What are Traits for?

[AngryPanCake]

Hello,
Nobles, companions, wanderers and I think even notables/gang leaders have traits. What do they actually do or how do they affect your game and/or your character?

It looks like depending on your score for these 5 basic "attributes" (not sure how to call them), you get different traits: generosity, honor, mercy, calculating and valor. But then, how do the actual traits affect the overall gameplay?

Thank you.

 

[anoddhermit]

Currently there's not much of an effect, they make certain dialogue checks with characters you share traits with easier at least. With charm perks they affect how much relation you gain with certain lords, namely merciful and cruel.

As a merciful character, I never call cruel lords to army because I lose relation with them for showing mercy to towns I conquer, for example, if they're in my army when I conquer it.

I think they affect NPC AI behavior to some extent too, but I can't tell if this is player speculation or not.

Hopefully they do substantially more with traits in the future.

 

[AngryPanCake]

I see, thanks for the info.

 

[Sreaction]

I think the encyclopedia says it affects how some npcs interact with you, I get the feeling it was meant to have more impact but just isn't fully fleshed out, but I am just guessing.

 

[saittam]

Hello,
Nobles, companions, wanderers and I think even notables/gang leaders have traits. What do they actually do or how do they affect your game and/or your character?

It looks like depending on your score for these 5 basic "attributes" (not sure how to call them), you get different traits: generosity, honor, mercy, calculating and valor. But then, how do the actual traits affect the overall gameplay?

Thank you.

They affect many things. A generous trader would not be smart. Not sure however. Not tested.
A daring captain might charge without orders.
A wanderer with mercy/honor will complain when you raid or attack villagers. You gain honor by doing village quest where they give you stuff. Like the quest to move their cattle to a settlement.
A calculating commander will not charge at once. He will send in his archers and have them use up all their arrows before attacking. Provoke the enemy cavelry to follow you back to the line and he might charge.
I avoid all with devious. Making a wanderer with devious trait a clan leader is more likely to move to another kingdom.
A cruel commander might not help you in battle, Others will stay closer to you on the campaign map.
A commander with valor is more likely to fight in battles with low odds. We have all seen an army of 300 attack a 500 size army to repeal a siege.

 

[Count_Morfetico]

They affect many things. A generous trader would not be smart. Not sure however. Not tested.
A daring captain might charge without orders.
A wanderer with mercy/honor will complain when you raid or attack villagers. You gain honor by doing village quest where they give you stuff. Like the quest to move their cattle to a settlement.
A calculating commander will not charge at once. He will send in his archers and have them use up all their arrows before attacking. Provoke the enemy cavelry to follow you back to the line and he might charge.
I avoid all with devious. Making a wanderer with devious trait a clan leader is more likely to move to another kingdom.
A cruel commander might not help you in battle, Others will stay closer to you on the campaign map.
A commander with valor is more likely to fight in battles with low odds. We have all seen an army of 300 attack a 500 size army to repeal a siege.

Is this true? I couldn't notice myself, I ask 'cause if it's true, it's in the right direction imo.

 

[saittam]

Is this true? I couldn't notice myself, I ask 'cause if it's true, it's in the right direction imo.

In all my games. I have restarted with every new patch. Lost count on how many 1041 hours. I have always married the same lady. She has daring and impulsive trait. Cant leave her in command of infantry on a defensive siege. When the first wave is repeled she charges. Now she is always with the archers.

 

[Count_Morfetico]

When the first wave is repeled she charges. Now she is always with the archers.

do you mean that now her traits doesn't work?

 

[saittam]

do you mean that now her traits doesn't work?

I can´t have her risk a third of my troops.

 

[Count_Morfetico]

oh, now get it haha

 

[AngryPanCake]

Thanks

They affect many things. A generous trader would not be smart. Not sure however. Not tested.
A daring captain might charge without orders.
A wanderer with mercy/honor will complain when you raid or attack villagers. You gain honor by doing village quest where they give you stuff. Like the quest to move their cattle to a settlement.
A calculating commander will not charge at once. He will send in his archers and have them use up all their arrows before attacking. Provoke the enemy cavelry to follow you back to the line and he might charge.
I avoid all with devious. Making a wanderer with devious trait a clan leader is more likely to move to another kingdom.
A cruel commander might not help you in battle, Others will stay closer to you on the campaign map.
A commander with valor is more likely to fight in battles with low odds. We have all seen an army of 300 attack a 500 size army to repeal a siege.

Thanks for the extra info.

 

[saittam]

I have a compainion with the cruel trait. When she is a partyleader and in my army taking a settlement. If i use show mercy. She leaves. Can´t find a way around it.
Havent noticed that before.

 

[SanyaBeli]

I have a compainion with the cruel trait. When she is a partyleader and in my army taking a settlement. If i use show mercy. She leaves. Can´t find a way around it.
Havent noticed that before.

She leaves? As in the party leaves your army? Or the companion leaves your service?

One of the effects is definitely that showing mercy on a town reduces relationship with cruel party leaders in your army, but increases relationship with merciful party leaders in your army. Devastating a town you have taken has the opposite effects on relationships with cruel or merciful party leaders in your army. Pillage seems to have no effect.

It’s generally straightforward to increase relationship with noble clans in your kingdom. But increasing relationship with your companions is more difficult (ie. you have few opportunities to do so). This means that you often have near zero relationship with your companions and showing mercy a single time might result in the relationship going far enough negative for other effects to occur. But I am not sure what those effects are.

 

[saittam]

She leaves? As in the party leaves your army? Or the companion leaves your service?

She leaves my service. Lost in the game. One should get a dialog of complain first i think.