Are fortifications worth the money?

[laagamer]

Thoughts? I'm not seeing a great amount of value out of them. Troops seem more valuable by a long shot.

[Adler4]

Nah they are not effective i think. I don't like fort battles in empire or napoleon, the AI and gameplay of these games are simply not made for fort battles. I don't know why but sometimes fort battles crashes with me.
When i build forts it's because i have no idea to do with my money lol

[HazardHawk]

Smaller walls are easier to defend. Forts only really work in tight places to block incoming assaults temporarily

[Empire_TW]

Walls are good, you only need the first one, no need to upgrade. Cheap Milita units and the free garrison farmers you get will fight to the death within the fort, it's especially powerful for eastern factions. They also provide a bit of public order.

[<< BATFINK >>]

I have to agree, early game I never bother building my own forts. Spend your money on troops, ships and upgrading your tech.

If I end up with forts, I put low level and other garrison troops on the walls. I then look at using my Cavalry/Dragoons/etc to ride out and take out their guns. You can then safely position your troops on the walls.

The worst thing is when you mistakenly put a high level unit on a wall and the AI targets that section, collapses it and there goes your best unit!

[Insaniac]

Forts are pretty useful if you can spare the cash. Let the AI capture the walls with one unit and then send the rest of their forces in through one of the four gates. Needless to say, them trying to squeeze substantial forces through such narrow passages turns out very badly for them. And, as stated before, defending units inside the fort will fight to annihilation. And of course, forts do not have upkeep costs, unlike units.

[laagamer]

Originally posted by Steven Seagal:

Forts are pretty useful if you can spare the cash. Let the AI capture the walls with one unit and then send the rest of their forces in through one of the four gates. Needless to say, them trying to squeeze substantial forces through such narrow passages turns out very badly for them. And, as stated before, defending units inside the fort will fight to annihilation. And of course, forts do not have upkeep costs, unlike units.

Wait, they'll fight to the death? Do they get a moral bonus or something?

And what determines garrison size? Do fortifications add to that?

[Insaniac]

I don’t think forts affect garrison size. But yes, the units defending the fort will fight to the last man.

[Mr Squeek]

They're at borders like the Finnish water border or especialy early game in USA by water routes or early scandinavian games betwen Denmark and sweden to slow enemies down

[Inardesco]

You can just line your border with walls that are in each others reinforcement zone.

Then 4 Line with 2 Grenadiers, maybe a mortar or 2 and you have something that can hold back against superiour numbers.

[Insaniac]

Campaign map forts seem finicky, and never worked for me. The settlement defenses work a lot better. Somehow, the AI seems to always be able to find its way around my forts, seemingly ignoring my zone of occupation.

[Mars Junior]

Originally posted by << BATFINK >>:

I have to agree, early game I never bother building my own forts. Spend your money on troops, ships and upgrading your tech.

If I end up with forts, I put low level and other garrison troops on the walls. I then look at using my Cavalry/Dragoons/etc to ride out and take out their guns. You can then safely position your troops on the walls.

The worst thing is when you mistakenly put a high level unit on a wall and the AI targets that section, collapses it and there goes your best unit!

Forgot I put some superior line infantry in a building and lost the whole unit due to a microing error! lol

[pgeerkens]

Originally posted by << BATFINK >>:

I have to agree, early game I never bother building my own forts. Spend your money on troops, ships and upgrading your tech.

If I end up with forts, I put low level and other garrison troops on the walls. I then look at using my Cavalry/Dragoons/etc to ride out and take out their guns. You can then safely position your troops on the walls.

The worst thing is when you mistakenly put a high level unit on a wall and the AI targets that section, collapses it and there goes your best unit!

I only put units over the guard houses (ie over the gates).
These wall sections are indestructible.

[Insaniac]

And impossible to get off of if the surrounding battlements are destroyed.