Medieval: Total War/Buildings

= Basic Buildings =

Watch Tower

 * Requirements: None
 * Cost: 100
 * Time to Build: 1 year

Watch towers are a basic, cheap building which should be placed in every province. They give your population an increased sense of security and increases happiness (+20 boost). Watch towers let you see into neighboring provinces, letting you examine in detail the troops and buildings located there.

Border Fort

 * Requirements: Watch Tower (replaces Watch Tower)
 * Cost: 200
 * Time to Build: 1 year

Border Forts have the same ability to see into neighboring provinces as Watch Towers do. They also act like you have a spy in your province; enemy spies and assassins can be caught while they are in a province with border forts. Border Forts give your population an even greater sense of security and thus a larger boost to happiness (+30 boost).

Port

 * Requirements: Province must be on sea coast
 * Cost: 750
 * Time to Build: 4 years

Ports have many functions. Agents can jump from a province with a port to any other province with a port. Your armies can move from one port to another, provided you have a string of ships between the two ports, and there are no hostile ships in the way. Ports allow you to construct shipyards. If there are trade goods in the province ports are needed for those goods to be sold abroad. Ports will generate a small amount of income if a foreign power is selling goods to your province, however this income is tiny; normally 5-15 florin.

Mines
Mine income very stable and not effected by any other factor. Acumen, droughts, currupt govenors, taxation levels all have no effect on mine income. You can only build mines in provinces which have deposits of these natural resources in them. Mines all produce a fairly small, but steady trickle of income.

Salt Mine

 * Requirements: Salt in province
 * Cost: 250
 * Time to Build: 2 years

The salt mine is the smallest and cheapest of all the mines. It produces a very small ammount of income (50 florins) but is very cheap to build. A salt mine will pay for itself in 7 years.

Salt Mine Complex

 * Requirements: Salt Mine (replaces Salt Mine)
 * Cost: 400
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The salt mine complex is an upgrade of the basic salt mine and produces double the income (100 florins). A salt mine complex upgrade will pay for itself in 12 years.

Copper Mine

 * Requirements: Copper in province
 * Cost: 500
 * Time to Build: 2 years

The salt mine is the second smallest and second cheapest of all the mines. It produces a modest ammount of income (100 florins) but is rather inexpensive to build. A copper mine will pay for itself in 7 years.

Copper Mine Complex

 * Requirements: Copper Mine (replaces Copper Mine)
 * Cost: 900
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The copper mine complex is an upgrade of the basic copper mine and produces double the income (200 florins). At 900 florins, this mine represents requires a substancial investment. A copper mine complex upgrade will pay for itself in 12 years.

Silver Mine

 * Requirements: Silver in province
 * Cost: 750
 * Time to Build: 2 years

The silver mine is a fairly expensive but lucrative mine to build. It produces a decent ammount of income (150 florins) for a fairly moderate sized investment. A silver mine will pay for itself in 7 years.

Silver Mine Complex

 * Requirements: Silver Mine (replaces Silver Mine)
 * Cost: 1400
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The silver mine complex is an upgrade of the basic silver mine and produces double the income (300 florins). The 1400 florin investment to build this mine is quite substancial and this complex should be built only if there is money to spare. A silver mine complex upgrade will pay for itself in 12 years.

Gold Mine

 * Requirements: Gold in province
 * Cost: 1000
 * Time to Build: 2 years

The gold mine a large and expensive mines. It produces a very respectable ammount of income (200 florins) but it takes a substancial investment to build. A gold mine will pay for itself in 7 years.

Gold Mine Complex

 * Requirements: Gold Mine (replaces Gold Mine)
 * Cost: 1800
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The gold mine complex is the most expensive and richest of all the mines. It produces double the income of a basic gold mine (400 florins) but its high price means it should only be built by rich and large empires. A gold mine complex upgrade will pay for itself in 12 years.

Farmland
Farming is the most basic of all provincial income. Every province has at least some farm income, no matter what buildings are available. This income is effected by the acumen of the provincial govenor and of the faction leader. The amount of income produced is also a function of the tax level of the province.

Building improved farmland will increase the income from the province up to +80%, this can be bring in a quite substancial amount of money in richer provinces.

Whenever improved farmlands are built, there is a chance that your faction leader, princes, or provincial govenors could aquire the stewart trait. The stewart trait is perhaps one of the best economic virtue a leader or govenor could have since it boosts farm income even further.

Improved Farmland I

 * Requirements: None
 * Cost: 600
 * Time to Build: 2 years

This is the most basic of all farm upgrades, boosting farm income to 20% above the basic level. Most provinces, even the ones with very little farm income, should have this level of improvement done, if nothing else to for the chance your faction leader could get a stewart trait.

Improved Farmland II

 * Requirements: Improved Farmland I (replaces Improved Farmland I)
 * Cost: 1000
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The second level of farm improvements, boosting farm income from 20% above the basic level to 40% above. Most average provinces should eventually get this improvement but because of the expense it is not normally considered worthwhile to upgrade the poorer provinces.

Improved Farmland III

 * Requirements: Improved Farmland II (replaces Improved Farmland II)
 * Cost: 1500
 * Time to Build: 6 years

The third level of farm improvements, boosting farm income from 40% above the basic level to 60% above. This upgrade really turns your richer provinces into cash cows. A province which started generating 500 florins now will generate 800. Naturally, because of the great expense this upgrade should only be given to provinces with rich farmland.

Improved Farmland IV

 * Requirements: Improved Farmland III (replaces Improved Farmland III)
 * Cost: 2500
 * Time to Build: 8 years

The last and most expensive level of farm improvements, boosting farm income from 60% above the basic level to 80% above. A province which started off producing 500 florins per year will now produce 900. The cost of this upgrade is quite substancial, so it should only be given to the richest of provinces and only when the treasury can afford it.

Inn

 * Requirements: None
 * Cost: 400
 * Time to Build: 2 years

The Inn is where mercenaries can be hired. Mercenaries will become available at random when and can be built instantly for a cost. Inns are most effective in provinces with few other buildings; forts and large castles scare mercenaries away.

= Fort Level Buildings =

Fort

 * Requirements: None
 * Cost: 400
 * Time to Build: 4 years

A fort is the most basic of all castles. Having a fort in a province is a requirement to be able to build any military units, ships or agents. The only units you can aquire without a fort are mercenaries. The fort itself can only train peasants, but it does allow for the building of the most basic of unit producing buildings. Forts also serve as the last line of defense for the province, if the garrison in the province is defeated in battle or is compelled to retreat they will fall back into the fort and a second battle is required to storm the fort and kill anyone inside. Forts consist of a central wooden keep surrounded by one ring of wooden walls. The keep which will shoot arrows at the enemy during seiges. Wooden walls are easy to breech, even without seige weapons, since most any unit can quickly knock down the walls with their melee weapolns. Forts can hold up to 120 men or 60 cavalry.

Motte

 * Requirements: Fort
 * Cost: 100
 * Time to Build: 1 year

A motte is a large hill built in the center of the fort, giving the keep added hieght. This gives the keep added range when shooting arrows at the enemy. Having a motte reduses attrition losses for the defenders during a seige.

Bailey

 * Requirements: Fort + Motte
 * Cost: 100
 * Time to Build: 1 year

Adding a bailey gives the fort an extra layer of wooden walls around the gate of the fort. This forces the attacker to breech two gates in order to reach the inner circle. The defensive value of a bailey is questionable since it does not completely encircle the first layer of walls, so an attacker can simply ignore the bailey entirely and attack a part of the wall it does not protect. Having a bailey also further reduces attrition losses during a seige.

Royal Palace

 * Requirements: Fort
 * Cost: 1000
 * Time to Build: 2 years

A Royal Palace is a center for administration in a kingdom. It allows the training of emisaries and gives the monarch a government office to bestow on one of his generals. Every kingdom should have at least one Royal Palace.

Trading Post

 * Requirements: Fort, at least one trade good in the province
 * Cost: 800
 * Time to Build: 2 years

A trading post lets your monarch collect taxes on goods sold in your province. The amount collected depends on your taxation level, the types of goods sold in the province, the acumin of the govenor and monarch, and the size of your trading network. If there is no trading network taxes will only be collected on goods which have been sold locally.

Town Watch

 * Requirements: Fort
 * Cost: 200
 * Time to Build: 2 years

A town watch is the first of the militia producing buildings. It both allows the training of Urban Militia units and allows the building of more advanced unit producing buildings. Having a town watch in a province boosts the happiness of the population slightly (+10).

Spearmaker

 * Requirements: Fort, Town Watch
 * Cost: 200
 * Time to Build: 2 years

The spearmaker allows for the training of the most basic spear-armed infantry. The type of infantry trained depends on the faction which owns the province. Having a spearmaker is a requirement to build a swordsmith or an armorer (Keep level buildings).

Bower

 * Requirements: Fort, Town Watch
 * Cost: 200
 * Time to Build: 2 years

Archers and other basic bow-armed infantry are able to be trained once a bower has been built. All factions are able to train archers, and some have other kinds available to them. Having a bower is a requirement to build a seige engineer.

Seige Engineer

 * Requirements: Fort, Bower
 * Cost: 200
 * Time to Build: 2 years

A seige engineer allows for the construction of the most basic of all seige engines; the balista. Some factions have explosive-armed units which require this building as well.

Horse Farmer

 * Requirements: Fort, Improved Farmland I
 * Cost: 200
 * Time to Build: 2 years

The most basic of cavalry producing building. The horse farmer is unique in that higher level castles are not required in order to build the upgrades. All the buildings up to Master Horse Breeder can be built with just a fort. All mounted units, with the exception of camels and royal bodyguard type units, need a horse farmer or one of its upgrades. Not all factions will be able to train units with a simple horse farmer, some will require a higher level building.

Horse Breeder

 * Requirements: Horse Farmer (replaces Horse Farmer)
 * Cost: 400
 * Time to Build: 4 years

A horse farmer allows for more advanced cavalry units to be produced than a horse farmer. The actual type of unit it allows to produce depends on the faction and the time period.

Horse Breeder's Guild

 * Requirements: Horse Breeder (replaces Horse Breeder)
 * Cost: 600
 * Time to Build: 6 years

The horse breeder's guild allows for even more advanced cavalry units than the horse breeder does. The actual type of unit it allows depends on the faction and the time period.

Master Horse Breeder

 * Requirements: Horse Breeder's Guild (replaces Horse Breeder's Guild)
 * Cost: 800
 * Time to Build: 8 years

This is the most advanced cavalry producing building. This building gives all cavalry units produced in the province a bonus of +1 valor. A master horse breeder allows for the most advanced horse based units the faction has available. The actual type of unit it allows depends on the faction and the time period. Most factions do not have any units which actually require a master horse breeder, but it is worth building for the valour bonus.

= Keep Level Buildings =

Keep

 * Requirements: Fort (replaces Fort)
 * Cost: 1000
 * Time to Build: 8 years

A Keep is the second level of castle which can be built. While the keep itself does not train any units, it does allow for the building of more advanced unit training structures. A Keep can hold up to 420 soldiers (or 210 cavalry) and is made from stone. The layout of the walls is similar to a fort with a motte and bailey, with a central stone keep on a hill surounded by a stone wall with another enclosure around the gate, forcing attacking soldiers to break down two gates to gain enterance. A Keep is much more difficult to attack than a fort is. Some form of artilery is needed to breech the walls, otherwise the soldiers will need to break down the front gates and face a difficult battle at the narrow enterance.

Curtain Walls

 * Requirements: Keep
 * Cost: 200
 * Time to Build: 2 years

With a normal Keep there is one ring of walls surrounding the central keep, with a gate leading to a second square area which is also surrounded by walls and a gate. This means attacking soldiers have to break down two gates if they do not have artilery. With a curtain wall, the second wall is not just around the gate, it goes completely around the inner wall. Now no matter which direction the Keep is attacked, the attacker will have to knock down two sets of walls to enter, and will have to face even more arrow towers shooting at them. Having a curtain wall will reduce defender losses due to attrition during a seige.

Balista Towers

 * Requirements: Keep + Curtain Wall
 * Cost: 200
 * Time to Build: 2 years

This upgrade gives a Keep some Balista firing towers in the inner wall. Balistas are large cross-bow like artilery pieces that fire huge arrows. Each shot only can kill one man, but balistas do have a much greater range than arrow towers do, and the enemy suffers a greater moral loss from being attacked by balistas as compared to arrows. Defenders also suffer fewer casualties dur to attrition during a siege. Balista towers do not make a keep invincible, but they are well worth the small expense in time and money if there are no plans to upgrade the Keep.

Gunsmith

 * Requirements: Keep, Gunpowder technology event.
 * Who Gets it: Egyptians only
 * Cost: 400
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The Gunsmith lets Egyptians build their Mamluk handgun units. The advantage is that it only requires a keep, while other cultures have to build a Gunsmith's Workshop at a Castle. If the keep has already been upgraded to a Castle the egyptians can simply build the Gunsmith's Workshop directly and bypass the Gunsmith entirely.

Church

 * Requirements: Keep
 * Who Gets it: Chatholics and Orthodoxs
 * Cost: 200
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The Church is the most basic religeous building for Christian factions. It allows the training of Catholic Bishops or Orthodox Priests and boosts happiness in the province (+20). Units trained in a province with a church will be braver and get +1 moral bonus. This bonus is cumulative with other religeous buldings. Having a church will also slowly increase the percentage of the population which follow the religeon of the faction holding the province. Churches are always destroyed when a non-christian faction occupies a province.

Chapter House

 * Requirements: Church
 * Who Gets it: English, French, Germans, Italians, Spanish, Argonese and Sicilians.
 * Cost: 500
 * Time to Build: 4 years

Having a chapter house allows for the creation of a crusade in that province. Not all Catholic factions are able to crusade, the Polish, Hungarians and Danes never crusaded historically and thus are not able to build chapter houses. Chapter Houses do not give a moral bonus nor do they increase the amount of chatholics in the population.

Mosque

 * Requirements: Keep
 * Who Gets it: Muslims
 * Cost: 200
 * Time to Build: 4 years

A Mosque is the most basic religeous building for Muslim factions. It allows the training of Alims and boosts happiness in the province (+20). Units trained in a province with a Mosque will be braver and get a +1 moral bonus. This bonus is cumulative with bonus' from other religeous buildings. Having a mosque will slowly increase the percent of the population which follow Islam. Mosques are always destroyed when a non-muslim faction occupies the province.

Ribat

 * Requirements: Mosque
 * Who Gets it: Muslims
 * Cost: 300
 * Time to Build: 4 years

A Ribat allows for the creation of a Jihad in the province. It also makes units trained in the province braver, giving them a moral bonus of +2 ontop of the bonus given by the Mosque.

Royal Court

 * Requirements: Keep, Royal Palace
 * Cost: 1000
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The Royal Court is a center of government for a faction. It allows for the training of additional royal bodyguard units. For Catholics these are Royal Knights, and for Muslims they are Ghulan Cavalry. These bodyguard units always contain 20 men, regardless of size settings. Note that while Orthodox factions may build a Royal Court they have no seperate bodyguard units to train; and thus there is little reason to construct this building.

Shipwright

 * Requirements: Keep, Dock
 * Cost: 400
 * Time to Build: 4 years

Having a shipyard allows for the smallest and most basic of ships to be constructed. The actual type of ship which is created depends on the faction.

Merchant

 * Requirements: Keep, Trading Post (replaces Trading Post)
 * Cost: 1000
 * Time to Build: 4 years

A Merchant is an upgraded Trading Post, and collects even more money in taxes. The additional ammount collected is not very significant, except for very profitable provinces and factions with extensive trading networks.

Town Guard

 * Requirements: Keep, Town Watch (replaces Town Watch)
 * Cost: 400
 * Time to Build: 4 years

With a Town Guard, more advanced forms of Militia units can be trained. While every faction gets the basic urban militia, not everyone gets more advanced units and there is no advantage to building a Town Guard other than to train units. Having a Town Guard does make the population more happy (+10) but this is the same bonus as the Town Watch it replaced gave.

Swordsmith

 * Requirements: Keep, Spearmaker
 * Cost: 400
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The swordsmith is where most basic sword-based infantry units are trained. The actual units produced depends on the faction controling the province. While everyone can build a swordsmith, Russians and the People of Novogod do not get any units which require a swordsmith and thus do not need to build one under most circumstances.

Spearmaker's Workshop

 * Requirements: Keep, Spearmaker (replaces Spearmaker)
 * Cost: 400
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The Spearmaker's Workshop allows for more advanced spear units than the Spearmaker.

Bower's Workshop

 * Requirements: Keep, Bower (replaces bower)
 * Cost: 400
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The Bower's Workshop is a more advanced Bower and allows for the training of more advanced bow-armed infantry. The first crossbow-armed infantry also require a Bower's Workshop.

Seige Engineer's Workshop

 * Requirements: Keep, Seige Engineer (replaces Seige Engineer)
 * Cost: 400
 * Time to Build: 4 years

The seige engineer is where a more advanced form of seige engine; a catapult. This upgrade is highly recomended if any assaults on castles are planned. Seige engine crews take several turns to be trained so it is recomended that a province be set aside to specialize in seige engines.

Tavern

 * Requirements: Keep
 * Cost: 500
 * Time to Build: 4 years

Taverns are where cut-throats and other ruffians hang out and building one lets a faction train assassins in that province. Higher Level taverns will give assassins valour bonuses, so if assassins are needed a tavern should be build in the most advanced province available, then upgrded as far as possible.

= Castle Level Buildings =

= Citadel Level Buildings =

= Fortress Level Buildings =