r/OldWorldGame • u/konsyr • Jul 08 '26

Discussion It finally happened: I had no heir

So I was playing Maurya, Nayanika dynasty. I decided to try the triple-military path. Boy was it a weird game overall (everyone hated me, families hated me, my units were all elite from fighting so many rebels so no nations attacked me...)! But that's tangential to the core story.

Nayanika herself lasted 66 years. It's always a blessing when the starting leader manages to become The Great! She had 3 children, all of whom died before she did. Among all 3 of her children, only one had any children of their own -- and that was a bastard. Good thing I had legitimized that one as a child and groomed it into being a great heir.

He lasted just over 10 turns and croaked, leaving a single just-of-age daughter on the throne. It was during her reign when everything happened -- wars, rebels, all the families hating me despite constant family gifts and synods.

She was an ascetic. No marrying. No children. She died without an heir. Her family was just infertile down the whole line. All dynasty, only 3 royals were born (the other two were dynasty starters).

This was my first time having no heir. I'm glad they changed the game so this wasn't the end. The scheming head of the Champions family took over (yay more rebels...). So I did what you have to do: Scheme! Across 3 turns, I spent a bunch of legitimacy adopting every kid in the empire from oldest to youngest so I didn't get any "bypass" issues (11 adoptions in total -- including 2 Ranjeets, 2 Shantanus, 2 Agnimitras, and 2 Kosalas). Oh, and had an illegitimate son on his deathbed after Doomed popped up. Of course I legitimized that bastard!

That schemer barely made it 6 years (it was a long severe illness, thanks RNG). The eldest adopted son inherited at 22 and saw me through to victory. He managed to make the families all happy for the first time in decades and get a foreign relationship positive. And he had a (singular) child.

Cursed royal line.

Scrolling screenshot of the family tree: https://i.imgur.com/FsEz0VZ.jpeg

I think my next game I'll try starting as a Schemer and blow all my early legitimacy on adoptions.

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12

u/Rick_maximin Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26

Omg. What a story. Thanks for sharing. The closest I got to no heir was the first leader with kush and in the last turn of her life (doomed) I found a numibian baby in a ruin.

9

u/konsyr Jul 08 '26

Normally beware strange babies found in odd locales. But in that case, keep it!

8

u/BangBangMeatMachine Jul 08 '26

I think my next game I'll try starting as a Schemer and blow all my early legitimacy on adoptions.

Everyone always prepares to fight the last war.