primitive settlements are easier to defend

[tentaku]

when I besiege a more civilized city, it usually has 4 gates that can get rammed, and you can use ladders to scale the wall as well. So you can create many points of contact and put your numerical advantage to use.

However, a primitive settlement, for example, the ones in northern Italy, some have only 2 gates, and I cannot build ladders to scale their fence... So I can only cram units to 2 choke points, and watch a long attrition battle.

[Sar1n]

when I besiege a more civilized city, it usually has 4 gates that can get rammed, and you can use ladders to scale the wall as well. So you can create many points of contact and put your numerical advantage to use.

However, a primitive settlement, for example, the ones in northern Italy, some have only 2 gates, and I cannot build ladders to scale their fence... So I can only cram units to 2 choke points, and watch a long attrition battle.

Walls are still good for attrition fight, especially if supported by towers. And you can breach wooden pallisade with ram, creating more breach points.

[Jurand of Cracow]

My observation from Pritanoi vh/vh: I've sieged only palisades and unfortified villages and the AI gives actually a reasonable fight. Once palisades have breaches it sallies out and the fight is in front of the palisade, only a few last units would defend at the central place. In the village the AI is worse: it sits in the center. However, given the relative inefficiency of the missiles, my slingers can inflict just some damage and the line troops have to do the attrition. Playing at vh I also give my troops a rest - at this difficulty they're exhausted almost instantly. This makes my tribal troops (Toutanakoi) particularly inefficient - they're not hardy and have low stats. So taking a settlement I make two or three long pauses.

I indeed make a few breaches in the palisades and the AI sallies at some of them.

[tentaku]

omg how you guys breach fences with rams.... when i try to do that, the game won't let me.... looks like i am soooo mistaken....

[Jurand of Cracow]

btw, I haven't seen the AI towers shooting in the palisaded settlements. has it been desactivated?

[Aper]

There are some rather undeveloped barbarian settlements that have palisades on ramparts, like medieval motte and bailey castles. I agree they are the hardest to conquer because you can only attack the gate. Honestly, that's weird... not sure if it should be like this.

[Jurand of Cracow]

There are some rather undeveloped barbarian settlements that have palisades on ramparts, like medieval motte and bailey castles. I agree they are the hardest to conquer because you can only attack the gate. Honestly, that's weird... not sure if it should be like this.

Do you have any screenshots?
I actually recall storming in the Stainless Steel settlements that had very restricted passage... but it was some years ago.
I know only a few parts of the EBII map (Britain, Anatolia, Caucasus), but I actually thought that a hill-fort in Britain in 3rd century BC should be indeed on a hill and be difficult to storm. The same goes for an (admittedly, early) oppidum in Gaul. You think it shouldn't?