Help! All mi generals are useless morons!

[Dayve]

Good day to all.

I'm playing as the Romani and the year is 227BC! The last family member that i started the campaign with has just died in the city of Rome, i call him Caius Africanus, the last great Roman... Many lands he conquered for Rome... Taras and Rhegion before he was even 25 years of age, destroyed the Cartheginian threat in Sicily and then went on to conquer all of Sicily, Karali and Alalia... Bononia in the north and Sagestica and Dalmatia in the east... Then he returned to Rome to live out his last years as faction leader, but for some reason the people of the city he had done so much for were unhappy with him being governor of their city... He died at 58. ...Or was it 62? :inquisitive:

I call him the last of the great Romans (the others being the other family members i started with) for the following reason: Every family member i have adopted/has been born after those first starting family members is an imbecile! All have turned out to be good governors but terrible battlefield commanders... I'm creeping towards the first set of reforms at the moment and when i get those i will be strong enough to begin conquering once more, as most of the other factions around me are fielding superior troops and also superior generals... Now my last good general is gone my armies are fit only for the defence of the lands he has conquered. My current young generals are all cowards or unsuited to battle and the like... A glimmer of hope when i adopted a sharp/charismatic/vigorous 16 year old with the characteristics of a possible future hero and faction leader... I promptly gave him an army and sent him into the barbarian lands to the north for some training, but he was killed by a javelin half way through his first battle... :laugh4: So much for the hero.

Another reason i'm having this trouble is because my empire, since i conquered Dalmatia (which has a ton of mines and is an awesome city for trading and income) i've become VERY rich... And all my generals become wealthy, conoseurs(SP badly wrong), lovers of beauty and generally bad battlefield commanders... Also i'm not at war with anybody at all right now apart from rebels due to my armed forces being pretty much obsolete compared to my surrounding neighbours (especially the Epirotes who are fielding really scary looking troops, thank the gods i haven't had to fight them yet) so i've just been hoarding my troops up along borders and letting all my family members be governors...

What can i do to rectify this problem in time for the polybian(is that right?) reforms? Once those hit i plan on expanding east along the rich costal cities of the Greek peninsula and west into Gaul.

By the way i'm still loving the mod, best mod for RTW hands down, RTR just doesn't even come close and its future builds will not either...

[Jarardo]

Umm, well if you dont have "enough" generals, the game will offer you more for addoption. I think if you have a very low number of them, you'll get a lot of offers.

...

So if some of your generals dissapear into the gealic wilderness, things might go better for Rome?

[hsimoorb]

I have a similar problem. An entire generation of my nobiles became usless generals, and exemplary administrators. Also nearly half became blasphemous and morose so that thier presense on the bttlefield was counterproductive. I have had only one good general yet, Vibius Secundus Africanus. Concured so. italy, scicily, corsica, sardinia, spain, and africa, and spent 20 year fighting the Ptolemies. He dies as a 3 star general, after gaining the "seen the elephant" trait sometime in his 30s. No I have 43 family members and not a single command star.

[Jarardo]

I haven't played a whole Roman campaign yet, but as I understand it, its all adoption based. Maybe you should be more discriminating when accepting members into the family? I'm pretty sure the game will start to throw a lot of adoption canidates if you have a small family member-to empire size ratio.

But I could be wrong, in which case...oh hell, who are we kidding, when have I ever been wrong?

[Malrubius]

I haven't played a whole Roman campaign yet, but as I understand it, its all adoption based. Maybe you should be more discriminating when accepting members into the family? I'm pretty sure the game will start to throw a lot of adoption canidates if you have a small family member-to empire size ratio.

But I could be wrong, in which case...oh hell, who are we kidding, when have I ever been wrong?

Yeah, that's good advice. If the game is trying to give you a sorry adoptee, and you can live without him, you can wait a turn or two and you'll probably get another offer. It's based on a ratio that the game tries to maintain: about 1 general for every 2 provinces.

[Avicenna]

Interesting... in my RTR game (waiting for the 1.0 EB version to come out before playing it) almost half of my adopted and married characters start off with 3 stars (ie are good generals). Hardly a good governor anywhere.

[Malrubius]

Don't worry; I'm to nerf the Management scrolls a bit as well, and am still tweaking the command stars advancement (getting 2-3 shouldn't be impossible).

[Chester]

I've never got a triumph todate.

Last night, I fougth 5 back to back attacks from the Sweboz. The last two attacks had me favored at 4:5. The enemy had the advantage, I got two heroic victories and 3 clear victories. I started with 2500 troops and by the end of the 5th battle I had about 200. The AI hit be 5 times staight, battle after battle. It was one of the most intense games of RTW that I've ever played.

And guess what, still no TRIUMPH! I was seeing elephants and was already long ago a vanquisher of Germania.

My general will die of old age soon, just like my other general who came close to winning an Afircan Triumph, but died of old age prior to recieving his due credit.

Both Generals fought in over 25 battles, large ones.

Amazingly enough, he only had 3 command stars, regardless of the 5 back to backs, and a life time of killing Germans. I just can't make it happen.

[O'ETAIPOS]

I think you need to send him to Roma when you want triumph.

[Chester]

I have not been told to go back to roma and I don't have the "imperator" trait.

[Dayve]

Nah i have plenty of generals in my game... I have 15(give or take 1) cities and all but i think 1 of them has a governor because he is currently in the field with an army... I do get adoptions often but all are crap... 9 out of 10 are dull... 5 out of 10 are dull AND uncharismatic...

My generals are having kids like crazy... The 3 generals i started with all had at least 2 boy children and the guy who's last name is Blasio had 3 boys and a girl...

[O'ETAIPOS]

Makedon problem - both Antigonos and Alykoneus sons immature at the game start are dull/uncharismatic/langorous and some more bad traits. Is it my bad luck? bug? feature? as this happened two times.

this is a problem as i do not want to give throne to some Hellenes or thessalians (adopteers) who are very good.

[paullus]

They shouldn't be that fertile, should they?

[SwordsMaster]

You never know. In the last few years, at least 6 of my generals have aquired a "mistress" ancilla, and they all have kids now.

[Dayve]

Let me put it another way... When a Roman child comes of age in my campaign, he is usually dull, very rarely sharp and a lot of the time has traits that give -1 command or morale...

When i put a family member in a city to be a governor for even 2 or 3 years because i am at peace with everybody right now and having them in the field is pointless, he quickly becomes useless as a general because he gains so many bad traits...

As for adoption... I'm still waiting to see even a HALF DECENT candidate... Wanna see my latest candidate? Prepare to laugh...

https://img368.imageshack.us/img368/8616/doesitgetanyworse1cy.jpg (https://imageshack.us)

Right i finally just got a wonderful candidate for adoption... He's 18... Sharp/charismatic/vigorous, unselfish, loyal, in rude health... He's the one... Future hero and faction leader... I'll be sure not to let him get killed in battle by rebel javelinmen.

[john289]

I'm proud of one, and only one, general in all of my EB campaigns. He was the son of an Ipea Gaul, but his mother most of been plain Gaul, because he turned out a plain Gaul. Anyways, I had positioned his father to be the Governor of Bibracte. He was born just after I had extended my sphere of influence to all of Italia and Iberia, and was attempting to expand it into Carthage.

His father was a brilliant man with 10 influence and management, but with only 3 command stars. I could tell this might be the Gaullic Alexander the second he was born, sharp/charismatic/vigorous and unselfish/optimistic/loyal. I don't have a screenshot of the starting traits, but they were something like extroverted, optimistic(the trait) and hale and hearty. I passed as many combat related ancilliaries to him as I could. At the time of his birth I was having some bandit related provinces in Gaul, so i sent his bodyguard unit and him with zero supporting cast at them and autoassigned, which is pretty effective, actually. Within two years he had the famously courageous trait, the special Celtic related bravery trait, veteran, good attacker, warmonger, tier2 good leader/tactician. With the ancilliaries, he had 9 Command stars when attacking, which easily beat out/tied the AI and their boost.

I sent him to Carthaginian front and even though he's only 23, he's succesfully conquered all their large settlements and defeated thier army, which accelerated my warplan tremendously. Without Qart Hadast itself, they started soaring into debt(they'd stayed out even though i'd taken all their islands and holdings in Iberia) and crushed their standing armies, which was no easy task. The only reason I managed to defeat those big powerful Elite African Infantry and Pikemen was because of the morale boost he gave to troops. Troops that fought with him just wouldn't break.

Once he'd limited the Carthaginians to only desert provinces and had them weakened to the point of no return, I sent him back to Gaul, as the Sweboz were trying to rampage into my territory. He stopped them dead in their tracks and made Germania a province of Gaul, although I added a roleplay element and had him initiate reforms in all formerly German held settlements. I currently having him leading a Guerrilla war from Qart Hadast against the remnants of the Carthaginian military, and I'm enjoying immensly, as it really does feel like a tribal desert war, nearly all the troops used on both sides of the conflict are Numidian Javelinmen. Almost as much as I enjoyed typing this longass post out. Almost. After the buisness with Carthage is settled, I plan to have him lead and coordinate and invasion of Greece from Crete and Southern Italia. It shouldn't be hard, I'll just take out the Makedonians first, then go after the Hellenes, and finally turn on my allies, the Epeirotes. After that, you know, I'll have a new general take over that's about 30 years younger and have him go after the Dacians(who I'm using as a proxy state to prevent Armenian Generals from getting too ambitious in the steppe). Once that buisness is handled, I'll have all of mainland Europe except for Britain, who is obviously next on the list. If there's time left to continue the campaign, meaning a new version or patch doesn't come out, I'll begin expeditions in the East which I expect to be easy. The Neitos don't be fallin to no Machimoi Phalangati.

EB members are right when they say that you will eventually just get a guy that totally dominates the field. You'll usually be able to see him coming aswell. I do however, wish that the AI command star boost would be removed because it makes 99 percent of my generals look bad and I don't see how it adds balance into the game.

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Wow. You should post a screenshot of him! Sounds like one of the best anyone has had, but that's what is so cool - not every generation of every campaign has these type guys.

[Dayve]

Actually i was thinking about it last night... It's pretty realistic like this... Every generation back then there is 1 man who really shines as a battlefield commander, maybe 2... The rest just never get the chance or just don't have it in them, i guess this is how the EB team tried to make it yes?

[QwertyMIDX]

Yeah, Alexanders are few and far between.

[Dayve]

Alexander had a lot of luck involved though... Apart from the disorganized bands of levied peasants he faced... Well... That's pretty much all he ever faced to be honest... I meant proper generals who had teh 1337 like Hannibal or Caesar. *Prepares for the incoming flames for saying Alexander was lucky*

Units! Stand your ground!

-Yes Strappy horse!

[Ludens]

Alexander had a lot of luck involved though... Apart from the disorganized bands of levied peasants he faced... Well... That's pretty much all he ever faced to be honest... I meant proper generals who had teh 1337 like Hannibal or Caesar. *Prepares for the incoming flames for saying Alexander was lucky*
Alexander faced many different enemies, not just the Persian armies (which, indeed, where mainly peasants, but also contained many good units): Greeks, Scyths, Indians, mountain tribes from all over the continent. Are you saying these were all peasants?

[QwertyMIDX]

Well he is right to say Alexander was lucky, but so was every other succesful general. I'd also say the Persian Royal Army wasn't a mob of peasants, especially the cavalry wing.

[Olaf The Great]

Good day to all.

I'm playing as the Romani and the year is 227BC! The last family member that i started the campaign with has just died in the city of Rome, i call him Caius Africanus, the last great Roman... Many lands he conquered for Rome... Taras and Rhegion before he was even 25 years of age, destroyed the Cartheginian threat in Sicily and then went on to conquer all of Sicily, Karali and Alalia... Bononia in the north and Sagestica and Dalmatia in the east... Then he returned to Rome to live out his last years as faction leader, but for some reason the people of the city he had done so much for were unhappy with him being governor of their city... He died at 58. ...Or was it 62? :inquisitive:

I call him the last of the great Romans (the others being the other family members i started with) for the following reason: Every family member i have adopted/has been born after those first starting family members is an imbecile! All have turned out to be good governors but terrible battlefield commanders... I'm creeping towards the first set of reforms at the moment and when i get those i will be strong enough to begin conquering once more, as most of the other factions around me are fielding superior troops and also superior generals... Now my last good general is gone my armies are fit only for the defence of the lands he has conquered. My current young generals are all cowards or unsuited to battle and the like... A glimmer of hope when i adopted a sharp/charismatic/vigorous 16 year old with the characteristics of a possible future hero and faction leader... I promptly gave him an army and sent him into the barbarian lands to the north for some training, but he was killed by a javelin half way through his first battle... :laugh4: So much for the hero.

Another reason i'm having this trouble is because my empire, since i conquered Dalmatia (which has a ton of mines and is an awesome city for trading and income) i've become VERY rich... And all my generals become wealthy, conoseurs(SP badly wrong), lovers of beauty and generally bad battlefield commanders... Also i'm not at war with anybody at all right now apart from rebels due to my armed forces being pretty much obsolete compared to my surrounding neighbours (especially the Epirotes who are fielding really scary looking troops, thank the gods i haven't had to fight them yet) so i've just been hoarding my troops up along borders and letting all my family members be governors...

What can i do to rectify this problem in time for the polybian(is that right?) reforms? Once those hit i plan on expanding east along the rich costal cities of the Greek peninsula and west into Gaul.

By the way i'm still loving the mod, best mod for RTW hands down, RTR just doesn't even come close and its future builds will not either...
1-Kill off the really bad ones,or send them to a academy to kill off the bad traits.
2-Bribe enemy generals and armies,to get rid of the extra money AND to get good generals from this point.(Including the bribed generl).

[Dayve]

The problem is mostly sorted out now. It's 199BC and i have 4 competent legion commanders. My faction leader and faction heir, each with 2 command stars who are both campaigning in Greece. Another one sitting in Sagestica who has 1 comand star waiting for a family member to become available to govern the city, and 1 garrisoned in a fort along my northern border with the barbarians with a full legion.

I've sorted out the huge numbers of money problem by lowering taxes and giving all my cities daily games... If i need more i just raise taxes, if it gets to much i lower them again. Still a lot of my field generals have to be stripped of their legions because they become 'lovers of beauty'... This has happened twice now but i'm not letting my balance go above 50k so this should keep it sorted out.

[O'ETAIPOS]

The easiest way to get rid of not needed money is to build a fleet. It has the other good side that you will check if the ships are OK ~;)