I'm new to FE and need a primer on expansion & the economy

from Stardock Forums

I've played enough of these games that I have a vague sense of what's going on, but this game has enough small differences in the expansion and economy areas that I'm kind of lost.

  • First of all, is there a way to permanently toggle a yield display on so when I'm out exploring I actually know if I find a city site or not?
  • Taxation vs. Unrest... I've built several unrest reducing structures but it never seems to effect the unrest number on the tax slider.
  • When I'm placing a city, what am I looking at for the yields?  How many of those tiles factor into a city's production and food growth?
  • Do special tiles like mines and farms have empire-wide effects?  If I have 2 mines at one city and 0 mines at another, does building something at the city with no mines still make use of the other ones for bonuses?
  • Some improvements make reference to "per material."  What is a material?  All the special resources in the game you have tapped?
  • What is considered good cash flow vs. unrest?  It seems like you start taking too big a hit on production and science to get appreciable cashflow, but unit upgrades, hero equipment and recruiting higher level heroes is very expensive.
  • How do you improve the camps like Troll Lairs, Ophidian doodads and Ogre Mounds?  I don't see an unlock in the research tree, though I have been able to randomly build on the Ophidians even though it says I can't, probably due to a bug (they're really strong!!).
  • Is there a good reason to spam outposts to keep your territory contiguous, or is it fine to just lock down the key areas and resources you want?

There are definitely more questions, but I'll just start with these.

15,074 views 14 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Oh ya, and unrelated to the expansion/econ topics, but do negative traits on heroes from when they "die" ever go away?

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

For settling, materials are not a factor so much as grain. You want at least 4 grain for a city to thrive. A 3 grain, 4 materials is alright if there are good resources near. Otherwise just use an outpost. You want to spam as many outposts as you can to have a solid empire. Otherwise the AI will try to settle near your outpost and steal your resources. 

Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top
  • First of all, is there a way to permanently toggle a yield display on so when I'm out exploring I actually know if I find a city site or not?

YES, go to Options -> Gameplay and make sure you have ticked in Show Terrain info. Back to the game. On that small thing, which is in the top right corner, there is a button. Clicking this button will permanently show the yields.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top


I've played enough of these games that I have a vague sense of what's going on, but this game has enough small differences in the expansion and economy areas that I'm kind of lost.


First of all, is there a way to permanently toggle a yield display on so when I'm out exploring I actually know if I find a city site or not?
End of quote

 

Yes there is a button up on the terrain info window that toggles yields.


Taxation vs. Unrest... I've built several unrest reducing structures but it never seems to effect the unrest number on the tax slider.
End of quote

 

The tax slider is showing the unrest taxes cause your empire, the improvements modify unrest for your city.  So your city unrest will be different than the unrest in your unrest slider.

 

When I'm placing a city, what am I looking at for the yields?  How many of those tiles factor into a city's production and food growth?
End of quote

Basically green and purple tiles are what you are looking for.  Some resources modify nearby yields so you cna get some nice grain around orchardsa dn nice materials around iron.

Do special tiles like mines and farms have empire-wide effects?  If I have 2 mines at one city and 0 mines at another, does building something at the city with no mines still make use of the other ones for bonuses?
End of quote

No, they effect the city they are attached to.

Some improvements make reference to "per material."  What is a material?  All the special resources in the game you have tapped?
End of quote

They are the mittle hammer oyu see in the tile yiel (the other being grain)

What is considered good cash flow vs. unrest?  It seems like you start taking too big a hit on production and science to get appreciable cashflow, but unit upgrades, hero equipment and recruiting higher level heroes is very expensive.
End of quote

Yeap.  Dont know an easy answer to this one, what you have described in the intended paradigm.

How do you improve the camps like Troll Lairs, Ophidian doodads and Ogre Mounds?  I don't see an unlock in the research tree, though I have been able to randomly build on the Ophidians even though it says I can't, probably due to a bug (they're really strong!!).
End of quote

Only empire players can build on troll and ogre mounds.  That is a bug that you can build on ophidian lairs.

Is there a good reason to spam outposts to keep your territory contiguous, or is it fine to just lock down the key areas and resources you want?
End of quote

You get bonuses for fighting in your territory, and my ocd wont allow me to not connect my empire together.  Outside of that its up to you.

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

So does only the tile you found the city on matter as like a base multiplier for growth/production, or does it add all the tiles together?

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting GoodRevrnd, reply 5
So does only the tile you found the city on matter as like a base multiplier for growth/production, or does it add all the tiles together?
End of GoodRevrnd's quote

 

Only the one you founded your city on.  There's some good material here: https://forums.elementalgame.com/419432

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

There's a lot of bad stuff too, that topic hasn't been updated.

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Derek, reply 4
Taxation vs. Unrest... I've built several unrest reducing structures but it never seems to effect the unrest number on the tax slider.
 

The tax slider is showing the unrest taxes cause your empire, the improvements modify unrest for your city.  So your city unrest will be different than the unrest in your unrest slider.
End of Derek's quote

So the unrest you see in the tax slider is the "base" unrest caused by that degree of taxation, and will never be modified by anything?  If that's the case then city unrest needs to be visible in the lower left when you've clicked on a city the same way it shows gildar produced, production, etc.  Or, ideally, it should do that AND have the global slider average out your unrest in some way.

 

How do you improve the camps like Troll Lairs, Ophidian doodads and Ogre Mounds?  I don't see an unlock in the research tree, though I have been able to randomly build on the Ophidians even though it says I can't, probably due to a bug (they're really strong!!).

Only empire players can build on troll and ogre mounds.  That is a bug that you can build on ophidian lairs.
End of quote

Is there a Kingdom equivalent to these resources?  I haven't noticed one but maybe haven't played enough.  If not, why does Empire get this bonus?

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

I think Derek may have mis-spoke.

Anyway, Kingdoms get Storm Dragon Camps, Troll Camps, Wildling camps

empire gets Darkling camps, Fell Dragon camps and ogre camps

(I've never seen those dragon camps in-game)

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Who gets Ophidians?  (other than everybody because of the bug)

Reply #11 from Elemental Forums Top

The Storm Dragon camp is in one of the wildlands, the scar or something I forgot what it's called exactly, it was filled with elementals and had ton of shards (and the storm dragon was the "boss"). I was able to get it one game, but it takes absolutely forever to do so (doesn't help that the research for it is at the end of the civic tree). I suspect that the Fel Dragon may be in a similar position, though I've never seen it.

Also, I'm pretty sure Kingdom can't build on Trolls mounds. I think it requires a research that only empires get. I just raze them all when I play kingdom. Ophidians are suppose to be Empire only as well, but they don't require a research, so the bug allows you to build on it regardless.

Not too sure about wildling camps either, but Kingdoms do gets Mercenary Camp and Knights of Asok.

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Heavenfall, reply 7
There's a lot of bad stuff too, that topic hasn't been updated.
End of Heavenfall's quote


I wouldn't call it "bad stuff."  It gives the core mechanics well enough, but needs an update, as you state.  Still, if someone wants a sense of how the game differs from WoM, or just what it's foundation is, I think the info on that link is pretty good.

 

Anyway, Kingdoms get Storm Dragon Camps, Troll Camps, Wildling camps...
End of quote


I've never been able to build troll camps with a Kingdom sovereign.  The mouse-over popup states it can only be done by Empires.  Has this perhaps changed recently?

Reply #13 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting GoodRevrnd, reply 10
Who gets Ophidians?  (other than everybody because of the bug)
End of GoodRevrnd's quote

That is a benefit you can pick when creating a faction, to supposedly be the only one being able to build on ophidians.

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

It seems maybe the upgrade system needs some work?  I made a custom unit and it allows me to upgrade the armor, which I DON'T want, and the weapon, which is fine.  However, redesigning the base unit to include new accessories doesn't seem to let me upgrade/retrofit existing units into that design.  This is very annoying considering I have a core of these assault units that are now level 5/6 but am unable to fully modernize them.