I've now double-checked sunsmountain's criticisms and found them to be correct in every respect - so my Treatise has been edited to reflect the correct position. The only section that was affected was the one headed 'Build Wisely' in the chapter 'On Raising Good Governors'. I've also clarified information on the Temples of Love and of Trade in the section above.

The problem arose because I'd misinterpreted the condition called 'SettlementBuildingFinished' in the file export_descr_character_traits.txt - I thought it referred to whether the building had ever been finished in the settlement (which would actually make it the same as SettlementBuildingExists). In fact it refers only to the building that has just been completed. This post makes it clear, as well as explaining in a bit more detail how trait changes are triggered.


Just to clarify one area:

Quote Originally Posted by sunsmountain
Because of no going back its good strategy to have every governor build:
- 3 farms
- mines when necessary (destroy and rebuild once)
- 4 traders or 2,5 ports or 2,5 roads (or 1 trader and 1 ports and 1 roads)
to get into the safe zone.
This strategy will not get you into the positive 'no going back' zone (except in the case of mines), as it takes 24 points to reach the 'no going back' levels for 'Good Farmer' and 48 for 'Good Trader'. This strategy will, however, provide enough 'credit' to prevent you reaching the 'no going back' levels of the bad traits. Exception: bear in mind that 'Good Trader' points cannot be guaranteed - you have only a 50-80% chance of getting them when completing 'trader', 'road' or 'port'-type buildings.


Quote Originally Posted by sunsmountain

Quote Originally Posted by MajorFreak
now then, my question is this: how do i get a certain infertile line of my family to start popping out adoptees? and how do i check who's adopting?
Get him to a temple of fertility*! (duh)
Temples of Fertility won't increase your chance of acquiring adoptees, only of acquiring children. I have yet to discover how adoptees are assigned. It's a small nitpick, and I feel churlish correcting someone who has done me such a great service - hat off to you, sunsmountain!