InTotal War: Medieval II, managing cities and regions involves more than just military strategy economic growth, public order, and urban development all require constant attention. One of the most frustrating issues players face as their settlements grow is squalor. This hidden menace can rapidly disrupt even the best-run empire, causing unhappiness, riots, and long-term stagnation. Understanding how squalor works and how to counter it is essential for maintaining a stable, efficient kingdom throughout your campaign. With proper planning and balanced development, squalor can be controlled before it spirals out of hand.
What Is Squalor in Medieval 2: Total War?
Squalor represents the negative effects of overpopulation and urban decay within a settlement. As population increases, so does the level of squalor, which directly affects public order. If not addressed, squalor can lead to unrest, revolts, and a decrease in your settlement’s productivity.
Key Characteristics of Squalor
- Population-Driven: Squalor increases with the population of a settlement. The larger the population, the higher the squalor.
- Reduces Public Order: High levels of squalor can significantly lower public order, making revolts more likely.
- Limits Growth: Excessive squalor may force players to halt population growth or delay city upgrades.
Squalor is a built-in mechanic designed to make city management more challenging. It encourages players to balance growth with infrastructure development rather than rushing to create massive urban centers too quickly.
Understanding the Mechanics Behind Squalor
Each settlement inMedieval IIhas a base public order level. This is influenced by several factors including taxation, garrison presence, religion, and of course squalor. The game calculates squalor primarily based on two things: total population and available buildings that mitigate it.
Squalor and Population Size
There’s a mathematical relationship between the size of your city and its squalor level. As population crosses certain thresholds (around 4,000, 8,000, 12,000, etc.), squalor increases proportionally. Without the right buildings in place, your public order will take a hit.
Difficulty Level Affects Squalor
The game’s difficulty setting also influences how much squalor you have to deal with. On higher difficulties, it becomes more punishing. This means expert players must be even more meticulous in planning city expansions and maintaining order.
Buildings That Reduce Squalor
The best way to combat squalor is by constructing and upgrading specific buildings designed to improve sanitation and public health. These structures are essential in larger cities, where squalor becomes a major concern.
Essential Anti-Squalor Buildings
- Sewers and Aqueducts: These reduce squalor directly and are foundational in all cities.
- Public Baths: An upgrade to the sewer system, providing additional sanitation and order bonuses.
- Hospitals (in Late Period): These appear in advanced cities and help further reduce population pressure.
Investing in these buildings early will delay the rise of squalor, giving you time to grow population and expand infrastructure without suffering disorder.
Strategies for Managing Squalor
Dealing with squalor isn’t just about building sanitation infrastructure. It also involves smart planning and active control over your city’s growth, happiness, and layout. Here are some practical tips to manage squalor efficiently:
1. Control Population Growth
While it may seem counterintuitive, limiting population growth can be a smart move. Don’t build farms or other food-producing structures unless you can keep up with the necessary sanitation upgrades. Slowing growth gives you more time to build the facilities needed to support a large population.
2. Maintain Strong Garrisons
Garrisoning troops in cities can temporarily offset the negative effects of squalor by boosting public order. This doesn’t reduce squalor directly, but it helps prevent revolts while you work on sanitation improvements.
3. Manage Taxation Wisely
Lowering taxes will make citizens happier and reduce the chance of unrest from squalor. High taxes can quickly spark revolts if squalor is already high, so adjust taxation according to each city’s current situation.
4. Convert Settlements Thoughtfully
If you capture a foreign city, squalor may combine with religious unrest. Prioritize building churches, temples, or mosques depending on your faction, to bring the population in line with your culture. This helps mitigate squalor’s effects by improving overall public order.
5. Don’t Over-Upgrading Cities
It’s tempting to upgrade a city as soon as possible, but you should wait until your infrastructure can handle the population jump. A premature upgrade might result in unmanageable squalor and chaos.
Effects of Ignoring Squalor
If you neglect squalor management, the consequences can be severe. As cities spiral into chaos, public order plummets, buildings are damaged during riots, and income from taxes dries up. Worst of all, you may lose entire regions to rebellion, forcing you to retake them militarily.
Signs of Trouble
- Red Public Order Bars: These indicate that a city is on the brink of rioting.
- High Unrest Percentages: Once unrest reaches 100%, a riot is almost guaranteed.
- Damaged Buildings: Frequent riots damage structures, costing money to repair and reducing city functionality.
When this happens in multiple cities, it can lead to a domino effect where your economy collapses, your armies desert due to lack of funds, and your enemies take advantage of the internal chaos.
Long-Term Planning to Avoid Squalor
Think of squalor as a long-term issue that must be managed throughout your campaign. Cities should be developed carefully, balancing growth with infrastructure. Expansion should not come at the cost of stability. Use governors with high management skills when possible they can provide natural bonuses that reduce corruption and unrest.
Governor Traits and Squalor
Some governors develop traits that help mitigate squalor, such as Good Administrator or Man of the People. Assigning the right governor to high-population cities can ease the burden on buildings alone.
Balanced Empire Development
Avoid centralizing your population in just a few cities. Spread growth across your empire to prevent any one city from becoming overburdened. This approach also minimizes the risk of a single revolt destabilizing your economy or military recruitment efforts.
Mastering Squalor Management
InTotal War: Medieval II, squalor is more than just a nuisance it’s a realistic representation of the challenges faced by growing empires. Players who understand its mechanics and take proactive steps to address it will find their campaigns more stable, their cities more productive, and their armies more numerous. By investing in the right infrastructure, managing growth, and using thoughtful city planning, squalor can be kept in check. It’s not something you can ignore, but it is absolutely something you can master.