Playing as the papal state! Thought I'd immerse myself in the whole curia and holy roman business. Though truth be told I'm not sure how papal influence really works when your nation is ruled by the pope.
Couple of things that confuse me so here's some questions. First on the HRE (I joined it, can't be having a roman empire without ol' roma can we?!), I understand the emperor will intervene with any defensive wars by its member nations. Now what if I am allied with the emperor, will they honor the alliance or put their obligation as the emperor first should I start a war with another member nation? Also if I want to become emperor (big ambissions I know) I take it I have to curry favor with the electors?
Next the curia. I half get how the cardinal stuff works, I should be able to figure that out. What boggles me is that relation with the papal states factors in what actions can be taken by the curia controller. Is that my nation? Can I effectively have some control over what the curia controler can do by managing my relation to other nations? Or more so when I am curia controller myself, I pretty much have free reign (as far as I can manipulate my nations opinion on them) to call crusades or excommunicate, provided I have the papal influence? Lastly I see you get papal influence based on relation to papal states, I assume I don't get that...being that I can't have a relation with my own nation.
Other then that, pretty funny to see the pope leading troops into battle when I make a commander out of him. Not so much that I can't change government, always having really old rulers and stability drops, or marry, but I suppose the lastcomes with being chaste.