Happiness problems as Venice

[EdgarSonneborg]

I have been having a lot of trouble with Venice because claiming city states as puppets adds a ton to unhappiness, especially since they are higher population. In the early game especially, even with all the colosseums possible built and with circus maximum, I am have 2 unhappiness with 3 cities.

Does anyone have a good solution to this?

Do puppets have more unhappiness from population? I thought it was the same.

 

[budweiser]

Solution: get 1 puppet, work on happiness, get another puppet. Rinse and repeat. Monarchy helps, trade double resources, circus maximus, religion.

 

[JanghanHong]

Get only the best city-states as puppets, use MOV to get money for everything else. It's best if you can snatch a faith natural wonder with your first MOV since that gets you religion that you can spread with your double trade routes.


Also, Venice can buy faith buildings in puppets, so prioritize Pagodas.

 

[joncnunn]

In my own game it turned out that all the city states near wonders were misplaced. (Natural wonder is just OUTSIDE the cultural border.)

But the real solution to Venice & happiness is indeed religion. If you pick Piety then your puppets will actually build Temples in a reasonable time frame, making the +2 happiness from Temples a good choice.
Unfortunately Ceremonial Burial is now only half as good as it used to be. But there are plenty of other second happiness beliefs.

 

[Yzman]

Also...you don't NEED TO buy every city state.

For example, I don't buy mercantile CS because you get happiness from allying with them that goes away if you puppet them.

 

[MadDjinn]

Also...you don't NEED TO buy every city state.

This can't be said enough.

It's especially true when 1/2 the city states have the same luxury resource. You're going to be able to trade the new one, sure, but only if there's something/someone out there with another one. You can't keep buying them up if they can't help towards the happiness requirements.

3-4 CS puppets is usually enough. The rest of the MoVs can go get you gold and influence.

 

[Silock]

My problems with Venice is that the city states randomly sell their happiness buildings. I don't understand it. I'll buy all the happiness buildings, and then like 30 turns later, I have to re-buy them for no reason.

 

[The Man Wood]

I have had no problems with Venice, at over 400 gold p/turn in the industrial era, I had almost 50 happiness from a culmination of land owned and CS as allies. only reason it dropped is because the Zulu declared war on me and 10 turns later, after I had removed some of his pieces from the board, he offered me 3 of his cities for peace. If you can monopolise luxuries from city states and trades you should be fine for happiness.

 

[Cyberian]

I am doing an IMMORTAL game with venice atm.

What was very important for my development was that I did not use the first Merchant from Liberty for buying a CS. Instead I used it to gain a RELIGIOUS CS as an ally. This way I could get a fast Religion and the necessary Gold for buying buildings. I think I bought Watermill and Cargo ships. Manually building those 4 cargo ships you get very early can take way too long otherwise. If you get them up early they can gain some of that cash back as well as giving you some science. Then when I got the first CS with maxed Liberty I switched 2 of those Cargos to supply food.
Later I am buying Colosseum and other happiness buildings in my cities. Resources alone aren't enough since I am using trade routes to pump my cities to insane pop sizes.

Another thing that is going great for me recently I bought Almaty which had 8 units and I immediately started a war on Darius who is the leading player in my game. It will take forever but it seems I will sack his wonder filled capital. Support Bombardment from my 3 Great Galeass is the key to this war. I also get alot of money from plundering enemy cargo ship trade routes.

 

[sliverius]

always puppet, with at least one unique luxury.

if you have 10 happiness, acquire city with 10 pop or less (also one unique luxury)
build most of happiness wonder such as notre dame.

 

[budweiser]

Last game on emperor, I bought 7 CS before the end and had +73 happy. Autocracy.

In my next game, I will do Radio Free Europe as Venice without taking a city from the AI civs.

 

[Brutha2]

I sorted this out by trading some of the gold from trade routes for some civs last copy of the luxury resource. It's expensive, but Venice can manage it - 24 gold per turn. Also, since you'll be unlikely to go into that many wars, trade off some excess strategic resources (which city states generally have a couple of). I admit this is more of a fix for the late game, though. Plus- make sure you get the colossus, those two trade routes can pay for this extra luxury.

 

[budweiser]

Should you buy them all?

Yes. Here is why. If you don't buy them all, then the AI can influence them and has power in the World Congress. Their spies and their gold can deny you a critical alliance. When you buy them, you take away this power from the AI and you make yourself more powerful. The MoV is the sure-fire solution to the question, short of war.

Late game, any spare MoVs should be in the water surrounded by their own personal carrier battle fleet.

 

[Spiri2al]

Should you buy them all?

Yes. Here is why. If you don't buy them all, then the AI can influence them and has power in the World Congress. Their spies and their gold can deny you a critical alliance. When you buy them, you take away this power from the AI and you make yourself more powerful. The MoV is the sure-fire solution to the question, short of war.

Late game, any spare MoVs should be in the water surrounded by their own personal carrier battle fleet.

no way. NO WAY. I only buy 2 puppets throughout my entire game. The rest of the MOV's I use for trade missions. To be honest, The money I am swimming in allows me to keep on influencing them to the point where I was able to have 16 CS allies all with over 300+ influence. Meaning: I held the WC hostage with my votes.

 

[budweiser]

no way. NO WAY. I only buy 2 puppets throughout my entire game. The rest of the MOV's I use for trade missions. To be honest, The money I am swimming in allows me to keep on influencing them to the point where I was able to have 16 CS allies all with over 300+ influence. Meaning: I held the WC hostage with my votes.

It sounds like you probably have a tiny Venice. My Venice is huge. Every CS I buy gives me tons of food back to Venice and a fat GPT trade route in Venice.

 

[Paradigne]

Now, now, there is no need to compare Venice size. Both are completely capable of achieving their conquests.

 

[pilot00]

Now, now, there is no need to compare Venice size. Both are completely capable of achieving their conquests.

Size does matter, but its how you wield it that matters most. Now if you are capable of having both...Don't look at me like that I am talking about population size.

 

[joncnunn]

Myself, with Venice I buy those city states I have no plans on ever allying. (This started with the "Hostile" ones which are very expensive to maintain as allies.)

And in my own game since I already have a tech lead it's obvious I don't have to buy any more, but if happiness allows I'm probably going to buy more any way just for bragging rights. (I picked two happiness religious beliefs to support my plans. If you think you may be buying several city states, pick happiness beliefs early that support it just like you would if you were planning on conquering & keeping several AI cities.)

I am though thinking that the 3 sea routes I have already providing massive food imports to Venice is plenty and rather have the remainder (currently 7) bringing in gold from external routes.

 

[MadHaxxor]

you shouldn't be buying so many puppets. Only get 1 MAYBE 2, depending on how big the map is. Just ally the rest

 

[sliverius]

Should you buy them all?

Yes. Here is why. If you don't buy them all, then the AI can influence them and has power in the World Congress. Their spies and their gold can deny you a critical alliance. When you buy them, you take away this power from the AI and you make yourself more powerful. The MoV is the sure-fire solution to the question, short of war.

Late game, any spare MoVs should be in the water surrounded by their own personal carrier battle fleet.

consider the beaker production.

if you want to puppet one, at least the population are 5% of your beaker production

in my last game of venice, standard game, i bought 7 CS , and enough to bribed CS for Diplomatic winning.