I'll try to adress the topics that have sprouted from pages 4-9 and I consider relevant enough (either to deepen the discussion or to clarify before misinformation spreads).
1. HMA vs Colonial
@Ozyman Tremble Weaklings @doardeproba and others
I've posted a summary of how I arrived to the conclusion that HMA is better than Colonial, it is in the newly made FAQ section (after all the annexes).
I made the numbers really fast so let me know if there are any mistakes (the old code got changed so much and that part wasn't working anymore).
2. This guide vs CR guide.
For the ones that arrived "late to the party" and for obvious reasons don't want to scroll a 50 pages thread.
@gutmeister @Salsuero@JCera
This guide, as it is now, has VERY LITTLE to do with CR HQS guide.
I'll post the thoughts I had in different periods of time.
It is unecessarily detailed, (read only if you are as bored as I am now). But I want to close this topic one and for all.
During my first day of gameplay, I did some research through google and wikia, and discovered RQ in bronze age quest looping in a blog as an explanation about "how to get free diamonds".
I tested it for a day, and decided it wasn't good because not being able to donate FP to other people GB's was too restrictive.
Then I advanced tech while doing some RQs, I guess that part of my gameplay was the same than anyone who knows about RQs. Nothing too brilliant, nothing to disgraceful.
I did that until HMA, where the research tree showed a 2x3 production building. I knew Colonial also had a 2x3 and more expansions, but I was superafraid to advance because I knew at some point produce 2x 24h quests become 4x 24h quests, and I didn't know when. And I had read about bonus quests, but the explanations where very confusing.
~1 week after being in HMA, I found CR thread. I was really happy to do so. I found someone who, on his own, developed a strategy that was similar to mine, but had more experience on it. I finally found a good explanation about bonus quests, and learnt that the 4x 24h quest are in Ind. Age (I think it was then?).
I commented on the things that had potential to be improved (or at least discussed). But you know how CR is, he only accepts fervent followers, and I am a person who likes to question everything.
I kept my distance from CR, but kept checking and participating in the thread. At the same time I did some numbers and tested some stuff, while my city was growing. And I keep doing so, until this day.
So, what do this guide and CR have in common? We both do RQ and we parked in an age but so does the 90% of the "advanced" player base.
What are the main differences?
1- I park in HMA, CR parks in Colonial. He eventually leaves Colonial when his GB are 10. I don't plan leave HMA until I need more space for terrace farms.
2- CR levels GB until lvl 10 because "past lvl 10 they are not efficient". This is very simplistic. I analyse GBs and lvls in a case by case basis, and advise to only level them when the ROI is high enough (this usually means having several GBs at low lvl until arc is done).
3- I advise to rush 80 arc as soon as posible (that is, as soon as you have a FP production that lets you finish it in a decent amount of days). We do not know the ultimate plan of CR, because he left the game before finishing the guide without saying a word. I have a feeling that he made a new account called Prisca the Friendly, but I might be too rash on him.
4- CR seems to consider RQ some sort of God, being the beginning and end of all. I use RQ only as a means of getting FP, and all the goods I'll ever need and more.
5- I do not seek believers. You can take whatever parts of the guide you want and adapt it to your circumstances. The world won't crumble if you do so, nor will I. My motivation is to share my experience with the ones that appreciate it, and hopefully spot some mistake in my strategic plan.
6- CR has tested and perfected his strategy with thousands and billions of guildmates
... how can be 2 shens if only 7 million ppl in world?. I... am not that lucky. I have done lots of mistakes in my first "playthrough" (and I keep doing them). Obviously, I advise against my mistakes when I notice them.
7- For "benchmarks" of both strategies you can compare cities. Idk if CR has been deleted or not, but Prisca is around here making some friends. She started a bit earlier than me, bought diamonds to purchase around 50 SoKs and goods for Arc, IT, Museum, AO and I guess I'm missing some. Despite being a big spender, her "perfected version" has lower Fp producion than my "beta version".
If someone thinks I forgot something, feel free to mention it.
I'll check out the find a friend feature. I did GB rankings but that got me mostly people with lvl 3 or 4 CFs, which award only 1 BP per slot. I'd rather invest 60 FPs for 4 or 5 than 20 for 1.