Settlements in Medieval II

Overview

Medieval 2: Total War is the first game in the recent Total War series to give the option to develop settlements in two distinctly different ways. Each settlement is either a Castle or a City.

• Castles give access to more and better types of troops and improved defensive structures - rather as you might expect.

• Cities give access to different types of buildings and greater trade revenues.

Deciding which type of settlement to use in each region is now a major aspect of game-play. Too many castles can mean your economy can not support the necessary army. Too many cities can leave you vulnerable to attack.

Gameplay

The number, size and stage of development of the settlements you control is the major influence on your factions success in the game. Expansion in the game is achieved by taking control of your enemies settlements. Settlements are normally captured through battle or by siege.

Sieges

Each settlement has a certain number of turns it can sustain under siege, the exact number of turns depends on its size and level of development. If the defending army does not choose to 'sally forth' to fight a battle and break the siege before the number of turns expires, or if its sally is unsuccessfully the city falls to the besieging faction.

The besieging faction may decide to attack the city on the battle map. In this case the attacker must overcome the walls of the settlement using siege equipment, such as rams, ladders, siege towers, etc.

Castles

Pros:

• Better inherent Public Order
• Stronger defences, including multi-ring walls at larger settlement sizes.
• Knights and other powerful units can only be trained there

Cons:

• Can't adjust the tax rate
• Less buildings that enhance trade
• Less buildings that can recruit merchants
• Less educational buildings

Cities

Pros:

• Adjustable tax rate - gain more income by increasing tax rate if city is happy enough
• More Trade enhancing buildings available to build
• More Religious buildings available to build
• More agent recruitment possibilities
• Militia and Siege Artillery recruitable
• Free up-keep for some militia garrison units - another plus to the economy

Cons:

• Public unrest can lead to riots or rebellion
• Generals governing cities can gain undesirable traits due to corruption
• Cavalry and Missile Infantry not normally recruitable
• Less effective defences

Guide

Download the Medieval 2 Total War Settlements and Sieges Guide from here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=572760