infested by traits

[Striela]

I'm well into a campaign and enjoying the much improved AI - it's nice to be truly challenged on VH/VH.

I'm really bothered with the character traits, though, and even with generals as such. I'm playing the turks, and my generals rack up traits like mad, even contradicting ones (like "unmanly" and "womanizer"...), so at the age of 35 they have about 15 traits. In my current campaign the trait "driven by rage" seems to be contagious, and it gives -2 morale...

Bottom line: I have lots of generals with no real personality, most of them with no value on the battlefield, but they still cost a lot to maintain... I just sent 4 of the worst ones on a single boat to get sunk by pirates.

Either I need to figure out how traits are earned, or the system needs some tuning.

[Greenbeef]

I've found that adding in the Blood, Broads, and Bastards mod's traits adds alot of depth to my campaigns. You can find the full mod here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=102277

I wouldn't recommend using the ancillaries portion of the mod, as you get weird issues as the province names don't match and such. The only files you want to add to your LTC folder are the traits and V&V ones.

So for the data folder copy:

export_descr_character_traits.txt
export_descr_vnvs_enums.txt

And in the data/text folder, copy:

export_vnvs.txt
export_vnvs.txt.strings

Those should really add to your campaigns, while reducing the annoying traits you've mentioned. Just make sure you start a new campaign after doing this, or it messes up the traits on all of your current campaigns.

[Garnier]

Um.. since he already gets too many traits, add some more?

I agree completely with OP.

Way too many traits, and many of them contradict. I can have a reserved, smart, gregarious, cunning, bewitched, honourable and pious lunatic... Plus another ten or twenty other things. Thats one thing I loved about MTW1. Most characters had a trait or two, more important generals may gain a few more, and once I had a king with ten traits ( a lot ). But the reason for this is.. in M2TW, characters gain stats (piety, command etc) through traits. In MTW1, they gained command by winning battles, they got extra traits if they did REALLY well in battles.

Generally traits were less common and it improved gameplay.

[Marto]

Um.. since he already gets too many traits, add some more?

I agree completely with OP.

Way too many traits, and many of them contradict. I can have a reserved, smart, gregarious, cunning, bewitched, honourable and pious lunatic... Plus another ten or twenty other things. Thats one thing I loved about MTW1. Most characters had a trait or two, more important generals may gain a few more, and once I had a king with ten traits ( a lot ). But the reason for this is.. in M2TW, characters gain stats (piety, command etc) through traits. In MTW1, they gained command by winning battles, they got extra traits if they did REALLY well in battles.

Generally traits were less common and it improved gameplay.

Your last couple of points here are particularly valid as traits pile-up for Generals for no apparent reason. Less 'effective' traits like social drinker and reserved etc are fine by me as it adds personality to the Generals, but to have traits that contradict each other and matter a lot to their performance is just daft - particularly in terms of realism. (Spanks of another unfinished idea like the original campaign AI)

I have countless Generals with +2 to command then down the list there's -2 to command for something else. Both achieved by them doing nothing! Unless you look at your guys carefully you could have a four star general with a net command through traits 'gained' of -1. The same with moral to troops, and piety. As an example of this happening, one general's wife was admirable whilst she was also plain, so they cancelled each other out. Just nonsense that detracts from realism and the experience in general.

If you leave a general in a town with a Tavern and an Abbey for a while he should end up a pious drunk, not suddenly get 'Wall-taker' or a +3 command trait, and if you have a general leading you to victory at every turn he should gain command stars, not just get austere or extravagant...

MTW lost so much on transition to M2TW

[Striela]

I'm much pleased with the BBB mod. I'm very curious whether the expansion will address the traits issue, since it's so obviously badly implemented.

[Striela]

I've found that adding in the Blood, Broads, and Bastards mod's traits adds alot of depth to my campaigns. You can find the full mod here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=102277

I've heard of the BBB mod, thanks for the hints about installing it, I think I'll try it out.

One other things that seems to happen is that young generals inherit some of the traits their fathers had - this makes sense up to a point, but it can really mess up your game if you get some really horrible traits early on...

[Greenbeef]

I understood it that he was frustrated with countless useless traits. This fix does reduce the chances of receiving those annoying traits, and gives those who receive them a touch of personality.

I agree though, I want my generals to have a unique flavor and they really should gain stars more from battles. It seems like now it takes 20+ battles to even get a 5 star general.

[Garnier]

No... generals shouldn't gain stars that fast. In MTW1, it was as follows:

First victory gave 1 command star
then 2 more gave another star
4 more gave another
8 more gave another
and so on.

To get more after that, you had to win a LOT of battles, or get titles (you could get 3 more from titles) and traits.

In M2TW, I gain command stars just by sitting there sometimes.. and I get people coming of age with 5 command sometimes... in MTW1 only the hero generals started with good stats like that. (so you'd often use the famous generals to lead your armies.)

[Greenbeef]

So how are the new traits from the BBB mod working for you Stiela?

I think even just the ability to easily track those who are a part of the original blood line is a huge addition to the game. Adds another level of immersion.

[Queen Annes Revenge]

honestly, i didn't have this issue in vanilla or in LTC 2.3. this is one reason i went back to playing 2.3.

[aduellist]

There was some discussion about revamping the traits system and an attempt at creating a new "baseline" over in the Stainless Steel forum. Although some of the work may not apply to LTC, the flowcharting and discussion may he helpful.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111529