Ever thought of doing something more creative with watchtowers? Why not change them from watchtowers to "villages?" This makes them blend into the map easier and increases their RP purpose.

I'm just throwing this out there, though. Personally, this slight modification of EB1.2 made watchtowers much more appealing. Moreover, I think it should fit quite well with the permanent forts that will be utilized in EB2. No longer is there 1 city per region, but rather multiple settlements and a capital.