Sterile Kings & Useless Marshals

[Dalewyn]

As this is my first post, salutations to all. Not really great with introductions too much, so I'll leave it at that... yeah. :o

So now, I've been playing KoH, marvelous game. But I've hit a snag: My king is sterile (I laughed when the popup came up) and my best marshal (a marshal with 6 skills maxed) is insisting on inheriting the throne regardless of the 4 or so 5-star merchants and other marshals. Is there any way I can force someone else to get the throne (a mod, or maybe something in-game? I don't care as long as it isn't a marshal) If there's a cheat to "make" a prince, that's even better.
My campaign's come to a screeching halt because with my best marshal out, it's going to take ages to build my next best marshal up there. And all because my king (who is also a 5-star merchant from a king who also had no princes but oddly one princess) doesn't know how to make babies. :bash:

Help is gladly appreciated.

EDIT: And I'm not looking positively at my marshal getting the throne either, he starts middle-aged and I've been having absolutely horrid luck with heirs, as you could obviously tell.

[Mephistopheles]

Generally I assume that marshalls are somewhat more prestigeous than traders - propably because they could simply lay siege to anyone who doesn't support their cause :) . Also, historically speaking a ruler without a successor was always a setback for a country so I guess you have to live with the fact that things sometimes go bad, even if it isn't your fault.

Regarding your specific situation, I'd simply use my newly crowned king as a leader in the field so I can still use his experience and even get a big morale-boost for my army. Back him up with a second marshall that will follow him around and support him in all battles so your units all have the bonuses of your king but your new marshalls also gets the experience. This 'apprenticeship'-model works pretty well - the second marshall doesn't even need any troops under his command to make it work.

In KoH I mostly enjoy the setbacks the game deals out to me. The game isn't very challenging so enjoy the obstacles you meet.

[Altair]

well sometimes it makes your 5-star spy a king...or did this happen to me because my spy was once a second prince. No matter, try to make a spy and tell us if it works :)

[elvain]

well sometimes it makes your 5-star spy a king...or did this happen to me because my spy was once a second prince. No matter, try to make a spy and tell us if it works :)

it has no influence that the knight was a prince before. Once he lost his status he's the same with all other knights.
Sometimes a 5 star spy or cleric may have even higher experience if he converted many provinces or succeeded in many spy actions, that's my interpretation of this.

[Dalewyn]

I've got a 5-star spy, oddly. He's somewhat new though, so that's probably why he isn't getting the throne.

I guess I will follow your suggestion, Mephisto, though I'm still looking for a way out (many thanks for the encouragement, though!). When you've got a marshal with maxed healer/logistics/strategist/leadership, among others, you sort of feel like keeping it no matter what. :sad:

[Altair]

I don't know, elvain. I mean I got the cleric nearly from the start of the game, I've addopted and converted half of europe with him when my heirless king died...And how do you explain that a 5-star builder became emperor of Byznatia and he was a prince once...