Princesses

[Mr. Needful]

This is a two-parter. First, a question: how does the game choose who to make a princess-diplomat? I have four right now who you'd think would be eligable, as they are direct blood descendents of my king, but they're all simply bachelorettes. In fact, I have zero princessess in the field, and haven't for decades, while the NPCs are utterly spamming them.

Second, some ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ marriage candidates! Nearly half the female members of my family are finding themselves in nunneries, because there's no good men to marry. When they first come of age I'll get a request or two from men who're old enough to be their fathers, then in a few years I'll get a candidate closer to her age but with severe loyalty issues, and then nothing more. I just entered a new war on turn 198, and this will be the first time in our history where our conquering armies won't be entirely led by generals, because the vast majority of them are bogged down in the other corners of the world. Is it too much to ask that my sons-in-law are productive members of my family for 75 turns?

[Aquilifer]

Loyalty issues are minor. A decent faction leader will reduce the likelihood of desertion. A general gets a +3 loyalty bonus for being married to a princess. If you conquer a lot of regions quickly you'll have adoptions every turn until you have enough generals to govern each city. Not that governing is their strength. Auto-replenishing bodyguards and potentially huge levels of dread are their strength.
Basically, just conquer things quickly.
The only use princesses themselves have is stealing generals from other factions and early-game diplomacy. If you need a diplomat, just recruit one.

[CHE]

Originally posted by Aquilifer:

Loyalty issues are minor. A decent faction leader will reduce the likelihood of desertion.

Yes, we can increase a general's loyalty in other ways, too, ways which are shown on this website:

http://totalwar.honga.net/traits.php?v=m2tw&f=venice&c=family&encode=en

Originally posted by Aquilifer:

A general gets a +3 loyalty bonus for being married to a princess. If you conquer a lot of regions quickly you'll have adoptions every turn until you have enough generals to govern each city. Not that governing is their strength. Auto-replenishing bodyguards and potentially huge levels of dread are their strength.

Or potentially huge levels of chivalry. The way I play, I get more chivalry than dread, and since I don't enjoy being a sociopath, and do enjoy being honourable, I prefer chivalry. Chivalry increases unit morale for units who the general leads.

Chivalry increases population growth for any settlement that the general is governing - especially useful for making a castle grow big enough to change it into a fortress or citadel for higher level buildings (including those which produce the most advanced units).

Chivalry (or the actions that increase it) also seems to increase my faction's reputation, which is useful for being effective in diplomacy.

Originally posted by Aquilifer:

Basically, just conquer things quickly.
The only use princesses themselves have is stealing generals from other factions and early-game diplomacy. If you need a diplomat, just recruit one.

Princesses can be used at any part of the game to make a marriage alliance, which I have found useful not only for the strength of a marriage alliance, but also because a marriage alliance immediately ends wars between me and factions that are allies of my new marriage ally, and immediately ends wars between my old allies and my new marriage ally.

[CHE]

Originally posted by Mr. Needful:

This is a two-parter. First, a question: how does the game choose who to make a princess-diplomat? I have four right now who you'd think would be eligable, as they are direct blood descendents of my king, but they're all simply bachelorettes. In fact, I have zero princessess in the field, and haven't for decades, while the NPCs are utterly spamming them.

Second, some ♥♥♥♥♥ing: ♥♥♥♥ing marriage candidates! Nearly half the female members of my family are finding themselves in nunneries, because there's no good men to marry. When they first come of age I'll get a request or two from men who're old enough to be their fathers, then in a few years I'll get a candidate closer to her age but with severe loyalty issues, and then nothing more. I just entered a new war on turn 198, and this will be the first time in our history where our conquering armies won't be entirely led by generals, because the vast majority of them are bogged down in the other corners of the world. Is it too much to ask that my sons-in-law are productive members of my family for 75 turns?

I doubt granddaughters of a reigning faction leader can become princesses. As far as I know, only daughters of a faction leader can be princesses (and if the daughters turned 16 before their father became faction leader, I am not sure whether or not the daughters become princesses when their father becomes faction leader). The faction must also be Catholic or Orthodox, or maybe Pagan, in the case of Lithuania in the Kingdoms expansion Teutonic campaign (I'm not 100% sure about Lithuania having this capability).

[Ol' Knife Ears <3]

I happen to be an expert on this topic.

Princesses spawn when they are direct descendents of the king or the faction heir. Once they hit 16 and come of age (14 in Stainless), they become eligible for use. If they come of age while their father is NOT listed as a faction heir or faction leader, they will not become viable in the field.

How to use them: here's my advice, NEVER try and steal another faction's general. It's not worth it. Like no joke, don't even bother. You'll just wind up getting cucked by your own daughter, it's a horrible feeling.

The best use a princess has, in my opinion, is to marry them off. Meaning, approach another faction you wish to ally with; if their faction leader or faction heir are yet unwed, you can request that the princess marry them. You may lose the princess in the field, but you gain a Marriage Alliance. The thing with marriage alliances is, the AI WILL NEVER BACKSTAB YOU. Mostly. If you have a marriage alliance with another faction, you guys are bffs. A good thing to have when surrounded by foes.

Now let's say you have a high charm princess, I mean a real looker, 9-10 hearts of charm. That's a good thing; princesses with high charm make VERY happy men of their husbands. Now here's a little hint:

-Say your faction heir's son (the third in line for the throne) comes of age, but he's yet unwed, and you want to groom him into a good king. Well, remember that pretty princess you have? She's his cousin. You can marry cousin to cousin in this game, if you so wish (just like my Japanaese eroges!).

[Inardesco]

Only women of age (16+) in the direct line of the throne become princesses.

[Aquilifer]

Originally posted by CHE:

Or potentially huge levels of chivalry. The way I play, I get more chivalry than dread, and since I don't enjoy being a sociopath, and do enjoy being honourable, I prefer chivalry. Chivalry increases unit morale for units who the general leads.

Ah but there's nothing quite as sweet as charging in your 10-dread king into the front lines of an army and seeing them crumble like a sledgehammer on a soggy cake as you win a battle with about 40 losses :D
But yeah if I have a pretty chivalrous general then he'll just be a governor.

[CHE]

Originally posted by Aquilifer:

Originally posted by CHE:

Or potentially huge levels of chivalry. The way I play, I get more chivalry than dread, and since I don't enjoy being a sociopath, and do enjoy being honourable, I prefer chivalry. Chivalry increases unit morale for units who the general leads.

Ah but there's nothing quite as sweet as charging in your 10-dread king into the front lines of an army and seeing them crumble like a sledgehammer on a soggy cake as you win a battle with about 40 losses :D
But yeah if I have a pretty chivalrous general then he'll just be a governor.

I don't experience having a dread general as "sweet" - more like shameful, disgusting, constantly reminding me of human rights abusers who make the world a more unhappy place.

One of my least favourite experiences in the game is losing a general, so I am careful with my generals in battle, because armour piercing missiles can kill them, as I have experienced. I use generals to bolster morale behind my lines, and as a last-resort reserve, and this way I keep them alive. (I aim to use other cavalry to rout enemy missile units before sending in my general's bodyguard - and even then, I use my general's body guard in safe charges, e.g. in flank or rear charges, or with other cavalry against light cavalry.)

I generally put generals in as many settlements as possible, and minimise how many I use as mobile army commanders. And I play with a house rule of only issuing governor orders when a governor is in the settlement. This prevents the game from being as much a steam roll as it could be. And I enjoy the game more this way.

[Two Gun Bob]

o gawd did SJWs begin to infest even this sacred game?

[Aquilifer]

Originally posted by Two Gun Bob:

o gawd did SJWs begin to infest even this sacred game?

...What?

[DerRitter]

Originally posted by Two Gun Bob:

o gawd did SJWs begin to infest even this sacred game?

Looks like, sadly

[Ruinae Retroque Rursus]

Originally posted by Aquilifer:

Originally posted by CHE:

Or potentially huge levels of chivalry. The way I play, I get more chivalry than dread, and since I don't enjoy being a sociopath, and do enjoy being honourable, I prefer chivalry. Chivalry increases unit morale for units who the general leads.

Ah but there's nothing quite as sweet as charging in your 10-dread king into the front lines of an army and seeing them crumble like a sledgehammer on a soggy cake as you win a battle with about 40 losses :D
But yeah if I have a pretty chivalrous general then he'll just be a governor.

Reminds me of a HRE stack-bashing.

They had one family member I waded through about five full stacks to get through...
I was using a stack which was 50% cav and lead by my Faction Leader... who had 10 dread.
Losses as high as 40 were unthinkable D: