How to reduce squalor?

[Grand Duke Vytautas]

Whatz up, RTW playaz? :) I'm enjoying the game for a month thus far, but facing severe squalor problems in my cities. Can you help me, by just stating advice or steps on how to reduce that squalor. By the way, what are the causes of that stuff? Thanks indeed.

[Dragoncrusader]

Hi
The current advice is to build all those peaceful, useless buildings, such as sewers, public baths, etc early and to wait until just before the city reaches the next size before building the next farm upgrade. If you keep on top of squalor and do not allow your cities to grow too fast, then it should not be a problem until the city becomes very large.

[TEP]

therother has an excellent thread on this in Ludus Magna.
Basically, he concludes that there is very little you can do to reduce squalor - you can only mitigate the effects with temples, sewers, baths, entertainment etc.

This is also my own, albeit very limited, experience.

[bmolsson]

Keep the population down. Let it riot and then exterminate the population. A bit rough, but it works wonders....

[The_Emperor]

High taxes, no farms in rich provinces... All the entertainment/order buildings and a full Peasant Garisson.

Pop Growth will reach its own limit and stop growing. By the way Public Health buildings, while providing a "happiness" bonus (which helps to mask the squalor), also provides a Population growth Bonus... So you can make things worse for yourself in the long run with Health buildings.

Lowering taxes also provides a Population increase, so it can also make squalor worse by increasing the number of people in your overcrowded settlement.

As you can guess the key is to manage your Population growth rate.

[Siris]

For me the population growth is a key element. They no more join the city before their weak minds fall prey in my recruiting offices to the amounts of denarri I've allowed my recruiters to offer them. Thus, every one of my cities, on every turn, is making units. So I need the population to keep up the steady stream of units to upkeep the War efforts.

So for me, population is good! Forget squalor, I never have the issue. Only had it once, in my Scippi campaign in Syracuse; my experience here, which I'll advise to you is, if they keep rebeling, just pull out. Then seige the city, when you go in, be sure to not burn any of your precious buildings with your ongar's, but rush in, and kill all of the solider-peasants. Then proceed in the Campaign map, to exterminate all of the vermin, innocent or not. Then garrison your army back in there, and you'll notice that their loyalty will be around 200% to 275%. But I do feel bad about that day, having to massacre my own people. Its one thing to do it to a rival faction, but my own men, women, & children, its harsh, but effective.

[The_Emperor]

Well for me (In a Huge City Level) I always aim to have a very slight pop growth at high taxes (1% or 0.5%) to help recoup losses and a 0% growth at very high taxes.

If I find I am running out of people, I'll lower the taxes for a few turns to increase the growth rate. Nice and simple, providing I can keep order at the higher tax levels.

[Nelson]

Well for me (In a Huge City Level) I always aim to have a very slight pop growth at high taxes (1% or 0.5%) to help recoup losses and a 0% growth at very high taxes.

If I find I am running out of people, I'll lower the taxes for a few turns to increase the growth rate. Nice and simple, providing I can keep order at the higher tax levels.

This is how I do it too, at least as a Roman (I haven't played anyone else yet). After building all possible happiness, order and sanitation buildings, the key is the keeping order with high taxes. This will mean a large garrison and a competent city manager. Games and races can provide cover when you need to find a good governor although income will take a hit. I mostly build the temples that deliver the most order because order can become very difficult to maintain and every 5% helps.

I have never massacred my own people by design. This may work but it is not necessary. I will concede though that an ironfisted approach could be fun.