Epithets and Organic character development

[Stallownage]

Please bring back the organic character development of the original Rome! I want to shape my general's progression through actions, but also with random human elements thrown in. I want characters, real people again, not the identikit cookie cutter generals of Shogun. I get how that might have seemed a good idea, but it is so gamey and jarring. I never want the same general twice; I want those experiences where all the stars align and I get some Alexander/Caesar type, and I can say to my friends "man, this one time, you shoulda seen how good my king was...". I want generals I can rely on, generals I cant, and I want to be forced to use them in the appropriate way based on how skiled they are. Every now and then I want a general who can conquer the world practically on his own, if you use him enough to develop the potential.

I want them develop in a way that reflects what they have achieved, rather than which arbitrary box I clicked. I want them to develop a few surprise traits that are beyond my influence too. Whether its bravery or insanity, handsomeness or homosexuality, I dont care. I just want them to feel like real people.

On that note, I NEED epithets. This used to happen in Rome; boy did it feel good when Aulus the Mighty finally crushed Carthage at the age of 45 after winning countless great battles and territory for Rome. Boy did it feel good wheb it got referenced in pre battle speeches. Take it further, have a ton of epithets for all kinds of things, and have them different for different factions. From the obvious like "the Great" and "the Mighty" to the negatives "the Coward". Perhaps if your general wins many great battles against a faction, that could be referenced.

This only data tracking really, its not too hard to put in by comparison to other features, but the level of connection it provides is amazing. Ive never felt the same way about the characters in any TW since Rome.

[windsupernova]

*Stands near a tavern*

*Become a hardcore alcoholic *

*Stands near temple of goddess of fertility*

*Becomes a sexual Deviant*

*Retreats from battle, is a coward*

*Spends a few months on the field*

*Becomes an ignorant dude who also has problems are home *

SO ORGANIC AND REALISTIC!

No dude, the Rome 1 system was terrible. They should just refine the Shogun 2 system more and add a few more random traits instead of the RGN idiocy that was Rome 1 traits.

[Du Silence]

I'd pick the Rome trait system over Shogun2 any day.
While, as pointed out, aren't exactly able to predict the path the generals are going to take, it was certainly fun to watch, and I've spent quite the bit of time scrolling through family members to try and find a suitable heir.

Where as Shogun 2, I felt extending for arm for a handshake with the trait system, but only got back a littlefinger. In short, I felt it wasn't even a traitsytem, but more of a system implented in sheer panic to avoid every general becoming completely identical.
Besides, i felt it fairly random aswell... with the few traits they could get.

"Spend a few turns in the field" - "I miss me lass!"
"Be a male" - "Women dig me."

[Stallownage]

It doesnt have to be quite so extreme as Rome (although positions of power do tend to amplify character traits). The point is that I don't want my generals and kings to just be the product of the same series of clicks. To me they dont feel like people or even remotely realistic characters that way. They feel very manufactured and fake, and lose relevance. I dont track my favourite generals in Shogun, theyre all one and the same. In Rome, they each felt like individuals.