Quote Originally Posted by TinCow
FYI, the computer doesn't 'pick' the heir... it uses a hereditary system. It first goes to the eldest son. If no sons, to eldest brother. If no eldest brother, to the eldest son of the eldest daughter (I think). The computer doesn't actually make any quality choices, it just takes whoever is next in line. Keep in mind, heir is determined when the new leader is chosen. Thus, a son born to the faction leader later on would not be the heir because the computer doesn't re-evaluate heirs.
In my experience that is not the way it goes. In my case, it could have picked the eldest son of the new leader -- his first-born was a daughter, but he had two sons as well (but no grandkids) -- but didn't. He could have picked the eldest brother of the new leader, but didn't. The new leader was the eldest of the ex-leaders three sons, and the auto-picked heir was the youngest of them. (He was, at the time, the brother with the highest influence rating though; I suppose he's still a good speaker when he's sober, but...)