How to handle puppets' population growth/unhappiness?

[LukaSlovenia29]

Hi. Title says it all -> when puppeting a city, how do you handle increased unhappiness from the population growth of puppets? Is there a way to limit the population growth temporarily? Thanks for the replies.

 

[tu_79]

Hi. Title says it all -> when puppeting a city, how do you handle increased unhappiness from the population growth of puppets? Is there a way to limit the population growth temporarily? Thanks for the replies.

You can only use your worker units and internal trade routes (unless Venice). If you want to avoid them growing, don't plow farms, just make villages, mines and sawmills. If you ever send them a trade route, be it just for production.
Having follower beliefs without buildings also helps, since your puppets are not going to faith purchase any building (diligence is quite good here). Look for policies that give yields to all your cities, like in Fealty and Artistry. Use high strength garrisons in order to decrease crime (best with authority). And, if I remember correctly, there is a wonder that allows your puppets to increase production.

But I usually let them grow. It helps with many things and only hits happiness, something I can handle for the biggest part.

 

[Dawnpromise]

I never understood why you can't just hit 'avoid growth' on a puppet city. You'd think population control would be one of the main things a conquering nation would enforce upon its newly acquired slaves/subjects.

 

[lunker]

I also have a huge problem with this. I usually just cave in and annex the city because the AI builder winds up screwing the city for good.

I feel the unhappiness reduction should be the final modifier applied for city unhappiness. My puppets are usually so poorly built that they produce their population's worth of unhappiness. The unhappiness reduction doesn't help at all.

 

[tu_79]

I also have a huge problem with this. I usually just cave in and annex the city because the AI builder winds up screwing the city for good.

I feel the unhappiness reduction should be the final modifier applied for city unhappiness. My puppets are usually so poorly built that they produce their population's worth of unhappiness. The unhappiness reduction doesn't help at all.

The AI usually picks the best buildings around. Problem is that puppets have a production penalty, iirc. They won't build buildings as fast as a controlled city, but they don't build units either. Have you tried to control their growth by using tile improvements?

 

[LukaSlovenia29]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I'll try out the suggestions. I do wish we could check the "Avoid growth" box in puppet cities, though.

 

[lunker]

The AI usually picks the best buildings around. Problem is that puppets have a production penalty, iirc. They won't build buildings as fast as a controlled city, but they don't build units either. Have you tried to control their growth by using tile improvements?

I've tried internal trade routes (production), tile improvements, and picking up Imperialism's puppet bonus and still experience this problem. I don't think the AI builder factors growth/production into its decisions. Many times it will choose a building that would take 30 turns to complete when it should be rebuilding basic stuff in a shorter time period.

As it is I think razing forces the city to produce 50% of its population in unhappiness, which is better than 100% of your population in unhappiness from a puppeted city. Kinda whack.

 

[Dawnpromise]

As it is I think razing forces the city to produce 50% of its population in unhappiness, which is better than 100% of your population in unhappiness from a puppeted city. Kinda whack.

It is rather odd that the city is happier being burned to the ground rather then being ruled by you... yet somehow I can believe that as being realistic as well.

 

[Bromar1]

This may be wishful thinking, but would it be feasible to allow purchasing faith buildings in puppets at a massively increased cost? Something like 6x increased cost?