city order goes down for no reason

[dowdpride]

i am playing as the norse, and have most of my cities on low tax rate, with good lords, and a decent garrison, AS WELL as all the happiness buildings, yet all of my cities keep getting more and more unhappy!

[Aradan]

What does the settlement info scroll say?

[jackx]

Most likely it's merely the effect of increasing squalor, due to population growth... and since you want low taxes/fast growth in the beginning, it's just something you'll have to put up with for a couple of turns.

Alternatively, it's an enemy agent within the city/cities... which is rathre unlikely for the Norse (starting) settlements though.

The only other time public order decreases "for no reason" is when the boost of capturing a historical capital wears off over time... but I doubt it's that, if you capture a historical capital, you get an on-screen message that explains the effects, so it wouldn't seemingly be coming out of nowhere.

That said, capturing Scone to get the historical capital bonus would be a quick and easy solution to your public order problems... and together with Edinburgh, it's one of the two cities you'll get to 6k pop the fastet, and thus will be one of your main military production centers later on...

[dowdpride]

k, one more thing, what use is sheildwall if cav just pierces right through a four line deep shield wall? of spears?

[jackx]

More weapons on the same frontage... but I generally don't like it, because the AI fails to make use of it. It's mostly useful in infantry fights, and not necessary for dealing with cavalry. Also, spears don't kill (heavy) cavalry, they just fend them off (and this being RTW, the horses will push through the unit in the process), the actual killing is best done with axes/ap attacks.

[Ganonman]

Of course, a shield wall will still absorb a lot of the charge damage with few casualties.