In this video we learn how buildings are built, maintained and how they can be used to grow your empire, recruit new armies and keep your populace happy or detained.

Buildings may be constructed within a settlement to boost its production capabilities or defences; they cost time and money to build, but grant a variety of benefits when completed which are shown on their icon tooltips. Buildings are constructed in slots: new slots are unlocked in a settlement when the central building is upgraded. Growth causes population surplus to accumulate in a province – this surplus can be spent on upgrading that central building to unlock new slots; this increases the settlement size. A settlement decreases in size when sacked or occupied.

Existing buildings can be upgraded to other buildings of the same type, but watch out for limitation in a settlement’s maximum level size! A building can only be upgraded to the level of the settlement building.

Buildings are usually specialised towards a specific purpose, such as unit recruitment or generating income. Military buildings specialise in allowing recruitment of new unit types, improving recruited units or in allowing more recruitment. Defensive buildings such as walls specialise in providing garrison units or improved fortifications. For more information on garrisons, check out our provinces and settlements video. Lastly, economic buildings generate taxes or produce resources, if available in the local province - these resources can then be traded with other factions for income.