Maintaining the happiness of your subjects in The Elder Scrolls: Castles can be quite challenging before you gain access to advanced features that boost happiness. Fortunately, you can still manage your castle’s happiness from the get-go by understanding how various actions impact the game.
Top Tips for Keeping Your Subjects Happy in The Elder Scrolls: Castles
Through experience, I’ve compiled effective strategies to ensure your subjects remain cheerful even when they roam the castle looking forlorn. If you’re struggling to keep your subjects joyful, this guide will be beneficial.
Rulings Affect Happiness
Every decision made in the Throne Room impacts your subjects’ happiness. A single ruling can affect individuals, groups, races, and social classes. Therefore, one poor choice may leave half your castle unhappy. If uncertain, adopting a neutral stance often incurs minimal costs compared to letting happiness levels plummet.
To ensure strategic rulings, pay attention to those who are least happy. Favoring the subject with the lowest happiness may maintain overall balance. If a subject’s happiness reaches rock bottom, you risk facing dire consequences, such as assassination, as I learned when my Queen was unexpectedly killed by a rebel named Jofarr. Rest assured, I made his life miserable before banishing him after my new Queen assumed the throne.
Banish Troublesome Subjects
When it comes to troublesome subjects, those with negative traits can be detrimental to castle morale. If a subject is overly bossy or heartless, it’s wise to remove them. Their negative influence can quickly spread, affecting other diligent subjects, so it’s best to eliminate the problem altogether.
Fortunately, there’s no penalty for banishing these subjects. If someone is persistently causing issues for others, don’t hesitate to send them away; they’re unlikely to contribute positively.
Subjects with Matching Traits Work Best Together
Conversely, assembling subjects with matching positive traits can optimize productivity. For instance, subjects with the Considerate trait thrive when working together, enhancing efficiency at the Kitchen and Loom stations. By pairing two Considerate subjects, not only do they foster a harmonious work environment, but their happiness remains stable, leading to more effective output.
Always aim to group subjects with similar positive traits to maximize job performance. A team of Volatile or Sophisticated workers will notice improved teamwork and morale.
Best Work Stations to Boost Happiness
If you’re in urgent need of raising your subjects’ happiness, consider utilizing specific workstations and decorations that provide assistance.
The Music Stage
The Music Stage becomes available at Dynasty level 26. Once unlocked, it serves as the most effective option for boosting happiness at lower levels. You can assign two subjects to the Music Stage, and over a few hours, they will recover happiness. Subjects with the Sophisticated trait will regain happiness faster. Just monitor them to ensure they don’t overstay their time, as that would hinder overall productivity.
The Bookshelf
Unlocking at Dynasty level 42, the Bookshelf operates similarly to the Music Stage but with quicker results. Assigning two subjects concurrently allows for faster happiness recovery, particularly among Sophisticated workers. If you’re aiming to uplift the spirits of your essential workers swiftly, this is the solution.
The Art Studio
The Elder Scrolls: Castles had an early rollout prior to its full release in September 2024, initially launching in the Philippines in January 2024 and later expanding to additional regions. Some players may recall the Art Lover bundle that appeared in the in-game store for 675 Gems.
The Art Studio, a key item in that bundle, provides an excellent avenue for subjects to express creativity and regain happiness. While it’s currently unavailable, it’s likely to return to the shop at a later date.
Additionally, constructing decorations like the Iron Armor Stand can reduce happiness loss by 1% for all subjects. These effects are cumulative, allowing for multiple stands to be placed around your castle for optimal happiness enhancement!
Other Ways to Keep Your Subjects Happy
There are additional strategies for enhancing happiness in The Elder Scrolls: Castles. Ensure your castle is well-supplied with food and oil to promote a content atmosphere. Furthermore, adequately compensating your wizards is crucial; you want to prevent them from casting curses that may spread despair.
For controlling difficult Bossy traits without resorting to banishment, consider pairing them with three Volatile subjects on a workstation. While risky, it may help to mitigate their negative impact.
Remember that not every subject suits every role. If someone’s underperforming or causing continuous disturbances, evaluate whether it’s time to reassign them or part ways entirely.
Keeping your subjects happy in The Elder Scrolls: Castles requires strategic planning, but with the right decisions, effective workstations, and careful subject management, you can cultivate a flourishing kingdom.
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