Slight problem with my heirs as Sicily

[Kaidonni]

Hi again, long time no post. I've been playing XL recently, and have gotten into a bit of a tight spot.

I'm playing Sicily/Early/Hard/GA, and the year is 1123AD. My first king, King Roger I, died at the ripe old age of 71. I thought this was great, my king had lasted forever, no worries about dropping loyalty, etc, due to a new king with lower influence, etc.

Unfortunately, King Roger II is in his mid-forties, and the next heir, Prince William, is only a year or so younger. And King Roger II only just got married. I'm worried somewhat about what happens if he can't get any sons - of age - in enough time before he dies. Prince William isn't married either...

Am I in serious trouble? I mean, would the uncles be able to stand in for control over my empire instead, allowing me to continue playing? What problems would that cause? King Roger II's influence is 5, King Roger I had 6 influence when he died, if that makes any difference.

I currently own Sicily, Malta, Naples and Provence. I plan to invade Tunisia and Algeria (I think it's Algeria...I mean the province to the left of Tunisia), taking them from the Almoravids who do not have ample naval power...mine is superior.

I'm wondering if there might need to be a little 'accident' or two with some of the current older heirs...?

[macsen rufus]

Do you have any younger princes or just William? And are the "uncles" still princes or pensioned off as royal-blooded generals now? It sounds like it could be a risky time to start bumping off princes just because they're getting on a bit :laugh4: At least wait til you have someone younger to fall back on. I find that my kings generally find conquest to be bit of an aphrodisiac (I often get a "your wife has given birth" message after taking a new province or two), so that may be worth a try :2thumbsup:

[Kaidonni]

Oh, these 'uncles' are still princes at the moment. One is 32 (if I remember correctly) and the others are in their mid to early twenties.

I'm just worried because I'm not entirely certain how the heirs system works, and I keep thinking that once King Roger II dies...the next guy in line will be pretty old and the other princes might be relegated to being uncles at that point...and without an heir of age, it might cause me a serious problem.

[Ironside]

Basically if your kings get children they'll be the next in line, but if your king dies when the son hasn't yet come of age, his younger brothers will take the throne until a son has come of age.

So if the king dies childless and his brother produces a child and then dies, the third brother will take over until the second brother's child will come of age.
If the third brother would have children, his children will get in the royal line before the second brother's son if both sons should be old enough to get throne before the third brother dies iirc.

Basically the only time the royal line is in real danger is if you run out of hiers on the hier list and your king dies. You'll either get a civil war or game over.

[Kaidonni]

Ahhhh! Thanks. :)

That :oops: :eyebrows: almost turned into a :furious3: :wall:.

[doctrellor]

Funny, I don't have that problem.. My Sicilians seem to breed like rabbits..lol

I am normally seeing 2 princesses and up to 4 or 5 in heirs...

[Kaidonni]

Oh, there are plenty of princes. Just that King Roger II hasn't had any sons yet. Mind you, I'm about to launch an invasion against Serbia (changed my mind...the Almoravids are becoming a bit of a superpower...). That should give my king a boost :laugh4:.

[doctrellor]

Yeah I have noticed that in my games too..

What usually happens is that Aragon gets hit by France or Genoa, and Spain responds by taking Aragon and then getting thier butt kicked around..

All the while the Almos are storming Castile/Leon

65% the AI Almos win out in Spain
30% the Castile AI wins out
05% another faction wins out, usually the English

The factions NEVER, and I mean NEVER enjoy some peace, they seem to be perpetually at war...lol

as far as the Portugese, they always seem to be somebodies footnote in the annals of history...:P

Out of my games, the only unusual winner were the Eggys who had attacked the Almos from day 1.

[Ironside]

65% the AI Almos win out in Spain
30% the Castile AI wins out
05% another faction wins out, usually the English

The factions NEVER, and I mean NEVER enjoy some peace, they seem to be perpetually at war...lol


It can happen, the odds are only extremely low. Had an about 250 years peace between the Almohads and Spain once. Only change was that the Almohads took Castille from Spanish civil war rebels about 150 years into the game.

And they didn't broke the peace, but were wiped out by me after they attacked me.

VI 2.1 slighy modded, but nothing that had any influence on that peace.

[The Unknown Guy]

In Vanilla more often than not, if Almo is an AI and Castile is an AI, Castile wins, and becomes a juggernaut, due to Jinete spamming

[Roark]

I think Roger the Not-Very-Virile needs to die...

[Kaidonni]

Hehe. I dunno...maybe Don Marino Caetani the not-very-successful needs to drink a few of the other kings under the table and get them to marry off their princesses to my princes. I've conquered Serbia now, so that might start a boost in King Roger II's extra cirricular activities :laugh4:. I hope. Let's hope the real history of Norman Sicily does not replay (i.e. the ruling dynasty dying off and the Holy Roman Empire - or someone else in my case - claiming Sicily for themselves :sweatdrop:).