Playable Popes and more core religious depth

[Afinati]

I won't give up the ghost. Do it like republics or just make an exception to requiring dynastic heirs. Offer a host of gameplay options working under the hood as a pope, like when you added The Republic but better. Doooo it, please.

I also want non-military monastic orders and a consideration of their balancing in European politics.. It'd be cool if a ruler's support for the Benedictines fired events for Dominicans or if Dominican patrons were given special access to sleuthy actions. Something.

Also, abbeys, monasteries, cathedrals, mosques, more stuuuuuuuff. I wanna invest in their construction and have cool events and have, maybe, a global race for the top five religious buildings or something along those lines. I want my king to be known as the dude who built the blah blah blah cathedral that scrapes the heavens and ropes in pilgrims.

 

[Rawrschach]

Playable Pope and Archbishops yes, playable Papacy and Theocracies no.

It should be there as something you can get your heir to be and would work well with the idea of "Player Heir". You get a go at being the Pope then on death you go back to a brother or nephew as a feudal or republic character.

 

[Afinati]

Playable Pope and Archbishops yes, playable Papacy and Theocracies no.

It should be there as something you can get your heir to be and would work well with the idea of "Player Heir". You get a go at being the Pope then on death you go back to a brother or nephew as a feudal or republic character.

That's something at least.

 

[Rawrschach]

What would you do as Pope though? You can't conquer lands. You'd just have 40 years of excommunicating people, sending money to some people and having arguments via events and decisions with various kings. If there were some kingdoms, like the HRE should be during some of the timeline, that required Papal support for the succession, then you'd have some fun.

Archbishop would be more fun, gaining influence over bishops, getting super rich, maybe being a kingmaker.

 

[Azarias59]

Playable Pope and Archbishops yes, playable Papacy and Theocracies no.

It should be there as something you can get your heir to be and would work well with the idea of "Player Heir". You get a go at being the Pope then on death you go back to a brother or nephew as a feudal or republic character.

I agree. If one of our close relatives becomes the Pope, we should get an option to play as him.

Though, to be honest, I have no idea if it would be worth it in terms of the amount of resources the devs would have to put into it.

 

[Happy Neyka]

Wanted to play Pop for some time. It looks to me that it's gonna be very special game play filled with unique events and even options for character. Can't conquer? What about infidels, especially Muslim world? I see no worries with pop conquering stuff in EU4, so to some degree it makes sense to be able to play for pop and then convert your game and continue. Besides what about infidel Byzantine Empire? Wouldn't pop dream to restore begotten Roma Empire with Rome as a rightful capital and claim that Constantinople has no right to call itself successor but merely an infidel imposter? I see potential for confrontation right here and development of the story.

I think Pop would have ambitions to conquer the world as well its just his/her methods are "It's a god's will and we follow" - meaning pops always hide his true intention to conquer stuff. And wouldn't pop dream to control french church (or any christian one) in even more direct way? Getting more coin out of it? Even dedicated leaves to him/her or own barony? And imagine if your heir or any member of your dynasty you have chosen to play becomes papacy head, what unique ways now become for you available to strife for your dynasty goals?

Bishops and such always played some "shadow" role in kingdoms. I believe there is a potential to implement this into the game. How many kings were actually heavily influenced/indirectly controlled by Pop or their bishop(s)?

I disagree with the tone of the suggestion, however I must admit this idea has a ring to it (some of it any way). There are plenty tv shows about bishops and pops that show many interesting things that pop can do or strive for in the game. Church played great role in this forsaken dark times and why not deepen it and make it to be playable?

This might not be an expansion for warmongers but it could be damn interesting one. I already see myself fooling pilgrims and taking their money