i cannot get past crisis/ culture

[IAmApple]

No matter how i start. i get 4 citys or and because i cannot upkeep culture i get into a crisis and just ♥♥♥♥♥ on everything. since ai is so agressive i keep fighting them and gaining citys. i cannot find the fun if you cannot keep gaining citys without the required culture upkeep. am i missing something?

[Dadbod 9000, Sirer of Sons]

more cities equals more chaos if the ppl aren't happy.

it's hard to expand that fast in early ages as you don't have the tech to deal with the unrest that generates the unhappiness

[IAmApple]

so you suggest to just destroy the citys?

[satioh]

Just release 1 of the cities as a vassal until you can figure out how to get mroe culture.

[Narf the Mouse]

Currently in my first game; I'm in Age VIII (Age of Generals) and I have five regions and 25 vassals. I don't know if 1 region per 5 vassals is optimal, but I am going for a vassal-focused play, and it is also part of a strategy that took me from the weakest nation and probably losing, to the strongest nation. My read of the game is that vassals are an intended part of most plays.

Also, city guards (and their upgrades) start at -8 unrest, double that of a regular unit, and each upgrade improves that by -4. Currently in the Age of Generals, and one National Guard provides -16 unrest.

It is also my understanding that vassals do get unrest, so place some city guards on them, because they (currently) won't build any units.

[Limz]

Originally posted by IAmApple:

No matter how i start. i get 4 citys or and because i cannot upkeep culture i get into a crisis and just ♥♥♥♥♥ on everything. since ai is so agressive i keep fighting them and gaining citys. i cannot find the fun if you cannot keep gaining citys without the required culture upkeep. am i missing something?

Vassalize them. Don't integrate until you have the resources to make dedicated culture cities. Just because the button exists doesn't mean you have to push it.

[IAmApple]

Thank you all so much. i reloaded a older save and i did not integrate all citys. now im at a stable culture income and my lands are not a mess. awesome

[Psycho 78]

If you hover over the happiness number it will tell you the factors that lead to positive or negative per-turn happiness. My main problem was number of regions, I had to quit expanding until I got enough troops stationed in cities and built things to offset the region penalty.