Moin. I recently built a castle on a new map and wanted to share it as "inspiration." I chose the highest difficulty setting (Challenge) and started with a small village. You'll find all the details below.
Image 1: The castle viewed from the entrance area. Three gates lead to a checkpoint; beyond them, the soldiers' training grounds lie to the left, while a tavern is currently under construction to the right. Sheep are being raised and clothing produced in the large area further back. Some decorations are already in place, and a few bees and herb patches are to be added soon.
Image 2: the left side of the castle. At the center, there is a warehouse and several traders. Viewed from this perspective, a residential area with berry schnapps production is located to the right, with upgraded weapon smithies to its left.
Image 3: The keep. This is where my training company is based. Ten recruits are sent on missions at a time, and those who prove themselves worthy are inducted as soldiers. Each tower in the castle houses one company. The planned composition is:
8 Knight companies (40 knights)
18 Soldier companies (90 soldiers for missions)
The tents serve as the knights' "private quarters." The entire scene is intended to look like the aftermath of a grand tournament at the castle.
Image 4: The right side of the castle. From a southern perspective, on the left, we see a compact yet distinct residential area for the key envoys (representing all three factions). On the right, however, lies the tournament ground. A few tents, spectator stands... and further details to follow in the coming days.
Images 5 and 6: These serve primarily as "proof" of the difficulty level (Image 5 shows the debuffs) and how I handled it (once again) using gold (3000% trade bonus and 2000% for the other two).
I look forward to comments, feedback, and questions. Stay healthy and have a wonderful evening!