My Infertile Merchant Republic

[PCS Africanus]

I currently have around 30 male family members, all of whom are in my court (as an MR). The weird thing is, all of the are adults besides one 12 year old.

Not only am I not over the court size limit, but I married almost all of them to Midas Touched women for the massive fertility bonus. I don’t understand why they are refusing to have kids. Only my player character ever seems to get women pregnant, and only when I’m playing him, which is usually as a 50+ year old man.

What am I doing wrong? I used to have almost 50 male family members, but they’re all getting old and dying, while leaving behind zero kids.

 

[Walkaboutout]

So, sadly, even with the new court size changes, a penalty on fertility on your court after 30 members remains.

So, 30 people in court, fertility malus hits and you get baby problems.

I've heard at various times that the fertility malus does not apply to Merchant Republics, who need of course to maintain larger courts of dynasty members, especially males.

With that said, I'm pretty sure that the fertility malus DOES apply even to MR's, because I play them a lot and definitely see an issue when my court hits 30, with new babies.

These days, I'm running a personal mod that simply changes the fertility malus court size to like 60. I really wish they had at least moved the fertility hit to coincide with the max court size changes they made recently. Alas. Maybe that will get adjusted moving forward.

 

[PCS Africanus]

So, sadly, even with the new court size changes, a penalty on fertility on your court after 30 members remains.

So, 30 people in court, fertility malus hits and you get baby problems.

I've heard at various times that the fertility malus does not apply to Merchant Republics, who need of course to maintain larger courts of dynasty members, especially males.

With that said, I'm pretty sure that the fertility malus DOES apply even to MR's, because I play them a lot and definitely see an issue when my court hits 30, with new babies.

These days, I'm running a personal mod that simply changes the fertility malus court size to like 60. I really wish they had at least moved the fertility hit to coincide with the max court size changes they made recently. Alas. Maybe that will get adjusted moving forward.

That sucks, especially considering that you need a ton of adult men to hit 80 trade posts for the achievement. Any ideas on how to get there, without mods? I know it’s possible to start as Genoa with 77 and just forcibly take three, but I feel like starting games for one specific achievement that is easily within reach takes the fun out of the achievement. I’d rather continue with one of the two MR games that I’m currently running.

 

[Zoomun]

Well obviously you should upgrade your family palace and trade practice tech. After that I can only really suggest taking a bunch of trade posts through war.

 

[Walkaboutout]

Keep in mind, I absolutely should have included this in the original response, but one of the other things I have often heard is that the fertility malus does not apply to the player's current character, and have heard both ways that it doesn't apply to direct dynasty members in your court (or at least, close relatives). I'm not sure if that one is true or not, it's hard to tell sometimes....am I just having real bad luck, or is the fertility malus being applied even to my close relatives? For what it's worth, I don't think it's just bad luck.

Getting the 80 trade-posts...well, a full palace (the mansion add-on), and max trade practices will multiply your trade post upper limit substantially. You could, additionally, land some dynasty members outside the republic as vassals, and then, when you are able and they've multiplied, invite large numbers of dynasts back to your own court. Not all will accept of course, but you should be able to get a good number of new family members into your court that way, at least in waves. It has its drawbacks of course, like losing male dynasts at times, in order to plant the seeds of them developing their own families, etc. but in theory (and a little luck) it should work nicely.

 

[Lycrist Katkiller]

I am fairly certain that the fertility malus applies to close relatives
It doesn't apply to the players themselves, but if you want your kids to have children before they take over the rule, you better stay below 30

It's a rather distrubing change that the court size limit did not affect the fertility penalty...

 

[BuddyLove]

My understanding is you have to land them, send them out of your court, then invite their sons back 20 years later and build more trade posts then.

The other obvious way to go about it is to keep killing Patrician families so that their posts get distributed and you keep acquiring more over your limit.

 

[Lycrist Katkiller]

Turn it off in the option screen. It doesn't prevent achievements if you turn it off.

turning it off doesn't change the fertility malus

 

[PCS Africanus]

I appreciate all of the responses. I think I’ve more or less developed a plan.

With the technology and palace maxed out, you need 44 unlanded, make adults. I’m going to kick absolutely every non-dynast out of my court, marry the men off to sluts, and then use the seduction focus for some mass impregnations. It will take a lifetime of work, but I think it’s doable.

Thanks for all the helpful replies!

 

[tilly]

heirs also do not face fertility penalties, as far as im aware

youll notice brothers, nephews and youngers sons are far less likely to have more than two or three children in most games, unless theyre landed or set to inherit something, whereas firstborns tend to have like five or six under good circumstances. what you could try doing is keep passing around the designated heir minor title if you can afford the opinion hit, see how that treats you

genuinely dont know if itll work around the court size fertility penalty but its worth a shot