Where do you keep your soliders?

[Silverdot]

So I'm just starting to build my army and wondering where to put them. (Please correct me if I'm wrong) I know you have to have archers in the fort because they fight @ 4x. I got that much down. The way I play the game based on what I've read in the forum is I'm pretty much a farmer. I like to build my empire and do my own thing. I'm not looking to attack anyone or be a war lord. I know I have to have an army to protect my resources from the people who are out there just to fight and enjoy playing the game that way. 

So is it more cost effective / smarter to just build an army and let them stay in the province to have some type of protection other than just the archers or should I put them to work attacking gold mines? 

Would I send them to a field battle or would it be a fortress siege? I'm not really clear on the difference. If there's no army based on rumors I assume it would be a siege.

If they field battle do they still collect resources?

Do I have to send treb. when doing a fortress siege or can i just send 1000 swords?

I assume that the burning castle means they've already been attacked and the army is already gone?

Just to make sure, the gold coin next to the name in player stats means they haven't logged on in 7 days and are considered a "gold mine"? Because there are alot in this realm.

Thanks for the help i love this game and trying to make the most of it. 

[Radooo]

well...it is good to attack with the army you have...at least coins because you can take a nice amount of gold
when you do a field battle you will fight only with the army on field, if it isn't set to retreat and you take only money if you kill some soldiers. With fortress siege, you will fight the army in that province, then you have to destroy the fort and beat the army in fort and after that you took the resources from the province. If you see the burning castle, that doesn't mean that province don't have protection...you still have to destroy the fort...it means only that those players can't build anything from that province. And for battles, use the battle calculator...and spies for seeing the enemies' provinces

[Silverdot]

So If I spy and use rumors and that player has all these resources and no army I can basically just go in there and take their stuff? I guess that's why they're called gold mines. If the fort is on fire that means that they can't build anything but I still have to defeat it again. I assume I don't have to take treb. but it probably makes it easier. 

Thanks for the help!

[Radooo]

if it has a big fort, you need siege weapons...and even gold mines can have big forts...use battle calculator for any battle at least in the beginning

[EmPeRoR JuMoNg]

well...it is good to attack with the army you have...at least coins because you can take a nice amount of gold
when you do a field battle you will fight only with the army on field, if it isn't set to retreat and you take only money if you kill some soldiers. With fortress siege, you will fight the army in that province, then you have to destroy the fort and beat the army in fort and after that you took the resources from the province. If you see the burning castle, that doesn't mean that province don't have protection...you still have to destroy the fort...it means only that those players can't build anything from that province. And for battles, use the battle calculator...and spies for seeing the enemies' provinces