HttT: Generals and Admirals

[GustFire]

This may be more generic to EUIII as a whole, but I've always had problems with getting good leaders for my armies and navies.

What are the best techniques for getting generals and admirals from the ranks, FAST, without having to buy them? I always end up buying them, and pay for it in tradition.

I'd rather grow them from the ranks, ASAP, and grow my army and navy tradition as well.

I just downloaded HttT and started playing, it's lookin' good.
Thanks for any help.

 

[Wezqu]

Last time I checked there really is not events that give generals and only way to get them is to recruit them with money.

 

[unmerged(106498)]

You grow them on general trees and admiral vines. Barring this, just fight all the time and pay the ducats. I never have less than 2-3 generals with 5-6 everything past 1435 or so. Before that I might have only 1-2. My favorite method is to have a never ending war running with some far off enemy that I can reach via military access. I just send a stack over and attack till they need to regen, then repeat.

 

[Grubnessul]

We need some decisions like the cultural ones to grow some decent generals and admirals... war just for tradition sounds rather gamey to me...

 

[GustFire]

Vines and trees, I knew it!

I actually did get a general one time from the ranks, without paying for it.
Forget how I did it, though.

Hmmm, a cultural tradition equivalent for military leaders, interesting idea.
How about investing in more military facilities, or national ideas that increase your chances, like Grand Captain or Sgt Mjr General.

 

[lordkestrel]

I actually did get a general one time from the ranks, without paying for it.
Forget how I did it, though.

Battlefield Commissions has a small chance (MTTH of 5000, 4750 if you're at war) of giving a general with stats equal to 50 mil tradition.

 

[twinxor]

We need some decisions like the cultural ones to grow some decent generals and admirals... war just for tradition sounds rather gamey to me...

How else do you think military talent developed before professional armies and navies? I don't see how non-military focused nations can just come up with experienced generals.

 

[ForVictory]

I think u should only get military tradition when u win but it should also be more rewarding cause its hard to get decent enough military tradition right now.

 

[Darkrenown]

So take Battlefield Commissions, build a war college, build a veterens home etc. I think there's also a decision that gives some yearly tradition too, but I forget the name.

 

[unmerged(17893)]

I think there's also a decision that gives some yearly tradition too, but I forget the name.

Pass Naval Recruiting Act: Yearly Navy Tradition +0.5%

Pass Navigation Act: Yearly Navy Tradition +0.5%

Enlist Privateers: Yearly Navy Tradition +0.2%

Pass Recruiting Act: Yearly Army Tradition +0.2%

 

[Bananson]

Is it even possible to accumulate positive army/naval tradition modifiers through national ideas and decisions so that it constantly grows by itself?

 

[L Lawliet]

Battlefield commisions +1
War college +1
A good mil. tradition advisor +1

That way it will always grow to 100%
Also as Austria you get a cultural decision for some last knight tournament which gives you +4 m.t. per year for some time.

 

[otti]

So take Battlefield Commissions, build a war college, build a veterens home etc. I think there's also a decision that gives some yearly tradition too, but I forget the name.

Are battlefield commisions a national decision?

 

[Bananson]

Are battlefield commisions a national decision?

It's a national idea as far as i recall

 

[Darkrenown]

Yup. Just that will cause it to grow to 33% on its own, another 1% decision or adviser = 66% and a third will gorw it to 100%

 

[Basvv85]

There is also a cultural decision i had with Castille called something like the last knight joulting tournament which gave +4 army tradition for 10 or 20 years.

 

[George LeS]

It isn't truly realistic, though. If it were, you'd find all the best officers show up toward the ends of wars, which isn't at all the pattern. In game terms, it's hard to see how the American Revolution produced enough tradition to give Napoleon, Davout, Nelson, Wellington, Blucher, & Suvorov. Just to name a few. And Portugal came out with da Gama, Albuquerque, & Almeida BEFORE she "earned" them in EUIII terms.

There are many such examples.

That's why I made up my own leader events. More trad give you more leaders, & only that makes better ones more likely.

 

[Darkrenown]

I don't find it that bad. Quite often while at peace a military will end up with "management" types running everything. It's not until they get into a war that the "warrior" types are suddenly needed and get the chance to show their colours and earn promotions. Translated into EUIII terms your early battles will be fought will fairly poor generals until you earn enough tradition to "discover" the good fighting generals. For really good leaders you can just assume that the countries had some tradition already and so went from something like 60 to 90 then got Napoleons rather than 0 to 30.

 

[George LeS]

I don't find it that bad. Quite often while at peace a military will end up with "management" types running everything. It's not until they get into a war that the "warrior" types are suddenly needed and get the chance to show their colours and earn promotions. Translated into EUIII terms your early battles will be fought will fairly poor generals until you earn enough tradition to "discover" the good fighting generals. For really good leaders you can just assume that the countries had some tradition already and so went from something like 60 to 90 then got Napoleons rather than 0 to 30.

Sure, that happens. My point is that there is no real pattern, & that the game assumes one. I believe that the ability to select the right people is flat out the hardest thing in the world, & that history shows that. There is no philosopher's stone to help. So, at a minimum, it should be partly random.

So what I use is a combination of event generated random leaders, with historical leaders (also event-generated), plus still being able to hire them. But once down that path, other problems became apparent with the system, especially exploration....

 

[Sondrety]

war just for tradition sounds rather gamey to me...

Gamey...? THAT WAS SPARTA!