The marriages are randomized because the real choosing system is not in the beta. As soon as the devs pull something up, you'll get your choice......

Note the frequent use of the term "currently"... which I think pretty strongly implies that non-currently is different. From Elemental BETA 1G: READ ME FIRST

Thanks, Scoutdog (I just couldn't resist the teasing; apologies). I wish there was another "currently" in front of "you lose her as a unit," but Brad seems rather firm on that point. Guess the pre-cataclysm world was run by a bunch of hardcore patriarchal types even though the real power in the world was magic, not upper body strength.

Even though I never knew much dialog by heart the way I did for the Grail, that's probably my favorite Python film. Mr. Creosote belongs in the Book of Silly Mods--recruit him, send him into an enemy city to dine, and watch the people flee.

But I still seriously hope that the spouse functionality is a very rough draft and that we'll have some way of actually arranging our own marriage(s) as we can do for offspring. Royal couples will never be fully equals on account of the channeler thing, but I want the game to occasionally produce some real dynamic duos (sovs choosing spouse-champions who complement the sov's traits). Royal spouses as "nothing but pinups" will be dull at best, and more likely it will become annoying when the sov is surrounded by recruited champions and offspring champions.

That's exactly what I'm asking for: royal spouses should be champions just like every other marriagable unit in the game seems intended to be.

Royal marriage proposals could come from bold individuals, independent rulers offering a marriage, and even other full sovereigns offering a child's hand. Sovereigns who say no too often might start receiving fewer offers, and it might be fun to have a 'maybe' option that could lead to things like Penelope's horde of suitors hanging around Odysseus' house. Sovereigns who marry 'commoners' might reduce the 'market value' of offspring from that marriage in exchange for gaining a partner who plays a strong role in council or in the field.

So how would you put that into game mechanics? Would non-champion spouses be a special type of regular unit? Would they even have a map unit aspect at all?

Perhaps more importantly, I've always thought of champions as a very broad class of units, with some being quite humble and some being outragously powerful. And champions will grow during the course of a game via experiences--marrying a sovereign would certainly be like going on an extended chain of quests, except perhaps for a sovereign given to locking up spouses rather than pairing with them.

I am not really bothered that its an unnamed spouse. I can imagine a loving relationship between my avatar and his spouse instead of it being a recruitment of a champion like buying a horse in the market.

Although, marrying another channeler seems to be the most sensible idea of them all. unifying your side.

it would be really cool if it can be used for co-op.

that being said, it makes sense from a variety of game design reasons not to do that...

Can i do brainwash with my tourture and then marry her? That would be awesome fun.

I always play evil. Although i will admit, if there is a really awesome race, i will go out on a limb and actually try neutral every now and then. But good? lolnothx. I like my civilians well toasted, not well educated. Demons are for bargaining/commanding, not defeating. Your prefered terrain should be a overcast, ash covered hellscape, none of this 'rolling green hills' baloney.

I know I'm a horrible threadjacker on a regular basis, but I'd really rather not see this thread digress into how much fun it is to play a given 'alignment.'

Cerevox, playstyles aside, what do you think of my original suggesion to make sovereign marriages a decision, and by implication make royal spouses true units like the others in the dynasty system? Would it make the game more fun for you, less fun, or neither?

  I would think there would be a range or mix of possibilities.  I wouldn't consider most spouses to be fellow champion units, but I could see this happening occasionally.  Seems like having a spouse unit as a champion all the time would be boring.  I would like to see these possibilities for marriages/spouses-

Is fellow Soverign of neighboring Kingdom/marriage becomes alliance with some overlapping consolidation of Kingdoms>Kingdom=New name, bonuses, etc.

Spouse is champion or hero type unit; special unit with trade powers/powerful equipment

Spouse is in background; leaves all decision making to Soverign. 

Spouse is behind the scenes and makes many important decisions or gives good advise.  Bonuses.

Spouse is a liability and needs constant attention/more taxes/causes opposing faction(s) to slide towards being enemy combatants.  Thinking of the two opposing families in Romeo and Juliet; also War of the Roses in Kingmaker, where Yorks vs. Lancasters.

  I also see ways of ending marriage(s).

Beheadings.  For the truly bad ending.

Divorce.  Loss of some revenues.

Warfare.  Yea, its suxxors.

Disease.  Plague!  Afflicts your Kingdom and is unkind.

Missing or lost due to quest.  Could be kidnapping or spouse could be investigating a mystery. 

Magicke, I like the range of possibilities you suggest here but don't see any conflict with the idea that royal spouses should be a special class of units on the map. A champion system that did a good job of spanning the range of battelfield and civilian leadership roles should be able to provide royal spouses for all three categories you describe.

Re the divorce question, that all depends on whether the game canon includes some 'rules' about that sort of thing.

My sov wears the pants cause he has the doom spells. And there will be no divorce in my kingdom. There will instead be a public event called ex-wife and lion. It will be just like a divorce except i keep all my stuff, and i get to sell tickets.