Faction leaders/kings IMO should have vices and virtues that effect the overall strategy map and battles they do not participate in. Not just the city/ battle they are in.

Empires feasted or famined, conquered or defeated, the humiliator or the humiliated and quite often due to the actions/competence of 1 man determined the future of thier empire or the strength of it.

Since command stars effect battles, faction leaders should also effect battlefield stats.

So you could be romping all over the place with your faction with a leader that has the trait of financial genius and maybe a trait in smith that gives bonus defense to all medium troops or higher.

The next in line could be corrupt and bleeds your treasury dry or even worse is so corrupt buys a lower quality equipment for troops on the field just to pinch the extra penny, and that money saved you won't see because it's busy lining your leaders pocket.

Also when the faction heir takes over should determine how well the empire stays together. Such as a faction heir low on influence but has the trait of heartless ruler can still maintain the empire due to fear.

This is one feature the game is greatly missing, since once you have the A.I. on it's knees it's there for good. Just imagine having The Selucids on thier knees and the new faction leader has a trait (cunning) where he can pay troops at half price, and has other traits that boost the economy. And they are a sudden recovering powerhouse. Then on top of that imagine a loser taking the new posotion for your faction.

Also to make it costly to suicide your leader, There could be features that theres a chance he'll be captured and should you refuse the ransom could cause a civil war that leaves you off even worse than before or a civil war if the hier is young or incompetent. Also how long a faction hier has been appointed should have an effect, where one that has been in that position for 20 years can be well prepared and unlikely to meet any resistance to his new position. Unlike 1 that just got appointed 6 months ago and there is resentment for not being picked

That's another thing in MTW you could only capture a king if he was routing. Everytime your general lose a HP, there should be a chance he is captured(dismounted).

Ack and I meant this to be a short post

Anyways my point is Faction leaders/kings need more punch or less punch for that matter