In this article, I will discuss each of the Population Center improvement options (the primary choice) and then discuss various combinations for secondary options, such as fortifications, naval bases and insurance. Please note, the information that follows represents my own personal and sometimes hotly debated ideas on game play. It may be that I have missed certain concepts that would alter the nature of my suggestions. I strongly advise that you apply your own experience and knowledge to any ideas that I have presented to derive the maximum advantage of this article. Following is a break down of your choices (prices are correct at time of publication, but are subject to change).

Improve: Major Town to City (8,000) Town to Major Town (7,000) Village to Town (5,000) Camp to Village (4,000) Open hex to Camp (3,000)

Fortify: Castle (8,000) Fort (3,000) Tower (1,000)

Add: Port (2,000) Harbor (free) Insurance (3,000)

Improving your Major Town to a City will require the entire amount of your initial gold. It will add 1000 gold to your revenue each turn at a 40% tax rate; however, it would take several turns for you to recoup your investment. Cities are able to resist invasion much better than Major Towns in that they require about 2000 Heavy Infantry to successfully take them. However, if you lose the City, you will likely be unable to continue. If you absolutely feel you must have a City, then you might consider choosing the hidden Population Center option. Hiding your City makes this choice more acceptable, but is still perhaps not your best option. Another option is to improve your Town into a Major Town. This will cost 7,000 gold, leaving you with 1,000. About the only thing you can do with the 1,000 is put a Tower at your Capital. The Tower is going to cost you 500 gold a turn and hence you total economic benefit for this choice is 500 gold a turn.

During the game, you could upgrade the Town to a Major Town for a cost of 8,000 and so you save only 1,000 if you do it to start the game. At least with the City improvement you are saving 2,000 (it costs 10,000 to carry this out during the game). Again with this choice it would be better to hide your capital and place the Tower at the just created Major Town. Some players will like the idea that they have a "back up" capital right away (in case of an emergency), but this "benefit" is no real benefit at all. If you lose your capital within the first few turns and have to go to the back up, you're done for the day. If you don't lose your capital in the first few turns, then you should have a back up capital through Emissary action anyway.

With the third option you now give yourself access to a Port or location "insurance". Improving your Village to a Town requires 5,000 gold. Remaining is 3,000 which can be used to place an additional Camp, build a Port, add a Fort or request location insurance. Generally, I do not see the need for location insurance. It is my feeling that there are several excellent locations on the map to start off in and hopefully your second and third choices will be just as good as your first. If you are adamant that you must be at a specific location (you have role playing needs or have a strategy you want to try) then go ahead and take the insurance option. But be aware that even with this option there is no absolute guarantee that you will get the spot you want. It could be a waste of 3,000 gold. Upgrading your Village to a Town will give you a Major Town and two Towns. This combination is an average choice if you want to hire a large army quickly (1000 per turn if on all three PCs) or you are going to be in a very isolated area of the map; otherwise, naked (no fortifications) Towns are too vulnerable. And this choice should be skipped over.

The next choice is possibly the optimum choice. Improving your Camp to a Village is a 4,000 gold investment. This leaves 3,000 for new camp/Fort/insurance (if you REALLY must have it) and another 1,000 for a Tower. Villages are the most economically efficient PC in the game and you will have two of them. Put the Tower at your capital, or hide your capital and put the Tower on your Town. For nations that expect to be in the thick of battle, they can erect a Fort at their capital and a Tower at the Town OR place a Tower at each of their starting PCs (then you would be very ready to punch it out with some upstart in your way).

For nations that want to be a naval power this is also a good combination. If you are going to place a Port at your capital you would be wise to fortify it (having a navy also makes you exposed to them). This choice allows for both the Port and the necessary fortifications.

Another interesting variation of this improvement choice is to hide one of the Villages and put up the new Camp. In this manner you will show to any opponents in the area the exact same Population Center spread that you would have started with. (i.e. your opponents will see a Major Town, a Town, A Village and a Camp). If you hide your capital, your opponents will know that you have done so, simply because you can not disguise the fact. Even though they won't know the location exactly (unless you start with an army - which would be very counter-productive), they will know it is out there somewhere. With this "curve-ball" no one will have any idea that you have a hidden PC - the true meaning of "hidden".

The next improvement option is to place two new Camps at a cost of 6,000 gold. Logically you would then add a Tower to you capital and your Town (or elsewhere depending on terrain). Alternatively, you could add a Port at your capital, but as discussed this is not recommended without fortifications. This choice is solid and is likely to be very popular. This option works particularly well if you start with a 50 or 60 Emissary. Your Camps will start with a loyalty equal to your highest Emissary, which will allow you to improve them with relative ease to Villages (the most economically efficient PC).

Instead of two Camps you might opt for one Camp and use the 5,000 for other purposes. Five Towers - one on each PC (interesting but expensive), or a Fort and two Towers, OR a Port and Fort at your capital (excellent combination for naval nations) OR location insurance and two Towers - you get the idea. These variations would only be recommended in specific situations and would not be advisable for mainstream play. So then, what about no Population Center improvements? This gives you 8,000 gold to put toward secondary choices. It does allow you to start with a Castle! Of course you won't be able to afford your new Castle (do you know how much moats cost to heat and clean these days?), but it will be an edifice of pride! It is my humble opinion that Castles are about 3,000 over priced and so you should let some one else throw up this White Elephant. Hiding your capital would be a far superior choice and would not eat up all your available resources in the Special Nation Ability category of Nation design. Optionally, you could try a Fort and Port at the capital and two Towers. This option has potential for a naval nation only. The two Forts and two Towers option is perhaps not as attractive for inland nations. And remember, naval bases and fortifications cost you maintenance each turn. Lastly, you have the option of saving all or part of your money. At first, one might think this is unsound, but there are times where this is a good choice. For example, in one playtest game, I started with a Camp that I wanted to place in the forest. At game start the Camp was situated only two hexes away from an opponents capital and his starting army. Although my capital was secure, the Camp was not. Had my opponent turned out to be an unfriendly sort, the Camp would have been lost. Thus, I would have been better off not placing the camp at all and retaining the 3,000 gold cost. I could then see how my tactical map took shape and choose a better (safer) location to place the Camp. Sure, this costs a little initiative, but it could turn out to be a prudent choice. Having said that, I do not suggest you save all your money. Putting down fortifications is much cheaper at game start then during the game; so too are Ports (7500 timber and 4000 gold are needed to improve a Harbor). If you plan to have these additions, then you may as well start with them. In essence, the only money you should consider saving is money that would have been slated for new Camps (a maximum of 6,000). In conclusion, if there is a particular combination that was not discussed or at least alluded to, it can be said that it is probably only applicable in very narrow instances. As well, many of the combinations above will be changed in their effectiveness depending on other factors of your nation design. For example, if your nation starts with the Special Nation Ability of 'build fortifications at half timber cost', you may want to put in several Towers, for quick upgrades to Forts, or put in no fortifications at all and add them when you need them. Harbors are a free improvement and putting one in is really a matter of taste. They would be best suited in 'plains' hexes. Otherwise you leave the hex vulnerable to an amphibious assault, where it was not before. Caution is strongly advised before putting a Harbor in a mountain, rough, or forest hex.