Regents & Usurpers

[merc234]

In my first Novgorod campaign I got to about turn 160 before a usurper caused huge problems for me - massive unrest in my cities, generals with no loyalty or movement points at all. I decided this must have been because I was too keen to adopt new family members instead of raising legitimate heirs of the bloodline. So reluctantly, I began a new game and swore to not accept a single adoption.

Well, I didn't stay entirely true to that, over the entire course of this new game, I have accepted ONE adoption, and lo and behold, HE becomes faction leader. So now I have another usurper on my hands, who has also lost all his movement points for some reason so I can't just send him off to be killed.

My frustration is that I don't really understand how the family tree works, why didn't another of the original faction leader's legitimate sons take the crown? Why oh why did it have to be the only one who wasn't?

What's the solution? Never accept an adoption? Disable the usurpation mechanic entirely? (which I don't know how to do)

[selv]

The adoption you have accepted must have been proposed by four faction leader or heir, when a general is adopted, he become the son of the one who offered his adoption, if he is older that o other king's son, he becomes the eldest...

Therefore, he can pretend to the throne, like if he wasn't a usurpator bastard.

I don't play SS, but i stopped accepted adoption after my first game of med2 because of that kind of things, not to mention the limited ratio of generals in family tree.

My advice would be, don't adopt, and when your daughters marries, don't hesitate to "suicide" your news sons in law if they become too ambitious, or simply to increase the number of naturals birth in the main bloodline.

I believe the trait that cause rebellions in your kingdom is "offensive to nobles" in the export_descr_character_traits, you might want to search every trigger that can give it to your faction leader and delete them, if you want to get rid of too powerful uprising, i think.

[nvm]

I only adopt generals which have traits that increase their loyalty, and when I'm in danger of losing the game due to a shortage of adult family members. Or if they have crazy good stats, especially loyalty, and are young. It helps, although it still is not very reliable. Chivalrous and loyal generals are less likely to plot for the throne, and if they wind up as faction heirs anyway, they will likely become regents when they inherit - which is like them being kings, except they can still plot to usurp the throne. But if they hadn't started to plot before they became faction heir, they probably won't do that either.