InMedieval II: Total War, managing a growing city or castle comes with many challenges, and one of the most persistent issues players face is squalor. Squalor represents the unhealthy conditions of overpopulated settlements and leads to public disorder, reduced tax income, and potential rebellion if left unchecked. Reducing squalor is critical for maintaining order, boosting economic growth, and expanding your empire successfully. Understanding how squalor works and the best ways to reduce it can make a major difference in long-term campaign success.
Understanding Squalor in Medieval II: Total War
What is Squalor?
Squalor in Medieval 2 is a game mechanic representing the detrimental effects of overpopulation and poor sanitation. As population increases, so does squalor, leading to unhappiness and eventually revolts. It acts as a limiting factor to prevent players from mindlessly expanding cities without paying attention to infrastructure and management.
The game reflects squalor through an icon in the settlement details tab. If the squalor bar is red and growing, it’s a clear sign that your settlement is heading toward unrest unless you take action. It affects cities more than castles, as cities tend to grow faster due to economic buildings and trade benefits.
How Squalor is Calculated
Squalor is directly influenced by the population of a settlement and its current level of infrastructure. The larger your population, the more squalor you’ll accumulate over time. Each turn, population growth adds a percentage increase to squalor unless mitigated by certain buildings and governors. The public order penalty from squalor can be devastating if not managed properly.
Effective Ways to Reduce Squalor
Build Sanitation Structures
One of the most reliable ways to combat squalor is to build sanitation and health-related buildings. These structures directly lower the squalor growth rate and improve public health.
- Sewers: A basic but essential building that helps manage waste in early-stage cities.
- Public Baths: These provide a significant reduction in squalor and increase public order.
- Aqueducts: Available at higher settlement levels, aqueducts further decrease squalor by providing fresh water and better hygiene.
- Hospitals: Some factions can build hospitals, especially in the late game, which reduce both squalor and plague risk.
Building these facilities early and upgrading them regularly will help keep squalor under control as your city grows.
Manage Population Growth
Slowing population growth can indirectly reduce squalor. While a booming population might seem advantageous, uncontrolled growth quickly overwhelms city infrastructure. You can control population growth by:
- Not building or delaying the construction of farming upgrades, as these increase growth.
- Setting the tax rate to high or very high to discourage growth while also boosting income.
- Avoiding certain governors or ancillaries that promote fertility or population booms.
By managing growth carefully, you can keep your cities in a manageable state and reduce squalor over time.
Use Castles Strategically
Castles generally grow much slower than cities, and their population caps are lower. If you’re struggling to control squalor in certain settlements, consider converting them into castles. This can be especially helpful on your empire’s borders or in newly conquered lands where public order is fragile.
Because castles don’t focus on trade or economic growth, they are less prone to overpopulation and thus experience minimal squalor. However, this approach comes with economic trade-offs, so it’s best used selectively.
Appoint Good Governors
The character governing a settlement can significantly affect how squalor impacts the city. Governors with traits such as ‘Clean Freak’ or ‘Public Health Expert’ help reduce squalor through positive management bonuses. Conversely, negative traits like ‘Drunkard’ or ‘Neglectful’ can increase squalor and unrest.
Look for generals or family members with high management skill and relevant traits to assign to high-population cities. Over time, this can stabilize growth and reduce the risk of rebellion caused by squalor.
Advanced Techniques to Deal with Squalor
Convert Overgrown Cities
When cities grow beyond control and sanitation can’t keep up, converting them back into castles can reset their population growth and remove economic stress. This tactic is risky and expensive but can be worthwhile for cities on the verge of collapse. Be mindful, though, as this will eliminate the city’s trade income and building infrastructure.
Cycle Conquest and Destruction
In some cases, experienced players use conquest to manage squalor. By allowing a city to rebel, then reconquering it, population can be reduced drastically. This resets squalor but comes with a temporary loss of control and potential instability. It’s not a strategy for the faint of heart, but it demonstrates how deeply squalor can affect long-term planning.
Use Plagues to Your Advantage
Plagues naturally reduce population and can lower squalor as a result. While this method is unpredictable and dangerous, a well-timed plague in a highly populated area can temporarily solve squalor issues. Use spies to track infected areas and prevent your governors from contracting the disease. Though morbid, this method has been used by experienced players in desperate campaigns.
Factions and Squalor Management
Differences Between Factions
Each faction in Medieval 2 may have slight advantages or disadvantages in managing squalor depending on their starting positions, building trees, and available governors. For example:
- Venice and Milan: Start with highly urbanized areas that require aggressive squalor management from the beginning.
- England and Scotland: More rural starting locations allow for slower growth and easier squalor control.
- Egypt and the Moors: Have access to unique buildings that enhance public health earlier in the game.
Understanding your faction’s unique advantages and limitations helps shape your approach to controlling squalor across your empire.
Summary of Key Strategies
- Always build and upgrade sanitation structures in cities.
- Control population growth through tax policies and limited farming upgrades.
- Convert cities to castles when necessary to slow growth.
- Assign governors with good public health traits.
- Use advanced techniques like forced rebellions or plague management cautiously.
Squalor inMedieval II: Total Waris more than just a number it’s a key aspect of managing large empires effectively. Reducing squalor is essential for maintaining public order, maximizing productivity, and ensuring your cities grow at a sustainable pace. By understanding the causes of squalor and implementing thoughtful strategies, you can transform your unstable settlements into thriving hubs of power. Whether you’re playing a peaceful economic campaign or conquering the map through war, managing squalor will always be a part of your long-term success in the game.