Factions' starting units

Before starting a campaign you are given information about all factions' starting units. I have always assumed that having chosen one faction entails getting units of the chosen faction and the rest factions getting the units listed in the preview. Thus, starting as Aragonese and English in High vanilla expert I always saw Toulouse held by French troops headed by a multistar (4 IIRC) general. But when I chose the French, the said general had 0 command rating :furious3:. What's the catch? Is it trickery? Or does the AI distribute troops only quantity-minded disregarding the generals stats?

I'm not really sure about that, but I think the stats of the starting generals are - at least to an extent - random. Try starting one campaign with one faction three times and observe one unit: acumen, piety, loyalty will always differ (command will mostly be zero). It might be however that the AI is granted certain boni.

Apart from the historical "hero generals" such as Hassan ibn Sabbah (leader of the infamous Nizari Hashashin cult) in Syria or "El Cid" (Don Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar) in Valencia, etc, etc, the stats of starting generals are random and based on the stats and influence of the faction leader, like any other.

btw have you ever noticed that new units start to come with 1 star commander after you built Constable's Palace and/or Marshall's Palace (I don't remember which one exactly)? Does it really happen or it's just my imagination (coincidence)?

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Originally Posted by Stazi

btw have you ever noticed that new units start to come with 1 star commander after you built Constable's Palace and/or Marshall's Palace (I don't remember which one exactly)? Does it really happen or it's just my imagination (coincidence)?

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Haven't noted that in particular, but the king's influence and command rating will affect the starting stars of the generals. High enough and almost every unit will have a star general and 4 star random generals aren't uncommon.

For the op. Both England and France starts with getting a lot of namned historical generals, so it's quite possible that the French AI immidiate gets a high star general on his first turn.

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Originally Posted by Ironside

Both England and France starts with getting a lot of namned historical generals, so it's quite possible that the French AI immidiate gets a high star general on his first turn.

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Why does the AI get such a general, but if I play, I don't, that is the question.

This has already been answered: it's random apart from some hero generals.

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Originally Posted by Asai Nagamasa

the stats of starting generals are random and based on the stats and influence of the faction leader, like any other.

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Originally Posted by Gilrandir

Why does the AI get such a general, but if I play, I don't, that is the question.

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He should pop up in another province in that case, since you don't build like the AI. Try a waste campaign and only build troops in Toulouse (not peasants or ballista but UM, Hobilars etc). He should show up in time. The troop type is about some units being discouraged from being generals, thus not ever getting historical generals of this type.

Or simply read the historical general list file. They should show up 16 years after their birth, that's mentioned in that file.