Disclaimer; while the rhetoric between nations at times gets harsh, know that I am always referring to ingame nations with my propaganda in this thread and bad stuff I say about their realms in no way reflect on their actual persons. I find my player opposites stimulating strategists and propagandizers, as well as all round good sports, and harbor no ill will for lands lost or backs stabbed.
Egypt taking provs is totally different from when others did the same thing!
If taking land of me is acceptable, but me taking the very same land back is not, then it must follow I will slowly be annexed. None of you would subscribe to such a notion yourself. Ever.
Syria has been fought over since the beginning of the game, lacking as it is in sufficient depth for anybody to feel safe enough. A "buffer state", regardless of where it is placed in the M.E, will by its nature infringe on land that one of the native players finds unacceptable. As thus there will only be war, and the state will be annexed. A buffer will fix nothing. Only if we native players find a amicable split will there be lasting peace. Until then we will jostle.
I do not intend to do more than gain the upper hand locally, certainly not to annex anybody.
Thus it follows that you must ask yourselves who you prefer to have the upper hand in the M.E.
The Caliphate has never started a single proper war against any player, ever. It has
forsworn holding
any land in Europe, look to al-Andalus. It has rattled sabers for peace. But again, never actually done anything, never taken anything in Europe for itself.
Byzantion/Persia has attacked
every neighbor they have, and taken land from them. On multiple occasions. Consistently throughout the game. The Greeks have "self defended" their way from Antioch to the Gates of Milan. They have gathered the largest coalitions of conquest the game has seen against a single player. They have demanded another be cut in half. They will not suddenly become peaceful because of some buffer Jerusalem.
They have started this war, as they have started
every war in the East. Let them speak of defense all they wish, it has ever been their finger on the dow-button.
Should I be stymied in this war, should you meet success in your demands for my weakening, know that it will not satisfy them. West Rome, I do not know what to make of your shouts for the bulwark against the aggressive east to be torn down. You know their ability to form coalitions, how long do you think it will be before the Greeks land in Naples? They will do it, you know this. You worry about me influencing peacedeals? They will not stop until they have yet again retaken the Italian boot! They will do to you as they have done to both Russia, Egypt and West Rome before us. That is their precedent.
I do not attack players, they do. I will not play for conquest in Europe, they will. I skirmish over some unpronounceable piece of sand in Arabia, they repeatedly attempt to bring down entire realms.
Let the Syrian conflicts ebb and flow, let the moslems and iconist kill each other. So long as Egypt has the upper hand Europe is safe. And we seek no more than the upper hand. Do not listen to the viles of Persia and Byzantion, their lust for conquest will never be stopped,
do not forget they do not have a single neighbor they have not declared war on. Their word is venom and their promises quicksand.
