Let's Change Forts

[Kamamura]

You are mistaken there. Peasants were allowed to take refuge, because they were not just mouths to feed - they helped the defense by extinguishing fires, and doing various support works. Moreover, it was the promise of security that made the feudal life less unbearable - a feudal lord that would not protect his subject in times would face desertion/revolts/loss of prestige. What's more, peasants, even if not free subjects, were source of income and wealth and well worth protecting.

[MaxWilson]

They're also a good source of blood slaves.

[TheMenacer]

It'd be pretty nice if the amount of troops a commander had attached to him altered the build time on a fort. Also it'd make it so that nations that relied on gradually-whittled-down armies of chaff would have a bit of an extra leg up over nations that build small raiding parties, allowing them to reinforce quickly and support assaults, which I think they probably need considering that large armies tend to be harder to replace and less efficient than small raiding parties.