RATIONALE.
Everybody agrees that one of the strongest features of this game is to expand you empire, controlling not only a city, but a multiple set of objects on the map.
Of course, the number of cities is limited by the level of Centralization and it is rational like this, otherwise the micro-management of the game would become excessive.
However, it would be nice to still have the opportunity to enlarge your empire without drammatically increase micro-management or changing the game-dynamics in a too strong way.
my suggestion therefore is to introduce the "country-side" expansion": not cities or commercial posts, but simply fields in the countryside.
MECHANICS
Each Centralization level gives to the player 1 province expansion, 1 vassal, and up to 2 (so 1 or 2 according to the speed of the game) countryside expansions.
Countryside must be in contact with a province but can be outside of the preferred zone.
Countryside has the following buildings: mines, house, farms, imperial route, depo station. buildings cannot be upgraded (there is no townhall as there is no town but only fields) with exception of the imperial route. As in reality, when the population is too high there is no other way than migrating from the countryside. The level of the buildings is automatically updated to the level of centralization, so for example developing centralization 5 automatically upgrade all the buildings in all the countrysides to 5 (except for the imperial route).
There is no garrison and no fortress. However, a field army can be quartiered there. Military outposts also control the countryside in the same way they control trade posts.
IMPACT ON THE GAME.
- it creates a "war for land", not only a "war for resources", increasing the importance of military posts.
- it extremely increases immersion because empires can develop LARGER and quicker without alterating too much the dynamics.
- it helps resource development at the beginning of the game, without giving excessive advantages to beginners.
- it is realistic
What do you think about that? your toughts are welcome!