Let's discuss how the economic model with change

In my opinion, one of the shortcomings of TW has been the disunity between the tactical and strategic maps. Now with Rome Total War that will be remedied. The developers point out that you will be able to actually enter the towns and fight for instance.

This leads me to think about how the economic model is going to change. Right now you have a province with a base income and then you increase it with trade, mines and farming. A good governor has more acumen or a virtue and that income is increased. Pretty nice but pretty vanilla.

Now that the individual provinces found in Medeival are going away it seems that things will focus on towns. This leads me to believe that economic development will be more based upon attracting people and facilitating the development of the city, but not DIRECTING it per se. I am thinking it will be more along the line the game Ceasar. You need materials and skilled people as well as funds for projects, but the government isn't responsible for all of the development. If you build a fortifications and get some trade and farms going the city will start to grow on its own.

Granted the goverment needs to fund certain projects like fortifications, roads, harbors, acqueducts, baths, etc. But a lot of what goes on wouldn't be directly controlled (indirectly you would).

I think this will radically change how the game operates.

Anybody else have some thoughts on this?