Making Good Generals: Help?

[Elfdude]

In rome total war it was extremely easy for me to make wonderful generals, the younger ones quickly learned from the older ones and a simple process established great generals for me. In this game it seems extremely difficult to make generals and even more difficult to stop bad traits from appearing on them. Does anyone have a guide to making good generals in m2tw? What to do, what not to?

[Primvs Sextvs Loverlord]

Making good generals for Roman and Greek factions in RTW Vanilla was very simple indeed.

In M2TW, you can either choose Chivalry or Dread.
I'm assuming you want to go Chivalry.

Here are some tips:

- Concentrate mainly on generals/family members who spawn with good traits such as "Promosing Commander", "Born Conqueror", etc. You should also concentrate of characters that may be in line to become princes or kings.

- Win a lot of battles with them

- Release prisoners

- Occupy and don't sack or exterminate

- Build churches and send your Priests to far-away lands

- Use your general's bodyguard for a lot of killing so that he gets the "Scarred-Brutally scarred" trait.

Can't think of anything else right now but I'm sure there are plent more ways.

[Saiah]

An alternative way is dread mode.

- Win a lot of battles, too (Command)
- Execute Prisoners a lot (Dread)
- Exterminate or sack, don't occupy (Dread)
- Make your general evil (Dread)

With dread, your enemy's morale drops. If he has 10 dread, your enemies fear your general so much that they will lose 10 morale. However, your choice. Chivalry or Dread are both good if you know how to use them.

[Zhou]

Dread is probably the easier of the two since you can exterminate/sack cities. Otherwise, you will be spending a lot of money to keep civil order in places that you've just conquered!

[Primvs Sextvs Loverlord]

Almost forgot to mention this:

- Going on a successful Crusade will help your General a lot. Lead 3-5 Armies to the Crusade and all your Generals will get loads of positive traits, etc.

- Plus, raise your taxes to normal or high if you want an efficent taxman trait. Most generals will very quickly get the inefficent taxman or useless assessor trait in lowly-taxed cities.

[Elfdude]

For some reason I end up with the tax farmer trait a lot. -30% taxes is very annoying especially in a 10/10/10/10 general.

[Zhou]

For some reason I end up with the tax farmer trait a lot. -30% taxes is very annoying especially in a 10/10/10/10 general.

You probably have your taxes set to Very High then...generals get a lot of bad traits when you have your taxes set to be too high. Realistically, you can only have taxes be at Normal or High for them to acquire good governoring traits.

[Ippius]

Win battles full stop. Go on a crusade. It is quite unfortunate that the options to get dread are so practical which means Chivalry is always ignored or sacrificed.

[Tankfriend]

Try to win battles with a disadvantage for you, e.g. your enemy having more and better troops. It's risky but it's paying off, because you'll get new traits faster that way.

And always try to hunt down as many enemies as possible when they're routing as prisoners count as defeated enemies and grant exp for units (esp. cavalry) very fast.

[Aedile Rich]

If you have a general with good stats all round except loyalty, you can improve this by giving him the Royal ties trait by marrying him to one of your princesses,
Be sure to get her charm rating up first with successful diplomacy though... otherwise you'll get the Wife is a wretch trait which scuppers public order in settlements.

You probably have your taxes set to Very High then...generals get a lot of bad traits when you have your taxes set to be too high. Realistically, you can only have taxes be at Normal or High for them to acquire good governoring traits.

That makes a lot of sense. I'm amazed I didn't realise it before now.

You sir, have the offer of my fairest princess's hand in marriage, a tribute of 10,000 florins per turn for ten turns and the use of my standing armies at your disposal should you need them.

[Tiwaz]

Use them to wage war. I rarely put generals, except those pathetic incompetent fools, as governors unless forced to.

Their place is in the field to make sure every army has loyal general instead of captain looking for going rebel the very first turn they spend outside city walls.

[Erathial]

Join the Crusades/Jihad @ as many times as possible, try to win your battles Get used to using only half stacks as to gain more heroic victorys

[Ippius]

Join the Crusades/Jihad @ as many times as possible, try to win your battles Get used to using only half stacks as to gain more heroic victorys

I totally agree. Get a young general at first and train him up with loads of crusades. He becomes UBER.

[Erathial]

I totally agree. Get a young general at first and train him up with loads of crusades. He becomes UBER.

Then you should see my Crown Prince, 10 stars, 10 piety and 8 chivalry All heil the Moors ^_^