General and Agent new skill trees - what is your approach?

[Trobalov]

Hey guys!

Rome II remains solidly one of the best TW games. I really like the new trees provided to generals and agents.

For instance, Champions remain great company to an army but only authority tree gives the exp option (for leveling the army units).

Generals usually like Authority tree, but perhaps some Swordsmen units can use zeal tree to lead the army collisions.

I'd like to hear some opinions and approaches on leveling their trees. (according to faction and their purpose of course!)

Cheers

[LordLurch]

Glad to see someone finally posting on the "Strategy" board again. My approach when it comes to agents and generals is to level them up according to their existing strengths; for example, if an agent starts with +1 to Cunning, then I will focus on giving them Cunning-related skills. For generals. I also try to give them assignments that match their primary attributes: Authority generals handle field battles, Cunning generals do raids and ambushes, and Zeal generals handle siege offense and defense.

[Trobalov]

Now it is much more detailed and those stats really do mean something... so many trees and the great thing is that General and Agent trees are changing a bit depending on the faction culture! (compare i.e. a Greek culture agent with a Celtic one)

Same goes for the new family trees and amazing possibilities given by the political intrigue options (bottom right of the family tree page). It really pays off (at least in my campaigns) to spend time on those options. You can save yourself from Civil war at a wrong moment, or even provoke one when you are ready for it! Option such as sending diplomats (using one of the available politicians) to improve relations with other factions can net you tributes, improved research among others (or betrayal even occasionally!). I am really sad that all known youtubers don't really pay any real effort in the political intrigue and agent / general trees options. It is not just a matter of taste, it is a matter of efficiency too!

It's even more effective than I thought! Check this out, Free settlement!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[LordLurch]

Now it is much more detailed and those stats really do mean something... so many trees and the great thing is that General and Agent trees are changing a bit depending on the faction culture! (compare i.e. a Greek culture agent with a Celtic one)

Same goes for the new family trees and amazing possibilities given by the political intrigue options (bottom right of the family tree page). It really pays off (at least in my campaigns) to spend time on those options. You can save yourself from Civil war at a wrong moment, or even provoke one when you are ready for it! Option such as sending diplomats (using one of the available politicians) to improve relations with other factions can net you tributes, improved research among others (or betrayal even occasionally!). I am really sad that all known youtubers don't really pay any real effort in the political intrigue and agent / general trees options. It is not just a matter of taste, it is a matter of efficiency too!

Agreed. I think if the game had launched in this state, it would have been a monster hit. However, I do find that the utility of some of the political actions declines significantly if you are playing as a faction with only one rival political party (i.e. most barbarian factions), and some of the requirements for certain actions (such as a character requiring a certain amount of Zeal in order to be made heir) seem kind of weird and arbitrary.

[Grimmy]

I use Traits Talents and Toadies mod but anyway, it'd be mostly the same if I didn't.

I pick skills/traits to focus on what I got that character for.

Diplomat, I want more and better cultural conversion. I use these ahead of invasions to allow my peeps to ease into the new lands more comfortably after conquest.
Spies, I want more and better spying. Once I got that filled up, I'll go for better percent chance of assassinations.
Champions, I want more and better xp training for the troops he's with. After that, it's about troop morale and combat stats.

Field Generals, I start out with reduction in recruiting and upkeep costs, then xp levels of troops recruited, then morale and combat stats.

Occupation Generals, I start with troop cost reductions and then go to economic boosts.

[Alwyn]

Like Grimmy, I use champions for XP training and usually want better cultural conversion with dignataries. For generals, in the early to mid campaign I'm usually hoping to boost morale and combat stats (in late campaign, unit stats can be boosted by other methods such as military traditions, better-quality weapons and armour as well as improved technology).

I wonder if your strategies for generals and agents changes in different periods of the campaign? My empire's economy usually peaks in the mid-campaign (after that, enemies conquer more of my trade partners, other trade partners become hostile because of my expansion, corruption rises and I'm fielding more expensive high-tier units). Also, the 'cultural difference' penalty to public order has been reduced in some of my regions, where I've had temples (and sometimes dignitaries) for a long time.

This means that, in the late campaign, dignitaries become more useful attached to an army (to reduce unit upkeep) or even to increase the loyalty of a rival party (if the army is lead by a general belonging to a rival party and if the dignitary has the 'Advisor' skill). The dignitary skill tree (for Rome) is here. Both 'Militarist' and 'Economist' skills reduce unit upkeep, I wonder if an agent can have both and if the reductions stack?

I wonder if there are other useful advantages (perhaps in specific cultures, as skills are culture-specific) which people are using, which it's easy to miss if you have a standard way to level up all agents of a specific type? For example, the Slaver skill for dignitaries gives the parent army up to 60% more battle captives - a huge bonus for anyone using enslaved enemies to boost your economy - with up to 30% higher morale for unarmoured infantry. That sounds as if it's designed for a specific faction or strategy which relies on unarmoured infantry who enslave their defeated foes, I wonder which faction(s) they had in mind.

[Grimmy]

Like Grimmy, I use champions for XP training and usually want better cultural conversion with dignataries. For generals, in the early to mid campaign I'm usually hoping to boost morale and combat stats (in late campaign, unit stats can be boosted by other methods such as military traditions, better-quality weapons and armour as well as improved technology).

I wonder if your strategies for generals and agents changes in different periods of the campaign? My empire's economy usually peaks in the mid-campaign (after that, enemies conquer more of my trade partners, other trade partners become hostile because of my expansion, corruption rises and I'm fielding more expensive high-tier units). Also, the 'cultural difference' penalty to public order has been reduced in some of my regions, where I've had temples (and sometimes dignitaries) for a long time.

This means that, in the late campaign, dignitaries become more useful attached to an army (to reduce unit upkeep) or even to increase the loyalty of a rival party (if the army is lead by a general belonging to a rival party and if the dignitary has the 'Advisor' skill). The dignitary skill tree (for Rome) is here. Both 'Militarist' and 'Economist' skills reduce unit upkeep, I wonder if an agent can have both and if the reductions stack?

I wonder if there are other useful advantages (perhaps in specific cultures, as skills are culture-specific) which people are using, which it's easy to miss if you have a standard way to level up all agents of a specific type? For example, the Slaver skill for dignitaries gives the parent army up to 60% more battle captives - a huge bonus for anyone using enslaved enemies to boost your economy - with up to 30% higher morale for unarmoured infantry. That sounds as if it's designed for a specific faction or strategy which relies on unarmoured infantry who enslave their defeated foes, I wonder which faction(s) they had in mind.

My game is so heavily modded that civil war isn't a concern and I only have 2 of each agent type max available. And I use the toadies mod on agent and commander skills.

But I don't change anything as the game goes on. I Pump up the xp training first on my Veterans, then look for ways to improve their assassination ability. Diplomats - cultural conversion and assassination survival. Spies - uncovering enemy agents in neighboring provinces and assassination.

Generals - I go with the camp admin and max out the recruiting cost reduction on non mercs and the xp level gain options. Then go and max out the various options on the leadership one that buffs morale and such. I'll swap out new generals into old veteran armies and use older commanders with the veterans to recruit and xp pump new armies.

But, generals age out and die, so my first and only real priority is to keep up the lower recruiting and upkeep costs to the best I am able.

Cheaper means more. Lower cost means more affordable quality.