Moved from the main TATW forum.
Lets compile a list of helpful tips for new and old players. M2TW, TATW, and the accompanying mods are surprisingly deep in hidden or not obvious info....I'll start:
TIP: Getting Generals the Kind Ruler Trait, this trait is a -1 squalor trait
Any -1 or -2 squalor trait is extremely important in settlement building as they are a bonus .5% or 1.0% population growth. TATW adds a squalor (population growth) penalty for each 1500 people in a settlement. If you build strictly military buildings in a large town of 6000, then you will have a growth penalty of -2% at lowest taxes. Here is how you get a -1 squalor trait on your generals.
1. Make sure your general is in a settlement
2. Make sure your treasury is 0 or - at end turn.
3. Make sure the taxes of your settlement are on low.
4. End Turn
5. There is a 10% chance that your general will get the first trait in the Kind ruler trait line, Reasonable Ruler . Reasonable Ruler gives you a respect bonus of +1
6. This 10% chance will need to pop 3 times on a general for them to get the Kind Ruler Trait. But you will get a +2 respect and a -1 squalor, and both lead to increases in population growth.
7. Once you have Kind Ruler trait, you can get the Benevolent Ruler Trait using the same method, this adds -2 squalor and +3 to respect for your general. That is at least a 1.0% growth bonus for a settlement with a population > 3000.
PS: This may seem like a lot of micro but EACH turn I spend my treasury down to something like 100-150 coins, then I gift the rest to an ally or a neighbor who is neutral. This helps my relations and reputation while making sure all my settlement generals have a chance at these traits. At turn 45, I have 6 generals with Kind Ruler, and 3 with Benevolent Ruler playing as gondor. Do not go under 100 in treasury though because your diplomat cannot gift such little money.
Who is next?