Very Basic Starter Guide (S7) | Forums

[ryanhnning]

What everyone doesn't understand is that the only buildings that require food are the Noble's Residence. Atleast they require basic food (for a x1 bonus), or fancy food (for a x2 bonus). No other building absolutely requires food.

But various types of units do. Monks, Traders, and Soldiers all take a type of food to recruit, so in the end its good to stockpile as much food as you can.

@JoaoQ: My basic strategy for agriculture is this:
1 Farm - 3 Grain Barns
1 Farm - 3 Grain Barns
1 Farm - 2 Grain Barns, 1 Piggery
1 Farm - 1 Piggery, 1 Miller (or 2 Miller, if you can find the space)

That produces enough for two running butchers and two running bakeries. But if you don't add that second Miller, then you'll have enough grain left over to run a single brewery, which can come in handy for research.

[JoaoQ]

Originally posted by ryanhnning:
What everyone doesn't understand is that the only buildings that require food are the Noble's Residence. Atleast they require basic food (for a x1 bonus), or fancy food (for a x2 bonus). No other building absolutely requires food.

But various types of units do. Monks, Traders, and Soldiers all take a type of food to recruit, so in the end its good to stockpile as much food as you can.

@JoaoQ: My basic strategy for agriculture is this:
1 Farm - 3 Grain Barns
1 Farm - 3 Grain Barns
1 Farm - 2 Grain Barns, 1 Piggery
1 Farm - 1 Piggery, 1 Miller (or 2 Miller, if you can find the space)

That produces enough for two running butchers and two running bakeries. But if you don't add that second Miller, then you'll have enough grain left over to run a single brewery, which can come in handy for research.

Yeah I had the feeling that putting food on every building would be positive overall.

So I should keep investing in Fishing and Hunting as I don't actually need to give them food unless it's a Noble Residence?

[ryanhnning]

For the most part, setting up a few hunters and then the fisheries are a good choice, and set them to 'On Demand', so they don't run through all of their available resources quickly.

But as for the Hunters, the game will slowly replenish, given enough time.

[JoaoQ]

Originally posted by ryanhnning:
For the most part, setting up a few hunters and then the fisheries are a good choice, and set them to 'On Demand', so they don't run through all of their available resources quickly.

But as for the Hunters, the game will slowly replenish, given enough time.

Great tips mate!!!

[ryanhnning]

No problem, JoaoQ.

[jameswinstanley]

Getting some starting strategies posted and shared with the community would help us all a lot. It’s taken me many games to even start understanding how some things work. Even now, getting my economy stable is a struggle and I’m still not 100% on how the storehouses work. I’ve been watching the tutorial videos over again a few times as well.
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI> When I first start a game I capture the sector with the Iron and Coal mines and get the Mountain Shelters up an running with one corresponding Work Shop per mine.
<LI> I place a Lodge with one Hunter nearby the stone mine.
<LI> I lay a road down to the Fish and build a Lodge with two Fishing Work Shops.
<LI> Either side of the fishing I place a Lodge with two Foresters and one Woodcutter, each.
<LI> Opposite the fishing I place a Mountain Shelter ready to build a Coking Work Shop. I guess I may need to change that to a Lodge with another Woodcutter to keep the wood coming…
<LI> Then I move onto getting Farms built with Grain Barns and a Piggery.
<LI> Up top I’ll make sure I have enough Residences build. I’ll have at least a: Mint, Butcher, Tool Maker, Brewery, Baker etc. attached.
I’ll also have a Windmill and Sawmill and of course have a good network of Storehouses.
<LI> Other things include setting the Tavern to sell Beer for Coin and spending my first Prestige point on the Stronghold, Export Office and Church.[/list]
I have found this can give a reasonable, self supporting economy. From here you can set off down your own road of either Military, Trade or Technology. It’s not perfect, but I have managed to win a few games more or less with this foundation…

Have Fun!

[ryanhnning]

You have a basic strategy worked out, Jameswinstanley, but you're missing some key points.

BUILD STOREHOUSES: build these close to every major production area you have, and at the borders between the sectors, and interspaced in between. The settlers that collect resources have to walk to the nearest storehouse to deposit them, so the closer they are, the better. From there, each storehouse starts to 2 workers, which cart the resources to the next storehouse in the chain. (Each upgrade gives you +1 worker, and more space. Maxed out, a storehouse can hold an unlimited amount of goods.)

Go for the Unique buildings first, so you can get the Church, Export Office, and Stronghold. These are vital for just about anything you wish to do in the game, as well as having Prestige add-ons all their own that are alot cheaper than the Monuments that you can get at start.

Once you have everything set up, start with the basic farming, like I've stated earlier in this discussion. It helps alot, and provides a steady amount of goods/food that you can stockpile to use later.

Constructors: Get these early, and build and upgrade them. Each one provides you with +1 worker, and it greatly increases the rate at which your buildings are built across the surrounding sector and map.

[indiecosmic]

Originally posted by RealJabbadoor:
Wonder if that's the same when you want to start a reseach. I have noticed that I sometimes can't start a research and it say "unreachable" or something like it, so I had to wait for the AI to start the research and then outbid her.

The research is as far as I can tell not blocked if you occupy areas near the monasteries on the map (or else the computer player is cheating ). But as you research a technology you block off choices for the opponent, since you need a path from one of the three source nodes (agriculture/crafts/science).

[ryanhnning]

Very true, indiecosmic. We already know that you have to commit more resources to get a technology that the AI player is already trying to get, so it may be that you don't have enough to beat them to it.

I haven't experienced the problem myself though, so until I do I'll keep an eye out for anyone else who's had the problem.

[RealJabbadoor]

Originally posted by ryanhnning:
Very true, indiecosmic. We already know that you have to commit more resources to get a technology that the AI player is already trying to get, so it may be that you don't have enough to beat them to it.

I haven't experienced the problem myself though, so until I do I'll keep an eye out for anyone else who's had the problem.

naa. that's not the problem, I understand that system by now :-)

But it might very well be as indiecosmic said, that if you own the techs on each side of another tech the opponent can't research it. (unless they outbid you, if you decide to research it)