Well, I've successfully executed my attack on the Papacy...just as they were about to excommunicate me AGAIN for my continuing attack on the Germans (the previous Pope had already excommunicated me but he passed away).

I'm glad I waited a few years to build a really big army in Greece, I had about 3500 men that I shipped across the Adriatic to the Papal States, Naples and Rome. Took Rome and Papal States in a year and Naples the year after. [img]graemlins/evillaughter2.gif[/img] Now I've installed my puppet and can pursue my war with the Germans with impunity (they just keep conceding provinces to me, I reckon they'll make a stand in Burgundy).

Once I get the Germans out of the way it'll be the Hungarians' turn, then I can start thinking about the West - Aragon, France and Spain...I've now got an empire that stretches from Finland, Muscovy, Novgorod and Volga-Bulgaria to the east, through to the Crimea, Bulgaria, Constantinople, Nicea and Greece to the south, then on to Naples, Rome and the Papal States, through to Scandinavia to the north, with pretty much all of Germania under my boot. The only provinces within central Europe I don't hold are the Hungarian provinces, but I'll take those soon. I've also got Scotland, Ireland and Northumbria. Finland and Lithuania and Livonia are starting to get annoying - they keep on rebelling, and I'm starting to spend a fortune on garrisons there. :eek:

As for the Horde, good idea - I'll whup them when they eventually rock up anyway. I'll be their first port of call I think... :D

If an area is proving difficult, just litter it with priests and build a church, that improves their happiness. (Atleast in christian areas)

What year is it in your game Memnoch?

About 1170 or something...I'm into my third king so far. The first couple were both Olafs, the second had a long and brilliant reign and took most of the east under his wing, but this last one is proving to be a bit of a dumbass. He's got good influence and dread, but his piety and acumen are pretty average, and he's got zero stars for command. [img]graemlins/awcrap.gif[/img]

That is the usefullness of spies. You have a prince you don't like? Frame him with high treason... :D

One thing I noticed is that after a few years, whatever you do, your income drops. Am I the only one having this problem or is it just part of the game?

That is the usefullness of spies. You have a prince you don't like? Frame him with high treason... :D </font>[/QUOTE]I haven't got spies yet...I've only got emissaries. I've held off on building brothels so I could build all the important stuff, like bowyers and swordsmiths and so on. Is it worth going down the brothel path? :eek:

Also, what good are inquisitors? I've made a few and as far as I can see they're no different to priests.

Also, I've never been able to get an assassin ranked higher than 6...no matter what I do. Is this the highest they can go? I'm even thinking of creating a "killing school" where I build my own emissaries and then have my assassins practice on them. Will this cause any discontent among my subjects if I'm found out?

[ 08-19-2004, 11:12 AM: Message edited by: Memnoch ]

Don't know Dreamer, my income's pouring in at the moment. I've built all those farmland things and saltmines though (you can tell my Civ background :D )

I've always used my spies as an anti-assassin defence, which is a job they do absolutely marvelously.

Inquisitors differs from the priests in that they can be used to track down heretics (like enemy generals for example), this, of course, only works on christians, and like the assassin they only have a certain percentage chance to succeed, unlike the assassin, they don't die when failing though.

As for income, the only reductions I have is when my enemies cut down my trade routes. I rarely bother with building more than the 20% farmland (to get horse farmers), instead I build plenty of trade houses and ships and try to stay friendly with the onther countries occupying the valuable coastlands.