Q: How many Forts do you build? How many Temples?

[ExitJudas]

Of course any answer to these questions will differ based on strategy and nation, but I am still wondering to what extent building many forts is even more important than it seems at first sight. It gives you access to buy more commanders (researchers, assassins) per round, which in itself is of course very important, but doesnt it also give you more income? In general how quickly should you expand with forts? how many forts do you usually build if you have, say 10-15 provinces? Do you put them up side by side?

And temples. They seem mighty expensive to me, and very vulnerable, so how many do you build? and do you dare build them on the frontline or only in core provinces?

Let me get some rants here, I'm looking for general trends more than a complete analysis.

Thanks in advance.

Teh MP noob

[Evilhomer]

With 10 provinces I am mainly looking to expand and I will not spend gold on castles at that point in most cases. So I will have the fortress and the temple I started with. At 15 I might have atleast started construction on another fortress, or it might be done. I will add a lab to it but I doubt I will have a temple there anytime soon.

[Meglobob]

A rule of thumb, 1 fortress, 1 Lab, 1 Temple.

If I ever discover a lab and I don't want to build a fortress there I demolish it.

I never build a temple outside of a fortress.

It depends on the individual nation exactly what your building construction policy is.

I always try to build a 2nd fort ASAP, I feel too vulnerable with just one production centre.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

Usually I do the same as Meglobob. But occasionally I do vary from the rule.

For instance LA Atlantis - R'lyeh and Abysia are neighbors. Temples increase in value.

I often won't build a fort if I don't expect I can hold it against an enemy force for at least three turns. I've usually got a fairly hostile dominion (death and/or cold), and if I can keep them from controlling a nearby fort, then they're often suffering from -40% supply or worse. Keeping them from reinforcements is valuable as well...

In that case, I might build freestanding temples- I know that they don't increase upkeep, and they can't be a stolen investment, just a lost one.

If I'm in a peaceful research phase, or against a freespawn nation, I'll build temples instead of troops to keep my income high. I won't build everywhere, but five is 2000 gold. The same in troops would be 133 gold upkeep, and putting up a few spare fortresses to increase production _ capacity_, etc, etc. By building the temples and saving for fortresses, for oh, five turns, I save 666 gold that the same number of troops would have cost me in upkeep.

I really change quite a bit what I do, though.

I've also decided never to build border fortresses.

[DireAussie]

A 2nd fort in the early game is critical I've found. Any more after that depends on your income, nation and situation. A rule of thumb is that if you can't afford to recruit more than X mages per turn then its not worth building an (X+1) fort. This will vary depending on cost of mages, some nations get good cheap mages that are useful in battle so a 3rd fort early will be a big priority.

doesnt it also give you more income

Yes, but generally it isnt worth building a fort solely because of income, because the cost of building the fort versus the number of turns to recuperate the cost of the fort will be at least 15 turns, usually a lot more. Most of the cheaper forts have a low admin value so you dont get much.

Your primary considerations should always be for recruitment purposes, either for your own national mages or provincial mages.

[HJFudge]

I know I am new so this is more of a question on if what I do is sound strategy then advice...

What I like to do in the SP games Ive been playing is to find any chokepoints. If there are, I'll use my initial army to get there in 2-3 turns and build up a second army at my base to take points around my fort. If there arent really any I'll just expand around my fort to get more resource income so I can make more guys.

I get my 2nd fort either at a chokepoint or just behind it and keep my army at the chokepoint. I will build temples at chokepoints too even if I dont have a fort there because, honestly, my army is gonna be there and if I am expanding out of my fort I wont really need to defend the territory because I will be taking all adjacent ones and hitting the enemy hard. Yeah it sucks 400 bucks worth if they are able to break through but I play MA C'tis, and the dominion spread also makes swamp and heat and I find the harm that does to the enemy nations around it more than makes up for any risk.

It's a valuable 'cold war' type weapon because I dont have to actually attack to damage the enemy. Who wants an army thats all diseased?

Take it or leave it I dont know if thats actually good strategy.

[Jourdelune]

In my SP game with Pangaea, I tend to put temple (200 cost) a lot. Mainly because haunted forest is so nice, that it's always worth it to spread my dominion has fast has possible.

I tend to find choke point around my starting position, rush to them... consolidate with forts and lab (to recruit Pan), always recruiting pan and pandomium (sp? the blood pan at capitol only) at each of those choke point. Manead help a lot to defend castle.

After that my territory are protected with forts, manead and pan in research. It is costly but really worth my mid and late game. After that, if I got more money, I either recruit more unit to renew strength of my expansions team... and I tend to have 1 expansion team by fort constructed.

Then, I start recruiting Dryad for temple construction and sneak/preach around border.

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With Ermor, I tend to do more forts for the freespawn. I try to have positive dominion on all my buffer province (those that border my wall of defense of my territory). That way I can abuse my death/cold dominion to kill supply in those provinces... and in that time, those bordering province tend to be less appealing because less population are there.

Jourdelune

[SlipperyJim]

Disclaimer: SP only.

I'm a hardcore temple spammer. Every province gets a temple if I can afford it. If I can't afford it, then I'll save up my gold and buy it.

I enjoy playing races that really depend on their dominion. My current game is Niefelheim, for example. Sure, I can always cast Wolven Winter to pave the way for my giants ... but it's more convenient to have a Cold-3 dominion waiting for me.

Also, lots of other effects are tied to dominion strength. Gift of Health is one example. Fight in my own dominion, get a HP bonus. What's not to like?

Finally, I suck at fighting water nations from the land. So my preferred strategy is to seize all of the land around the target water nation, then load up with temples and cheap indy priests. Preach the buggers to death.

"My name is Jim, and I'm addicted to temple-spamming."

[darkchampion3d]

I'm still a newb but I just build a fortress as soon as I have the surplus to fund its construction. Saving for it means I have less mages and units, which slows expansion.