Hey Peeps,
It seemed to me from today on chat that quite a few people were still not entirely sure how this buffing thing works - particularly in relation to the Pumpkin Fields.
So, what I'm about to say is not valid for just the Pumpkin Fields but to ANY PRODUCTION BUILDING.
First, let's look at how a production cycle takes place at our Building X.
The production cycle starts when our settler John leaves the nearest storehouse and makes his way to Building X (just X from now on). This physical distance is measure in seconds and you can find it in the details tab when you click on the building.
This is the initial time of the production cycle.
When John reaches X and enters it the making of the goods actually begins. This is the core cycle of the production. It does not shift wherever you may place the building - it's constant.
So John works for a while and, as soon as the goods are completed he will not leave them there but will rather make his way back from X to the nearest storehouse.
When John enters the storehouse, the goods are delivered, become part of your stock and this production cycle ends.
And a new one begins immediately after, as John leaves the storehouse and returns to work.
Why all this?
Because people have been having problems understanding how buffs operate and what works - and what may cause things NOT to work.
People have been advised to pause Pumpkin Fields in order to save on buffs and intelligently increase the number of pumpkins obtained.
HOW CAN THINGS GO WRONG?
Well, if you pause X whilst John is away, walking or at the storehouse, he may not be able to re-enter X. This means that when you unpause the building the production cycle is still in its inception.
HOW DO YOU FIX THIS?
Simple: just make sure you pause the building AFTER there's a bit of green in the progression bar.
Because the KEY IDEA IS THIS: even if the building is paused, the core production cycle keeps going until the end.
And, as soon as you unpause the building the production finishes and you get your goods (even though John still has to travel to the storehouse...)
SO, if you BUFF the PAUSED BUILDING when you know that the MAIN PRODUCTION CYCLE has ENDED, then WAIT for the BUFF to become ACTIVE - then you can UNPAUSE BUILDING and get double the amount of goods (or more if you use a triple or quadruple buff).
The only thing left to do is to WAIT for John to return to X and the main production cycle to begin once more. Then you can PAUSE once more.
Obviously this is way too much work to do with everything.
But with certain buildings it pays off.
WHICH BUILDINGS?
The Pumpkin Fields, obviously... but also
Coinage
Gold Smelter
Gold Mines
Ornamentalsmith
Fairy Castle
and perhaps other high level buildings you might be running
(I certainly did this with my Exotic Wood Sawmill at least - it becomes quite easy after you get the hang of it... just wait for the buff and unpause, that's it. Then pause again shortly after the buff has ended, making sure there's a bit of green on the progression bar in the building)
Hope this helps clarify a bit better how a production cycle works - and how you can use your buffs efficiently!
Friday, 18 October 2013
Thursday, 17 October 2013
A Few More Tips on the HALLOWEEN EVENT 2013!
Hey peeps!
The Golem numbers highlighted in DARK BLUE are the ones to which we have the CORRECT VALUES - the rest are estimates as taken from the Test Server Trials. We have decided to keep those as they may be very close to what lies ahead - thus giving you some inkling to how to prepare.
We will update these values as the next Golem comes about. And the next. And the next. And the next...
You can play with the current prices per 1k of Marble, Wheat and Water versus Pumpkin prices to see how this increases or decreases your profits from the event. Since all these are likely to fluctuate a lot during this event there is no straight answer about costings.
We also have a spreadhseet that allows you to calculate the TIME it will take to make all these buffs.
Click for the Provision House Calc Tool!
All you need to do is type in your Provision House Level at the top of the sheet and in the Orders Needed GREEN CELL for the Marble, Ropes and Buckets Buffs. It will give you not only the total costings - but also the time it will take for you to build them (on an unbuffed Prov House).
A FEW TIPS:
ONE:
Small Pumpkin Fields take 8h to produce 1 Pumpkin. Contains a total of 45 Pumpkins.
Common Pumpkin Fields take 4h to produce 1 Pumpkin. Contains a total of 80 Pumpkins.
Noble Pumpkin Fields take 1h to produce 1 Pumpkin
Buffed they will all produce TWICE the amount (with platters, sandwiches or baskets).
TWO:
So HOW TO BUFF?!
Since the production cycles for SMALL and COMMON Pumpkin Fields are so long you can just KEEP THEM PAUSED and, when the time is almost up or u, BUFF them with a FISH PLATTER and, after the BUFF is ACTIVE you can UNPAUSE.
It's a bit of work - but it's the cheapest way to get double amount of Pumpkins off this event fairly easily.
If you want to simply keep the darned things buffed all the time - ASK SOMEONE TO BUFF FOR YOU. Buffs will last 50% longer this way.
It is definitely profitable to KEEP the NOBLE PUMPKIN FIELDS BUFFED pretty much all the time.
THREE:
So what about TRIPLE BUFFS?!
Simple. There is profit in buying them at certain prices and using them on Noble Pumpkin Fields. And profit to sell them at (crazy...) prices too... See below for details.
NOTE: These calculations were all done considering that you can buy 100 pumpkins for 1250 coin, ie, 12.5 coins per pumpkin. This is the current value for them it seems.
If you're BUYING TRIPLE BUFFS, make sure you buy Potions of Endless Energy and Exotic Fruits Baskets for LESS than 234 coins each. Red Flying Settlers need to cost you LESS than 435 coins. And Rabbit Lucky Charms LESS than 1011 coins. You will need to be buffed by a friend for you to MAKE SOME PROFIT on these. Of course, the cheaper you buy them - the bigger will be your profit.
If you're SELLING TRIPLE BUFFS... well, you should sell them for quite a bit more than what's said above.
Here are some prices for them (taken just now from the TO):
Exotic Fruit Basket, 250 coins
Potion Of Endless Energy, 420 coins (it's the same as the Exotic Fruits Basket and yet the price is almost double! Ridiculous!)
Red Flying Settler, 450 coins
Rabbit Lucky Charm, 750 coins
This means you'd do well in selling your Exotic Fruits Baskets and Potions of Endless Energy for these crazy prices. Same with the Red Flying Settler. BUT you're better off using the Rabbit Lucky Charm on your NOBLE Fields instead ;)
POTIONS OF ENDLESS ENERGY are made in the Mayor's House.
FOUR:
Be careful when you are trading for pumpkins. There will be lots of people trading and some will try to take advantage of the confusion.
You don't need to buy Pumpkins just for gold coins - you can try and swap resources for them.
Try and set a price for how much you are willing to pay per pumpkin - so you can more easily set up trades and see if it's worthwhile picking up a trade or two on offer.
FIVE:
We are a GUILD. If you have doubts about something - or need some resources - ask around. ASK for help but OFFER help as well. If we pool our resources together we will make this event easier and more enjoyable for ALL OF US.
So do not be afraid to come on chat - even if you usually don't. This is one of those times when being in a GUILD can be really useful.
Have FUN!
and...
GOOD LUCK GOLEM BASHING!!!!
In order to help you move swiftly and safely through this Halloween Event of ours we have created a little spreadhseet that will enable you to remain ahead of the Golem-bashing curve...
Click for the Halloween 2013 Golem Destruction Calc Tool!
With this you will be able to see how many resources you will need to defeat each golem, how much that will cost - and if it is profitable to do so or not. ;)
The Golem numbers highlighted in DARK BLUE are the ones to which we have the CORRECT VALUES - the rest are estimates as taken from the Test Server Trials. We have decided to keep those as they may be very close to what lies ahead - thus giving you some inkling to how to prepare.
We will update these values as the next Golem comes about. And the next. And the next. And the next...
You can play with the current prices per 1k of Marble, Wheat and Water versus Pumpkin prices to see how this increases or decreases your profits from the event. Since all these are likely to fluctuate a lot during this event there is no straight answer about costings.
We also have a spreadhseet that allows you to calculate the TIME it will take to make all these buffs.
Click for the Provision House Calc Tool!
All you need to do is type in your Provision House Level at the top of the sheet and in the Orders Needed GREEN CELL for the Marble, Ropes and Buckets Buffs. It will give you not only the total costings - but also the time it will take for you to build them (on an unbuffed Prov House).
A FEW TIPS:
ONE:
Small Pumpkin Fields take 8h to produce 1 Pumpkin. Contains a total of 45 Pumpkins.
Common Pumpkin Fields take 4h to produce 1 Pumpkin. Contains a total of 80 Pumpkins.
Noble Pumpkin Fields take 1h to produce 1 Pumpkin
Buffed they will all produce TWICE the amount (with platters, sandwiches or baskets).
TWO:
So HOW TO BUFF?!
Since the production cycles for SMALL and COMMON Pumpkin Fields are so long you can just KEEP THEM PAUSED and, when the time is almost up or u, BUFF them with a FISH PLATTER and, after the BUFF is ACTIVE you can UNPAUSE.
It's a bit of work - but it's the cheapest way to get double amount of Pumpkins off this event fairly easily.
If you want to simply keep the darned things buffed all the time - ASK SOMEONE TO BUFF FOR YOU. Buffs will last 50% longer this way.
It is definitely profitable to KEEP the NOBLE PUMPKIN FIELDS BUFFED pretty much all the time.
THREE:
So what about TRIPLE BUFFS?!
Simple. There is profit in buying them at certain prices and using them on Noble Pumpkin Fields. And profit to sell them at (crazy...) prices too... See below for details.
NOTE: These calculations were all done considering that you can buy 100 pumpkins for 1250 coin, ie, 12.5 coins per pumpkin. This is the current value for them it seems.
If you're BUYING TRIPLE BUFFS, make sure you buy Potions of Endless Energy and Exotic Fruits Baskets for LESS than 234 coins each. Red Flying Settlers need to cost you LESS than 435 coins. And Rabbit Lucky Charms LESS than 1011 coins. You will need to be buffed by a friend for you to MAKE SOME PROFIT on these. Of course, the cheaper you buy them - the bigger will be your profit.
If you're SELLING TRIPLE BUFFS... well, you should sell them for quite a bit more than what's said above.
Here are some prices for them (taken just now from the TO):
Exotic Fruit Basket, 250 coins
Potion Of Endless Energy, 420 coins (it's the same as the Exotic Fruits Basket and yet the price is almost double! Ridiculous!)
Red Flying Settler, 450 coins
Rabbit Lucky Charm, 750 coins
This means you'd do well in selling your Exotic Fruits Baskets and Potions of Endless Energy for these crazy prices. Same with the Red Flying Settler. BUT you're better off using the Rabbit Lucky Charm on your NOBLE Fields instead ;)
POTIONS OF ENDLESS ENERGY are made in the Mayor's House.
FOUR:
Be careful when you are trading for pumpkins. There will be lots of people trading and some will try to take advantage of the confusion.
You don't need to buy Pumpkins just for gold coins - you can try and swap resources for them.
Try and set a price for how much you are willing to pay per pumpkin - so you can more easily set up trades and see if it's worthwhile picking up a trade or two on offer.
FIVE:
We are a GUILD. If you have doubts about something - or need some resources - ask around. ASK for help but OFFER help as well. If we pool our resources together we will make this event easier and more enjoyable for ALL OF US.
So do not be afraid to come on chat - even if you usually don't. This is one of those times when being in a GUILD can be really useful.
Have FUN!
and...
GOOD LUCK GOLEM BASHING!!!!
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
A Few Tips On Collectibles
(thanks to Turboarrow for this one!)
Hey everyone,
Perhaps you have noticed that some adventures give you an extra quest to find cauldrons on the map.
So what about those useless adventures you have lying about in your star menu, that you're never gonna use and have probably thought more than once to get rid off?!
Well, this is your chance to use all those Sons Of The Veld and Secluded Experiments!
Here's what you need to do:
1 - Just start the adventure as normal.
2 - Go into the adventure island (no army is required, simply visit)
3 - Check to see if you have a cauldrons quest. If you do INVITE SOMEONE - they will can help you find them and get the loot as well. Sons Of The Veld is a 2 player (so you can invite one person). Secluded Experiments is a 3 player (so you can invite 2 people).
4 - Find the cauldrons!
5 - After you have found them all (you can check the progression bar in the quest book) you can simply return to the home island.
6 - Cancel the adventure!
7 - Check your email for the loot! The cauldron loot will be sent to you as an email - one email per cauldron found on the adventure island (it doesn't matter who finds them first - both will get the loot for the cauldrons found)
So, instead of throwing away these adventures you're never going to do, you can simply use them to mine for cauldrons! ;)
Cauldrons are between 12 and 18 coins now so, even if you get a couple... it's more than worth the adventure trading value!
(this price is liable to decrease in the future BUT I think it will still be worth it to mine for cauldrons as the prices for these adventures are quite cheap - and are likely to remain that way...)
Also, if you are having trouble finding collectibles on your island... here's a few ideas:
1 - Zoom in and move through your island using the arrow keys to shift the screen whilst using the mouse pointer to search. You're more likely to go through things thoroughly this way instead of using the click-and-drag mode to move around.
2- If you have few buildings zooming out and carefully scanning the island may be an easy way to find that missing collectible.
3 - Take a break and rest your eyes!
4 - If you first scanned the island horizontally, now scan it vertically - or vice-versa. If you change the way you are looking for things you'll have a fresher look.
5 - Ask someone on chat to help! Maybe they are looking as well and you can swap!
6 - It's okay if you miss one or two collectibles... there will be more in a few hours!
Happy hunting!
Hey everyone,
Perhaps you have noticed that some adventures give you an extra quest to find cauldrons on the map.
So what about those useless adventures you have lying about in your star menu, that you're never gonna use and have probably thought more than once to get rid off?!
Well, this is your chance to use all those Sons Of The Veld and Secluded Experiments!
Here's what you need to do:
1 - Just start the adventure as normal.
2 - Go into the adventure island (no army is required, simply visit)
3 - Check to see if you have a cauldrons quest. If you do INVITE SOMEONE - they will can help you find them and get the loot as well. Sons Of The Veld is a 2 player (so you can invite one person). Secluded Experiments is a 3 player (so you can invite 2 people).
4 - Find the cauldrons!
5 - After you have found them all (you can check the progression bar in the quest book) you can simply return to the home island.
6 - Cancel the adventure!
7 - Check your email for the loot! The cauldron loot will be sent to you as an email - one email per cauldron found on the adventure island (it doesn't matter who finds them first - both will get the loot for the cauldrons found)
So, instead of throwing away these adventures you're never going to do, you can simply use them to mine for cauldrons! ;)
Cauldrons are between 12 and 18 coins now so, even if you get a couple... it's more than worth the adventure trading value!
(this price is liable to decrease in the future BUT I think it will still be worth it to mine for cauldrons as the prices for these adventures are quite cheap - and are likely to remain that way...)
Also, if you are having trouble finding collectibles on your island... here's a few ideas:
1 - Zoom in and move through your island using the arrow keys to shift the screen whilst using the mouse pointer to search. You're more likely to go through things thoroughly this way instead of using the click-and-drag mode to move around.
2- If you have few buildings zooming out and carefully scanning the island may be an easy way to find that missing collectible.
3 - Take a break and rest your eyes!
4 - If you first scanned the island horizontally, now scan it vertically - or vice-versa. If you change the way you are looking for things you'll have a fresher look.
5 - Ask someone on chat to help! Maybe they are looking as well and you can swap!
6 - It's okay if you miss one or two collectibles... there will be more in a few hours!
Happy hunting!
Halloween is almost here!
Hello everyone!
This thursday, after maintenance Halloween event starts!
Many of us have already been stocking up Water, Wheat and Marble that will be required to take down the Golem that will show up on our home islands.
The main thing I want to say about this is that - like in the Balloons event - this is a vast competition. Only instead of being game world against game world, there is simply a goal for our server. Hopefully this will make it more attainable!
And, the main thing with that is: DEFEATING THE FIRST GOLEM IS WHAT COUNTS TOWARDS REACHING NEWFOUNDLAND'S SERVER GOAL.
Sp, please, if you need resources or are simply in need of a few tips, do not hesitate to ask - there are plenty of us around that can give you a hand!
Please click HERE to see the Developer's official post on this.
(thanks to Turboarrow for pointing this out!)
Happy Settlering!
This thursday, after maintenance Halloween event starts!
Many of us have already been stocking up Water, Wheat and Marble that will be required to take down the Golem that will show up on our home islands.
The main thing I want to say about this is that - like in the Balloons event - this is a vast competition. Only instead of being game world against game world, there is simply a goal for our server. Hopefully this will make it more attainable!
And, the main thing with that is: DEFEATING THE FIRST GOLEM IS WHAT COUNTS TOWARDS REACHING NEWFOUNDLAND'S SERVER GOAL.
Sp, please, if you need resources or are simply in need of a few tips, do not hesitate to ask - there are plenty of us around that can give you a hand!
Please click HERE to see the Developer's official post on this.
(thanks to Turboarrow for pointing this out!)
Happy Settlering!
Saturday, 12 October 2013
Update On Halloween Event 2013!
Hey there!
Please check THIS LINK for some pertinent info about next weeks Event: Halloween!
As you may all know the info in the Settlers Online Wiki may not be 100% accurate as we will only know when it hits us... still, it's a great heads up!
One thing I wanted to point out:
When you look at the bottom of the Settlers Online Wiki page for Halloween 2013, you'll see that, in order to defeat the First Golem Heart (Caramel colour) you can ONLY use Marbles.
BUT, when you start defeating the Second Golem Heart (Purple colour) you can use BOTH Marbles and Ropes.
DO NOTICE that Marbles will give you LESS hit points damage and, as such, I would advise you NOT TO USE Marbles for the Second Golem Heart.
And same applies to the Third Golem Heart (Violet colour). Even though you can use both Marbles and Ropes on it too, the COST EFFECTIVE option is to simply build Buckets of Water as they are the cheapest of all three buffs.
If you stick to the most effective buffs for each Golem Heart you will effectively save much needed resources - which will not only save you coin but enable you to potentially defeat more Golems. Remember: it is likely that during this event the prices of Marble, Wheat and Water will be at a premium... so try to be as efficient as you can, IF you want to play this event in its entirety.
I will also update the Provision House Calc Tool so that it now includes the times and costs for producing all these special events buffs.
This way you will be able to know beforehand how tied up your Provision House will be making all these things, pretty much non-stop...
For the time being... CLICK HERE to see how long this event may take up on our Provision Houses...
Happy Settlering!
Please check THIS LINK for some pertinent info about next weeks Event: Halloween!
As you may all know the info in the Settlers Online Wiki may not be 100% accurate as we will only know when it hits us... still, it's a great heads up!
One thing I wanted to point out:
When you look at the bottom of the Settlers Online Wiki page for Halloween 2013, you'll see that, in order to defeat the First Golem Heart (Caramel colour) you can ONLY use Marbles.
BUT, when you start defeating the Second Golem Heart (Purple colour) you can use BOTH Marbles and Ropes.
DO NOTICE that Marbles will give you LESS hit points damage and, as such, I would advise you NOT TO USE Marbles for the Second Golem Heart.
And same applies to the Third Golem Heart (Violet colour). Even though you can use both Marbles and Ropes on it too, the COST EFFECTIVE option is to simply build Buckets of Water as they are the cheapest of all three buffs.
If you stick to the most effective buffs for each Golem Heart you will effectively save much needed resources - which will not only save you coin but enable you to potentially defeat more Golems. Remember: it is likely that during this event the prices of Marble, Wheat and Water will be at a premium... so try to be as efficient as you can, IF you want to play this event in its entirety.
I will also update the Provision House Calc Tool so that it now includes the times and costs for producing all these special events buffs.
This way you will be able to know beforehand how tied up your Provision House will be making all these things, pretty much non-stop...
For the time being... CLICK HERE to see how long this event may take up on our Provision Houses...
Happy Settlering!
Provision House Calc Tool
Hello everyone,
Ever since the Troop Calc Tool came about that I thought of doing a similar thing for the Provision House.
Sometimes I need to build stuff, don't know how long it will take, or how many resources will it require - nor do I know if it's actually worthwhile selling or converting it.
Well, this is the tool to answer all those questions. Just make a copy of the file for your personal use and you're set...
Click for the PROVISION HOUSE CALC TOOL.
As always the green cells are the ones you can tinker with. All others are supposed to be left alone... but, of course, feel free to mod the file according to your own specifications. If you come up with some ideas that you think would be good to add, do let me know and I will try to include them here so that others may benefit also.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1 - Fill out the PROVISION HOUSE LEVEL cell.
2 - You do not need to use the AVAILABLE column. Here you are simply supposed to fill in what you already have in stock.
3 - Please enter in the ORDERS NEEDED column how much you want of every item. Bear in mind when it comes to Deposits, it's the number of buffs you will be producing - not how much deposit you will get in the end (that's shown in QUANTITY column)
4 - Fill in the PRICES columns at the bottom. You can use the NEWFOUNDLAND TRADE SHEETS if you wish to find a rough approximation of said prices.
NOTE: for Fishfood and Musk Deer Fragrance Deposits simply enter the cost of 2500 deposit of each (a bundle of 25 buffs) - the tool will then calc the rest (on the brown cell next to these prices is the calculated price per buff ;) )
After you have done this you will have all the calculations done for you.
A few features you may want to have a look at:
1 - There are two columns, one in BLUE, another in PURPLE. The BLUE one gives you how much it costs to build the various things. The PURPLE one how much you would get if you were to sell them on TO (providing you have filled out all the prices correctly...)
2 - Further down you will see two BLUE cells and a RED one. These will give the total cost(minus Settlers and Balloons - which you cannot sell on TO) to BUILD and the total sales value if you were to sell the stuff you've just created on TO. The RED cell gives you the difference between one and the other.
Do not that the only things worthwhile selling seem to be (possibly) BUFFS and DEPOSITS. All the CONVERSION stuff seems to be running at a loss (often drastically so...).
3 - You can see the TOTAL PRODUCTION COSTS, side by side with how many ORDERS you are about to place and the TIME it would take to build all that (for this it is very important you place the correct Provision House Level!)
4 - On a BLUE row you can see the costs in resources used, distributed by resource type. So, if you're building Solid Sandwiches and Aunt Irma's Baskets and some Retired Bandits all in big clump you can see how much BREAD you're going to use - and how much that's worth in gold coins.
That's it! If you spot any incorrections, please do let me know so that I can fix them!
I hope this will be useful to you! Enjoy!
Ever since the Troop Calc Tool came about that I thought of doing a similar thing for the Provision House.
Sometimes I need to build stuff, don't know how long it will take, or how many resources will it require - nor do I know if it's actually worthwhile selling or converting it.
Well, this is the tool to answer all those questions. Just make a copy of the file for your personal use and you're set...
Click for the PROVISION HOUSE CALC TOOL.
As always the green cells are the ones you can tinker with. All others are supposed to be left alone... but, of course, feel free to mod the file according to your own specifications. If you come up with some ideas that you think would be good to add, do let me know and I will try to include them here so that others may benefit also.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1 - Fill out the PROVISION HOUSE LEVEL cell.
2 - You do not need to use the AVAILABLE column. Here you are simply supposed to fill in what you already have in stock.
3 - Please enter in the ORDERS NEEDED column how much you want of every item. Bear in mind when it comes to Deposits, it's the number of buffs you will be producing - not how much deposit you will get in the end (that's shown in QUANTITY column)
4 - Fill in the PRICES columns at the bottom. You can use the NEWFOUNDLAND TRADE SHEETS if you wish to find a rough approximation of said prices.
NOTE: for Fishfood and Musk Deer Fragrance Deposits simply enter the cost of 2500 deposit of each (a bundle of 25 buffs) - the tool will then calc the rest (on the brown cell next to these prices is the calculated price per buff ;) )
After you have done this you will have all the calculations done for you.
A few features you may want to have a look at:
1 - There are two columns, one in BLUE, another in PURPLE. The BLUE one gives you how much it costs to build the various things. The PURPLE one how much you would get if you were to sell them on TO (providing you have filled out all the prices correctly...)
2 - Further down you will see two BLUE cells and a RED one. These will give the total cost(minus Settlers and Balloons - which you cannot sell on TO) to BUILD and the total sales value if you were to sell the stuff you've just created on TO. The RED cell gives you the difference between one and the other.
Do not that the only things worthwhile selling seem to be (possibly) BUFFS and DEPOSITS. All the CONVERSION stuff seems to be running at a loss (often drastically so...).
3 - You can see the TOTAL PRODUCTION COSTS, side by side with how many ORDERS you are about to place and the TIME it would take to build all that (for this it is very important you place the correct Provision House Level!)
4 - On a BLUE row you can see the costs in resources used, distributed by resource type. So, if you're building Solid Sandwiches and Aunt Irma's Baskets and some Retired Bandits all in big clump you can see how much BREAD you're going to use - and how much that's worth in gold coins.
That's it! If you spot any incorrections, please do let me know so that I can fix them!
I hope this will be useful to you! Enjoy!
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
A Few Tips On The IMPROVED STOREHOUSES
Hi,
Today I was testing some stuff at the Test Server and decided to have a look at the IMPROVED STOREHOUSES that we can purchase during the up-coming Halloween Event in exhange for pumpkins.
They will cost 600 pumpkins each (that's somewhere between 10.8k and 13.2k Gold Coins each at current pumpkin values of 18 - 22 coin each). And they have 3 TIMES the storage space of a regular storehouse.
You still need to pay to have them level up - but the costs are the same as for a regular storehouse:
No cost to place the building
gives
Level 1 - +300 storage space (so 300 in total at level 1)
120 Hardwood Planks + 100 Marble
gives
Level 2 - +1200 storage space (so 1500 in total at level 2)
300 Hardwood Planks + 150 Marble
gives
Level 3 - + 3000 storage space (so 4500 in total at level 3)
500 Gold Coins + 300 Marble
gives
Level 4 - +4500 storage space (so 9000 in total at level 4)
500 Exotic Wood Planks + 300 Granite
gives
Level 5 - +9000 storage space (so 18000 in total at level 5)
All this from a single building!
So what are the downsides?
Well, apart from being expensive these storehouses are also different in shape from the regular ones. Much like Friaries are different from Breweries.
Most buildings are squared in shape, a 1 by 1 shape, if you wish. But Friaries and Improved Storehouses are 1,5 by 1.
Whilst the Friary is orientated in a SW-NE direction, the Improved Storehouse is orientated in a NW-SE direction. So, if you are placing buildings in fairly strict patterns you may need to shuffle things around a bit in order to fit these.
(you can have a closer look at Friaries in some of our guildies islands, Oldboot's for instance, they are in S2, close to the copper and gold mines)
Plus (and this is for the perfeccionists like myself...) the settlers do not leave the Improved Storehouse right at the base, but 0.5 square above it. Again, some adjustments will need to be made for those of us sticking to the orthogonal building placement...
Click HERE for a diagram of this.
As you can see Friaries are best placed on the right-hand side of storehouses. And, conversely, all other buildings need to be moved a bit up if they are to be in line with the exit from the Improved Storehouse.
Hope this helps you prepare!
Today I was testing some stuff at the Test Server and decided to have a look at the IMPROVED STOREHOUSES that we can purchase during the up-coming Halloween Event in exhange for pumpkins.
They will cost 600 pumpkins each (that's somewhere between 10.8k and 13.2k Gold Coins each at current pumpkin values of 18 - 22 coin each). And they have 3 TIMES the storage space of a regular storehouse.
You still need to pay to have them level up - but the costs are the same as for a regular storehouse:
No cost to place the building
gives
Level 1 - +300 storage space (so 300 in total at level 1)
120 Hardwood Planks + 100 Marble
gives
Level 2 - +1200 storage space (so 1500 in total at level 2)
300 Hardwood Planks + 150 Marble
gives
Level 3 - + 3000 storage space (so 4500 in total at level 3)
500 Gold Coins + 300 Marble
gives
Level 4 - +4500 storage space (so 9000 in total at level 4)
500 Exotic Wood Planks + 300 Granite
gives
Level 5 - +9000 storage space (so 18000 in total at level 5)
All this from a single building!
So what are the downsides?
Well, apart from being expensive these storehouses are also different in shape from the regular ones. Much like Friaries are different from Breweries.
Most buildings are squared in shape, a 1 by 1 shape, if you wish. But Friaries and Improved Storehouses are 1,5 by 1.
Whilst the Friary is orientated in a SW-NE direction, the Improved Storehouse is orientated in a NW-SE direction. So, if you are placing buildings in fairly strict patterns you may need to shuffle things around a bit in order to fit these.
(you can have a closer look at Friaries in some of our guildies islands, Oldboot's for instance, they are in S2, close to the copper and gold mines)
Plus (and this is for the perfeccionists like myself...) the settlers do not leave the Improved Storehouse right at the base, but 0.5 square above it. Again, some adjustments will need to be made for those of us sticking to the orthogonal building placement...
Click HERE for a diagram of this.
As you can see Friaries are best placed on the right-hand side of storehouses. And, conversely, all other buildings need to be moved a bit up if they are to be in line with the exit from the Improved Storehouse.
Hope this helps you prepare!
Monday, 7 October 2013
Troop Costs Calc Tool
Hello everyone,
I had done a version of this quite some time ago - but it was on an excell spreadsheet and I don't think a lot of people found it convenient precisely because of that. As such, I have done a google docs version.
Click for TROOP COSTS CALC TOOL.
The idea is that you input resource prices (for bread, brew, swords, etc), as well as the troops you may already have built and the troops you need for whatever adventure you may be on the verge of embarking.
After having done so, the tool calculates the amounts of resources needed, the costs for each individual resource and, of course, the total cost.
This is perhaps something you may want to consider using if you're trying to decide between setups to attack a given camp - or selecting a single guide for a given adventure from several possibilities.
As always I think it is always best to check prices on the Trade Office but, if you want the quick version... you can find the Newfoundland Trade Sheets HERE.
EXTRA:
I have decided to add Barracks Building Time to the Troop Costs Calc Tool. This way, you simply need to introduce your Barracks level and you will find how much time it will take for you to have your troops ready (unbuffed, of course).
If you find adding buffing and corresponding time changes to Barracks building time is important, do let me know and I will try and add this to the spreadsheet. ;
Hopefully this will help all of us that need to keep building troops while the adventure is taking place. This will allow for better planning in conjunction with the guide!
Hope this helps!
Happy adventuring!
I had done a version of this quite some time ago - but it was on an excell spreadsheet and I don't think a lot of people found it convenient precisely because of that. As such, I have done a google docs version.
Click for TROOP COSTS CALC TOOL.
The idea is that you input resource prices (for bread, brew, swords, etc), as well as the troops you may already have built and the troops you need for whatever adventure you may be on the verge of embarking.
After having done so, the tool calculates the amounts of resources needed, the costs for each individual resource and, of course, the total cost.
This is perhaps something you may want to consider using if you're trying to decide between setups to attack a given camp - or selecting a single guide for a given adventure from several possibilities.
As always I think it is always best to check prices on the Trade Office but, if you want the quick version... you can find the Newfoundland Trade Sheets HERE.
EXTRA:
I have decided to add Barracks Building Time to the Troop Costs Calc Tool. This way, you simply need to introduce your Barracks level and you will find how much time it will take for you to have your troops ready (unbuffed, of course).
If you find adding buffing and corresponding time changes to Barracks building time is important, do let me know and I will try and add this to the spreadsheet. ;
Hopefully this will help all of us that need to keep building troops while the adventure is taking place. This will allow for better planning in conjunction with the guide!
Hope this helps!
Happy adventuring!
Sunday, 6 October 2013
Collectibles Prices And Buffs Calc Tool
Hello everyone,
Since we have new resources in place and since we can not only trade them but also build buffs with them - and then trade that - I decided to make a simple calc tool for us to know what is most profitable: to sell the resources directly? Or to sell the buffs?
Click on Collectibles Prices And Buffs Calc Tool.
If this spreadsheet is working correctly you will be able to enter and change the Market Prices for the various Buffs and Collectibles and see in the end what makes you profit the most.
I have also added the option for you to simply enter all of the Collectible quantities you may have in store and find out roughly how much is worth.
Do bear in mind that the prices are Per Collectible Unit. If you are selling in bulk the price per unit is likely to drop - so take that into account when calculating the corresponding Buff Price. ;)
All prices are, of course, in Gold Coins.
The cells in green are the ones you can edit. All others are locked (hopefully!)
Hope this proves useful to you!
Since we have new resources in place and since we can not only trade them but also build buffs with them - and then trade that - I decided to make a simple calc tool for us to know what is most profitable: to sell the resources directly? Or to sell the buffs?
Click on Collectibles Prices And Buffs Calc Tool.
If this spreadsheet is working correctly you will be able to enter and change the Market Prices for the various Buffs and Collectibles and see in the end what makes you profit the most.
I have also added the option for you to simply enter all of the Collectible quantities you may have in store and find out roughly how much is worth.
Do bear in mind that the prices are Per Collectible Unit. If you are selling in bulk the price per unit is likely to drop - so take that into account when calculating the corresponding Buff Price. ;)
All prices are, of course, in Gold Coins.
The cells in green are the ones you can edit. All others are locked (hopefully!)
Hope this proves useful to you!
Saturday, 5 October 2013
A Few Tips On The Efficient Placement Of FARMS And SILOS On The Home Island
Hi!
Last night I started tinkering with something that had been on the back of my mind for a good long while: how the heck am I going to place Farms and Silos respective to one another, to the Storehouse and Wheatfields so that everything is perfectly balanced? And more to the matter: which is the best setup?!
To do this I drew the various scenarios that seemed more likely to me, using the Ortogonal Building Placement Model (the most effective as far as we know). I tried placing two wheatfields, one on either side of the storehouse; two wheatfields, with one above and one below the storehouse; a single wheatfield above the storehouse; but the best one was really the first I tried: a single wheatfield BELOW the storehouse.
I drew a little schematic for you to see better what I'm talking about. Just click HERE.
The F within the squares means Farm of course. And the S, Silo. The numbers represent the TOTAL travel time, from Farm to Wheatfield, back to Farm, from Farm to Storehouse and back to Farm. So F52 means the total travel distance for that Farm, per production cycle is 52 seconds. This will allow you to estimate a bit better how much improvement/loss you would suffer in your production should you choose to use this model.
If you notice the Farms and Silos are simmetrical to the Storehouse and Wheatfield. I have kept all the travel distances so that you can see that they are matched, which means the rate of Wheat consumption (by the Farms) and the rate of Wheat Replacement (by the Silos) is exactly the same.
In any case, if we are using Farms and Silos balanced with one another, we will not get as much efficiency as if using Farms and multiple Wheatfields... So it's a tradeoff between the hassle of continuously replacing Wheatfields or having a slightly lower Wheat production. ;)
There are multiple places on the map where you can place groups such as these. More likely than not these places already have buildings in them. For this reason, if you so wish to smooth-out your Wheat production (and thus, Flour and Bread as a consequence), I'd suggest you plan carefully and do one group at a time.
Each group has 7 Farms and 7 Silos. More could be added but not only the production times would be too great as finding a place on the map would prove quite challenging...
Obviously you do not need to have 7 Farms and 7 Silos in each cluster. You can discard 1, 2 or even 3 Farms/Silos. In this case you will increase the overall production time for the cluster but, of course, you may be using one of the very few spots on the map where you can place them... If you're planning to play this game for a long time you will need plenty of Bread - and that means plenty of Farms.
As such... do your setups carefully!
And if you find a better setup, please do let me know and we'll post it here! Thanks!
Enjoy!
Last night I started tinkering with something that had been on the back of my mind for a good long while: how the heck am I going to place Farms and Silos respective to one another, to the Storehouse and Wheatfields so that everything is perfectly balanced? And more to the matter: which is the best setup?!
To do this I drew the various scenarios that seemed more likely to me, using the Ortogonal Building Placement Model (the most effective as far as we know). I tried placing two wheatfields, one on either side of the storehouse; two wheatfields, with one above and one below the storehouse; a single wheatfield above the storehouse; but the best one was really the first I tried: a single wheatfield BELOW the storehouse.
I drew a little schematic for you to see better what I'm talking about. Just click HERE.
The F within the squares means Farm of course. And the S, Silo. The numbers represent the TOTAL travel time, from Farm to Wheatfield, back to Farm, from Farm to Storehouse and back to Farm. So F52 means the total travel distance for that Farm, per production cycle is 52 seconds. This will allow you to estimate a bit better how much improvement/loss you would suffer in your production should you choose to use this model.
If you notice the Farms and Silos are simmetrical to the Storehouse and Wheatfield. I have kept all the travel distances so that you can see that they are matched, which means the rate of Wheat consumption (by the Farms) and the rate of Wheat Replacement (by the Silos) is exactly the same.
In any case, if we are using Farms and Silos balanced with one another, we will not get as much efficiency as if using Farms and multiple Wheatfields... So it's a tradeoff between the hassle of continuously replacing Wheatfields or having a slightly lower Wheat production. ;)
There are multiple places on the map where you can place groups such as these. More likely than not these places already have buildings in them. For this reason, if you so wish to smooth-out your Wheat production (and thus, Flour and Bread as a consequence), I'd suggest you plan carefully and do one group at a time.
Each group has 7 Farms and 7 Silos. More could be added but not only the production times would be too great as finding a place on the map would prove quite challenging...
Obviously you do not need to have 7 Farms and 7 Silos in each cluster. You can discard 1, 2 or even 3 Farms/Silos. In this case you will increase the overall production time for the cluster but, of course, you may be using one of the very few spots on the map where you can place them... If you're planning to play this game for a long time you will need plenty of Bread - and that means plenty of Farms.
As such... do your setups carefully!
And if you find a better setup, please do let me know and we'll post it here! Thanks!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, 2 October 2013
To Buff?... Or Not To Buff?... The Question Of The Ages Finally Answered!
Hey Peeps!
Today one of our fellow guildies made a very simple question: What should we buff?
After my long answer on chat it got me thinking. So much so that I knew this kind of thinking could only be resolved with a nice, groovy spreadsheet!
Here's what I did:
I calculated the costs for each of the 3 buffs we can produce so far (though tomorrow we will have new ones that we can build... but that's for another day - maybe...). Then I compared those costs to what we would profit from selling the excess production they delivered for a few key buildings.
In order to be profitable to buff we need to make at least the same value in gold coins as what you'd get resource-wise for the duration of the buff. Ie, a Fish Platter needs to generate 0.11 gold coins in half an hour (or 45 minutes if it's a friend buffing); a Solid Sandwich needs to generate 1.1 gold coins during the 2h (or 3h if a friend's buffing) it is active; and a Aunt Irma's Basket needs to produce 4.3 gold coins during the 6h (or 9h) it is active.
I'll spare you the raw data and simply give you the short version. Suffice to say that I used the NEWFOUNDLAND TRADE SHEETS (NTS) current values for the prices of things, with shortish production times. I do not take the NTS as being an incredibly accurate tool but, nonetheless, it was accurate enough for these purposes.
You can check the SUMMARY HERE, in a chart that I hope is quite clear and straightforward to everybody.
All those cells in red mean you are losing gold coins every time you buff. All those in green mean you can buff at ease for you are profiting (or, at the very least, covering the expenses of making the buff). Those that have numbers simply mean that if the production building is at least that level, you can safely buff without fear of losing gold coins. ;)
At a quick glance we can see that FARMS, HARDWOOD SAWMILLS, LONGBOWMAKERS, STONE MASONS, PINE SAWMILLS and COKING PLANTS/RECYCLING MANUFACTORIES (buffed with baskets) are the LEAST PROFITABLE of all productions analised in the chart. Ie, unless they are very high level - and a friend is buffing you - you are probably making a loss every time you buff.
(this means you'd actually profit more if you sold the resources you used to make the buff)
The MOST PROFITABLE of all productions analised seem to be BREAD, IRON BARS, IRON SWORDS, STEEL BARS, STEEL SWORDS, EXOTIC WOOD PLANKS, BREW (either Brewery or Friary), GOLD ORE, GOLD BAR, NIBS, ADVANCED PAPER and BOOK FITTINGS.
So, if you have limited amount of buffs to use - choose carefully what you should buff.
Of course, all this is assuming the productions are balanced. If they are not, well... until they are we don't have much of a choice now do we?...
Also, it has not been taken into the account the investment made to level up buildings and mines. This is intended merely as a simple guideline to whatever already is in place.It is in no way meant to tell which productions are more profitable or not - that's an entirely different story...
Hope this helps!
Happy buffing!
Today one of our fellow guildies made a very simple question: What should we buff?
After my long answer on chat it got me thinking. So much so that I knew this kind of thinking could only be resolved with a nice, groovy spreadsheet!
Here's what I did:
I calculated the costs for each of the 3 buffs we can produce so far (though tomorrow we will have new ones that we can build... but that's for another day - maybe...). Then I compared those costs to what we would profit from selling the excess production they delivered for a few key buildings.
In order to be profitable to buff we need to make at least the same value in gold coins as what you'd get resource-wise for the duration of the buff. Ie, a Fish Platter needs to generate 0.11 gold coins in half an hour (or 45 minutes if it's a friend buffing); a Solid Sandwich needs to generate 1.1 gold coins during the 2h (or 3h if a friend's buffing) it is active; and a Aunt Irma's Basket needs to produce 4.3 gold coins during the 6h (or 9h) it is active.
I'll spare you the raw data and simply give you the short version. Suffice to say that I used the NEWFOUNDLAND TRADE SHEETS (NTS) current values for the prices of things, with shortish production times. I do not take the NTS as being an incredibly accurate tool but, nonetheless, it was accurate enough for these purposes.
You can check the SUMMARY HERE, in a chart that I hope is quite clear and straightforward to everybody.
All those cells in red mean you are losing gold coins every time you buff. All those in green mean you can buff at ease for you are profiting (or, at the very least, covering the expenses of making the buff). Those that have numbers simply mean that if the production building is at least that level, you can safely buff without fear of losing gold coins. ;)
At a quick glance we can see that FARMS, HARDWOOD SAWMILLS, LONGBOWMAKERS, STONE MASONS, PINE SAWMILLS and COKING PLANTS/RECYCLING MANUFACTORIES (buffed with baskets) are the LEAST PROFITABLE of all productions analised in the chart. Ie, unless they are very high level - and a friend is buffing you - you are probably making a loss every time you buff.
(this means you'd actually profit more if you sold the resources you used to make the buff)
The MOST PROFITABLE of all productions analised seem to be BREAD, IRON BARS, IRON SWORDS, STEEL BARS, STEEL SWORDS, EXOTIC WOOD PLANKS, BREW (either Brewery or Friary), GOLD ORE, GOLD BAR, NIBS, ADVANCED PAPER and BOOK FITTINGS.
So, if you have limited amount of buffs to use - choose carefully what you should buff.
Of course, all this is assuming the productions are balanced. If they are not, well... until they are we don't have much of a choice now do we?...
Also, it has not been taken into the account the investment made to level up buildings and mines. This is intended merely as a simple guideline to whatever already is in place.It is in no way meant to tell which productions are more profitable or not - that's an entirely different story...
Hope this helps!
Happy buffing!
Update On HALLOWEEN EVENT Purchases
Hi everybody,
Since gem trading will officially end today after maintenance (and for the foreseable future) this means we can no longer buy the BHGeneral directly from the shop, converting our gold coins into gems (and then the gems to a BHG).
As such the purchase of the Grim-Reaper General (GRG) becomes once again advisable for those of us trying to save up gems and/or wanting to expand our adventuring abilities without incurring in any costs but the virtual ones.
Also, it is likely that the price of pumpkins will remain high during the event due to this as some people would trade directly for gems and sell their pumpkins for coins (thus bringing the pumpkin prices down a bit).
For this reason... well, it is up to you to decided, of course, but bear in mind that prices may be a bit too high in the first few days of the event...
We should get enough pumpkins (or close enough) from the event's quests themselves to be able to get the GRG - it's the other stuff that you will have to fight for if you really want to get it. I still think it's way too expensive to trade it for pumpkins - but, of course, if you're into unique items you certainly have a chance here to expand your collection!
I will try and create a new post with the new resource figures for the Golems. At this point I am quite curious to see how this will in fact take place...
Lastly, do not forget that there will be pumpkins showing up randomly on your island. So keeping a keen eye on the terrain will yield you some more to trade with.
Happy Settlering!
Since gem trading will officially end today after maintenance (and for the foreseable future) this means we can no longer buy the BHGeneral directly from the shop, converting our gold coins into gems (and then the gems to a BHG).
As such the purchase of the Grim-Reaper General (GRG) becomes once again advisable for those of us trying to save up gems and/or wanting to expand our adventuring abilities without incurring in any costs but the virtual ones.
Also, it is likely that the price of pumpkins will remain high during the event due to this as some people would trade directly for gems and sell their pumpkins for coins (thus bringing the pumpkin prices down a bit).
For this reason... well, it is up to you to decided, of course, but bear in mind that prices may be a bit too high in the first few days of the event...
We should get enough pumpkins (or close enough) from the event's quests themselves to be able to get the GRG - it's the other stuff that you will have to fight for if you really want to get it. I still think it's way too expensive to trade it for pumpkins - but, of course, if you're into unique items you certainly have a chance here to expand your collection!
I will try and create a new post with the new resource figures for the Golems. At this point I am quite curious to see how this will in fact take place...
Lastly, do not forget that there will be pumpkins showing up randomly on your island. So keeping a keen eye on the terrain will yield you some more to trade with.
Happy Settlering!
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Guild Quest Info
Hey there,
I decided to post here the info we have so far in regards to the current Guild Quests.
I am not entirely sure if all this info is accurate - so please, if you spot errors, do let me know so I can correct them.
There are also blank spaces which need to be filled AND I do not know if there are only 3 level ranges for the Guild Quests - or if there are more... so, if you can help with any of this, please let me know. Thanks!
Find the Guild Quest List HERE.
Hope you find it useful!
I decided to post here the info we have so far in regards to the current Guild Quests.
I am not entirely sure if all this info is accurate - so please, if you spot errors, do let me know so I can correct them.
There are also blank spaces which need to be filled AND I do not know if there are only 3 level ranges for the Guild Quests - or if there are more... so, if you can help with any of this, please let me know. Thanks!
Find the Guild Quest List HERE.
Hope you find it useful!
Saturday, 21 September 2013
GOLEMS AHOY!
Hey Peeps,
Most of us have started saving up resources for the coming Golem battles and, as such, I decided to investigate what is actually needed for each Golem Take-Down.
As it stands, the numbers aren't very inspiring... But, then again, these may change for the actual event and/or these numbers may refer to the WHOLE guild, rather than each of the guildies individually. If this is indeed a guild wide scenario, then ignore the costs calculations for Pumpkins.
In any case, here it is, a spreadsheet with all the necessary info. I hope it is clear enough. If you do have doubts, do not hesitate to ask and I will reply to them here as well.
Click HERE to access the spreadsheet
There is also this POST in the forum about the event. However bear in mind that the table halfway down the page is not correct. The figures I have in the spreadsheet are the correct ones (as things stand now...)
Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Most of us have started saving up resources for the coming Golem battles and, as such, I decided to investigate what is actually needed for each Golem Take-Down.
As it stands, the numbers aren't very inspiring... But, then again, these may change for the actual event and/or these numbers may refer to the WHOLE guild, rather than each of the guildies individually. If this is indeed a guild wide scenario, then ignore the costs calculations for Pumpkins.
In any case, here it is, a spreadsheet with all the necessary info. I hope it is clear enough. If you do have doubts, do not hesitate to ask and I will reply to them here as well.
Click HERE to access the spreadsheet
There is also this POST in the forum about the event. However bear in mind that the table halfway down the page is not correct. The figures I have in the spreadsheet are the correct ones (as things stand now...)
Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Thursday, 19 September 2013
A Few Tips On The HALLOWEEN EVENT 2013!
Hi everyone,
Yesterday we circulated an email throughout the guild with some info about the upcoming Halloween event. After it was sent I started thinking a bit more about it and decided some of the stuff said was probably not the best advice so I am posting a revised version of that email here so that I can correct that.
The corrections pertain to what was said about the Increased Storehouse and Silos as purchases from the Event Tab at the Merchants.
Click HERE for the official post about HALLOWEEN EVENT.
According to the test server the Halloween event will be somewhat similar to the last event (the one with the balloons). This time we will have a giant golem statue on our island between sectors 4 and 5 (on the little islet further up) that we will need to defeat.
The idea is that we once again convert resources and apply these in order to complete the Golem quests. The resources we will need are: marble, wheat and water. With these we build (respectively) Marbles, Ropes and Buckets of water. These are the applied in 3 stages on the golem, destroying each of its 3 hearts in order. After the last heart is destroyed the golem disappears. And we get some pumpkins.
But a new golem shows up soon after, so... save up some marble, wheat and water for this coming event.
I'm already building some extra wells, just in case.
So you have an idea on what might be needed, resource-wise:
To defeat the golem the FIRST time you will need:
1.5k damage on the Caramel Heart, then 2k damage on the Purple Heart, then 2.5k damage on the Violet Heart
750 marble gets you 25 Marbles – each marble gives 50 damage, so 1250 damage per Marbles Set in total to the Caramel Heart
500 wheat gets you 25 Ropes – each rope, 50 damage, so 1250 in total per Ropes Set to the Purple Heart
1250 water gets you 25 Buckets – each bucket gives 50 damage, so 1250 damage per Buckets Set to the Violet Heart
As soon as you defeat it, the second round will be:
2k damage for Caramel Heart, 3k damage for Purple Heart and 4k damage for Violet Heart.
So you will need to use more and more resources (and provision time!) as each round takes place... (so another tip is to perhaps build some extra buffs now that you might need during Halloween - your Provision House is likely to be busy then!)
The first time you defeat the Golem you get 10 pumpkins. The second time you get 20... so hopefully the rewards will also increase as we defeat the Golem time and again.
So, remember each resource you build will be tailored for each heart colour... so don’t build too much – or too little!
Again this seems to be a guild wide effort. The more golems we are able to defeat, the closer we'll get to completion of the event and get 100 extra pumpkins.
There is a quest bar displaying our progression and I can tell you that on the test server, after having build some pumpkin fields and defeated the Golem twice I had done one third of it (34 out of 100). So I'm thinking we may have to defeat the Golem some 5 or 6 times in total.
Bear in mind that these numbers may change for the actual event here in Newfoundland Server.
Another type of quests involves (like the easter eggs hunt) to find and click on 15 collectibles on the map. Banners, scarecrows, bushes. These will be scattered RANDOMLY throughout our islands. I think they are reset every day (even if you do not complete these quests) and a while after (1 or 2h) if you have managed to find all the collectibles. This seems to be an ongoing integral part of the game. Check HERE for more details on this.
The Pumpkin Fields are purchased at the Merchant’s. There are 3 types of pumpkin fields and you will only be able to get 3 of each.
Level I – yield 45 pumpkins and each pumpkin takes 8h to produce!
Level II – yield 80 pumpkins and the cycle lasts 4h
Level III – yield 100 pumpkins and the cycle takes only 1h.
Each of these cost more or less as much as building the three variations of Wheatfields. So the price is okay.
You can buff them of course. Remember if you only buff at the very end of the cycle you still get the buffing result.
A tip is to perhaps use 3x and 4x buffs ONLY on the Level III pumpkin fields – as you will yield a lot more pumpkins as a result. For the others I will probably simply use solid sandwiches close to when the cycle is ending.
Here is the list of items that I think are important to try and obtain during this event:
Grim-Reaper General 1x
Cost: 1560 pumpkins
Not as good as the Veteran General but, with it you will be able to do a lot more than with just normal generals. Also, if you have a Vet, you can still profit from having one of these as they can be quite handy for more complex blocks in higher adventures. I’m going to try and get one if I can.
OKAY. CORRECTION TIME!!
If Pumpkins become as valuable as Easter Eggs, we're talking at about 15, maybe 20 gold coins PER Pumpkin. what does this mean in regards to the items sold in the shop?
This means a Silo, Village House or Increased Storehouse (600 Pumpkins each) will in fact cost 9 000/2 000 gold coins!
SILOS
A Silo can usually be found on the TO for about 3 500/4 000 gold coins or less. So for the price of 1 Pumpkin purchased silo you can get THREE at the TO!
Why are silos important? Well,if you level a silo to the same level of your farm – and keep it at the same distance from the wheatfield and storehouse, the silo will replenish the wheatfield without ever letting it deplete.
VILLAGE HOUSE
Gives 1 extra settler per ever 2 hours. Not a very good buy in my opinion... not sure if they're worth getting for 12k coin...
INCREASED STOREHOUSE
This means you have 3 times the space for each level you upgrade it (which means you will still have to spend resources upgrading it, yes). Even though storehouses are always handy as well all know (with more storehouses we are likely to improve our production times and, therefore, improve our production) 12k gold coins still seems a bit of a steep price.
In my case, I could simply buy 3 Noble Deeds of TO and release 3 building licenses and build 3 storehouses instead. 3 Noble Deeds would cost me about 1 500 gold coins of TO. So, a lot cheaper than actually getting the Special Storehouse in exchange for Pumpkins...
To me the special storehouse may only be a viable option if one was pretty much out of space on the island.
Since that is far from being my situation, for me it would actually be beneficial to have MORE storehouses scattered around, rather than less (improving travel times for production buildings).
IN FACT, I'm not even sure getting the Grim-Reaper General compensates at all. At 1560 Pumpkins, this roughly translates into 31 200 gold coins. That is a lot of gold!
A Grim-Reaper General is nothing more than a Battle-Hardened General. The only difference is in the picture - their specs are exactly the same.
BHG cost 1 250 gems from the Merchants. You can actually buy them on Trade tab for about 12k or 13k gold coins - saving you more than half the Pumkins you'd need to use to get it...
So, we might be better off actually selling the dammned Pumpkins rather than buying anything with them.
Then again, this will all depend on how trading for them will take place - it's a gamble. If Pumpkins are 8 gold coins each or less, the Grim Reaper General might just be worth getting (IF the price per gem stays at 10 gold coins each), if they cost more than that... you're probably better off selling them and getting a BHG through Trade
Hope this helps!
Yesterday we circulated an email throughout the guild with some info about the upcoming Halloween event. After it was sent I started thinking a bit more about it and decided some of the stuff said was probably not the best advice so I am posting a revised version of that email here so that I can correct that.
The corrections pertain to what was said about the Increased Storehouse and Silos as purchases from the Event Tab at the Merchants.
Click HERE for the official post about HALLOWEEN EVENT.
According to the test server the Halloween event will be somewhat similar to the last event (the one with the balloons). This time we will have a giant golem statue on our island between sectors 4 and 5 (on the little islet further up) that we will need to defeat.
The idea is that we once again convert resources and apply these in order to complete the Golem quests. The resources we will need are: marble, wheat and water. With these we build (respectively) Marbles, Ropes and Buckets of water. These are the applied in 3 stages on the golem, destroying each of its 3 hearts in order. After the last heart is destroyed the golem disappears. And we get some pumpkins.
But a new golem shows up soon after, so... save up some marble, wheat and water for this coming event.
I'm already building some extra wells, just in case.
So you have an idea on what might be needed, resource-wise:
To defeat the golem the FIRST time you will need:
1.5k damage on the Caramel Heart, then 2k damage on the Purple Heart, then 2.5k damage on the Violet Heart
750 marble gets you 25 Marbles – each marble gives 50 damage, so 1250 damage per Marbles Set in total to the Caramel Heart
500 wheat gets you 25 Ropes – each rope, 50 damage, so 1250 in total per Ropes Set to the Purple Heart
1250 water gets you 25 Buckets – each bucket gives 50 damage, so 1250 damage per Buckets Set to the Violet Heart
As soon as you defeat it, the second round will be:
2k damage for Caramel Heart, 3k damage for Purple Heart and 4k damage for Violet Heart.
So you will need to use more and more resources (and provision time!) as each round takes place... (so another tip is to perhaps build some extra buffs now that you might need during Halloween - your Provision House is likely to be busy then!)
The first time you defeat the Golem you get 10 pumpkins. The second time you get 20... so hopefully the rewards will also increase as we defeat the Golem time and again.
So, remember each resource you build will be tailored for each heart colour... so don’t build too much – or too little!
Again this seems to be a guild wide effort. The more golems we are able to defeat, the closer we'll get to completion of the event and get 100 extra pumpkins.
There is a quest bar displaying our progression and I can tell you that on the test server, after having build some pumpkin fields and defeated the Golem twice I had done one third of it (34 out of 100). So I'm thinking we may have to defeat the Golem some 5 or 6 times in total.
Bear in mind that these numbers may change for the actual event here in Newfoundland Server.
Another type of quests involves (like the easter eggs hunt) to find and click on 15 collectibles on the map. Banners, scarecrows, bushes. These will be scattered RANDOMLY throughout our islands. I think they are reset every day (even if you do not complete these quests) and a while after (1 or 2h) if you have managed to find all the collectibles. This seems to be an ongoing integral part of the game. Check HERE for more details on this.
The Pumpkin Fields are purchased at the Merchant’s. There are 3 types of pumpkin fields and you will only be able to get 3 of each.
Level I – yield 45 pumpkins and each pumpkin takes 8h to produce!
Level II – yield 80 pumpkins and the cycle lasts 4h
Level III – yield 100 pumpkins and the cycle takes only 1h.
Each of these cost more or less as much as building the three variations of Wheatfields. So the price is okay.
You can buff them of course. Remember if you only buff at the very end of the cycle you still get the buffing result.
A tip is to perhaps use 3x and 4x buffs ONLY on the Level III pumpkin fields – as you will yield a lot more pumpkins as a result. For the others I will probably simply use solid sandwiches close to when the cycle is ending.
Here is the list of items that I think are important to try and obtain during this event:
Grim-Reaper General 1x
Cost: 1560 pumpkins
Not as good as the Veteran General but, with it you will be able to do a lot more than with just normal generals. Also, if you have a Vet, you can still profit from having one of these as they can be quite handy for more complex blocks in higher adventures. I’m going to try and get one if I can.
OKAY. CORRECTION TIME!!
If Pumpkins become as valuable as Easter Eggs, we're talking at about 15, maybe 20 gold coins PER Pumpkin. what does this mean in regards to the items sold in the shop?
This means a Silo, Village House or Increased Storehouse (600 Pumpkins each) will in fact cost 9 000/2 000 gold coins!
SILOS
A Silo can usually be found on the TO for about 3 500/4 000 gold coins or less. So for the price of 1 Pumpkin purchased silo you can get THREE at the TO!
Why are silos important? Well,if you level a silo to the same level of your farm – and keep it at the same distance from the wheatfield and storehouse, the silo will replenish the wheatfield without ever letting it deplete.
VILLAGE HOUSE
Gives 1 extra settler per ever 2 hours. Not a very good buy in my opinion... not sure if they're worth getting for 12k coin...
INCREASED STOREHOUSE
This means you have 3 times the space for each level you upgrade it (which means you will still have to spend resources upgrading it, yes). Even though storehouses are always handy as well all know (with more storehouses we are likely to improve our production times and, therefore, improve our production) 12k gold coins still seems a bit of a steep price.
In my case, I could simply buy 3 Noble Deeds of TO and release 3 building licenses and build 3 storehouses instead. 3 Noble Deeds would cost me about 1 500 gold coins of TO. So, a lot cheaper than actually getting the Special Storehouse in exchange for Pumpkins...
To me the special storehouse may only be a viable option if one was pretty much out of space on the island.
Since that is far from being my situation, for me it would actually be beneficial to have MORE storehouses scattered around, rather than less (improving travel times for production buildings).
IN FACT, I'm not even sure getting the Grim-Reaper General compensates at all. At 1560 Pumpkins, this roughly translates into 31 200 gold coins. That is a lot of gold!
A Grim-Reaper General is nothing more than a Battle-Hardened General. The only difference is in the picture - their specs are exactly the same.
BHG cost 1 250 gems from the Merchants. You can actually buy them on Trade tab for about 12k or 13k gold coins - saving you more than half the Pumkins you'd need to use to get it...
So, we might be better off actually selling the dammned Pumpkins rather than buying anything with them.
Then again, this will all depend on how trading for them will take place - it's a gamble. If Pumpkins are 8 gold coins each or less, the Grim Reaper General might just be worth getting (IF the price per gem stays at 10 gold coins each), if they cost more than that... you're probably better off selling them and getting a BHG through Trade
Hope this helps!
A Few Tips On The EXPLORERS SKILL TREE
Hello everyone,
Been a while since I last posted here but, with this new system coming into place today I thought this to be the ideal excuse to write up something...
So. First it were the Geologists, now it's the Explorers... tricky?!
Maybe!
First and foremost let's look at what we can upgrade HERE.
As we all know the Explorers can do 2 things:
1 - they search for ADVENTURES
2 - they search for TREASURE
As such their upgradeable skills are naturally divided between the two options. For this reason (and particularly if you have more than one explorer) it would be best to tailor each of the explorers to either be an Adventure Expert OR a Treasure Hunter Expert.
For me the choice is really simple: all my explorers are bound to become Adventure Experts. And this, fine folks, is for the simple reason that some good people have done the maths and found that the most profitable way of using the explorers is by sending them on Adventure Searches. Further more, they have stated that it is the Medium Search the best out of the three.
So, for me, it's the Adventure Path taken.
Still, as we all know, sometimes during events we do get a few quests pertaining to Treasure Searches so, enhancing your Explorer in the Treasure Path is also a feasible option. As always it is your choice!
This is what I did with my first Explorer.
First I used an Experienced Explorer. They are faster, which means I will use them more often, which means whatever changes I make I will benefit more from them.
FIRST ROW - MANUSCRIPT
Fearless Hiker
1/3 shortens the search time for all adventures about 5%.
2/3 shortens the search time for all adventures about 10%.
3/3 shortens the search time for all adventures about 15%.
Lucky Detour
1/3 raises a chance to find Granite on Medium treasure searches about 8%.
2/3 raises a chance to find Granite on Medium treasure searches about 16%.
3/3 raises a chance to find Granite on Medium treasure searches about 24%.
Pilgrimage
1/3 shortens the search time for Long treasure searches about 5%.
2/3 shortens the search time for Long treasure searches about 10%.
3/3 shortens the search time for Long treasure searches about 15%.
Mountain Boots
1/3 shortens the search time for all treasure searches about 3%.
2/3 shortens the search time for all treasure searches about 6%.
3/3 shortens the search time for all treasure searches about 9%
Since it's Adventure Path the only option is really FEARLESS HIKER, since all the others pertain to Treasure Hunting. That's 3 manuscripts down. What about the other 2? I chose LUCKY DETOUR. Why? Check the next row...
SECOND ROW - TOME
Wild Determination
1/3 allows finding more about 30% Map fragments on Adventure searches.
2/3 allows finding more about 60% Map fragments on Adventure searches.
3/3 allows finding more about 90% Map fragments on Adventure searches.
Powder Sack
1/3 allows finding more about 8% Saltpeter on Extra-long treasure searches.
2/3 allows finding more about 16% Saltpeter on Extra-long treasure searches.
3/3 allows finding more about 24% Saltpeter on Extra-long treasure searches.
Offbeat Roads
1/3 raises chances of finding Titanium ore on Long treasure searches about 5%.
2/3 raises chances of finding Titanium ore on Long treasure searches about 10%.
3/3 raises chances of finding Titanium ore on Long treasure searches about 15%.
Extended Weekend
1/3 shortens the search time for Medium treasure searches about 5%.
2/3 shortens the search time for Medium treasure searches about 10%.
3/3 shortens the search time for Medium treasure searches about 15%.
Well, once again the path is clear. 3 Tomes on WILD DETERMINATIO (you can trade map frags quite easily and they're about 5 or 6 gold coins a piece). And 2 on EXTENDED WEEKEND since, if I ever do Medium Treasure Searches I will not only have increased chances of getting Granite but I will have shortened the time taken to do it.
THIRD ROW - TOME:
Travel Expenses
1/3 reduces the cost of all Adventure searches about 10%.
2/3 reduces the cost of all Adventure searches about 20%.
3/3 reduces the cost of all Adventure searches about 30%.
Loot Wagon
1/3 allows finding more about 8% Granite on Medium treasure searches.
2/3 allows finding more about 16% Granite on Medium treasure searches.
3/3 allows finding more about 24% Granite on Medium treasure searches.
Sturdy Shovel
1/3 allows finding more about 3% loot on all Treasure searches.
2/3 allows finding more about 6% loot on all Treasure searches.
3/3 allows finding more about 9% loot on all Treasure searches.
Mistwalker
1/3 raises chances of finding Exotic Wood on Long treasure searches about 5%.
2/3 raises chances of finding Exotic Wood on Long treasure searches about 10%.
3/3 raises chances of finding Exotic Wood on Long treasure searches about 15%.
Well this was an easy one too... 3 Tomes on TRAVEL EXPENSES and 2 on LOOT WAGON, having once again enhanced my chances at finding Granite on Medium Treasure Searches.
These were my choices for the first explorer. Even though I will do the same choices Adventure Path-wise for the second I am still unsure in regards to the Treasure Searches. Perhaps it will be good to diversify a bit...
In any case, I have not posted this here to tell you to do the same. What I do think it's important to consider is which speciality you want for your Explorer.
So consider if you want to send them for adventures pretty much exclusively.
Or if you want to tailor them for Medium, Long and Very Long Treasure Searches (you could actually tailor 3 explorers, one to each of the Treasure Search types: a Medium Search Expert, a Long Search Expert and a Very Long Search Expert).
Or if you could simply want to shorten search times as much as possible.
The possibilities are NOT endless - but there are quite a few of them... Best thing is to look through the Skill Tree carefully and plan ahead since mistakes in assigning books are costly!
And, if you missed it the first time, find HERE a link to the book building costs.
Enjoy!
Been a while since I last posted here but, with this new system coming into place today I thought this to be the ideal excuse to write up something...
So. First it were the Geologists, now it's the Explorers... tricky?!
Maybe!
First and foremost let's look at what we can upgrade HERE.
As we all know the Explorers can do 2 things:
1 - they search for ADVENTURES
2 - they search for TREASURE
As such their upgradeable skills are naturally divided between the two options. For this reason (and particularly if you have more than one explorer) it would be best to tailor each of the explorers to either be an Adventure Expert OR a Treasure Hunter Expert.
For me the choice is really simple: all my explorers are bound to become Adventure Experts. And this, fine folks, is for the simple reason that some good people have done the maths and found that the most profitable way of using the explorers is by sending them on Adventure Searches. Further more, they have stated that it is the Medium Search the best out of the three.
So, for me, it's the Adventure Path taken.
Still, as we all know, sometimes during events we do get a few quests pertaining to Treasure Searches so, enhancing your Explorer in the Treasure Path is also a feasible option. As always it is your choice!
This is what I did with my first Explorer.
First I used an Experienced Explorer. They are faster, which means I will use them more often, which means whatever changes I make I will benefit more from them.
FIRST ROW - MANUSCRIPT
Fearless Hiker1/3 shortens the search time for all adventures about 5%.
2/3 shortens the search time for all adventures about 10%.
3/3 shortens the search time for all adventures about 15%.
Lucky Detour1/3 raises a chance to find Granite on Medium treasure searches about 8%.
2/3 raises a chance to find Granite on Medium treasure searches about 16%.
3/3 raises a chance to find Granite on Medium treasure searches about 24%.
Pilgrimage1/3 shortens the search time for Long treasure searches about 5%.
2/3 shortens the search time for Long treasure searches about 10%.
3/3 shortens the search time for Long treasure searches about 15%.
Mountain Boots1/3 shortens the search time for all treasure searches about 3%.
2/3 shortens the search time for all treasure searches about 6%.
3/3 shortens the search time for all treasure searches about 9%
Since it's Adventure Path the only option is really FEARLESS HIKER, since all the others pertain to Treasure Hunting. That's 3 manuscripts down. What about the other 2? I chose LUCKY DETOUR. Why? Check the next row...
SECOND ROW - TOME
Wild Determination1/3 allows finding more about 30% Map fragments on Adventure searches.
2/3 allows finding more about 60% Map fragments on Adventure searches.
3/3 allows finding more about 90% Map fragments on Adventure searches.
Powder Sack1/3 allows finding more about 8% Saltpeter on Extra-long treasure searches.
2/3 allows finding more about 16% Saltpeter on Extra-long treasure searches.
3/3 allows finding more about 24% Saltpeter on Extra-long treasure searches.
Offbeat Roads1/3 raises chances of finding Titanium ore on Long treasure searches about 5%.
2/3 raises chances of finding Titanium ore on Long treasure searches about 10%.
3/3 raises chances of finding Titanium ore on Long treasure searches about 15%.
Extended Weekend1/3 shortens the search time for Medium treasure searches about 5%.
2/3 shortens the search time for Medium treasure searches about 10%.
3/3 shortens the search time for Medium treasure searches about 15%.
Well, once again the path is clear. 3 Tomes on WILD DETERMINATIO (you can trade map frags quite easily and they're about 5 or 6 gold coins a piece). And 2 on EXTENDED WEEKEND since, if I ever do Medium Treasure Searches I will not only have increased chances of getting Granite but I will have shortened the time taken to do it.
THIRD ROW - TOME:
Travel Expenses1/3 reduces the cost of all Adventure searches about 10%.
2/3 reduces the cost of all Adventure searches about 20%.
3/3 reduces the cost of all Adventure searches about 30%.
Loot Wagon1/3 allows finding more about 8% Granite on Medium treasure searches.
2/3 allows finding more about 16% Granite on Medium treasure searches.
3/3 allows finding more about 24% Granite on Medium treasure searches.
Sturdy Shovel1/3 allows finding more about 3% loot on all Treasure searches.
2/3 allows finding more about 6% loot on all Treasure searches.
3/3 allows finding more about 9% loot on all Treasure searches.
Mistwalker1/3 raises chances of finding Exotic Wood on Long treasure searches about 5%.
2/3 raises chances of finding Exotic Wood on Long treasure searches about 10%.
3/3 raises chances of finding Exotic Wood on Long treasure searches about 15%.
Well this was an easy one too... 3 Tomes on TRAVEL EXPENSES and 2 on LOOT WAGON, having once again enhanced my chances at finding Granite on Medium Treasure Searches.
These were my choices for the first explorer. Even though I will do the same choices Adventure Path-wise for the second I am still unsure in regards to the Treasure Searches. Perhaps it will be good to diversify a bit...
In any case, I have not posted this here to tell you to do the same. What I do think it's important to consider is which speciality you want for your Explorer.
So consider if you want to send them for adventures pretty much exclusively.
Or if you want to tailor them for Medium, Long and Very Long Treasure Searches (you could actually tailor 3 explorers, one to each of the Treasure Search types: a Medium Search Expert, a Long Search Expert and a Very Long Search Expert).
Or if you could simply want to shorten search times as much as possible.
The possibilities are NOT endless - but there are quite a few of them... Best thing is to look through the Skill Tree carefully and plan ahead since mistakes in assigning books are costly!
And, if you missed it the first time, find HERE a link to the book building costs.
Enjoy!
Sunday, 30 June 2013
A Few Tips On The GEOLOGISTS SKILL TREE
Hello everyone,
Lately there has been a lot of talk about what to pick, what to do and what not to do with the books we've been building in regards to the Geologists Skill Tree. As such I have decided to do a brief post, mostly describing what I am doing (and why) in hopes to make matters a bit clearer. I am also going to point out a few things that have since come to light.
The first thing I would like to say is this: take your time selecting the skills. Read what bonuses they give you and plan ahead. Planning ahead is key in this game - if you want to develop faster.
The second thing is directly related to the first: if you make a mistake and want to go back you only have two choices - either get HALF of the books back for free. OR PAY GEMS to get the books back. And yes, the more books you have assigned... the more gems you will pay...
The third thing is directly related to the previous two: after you have PRODUCED 10 books (of each type respectively, so after 10 manuscript, 10 tome and 10 codex) the price for each book type will INCREASE. This means after producing 10 Manuscript the price for Manuscript INCREASES. After producing 10 Tome, the price for Tome INCREASES. And after producing 10 Codex, the price for Codex INCREASES.
And there are SEVEN INCREASES to be had!
Click HERE if you want to know more about these Book Costs!
You may think this is not a problem at first but, trust me, after the Geologists Skill Trees we will have the Explorers Skill Tree, the Generals Skill Tree and the Buildings Skill Tree! We will be producing books for years to come! So the costs WILL amount to A LOT in the long run.
And, as such, it is important that you decide a bit now just HOW MUCH are you going to level up your Geologist.
My current plan is to level ONE Geologist all the way up (or close). And have my SECOND one only half levelled. In this way I will have one to do high end stuff (Gold and Iron perhaps), and another to do Copper and Marble.
With this you can now see pretty much what I am going to do. Only TWO Geologists (normal ones at that) - and ONLY focusing on COPPER, MARBLE, IRON and GOLD.
This because I prefer to trade for stone rather than produce it (and save licenses there). This because I think Coal mines are a pain... and much rather have Coking Plants that require ZERO time spent taking care of them...
Now, even with these constraints, what to pick?!
Well, Nedrakus (thanks Ned!) pointed out something very important and that had completely skipped my notice:
If you pick an ability of the type Two Deposits In One, whenever this ability becomes active, it will disable another which is Find Larger Deposits (Natural "Deposit Name" Vein).
For clarity I will give an example:
Let us imagine you put some books into Finding Two Marble Deposits In One (8%, 16% and 24%).
But you are also interested in having Larger Marble Deposits (Natural Marble Vein). Perhaps even to it's maximum percentage (which is 24% larger deposit).
Now, you are going to send you Geologist out for marble as there are a few deposits that have ran out on your map.
And you get lucky - you find two deposits at the same time.
Only there's a problem with that - they ARE NOT LARGER DEPOSITS! One ability cancels the other!
Since I am much more interested in having LARGER deposits - which will last longer and mean fewer searches anyway - I have skipped entirely the ability of finding Two Deposits In One altogether. Not just for Marble but for everything else.
This is just me of course - you will have to pick something that will suit best your playing style. In any case, I only wish to remind you again that, if you choose to go back and restart the Skill Tree... you will either have to pay Gems for it or you will have to lose some books that took a lot of time to be produced.
Click HERE if you want to see the full specs for the Geologists Skill Tree.
Hope this helps you decide what's best for you and your island productions!
Lately there has been a lot of talk about what to pick, what to do and what not to do with the books we've been building in regards to the Geologists Skill Tree. As such I have decided to do a brief post, mostly describing what I am doing (and why) in hopes to make matters a bit clearer. I am also going to point out a few things that have since come to light.
The first thing I would like to say is this: take your time selecting the skills. Read what bonuses they give you and plan ahead. Planning ahead is key in this game - if you want to develop faster.
The second thing is directly related to the first: if you make a mistake and want to go back you only have two choices - either get HALF of the books back for free. OR PAY GEMS to get the books back. And yes, the more books you have assigned... the more gems you will pay...
The third thing is directly related to the previous two: after you have PRODUCED 10 books (of each type respectively, so after 10 manuscript, 10 tome and 10 codex) the price for each book type will INCREASE. This means after producing 10 Manuscript the price for Manuscript INCREASES. After producing 10 Tome, the price for Tome INCREASES. And after producing 10 Codex, the price for Codex INCREASES.
And there are SEVEN INCREASES to be had!
Click HERE if you want to know more about these Book Costs!
You may think this is not a problem at first but, trust me, after the Geologists Skill Trees we will have the Explorers Skill Tree, the Generals Skill Tree and the Buildings Skill Tree! We will be producing books for years to come! So the costs WILL amount to A LOT in the long run.
And, as such, it is important that you decide a bit now just HOW MUCH are you going to level up your Geologist.
My current plan is to level ONE Geologist all the way up (or close). And have my SECOND one only half levelled. In this way I will have one to do high end stuff (Gold and Iron perhaps), and another to do Copper and Marble.
With this you can now see pretty much what I am going to do. Only TWO Geologists (normal ones at that) - and ONLY focusing on COPPER, MARBLE, IRON and GOLD.
This because I prefer to trade for stone rather than produce it (and save licenses there). This because I think Coal mines are a pain... and much rather have Coking Plants that require ZERO time spent taking care of them...
Now, even with these constraints, what to pick?!
Well, Nedrakus (thanks Ned!) pointed out something very important and that had completely skipped my notice:
If you pick an ability of the type Two Deposits In One, whenever this ability becomes active, it will disable another which is Find Larger Deposits (Natural "Deposit Name" Vein).
For clarity I will give an example:
Let us imagine you put some books into Finding Two Marble Deposits In One (8%, 16% and 24%).
But you are also interested in having Larger Marble Deposits (Natural Marble Vein). Perhaps even to it's maximum percentage (which is 24% larger deposit).
Now, you are going to send you Geologist out for marble as there are a few deposits that have ran out on your map.
And you get lucky - you find two deposits at the same time.
Only there's a problem with that - they ARE NOT LARGER DEPOSITS! One ability cancels the other!
Since I am much more interested in having LARGER deposits - which will last longer and mean fewer searches anyway - I have skipped entirely the ability of finding Two Deposits In One altogether. Not just for Marble but for everything else.
This is just me of course - you will have to pick something that will suit best your playing style. In any case, I only wish to remind you again that, if you choose to go back and restart the Skill Tree... you will either have to pay Gems for it or you will have to lose some books that took a lot of time to be produced.
Click HERE if you want to see the full specs for the Geologists Skill Tree.
Hope this helps you decide what's best for you and your island productions!
Monday, 17 June 2013
Guild Quests INFO
Hi,
Perhaps some of use are still not very clear about what the whole Guild Quest thing is and what it implies both for us individually as players, but also for the whole of the guild. As such, I did a bit of research online and found this:
22/11/2012
(quote begins)
DAILY GUILD QUESTS MODIFICATIONS• The new version of daily guild quests is available for all guilds that have more than 10 members• A new resource has been added to the game: guild coins• You can gather guild coins by completing daily guild quests (sub- and main-tasks)• Daily guild quests are split into different groups to match the level of the player: 10-18, 19-25, 26-35, 36-45 and 45-50• The number of members in your guild will affect which guild quests you will receive. The level ranges are: 10-20, 21-35, 36-55 and 56-100 members• The amount of guild coins received after finishing a quest(s) depends on the player level and guild size• You can spend your guild coins to get new productivity buffs, refill buffs, adventure and a master geologist
(quote ends)
(note: the master geologist is no longer available from the merchants - but it may well be once again in the near future!)
(you can read the full post here)
The first thing we can say is that Guild Quests are split into 5 difficulty levels:
1- players levels 10-18
2- players levels 19-25
3- players levels 26-35
4- players levels 36-45
5- players levels 45-50
Naturally, the higher the level the harder will the Guild Quest be.
Currently we are 67 members strong. Which means we are on the 56-100 members tier for guild quests. This means our quests may be a bit harder (because we are quite a few...) but the rewards are also greater.
Now, we have
1 player for 10-18
4 players for 19-25
23 players for 26-35
37 players for 36-45
2 players for 45-50
The fact that guild quests are separated in this way has a peculiar consequence: I know what the guild quest is for my difficulty level - but i do not what the guild quest is for OTHER difficulty levels.
In my opinion, not knowing this, makes it harder for us (the admin) to be able to help you more efficiently.
For this reason, I have added a new page on the GQ log so that we can record what each of the Guild Quests entail for each level.
This will make clear to all of us what each and everyone is targetted to do and, as such, make it easier for us to support one another in doing them.
Here is the link for the Guild Quest List tab
I am entering the info for level 4, Oldboot is entering for level 5 and Marcstx is entering for level 3. If you have level 1 or 2 difficulty guild quests, please consider in taking a moment and updating this tab. It will benefit you and all of us! Thanks!
As we saw above, the fact that we have 37 people on level 4 difficulty means more than half of our guild will be doing hard guild quests. The key to this, in my view, is not to ignore the quests but rather to solve them through mutual help. Cooperation is one of the key ideas for a guild to work well. And, as such, once again, we ask for cooperation. Whatever your level, experience or even native tongue, please chat with us should you require help in doing your guild quest (or any other quest for that matter).
Guild quests can be annoying if we are alone doing them - but they can be fun if we pool our resources and wits together to complete them. Don't see them as a chore: see them as an opportunity to interact, haven fun and perhaps learn something new in the process.
That's it!
Happy Settlering!
Perhaps some of use are still not very clear about what the whole Guild Quest thing is and what it implies both for us individually as players, but also for the whole of the guild. As such, I did a bit of research online and found this:
22/11/2012
(quote begins)
DAILY GUILD QUESTS MODIFICATIONS• The new version of daily guild quests is available for all guilds that have more than 10 members• A new resource has been added to the game: guild coins• You can gather guild coins by completing daily guild quests (sub- and main-tasks)• Daily guild quests are split into different groups to match the level of the player: 10-18, 19-25, 26-35, 36-45 and 45-50• The number of members in your guild will affect which guild quests you will receive. The level ranges are: 10-20, 21-35, 36-55 and 56-100 members• The amount of guild coins received after finishing a quest(s) depends on the player level and guild size• You can spend your guild coins to get new productivity buffs, refill buffs, adventure and a master geologist
(quote ends)
(note: the master geologist is no longer available from the merchants - but it may well be once again in the near future!)
(you can read the full post here)
The first thing we can say is that Guild Quests are split into 5 difficulty levels:
1- players levels 10-18
2- players levels 19-25
3- players levels 26-35
4- players levels 36-45
5- players levels 45-50
Naturally, the higher the level the harder will the Guild Quest be.
Currently we are 67 members strong. Which means we are on the 56-100 members tier for guild quests. This means our quests may be a bit harder (because we are quite a few...) but the rewards are also greater.
Now, we have
1 player for 10-18
4 players for 19-25
23 players for 26-35
37 players for 36-45
2 players for 45-50
The fact that guild quests are separated in this way has a peculiar consequence: I know what the guild quest is for my difficulty level - but i do not what the guild quest is for OTHER difficulty levels.
In my opinion, not knowing this, makes it harder for us (the admin) to be able to help you more efficiently.
For this reason, I have added a new page on the GQ log so that we can record what each of the Guild Quests entail for each level.
This will make clear to all of us what each and everyone is targetted to do and, as such, make it easier for us to support one another in doing them.
Here is the link for the Guild Quest List tab
I am entering the info for level 4, Oldboot is entering for level 5 and Marcstx is entering for level 3. If you have level 1 or 2 difficulty guild quests, please consider in taking a moment and updating this tab. It will benefit you and all of us! Thanks!
As we saw above, the fact that we have 37 people on level 4 difficulty means more than half of our guild will be doing hard guild quests. The key to this, in my view, is not to ignore the quests but rather to solve them through mutual help. Cooperation is one of the key ideas for a guild to work well. And, as such, once again, we ask for cooperation. Whatever your level, experience or even native tongue, please chat with us should you require help in doing your guild quest (or any other quest for that matter).
Guild quests can be annoying if we are alone doing them - but they can be fun if we pool our resources and wits together to complete them. Don't see them as a chore: see them as an opportunity to interact, haven fun and perhaps learn something new in the process.
That's it!
Happy Settlering!
Thursday, 13 June 2013
A Few Tips on the Science System
Hello everyone!
Well, the new game feature has just been implemented today and since this is so new and there's likely to be little out there discussing it already. As such I have decided to write up a few things that you may find useful to consider.
BOOKBINDER
The first thing to be said is that the most important building of this whole bookmaking chain is the Bookbinder. This is the building that will allow you to build the Manuscript, Tome and Codex. These can already be assigned to our Geologists but, in later stages, will also be able to be assigned to Explorers, Generals and Production Buildings.
The Bookbinder takes lots of time to build books. At level 3 it takes 20h to build a Manuscript, 24h to build a Tome and 28h to build a Codex.
Up to level 3 the Bookbinder is cheap to level up - it's after level 3 that you start using gold, followed by granite (and lots of both!).
So, first advice is: if you're going to start building books, level the Bookbinder up to 3 if you can, since it will pay itself off...
Also, since the Bookbinder's times are FIXED, you can pretty much place it anywhere on the map - it doesn't need to be close to a storehouse.
Another note in regards to the books is: you will not be able to purchase them from the TO. Each player will have to build their own books...
PAPERMILLS and NIBSMITHS
The paper chain uses the 3 types of wood (pine, hardwood and exotic) PLUS water to make the paper. This means you will need to have surplus for these in order to run your chain effectively - so please account for that.
The nibs chain uses 3 types of ores (copper, iron and titanium) PLUS COAL to make the nibs. So... make sure you are producing enough coal for this! It will use up a lot!
Also, and because of this, it is also to expect that - at least for a while - the prices of pine logs, hardwood logs, exotic wood logs, copper ore, iron ore, titanium ore, water and coal, to rise somewhat. And, because their demand will continue for a while, perhaps their prices will remain somewhat higher than they are now. So, if you have excess of any of these, you may want to consider put up a few trades... ;)
MARKET and RE-SALE of PAPER and NIBS
The next tip, as Ned wisely pointed out, is: all paper and nibs buildings AT LEVEL 1 already produce enough materials for you to more or less build a book of each type a day.
But we already saw that we will only be able to produce (give or take...) ONE BOOK a day with the level 3 Bookbinder.
So what does this mean?
This means that you may not want to invest heavily on this chain right now and simply generate enough raw materials to build your daily book.
OR
You may want to invest on this chain and build up lots of stock for re-sale. I suspect some high level players will not bother building papermills and nibsmiths (as their islands are full of high level buildings already, thus making space a premium) and, as such, there will always be a (perhaps small?) market for the re-sale of these goods.
Right now (today, 13th of June 2013) the market is crazy because no one really knows how much these new goods are really worth.
In my opinion they aren't worth a lot - the overinflated prices we're seeing at simply the direct result of novelty... they will wear down - big time.
So if you want to make a quick buck, today (and perhaps the next few) is the day...
BOOK CHAINS
The other thing you may want to do is to start stocking up Manuscripts. I'll say it again: you won't be able to trade books in the Trade Office (just the raw materials)
BUT!
you will need to use 1 Manuscript to build a Tome
AND!
you will need to use 1 Tome to build a Codex
In my opinion it is pointless to build the Codex chain right now. It is VERY expensive (lots of granite from the start!).
Best to stick with the Manuscript one (I have mine levelled at 3 but that's because I want to see if I can trade some of the raw materials on TO) AND MAYBE the Tome chain.
For the Tome chain I left both paper and nib buildings at level 1 - and I think I will let them stay that way. Unbuffed even, since I won't be making that many Tomes from the start anyway (need to build Manuscripts first, remember?). Because of this I will have surplus of intermediate paper and nibs and, as such, will be able to trade some of these goods on TO. Besides to level the Tome chain you need a lot of gold coins from the start...
BOOK BUFFS and some SPECULATION
The next thing I want to say (and this is pure speculation as I write this so please don't take it as gospel) is that this is the way things are NOW.
And I think they are likely to change.
HOW?
Well, the first thing is something we will be getting soon as a present: the Bookbinder Glue. This will accelerate the book production.
So, I suspect we will be seeing such buffs for sale at the Merchant's quite soon... probably for gems (remember we got a weekly increase? well, probably because we're going to have nice new things to spend them on...)
The second thing is more long term.
Remember that at a later stage we will be able to assign books to production buildings, right?
So, maybe the Bookbinder will be one such case. Which means that assigning books to it may reduced book building time, less usage of input resources, increased output, more than one book at a time production, etc.
We don't know exactly how things will evolve - but we can try and foresee a few scenarios and pick a strategy for ourselves.
Main thing is: be ready to adapt when things change making your strategy not as efficient!
Anyway, I hope you have found these notes interesting and useful.
Feel free to comment, make suggestions or ask questions on chat/email. I'll try and post here the new content emerging from said suggestions, comments and chats!
Happy Settlering!
Well, the new game feature has just been implemented today and since this is so new and there's likely to be little out there discussing it already. As such I have decided to write up a few things that you may find useful to consider.
BOOKBINDER
The first thing to be said is that the most important building of this whole bookmaking chain is the Bookbinder. This is the building that will allow you to build the Manuscript, Tome and Codex. These can already be assigned to our Geologists but, in later stages, will also be able to be assigned to Explorers, Generals and Production Buildings.
The Bookbinder takes lots of time to build books. At level 3 it takes 20h to build a Manuscript, 24h to build a Tome and 28h to build a Codex.
Up to level 3 the Bookbinder is cheap to level up - it's after level 3 that you start using gold, followed by granite (and lots of both!).
So, first advice is: if you're going to start building books, level the Bookbinder up to 3 if you can, since it will pay itself off...
Also, since the Bookbinder's times are FIXED, you can pretty much place it anywhere on the map - it doesn't need to be close to a storehouse.
Another note in regards to the books is: you will not be able to purchase them from the TO. Each player will have to build their own books...
PAPERMILLS and NIBSMITHS
The paper chain uses the 3 types of wood (pine, hardwood and exotic) PLUS water to make the paper. This means you will need to have surplus for these in order to run your chain effectively - so please account for that.
The nibs chain uses 3 types of ores (copper, iron and titanium) PLUS COAL to make the nibs. So... make sure you are producing enough coal for this! It will use up a lot!
Also, and because of this, it is also to expect that - at least for a while - the prices of pine logs, hardwood logs, exotic wood logs, copper ore, iron ore, titanium ore, water and coal, to rise somewhat. And, because their demand will continue for a while, perhaps their prices will remain somewhat higher than they are now. So, if you have excess of any of these, you may want to consider put up a few trades... ;)
MARKET and RE-SALE of PAPER and NIBS
The next tip, as Ned wisely pointed out, is: all paper and nibs buildings AT LEVEL 1 already produce enough materials for you to more or less build a book of each type a day.
But we already saw that we will only be able to produce (give or take...) ONE BOOK a day with the level 3 Bookbinder.
So what does this mean?
This means that you may not want to invest heavily on this chain right now and simply generate enough raw materials to build your daily book.
OR
You may want to invest on this chain and build up lots of stock for re-sale. I suspect some high level players will not bother building papermills and nibsmiths (as their islands are full of high level buildings already, thus making space a premium) and, as such, there will always be a (perhaps small?) market for the re-sale of these goods.
Right now (today, 13th of June 2013) the market is crazy because no one really knows how much these new goods are really worth.
In my opinion they aren't worth a lot - the overinflated prices we're seeing at simply the direct result of novelty... they will wear down - big time.
So if you want to make a quick buck, today (and perhaps the next few) is the day...
BOOK CHAINS
The other thing you may want to do is to start stocking up Manuscripts. I'll say it again: you won't be able to trade books in the Trade Office (just the raw materials)
BUT!
you will need to use 1 Manuscript to build a Tome
AND!
you will need to use 1 Tome to build a Codex
In my opinion it is pointless to build the Codex chain right now. It is VERY expensive (lots of granite from the start!).
Best to stick with the Manuscript one (I have mine levelled at 3 but that's because I want to see if I can trade some of the raw materials on TO) AND MAYBE the Tome chain.
For the Tome chain I left both paper and nib buildings at level 1 - and I think I will let them stay that way. Unbuffed even, since I won't be making that many Tomes from the start anyway (need to build Manuscripts first, remember?). Because of this I will have surplus of intermediate paper and nibs and, as such, will be able to trade some of these goods on TO. Besides to level the Tome chain you need a lot of gold coins from the start...
BOOK BUFFS and some SPECULATION
The next thing I want to say (and this is pure speculation as I write this so please don't take it as gospel) is that this is the way things are NOW.
And I think they are likely to change.
HOW?
Well, the first thing is something we will be getting soon as a present: the Bookbinder Glue. This will accelerate the book production.
So, I suspect we will be seeing such buffs for sale at the Merchant's quite soon... probably for gems (remember we got a weekly increase? well, probably because we're going to have nice new things to spend them on...)
The second thing is more long term.
Remember that at a later stage we will be able to assign books to production buildings, right?
So, maybe the Bookbinder will be one such case. Which means that assigning books to it may reduced book building time, less usage of input resources, increased output, more than one book at a time production, etc.
We don't know exactly how things will evolve - but we can try and foresee a few scenarios and pick a strategy for ourselves.
Main thing is: be ready to adapt when things change making your strategy not as efficient!
Anyway, I hope you have found these notes interesting and useful.
Feel free to comment, make suggestions or ask questions on chat/email. I'll try and post here the new content emerging from said suggestions, comments and chats!
Happy Settlering!
Friday, 31 May 2013
Efficient Building Placement Map
Dear Guildies,
This map used to be available online but, it seems not anymore... Fortunately I had saved it onto my hard-drive and, as such, I post it here once more.
(this was not created by me so all credit goes to its creators, TCarrcon, SageSmurf, RubendePuben and Dynuel! Thanks!)
This map used to be available online but, it seems not anymore... Fortunately I had saved it onto my hard-drive and, as such, I post it here once more.
(this was not created by me so all credit goes to its creators, TCarrcon, SageSmurf, RubendePuben and Dynuel! Thanks!)
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