Generals Losing Skill

[Kommodus]

In my current campaign (Byzantine/High/Expert), I have a general who is a Mighty Warrior in every sense of the word. He's won victory after victory, sometimes against severe odds, and never lost a single battle. Often, he charges into battle himself and kills many of his enemies in personal combat; sometimes, these charges (at great personal risk) have turned defeat into victory, and cost him many of his own bodyguards. At his height, he had nine stars, and was a known as a Field Defense Specialist (+3 command when defending) and a Skilled Attacker (+1 command when attacking).

It was after he reached this glorious height of fame that the old Emperor died, and this man became Emperor in his stead at the age of 30. He immediately returned home to put down a civil war, and remained there until the age of 50, letting his other generals conduct the campaigns. At this time he returned to the frontiers to command his own troops. I noticed he had dropped to eight stars, and wondered why. However, he plunged into battle with his old gusto, continuing with his old habits of getting personally involved in the fighting, and immediately regained the ninth star. He was back at his peak.

However, he is now at the age of 58, and after his latest battle, some strange things happened. It was a good victory, like all his other battles; however, he did not kill anyone himself (he simply never had the opportunity). He has now dropped to 7 stars, and has acquired the Not So Bold vice (that's the only new virtue/vice that has been added; nothing subtracts from his command rating).

This man is, without a doubt, the greatest man in the history of the Empire. Besides his record on the battlefield, he is a Magnificent Builder, Magnificent Steward, etc. Does anyone know why his battlefield rating keeps dropping? Does it have something to do with his age? Also, does inaction cause generals to lose command stars?

[Suppiluliumas]

Are you using the Green Generals option? That will cause generals to die at 56 and thier heirs will have a lower command rating and less pronounced v/v's.

[Phatose]

Expert field Defender sounds like a very likely culprit. You keeping track of how that virtue would effect displayed stars? If he's gaining +3 sitting in his own provinces, then moving him into a castle or enemy territory would result in an apparent drop.

[Apocalyp$e]

Quote[/b] (Phatose @ April 11 2004,19:29)]Expert field Defender sounds like a very likely culprit. You keeping track of how that virtue would effect displayed stars? If he's gaining +3 sitting in his own provinces, then moving him into a castle or enemy territory would result in an apparent drop.
Ahhh, very good. That is likely what happened, You didn't see a drop in command afterwards.. You saw an increase beforehand...

[Kommodus]

Quote[/b] (Phatose @ April 11 2004,19:29)]Expert field Defender sounds like a very likely culprit. You keeping track of how that virtue would effect displayed stars? If he's gaining +3 sitting in his own provinces, then moving him into a castle or enemy territory would result in an apparent drop.
That's not the reason. I noticed he had 7 stars after the battle was over and the territory belonged to us. He had 9 stars without the +3 bonus for years. There were actually a couple of times that he dropped to 8 stars and had to win back his 9th star with another victory.

Don't the virtue/vice bonuses command stars only show up when battle is about to begin? For example, I move my 5-star Skilled Attacker into an enemy territory and I'll see a 6th star appear. Or, I am invaded in a territory where a 5-star Skilled Defender is stationed, and his command rating shows up as 6 (but unless his territory is invaded, it will still appear to be 5). Correct me if I'm wrong in this.

[Phatose]

Was the battle a castle assault? If so, that would explain it.

And no, not exactly. Skilled attacked appears when you order an attack on an enemy province. Skilled assaulted appears when you order an attack on an enemy castle. Skilled field defender, however, shows up whenever you are in one of your own provinces and not in a castle. An enemy does NOT have to be invading your province for it to show up.

[JAG]

As said, skilled defender and other defence virtues show up all the time. Is it possible that you won the battle and that there was a few enemy units in a caste in the territory? Meaning that his normal defence bonous was not added?

[Kommodus]

Now that I think about it, you guys might be right. (I thought the defensive bonus would only show up when the general's territory was invaded, so I assumed that the 9 stars he had while he was just sitting there were independent of the bonus.) When I saw him with 7 stars, I already owned the territory, but I'd forgotten that I'd ordered him to assault the castle. Come to think of it, he's only dropped to 8 stars when attacking an enemy territory. He probably has 7 stars without bonuses, +1 when attacking, +3 when defending (up to the 9-star max), and no bonus when assaulting castles. This makes sense to me; I'll check it out to make certain of it next time I get a chance.

Now if I can just get rid of that ridiculous Not So Bold vice...
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-inquisitive.gif

[Kommodus]

Yep, you guys were right. He had nine stars because of his defensive bonus. Without the bonus, he'd have only 7 stars. Thanks for the info

[JAG]

It is a pleasure.

[Apocalyp$e]

Quote[/b] (Kommodus @ April 12 2004,08:04)]Now if I can just get rid of that ridiculous Not So Bold vice...
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-inquisitive.gif
ha, if only I could get rid of my very lazy, drinker, pervert king.... Absolutly NO redeeming factors whatsoever...

[motorhead]

Quote[/b] ]Now if I can just get rid of that ridiculous Not So Bold vice...
If yer playing regular MTW, the only way to avoid that line of traits is to ensure your general regularly gets in some melee combat. Of course, if he gets routed during melee he'll likely pick up doubtful courage, so don't fling him around. With VI that requirement seems to have been removed (or at least much harder to pick up) and generals can avoid hand-to-hand w/o penalty.

[katank]

it's pretty easy to avoid though.

most of the time my generals are heavy cav and are thus fairly durable.

I need them to deliver rear/flanking blows anyhow so I routinely send them into a scrap that is fairly safe.

[Kommodus]

Quote[/b] (katank @ April 13 2004,14:11)]it's pretty easy to avoid though.

most of the time my generals are heavy cav and are thus fairly durable.

I need them to deliver rear/flanking blows anyhow so I routinely send them into a scrap that is fairly safe.
Yes, I do the same with many of my generals. What I find ridiculous is that this guy fought hand-to-hand in battle after battle, and then picked up the Not So Bold vice after failing to do so in one single fight I mean, he should be Famously Brave or something by now, not Not So Bold.