Help me out of a World war

[FriendoftheDork]

Hey I play as venice, Hard/hard difficulty. Most of the game has been fairly easy, and I've expanded against rebels with no problem, made trade agreements and alliances with most of my neighbours, and crusaded heavily, destroying the egyptians.

Even when the HRE attacked i was able to beat them, secure Bologna and force peace.

But after some time of almost peace (crusading against the Moors), France attacked. No prob i thought. Well I can hold them off easily, which I did. Then HRE and France got a cease-fire, and HRE attacked me. Ok, annoying but I can deal with it. Then Sicily attacked. Then the hungarians, which even managed to take my captol!

I have fended off all attacks in the end, and taken Bern and my capitol back, but now the Pope hates me (0 score). If I breathe I will get excommed, and I really don't want to be fighting crusades!

Any tips on how I can make peace with any of these factions? I am stronger ecconomically and militarily to each of them but they still won't discuss peace terms, even giving away cities was not good enough.

[Rickard R]

send a army and siege 1 of their cities and then offer a peace treaty, may work

[FriendoftheDork]

Actually I got over it. Simply sieging them does not work as i was close to being excommed, so I just went on the defensive. KI defended my lands only, except for taking back my capitol from the hungarians.

Then after some time of relative little fighting the pope demands that my Doge goes on a crusade against Denmark, my only catholic ally.

Instead I use my 10 rank assassins and asassinate the fool, elect a Danish pope (who loves me), and manages to get cease-fire from the enemies as I take cities and bribe the pope into still liking me.

Then as the french get embroiled in a war against portugal they get excommunicated, so now I'm crushing them