As I recall GW Swicord mentioned something similar to this in another thread but there is currently no official news confirming or denying a lineage systems existence in Elemental. That is one feature I always kind of liked in Total War although I hated how wives didn't really have major stats of their own. If Elemental does have a lineage system I would like to see a serious amount of thought go into it. So a channeler's child could potentially have a mix of strengths and weaknesses not only from their parents but grand and great grand parents. This would really add some "historic" context to a particular kingdom. 

I hate it, but then I never lose them in battle...  Noob!

Aye...It was my first game so I can be called nothing but noob, but then I've always enjoyed the noob period of games more than the mastery period, generally more fun I reckon.

But as for you...srsly never? Not even once? You've never had a weak flank in you kingdom that got besieged from nowhere? I assume you must be ommiting an old age scenario, but surely you've lost one in glorious battle!? Criminy...I had one that was such a flog that I delibately sent him into the wilderness Mad Max 3 style to get canned.

You must be incredibly meticulous.

There's some talk related to this in A time and Weather idea and Making Heroes Interesting.

I still think something like this could be a really neat part of a TBS game, but maybe not Elemental this time around. The real rub is the calendar problem--there are too many different parts of a game like Civ or Elemental that work on different timescales, so the games are required to apply heavy abstraction, which undermines efforts to do things like model the Merovingians or Tokugawas.

Shame, really. Could do all manner of amazing things with a pregnant channeler.

The time line would potentially be a problem if the Channeler can get married and have children and the children themselves could pose a problem. I can see a way around this given Elemental’s sketchy plot but some assumptions would need to be made.

Assumptions:

1. Channelers can only have one child.
2. Channelers can die of old age.
3. Effectiveness of a Channeler at old age X (let’s say 110) is directly proportional to the amount of essence he has.  
4. Channelers pass all remaining essence to their child upon death.
5. Having a child siphons some of your essence until they reach adulthood.
6. The child succeeds his parent as Channeler after their death becoming the new main character.

Now given these assumptions the player would have four play styles available to them from the game’s start.

A. Keep some reasonable amount of essence perhaps 1/12 of your total starting essence to largely negate the effects of age. This type of Channeler would have a vast flourishing empire, no child, and essentially not age.

B. Invest almost all your essence in building a huge empire to the point that you age normally. Getting married and having a child is now mandatory to continue the game since your Channeler will eventually die of old age. This type of Channeler would have a vast flourishing empire, a child, die of old age, and a dynasty system of succession.

C. Keep almost all your essence for yourself resulting in near immortality. This Channeler would have a small but powerful empire, no child, and be virtually immortal.

D. Invest a decent amount of essence in your empire but retain maybe 1/2 of your total essence. Then you get married and have a child. After your child is grown you have about 1/3 of your total essence left to play with. This type of Channeler has a medium sized empire, a child, and essentially does not age.

Now you could add more complexity but it really wouldn’t be necessary since every play style is well represented in this model. Don’t want children but want a large empire? No problem. Want to be extremely powerful with no children? No problem. Want a long line of decedents that have been the rulers of an empire? No problem. Want to be moderately powerful with a decent sized empire and a heir? No problem.  

I would also like it if there are abilities and attributes that would be semi-randomly passed on to your child from previous generations of Channelers, that would really be awesome.

Npot necessarily. A particularly good archer or sowrdsman or mage could pass that skill onto their offspring.

If this is a civ style progression, then yes, an epic game lasts centuries or millenia.  Alexander the great conquered most of the known world well within a single lifetime.   Centuries aren't exactly a pre-requisit for world conquest.  If he hadn't discovered Persian women he'd probably have kept going.  I expect Elemental will be on a larger scale, but it's not a foregone conclusion.

I'm more interested in gameplay though, having a fake system where I'm simply replaced by a duplicate on death is... pointless.  I'd rather suspend disbelief than suspend a gag reflex.

An actual linneage system where the spawns of satan are running around being useful and grow their own strengths with whichever ending up replacing the current leader.  Much more tolerable, although it doesn't fit the whole concept of your godlike channeler that's been building strength since the beginning going up against the enemy that split his essence into multiple projects and has his godlike channeler anyway because his brat and his brats brat didn't split theirs.  Lineage for the channeler just isn't rational.

I'm sure whoever you're currently paying is doing a fine job as it is.