How to get Popularis and Consul trait?

[Mikael]

Hi Everybody!
I´m a new poster too this great Forum, but I´ve read it for awhile.

What I couldn´t find in the forum, was how do I get a Roman familymember to become Popularis and Consul?
What are the steps leading up to those traits?

I´ve played for decades past the year 172BC and meet all the other requirements for the reform, so I have a few generals with the right Command and Influence sitting in Rome hoping something will happen, but no.

I´m really looking forward to see the Marian type of soldiers

Thank you posters for making this a really nice and interesting place!
And thanks to the EB team for a fantastic mod!

/Regards Mikael

[Warmaster Horus]

Well, becoming Consul involves moving up the Cursus Honorum: Quaestor, Aedile, Praetor and Consul.

He's got to be at least 42, and it's better to have Influence. Better chances of getting elected Consul, I think. Also, remember that every new year (in Ver) there are two consuls. With luck, one of your characters will be elected.

As for Popularis, I've no idea. Suffice to say, if your general has "Optimates" listed in his traits, he's not going to trigger the reforms.

[Sakkura]

Popularis seems much more likely if the character is plebeius, but apart from that I don't know what might influence it.
Of course, being plebeivs lowers the chance to become consul. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be any major ways to influence this, just try to pick up traits that give influence if you can.

[BigTex]

Well, becoming Consul involves moving up the Cursus Honorum: Quaestor, Aedile, Praetor and Consul.

He's got to be at least 42, and it's better to have Influence. Better chances of getting elected Consul, I think. Also, remember that every new year (in Ver) there are two consuls. With luck, one of your characters will be elected.

As for Popularis, I've no idea. Suffice to say, if your general has "Optimates" listed in his traits, he's not going to trigger the reforms.

To get popularis keep the general around in a city with a temple to Cere's. Or better making him the governor of a city and start producing the line of cere's temples.

[Mikael]

Thanks for the help!
Now I can better figure out who is most likely to advance in office and put him in a town building ceres tempels to trigger the reform.

It takes alot more planning and roleplaying for Marius reform, I´ve noticed.
I think that before I get the cool legioneres, most other civilizations will be whiped out, too bad beacuse it would be interesting to take them on with a "true" roman force.

Ofcourse the option of capturing 90 settlements is possible, but somehow it feels wrong to have a mighty Roman empire gained and defended by barbarian mercs out of uniform.

-hmmm....well, I guess another restart with better tactics and understanding is comming up...again

[Victor1234]

I don't think the temple of Ceres will help that much, at least, it hasn't had any effect on my games, apart from making the city more prosperous of course.


99% of the time, plebians will be Popularis and patricians will be Optimates. This means that if you want a Consul or Ex-Consul who is a Popularis, you've got to do alot of stuff ahead of time to ensure a plebian will get the office. Firstly, I recommend the Cotta family as the one you should try to get a consul out of. The first character of the line is an amazing governor once left in a city for a year or two, and I usually put him in charge of either Rome or Capua at the game start and leave him there until he dies. Since governor's seem to be more likely to get offices, and this guy gains management and influence quickly as governor, 9 times out of 10 I get that guy as a consul before he dies, especially if left in charge of Rome. With him having been Consul, all his descendants have the Nobile trait (ie, helpful for getting future Senate offices). Next, when he has offspring, typically two, I give them a full legion and send them into areas where they can enslave(I myself never enslave inside Italy or Sicily, but you can if you want). Enslaving enough times will make them wealthy and will move those guys and all of their descendants to Eques (ie, higher chance of getting future Senate offices). With the Eques and Nobile traits guaranteed to all of their descendants, Gaius Marius Cotta is just around the corner and it's a matter of waiting and meeting all the other conditions, like holding the settlements, fighting the battles, building the latifundia, etc.

You could do the same with any plebian family you adopt/marry, but then it becomes harder to take that first step and get the Consul/Nobile trait early on.

[Lovejoy]

^You should put this guide in the faq ^

[gran_guitarra]

Just wanted to add something that I'd noticed,

Try to get all of your people to have four descendants. Why? Because you are guaranteed at least one Sharp/Charismatic/Vigorous descendant. I think it might be my game, but every single time I have had a family member with four descendants I've had at least one that is Sharp/Charismatic/Vigorous. Plus, the more babies your guys make, the more chances you'll have.


Btw, the easiest way to get Popularis is to have a character perform lots of conquests with enslaving/occupying. The Plebians love a conqueror, and since you'll be doing it anyway.........
And just to be clear, yes, the Cotta family does rock. I moved rulership of the Romanii into Caius Aurelius Cotta's hands (he's the first Cotta), and before he was forty he had 7 Command Stars, +10 Morale for all his units on the battlefield, 6 Management, and 7 Influence. He was still a Plebian when he had that. I made him my faction heir, and when he got promoted I sent him to Rome, where he finished gaining influence and management. On a related note,

How can the Faction Leader, in charge of the Faction's Capital, and ruling the Faction itself........................get bored with his duties? It really doesn't make sense to me.

[Narhon]

what works for me is to leave my desired character in Rome for a few years. someone who has all the desired starting traits. I cannot remember what they are just think of the traits one would want in their leaders, "not what we have in our leaders" he should have some influence and if everything works out I make him the faction heir. Then I send him to one of my armies, Germania seems to be pretty hot on my present campaign. after a few decades as long as you balance your slaughter and conquests you should have the desired traits. One should also have a couple characters in other armies and do the same thing to increase the odds. It worked for me