Best way to fight squalor?

[Garvanko]

Before you attack a city, have a strategy for getting it back on its feet quickly once its taken. Don't just plan win the war, plan to win the peace.

[Braden]

Distance to your nominated Capital effects population “happiness” as well as squalor, so you could look at moving your Capital….but be careful that you just don’t move the problem to other areas of your empire. There is a downloadable tool from the .org that calculates distance + happiness factors.

Also, concentrate on happiness buildings – arenas, temples etc – rather than sanitation. Good sanitation decreases Squalor BUT also increases population growth so, conversely, INCREASES Squalor.

However, increased Squalor, whilst increasing unrest also increases the risk of Plague hitting the city so perhaps high squalor isn’t such a bad thing.

Governors – make sure you have a governor with a high “scroll” score. Or create one using positive management retainers from other generals/governors.

Make sure you have at least one spy in each settlement to counter other spies and diplomats trying to sow unrest by trying to bribe the garrison.

Always look at the settlement detail scroll and at what is making up the “unrest”. Target specific causes (apart from squalor). If the garrison isn’t at 80% positive, then increase it until it is, if the settlement management is poor or non-existent then deal with that with a suitable Governor.

In my experience, Culture penalties are the worse. Try to ensure you overwrite the other cultures buildings as soon as you can….Always.

I do have one related question….

….we know that “distance to capital” effects happiness but does the location of your faction leader? It used to be a factor in Medieval, but then you couldn’t move/nominate a “capital” in that game. I just wondered.

[Cras]

oh I forgot...
I also remove the 'home' army barracks and such.... then when they revolt they have mostly peasant armies...

my 100st post!! woohooo!!

[Ciaran]

Governors – make sure you have a governor with a high “scroll” score. Or create one using positive management retainers from other generals/governors.

I thought that at first as well, but to keep unrest down the governor needs high influence. Management skills are nice, since they increase profits, but influence is vital for keeping controll.

[x-dANGEr]

Influence and some retinues/virtues that keep public order.

[Cras]

just kill them... kill them all those complaining wankers!!!!

:-)

[Garvanko]

….we know that “distance to capital” effects happiness but does the location of your faction leader?

I just wondered.

I think if a particulalry riotous region e.g. Greece (especially Bylazora, Thessalonica and Larissa), has serious public order issues, then the placement of a governor with high influence or a faction leader/heir in one of the settlements can have a slight ripple effect on the neighbouring regions, thus improving public order in that area.

Ive seen signs of this, but nothing concrete.