Question regarding Byzantine Empire

[TheBagelmeister]

I've decided to give the Byzantine Empire a try, as it's something a little different. Well, after a few bad tries, I read the FAQ and Playing Tips thread, and I decided to try taking the advice. It said to leave my alliance with Morea and ally with either Venice or Hungary. I decided to try that, but I can't. For the Join Alliance button, it says "They are part of an alliance led by Hungary. You need to ask Hungary to Join", for example, when I was on Hungary.

For some strange reason, the only alliance I can join is that with the Ottoman Empire. I'm not such if this is the right place to put it, but it's a try.

 

[Hallsten]

I've decided to give the Byzantine Empire a try, as it's something a little different. Well, after a few bad tries, I read the FAQ and Playing Tips thread, and I decided to try taking the advice. It said to leave my alliance with Morea and ally with either Venice or Hungary. I decided to try that, but I can't. For the Join Alliance button, it says "They are part of an alliance led by Hungary. You need to ask Hungary to Join", for example, when I was on Hungary.

For some strange reason, the only alliance I can join is that with the Ottoman Empire. I'm not such if this is the right place to put it, but it's a try.

If you're playing with AGCEEP you're a vassal of the ottomans, so you'll have to end that vassalization first.
It can, however, be a good idea to ally with the ottos in the beginning to give you some time to go after Morea, Trebizond, Cyprus and the other Greek statelets.
Ending the vassalization is a good idea regardless, though.

 

[binTravkin]

But for the sake of your survival I advise you to enter alliance first and only then cancel vassalisation..

 

[TheBagelmeister]

If you're playing with AGCEEP you're a vassal of the ottomans, so you'll have to end that vassalization first.
It can, however, be a good idea to ally with the ottos in the beginning to give you some time to go after Morea, Trebizond, Cyprus and the other Greek statelets.
Ending the vassalization is a good idea regardless, though.

Heh, thanks. I was so busy looking for the principle cause, I overlooked probably the most obvious. But wouldn't annexing the other greek states cause a relations penatly with the other states resulting in a harder time finding a second alliance? Or just concentrate on the Greek Orthodox states?

 

[Hallsten]

Heh, thanks. I was so busy looking for the principle cause, I overlooked probably the most obvious. But wouldn't annexing the other greek states cause a relations penatly with the other states resulting in a harder time finding a second alliance? Or just concentrate on the Greek Orthodox states?

It will cause bad relations, but you can always buy yourself out of that.
You get a monarch with very high DIP who can do that...

 

[TheBagelmeister]

I assume allying with Hungary is better than Venice. Especially considering Hungary already as Austria and Bohemia as allies.

Heh, it's nice to know people here respond fast.

 

[Mad King James]

Allying with Hungary will drag you into wars with the Hussites however, and they be tough SoBs, and this will occupy most of their attention and make them less useful allies. Your best bet is to hang on the coattails of the Ottoman Empire and steal all their seiges once you get Konstantinos Dragases.

The Ottomans are actually the best friends you can have, only they can defend you against the depradations of the perfidious Venetians.

 

[TheBagelmeister]

It's not like I'll end up helping them against the Hussites though. Anyway, Hungary starts out in two alliances, with one Austria and Bohemia, who'm fight the Hussites, and the other with Serbia. Since the one I end up allying is the one with Serbia, I might still get help in the Balkans.

 

[Hallsten]

Whatever you do, remember to keep a STRONG cavalry army in Constantinople and block the straits with your fleet.
If you can do that you might be able to cover the otto's european provinces and after that you're pretty much home free...

 

[TheBagelmeister]

I figured being allied to the Ottos in the short-run would help. I'd use that alliance to help take over some of the smaller greek states and some Venetian provinces, so in the long-run, I can take out the Ottos.

 

[Mad King James]

There now, that's thinking like a Byzantine!

 

[TheBagelmeister]

Come to think about it, the good thing about also owning Hellas, or any other province adjacent to the Aegean, is when I go to war with the OE. I can station my fleet in both seas without worrying about atrittion on them, allowing me to divide the empire in two.

 

[LlywelynII]

Come to think about it, the good thing about also owning Hellas, or any other province adjacent to the Aegean, is when I go to war with the OE. I can station my fleet in both seas without worrying about atrittion on them, allowing me to divide the empire in two.

Yep.

I still stand by my strategy file for BYZ:

"Survive.
Seriously, count yourself lucky if you end up keeping the Sultan out of your palace. Keep the peace as long as possible, guard your income, but build up your galleys and your cavalry for the war you know is coming. Fight in the plains, and block the straits. If you can, try picking on other small states like Theodoro and Athens, if only for the cash.
Once you're secure in the Balkans and Asia, it's up to you - there are more Orthodox provinces in the North, but Russia is forming and has much cheaper soldiers; Egypt is weak, but is no great prize; Latin Europe will have much faster tech growth for most of the game and France and Austria guard their spheres of influence jealously.
Of course, stranger things have happened than a Roman world conquest. Trebezond did it once."

I don't support leaving MOR in the lurch for sentimental reasons, but as long as TUR gets all the new provinces, you're just going to conquer them anyway...

jay.

 

[The Regent]

My first time through, the OE declared war on some small, new country in the middle east. This somehow led to Venice attacking Albania. The OE took Athens and moved all of its troops east. I took this opportunity to DOW them in hopes of taking Bulgaria and possibly Macedonia. I chose the peace option in 1424, so I only had my original 8,000 troops. I started to siege Macedonia with around 5,000 troops when I noticed the 20,000 OE troops at Byzantium(Constantinople, Thrace, whatever ). I'd forgotten that ships could block straits...

So this time around I chose to fight in 1424 and I have 13,000 troops. I can't seem to duplicate the war from the last time, so how does one manage to get the OE's army away from ripe targets? I don't really want to leave my alliance with Morea since I can keep a better eye on them till annexation that way. If I DOW a vassal of the OE while I too am a vassal of the OE, what will happen? Does stealing sieges work like in CK?

It's been too long since I've wandered the EU world...

 

[LlywelynII]

My first time through, the OE declared war on some small, new country in the middle east. This somehow led to Venice attacking Albania. The OE took Athens and moved all of its troops east. I took this opportunity to DOW them in hopes of taking Bulgaria and possibly

so how does one manage to get the OE's army away from ripe targets? I don't really want to leave my alliance with Morea since I can keep a better eye on them till annexation that way.

Either get lucky or simply build up your navy and cavalry until you can fight the OE armies one at a time. Try to keep them separated and to keep the main group of Ottoman troops in Anatolia, if you can.

There should be an event causing a Hungarian crusade after the Council of Florence, but it's not scripted yet.

If I DOW a vassal of the OE while I too am a vassal of the OE, what will happen?

OE gets a CB on you and might honor their alliance with the country you're attacking. They already have a CB on you, though, IIRC.

Does stealing sieges work like in CK?

yes.

jay.