Defense Issue
 

In a non fortified square does defense have any additional value over say Patrol and if a unit is searching for magic sites is that the same effect as being on defense.

I ask the question because I am awaiting an attack and whilst I wait it would appear to be worthwhile searching for magic sites, patrolling,building etc - however ultimately the main aim is to defend and I don't want to detract from that. So does doing any other instruction detract from defense.

Tals

Re: Defense Issue
 

Defend means "just don't do anything, okay?", and not actually "spend the month defending the whole thing". If there is no fort, everyone will protect the province when attacked, so feel free to cast spells and some such. When there is a fort, defend means "hide behind the walls", so even then it really doesn't have much use.

Renaming the Defend order to something a bit closer might be a good idea ("Idle", or something to that effect).

Re: Defense Issue
 

That clarification helps a lot - I think the idle actually clarifies it better http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Defend in a fortified area I guess allows you to control units that may survive an initial onslaught so the defense naming is apt - although defend castle could be better http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Many thanks for the quick response - orders changed accordingly.

Tals

Re: Defense Issue
 

defense in a castle is usefull for those few units that recieve a bonus to castle defense...

Ptrolling is better in that patrolling armies might find scouts/spies/assassins/etc, and they kill unrestful citizens (raising the tax returns and increasing corpse #s.)

on the downside, if you prefer to lower taxes and maintain population numbers then patrrolling will not be the better option.

the best thing to do to defend that province is to invest in its local militia

Re: Defense Issue
 

Local militia can be awfully weak. As an example, Mictlan gets some slaves, and Pythium unarmoured militia. Jotunheim's and Ulm's pd can often be worthwhile, but I still prefer real troops in borders. However, when playing Ulm, I only have to bring infantry, and with Jotunheim, archers. The pd is the other half.

Re: Defense Issue
 

When you plan to have a strong army in a province for a while, not having a fort may be the better choice. In a no-fort province, everyone who isn't hidden will fight against an invasion. In a province with a fort, only patrolling units and PD defend against an initial invasion.

Re: Defense Issue
 

In the late game, you have to be careful that your patrolling forces are strong enough to deal with multiple castings of ghost riders (or strong forces teleporting / astral traveling in).