Legitimate, Illegitimate, and Adopted Family Members

So, the family tree makes distinctions among these 3 categories of descendants. What's not clear to me is if these distinctions mean anything for gameplay, or if they're just immersion-enhancing "window-dressing". An increased tendency to sire illegitimate offspring is identified as a negative trait; which would seem to imply that such heirs have some sort of baggage attached...as far as I can tell so far, however, there isn't any actual downside.

Is there some advantage to having a legitimate-bloodline FH? My current FH is adopted, but didn't really have a choice, as the FL has no surviving male heirs (not even a bastard). But in the next generation, I've got a bastard and a legitimate son (in a different branch; not same father) coming up. The illegitimate candidate just came of age; I don't see any negative "bastard" or "illegitimate" traits in his profile. Nor do I see any such negative traits for my current adopted FH.

So I guess my question is: All else being roughly equal trait-wise, will there any tangible gameplay reason to choose legitimacy over illegitimacy? For example, will choosing the illegitimate son cause a bigger loyalty hit in his legitimate cousin, than if I went the other way around?

The last time I played a TW game with a family tree like this was either R1 or M2; either way, it was long enough ago that I just don't remember.

I can't tell you how it works mechanics-wise because I haven't played any campaign long enough to see what's what. All I can say is that they shouldn't have much difference for the Roman Empires whether they're legitimate, illegitimate or adopted. In Roman culture emperors often adopted people and made them heir.

Guess I should've mentioned I happen to be playing Saxons...

None of my multitude of bastards are legitimate yet, but people report they make as good generals as any regular offspring. I believe, if a bastard becomes the heir, pure blood members get a loyalty hit.

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Originally Posted by Slaists

I believe, if a bastard becomes the heir, pure blood members get a loyalty hit.

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While I haven't seen it yet that would make sense. It's consistent with your other leaders taking hits if you give subordinates offices over them. However, has anyone tried adoption? I have yet to see it even as a option in my ERE campaign so I am curious who can be adopted or how it works.

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Originally Posted by Seyavash

While I haven't seen it yet that would make sense. It's consistent with your other leaders taking hits if you give subordinates offices over them. However, has anyone tried adoption? I have yet to see it even as a option in my ERE campaign so I am curious who can be adopted or how it works.

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Yep, I adopted an opposing family member early in campaign when all my FL's blood sons died, needed an FH. If there were any ill effects from it, they were small enough that I didn't notice. Of course, there was no one to be jealous of him; lack of male family members was the whole reason I adopted in the first place.