Why are so many general's traits a terrain trait, when terrain doesn't matter?

[HawkSeraph]

Most generals a (and sometimes even only*) trait as a terrain trait. Mountain expert, open plains expert, etc, you get it.

But terrain doesn't factor into any decisions I make at all. I don't control where fronts happen. I don't control where battles happen.

I know terrain exists through combat width (and you can see it in debug mode**), but the crucial factor is that I have almost no input. Sure, I can use my general to mostly pick fights with mountainous nations, but the trait is not worth such a huge change to stragety, and not impactful enough, and you can't fight with 1 general only (fronts!).

Getting good traits can actually make or break a war, but why is the most common trait type one that barely affects player choices?

As a different option, offense vs defense planner makes quite a difference in my choices. An offense planner means I will make that guy be the attacker, while defensive planners are my lineholders. This matters!

Does Paradox intend for us to play General Pokemon and just constantly cycle through the pool, recruit, dismissing, recruiting, dismissing?

I don't get why this design choice was made.

* As an aside, does anyone know why sometimes I recuit generals with 4-5 traits, and sometimes I only ever get 2 trait generals? Haven't figured that one out at all yet, but it does seem somewhat consistent.

** Hilariously, if you do look over provinces' terrain in the debug mode, you see a LOT of weird stuff, like ocean terrain in the middle of the Sahara, Jungle on Japan, etc. Not sure if that is actually just terrible terrain assignment, or a debug mode issue.

 

[Sbrubbles]

* As an aside, does anyone know why sometimes I recuit generals with 4-5 traits, and sometimes I only ever get 2 trait generals? Haven't figured that one out at all yet, but it does seem somewhat consistent.

I think if you haven't recruited in a while you get one with a lot of traits. After you recruit 1 or 2 new ones, you only get 2 trait generals

 

[Question]

Its particularly odd that terrain no longer gives defence bonuses like in previous paradox titles. Cant use a mountain province as a fortress anymore.

 

[HawkSeraph]

I think if you haven't recruited in a while you get one with a lot of traits. After you recruit 1 or 2 new ones, you only get 2 trait generals

I suspected something like this, but didn't really test it. I wonder what the timeframe is? This is annoying though, as it means you need to remember to check back every 2 years or w/e

 

[Soranya]

** Hilariously, if you do look over provinces' terrain in the debug mode, you see a LOT of weird stuff, like ocean terrain in the middle of the Sahara, Jungle on Japan, etc. Not sure if that is actually just terrible terrain assignment, or a debug mode issue.

This is worth a bug report imho!

 

[HawkSeraph]

This is worth a bug report imho!

It's so widespread I'd waste entirely too much time on it. It's pretty obvious if you mess around in debug mode, impossible for them not to know about it.

 

[TrainMachine]

This is worth a bug report imho!

There are already a couple of threads about it in the bug report forum. Better just to go and up-vote those.

 

[PedroLuiz]

As a different option, offense vs defense planner makes quite a difference in my choices. An offense planner means I will make that guy be the attacker, while defensive planners are my lineholders. This matters!.

And then you get Mr both ways

 

[Question]

Commanders get xp and get more traits as you give them advance/defend or raid/escort/invasion orders, so they will get better over time.

 

[HawkSeraph]

Commanders get xp and get more traits as you give them advance/defend or raid/escort/invasion orders, so they will get better over time.

Oh, I hadn't really noticed that

 

[Morrowind3]

Its particularly odd that terrain no longer gives defence bonuses like in previous paradox titles. Cant use a mountain province as a fortress anymore.

Maybe it's the thing OP mentioned about combat width. Like defenders being allowed to field more units on mountains compared to attackers. Idk

 

[Mithkabob]

I think commanders also get more traits and rank up traits as they age, but maybe that's just the ones in the recruitment pool.
The really broken one early game is artillery commander, an expert artillery commander giving +30 flat attack is so brokenly overpowered at that point.
One of the tooltips around terrain indicates that difficult terrain increases unpredictability(?) or something like that, which I'm not certain if it refers to which tactics get picked or if there is still hidden dice rolls.
I feel like I've seen fights inside jungle and mountain terrain going very poorly for the defender and then suddenly swing in their favor, despite nothing changing, unlike the mid-combat replenishment of battalion strength that I've seen slightly tip a battle, this was a night and day change in both morale damage and actual casualties.