I am interesting in what strategies players use to create and maintain public order in their empire. I think I have a fairly good idea of what leads to increased public order but I'm still not ironclad on how the mechanics work.
Order
Buildings
Buildings can improve public order through happiness and law. Between the two law is far superior to happiness. In fact one could make an argument that outside of specific military/commercial settlements, temples of law are preferable over any other temple in almost any circumstance.
Characters
Characters can increase public order through traits, ancillaries and through influence. Traits give the most transparent advantage with easy +1 modifiers. The more complex interaction is through influence, which I believe, increases the cultural growth of the specific faction.
My question is whether influence plays a role in public order beyond the boost to cultural drift?
Troops
Garrisoning a province can provide up to 65% public order.
Culture
By slowly building your own culture at the expense of the local culture you should be able to improve public order. My question is whether there are any hard numbers behind this? For example if my culture is 50% in a given settlement, how much more public order does that translate into relative to if my culture represented only 10% in the given province? Or is that even how it works?
Taxes
People appreciate a light hand.
Unrest
Unrest can be caused by a variety of factors.
Devastation
Allowing enemy armies to pillage your land doesn't engender the happiness of the locals.
Famine
If your people starve they will be upset.
Civil Unrest/Unrest
The pitchfork and the white/black face. I honestly have no idea what separates these two. I know that some regions have a default unrest but I'm unclear on exactly how this mechanic works and would love some input.
Squalor
Essentially just the natural agitation that grows from having a big population and the decadence/poverty that follows. I know characters can reduce squalor but I'm not super educated on this factor.
Culture
When you don't share the same culture as the occupants the occupants tend to dislike you yet. Since I don't quite understand how culture reduces unrest I obviously don't understand exactly how it produces it either.
Characters
Bad governors can wreck public order the same way good ones can improve it.
Taxes
People don't appreciate extortion.
I am sure there are others but these are the only ones sticking at the top of my head for the moment.
In conclusion I just wanted to start out a conversation to make the exact mechanics of public order in the game more transparent for folks like me that really enjoy the game, and frankly even enjoy the way you really have to consider how you will keep what you take, but need some help on understanding the mechanics fully.