How do you handle midgame happiness?

[tibbles]

I've returned from a long hiatus and been trying to catch up on all the patch changes. So far my biggest problem has been the happiness overhaul and could use some midgame advice.

The last game I just fired up was standard emperor continents as Wu. I had a fair capital spot then planted 2 resource grabs and a blocking city. Things went fairly smooth early game, luxuries and coliseums covered it all. Ramses DoWed me, so I puppeted his 2 best cities. That left me at a low, but positive happiness total before AI trades.

Midgame though I feel like I stalled out. I tried taking Meritocracy and Humanism so far. I've got Coliseums built everywhere, that Circus Maximus, 2 circuses, 1 natural wonder, slowly working on theatres, and 6 of the 8 available luxury goods. I tried for the Forbidden Palace, but was beaten. I think I did capture a wonder that gives a smaller bonus. My capital is up to 12 pop, the rest 5-8. I've been intentionally on slow growth since the early game other than the capital. (Or at least it sure feels slow. I know prior nonICS versions I'd never be intentionally sitting on a size 5 city at 1300ad.)

My empire is in the -4 to 4 happiness range (-74 unhappy, 70 inherent happy+2trades) and I'm having to accept only mediocre luxury trades from the AI to stay positive. All the city-states either provide a duplicate resource or are allied with the AI I'm at war with. I'm currently at war with Catherine. I've got an army that can beat her easy, but if I take any of her cities I drop below -9...Way back when I'd have just started chain puppeting thru the AIs at this point, but I can't here...How do I run a war if I can't take or raze anything?

Should I have more happy sources or less unhappy? This situation is late Renaissance/early Industrial. I'm really unsure if I have too many cities, too high pop, or didn't do my policies right.

 

[Treso]

Yesterday I played a Quick Speed Game as Wu on Emperor (Small, Pangea). I got the open SP of tradition and went straight to the wall/castle happiness. I handle it very well, keeping a lot of happines even puppeting enemy cities.

I think the best way to handle happines is honor + piety. But If you go vertical you should get the Monarchy and Aristrocracy that helps you giving you some happiness.

I wish I helped.

 

[The Pilgrim]

How many cities do you have? What winning condition are you pursuing?

If you play for domination, you usually don't wand Rationalism but Piety. Honor can help as well, although happiness policies are pretty deep in the tree and come on expense of some of the more vital ones. Since you're approaching industrial, take Order opener the moment you can. Also there is Notre Dame somewhere on the map. Go and get it along with Forbidden Palace.

 

[tibbles]

I probably should've thought harder about victory condition, mostly I'm just trying to play thru to see the changes. Diplo would be pretty easy. I don't normally play for conquest outside expansion/being DoWed.

I've still got 6 cities: high pop capital, 2 medium ones, 1 small blocker, and 2 medium puppets.

Notre Dame and the Forbidden Palace were both built on the other continent But bigger problem is the AI on my continent who's attacked me. She won't accept peace w/o taking her cities, but I can't support any more cities just now...

 

[Soronery]

1. Use GE from H.Sophia to rush Notre Dame.
2. Trade for luxuries
3. Get the + policies (meritocracy is good).

Sometimes you just need to stop conquering and wait for social policies or happy buildings. Try to avoid settling cities that are in bad places or that you can't support with .

 

[donlep]

do you need peace with cathy?
if you have a decent defensive position with your blocking city, maybe you can just farm her forever for promotions?
if you do need peace with her, try taking as many cities as needed in the same turn, get the peace, and sell them to someone

 

[tibbles]

Hmm, suppose I dont NEED peace with Cathy (yet anyways. She's bribed 1/2 the city-states against me). But what's the point of double attack riflemen vs pikemen if you cant use them?
Maybe I'll just take a few and sell off all but the capital.

 

[Alpedar]

right path of honor gives 1(garrison) and 2(wall+castle) bonus hapiness (not capped by size) per city. this alone compensate for per city unhapiness. colloseums, circuses, stoneworks and luxuries should allow city size 5 and higher (depends on how many of what of course).
Piety can add 2 more.

 

[tibbles]

I think next game I'll try the Honor policies. I took Meritocracy assuming by late game I'd have a continent covered like I would've prepatch (mostly messed with ICS then), but I just don't have the number of small settled cities to justify it.

I'm trying to avoid Piety for Rationalism since I'm not going culture.

 

[tibbles]

Haha, dangit, saw that coming. Started up a new game to try again and rolled like a perfect culture start. My own island, Egypt, marble, 6 different luxuries, 4 city states (no culture ones though). Guess I leave the Honor test for next week.

 

[The Pilgrim]

Diplo would be pretty easy.

If you have enough cash why no to ally CS with unique luxes?

I don't normally play for conquest outside expansion/being DoWed.

Then forget about Honor tree. You should never build walls and castles in all of your core cities. It's okay when you have huge amount of puppets and they run out of commerce buildings and start working on defensive ones. But other than that it's pretty useless. You'll have to take 2 policies to gain miserable +6 with 6 cities. Total waste of both policies and hammers.

ICS without Piety and NT isn't really an option. Piety is not good solely for culture but for domination as well. However, if you play for science/diplo and aren't a warmonger you're right about taking Rationalism. Next time just go harder after Notre Dame.

I've still got 6 cities: high pop capital, 2 medium ones, 1 small blocker, and 2 medium puppets.

Just 6 cities and 6-8 unique luxes? You aren't supposed to experience any happiness problems. Maybe you overgrew your capital then.

 

[bhavv]

Build colosseums fast - monument > granary > library > colosseum is a very good build order for your first few cities, after that if you are going wider, you will want to move colosseums up to second or even first priority.