Quote Originally Posted by Havok. View Post
but i'm playin as Luso, and we dont have fancy academies like ye bloody dogs!
But the fact remains that using teaching groves or what ever the Luso have to teach is an excellent way to improve your FM. Also while you can not control coming of age genetics as well as other sources. To keep a good gene pool in most campaigns I only allow marriages/adoptions with all 3 physical traits are positive. It may take alonger time to get potentially more FM but it serves to slow down expanssion and increase the changes of a good gene pool all around.
Lastly while many of your FM may be crappy commanders, when it come down to it you only need two or three FM fighting and the rest playing governor. It may take some planning but with the minimmum number of armies fighting led by generals, you ensure that fighting related traits and retinue are concentrated on a few family members. If everyone of your FM is fighting local battles it turns into a jack of all trade master of none. I try to have an old general and a young general, and just keep the cycle going. When the old general reaches 55ish (?depends) I have the two generals meet for a party and retinue exchange, that way I don't loose his fighting experience. Then old general retires to a comfy governor post, a promising young canidate is selected from the FM pool, and the process begins again.