Tips on returning from a Crusade

[opaxite]

I just experienced the most tedious return from a crusade which took around 15 years of my FL's life. Here's what happened:

First, I disbanded the mercenary ship which took my army across mediterranean. It was surrounded by pirates and I thought I'd just hire another once the crusade is over. Well, after the crusade was over, there were no ships available anywhere along the coast and I had to take the land route.

Then the crusader, my FL Książę Zwierchni Siemowit, got ill with severe pneumonia, which significantly reduced both his movement and sight range. This meant that for good 10 turns, I was constantly running into other faction's armies, before I even moved out of Syria. This only led to other traits like Poor logistician, further extending the misery.

I kept running into dead ends in Anatolia, narrow passages blocked off by cities, before finally finding a northern route to the black sea, where I took the eastern coast towards Krym. By that time, another Crusade was called, and I was finally able to pick up some much needed speed.

In the end, Suffering severe pneumonia for many years left my FL cruelly deformed and unfit for office, right when I only needed one more province to crown him a King.

Now my question is, what are the lessons here?
My ideas so far:

1. Have a "backup" ship ready somewhere in the mediterranean in case the primary ship gets destroyed.
2. Always send a spy (or two even) with the crusading army, so they can scout ahead on land.
3. Equip the crusade leader with ancillaries that provide bonuses to movement and sight range.

Any other tips? How do you train your generals to be good crusade logisticians? What do you do when they get ill far from home?

[Jurand of Cracow]

I just experienced the most tedious return from a crusade which took around 15 years of my FL's life. Here's what happened:

First, I disbanded the mercenary ship which took my army across mediterranean. It was surrounded by pirates and I thought I'd just hire another once the crusade is over. Well, after the crusade was over, there were no ships available anywhere along the coast and I had to take the land route.

Then the crusader, my FL Książę Zwierchni Siemowit, got ill with severe pneumonia, which significantly reduced both his movement and sight range. This meant that for good 10 turns, I was constantly running into other faction's armies, before I even moved out of Syria. This only led to other traits like Poor logistician, further extending the misery.

I kept running into dead ends in Anatolia, narrow passages blocked off by cities, before finally finding a northern route to the black sea, where I took the eastern coast towards Krym. By that time, another Crusade was called, and I was finally able to pick up some much needed speed.

In the end, Suffering severe pneumonia for many years left my FL cruelly deformed and unfit for office, right when I only needed one more province to crown him a King.

Now my question is, what are the lessons here?
My ideas so far:

1. Have a "backup" ship ready somewhere in the mediterranean in case the primary ship gets destroyed.
2. Always send a spy (or two even) with the crusading army, so they can scout ahead on land.
3. Equip the crusade leader with ancillaries that provide bonuses to movement and sight range.

Any other tips? How do you train your generals to be good crusade logisticians? What do you do when they get ill far from home?

Interesting story, shows how dangerous going on a crusade was ;-)
I personally have limited experience with the crusades - and as Poland I have avoided them as this was also historical ;-). The Poor Logistician trait awaits a review...

May other players would report on their experience with the crusades?

[meltorizor]

Just went to my first after hiding for the first two and bribing the pope into good relations again. Planned it wisely with a really solid and expensive army, a young rising star general, with a cardinal, a spy, an assassin and a diplomat to conquer Asqalan. Arrived by ship at the port just to see the french stack already being there and somehow even faster although going the whole way by foot and to instantly run into a full stack of a superior quality cavalry army. Only 3 units were non superior quality infantry. This stack alone would cost the player 16k upkeep each round. Tried to manouver around, then a second superior cavalry stack appeared. Also the ratio infantry to cavalry seems to be 1:5. Should be the other way round I think. Even the city defense contained mostly cavalry, which is obviously nonsense. However, to no suprise, I got my ass whooped on my assumed nicely planned crusade and only cried for about 10 minutes.

PS: any way I can tinker around with recruitment preferences of the AI? This seems like a fixable problem.

[valerius karamanus]

I have increased movement points of armies and navies in descr_character to get round this issue. Takes 7-8 turns from North Sea to Levantine Sea. Also helps the AI that way. There may be a historical side to generals spending a lifetime in the holy lands, but that lifetime certainly could not have spent on the road.

[Jurand of Cracow]

The crusades provide (or will provide) also other benefits. For instance, see here:

{FRANCE20_HOPITAL_TONNERRE_BODY}Hôtel-Dieu Notre-Dame des Fontenilles was founded in 1293 by Marguerite of Burgundy, wife of Charles d'Anjou, king of Sicily and Jerusalem. It was one of the first and largest hospitals in Medieval France. The building's dimensions are impressive: it has a 4,500-square-meter (50,000 sq ft) roof (originally covered in glazed tiles), main hall that is 90 meters (300 ft) long by 18.2 meters (60 ft) wide by 27 meters (89 ft) high. The ceiling is paneled and the enormous framework is in the form of a hull of an overturned ship. Up to 40 patients could be treated.\n\nGAME STRATEGY: from now on, the French charity buildings will provide a bit more health.
{FRANCE20_HOPITAL_TONNERRE_TITLE}Hôtel-Dieu at Tonnerre

if I_EventCounter FRANCE20_HOPITAL_TONNERRE = 0 ; additional health bonus from charity buildings
and I_SettlementOwner Jerusalem = france
log ------ hopital tonnerre
historic_event FRANCE20_HOPITAL_TONNERRE factions { france, hre, england, poland, hungary, aragon, spain, portugal, }
end_if

{ charity3 city requires factions { northern_european, southern_european, eastern_european, greek, middle_eastern, } and building_present_min_level city_hall council_chambers
{
capability
{
happiness_bonus bonus 1 requires factions { all, } and not event_counter FL_policy_thinks_of_his_people 1
happiness_bonus bonus 2 requires factions { all, } and event_counter FL_policy_thinks_of_his_people 1

population_health_bonus bonus 3 requires factions { greek, middle_eastern, }


population_health_bonus bonus 3 requires factions { northern_european, southern_european, eastern_european, } and not event_counter hildegard_of_bingen 1
population_health_bonus bonus 4 requires factions { northern_european, southern_european, eastern_european, } and event_counter hildegard_of_bingen 1 and not event_counter new_era_begins 1
population_health_bonus bonus 5 requires factions { northern_european, southern_european, eastern_european, } and event_counter new_era_begins 1


population_health_bonus bonus 1 requires factions { france, } and event_counter FRANCE20_HOPITAL_TONNERRE 1

population_growth_bonus bonus -2 ; growth is replaced by health above

;---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
; UPKEEP
income_bonus bonus -50
}
material stone
construction 2
cost 4000
settlement_min city
upgrades
{
charity4
}
}