Imperial Elective is god awful

[heliostellar]

What was the reason for this government type being mandatory? It's absolutely terrible. Even if you don't want to be emperor, you constantly get a notification to change your vote. That in and of itself also makes no sense, because the pool of candidates constantly changes.

Can we please, for the love of Jupiter, get rid of this mess?

 

[SigurdStormhand]

Commanders are valid candidates, if you aren't Emperor commanders are probably constantly being replaced - hence the vote changing.

 

[Castios]

Forcing us to use landed commanders is the worst thing for me. I absolutely hate it because I always lack good commanders. That's just absolutely awful.

 

[SigurdStormhand]

It's all about appointing high-Martial Viceroys.

 

[Ilion]

It's all about appointing high-Martial Viceroys.

And after the high-martial viceroy you appointed dies, you're stuck with a choice between this or that ill-educated, low-attribute character to grant the viceroyalty.

 

[Elden]

Get independence and your problem is solved, then you can always form a new custom empire with more reasonable laws.

 

[knppel]

I've micromanaged my vassals education for a century, and I do not face these problems anymore. My dynastic vassals partially outclass legendary event warriors with their stats- 40 martial you'll not get from a courtier, it needs Warship focus for that and a treasury.
Granted, not all of them are such beasts, but in the end of the day for any war it's enough if you have 3 capable commanders, a siege leader and an organizer.

In this game I did not start as Emperor which gave me more time to develop and prepare unrestrained, however, even when starting as Emperor, it's not like it was a big deal to aquire a county to land your desired military advisor to be able to grant him command.

 

[Windwill]

It’s kind of supposed to be. Byzantine succession in practice was a clusterfuck, and it definitely helped
lead to its decline.

 

[Zoomun]

I personally like being able to pick which child I want to inherit. It's like heir designation but I can pick siblings and nephews too.

 

[knppel]

I personally like being able to pick which child I want to inherit. It's like heir designation but I can pick siblings and nephews too.

Amen (or, By Jupiter!).
This is the first game where I really like to land my children. Often, granting them a title will ruin or cripple amazing characters. Landing kinsmen all over the realm ensures a generous selection to pick someone able to run his domain decently, and has already experience and a decent amount of prestige.

And of course, you can select that very best child of the generation, with a genetic trait or a bloodline you want active on your next char, train them personally at your court, and at age 16 grant them the next best de jure Theme you will conquer from an unlucky small neighbour, or kept back with a county in it.
Make him the Caesar, or Sebastokrator, or whatever else you have at hand.
Make sure they have men under their command, on their own and in the Imperial Army.

Secure succession during lifetime.