Noob Question About Breeding/Bloodlines

[grasslandshield]

Hi guys, i'm just kind of starting to get into Total War. I've played Rome and now I'm getting into M2 and I have a question that I haven't been able to search an answer for.

It has to do with the family tree; I find in games my couples start to stop having kids and it causes me to not be able to keep my bloodline flowing and family tree in order. I read something about the number of provinces you control being related to your tree. If so, would I have to purposely not marry some of my princesses and perhaps even kill off certain members to ensure that my Prince will produce an heir?

Thanks!

[grasslandshield]

Anyone?? Lol :s

[Tsar Alexsandr]

I am obsessed with this lol. So... I am the right guy.

Anyhow, yes regions do vaguely correspond to the likelihood of acquiring heirs.

A small faction may have as many provinces as generals, around 3, and you should have one region per general if you want to ensure your family continues to give you heirs. More than that further increases your odds.

The thing is, sometimes that's not enough. I was slowed down in my Egyptian campaign by a small ruling family. To keep pushing on would have been unwise and opened up the possibility of an invasion. So they held the front lines and ran my cities for a few years until I got a fresh crop of sons. These sons would go on to conquer the Turks and build us a nice empire. (I had the money and power to keep pushing on, but what's the point if I'm doing it with captains?)

Anyhow... these sons are in their 20s and none of them have married yet. Therefore... I suspect I'll have another shortage of heirs soon.

So what can you do? Get men of the hour. Have captain's fight battles, adopt them as sons. Inject fresh blood into the royal family.

Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do, your generals are broken lol.

So men of the hour are the only sure answer. (Heroic victories will nearly always win you one, clear victories can too if the computer knows how bad you need it.)

If you follow the basic rules I suggested though, you shouldn't usually have to worry.

But as it's all probability... there's always a chance of this happening.

[Lord Godfrey]

I just restarted playing MTW2 (reloaded vanilla with no patches or mods) after a long (3+ years) break. I am playing as England and trying to use just natural born heirs by declining adoptions and man for the hour generals that spoil the famly tree. I wish there was a way to just have generals without them appearing on the family tree. Luckily I have a few daughters coming of age and I am comfortable with them marrying and having the son-in-laws on the family tree.

With just 3 of age sons and my King, I miss the old MTW functionality of awarding titles, that always seems like a realistic and historically accurate way to manage the kingdom. Its fun to start playing again and I found myself up until 3 am trying to squeeze just one more turn in.....France just backstab me (alliance from turn 2 when I married my heir to a french princess - knew it would eventually come to an end) and captured Rennes before the Pope threatened to excom me if I continued to attack. The time period has now passed and I have a two stacker that includes seige engines that is going to capture Paris in one turn as payback.....looking forward for the work day to be over so I can attack.

I forgot how fun the game was.

[Tsar Alexsandr]

I also don't adopt many people. I will on occasion take on new generals if they're really good, or if I'm having a shortage of generals. Which occasionally happens. But not too often.

My Egyptian family wasn't marrying anyone though, and my family seemed to be sort of in peril. I had a ton on young sons but they all weren't marrying. It was odd. I assume it was a fluke. But that said, it was all the same family. I hadn't needed to adopt anyone and I didn't have any daughters to marry off.

Sometimes I like to adopt a general or get a new family in the family so I can have men my princesses can marry. I usually keep my princesses. I take foreign ones for my princes, but I have my daughters marry good young generals. :D

Greedy about my family I guess lol.

The game is about Medieval war it's true, but it's equally about leadership and administration. Ensuring you have a long lasting dynasty. :D