What if cities had to choose a path at level 2 similar to champions' "Path of the....". 

This selection at level 2 could then determine the offerings during future city level ups and thereby create truly specialized cities.

I saw them more as the equivalent to the civ option to build money or research, except you default to all of them when you aren't otherwise occupied instead of having to go there and make it happen.

I would love it if cities got paths that unlocked special buildings and features. I think that your capitol should get at least 10 nonrandom path options at the first citylevelup in a moddable window. Paths are great as long as the modders can add new ones without having to delete the vanilla paths. 

I love all of these idea.

Is it possible to solve part of the overly powerful hero problem (and the number of them) by requiring certain buildings to exist (or be at a certain level) just to interest  a certain hero type to join?  A Paladin might require an Inn and a Church, a Mage might require a workshop and access to a certain resource within the city, etc.?  Another hero might require an Inn, brothel, and an archery range?  (I know many of these buildings don't exist - I'm just giving examples to make the point). Or if buildings level (great idea), better/higher level heroes require higher level buildings, etc. to either recruit (or stay).  Maybe there is a limit on the number of heroes based upon the number or population of cities (for example, some heroes may required to be "assigned" a city to rule - and if there aren't enough they won't join/stay).

Alternatively maybe certain buildings can't exist in the same city so you have to make some hard choices based upon the heroes nearby.  Could heroes often go off on their own (sabbatical?) because they get board (or have some unresolved issue via random event)  but if your city is more attractive too them they leave less often?  Why can't certain heroes not get along and refuse to be hired if you have the other one or fight less effectively in the same battle with each other? Maybe an archer/thief hero requires more corruption in your city.  For example, if each hero has to be based out of a certain city (his/her home), maybe there are bonuses depending upon buildings, level of building, happiness rate, corruption level, resources, etc.

I know some of these are a little out of scope and/or don't make sense with the current game design - I'm just thinking out loud.

Mozo

Kinda like the Great Person mechanic in Civ IV / Civ V.

I don't mind specializing cities, nor do I think cities need to have turn by turn decisions, but they do need to have interesting decisions and development throughout the course of the game.

If you choose to build up a few mega cities, those cities should be appropriately powerful and flexible, while if you choose to build up many cities, you should be able to specialize those cities to give you a useful set of focused production centers.

Right now, neither option exists in the game, and the lack of really unique development upgrades and structures is boring.

@ZehDon,

The choices are in the details. Buildings in a military path would make you choose between advantages to elite units or conscripts, heavy armor bonuses or light armor bonuses.. A path involving a choice between gold or research would be good, as well as food or prestige. 

I wold hate to have to choose between things like materials and food when leveling or researching because food is infinitely more valuable than materials. Food gives you research, levels, soldiers (another area that needs work), and gold. Not many reasons to choose anything else. Maybe other very large bonuses or something like a special trait or weapon would compare. 

I would also like there to be more variations on a path that gives more low level benefits versus a path that pays off at higher levels. That way a game where you have very few grain locations on which to settle will be a little more balanced against a nation that has many 4-6 grain cities and lots of wheat farms. 

I like the resources in the old WARLORDS series.  A nearby shrine may give units produced in the city a bonus to resistance for example. 

I like the current system in FE.  I just feel some nodes could do more than just add to the coffers.  This would also help make cities unique. 

Am I the only one who hates Wonders?  When there is only 1 per world, research is just a race.  When the Great Mill is built i just roll my eyes and curse CIV.

While not exactly the great person path, building that attract the kind of heroes, or maybe, a not-quite-hero but a specialized unit to increase food/research/building points.  Still could be random in nature, but more of the same kind of building would increase the chances of attracting one each turn.  With a limit on both heroes and buildings.

I vote to eliminate pioneers and simply construct one city. I dont know where to post this because ive see some other complaints on how city building is repetitive.  Lets all think back to MOM, MOO, and CIV (the latter not so far back ago) every city build the same thing so complaining about the citys building the same thing is not a valid complaint.  We all understand in 4X games after an empire is established we build the same build Queue, production, food and research or a variation of the 3.  It is no different here.  Solutions might be one main city.  New "outposts" can then be placed on distant resources and feed the main city with caravans.  Production to outposts are limited to only what resource it is built above.   Example to clarify.  There is a ore mine 10 spaces away from your city sprawl, send a pioneer and build on that resource.. the pioneer automatically builds a mine and mining town on that square.  Available building for that mining town are a masonry, a workshop, a mill... and these items are in addition to the ones you have in your main city.  The kicker is that the pop to support that mining town comes from the main city.  This is just an idea on how to try and vary city building and expansion.  

I plan, when modding, to make the player make that choice. Do you want several weaker villages or a few large cities? The difference is huge. Ivory Towers Mod will allow you to build only one level 5 city. All other cities will be capped at level 2. Not much point in building many of those unless you want to spawn alot of minions.  Another option in the vanilla should be to get several level 3 cities running and use them as a war machine. You will have a better military but far fewer bonuses to research and magic. The game isn't really showing this well right now as we are in the first week of beta. I have faith it will be soon.