Lack of Generals

[The Starfox]

Im playing as Rome, and its about 560 in my game. I have expanded to where I own all of Italy, southern Gaul, and about 60% of Spain, as well as the western medditerainian islands.

By this point I am running into an extreme shortage of Generals and admirals for my armed forces. I have transfered most of the legions to govenors control, yet I cant muster more than one general and one admiral for use in offensive operations. I need 3 or 4 of each for my comming war with the greeks. Is there some way to boost the rate that I get people who are allowed to lead armies and navies?

 

[Achab]

Im playing as Rome, and its about 560 in my game. I have expanded to where I own all of Italy, southern Gaul, and about 60% of Spain, as well as the western medditerainian islands.

By this point I am running into an extreme shortage of Generals and admirals for my armed forces. I have transfered most of the legions to govenors control, yet I cant muster more than one general and one admiral for use in offensive operations. I need 3 or 4 of each for my comming war with the greeks. Is there some way to boost the rate that I get people who are allowed to lead armies and navies?

To fill commander positions in a republic you can follow the usual course of offices which qualifies them.
a) Character is 25+ years:
-> Religious tech office -> Censor -> General/Admiral
b) Character is 35+ years:
-> Civic tech office -> General/Admiral

 

[fmurciap]

There is another way: when you're at war, a 5 cohorts' army (or higher) without general can trigger a proposal from the Senate to give command to some unemployed guy, no matter his age or cualifications. If he has the ambition to become Legate, he will get (if appointed) +1 martial. The same can happen to uncommanded fleets (AFAIK they must be in harbour).
Don´t take for granted the wisdom of the Senate, though. He can be low martial, disloyal, a prisoner rotting in your worst enemy jail and even a foreign murderer kept in your own.

 

[Cheexsta]

There is another way: when you're at war, a 5 cohorts' army (or higher) without general can trigger a proposal from the Senate to give command to some unemployed guy, no matter his age or cualifications. If he has the ambition to become Legate, he will get (if appointed) +1 martial. The same can happen to uncommanded fleets (AFAIK they must be in harbour).
Don´t take for granted the wisdom of the Senate, though. He can be low martial, disloyal, a prisoner rotting in your worst enemy jail and even a foreign murderer kept in your own.

The fleet doesn't have to be in harbour (which is odd), and the 2.3x beta patches fixes the issue with prisoners being invited by the senate to command armies

But I hate leaving too many decisions up to the senate like that. They sometimes manage to pick an absolute gem (in my recent Roman game, they picked a 19-year-old Cornelius Scipio with 9 Martial to lead one of my fleets, resulting in a few more victories at sea than I should have had), but they often pick very poor generals.

 

[Achab]

Also the senate repetitively demands to appoint the very same character, until you comply, so you cant refuse and hope for a better pick.

Looks like this is no longer an issue.

 

[Cheexsta]

Really? I haven't noticed that, in fact I've noticed the opposite. Several times in my Rome game the senate chose a different character the second time around (I only remember because they originally chose a very poor general who was already a populist first, then chose a different character the second time).

 

[unmerged(152202)]

wow.. I really need to learn to play a republic.. lol.

I don't know what you guys are doing at all.

 

[unmerged(44034)]

Check out Cheexta's very good republic FAQ at the top of the forum page.

 

[unmerged(190704)]

I always encounter that probelm late in the game. Try to search your offices for good martial characters. Technolgy offices, Censor, and Consuls.

 

[naggy]

The first key is to cycle decent martial characters through the path Achab noted, so that they're available as legates.

The second is to hunt down people with the ambition to become legates and give them a post. One trick is to give them 1 unit, which you then collapse into a larger army.