Most worthless province? - Post your opinion!!

[glyphz]

I also think Durazzo is the most worthless province, but that's based on my limited experience, meaning in all of my campaigns not one has yet to go farther than 80 turns, so I havent gone to the New World, nor held the NE provinces yet.

a 400 pop. village at the start located between 2 potentially dangerous foes (Venice, Byzantines) that want it. A large garrison is needed to protect it w/c costs a ton more than what Durazzo can offer you. Indeed, in 2 campaigns of mine (Sicily, Venice), I gave the province to the Pope, and he was so happy to get it that he would have been on his knees kissing my iron greaves in private if he had the chance . I offer it very soon after taking a large hit in the Pope-O-Meter, due to conquering Christian settlements. I believe that's better than getting at an early war w/ a neighbor just for a slow growing, high-maintenance town.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ajaccio and Cagliari, once with port, tend to create more income than some inland provinces of the same population, though I am still squeezing the most out of v1.0 before upgrading to v1.2/3, where i heard AI tend to be more aggresive . I guess I might also give Ajaccio to the Pope if multiple factions are so obsessively attracted at that island resort.

Dongola and Jedda do get some trade income from ports and definitely add to Cairo's trade, but they're not top priority and only go after them when I have an army to spare. It does get annoying though when you try to wipe out the Egyptians quickly and turn those pesky Egyptian stacks to rebel, only to find them take Jedda or Dongola. Tsk!

Inverness as well as all settlements in the British Isles become cities once they're all mine. Separated from the main continent, there is no need to have a large garrison, and the trade becomes very nice later on. I'd leave a high chiv general (or maybe 2 + some boats) to guard the isles, and increase public growth in all settlements (esp. dublin. caenarvon, york and inverness) till at least 6000

[Rhyfelwyr]

I was going to say Ajaccio, but then Ramses reminded me about Fortaleza.

In one campaign, I saw a Papal army, Milanse Army, Spanish Army, and Portuguese army all on Ajaccio at the same time, surrounded by their fleets. And the Moors travelled there shortly after as well. And in other campaigns the Sicilians often show interest in Ajaccio after they take Cagliari. Its just an absolute nightmare to defend, you need an expensive fleet just to ferry reinforcements there.

As the Turks I've found Durazzo doesn't cause too much trouble, I've had it attacked by the Papacy (bizarelly agressive in this campaign), but that is all, although I have admittedly wiped the Byzantines out.

Dongola and Jedda seem to be generating some good income for me just now, although I did have trouble with public order in Jedda, largely because a couple of Heretics had been camped there.

Fortaleza is a waste of space as a settlement, you don't even need to conquer it to use it resources, which is all its good for. At least if you convert Mikosukee and the Cuban city to Castles you can reinforce your armies when fighting the Aztecs.

Trebizond is another pretty useless settlement, very slow growth and is stuck behind a network of mountains. I suppose it can reinforce armies in Tblisi/Yerevan when the hordes arrive.

And Arguin is pretty useless.

Nicosia isn't good for much either.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Arguin.

It's only neighbor is Timbuktu. And it's more valuable for merchants if someone ELSE holds it for trading purposes.

Ummmm how about Helsinki for an actual province near real factions?

It's like the tiniest in the game, and is barely worth having as a recruiter of basic horse. It's worthless as a trading partner until 100 turns have passed.

I dont use new world provinces because by the time you've gotten to the new world the game is over.

Bottom line: Arguin is the MOST WORTHLESS PROVINCE EVER

No strategic value. No economic value. More useful for someone else to hold it for your merchants to make more money.

[Guru]

Ummmm how about Helsinki for an actual province near real factions?

It's like the tiniest in the game, and is barely worth having as a recruiter of basic horse. It's worthless as a trading partner until 100 turns have passed.

I must disagree. Helsinki is very small in the beginning, true, but It'll make a good trade city when it grows. It has some resources and it'll boost the trade in other coastal towns nearby, too. Has to be converted into a town though. To be honest it didn't even exist by 1100s. I'd say Bulgar, Ajaccio and Arguin are the most worthless provinces. Dunno about New World provinces.

[Philbert]

I'm ambivalent about Ajaccio being worthless. It is certainly true that it will be attacked every other turn, but I found (as the Sicilians) that it was fun defending it, and it became an excellent training ground for troops and generals.
The ground around Ajaccio became fertilized with blood from all over the known world.

[Askthepizzaguy]

I must disagree. Helsinki is very small in the beginning, true, but It'll make a good trade city when it grows.

When it grows?

What good would that do? I've got to conquer the world in the time it takes the average person to sneeze. I haven't got the time to coddle the peasantry. I'm far too busy chopping off heads and setting fire to the broken bodies of the vanquished.

If I wanted to build cities... I wouldn't spend all my time destroying them!

[Grombeard]

When it grows?

What good would that do? I've got to conquer the world in the time it takes the average person to sneeze. I haven't got the time to coddle the peasantry. I'm far too busy chopping off heads and setting fire to the broken bodies of the vanquished.

If I wanted to build cities... I wouldn't spend all my time destroying them!

So this is what comes out when you let a pizza guy rule an empire...

Hmm... Taking that one step further: Do you think there is a connection between the Romans conquering the whole world and pizza coming from italy? And did Alexander the Great and Ghengis Khan started their lives as pizza delivery boys? Should we stop ordering pizza to not support a possible future warlord?

[Guru]

When it grows?

What good would that do? I've got to conquer the world in the time it takes the average person to sneeze. I haven't got the time to coddle the peasantry. I'm far too busy chopping off heads and setting fire to the broken bodies of the vanquished.

If I wanted to build cities... I wouldn't spend all my time destroying them!

Makes me question what you're doing in a thread like this then (I'm not being rude or anything, don't take offence.) If your goal is to burn the city and slaughter the population, does it really matter what the city is like? You can slaughter the population like you can do in any other city, right?

Helsinki grows like any other city, when you use the end turn button. Of course settlements won't grow very big when you kill everyone inside, don't build any buildings and your game lasts for 10 turns. If you occupy instead of extermination and play a long game, the settlements won't be just small villages of widows in the end.

And I hope you know what happens to you when the peasantry gets bored of your rule... It'll happen in the 1700s or so. And you'll be the main ingredient of "Pizza the Cruel".

[The Wandering Scholar]

Small settlements are like puppies, nurse them and treat them good and they will come out good in the end.

[Malkut]

When it grows?

There are other options. I took an already developed Helsinki in the Late Campaign in Stainless Steel, converted it into a city, and it wasn't particularly bad. More advanced units at the beginning, too.

On the other hand, SS makes you feed and rest your troops, so I don't know if you can have armies of Borg relentlessly crushing the entire world in 28 turns.