Popularity in Stronghold 2

by Merepatra

There are 8 general categories of things that effect Popularity in Stronghold 2, as shown above on the Popularity Panel. 100 is the maximum popularity, if your popularity drops below 50 people will start leaving your castle and will not start returning until it rises above 50 again.

Tax

Your tax rate effects your popularity. The table below shows the popularity effect and the cost/gain in gold per month. Those who played the original Stronghold should note that you get less tax per person in Stronghold 2 than you did for similar tax rates in Stronghold 1 and Crusader.

Tax RatePopularity EffectGold per person per month
Large Bribe+8-0.50
Small Bribe+4-0.25
No Tax+10.00
Low Tax-20.25
Normal Tax-40.50
High Tax-60.75
Extortionate Tax-81.0
Cruel Tax-121.25
Extra Cruel Tax-161.5

Food

Your popularity increases if you feed your peasants more food and decreases if you starve them as shown below.

  • No Rations = -8
  • Half Rations = -4
  • Normal Rations = 0
  • Extra Rations = +4
  • Double Rations = +8

Gong

Each pile of gong in your estate will give you a -1 popularity per month.

Rats

Each pack of rats in your estate will give you a – 1 popularity effect per month.

Crime

Each criminal in your estate will give a -1 popularity effect per month

Ale

You need to place an Inn and have an ongoing supply of ale to affect this part of your popularity. Higher levels of ale consumption give higher levels of popularity but there is a trade off for this in that workers who are drinking ale in the inn are not working so production suffers. Of course the higher your population and consumption level the more ale you will need to supply to the Inn. The levels of consumption and their popularity effects per month are –

  • None = 0
  • Half = +2
  • Normal = +4
  • Extra = +6
  • Double = +8

Religion

If you have a church and a supply of candles you can hold mass and gain popularity each month. Different masses give different amounts of popularity, the higher ones use candles at a greater rate.

  • Simple Mass = +2
  • Standard Mass = +4
  • Special Mass = +6
  • Exulted Mass = +8

Entertainment

Jousting Arena
If you place a Jousting Arena it takes 6 months for it to be built. After that Jousting tournaments are held for 6 months before being the arena is dismantled and then built again during the next 6 months, so tournaments are being held for 6 months of each year. Every month that the tournament is being held you will receive +5 popularity, as well as +20 honour. While the tournament is on some peasants will leave their jobs and watch the tournaments so it does have a negative effect on production.
Fair
Fairgrounds take 3 months to be assembled and then work for 6 months before being dismantled and reassembled over the next 3 months, so Fairs are held for 6 months out of every 9 months. Every month that the Fair is performing you will receive +5 popularity. Again some peasants will leave their jobs and go watch the fair so they will not produce anything during that time.

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