How to increase public loyalty?

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Hi again Test112345,

Does that killing/moving of population trick only work if you build peasants?

Nope, it works with any unit from the humble Town Watch to the almighty steel first of the Urban Cohort, although Peasants are the natural choice since they are nice and cheap to train and keep paying for during their transportation.

Also, should i just not build these farms (or only at certain times)?

Often, a balancing act could be done - squalor vs. cash. On the settlement details scroll there will be a statistic of "Farming Base Rate". The higher this is, the more worthwhile it is to build farms in the settlement due to the higher income that they will provide - however, if you are nice and rich already, then you may not need the extra income. One also has to consider if this settlement could cope with increases in squalor - if the population is "blue" under the current circumstances (around about 75%) then it may be a bad idea - a slight change in happiness factors may result in civil revolts (below 60%). These factors also can be considered in choosing where to locate your "growth" cities for future military output.

For the distance to the capital, should i just centrally locate it? there are no other drawbacks to this method?

Nope, luckily, no other drawbacks. Central location is often the best method as it keeps everybody reasonably satisfied, although you may wish to move it slightly in the direction of your more disloyal cities.

should i just start destroying and buildings that arent built by me if there's a culture penalty?

It depends - if the problem causing building is a happiness providing building, then it will not usually be worth removing (subtract the penalty, 5%, from the bonus and, if it's in positive figures, then it's not worth it). However, if it's a building providing nothing in the way of happiness then it may be worth destroying or upgrading for the removal of the nasty penalty. You do have to consider the effects of the building though and your current situation.

will i be allowed to rebuild it afterwards?

You may have the ability too, but this depends upon your faction's tech-tree.

Hope this helps you, cheers!

BTW, I feel a little tired, and mildly drunk, at this moment in time, so it may be a little unclear - my sincere apologies if it is. I'll revise it in the morning to avoid confusion. Thankyou for your patience.