Mass extermination makes for a bit of a mess, no? Also: Culture Penalty?

[RedKnight]

On my second game, I've been using exterminate (and some enslave) in order to 'simplify empire management' a bit (cough). Others had written that it's very good for this.

But it has a very long term drawback... when you've decimated the town, it will take a LONG time to build back up to a new city level, where you can upgrade the governor's building and other things. So you'll suffer from Culture Penalty and the city will probably be stuck at Low income a very long time, esp. if it's very far from your capitol.

So it seems almost like it's more of a choice of a shorter but definitely higher hassle to Occupy, vs. a much smaller pain to Exterminate - but the 'smaller' lasts a far longer time. (Enslave being in between.) So I wonder which is worse?

An alternate might be to Occupy enemy cities and, as soon as you make your OWN next governor building, let them Revolt, then take it again, then slaughter them. Because now you'll have it a long time, with your culture's guv building and of course all the other buildings/upgrades you'll make will be yours. However, I have yet to try letting my cities revolt - is it possible that during the short time they are rebels, they might upgrade some buildings and short circuit what I'm trying to do? (Can they replace the governor's building if the population is not up to the next level yet??)

Related to all this: I've seen in other threads where all pre-existing buildings (even roads!) contribute to the culture penalty to some extent. Governor buildings are the biggest (a 20% hit IIRC) but I'm not sure how much other buildings are. Anyone know just how much each type contributes? And/or does it wear off over time? Also, "moved" people (through enslaving or disbanding) seems to be a way to increase or decrease it. Comments??

Thanks!! ~:cheers:

[Jeanne d'arc]

I enslave provinces that are fitting in the culture of my faction, extermination i use in big cities with 12000+ people and so far i have had few rebellions and overall good public order.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I usually occupy...

Maybe exterminate/enslave populations that are far from your capital and not likely to see much action or need to train large numbers of troops. You should probably look at each captured settlement on a case by case basis.

Of course, you can get around the tiny starting population by "importing" your own peasants and disbanding them in the new town, eliminating culture shock, reducing squalor in the first town, and growing the captured city.

[Red Harvest]

Occupy small, enslave medium, exterminate large. Large cities are unmanageable to begin with so extermination is needed. Small settlements will take forever to build up if you are too harsh (although they will make money consistently as they are building population.) This methodology seems to give the best long term cash flow, balanced with unit production capability.

What you are after is a "neutron bomb." Kill many of the inhabitants, but keep the base structure of the city intact. That makes it a real money maker that can supply troops as well.

[bmolsson]

Occupy small, enslave medium, exterminate large. Large cities are unmanageable to begin with so extermination is needed. Small settlements will take forever to build up if you are too harsh (although they will make money consistently as they are building population.) This methodology seems to give the best long term cash flow, balanced with unit production capability.


Why wouldn't it work with enslavement of the large cities as well ? I haven't exterminated any city yet, I guess I am a bit of a pussy to kill of what I just have conquered.... *blushing* ~D

[Maedhros]

I'm playing two campaigns at once.

My Julii always enslaves which apparently creates a trade good. They are doing well, and have balanced city populations. No cities as small as the Scipios who decimate populations across Europe.

On the other hand Scipii has more troops in the field and MUCH smaller garrison costs. Lots of small cities in gaul and a couple in Spain. But I'm very popular with the people.

I'm also spending a lot less time micromanaging in Scipii. While I love to micromanage, it is getting tedious with the Julii, who also have only 10 or 20K denarii in the bank. Scipii has more than 300K.

This might be the source of a nasty new trend. nearly all of my Scipii faction members have developed expensive tastes, extravagance to one degree or another, and widespread financial irregularities.

I'm still in the black, but I'm getting seriously annoyed.

[Sinner]

Scipii has more than 300K.

This might be the source of a nasty new trend. nearly all of my Scipii faction members have developed expensive tastes, extravagance to one degree or another, and widespread financial irregularities.

I'm still in the black, but I'm getting seriously annoyed.

There are 4 'corruption' triggers based upon the amount of money you have:

- If a family member ends the turn in a settlement and your treasury is 50000 or greater, they have a small (3%) chance each of acquiring up to 5 vices: moral flexibility (easier to bribe & a penalty to law), aesthetic (boost to influence, but reduced command), expensive tastes (reduced management), epicurean (boost to trading, but easier to bribe) and bad administrator (reduced management).

- If a family member ends the turn in a settlement and your treasury is 100000 or greater, you also trigger a second check, with a 3% chance again for each of 5 vices, the same as for the 50000 trigger, but with bad administrator replaced by embezzler (reduced management).

- If a family member ends the turn in a settlement and your treasury is 150000 or greater, you also trigger a third check! Again you have a 3% chance for each of 5 vices, the same as for the 100000 trigger.

- If you're a Roman and a family member ends the turn in a settlement and your treasury is 50000 or greater, they trigger yet another check, with a 3% chance to become a gourmand (reducing trade).

So if life really hates you, your family member could pick up all 16 vice points! In one turn an otherwise perfectly good family member could suddenly acquire Dubious, Lover of Beauty, Wildy Extravagant, Refined Tastes, Financially Irregular and Gourmand - giving -6 to Bribe Resistance (not sure in-game effect), -10% Law, +1 Influence, -1 Command and -4 Management. Ouch! He'd also be past the point of no return for some traits, being unable to reduce them through 'good' triggers and on the edge of a couple of vices getting worse. Of course, the chance for all that happening in one turn is so remote that it's effectively impossible... except that I know my PC is out to get me! ~;)