how to appease the population?

[need help]

I have no idea which buildings to make to appease the mob, they're always about to riot...

[Vor]

Same problem here. I'm about the manage the situation and avoid open rebellions, but I'm always on the verge. Everything seems to add to squalor...

[daniu]

For Rome, temples do the trick.
Not only by making the populace happier directly, but also because a common reason for unrest is cultural differences, and most temples have a cultural spread effect.

[Ataegina]

converting buildings to your culture, having negotiator agent wich can give bonus and also having an hero on the region, lowering the taxes and in last resort military crackdown. probably there is more options i will post if i find something new

[Szlachta]

I don't even understand Rome II's whole system. All my cities say they are in the red, yet if this were any other TW game, something would happen. I never see anything happen. I put the taxes all th3e way up for several turns and nothing. I put a general in the city, take him out, etc. nothing. It's always in the red, but they never rebel, or strike etc. I totally don't understand this new system's public order mechanic.

[daniu]

For Rome, temples do the trick.
Not only by making the populace happier directly, but also because a common reason for unrest is cultural differences, and most temples have a cultural spread effect.

[ilikeicehockey]

They do rebel with an army somewhere in that region. If that army doesn't move to attack you and you don't attack them, they will build up over time. The rebel army actually adds to public order, about 20 or so, because the malcontents are 'leaving' for the rebel army.

For rome, I found the best way to keep order high is to always have a gladiator building in the main capital (easy 12+ public order). Then add in sacred groves (temple) for the max bonus. Gotta watch what you build as city centers and pretty much anything level 3 and above will add to unrest.

It seems like the management is more about food and unrest balance now.

[Strattios]

Temples and philosophical branch of civic tech.

[baldrick13]

oh my god a thread about the actual gameplay rather than a whine fest.....but when playing as pontus expansion can be difficult due to culture but public order hasn't been too much of a problem (and at least food has a point now).

[Szlachta]

Still don't get it. Why is it always in the red, yet doesn't do anything (make rebels, riot etc.) Does Red not mean, impending doom now?

[priam11]

Wasn't sure if the OP was referring to TWC or the actual game.

[Szlachta]

Also, is it just me, or am I not seeing the ability to exempt a certain province from taxation.

[IlluminatiRex]

Don't forget Dignitaries! They just need to be in the overarching Province, not necessarily the same region.

[baldrick13]

@szlachta the public order is more based on numbers now (you now need to focus on how much the orders is increasing/decreasing each turn which you can see next to the red face) and settlements don't rebel until they get to -100 order.

[Szlachta]

Ah ok, would have been nice if the tutorial told me this. Also, how do dignitaries help out? I can't seem to put them into a city. Do you just leave them in the province anywhere and they help? Do you have to put them into an army, which then goes into the city? The prologue tutorial is crap and the Encyclopedia is almost just as bad.

[need help]

how about a newly conquered settlement, I recently took Genua, a Ligurian Settlement(I'm playing as Rome) and they are already about to rebel again. I can't seem to make much money either (only 1000 per turn), Cosentia has rebelled, and i'm about to get invaded by the Ardaiens. It's been fun but my campaign is a disaster, and there's no tutorials or guides out there.

[Szlachta]

It's funny that I played the tutorials (the third one never unlocked, another bug?) and read everything in the Encyclopedia and yet there's still a bunch of mechanics I don't understand. The whole faction family thing seems a bit wonky as well. I do what they say to gain more support, but it just loses it. Doesn't help that the text is so small that it is hard to see if it is a + or - (and I'm playing on a 42 inch TV in 1080!).

[Langer Kerl]

Good question actually. The main problem seems to be that so many advanced buildings increase unrest (through poverty and the like). As far as I understand, you have one number for each province (not the single city, the whole combined thing) that goes from - 100 to + 100. Happiness above 0 allows for higher taxes and seems to increase population, while negative happiness does the opposite. At -100 happiness, rebel armies will appear.

To increase happiness you can build certain structures (see tooltip), demolish structures that increase unrest lower taxes, use a Champions ability, use the province buffs (the ones only avaible to completely conquered provinces), make sure there is enough food supply and no food shortage, and I think generals in cities may (!) also have an effect on this. Cities with the same culture as your faction are also happier.

Second, keep enemy agents away with your own agents and counter-espionage and the like. Enemy champions cause unrest, passively I think, and spies can actively lower a populations happiness.



Finally, the strange thing is you can usually disregard unrest if you feel like it. What usually happens: A rebel army will pop up, instantly attack the city, get massacred by the garrison (even in auto-resolve, the odds are usually 1:10 or worse stacked against the rebels) and you can go on with your buisness. I have yet to see any rebels that were actually a threat to anything.

[krisslanza]

Good question actually. The main problem seems to be that so many advanced buildings increase unrest (through poverty and the like). As far as I understand, you have one number for each province (not the single city, the whole combined thing) that goes from - 100 to + 100. Happiness above 0 allows for higher taxes and seems to increase population, while negative happiness does the opposite. At -100 happiness, rebel armies will appear. To increase happiness you can build certain structures (see tooltip), demolish structures that increase unrest lower taxes, use a Champions ability, use the province buffs (the ones only avaible to completely conquered provinces), make sure there is enough food supply and no food shortage, and I think generals in cities may (!) also have an effect on this. Cities with the same culture as your faction are also happier. Second, keep enemy agents away with your own agents and counter-espionage and the like. Enemy champions cause unrest, passively I think, and spies can actively lower a populations happiness. Finally, the strange thing is you can usually disregard unrest if you feel like it. What usually happens: A rebel army will pop up, instantly attack the city, get massacred by the garrison (even in auto-resolve, the odds are usually 1:10 or worse stacked against the rebels) and you can go on with your buisness. I have yet to see any rebels that were actually a threat to anything.

The rebels seem to be a threat... to the AI, at least. Everytime I've seen them pop up, they sit around for a turn or two, then always take over the town. Also, as an aside, Rebels are still bad. If simply because if you like achievements, you can't use autoresolve in the entire campaign for at least three achievements. So you probably want to avoid as many pointless, landslide battles as possible. Unrest doesn't cause rebellion until -100, BUT it will lower the growth AND taxes of provinces as it falls - I think at -20, -50, and maybe -80 is the thresholds. It is still in your best interest to keep your population happy to ensure it grows and gives you money. Also a huge protip: To tax a province you CHECK THE BOX. The box actually says "Tax Province"... not "exempt". Kinda threw me off there, no joke. Cultural differences will be the bulk of your unrest generally, as this caps at a -15 penalty per turn. Conquering/looting a settlement will also lower unrest the next turn, so ensure the province's unrest is in a good state before going on a conquering spree.

[craziii]

the tutorial did tell you that I think it is the last part of the tutorial. basically temples, (I always get the one with the highest + positive affect) entertainment buildings, and you 100% need dignitaries to help speed up the culture converting process. dignitaries have a skill u can use to speed up the process also and gains experience through it. just like the spy skill where it watches the province for other spies/agents.

lvl 3 buildings gives huge squalor and consumes up to 8 food(so far in my suebi camp) and the high lvl farms also increases squalor. basically just to feed your faction and keeping everyone happy will use up most of the building slots. leaving very lil room for other buildings. if you want a happy province, it is pretty much 2 high lvl farm, 3 happyness buildings/temples(you may need a 4th one), 1 high level money producing building and 1 high lvl unit production building, and you will barely be covered. squalor is doing a good job of keeping my arm forces in check, forget the army limits. I have 2 entire provinces under my control I can only afford 2 army stacks(even though my army limit is now 6 after I took control of the 2nd province) and have about 1800 income per turn.