Island regions: City or Castle?

**Tusk** · 06-08-2007, 13:12

I am playing as the Turks on LTC (excellent mod btw) at the moment, and have a dilemma that just brought a broad strategy question into my mind. I have just taken Nicosia from the Byz Empire, and can't decide whether to leave it as a castle or convert it to a city (I think the trade with Antioch will be quite good, but am at war with the Egyptians...)

This made me wonder: With island regions, is it a better long term option to have it as a city or a castle?

As a castle, you have the problem of needing ships to ferry around any armies produced from that castle, but it is well protected against invaders. However, as a city you might get more income from trade etc., but many island regions such as Nicosia have only one or two trade resources! This makes me wonder if it's worth converting to a city at all.

What do you think? Is the income generated from an island city very much higher than an island castle, even with only 1 trade resource? I realise that different islands probably have different advantages for both options, but this is the second or third time where I'm struggling to make up my mind.

Your thoughts on this.

**Kobal2fr** · 06-08-2007, 13:21

Two words : Very High.

(taxes, of course)

A city is ALWAYS more profitable than a castle, no matter what the trade ressources are available.

Plus you should have Adana, Aleppo and/or Caesera as castles in the same region so you don't really need the units. And since Nicosia's an island, you don't need the castle as a border plug.

I'd go with a city (the only islands I leave as castles are Ajaccio if I'm playing Milan and Rhodes if I'm playing Venice, for everyone else it's all cities).

**Monsieur Alphonse** · 06-08-2007, 13:30

As the Turks you don't need lots of castles. I have usually only two in Asia (Caesarea and Gaza) for the production of Naffatun, Quapukulu and archers (until Janissary archers are available). Cities produce more income and can produce missile cavalry

**Shahed** · 06-08-2007, 13:37

City.

**Zarky** · 06-08-2007, 14:08

I convert islands to cities if i have some other settlement in 1-2 turn boat trip away since islands are quite small populated in start, and grow slowly, they need good protection against AI invaders, so i always march another army from another settlement to help (such as in Crete and Rhodes)

**Didz** · 06-08-2007, 14:22

My view on islands in general is that its best fortress is always a strong fleet. That goes for any island including the United Kingdom. This of course ties in nicely with the need to protect trade routes and transport merchants.

So, my advice would be go for a city, upgrade its port, keep a strong naval presence to dominate the surrounding waters and try to keep the peace with as many nearby factions as possible to maximise your return on investment.

**CMcMahon** · 06-08-2007, 19:03

When I played as the Turks, I made it a point to convert every castle I took to a city, simply because I could make so much more money. Sure, I'd pump out a few castle units before doing it, but the units you can get in cities as the Turks are so good that castles are rendered pointless.

**John_Longarrow** · 06-08-2007, 19:17

The free upkeep of the garrison also goes into the calculations. You don't get free upkeep with a castle (at least in Vanilla). Add in the increase to trade you get from the grainery series and you can get a LOT of money off of an island, even without a resource on it.

**Sentinel** · 06-09-2007, 02:21

For the about the same cost of defending a high level castle with 1 unit of heavy infantry you could defend a high level city with 7 or 8 units of infantry (6 are free). These extra units will give you a better defence than the extra walls that the castle has.
If you also then factor in, how many extra units you could permanently garrison because you are generating a lot more cash from the city, then the city clearly is the stronger option. As your borders expand, and therefore the risk to this island decreases, you can used part of the garrison else ware and pocket the cash.

**PseRamesses** · 06-09-2007, 10:43

Simple - if you can build a port convert to a town. Playing some factions where the distance to the capitol or religious unrest is high. Leave it as a castle for a while until thing settle down, then convert.
As the turks not many castles are needed. I usually pick Aleppo and one more in the east. Going into Greece and the Balkans I add Sofia to the castles. Going into Africa Dongola might become a castle too.