Happiness Problem

[Sharwood]

I've just recently started playing Civ II since I got Chronicles, and maybe I've just forgotten this. But I've noticed that when I start the game, on Prince level, I get five content citizens free. That's actually one more than I expected, but oh well, the more the merrier. However, at a certain point, I all of a sudden only get four content citizens free. My theories are that this is due to the amount of cities I've built, the amount of territory I control, or the timing. Unfortunately, as you'll see, nothing in my games rules any of these out.

I first noticed this a few games ago, but it was more noticeable in my last game playing as Rome on the European map, having spread completely across, Italy, Sicily, Spain, Southern France and Germany, every Mediterranean island barring Cyprus, and the Southernmost point of the Greek peninsula, where Greece usually builds Sparta, with a few cities in North Africa and Illyria.

In this game, it was about 100AD or so, and I'm not sure exactly how many cities I had, but I was up to the "extra" cities. I think I may even have had Toronto. Also, as you can see from my description, my territorial possesions were pretty impressive, particularly since I had almost entirely avoided war, only briefly provoking conflict with France because they wouldn't give me Seafaring or Pottery. I intentionally avoided conquering any of their cities because I want strong opponents later in the game.

So none of my theories have been ruled out. I could play different games to check, but I figured it would be easier to simply ask if anyone knew what coused this phenomena. Cities, territory, after AD, or something else entirely? And will it get worse?

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

If I recall correctly, it's because of the number of cities you control. I think once you exceed 14 cities, it begins to cause unhappiness. If so, it'll only get worse as you expand.

 

[Sharwood]

Damn, I expand massively. At the rate I grow, by the end of the game my citizens will probably be unhappy BEFORE they're born.

 

[Peaster]

Unhappiness shouldn't stop anyone from massive expansion, even at Diety level. And you don't even need temples/etc. Mainly you need some key Wonders, such as Hanging Gardens (when you reach about 10 cities) and Mike's (at maybe 30 or 40 cities depending on your playing level). Also, you need a govt that suits your style... Fundamentalism is the simplest solution to unhappiness, but then you may have to rely on trade vans for your science needs. Of course it's OK to use Elvises and the luxury slider too, as long as they don't cripple your economy.

 

[Sharwood]

Unhappiness shouldn't stop anyone from massive expansion, even at Diety level. And you don't even need temples/etc. Mainly you need some key Wonders, such as Hanging Gardens (when you reach about 10 cities) and Mike's (at maybe 30 or 40 cities depending on your playing level). Also, you need a govt that suits your style... Fundamentalism is the simplest solution to unhappiness, but then you may have to rely on trade vans for your science needs. Of course it's OK to use Elvises and the luxury slider too, as long as they don't cripple your economy.

That's the problem. I'm coming back from Civ III, so I know how to keep the people happy, it's simply a matter of noticing I seemed to get more free content people than I expected, and therefore failing to prepare for my people to riot earlier. I was just aiming for massive early expansion, and hadn't even started on an infrastructure.

This means Monarchy, because I'm embroiled in constant warfare early, no caravans because I'm forced to crank out units, another reason I need Monarchy, and I'm intentionally avoiding building wonders due to a challenge someone made in the Civ III War Academy; Go through a whole game without building a wonder. Helps avoid falling into the habit I'd had of using them likke a crutch. I know how to fix it, I'm just seriously peeved that it happened unexpectedly, and wasn't sure why. Practically murdered my science until I was able to make peace with everyone and build marketplaces and caravans.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

After a certain number of cities you get one more red hat (discontent citizen) somewhere in your empire per new city built. If you continue building cities eventually all your content citizens turn into red hats. Once that happens, black hats appear. Black hats count as discontent when rioting is concerned. They can easily be tamed by luxuries, 2 units and they turn happy. But religious infrastructure only turns them from black hat to red hat.

The number of cities after which this phenomenon happens depends on the level you are playing and your type of government. The more modern your government the more cities you get to build before this happens.

 

[Sharwood]

Interesting, I don't recall ever seeing that before, and I had this game for years until I moved out of home and switched to Civ III. I'm aware of the modern governments being far better for distance due to capital penalties, but I didn't know about this. I may have to keep building cities until I see a black hat. I suppose this was Sid's way to crack down on people like me that just keep building city after city.

 

[Ace]

If you want to build large civs, i.e. 100-254 cities, you need to build infrastructure. Marketplaces, banks, and stock exchanges each increase your tax and luxuriies by 50%. That is a combined increase of %150, that makes the coins and lux go a long way. Superhighways also generate more trade arrows which boost lux. And don't forget to put in 3 trade routes in each city.

In a Democracy, at Diety level, on a large map, it is very possible to have 254 cities, all over size 20, and no red or black hats in the bunch, with lux set at no more than %20-30.

 

[editx]

I seriously think in democracy though you have to buy a lot of Marketplaces or your economy will definitely fall and you will lose.

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