Squalor inducing factors?

[edcope]

I've always thought that squalor was a function of population and health buildings, but that doesn't seem to play out. I'm playing as the Goths, where Colonia Dacia starts with a squalor level of 35%. I immediately build a cesspit on the first turn, but on the turn it gets completed the city's squalor level rises to 40%. I thought that perhaps a population boom cancelled it out, so I modified the desc_buildings file in the main data folder so that all health buildings improve public health far more than they originally do, but there's no effect in-game. I tried the same process with the Romans, but with no results.

So if health buildings do not affect squalor, what does? And more to the point, how can I change it?

[Regs]

That's more than likely because the region or settlement follows a different religion. Unless your governor is Jesus, you will have squalor. Petra for instance, is a region near impossible to hold unless you destroy the pagan temples and build catholic buildings. I think it's the same for Dacia, however unless the governer is of that specified religion you wont be able to build the temples that will keep the population happy. It would be a good idea to send out a spy and look for a heavily dominated pagan settlement first, then go onto other settlements and try to convert them.

[edcope]

Nope, my governor (the faction leader) has the same religion as a large majority of the population (christianity). Furthermore, I've noticed that every time I build a building that's supposed to improve public order or squalor, squalor increases by 5%! Am I the only one seeing this?

Is there any way to modify what causes squalor?

[Lusted]

Something must be wrong in your game, because sewers and other public health buildings give bonuses to public health.

[edcope]

It's a clean install. If somebody has the time, could you try an experiment to see if I'm going insane? Give Goths the ability to build heath buildings, and start the program as the Goths. You should see that squalor starts at 35% in Colonia Dacia. Now, build the first level health structure. I see no change in the squalor level, sometimes it goes up to 40%; do you see the same thing?

Let's assume for the moment that nothing is wrong with the program; what would be involved in modifying the files so that we can clean up all that squalor much more efficiently than in the clean install?

[MasterOfNone]

With the exception of the minimal bonus (which may be negated or even exceeded by other factors during a turn's time) on level 1 all the health bonuses within the health buildings are attributed to cultures that do not include the goths (nomad). So these buildings will not do anything other than waste your money unless you have modded the capability conditionals.

[edcope]

I have changed the Goths' culture to "barbarian" in the sm_faction file, but that does not change the results. Is there something else I have to change?

I have also tried similar experiments with Romans, but to no avail. I have also destroyed the cesspit with which the Franks begin the game with, but thier squalor level remains at, frustratingly enough, 35% after doing so.

Nothing I do changes squalor, and the problem keeps getting worse, to the point where all my resources are devoted to maintaing public order to prevent revolts regardless of which faction I'm using within ten to fifteen turns. Within 20 turns, squalor is usually around 100%, even though I'm only building structures that are supposed to reduce it. In short- this problem is making the game unplayable. What else can I do?

Oh, and when I changed the Goths' culture to "barbarian," I lose the ability to build Christian churches of any level. Why?

[MasterOfNone]

What are your population levels? If they are too high for the settlement level the squalor may just keep going up and up until riots abound...

What do the building bonuses display as if you bring up the building scroll?