To sack or not to sack?

[King Agamemnon of Mycenae]

Hi everyone,
I am rather new to SS (and M:TW II modding for that matter) and I was wondering your opinion on whether it is more useful in the long run to sack a settlement, exterminate (probably not) or occupy?

So i decided to make a poll with the above options.
Thank you in advance for contributing to my research.

[SonofPeverel]

i prefer to occupy or sack (depending on my monetary sittuation) settlements that have the same religion as my faction. But i always exterminate settlements of other religions, to keep public order.

[Ichon]

Prefer to occupy especially early as those regions become core of the kingdom. Sacking is acceptable if need money and isn't a citadel or its a raid and can't hold the region. Exterminate is only for raids far away.

[Zigama]

I usually occupy regions I want to keep and remain stable, occasionally sack when I need money, and exterminate when I need it for public order or when I'm pissed

[Hadrian I]

I only sack settlements, when my nobility really needs the gold. When they are broke, and have lost their estates.
I would normally occupy a settlement, but it varies if it's a Catholic settlement,Orthodox settlement, or Islamic or Pagan settlement,
Also if I have an ample supply of Priests,Bishops,Cardianals, in the same region, I would most likely just occupy it, even though it is of a different faith.

But depending on the faction relations,history, and familiy "ties" If they really hate me,and visa versa, I will exterminate the population, even if I can see, it won't help me at the present time.

[Nyarla]

regions close to my capital get occupied, and the rest i sack, unless my king commands otherwise, which happens usually quite early in my campaigns due to mass assassins that i level on enemy captains. then my FL sacks, and the heir Exterminates settlements, in order not to get "defied order" traits.
so basically i use all 3 options but late game its 50/50 between sacking and exterminating due to BGR attack limitations

[Alesianduke]

I occupy regions that are rebel or after my spy was in its city/castle has potential for upgrade and the rest of the time I sack so not to have public order problems. I rarely exterminate and that only if that city/castle or faction gave me headaches or it is really necessary so as to keep low public order without many troops from the occupying army (anyway I mostly exterminate major cities, former capitals like Constantinople, Jerusalem, Kiev etc.).

[The Source]

it pretty much depend on the general who took it, if he is a dread guy then sack it, if he's a killer or mad then exterminate, if he is chilvaric then occupy

[Kaiser Leonidas]

I almost always occupy except when I think the settlement will rebel as soon as I take it so I sometimes exterminate to prevent this from happening.

[aee10]

I always sack because of money and it also helps me to keep public order two birds with one stone

[Peter Bolland]

I finish the siege, check the happiness level, if green,yellow,blue -> occupy ,if red -> sack, never exterminate.
I am using the Longer Assimilation script and have upped my turmoil modifier in descr_campaign_db, so that occupy does not come up as often (was almost 75% occupy ,25% sack without tweaks).

[bɑne]

Occupy. Only sack if you can't hold the possition or if it is obvious that you will issues with public order otherwise.

[Homeros]

Exterminating is the worst possible option whenever you want to keep the settlement yourself. It will only help a short time to reduce unrest but the damage done to the buildings will have a much bigger impact in the long run (10+ turns later).

Sacking is usually the best option because buildings are not destroyed and you gain a tiny profit. It's basically the same thing as occuping but your general won't get a chivalry bonus.

I always sack unless the faction leader ordered differently, in which case I only use my faction leader because he can disobey his own orders

[King Agamemnon of Mycenae]

Thanks everyone.

[Caesar Clivus]

Extermination and sacking too much will give your faction craptacular reputation too. Which means more factions will want to attack you for being a big meany-pants.

[King Agamemnon of Mycenae]

Oh, one more question I would like to pose to all of you:
do the stonemason's hut and and logging camp actually do anything because when I built the logging camp it didn't seem to do anything

Thank you in advance,
King Agamemnon of Mycenae

[Abul'Khair]

I feel guilty when clicking exterminate but sometimes its the only way to hold a settlement without it revolting.

[Haldred]

In most campaigns I play, I just occupy and sack in extraordinary circumstances. However, in campaigns in which I want to be very dreaded, I'll mostly sack and exterminate in extraordinary circumstances. Exterminating never seems to be good though from my experience. It takes so long to recoup the population just after sacking. Exterminating pretty much takes half the game to just recoup the population.

[diez]

when my money are below 1000 i sack...when the hapiness of city when i conquer is below yellow i exterminate...but normally occupy...occupy is the best option,u will not take money immediatly but generaly u will take more from the city...also u can have the buildings it did and recruit soldiers and agents

[k/t]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=421282