Hmm. I always thought the decreased honor from improvements comes only with Improved etc. Farmland (since that, unlike castles, is really screwing with the peasant's lives big time), and possibly Mines. The (Euro) manual speaks of "land improvements", and I think calling Border Forts that would be a bit of a stretch...

The manual also states that Border Forts (and Watch Towers) lower loyalty because "nobody likes to feel they're being spied on". Logically, this would mean that they lower loyalty in adjacent *enemy* provinces, but I've never noticed this.

As for the building issue, this depends entirely on what kind of units you like to use. The third option, No-Dachi and Warrior Monks (shock troops) tend to take the biggest casualties though, so their training center will usually be the busiest.

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"1. Gi: the right decision, taken with equanimity, the right attitude, the truth. When we must die, we must die. Rectitude."