Editing Happiness (section)

== Strategy ==
The most common happiness challenge is balancing economic power against population satisfaction. [[Taxation]] and [[Cramped Quarters]] are two of the strongest economic choices in the game, but their combined −51% happiness penalty makes strikes very likely without mitigation.

[[Lavish Rations]] (+20%) is the strongest single happiness boost available to players, but it increases {{Icon|Food}} consumption by 20%, requiring a larger food supply chain. [[Worker Safety]] (+10%) offers a smaller boost with the trade-off of reduced production rates. The [[Science League]] alliance type provides a passive +10% bonus, but its −20% production penalty affects all resources.

For settlements running [[Taxation]], pairing it with [[Lavish Rations]] (combined −16%) keeps happiness relatively stable. Adding [[Worker Safety]] on top brings the combined penalty to just −8%, though at the cost of reduced {{Icon|Food}} and goods production.

Avoiding [[Food Shortage]] is essential. The −50% penalty is the harshest happiness modifier in the game and stacks devastatingly with other penalties. Players should maintain adequate {{Icon|Food}} reserves and avoid running out, especially when other negative modifiers are active.