Population (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Population is a gameplay mechanics in Total War: Three Kingdoms.

Overview

The great mass of people in player's empire is reflected by the population number. This can be viewed by hovering cursor over the population icon on the commandery panel or in the settlement’s information bar on the campaign map.

Gameplay

Commandery populations generate tax revenue. The higher a population, the greater the tax it generates. A commandery's population also provides a strong replenishment boost to armies in the commandery.

Populations naturally grow over time, but that growth can be stimulated by constructing key buildings in a commandery. The commandery capital building chain increases the population capacity, while certain agricultural buildings promote greater population growth. Growth is also stimulated by an administrator's resolve attribute, and certain reforms, character skills and other sources may also contribute.

Populations may also dwindle. Low food reserves, high taxes and low public order will all contribute to population shrinkage. A heavy military presence – either friendly or enemy – will also drive people from a commandery over time.

Balancing population growth with food income, keeping an eye on public order, and keeping military presence light where possible are all therefore key to keeping the population stable, contented and profitable.

Population has had the following effects reworked/added in Patch 1.5.0:

• Population now increases all income, not just peasantry
• Population now increases food production
• Population now grants additional constructions per turn once over 1 million
• Assignments and buildings that increase conscription now also decrease population
• Assignments and buildings that increase population by a large amount now decrease adjacent commanderies population due to migration (with the exception of wood buildings)

Starting population

The starting population for each commandery is tied to Province. It should be noted that Provinces are only mentioned in the text and do not appear on the campaign map as the commandery is used as the most basic geographic unit for gameplay reasons. This means that player won't find the actual popluation data unless he/she specficially research for it.

In Patch 1.5.0, to better represent the realities of the population in Han China, all the provinces have had their starting populations reworked.

The North and central plains of China will now have a larger portion of population compared with the South, with the population in the South of the map being increased for A World Betrayed’s start, while the population in Louyang and the plains North of the Yangtze River being larger for Mandate of Heaven.

Below is a list of the historical provinces and the in-game commanderies that would have been placed within them. Due to gameplay restrictions, all population numbers have been halved from the actual historical population sizes.

• Sili
  • Real population size: 3M | In-game population size: 3M
  • Commanderies included: Louyang commandery, Hedong and Henei

• Yong
  • Real population size: Unknown | In-game population size: Merged with Sili Province
  • Commanderies included: Chang’an commandery and Anding

• You
  • Real population size: 2.5M | In-game population size: 1.25M
  • Commanderies included: Dai, Youzhou, Youbeiping and Liaoxi

• Ji
  • Real population size: 2.56M | In-game population size: 1.25M
  • Commanderies included: Ye, Anping, Pingyuan, Zhongsan and Bohai

• Qing
  • Real population size: 2.99M | In-game population size: 1.5M
  • Commanderies included: Beihai and Donglai

• Yan
  • Real population size: 4.04M | In-game population size: 1.35M
  • Commanderies included: Dong and Taishan

• Yang
  • Real population size: 4.33M | In-game population size: 2.15M
  • Commanderies included: Yangzhou, Lujiang, Jianye, Kuaji, Xindu, Poyang, Jian’an (deserted) and Yozhang (deserted)

• Jing
  • Real population size: 6.33M | In-game population size: 3.15M
  • Commanderies included: Nanyang, Jiangxia, Xiangyang, Shangyong, Changsha, Lingling and Wuling

• Yu
  • Real population size: 5.16M | In-game population size: 1.75M
  • Commanderies included: Yingxhuan, Runan and Chen

• Xu
  • Real population size: 2.79M | In-game population size: 1.4M
  • Commanderies included: Pencheng, Donghai, Langye and Guangling

• Jiao
  • Real population size: 1.07M | In-game population size: 505K
  • Commanderies included: Nanhai, Changwu, Gaoliang, Yulin, Hepu and Jiaozhi

• Yi
  • Real population size: 5.68M | In-game population size: 2.85M
  • Commanderies included: Yizhou (deserted), Zangke (deserted), Yunnan (deserted), Fuling, Badong, Ba, Baxi, Jiangyang, Chengdu, Wudu and Hanzhong

• Liang
  • Real population size: 469K | In-game population size: 250K
  • Commanderies included: Jincheng and Wuwei

• Bing
  • Real population size: 664K | In-game population size: 332K
  • Commanderies included: Shoufang, Xhie, Taiyuan, Shangdang and Yanmen