Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Author Topic: How is the rightfull HEIR determined for succession?  (Read 734 times)

joostheger

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
How is the rightfull HEIR determined for succession?
« on: October 11, 2023, 12:45:56 pm »

In the past I did sone research on royal heirs. It turned out that most of the time it was not the oldest who inherrited the throne. So, some questions.

When the monarch dies, if residing in your fortress, who of his/her is heir? Do they need to live in your fortress, or might the next monarch suddenly not live in your fortress?

Samesies for duke/count/baron. Is the next in line always an inhabitant of your fortress?

If not so, what about [SITE] level nobles, do their titles ever get inherrited by a non inhabitant? Or is inside replacement guaranteed?

« Last Edit: October 11, 2023, 02:07:07 pm by joostheger »
Logged

mikekchar

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: How is the rightfull HEIR determined for succession?
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2023, 09:52:51 pm »

This would make a good question for Toady.  I've seen no rhyme or reason here.  I almost think it's random amongst the histfigs.  But...  There's enough "royal blood" succession that I suspect it does *something* in that regard.  I just don't know what.
Logged

Splint

  • Bay Watcher
  • War is a valid form of diplomacy.
    • View Profile
Re: How is the rightfull HEIR determined for succession?
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2023, 02:34:08 am »

I'd wager it's intended to be the oldest child, but monarchs in DF are often childless or don't have any kids old enough to assume the throne when they kick the bucket, for one reason or another (unmarried, eldest children have died from unnatural causes or were otherwise removed from the population, whatever.)

Would be interesting if it prefers to pull on related histfigs, such as cousins, aunts/uncles or siblings if there isn't a suitable replacement available from a monarch's own immediate family.

Usually with lower nobles, the only time you end up with ones besides your own appointees are if some migrant happened to have family who are nobles who croak off-map. Once had a pair of barons end up in my fort because their title-bearing parents bit it off map in a huge war that was going on. Unfortunately both also happened to be important members of my militia, which made retiring very unappealing because I didn't want them to leave the fort to go fight in the battles around the capitol.

Saiko Kila

  • Bay Watcher
  • Dwarven alchemist
    • View Profile
Re: How is the rightfull HEIR determined for succession?
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2023, 03:58:41 am »

Nobles very often die in my fort (as visitors), and usually the replacements are their relations. Once, when a baroness which have a daughter in my military was fighting goblins, I checked the relations and the daughter was a second one, i.e. there was an older one. Husband of the old baroness/father of my military woman is a baron of another place (he was then in my inn, as usual), aunts are baronesses of other cities, uncle is a liaison (who resides in my mountainhome), and of two older siblings one died violently a couple of years back, and another cannot be found even using dfHack. So I expected my military woman to get promoted - and she was! The pointer of her mother in relationship tab still points to the riverbank where she died, and the husband/father still resides in the inn.

When I observe the event, it is always the oldest eligible child, but what is common is that most of the children are no longer eligible (because they are mostly nobility already). I don't know how is is with no children, but aunts and cousins, because I haven't been observing it too much.
Logged

joostheger

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: How is the rightfull HEIR determined for succession?
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2023, 04:04:12 am »

Quote
oldest eligible child,
yes I think this too, but what is eligible? In my research, it seems that if children are to young (-12), having a religious position (or maybe other noble position), or at the time a member of another civilisation.

So it seems that the rightfull heir should at least be a citizen of the same Site-/Civ- government/.
Logged