Just a random idea on Fortress construction...

[SelfishGene]

The time it takes to build a fort should be dependent upon the resources available in a province. This would also help make Productivity have one more attractive side-effect.

[quantum_mechani]

It would also make building a fort in those provinces already sucked dry by other forts impossible.

[Sombre]

Currently it seems people prefer to build the 'bad' low admin forts, because the are cheaper and quicker and for the most part you need forts to build more national mages.

That's a bit odd, don't you think? It's like being punished for building where your nation is 'supposed' to build.

Perhaps if forts all took the same amount of time to build?

[Tuidjy]

Speaking for myself, I build forts where I need them, without caring what kind
they turn out to be. In Dominions II I would always choose the watchtower, but
in Dominions III I find myself using troops a lot more.

I wish we would get a choice of which castle we would built. Some nations could
have multiple choices of castles in some types of provinces. Sometimes I want
a fortified city, sometimes I would be happier with a watchtower. Actually, I
would be happier with a watchtower 90% of the time :-)

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

Sometimes I go for the cheaper option, Sombre. But sometimes the expensive really does pay off. If your dominion creates a real harsh supply penalty, and you're playing Agartha in a cave fort (high def, low supply & admin), you can hold out forever, not needing food.

But fort strategy is another thread, to paraphrase Alton Brown.

On the original idea, of tying resources to fortress times, I don't like that. What if you're on one of the maps with fairly homogeneous types of terrain? If you have to expand onto wastlelands, when will you ever be able to get another fort up? Meanwhile, Agartha with a couple iron mines (i've had two in the same provinces) could throw up cave forts at a ridiculous pace, garrisoning them with no-need-to-eat Pale Ones.

[Autochthon]

quantum_mechani said:
It would also make building a fort in those provinces already sucked dry by other forts impossible.

But is this really a bad thing? Historically, settlements have typically moved towards a more centralized arrangement, leaving the rural areas increasingly empty as the peasants and freemen pack up and leave for the big city.

It's definitely a demographic trend, so maybe we can work this in as a type of economic warfare?