Fortress and Citadel Upgrades

[kazik]

Hello,

I have a quick question. I am currently playing as Poland on VH/VH and it is the 127th turn. Although I see that all the surrounding nations already have fortresses and some citadels, I have not been able to upgrade mine.... Many of my regions have been castles and have been growing steadily since turn 1. What am I missing? Do I have to build all the builings available to castles first? Is my population not growing fast enough or something?... Essentially, what can I do to finally get to upgrade my castles to fortresses and later citadels?

Any help would be greaty appreciated

[Ateup]

The only requirement for upgrade that I'm aware of is population. In SS it is markedly harder to grow population in castle settlements than it was in Vanilla. To get to fortress, it really helps to have a general with a decent amount of Chivalry as governor as Chivalry increases rate of growth. To get to citadel, this is almost a requirement. In 6.2 I know the population requirement is 8500 and 17000 respectively. Not too sure what it was in 6.1, but it was similar. Make sure you build a chapel in each castle as in SS it gives a 5% public health bonus, which is a major help early on to growth.

[Warmaster Tibs]

The AI citys grow faster then yours will. Try and place chivarly generals inside the castles to increase the population growth. Some buildings like farms increase population growth. You do not have to build all buildings inside a castle or city to upgrade them. Also try to recruit less units from a castle because those unit numbers are taken from the total population.

[Caesar Clivus]

Also try to recruit less units from a castle because those unit numbers are taken from the total population.

Actually they dont. They did in RTW but in M2TW that feature was left out.

[Warmaster Tibs]

Actually they dont. They did in RTW but in M2TW that feature was left out.

Thank you for correcting me. Good to have your facts straight.

[TheXand]

Actually they dont. They did in RTW but in M2TW that feature was left out.

huh no way, i thought that they were in Med2

(i knew that the disbanded units didn't add to population however, just didn't know that units weren't drawn from pop)

[bɑne]

I kinda like that they did that (leave it out) ... as I remember you could easily transfer population with that system by disbanding in another town.
Many times it was one of my first steps in the campaign to get towns growing when they were near the caplimit starting out.

[Caesar Clivus]

I kinda like that they did that (leave it out) ... as I remember you could easily transfer population with that system by disbanding in another town.
Many times it was one of my first steps in the campaign to get towns growing when they were near the caplimit starting out.

Ah yes. The old mass peasant migration tactic

[HighLord z0b]

I do find that this is an issue in SS though, particularly with castles, it ends up being easier to take enemy castels/fortresses/citadels than to try and build up your own as they grow so much faster. I've taken fortresses that are ready to upgrade to citadels in the early 13th century (1200s) I do not have this issue with cities though.

[bɑne]

Also this seems to have the interesting effect that the AI rarely builds basic farming. At least all settlements I took in early campaign still hadn't upgraded

[HighLord z0b]

Does anyone know the mechanism that provides the AI population bonus?

[The Noble Lord]

Does anyone know the mechanism that provides the AI population bonus?

You mean which buildings you should build??

[bɑne]

quite a few buildings give additonal bonus to law etc if the owning faction is ai

[bɑne]

No he meant what I already answered

Does anyone know the mechanism that provides the AI population bonus?

quite a few buildings give additonal bonus to law etc if the owning faction is ai

[Fakir]

If you conquer a gypsy settlement, you can force the conquered populace to create voodoo dolls of thousands of inhabitants. Then you just have to plant them in the many fields and have your serfs water them regularly until they grow into people.

[handl3r]

If you conquer a gypsy settlement, you can force the conquered populace to create voodoo dolls of thousands of inhabitants. Then you just have to plant them in the many fields and have your serfs water them regularly until they grow into people.

wat?

[Fakir]

Hint: Bucharest.

[HighLord z0b]

Hint: Bucharest.

quite a few buildings give additonal bonus to law etc if the owning faction is ai

Thanks, does that mean that law provides a population bonus, or do you mean that law buildings also provide a population bonus for the AI?

[ginger_hammer]

Thanks, does that mean that law provides a population bonus, or do you mean that law buildings also provide a population bonus for the AI?

AFAIK law only affects the happiness, and not the popn growth (although for AI there could potentially be some behind the scenes trickery). With castles only 2nd level church and farms improve popn growth rate, along with the governer chiv and the region base growth rate.

[The Noble Lord]

Hint: Bucharest.