone from blockading things.

Lastly, what is this talk about invading continental Europe? All I did was take Ireland and Wales. You start the game with Caen. There was never any invading going on at all. I was leaving the Scots alone because they had an alliance with the Papacy. I was going to wait until he was old and going to die before I invaded them.

You're making a lot of assumptions with zero facts.

You're right, it turns out you start the game with Caen in the early era. I was thinking of the late era when the only English possession outside of England is Dublin. Sorry for making that assumption.

[Sleepepro]

Portugal is a pain, from my experience send diplomats to Iberia as soon as possible and open up trade agreements with portugal, and start an alliance with castille, france through marriage, HRE, denmark through marriage. I would wait to conquer all of UK before moving on to the mainland because Scotland will continue to be a thorn on your side. If you do this no one should bother you without the pope becoming pissed if they back-stab you.

Taking out the Scots first will help you in the long run so don't wait on the pope, if he gets mad you can always reconcile later, also do not initiate any conflicts with either the Scots or the French, they'll attack you sooner or later anyway. Also move toward poland and try to get friendly with them or they'll randomly show up and block your ports later on.

[Time2Kill]

It actually only takes a couple of ships per port if you do it before they declare war. They won't push through the red zone over multiple turns. And you don't really have to defend every port, just get a feel for the ones they really like to blockade. Unfortunately, if they have already declared war they will successfully drive off the single ships.

On the lighter side, I've negotiated ceasefires with pretty large payments from the Portugese only to have them lay on the blockade again two turns later, then pay another big payment two turns after that.

[Branzo]

yeah happend's to me to. but i still destroy them