Quote Originally Posted by johnhughthom View Post
I've got the feeling that's probably mainly due to them being pessimistic, I'm not sure there is a way to combat it. Apart from not accepting pessimistic suitors or adoptees.
Course that doesn't stop you getting mewling idiots for children.

I find it seems to go in waves like that. You get a generation of superb generals and administrators, then most of their children are incompetents and lunatics. Not even deliberately suiciding them before they spawn any children of their own is much of a solution.

Sometimes if you're lucky, their children turn out to be alright.