Deserted forts

[Tora]

I've noticed, and no doubt someone else has, that forts that haven't been occupied for years - over a hundred in one instance - but still retain the flag of their last occupant, can be treated as if they are still occupied.
Diplomats can talk to the empty stone walls and negotiate treaties etc, which is useful if the party concerned is several years journey away but there's also a downside. Occupy an empty fort and the previous occupant, however long absent, will take umbrage and relations may even descend to abysmal, or worse, war, if things haven't been exactly hunky dory beforehand.

[Per Ole]

yes, that's kind of the point. The forts are permanent, and works kinda like a city that you can't build anything in (nor does it have any territory). Having a hostile fort inside your borders will cost you loads of cash, so better take them asap

[Rhedd]

Don't think of them as completely unoccupied.

Think of them as unoccupied by dedicated soldiers.

Obviously, there's still a small civilian garrison.

[Monsieur Alphonse]

Your spy can get killed when he spies on this so called abandoned fort.

[Gorm]

Don't think of them as completely unoccupied.

Think of them as unoccupied by dedicated soldiers.

Obviously, there's still a small civilian garrison.

Yeah, the bureaucrats don't leave. Nor do any villagers or peasants in the area. They just don't have a military presence.

[Zoring]

I suppose the forts are actually small local castles with villages and farmers and peasants and so on and so forth.

[WhiskeyGhost]

kinda like a staging/rally point for armies going out on campaign?

[aimlesswanderer]

It's rather annoying that it happens, as I was allied to the English, and I captured lots of provinces off the Welsh, and there were all these bloody unoccupied 'English" forts in my territory which I couldn't occupy without declaring war on my ally.....