I agree with this - they need to buff monasteries and giant heads
Monasteries have so much potential that they missed, it would be disgusting except that they've missed so much about so much else that the gaping hols in Monastery depiction are barely noticed.
I lump all the 'religious retreats' together for this: monasteries, convents, hermitages,
pustyns, etc.
The Medieval Monastery was a center for learning and literacy: Science Boost
The Monasteries developed distilled liquors and modern beer making: Amenity Bonus OR New Trade/Amenity Goods
The Monasteries pioneered agricultural/animal husbandry techniques that then spread to 'secular' farmers: Food Bonus
Certain Monasteries developed very peculiar Military Aspects: the Old Man of the Mountain and his 'Hashashim' or Assassins, the Shao-lin in China: Special Warrior Monks from Monasteries.
And, of course, monasteries were centers for religious discussion, learning, and teaching. A Monastery established in one religion should make it much harder to spread another religion into the city whose radius it is in: Religious Pressure from Monasteries.
They coulda done so much with them...
And on Chateaus...
Chateaus should be part of a continuing development of Castles. Of course, that means the game should recognize that Castles, unlike their Civ V counterparts, were not City Buildings, but 'Improvements' on the land: specifically, fortifications designed to control a stretch of territory so that the inhabitants of the castle could milk it for their own profit. Therefore, a Castle should be an Improvement that, like a road, makes it possible to still Improve the tile, but makes it impossible to pillage the tile, has a built-in garrison (unlike a Fort), so has to be attacked and reduced before any enemy unit can move through the tile. And, if you have Fuedalism and Stirrups, when war starts each Castle automatically generates a Knight unit which costs no maintenance, can't be promoted, and disappears at the end of the war. BUT to support him, the Castle takes 1 of each yield from the tile. Too many Castles, and your cities are crippled. That would give you all the real effects of the Feudal-Retainer system of there 'classic' Middle Ages.
Bombards immediately make all castles obsolete: the graphic changes to a 'ruined castle' on the map, which can be converted into a Chateau or Fortified Manor or 'Stately Home', which provide Culture AND Loyalty - because, after all, they are owned and lived in by the people with the most influence and stake in the current society/government. And, of course, both the 'upgraded' castles and the Castle Ruins provide increasing heaps of Tourism from the Industrial Era on.
I'll let somebody else tackle Giant Heads: the only ones I ever met were Generals and egoistic Majors...
