Tricks... Have Any?

[DeletedUser]

I thought it would be cool to have a place to write down some cool tricks you have that you think no one else (or very few people) know. So... here it is! Please post if you think you have a cool trick you would like to share!

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I have been surprised at how many people don't know this, because it is on the "Did you know" tips on the loading screen sometimes, but if you click on one building with stuff to collect, and then drag the mouse across all the buildings, it will collect them all without you having to click on each individual one.

 

[DeletedUser4844]

I could tell you my tricks, but then I'd have to plunder you.

More seriously, most people want to get stuff polished from guildmembers/friends/neighbors. That's great if it happens, but sometimes everyone hits you at the same time and then you don't have the polishing needed at a later point. Getting happiness to 1.4 times population is critical enough I would rather not leave it to chance, so I jst try to always have enough happiness even without polishing that I can get to that.

THis also allows me to request that people only motivate my stuff. No polishing needed. That makes me a little more resistant to plundering.

 

[*Arturis*]

It is the best idea to organize your city into zone of residential/industrial/culture/supply/GB. I see lot of people having their city built all over the place which makes it so hard to Motivate/Polish. Best way to make room in your city is try to have the least number of road possible.
@Za Sen I remember those early day when you have to click and collect one by one, imagine doing that with 76 houses and collect and reset 25 blacksmith lol.

 

[DeletedUser]

Any time you have a quest that sais build/sell # buildings, without specifying type, use a trail road, it works hehe.

 

[*Arturis*]

Maximum number of friend you can have is 141 including yourself. Although the everyday M/P is tiresome but in the long run you will have great benefit from everyday M/P, donation to your GB, and good trading.
Put the (Polish/Supply/Coin) PSC/SPC/CSP/CCC/PPP/SSS etc in your city name or your profile to tell other what you want in term of priority in your city.
Don't do quick battle for the battle you think you have only 75% chance of winning, let it play out even in auto mode.
Try to get those GB with good and happiness bonus, it will save you lots of space from building good or culture buildings in your city.
The last BP required for your GB is very hard to get, if you can afford it buy it with 200 diamond. Trust me, it is worth it.

 

[DeletedUser]

i think those are more tips than they are tricks, nevertheless very good tips hehe

dont think this game HAS alot of actual tricks per say anway

 

[DeletedUser2382]

A few of mine I will share:
1) Battle on the map (NOT PvP battles):
Always attack, then retreat, then actually attack. You will not only get a good look at the terrain (useful for rangers, etc), but will see the movements of AI troops, surrender before any siege, etc. gets an attack in. You will get the same terrain and movements on the next attack. Since long range troops act last, this shouldn't ever be a problem. Repeat if necessary to know your defender. Understand the game mechanics and use troops that will exploit this terrain and unit movement.

Not so much use for your neighbors, heh, but I would also recommend keeping an eye/record with what they defend with, most players never change their defense until they advance--you should change yours, keep them guessing.

2) Acquiring BPs from fp donation:
Befriend players with the building you're targeting and having no luck with p/m-ing, they're not hard to find. Next time your fp meter is full, throw one point each on 10 different players buildings (of the same type). Check your great buildings tab in the town hall when you check in and keep an eye out for the best deals as buildings start nearing the next level. You should always keep a forge point package(s) for just such an occasion. Also I suggest saving diamonds acquired within the game for that 9th elusive bp on a GB you're gunning for. Best bang for your diamond buck in the game.

3) Real Estate
You can always stick a military building between buildings (disconnected) for temporary space, provided its a building you need-hence don't want to rebuild-but don't need to build new units of the type for the time being. You always want your culture, gold, and supply buildings connected, but if you don't need the troops, it doesn't really effect the military buildings, as you can still attack with what you have.

You should also strive for ZERO decorations, as in having no space to put any, and minimize your roads. Decorations give an option to the visitor to p/m something you don't want him or her to polish when there's better options for yourself. Besides, when broken down, arguably the only real strategy within the game is puzzling your city together for maximum efficiency. Wherever there's a road or decoration that's unnecessary, that's space that could of granted you something else.

 

[DeletedUser4844]

I save my diamonds (few, and far between, since I don't ever buy them) for extra city expansions. Generally diamonds spent on premium structures or technologies are either superseded by better, non-premium technologies as you get to higher ages, or cost ludicrous amounts (if in the last age or two of the game). Diamonds spent for great buildings allow you to get those GBs faster, but you will eventually get them anyway, you will never get those city expansions that you need diamonds to buy.

I have to admit that spending diamonds on GBs is very tempting. I currently have 4 GBs that are just one blueprint away from a complete set, and I keep getting the wrong blueprints. I have patience though.

 

[DeletedUser1862]

I use the military units gained through quests to 'get a foot in the door' on some of the towers and earn a few medals that way, I'm currently waiting on building the 1k medal expansion that way, and using the diamonds you get from the rare quests that give them, to keep those units alive if you make a mistake and get them killed accidentally.
I also used some of them to get an expansion (I wish I hadn't now, as it cost me some troops).

I tend to use most of the tricks that other players have mentioned here as well.

Also, make sure to motivate/polish everyone you can, as often as you can. It's only 20 coins each, but those add up quickly.

 

[DeletedUser]

Build bigger prod. buildings. There are times when 4 smaller buildings produce more than one larger one which takes up the same space, but the benefit comes from Motivating. When you have 4 smaller buildings, it takes 4 people to motivate them to a level which competes with one larger building getting Motivated by one person. So building a larger prod. building frees up other building for Motivation.

 

[*Arturis*]

Build bigger prod. buildings. There are times when 4 smaller buildings produce more than one larger one which takes up the same space, but the benefit comes from Motivating. When you have 4 smaller buildings, it takes 4 people to motivate them to a level which competes with one larger building getting Motivated by one person. So building a larger prod. building frees up other building for Motivation.

Yep, my favorite supply building is pottery, easy to build and much better yield when motivated than blacksmith.

 

[DeletedUser1862]

I prefer the smaller ones, for less space (better to fit into those smaller spots), less population and increased production. I generally set things to 15 min, so motivation doesn't play a significant part.
I guess it's part of the strategy of the game, if you can't play as often, the larger ones seem to be better

 

[DeletedUser2145]

Or if you're feeling lazy and would rather collect over a longer period than a shorter one. Although, all jokes aside, if you have a GB boost it pays out to have bigger production buildings. Same goes with residential housing - longer production houses give a better outcome if you have St. Marks. Now if you have a GB that gives a population increase, you could even just go with 5 or 15 minute houses and get a way better outcome. Lots of ways to play the game, obviously.

 

[DeletedUser]

I suggest when you attack something, if you can and when you win, plunder something that produces supplies. I plundered a pottery (14 points till Iron Age) and the pottery gave me 249 supplies. The guy's going to be mad because it takes a day to make and I got it in 2 minutes.
Also, keep your buying of forge points to a certain level because they still replenish.

 

[DeletedUser]

Disagree on the not buying forge points. Buy as many FP's as you can, as often as you can, within reason of course. The faster you move through the tech tree, the faster you unlock expansions and new techs that provide higher yield of coins and supplies. Yes, they get very expensive after a while. This is why St. Mark's is, in my humble opinion the best GB of all, and the first one I would recommend to build if you don't have any GB's yet.

My next FP is going to cost me somewhere around 70K coins, but that is affordable when I can produce roughly 600K coins with the help of St. Marks. I went through IA in about 3 weeks, and hope to blast through the Progressive Era in the same time or less. Meaning, while other players are still slogging through earlier ages, I will have been able to construct new buildings with greater yields.

I really can't say enough about buying FP's as often as you can. In my opinion, it is probably the #1 key to being successful and advancing in the game faster.

 

[Klondike Kat the Faire]

It seems I find more hidden blueprints by motivating houses. Keep an expansion clear as long as possible to organize buildings easier and to upgrade housing.

 

[DeletedUser4844]

The faster you move through the tech tree, the faster you unlock expansions and new techs that provide higher yield of coins and supplies. Yes, they get very expensive after a while. This is why St. Mark's is, in my humble opinion the best GB of all, and the first one I would recommend to build if you don't have any GB's yet.

Ironically, the biggest thing that slows many players down in terms of moving through the tech tree is contributing FPs to GBs. It can get you blueprints, which will get you the GB faster but, IMO, since you get the blueprints anyway, just at a slower rate, from polishing and motivating people, you're better off spending all forge points on tech until you are done with the tech tree.

Also, if you spend all your coins on FPs, then you can't buy city expansions, and you won't be able to afford new structures in your city, such as residences, and the supply buildings which are even more needed to buy new residences. Since rsidences are a huge factor in how much coin you get, neither they, nor supply buildings, can be ignored in favor of FPs. Since cultural buildings also effectively contribute to supplies and coins (until you get happiness to 1.4 times your population) you also can't ignore those in favor of just buying FPs. Then you also can't ignore goods buildings as those are needed to unlock things on the tech tree. Military buildings are also necessary in order to conquer goods deposits provinces and city expansion provinces, which allow you to produce more goods, and more coins, respectively, and thus also help you advance on the tech tree. So, while I agree that buying FPs is actually a good thing, I think it should only be done as long as you will be able to afford the other buildings in your city that you need to get coins (either directly or indirectly) or otherwise expand through the tech tree.

 

[DeletedUser1862]

Also, it's become rare for someone to actually finish off a level of Great Buildings, so using Forge Points for those were more effective in the past. I'm usually in the top three ranks of Buildings, but most of my blueprints now come from m/p instead.

 

[DeletedUser]

Disagree on the not buying forge points. Buy as many FP's as you can, as often as you can, within reason of course. The faster you move through the tech tree, the faster you unlock expansions and new techs that provide higher yield of coins and supplies. Yes, they get very expensive after a while. This is why St. Mark's is, in my humble opinion the best GB of all, and the first one I would recommend to build if you don't have any GB's yet.

My next FP is going to cost me somewhere around 70K coins, but that is affordable when I can produce roughly 600K coins with the help of St. Marks. I went through IA in about 3 weeks, and hope to blast through the Progressive Era in the same time or less. Meaning, while other players are still slogging through earlier ages, I will have been able to construct new buildings with greater yields.

I really can't say enough about buying FP's as often as you can. In my opinion, it is probably the #1 key to being successful and advancing in the game faster.

I somewhat agree, but I would stop buying them once they reach 1,000 coins cost. You should spend time building up your city, not trying to advance because when you get to Iron Age, you want to have a well developed city.

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Yep, my favorite supply building is pottery, easy to build and much better yield when motivated than blacksmith.

Not just pottery, but fruit farm is better but takes up space. I say for every 1 fruit farm (if you have space), put roughly 2 pottery buildings.

 

[DeletedUser2382]

Early on this is very true Doggy, but as you advance, 1k gold is really, really nothing. I collect just over half a mill every 24 hours, not to mention, there's not much else to spend it on at that point. The key is balance, same as always. You might as well spend your surplus rather than hoard, you simply don't want to buy forge points if that means you would then have to WAIT to complete something else. That is indeed self-defeating.