[Question] Military vs Materials

[DeletedUser]

I'm finally realizing that with this game there are essentially two sides, the military/PVP side and the material gathering side. What do I mean?

1. You can have a lot of material-producing buildings and very little military (only enough to defend), and almost never participate in the PVP and map battles (instead you negotiate with materials)

- or -

2. You can have a great amount of military and only the minimum amount of material-producing buildings (enough to meet the research requirements).

Right now as it stands I have been #1 and always been #1 since I felt it convenient to just produce the materials since it is the sure-fire way to proceed in the game (as opposed to possibly losing the map sector battles on the military side). My question essentially: is the grass greener on the other side? I am currently in the Progressive Era and having to produce a metric buttload of Industrial Era materials (well over 1000 of each of the five materials from that era, so far) just to proceed/negotiate through the map sectors. This is a very slow and drawn out process, and can get overwhelming and even boring at times. Maybe the game is trying to tell me to go towards the military side and take them down faster? I don't know, but I would like some insight on what others have been doing.. is there a proper balance between the two?

 

[DeletedUser5500]

In my opinion, you are wasting your goods, i think you should battle. it is more economical. its cheaper, and the buildings may take less population (i'm not sure about the army buildings for progressive, as i am not there yet) but they can be smaller, and battling is always fun. but don't go by what i said, its just my opinion. you can do what you want to do, but i like to keep at least 2 goods buildings (atm, i have 5) so that i always have extra, as you don't want to run out of early age goods, but i mostly get my goods from my great buildings, and if you need population, building the capitol (industrial), or babel (bronze) is something to look into. and also, from not battling, you miss out on medals.

 

[DeletedUser6172]

If you run the GvG numbers, the saddle point where the garrison costs match the siege costs (270 goods of each type for that age) is only 14 owned sectors, and the top several guilds will all own more than 14 sectors per GvG map. You'll need goods more than you'll need troops.

While Alcatraz helps by generating unassigned troop, you can ONLY accumulate 5 assigned troops per building and that only takes 1 day. You'll ALWAYS need more goods, so don't waste them.

You global rank depends on your Battle Points. Everybody is going to have essentially the same amount of points from Supplies, Coins, and Buildings, so you need Battle Points to break out of the pack.

My conclusion? You should ALWAYS attack twice, or even three times on the Provincial map, before you give in to the temptation to negotiate for a sector.
* It keeps your military busy
* You can practice your PvP skills at your leisure
* You'll probably end up with some medals, and thereby more expansions
* You'll have a much higher rank, both globally and within your guild

You'll need goods to progress on the tech tree and for success in GvG.
* Use troops when you can
* Use goods when you must

"There is nothing more common than to find considerations of supply affecting the strategic lines of a campaign and a war."
- Carl von Clausevitz

 

[DeletedUser10076]

I always been a military player. I used the goods gained through plunder to negiotate through the map. this allowed to play ahead on the map and recieve expansions quickier.

However as the cost of sectors grew I could no longer support this and had to use my army on the C map. I still play ahead but there is no way I'll be paying 200 some odd goods per sector.

In short since the cost of sectors is so low at the beginning(it usually only took me a couple raiding sweeps up to LMA) I do believe its best to just bargian for sectors ealry, and fight for them later. As far as doing it for pvp points well imo thats what the hood is for, I want to plow through the map as quickly as possible so I can build current goods and get those expansions.

 

[DeletedUser]

My conclusion? You should ALWAYS attack twice, or even three times on the Provincial map, before you give in to the temptation to negotiate for a sector.
* It keeps your military busy
* You can practice your PvP skills at your leisure
* You'll probably end up with some medals, and thereby more expansions
* You'll have a much higher rank, both globally and within your guild

You'll need goods to progress on the tech tree and for success in GvG.
* Use troops when you can
* Use goods when you must

This is actually the advice I think I was mostly looking for... I know that PVP/battles are fun in the game since in the early eras I used to clean house with military. Regardless, I have already started the 'conversion' of building up my Progressive Era military by removing some goods buildings I will no longer need. It will be a long process, but then again, I am used to long processes in this game as is.

Thanks

 

[DeletedUser8796]

I prefer PVP its more fun then GvG or watching timers on goods buildings.

 

[DeletedUser5500]

agreed shady

 

[DeletedUser5196]

I personally, prefer GvG to PvP, the team aspect has really grown on me and with so many Watchtowers and Maxed Out Military GB's in my Neighborhood, GvG has won me over.

 

[DeletedUser]

Alcatraz is the great leveler that allows you to do it all, gather goods and wage war. With Alcatraz all you need is 1 troop barrack (generally heavy, or rogue) and the space used up by Alcatraz is covered in the happiness it gives at higher levels, so it only costs you a minimal amount of space (what it would cost you to maintain a defense army).

 

[DeletedUser]

I am simply terrible with Military, so it takes me far less time to produce Goods to NEG sectors than to attempt to battle, lose, and retrain troops.

Play to your strengths, many people go by "Battles = Best Way", however I am non-military and on Fel Server was in discussion with my Guild on matters of leaving G server to dedicate more time, and was called a "key player"... and I am in the Guild Spirit of the Wolf, which is the #1 Guild much of the time, switching only every so often with THE PRIDE. I have poach attempts on me constantly, am rarely if ever attacked (let alone plundered), am currently sitting on enough Supplies and Tools, and excess Happiness, that I honestly don't need the CSP labels as my town is quite self-sustaining, and though only halfway through HMA on the Tech Tree am nearly done the LMA Sectors by NEG alone... Yet in Military matters, I cannot beat someone an Age below me.