"Cannot build cities"

I have a question about a fear card whose name I can’t remember - something to do with overseas trade. It’s level II effect stops the invaders from building cities in coastal lands, and there was a disagreement about what exactly this meant - if invaders would build a city, do they instead build a town, or nothing at all?

Thanks!

They build nothing at all.

Added a FAQ.

My favorite fear card I've run into.  Of course it was flipped by bringer right when coastal lands were about to build and we pushed towns to 4 coastal lands and only two built, and almost every one was cleared by the ensuing ravage, and only 1 built for England's 2nd build phase.

That swung the hardest game I had tried from "Holy Crap, what did I get myself into?" to "Holy Carp, we got this!"

 

Always pay homage to the Holy Carp