E:TW Cities

[Monk]

In the past each region had only one city and perhaps an unnamed port.

Everything was located in the city. You could blockade the port and devastate farmland just by being there. Other than that you had to lay siege to the city to capture it and the old AI loved to lay siege with some decimated peasant unit to deprive you of income every turn…and there was nothing you could do to stop it…until your turn, but then you had already lost the cash. Almost every battle was a siege battle or sallying out to kill the pitiful AI force. Open field battles were more than likely against some rebel/brigand force in the countryside devastating your farm income…almost every 4th turn. The same happened at the port with someone blockading you some where about every turn or two.

Some how we thought it was fun.

Indeed.

Every province now has a "region capitol", to take the province you need to take the capitol, or the city. But there's also outlying towns, mines, factories, ect, that spring up over time. These will spawn inside a province and can be increased in growth by upgrading farms and lowering taxes.

Each of these towns can be turned into something unique, mines and farms have to stay mines and farms, but the rest can be turned into theaters, factories, schools, ect.

Ports develop the same way as towns do and spring up over time. They take significantly longer to develop however, as Russia I didn't see a port develop until passed turn 50+. Taking established ports is much more effective than waiting for your people to build you one.