Why is my son a merchant?

[Dayvit78]

Hi all,
I haven't played in a while, so there's bound to be numerous mechanics I've forgotten. Can someone help explain what happened to my second son? Why is he the holder of my dynasty title? And what is the dynasty title? I don't understand how it exists, or how he could have gotten it. We're just a small family on Corsica, with only two county holdings and I've only had one wife.

 

[Basterbane]

It seems your youngest son is a vassal under Genoa Merchant Republic. How did he become one I am not sure. Your character father looks like merchant too so maybe he inherited the title that way? The dynastic title he owns is just palace holding merchant families have.

 

[Aardvark Bellay]

Your brother is/was the lord mayor of Genoa at game start, turned into a merchant republic and thus a patrician house,
which when he died got inherited by your second son, as that second son had no feudal title to inherit.

 

[WJS]

The "family title" is a patrician house in the Merchant Republic of Genoa. It has your family name and CoA, but it does not mean it's a title that represents your entire family; just the part that's one of the big merchant families in Genoa.

 

[Dayvit78]

Thanks guys. You're right. The leader of Genoa city at game start was my brother-in-law. I didn't realize he died. It just seems weird to me that my 2nd son would be the one to inherit - it means he didn't have any kids or any other heirs. Now at least I won't feel bad for my second son when my first son inherits all my titles.

Oddly enough, I've never played as a Merchant Republic even though I have the DLC. Maybe after I finish this Corsica game, I'll try one, but I'll have to do alot of research before because it looks like completely different mechanics.

 

[CoSMoS]

Thanks guys. You're right. The leader of Genoa city at game start was my brother-in-law. I didn't realize he died. It just seems weird to me that my 2nd son would be the one to inherit - it means he didn't have any kids or any other heirs. Now at least I won't feel bad for my second son when my first son inherits all my titles.

Oddly enough, I've never played as a Merchant Republic even though I have the DLC. Maybe after I finish this Corsica game, I'll try one, but I'll have to do alot of research before because it looks like completely different mechanics.

You are absolutely right that it is a different experience in many ways, but it is a fun experience to try at least. A bunch of players dislike playing republics, partly because they haven't really been updated for quite some time now, and aren't as fleshed out as when you play as feudal. But give it a go - personally I love it, if not for other reason than a change of pace and the different experience.

If you want a head start try playing as Ragusa in the 769 start - that family start with a lot of upgrades in their family palace, which is a quite strong bonus. Also you are a Byzantine vassal so you don't have to worry about getting attacked.

 

[Naughtius Maximus]

Thanks guys. You're right. The leader of Genoa city at game start was my brother-in-law. I didn't realize he died. It just seems weird to me that my 2nd son would be the one to inherit - it means he didn't have any kids or any other heirs. Now at least I won't feel bad for my second son when my first son inherits all my titles.

Oddly enough, I've never played as a Merchant Republic even though I have the DLC. Maybe after I finish this Corsica game, I'll try one, but I'll have to do alot of research before because it looks like completely different mechanics.

It has bug ridden game mechanics, is full of spaghetti code, and most importantly is interesting to play.

 

[Dayvit78]

Sorry guys, now I am more confused than ever.

I got this event that said my DAUGHTER was the heir, and I went to investigate, and it turns out my oldest son is now the heir of my youngest son. While I was trying to figure out how that happened, I died, so yes, now I'm my daughter instead of my cool son that I personally raised. Do you think it was because we were in revolt during that time (I was part of a faction)? Why did my eldest son get chosen as heir to my youngest son and I couldn't re-nominate him for heir to the duchy??

 

[jonjowett]

Sorry guys, now I am more confused than ever.

I got this event that said my DAUGHTER was the heir, and I went to investigate, and it turns out my oldest son is now the heir of my youngest son. While I was trying to figure out how that happened, I died, so yes, now I'm my daughter instead of my cool son that I personally raised. Do you think it was because we were in revolt during that time (I was part of a faction)? Why did my eldest son get chosen as heir to my youngest son and I couldn't re-nominate him for heir to the duchy??

Remember when @Naughtius Maximus said there was spaghetti code? This is an example.

Your eldest son is the heir to a patrician title (because, presumably, he is the oldest living unlanded member of you dynasty), so he was ineligible to be the heir to your feudal titles.

If you have a save from before the succession, you may be able to circumvent this by giving your eldest son a barony. This would make him feudal, which would make him ineligble to be the heir to the patrician title, which would make him eligible to be your heir once again. (However, I have a nagging suspicion that the game might prevent you from giving him a barony, so this may not work...)

If this succession issue annoys you, you might want to kill all possible heirs to the patrician title before your dynasty gets any bigger. (In other words, kill both of Duke Peter's sons before they have children.) (Killing a patrician who has no heir will destroy the patrician title, and a new patrician family is created.)

 

[Dayvit78]

Ok @Naughtius Maximus and @jonjowett. Thanks for this explanation.
That Corsica run is f*ked, so I'm just gonna pretend it never happened.
Carry on!