Seeking noob advice / tutorial. Also ERE questions

[Hoki]

Hello all. I'm completely new to total war.
I'm looking through the guides forums and reading those and they are very helpful.

I think they give enough information about how to micro-manage a battle. Its the campaign map that I'm completely lost on.

My issue is I've never played a total war game before and it seems the game assumes that you have played it before. From watching youtube videos and lets plays it also seems that the in-game advice lady gives bad advice, like telling you to build churches everywhere.

I guess what I'm looking for is a tutorial that assumes that you know absolutely nothing.


Also ERE specific questions:
Lets say I play as ERE (Eastern Roman Empire), and I know that historically who is guaranteed to attack me in the fourth crusade, whats the point of diplomatic relations with them if I know it's coming?

Could I for example make allies with some of them so that they would not join?

Could I prevent the fourth crusade from happening by assassinating Alexios IV or are these kind of events scripted?

Since ERE didn't participate or officially support holy wars, is there a way to win without eliminating the seljuk turks?

And this is assuming that you need a valid casus belli, but also would I need to eliminate Venice to win, and if so what possible justification could there be?

And most obviously, why does Venice start with Crete at 1080? I know game doesn't try to be historically accurate, but thats kinda crazy, would mean that the 4th crusade already happened.

[Sitalkes]

The Fourth Crusade is not guaranteed to happen unless you play the Crusades campaign as Byzantium. You can try to use diplomats to prevent a war with Venice if you wish in other games, though war with Venice is inevitable anyway.

Assasinating won't prevent a crusade, the Fourth crusade is only scripted in the Crusades campaign.

Byzantium can win any way you like, they have a good army and lots of money and a postition that is great for expansion. If you don't want to eliminate the Turks you could make friends with them but they own territory on your doorstep so you will have to fight them for it one day.

You don't need a cassus belli to attack another faction but if you break alliances to do it you will get a bad reputation which has lots of bad effects, especially on diplomacy. Also, it's better to allow the neighbours to attack you so you don't get any bad effects of declaring war. You can easily encourage an attack on you by leaving a border post poorly garrisoned (even if there are reinforcements stationed nearby).

Venice doesn't have much territory but I think you are playing the Crusades campaign where giving Venice Crete makes it a lot more balanced game.

[SturmChurro]

It won't happen in Vanilla.

None of your questions pertain to Vanilla. Once you get in game in vanilla you can run your empire how you want, other than some major events like The Mongol Invasion, Timurids, Gunpowder, etc. you can play your campaign different, to a point, in every campaign you start.

In Crusades you could attempt to be on good terms with the Venetians, though I am pretty sure war with them is inevitable either way.

[NobleNick]

Welcome to the forums, Hoki!

As has been pointed out by SturmChurro, most of your questions are moot: the ERE does not appear in vanilla. ("Vanilla" is the term we use to say: "the game, as it comes from the store, with no mods.")

The "advice lady" can be a pest, at times; but I've never known her points to be counter-productive. The battle advisor, however, serves up drivel that, though helpful to the beginner, is less effective than tactics which the more experienced players find basic.

Just get the game and play the tutorial, then a vanilla English long campagn on Normal/Normal difficulty with high or medium advice settings; and come back to the forums if you find yourself getting into trouble. You'll do great.

[Hoki]

Thanks guys, that answers my questions.