What's your preference? (Castle/City Conversion)

[killerqueen33]

Hey guys, just a question for everyone out there. I'm pretty indecisive so I was looking for some community input to make the decision easier for me. Just got SS6.3 and started a playthrough as Scotland (no, not because I wanted it to be easy, but because I wanted to make my own Braveheart haha!) and was wondering what you guys think of Castle/City conversion. Do you have the mod installed that inhibits it? If not, do you do it? Or do you abstain in the name of historical accuracy? I'm leaning towards doing the latter, but let me know what you guys think!

[Ichon]

Why would you abstain in the name of historical accuracy? Some castles are named after famous fortresses but the city/castle in MTW2 represent an entire region. It makes as much sense for a large population to produce many military units as it does to make high income. The city vs castle divide is completely artificial.

That said- I usually convert most castles to cities unless it is early campaign and the castle is likely to become a fortress soon. I especially like to do it when trading away cities or expecting AI to recapture a region in a few turns as usually AI does less well with a city because it has access to lower tier units for a long time. Most of my campaigns I only build up 1 or 2 castles. Capture 1 in each region campaigning in and convert everything else to cities.

[Paladin94610]

Just leave them the way they are at the start of the game. Let Inverness castle while Aberdeen & Edinburgh cities.

[Tears of Destiny]

Ichon summarized it rather well for me, though I dare say Mega Tortas de Bodemloze put it rather nicely as well (Or is it because I am overly partial to the color purple?). Regardless, I do not hesitate to convert if it suits me.

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

Ichon summarized it rather well for me, though I dare say Mega Tortas de Bodemloze put it rather nicely as well (Or is it because I am overly partial to the color purple?). Regardless, I do not hesitate to convert if it suits me.

Now that is not to say that I still do not enjoy the strategic placement of castles and cities for I truly do. But I must say that not being able to convert a castle to city which resides on prime economic real estate because of strategic concerns is both maddening and something I relish...

All hail Gracul, Mod-God and Devinne Emperor Extraordinaire...

[Ichon]

Now that is not to say that I still do not enjoy the strategic placement of castles and cities for I truly do. But I must say that not being able to convert a castle to city which resides on prime economic real estate because of strategic concerns is both maddening and something I relish...

All hail Gracul, Mod-God and Devinne Emperor Extraordinaire...

It is an easier choice if you play BGR since you can't use that many castles anyway and need all the money you can get to support the nobles and the military. ;-)

I am curious to see how Rozmod AllTowns submod turns out because unless the growth bonus of cities is too overpowered I think it makes more sense than artificial divide. It should also help out AI more if it can use the build tree as it is more difficult to gut the AI armies by capturing a few key fortresses.

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

Tis true tis true...I grant you that. Balancing castles and cities can be a very intriguing venture, and mind shattering depending on the faction.

[killerqueen33]

Thanks for the input! I didn't really think about the singular building/settlement vs. region issue. Gives me an excuse to switch! :-)

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

With the arrival of SS6.3 and the basically mandatory use of Real/Recruitment comes the necessity of overt stratagem. Where once I would automatically turn from 50% castles to lets say 15% to ensure a prosperous economy, now I find myself in the conundrum of severe pause.

Military assets are now restricted, and do not flow like sweet wine from an Po Valley vineyard. Where once I was a auto-calac prince and champion, now I come to view the auto-calc button with fear and trepidation.

My usual preference is for Castle based units so I struggle in SS6.3 to achieve both a healthy economy and a overwhelming military arm to smote my enemies and keep the ravenous Gracul AI wolves from gnawing through my front and back doors.

I do not subscribe to the unimodal settlement option because my game is playing to see the changes and AI developments on the campaign board.

[Losthief]

i create a border with castles...at least one garrison in a castle with in range of one turn to cover my border...then i convert the rest to cities. Exception to this rule being any location with 3 castles close together (aka france/german border) or two high lvl castles near each other (multiple places) and i use those to spawn my castle troop armies. I play early campaign. So as the campaign goes assuming i'm winning (lol) i covert in a outward circle of castles on the outside and cities in the inside, with usually one of those spawn locations at least in my empire.

But usually...i try to keep it like 4 cities to every castle in my empire/kingdom. Also a suggestion...any place heavy in mining income makes an excellent castle...because u don't lose as much income cause u can still build all the mining buildings....also i try to keep my castles away from the sea as i tend to build that trade up first.

[Meneth]

I never convert settlements.
This is due to me using my OST (One Settlement Type) sub-mod, so there's nothing to convert to
It works pretty well, but I haven't played with it much (or SS in general lately, for that matter)

[SoCCo]

depends on the nation i start with, or the AI nations i plan to conquer. but in all situations u will never find a coastal casttle in my nation, as you won't find to many towns on the border of my starting empire ( that goes for the region i decide from start to conquer and develop as my starting place). once the region is in my hands i play defensive, only attacking to nerf an overpowered enemy nation. i demolish all buildings and sell the regions to the papacy, this way i create a buffer zone on the border between me and the aggresive AI.
anyway, it's best to have towns at the seaside and in the regions with many trade resources ( for example burgundy, lombardy, etc ).

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

I never convert settlements.
This is due to me using my OST (One Settlement Type) sub-mod, so there's nothing to convert to
It works pretty well, but I haven't played with it much (or SS in general lately, for that matter)

Be gone you villainous, newborn TWC Citizen whelp & naive, your moderation is aberrant and nothing but a plaque upon those that wouldst seek
to maintain the true path and spirit of MTWII gameplay...


Although... I here tell it makes things neat & tiddy offering a "Different" type of gameplay...

[newt]

I never change my settlements, because the ai can't do it. It makes it too easy late game if you convert everything to a city.

[danielrech]

I do not convert as a rule, it makes the game more strategically interesting. Money is harder to earn with more castles around.

I do concede that the all-town mods do intrigue me though. I should give it a try.

[Largon]

I convert cities that are at the border of my empire to castles. It is something like a long castel-wall against the enemy and my army can be recruited near the enemy.
The heart of my empire are only cities so they can earn money without being besieged.

[killerqueen33]

Very good point Newt! Didn't know that the AI couldn't (or just doesn't) switch.

[k/t]

Homer: Thanks for giving me my old job back.
Burns: I'm afraid it's not that simple. As punishment for your desertion, it's company policy to give you the plague.
Smithers: Uh, sir, that's the plaque.
Burns: Ah yes, the special demotivational plaque to break what's left of your spirit. Because, you see, you're here forever.

[ShadowKiller2000]

I tend to convert settlements rarely. Galway turns into a city every time I take Ireland.

Usually the only other time I convert is playing as the Germans. You start with a good outer ring of castles and when I expand to take rebel castles I convert 1 or 2 to cities.

In my current campaign started last night I converted the castle behind Innisbruck to a town. Seiged Magdenburg, Stettin, and Bern.

So now I have a nice ring of outer castles and I can turtle and grow to let the Ai have a shot at prospering for a while.

On a side note I allied Venice, France (and married heir to a hot princess), and allied Poland.

So now I will take out the Danes 1st, in about 20-30 turns. I will give them a shot to grow before I attack.

As most other factions I never convert settlements, except later in the very late game.

[Rhavanna]

I only convert at the very start if I feel that I need another castle/town. For example if I start with 2 castles, one a fortress and the other a random wooden castle... well the wooden one with 1500 people total is never going to catch up with my main castle... so why bother trying to? Convert to town, use it for profit instead!