Managing Settlements

There are many variables that contribute to an efficiently managed settlement. You must maintain public order; doing so could contribute to population growth while neglecting could contaminate your city with growth-stumping squalor. You must adjust tax levels to keep your citizens happy and population growing while still generating the income necessary to fund new settlement structures and your war machine. You must build a network of trade, construct farms, and generate other income to create a profitable economy for the long haul. And of course you must consider military structures to bolster your town’s defenses and to train an army to conquer new settlements and begin the process a new.

Combat is also a big part of the Imperial Campaign. For specific battle tactics for use in the Imperial Campaign, proceed to the Combat Strategies section of this game guide.

The Governor’s Role

Named characters (can also be known as family members) are turned into governor’s upon entering a new ungoverned settlement. Also note that a settlement’s governor can change. You may turn one into a general and lead an army out of the settlement and into battle while moving in another family member to the settlement to begin a career as the town’s new governor. It’s better to utilize a governor than not. A settlement with no governor seems to suffer from corruption, which affects your bottom line taking away from the settlement’s gross income.

Management skill is a governor’s most important attribute.

The governor is not simply a figurehead, however; even if you’re the one calling the town’s shots, the governor’s prowess still has its effect on the settlement’s general stability. Three principle statistics mold any named character: command, management, and influence. Of the three, management is the most important statistic for an effective governor. He’ll improve this statistic over time--if, with your help, he’s managing an efficient settlement--and can be further improved with the help of academies later in the settlement’s history.

You do have some control over the new named characters that join your family. From time to time you’re notified that one of your daughter’s has chosen a husband. You’ll be able to scan over his statistics and if you deem them not worthy of your empire, you can refuse your blessing and force your daughter to choose again. As you peruse these new suitors, consider their management statistic as your main priority for governorship with influence being a second priority (it helps increase public order). Command is the primary statistic for an effective general.

As with any named character, a governor gains an entourage of other characters that provide specific bonuses. You don’t have to stick with the same entourage and can actually trade these with other named characters. Maximize your governor’s potential by gathering the best entourage available. There might not be better bonuses but it’s important to check.

Settlements don’t require governors but expect governed settlements to flourish more in general. You can have an equal amount of control over a non-governed settlement or just turn the settlement’s build policy on autopilot by cycling through military, cultural, growth, and the other construction priorities. Conversely you can have as little control over a governed settlement as well by toggling the AI management and allowing your computer-controlled governor handle all the work. The better the management statistic, the better he’ll perform in his auto duties.

As your role of "assistant governor" be sure to check a settlement’s details page frequent to see what is affecting your settlement’s population growth, public order, and income. Use the information to make necessary adjustments to counter problems.