Having trouble with crappy traits

**Agamaran** · January 25, 2011, 08:11 PM

So I've been playing Medieval II: Total War for a month or so now but I've been having troubles with my generals, agents, etc. Aside from the starting game, it seems that all of my generals, family members, and agents turn out to be really crappy. I'm talking about lots of drunkard traits, corruption traits, etc. I don't think I've ever seen a lady with more than three charm. In fact my priests seem to be the only agents that don't suck royally.

I guess the question is: what gives? My last two kings have had pitiful, pitiful authority, which means I can't march my armies without generals and the generals have to be especially trustworthy or else they will betray me. I understand command traits come from proving your generals in combat, but for everything else I'm sketchy about how they keep earning trash traits. I'm playing on easy so shouldn't this be...well...easy?

**Nosjack** · January 25, 2011, 10:12 PM

I forget which file it is, but do a search of your data folder for "trait" or "ancillary," then look through that and it will show you the triggers for each trait.

EDIT:I believe it's called descer_ancillary.txt but I'm not sure

**Alexandru** · January 26, 2011, 12:22 AM

or,if you're too lazy to search the inner files medieval 2, you can check this , it has a lot of stuff, including traits, ancillaries and the triggers. You can also find guides on other websites for traits and ancillaries triggering. Have a pleasant reading!

**shikaka** · January 26, 2011, 01:59 AM

The drunkard line for generals, and the secret lover for princesses appear because they are in a settlement with the inn-brothel line of building. (because of this trait, I don't bother building inns. Maybe in 1 city only to have assasins)

Corruption comes from inns-brothels-pleasure palaces, also if you adopt somebody and if you have high treasury (I think 50000). Ah, and byzantine generals get 10% bonus to getting this.

**Silverheart** · January 26, 2011, 05:11 AM

It is not uncommon for a bad trait to spread to every FM in your empire, it happens to me all the time.
Send them out to train a little, and they should gain some good traits too.
Generals - kill rebel armies, or send on campaign (crusades if you really want to jack up their traits)
Assassins - kill captains, then move on to low-level agents to train them up further.
Spies - if they´re too crappy to enter a city alive, just place them in a central position in enemy territory. From there, their line of sight keeps you updated on the enemys´ doings.
Princessess/Diplomats - send them on easy diplomatic missions to give them basic training.

**shikaka** · January 26, 2011, 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by Silverheart

Send them out to train a little, and they should gain some good traits too.

I forgot about that, this cannot be stressed enough.
The very big majority of bad traits (drunkard line, pervert line, arse line), when not inherited at birth, happen only when you are in a city with 100% movement points.
Basicly you can evade them all, if you are willing to step out and step back every turn

Mostly it is enough to do this (not spend a whole turn) in cities with inn-brothel-pleasure palace.
I only have 1 city with this building line, where my thieves guild is present too. Sometimes - when I think I can live without assasins - I am perfectly fine with spies trained in castle libraries (Scotland, Denmark, Hungary...) and don't build inns at all.

**Agamaran** · January 26, 2011, 03:21 PM

So basically: no brothels/inns and my kingdom will stop being led by a bunch of perverted drunkards?

**rebelyell2006** · January 28, 2011, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Agamaran

So basically: no brothels/inns and my kingdom will stop being led by a bunch of perverted drunkards?

Whenever I try that, my cities riot because of my allies' spies were not visible as I had no spies. You need at least the first level brothel if you want (or need) spies.

**shikaka** · January 28, 2011, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by rebelyell2006

Whenever I try that, my cities riot because of my allies' spies were not visible as I had no spies. You need at least the first level brothel if you want (or need) spies.

In a few cities, not all!

**Nosjack** · January 26, 2011, 03:23 PM

Pretty much, yes.

**Agamaran** · January 26, 2011, 05:20 PM

That's interesting...that's a bit of a extensive problem in regards to the overall game mechanics, isn't it? Was this something that was fixed in Empire: Total War? Or when my copy arrives should I also not build inns in that game as well?

**elbasto** · January 28, 2011, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Agamaran

That's interesting...that's a bit of a extensive problem in regards to the overall game mechanics, isn't it? Was this something that was fixed in Empire: Total War? Or when my copy arrives should I also not build inns in that game as well?

If you expect Empire TW to fix anything you are in for a big surprise (not as in a surprise party but more as in prison rape).