FM development - maximize their potential

[fomalhaut]

How can i avoid that my parthian governors gains the "Nomadic Nature" trait when making the reforms...?

by marrying Persians, basically. Parthians, Arsacids, Dahae are going to be nomadic basically no matter what. once you begin your true transition into sedentary lifestyle, the best thing to do is to marry Persians into your family. they are great administrators, and in my roleplay world its basically the logical answer. Persians know how to rule their old lands better than Nomads

[NikosMaximilian]

What you choose to build and recruit also influence the development of the FM. If your FM lives long enough to go through mines construction and upgrades, he might get the "Excellent Miner" trait, which is great for the economy. If you neglect farms and build them after every other type of building available, the "poor farmer" trait could appear.

If you recruit lots of spies and assassins who perform sucessful missions, you also get "spy recruit", "master of assassins" and others. If your FM recruits lots and lots of mercenaries, he gets the "Mercenary Captain" one, which gives a bonus on recruitment.

His ethniticity and the location of the city he governs will also influence. A Saka/Pahlava FM who is a good trader is likely to gain the Silk/Spice Merchant in his retinue. An Hellenic FM left in the wilderness or guarding some fort for most of his life is very likely to be ignorant or a country bumpkin.

[fomalhaut]

I always make sure my field generals get the merc captain, the benefits are too great for such a low input. just hire some auxila, kretan archers or balearic slingers, and you will get +1 attack, discount, other stuff. plus i like the idea of having a badass merc captain in my retinue, scaring off the clerks

[moonburn]

another important factor besides the schooling and the diferent parts of university life (like 1st agoge then athenian for the eleusians) is making sure your general is selfish if you´re going to send him on punitive slash and hack campaigns unselfish people make amazing freedom defendors but as generals they get terrible traits when they´re forçed to decimate a city and raze it to the ground

also many traits depend on the culture he is part of in keltik society influence and management trump military skill while for the ptolemaioi it seems the most important part is influence while for the makedonians military skill rules above anything else (just like the casse wich are diferent from other kelts)

[The_Blacksmith]

by marrying Persians, basically. Parthians, Arsacids, Dahae are going to be nomadic basically no matter what. once you begin your true transition into sedentary lifestyle, the best thing to do is to marry Persians into your family. they are great administrators, and in my roleplay world its basically the logical answer. Persians know how to rule their old lands better than Nomads

i just had 3 persians with normadic nature... because they were in a city douring the build of either "Settled Aristocracy" or "Warlords Herds" or "Settled Community"

[Drewski]

Three words:- Education, Education, Education (or is that one word);)

As for producing a very unusual character, I once experimented with an FM. He never entered a city after he came of age, and spent his entire life chasing, fighting and ambushing armies in the general Illyria/Thrace region. He picked up some ancilleries I hadn't seen before, and eventually became some mythical "ghostlike" figure, that was spoken of but never seen. If he ever entered a city at that point, he'd cause massive unrest. Great RP charcter, and amazing general by middle age.

At the moment in a Rome campaign, I have a bribed Luso general (23,000 mnai! the utter cheapskate). He had 3 stars and no ancils. Taken him to Rome, and he's already become semi-educated with some decent followers. My pet project :)

[Ksifos]

As for producing a very unusual character, I once experimented with an FM. He never entered a city after he came of age, and spent his entire life chasing, fighting and ambushing armies in the general Illyria/Thrace region. He picked up some ancilleries I hadn't seen before, and eventually became some mythical "ghostlike" figure, that was spoken of but never seen.

That sounds interesting to test.Thanks Drewski.

[moonburn]

As for producing a very unusual character, I once experimented with an FM. He never entered a city after he came of age, and spent his entire life chasing, fighting and ambushing armies in the general Illyria/Thrace region. He picked up some ancilleries I hadn't seen before, and eventually became some mythical "ghostlike" figure, that was spoken of but never seen. If he ever entered a city at that point, he'd cause massive unrest. Great RP charcter, and amazing general by middle age.

so basically he was never used to conquer a city ? all my generals have to enter cities in siege total war :\

[fomalhaut]

boy do i wish bribeds generals retained their original bodyguards

[Drewski]

so basically he was never used to conquer a city ? all my generals have to enter cities in siege total war :\

No I'm pretty sure he didn't. I'm a little sketchy on the exact details (was a while back). Things I do remember, was that I was Rome, he was only allowed mercenary armies, and that he mainly fought brigands, and Epirotes; but lots of them. He started out getting hermit like traits, then became some kind of great prophet/oracle. If anyone wants to try this, I'd suggest ONLY using a vigourous character. Probably helps if he's a little weird to start with too ;)

[Ksifos]

so basically he was never used to conquer a city ? all my generals have to enter cities in siege total war :\

There is no "city effect" at the turn your FM conquers the city and enters it.Only if he stays a whole turn inside he becomes affected.At least that is what happened in Vanilla.

[vollorix]

Some effects, traits, and even ancillaries, iirc, are not tied to 100% movement points ( stayed in town for 1 full round ), but to 75% or smaller number.

[The_Blacksmith]

i just had 3 persians with normadic nature... because they were in a city douring the build of either "Settled Aristocracy" or "Warlords Herds" or "Settled Community"

does noone want to answer this?

[vollorix]

All my Parthian FM used to have "Lives on the move" trait at the start. After a while spent gouverning the town which i was developing to a settled community ( i think it may start with "Pastoralism" thing ), they all wanted to settle, except some really stubborn Dahae freaks, but...even those have changed their opinion after about 10 years gouverning a Persian city.