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    Your Elvenar Team

City Planning for a Chapter 3 Elf

Gladiola

Well-Known Member
It's me again, with another newb question. As you may have heard (because I have been talking about it everywhere), I have just entered chapter 3, Elvenar's version of toddlerhood. Everything is changing all at once, and my city is set for a growth spurt. I'm interested in input on how to plan for all these changes as well as my intended choices and balance of buildings.

About my playstyle: I am a combined military/production player; I autofight until I start to lose and then I cater after that. I'm not in a rush. I want to wander slowly through Elvenar accumulating goods and spreading good cheer. I like to trade with my neighbors and fellows and to support my fellowship in tournaments, Spire, and Fellowship Adventures, but my fellowship doesn't have any specific requirements for achievements in any of these. I don't mind tearing down low-level buildings and putting something else in their place. I am very attached to and proud of my Phoenix Rider, so don't suggest that I get rid of it!

My city right now has 13 expansions, and I've posted a link to ElvenArchitect below. I am going to add 3 more expansions to make it 4x4, or 400 total squares. My list of intended buildings is also below. If I mathed correctly (which is always a question) and didn't leave out any important buildings, then I have 330 squares of desired buildings, leaving 70 squares for roads and perhaps temporary constructions for events or FAs or more marble manufactories. (Have I mentioned my fellowship really needs marble?)

What do people think?

Buildings Keeping Their ShapesShapeTotal Size
Main Hall6x636
Magic Academy5x525
Builders Hut3x39
Trader3x412
Grounds of Orc Strategist2x48
Eggshell Pavilion3x412
Phoenix Rider4x312
Marble Manufactories x 42x216
Workshops x 42x216
Workshop x 13x26
152
Buildings Changing Size
Residences x 93x381
Workshops x 23x212
Marble Manufactories x 22x28
Crystal Factories x 33x327
Barracks5x420
148
New Buildings
Golden Abyss3x39
Armory3x39
Elixir Manufactory4x312
30
Grand Total330


https://www.elvenarchitect.com/city/planner/a5c8f09028914b1bac47092fc41349fb/
 

Gladiola

Well-Known Member
Thanks! Now I just need a 5x5 culture building that gives 1635 culture in chapter 3. Maybe the developers could pop one into the event?
 

Sprite1313

Well-Known Member
Heh I was thinking more like small ones which add up to 5x5 perhaps some crafted Lava Codex or whatever the event gives. :p
Yup; those little buildings are nice to tuck into the nooks and crannies. The winter event this year was great for providing those. Hopefully the next event will have some 1x2 or 2x1 culture buildings, too. Then you can increase culture without using all of your CCs.
 

Henroo

Oh Wise One
Thanks! Now I just need a 5x5 culture building that gives 1635 culture in chapter 3. Maybe the developers could pop one into the event?
You will not unlock it until chapter 4, but the Martial Monastery ancient wonder is a 5x5. It will provide you with culture and will give all of your troops a toughness boost. I think MM is one of the important wonders for a player that fights due to the toughness buff.
 

Gladiola

Well-Known Member
the Martial Monastery ancient wonder is a 5x5. It will provide you with culture and will give all of your troops a toughness boost. I think MM is one of the important wonders for a player that fights due to the toughness buff.

Really looking forward to this Wonder! Thanks!
 

Gladiola

Well-Known Member
@SoggyShorts I did get an Eggshell Shrine that gives 720 culture in 3x3.

However, in looking at your layout, all of the buildings are at the highest level for chapter 3, and I don't think I will want or need that. I want to upgrade my manufactories as much as possible, but I let my workshops and barracks lag a bit behind, because really I'm a knitter, not a fighter. (WISH I had a silk boost ...). So I might go with the 2x3 workshops upgraded to the max (level 8), and just one armory, which would free up a fair amount of space, culture, and population, which would mean I didn't need to upgrade the residences as much, which would free up more culture. I am going to play around with it.
 

SoggyShorts

Mathematician par Excellence
in looking at your layout, all of the buildings are at the highest level for chapter 3, and I don't think I will want or need that.
When designing any city layout I start with all max buildings for the end of that chapter and then "downgrade" them to reality. To be honest I almost never reach the final design because in the time it takes to do a chapter something changes (like an event building or a game-changing mechanic from the developers)
I might go with the 2x3 workshops upgraded to the max (level 8)
One thing to consider is always going for max workshops, but fewer of them. Aside from them generally producing more per square including population requirements, the use of a single PoP spell (or even a timer when truly desperate)when you need a boost is much more effective.
 

Gladiola

Well-Known Member
@SoggyShorts I would have 3 workshops upgraded to level 8 (2x3) and then use some of my "free" space for level 2-3 workshops that would also be used for events. I currently have 1 level 8 (just upgraded) and 6 level 3 workshops, and I produce enough supplies that I use the wholesaler every day. I know as my manufactories grow and my barracks is upgraded I'll need more supplies, but I am thinking that having 3 level 8s plus 4 2x2s will be sufficient.

Why 7 workshops, you ask? Based on the story quests and what I've observed in this event, it seems to be a useful number for an event. In a number of instances successive quests call for 4 productions then the next 3 of the same production or some similar combination. Or sometimes it will ask for 6 of something. It also allows sets of 5 fairly readily.

Edit: My need for supplies will also be decreased by having only one armory. Currently I have none. So I'm making supplies (albeit slowly) overnight, but not producing troops. I give up on some troop production, but I'm a pretty conservative fighter anyway. It may not work in the long run, but I think it can carry me through this chapter.
 
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Deleted User - 849402856

Guest
I saw your layout and thought there was still room for some improvement. I tinkered a little bit with your layout. See below.


A few changes:
Lv4 Workshop x3 -> Lv8 Workshop x2
Lv3 Residence x2 -> Lv14 Residence x1
Lv9 Marble Manufactory x2 added
Lv1 Street has been upgraded to Lv3 Street (assuming you are in Ch3)

It seems you are trying to restrain from buying expansions. If that is the case, you should try to use higher-level building as much as possible because spaces become more scarce.
Also, I suspect that you might need more culture for more efficient production.

Below are other observations I noticed from your layout that I consider inefficient:
Streets tend to twist more often than necessary. Compare the layout you posted first on this thread and the layout modified by other people afterward.
Buildings that do not require street access (e.g., culture buildings) tend to be connected to streets, eventually leading to more streets than necessary.
The same types of buildings tend to be scattered around (e.g., residences). Then it becomes more cumbersome to pick up products from the buildings. Also, it makes your city look messier. I usually try to put the same types of buildings together as much as possible.

Finally, I can see that you have planned an Elixir Manufactory on the layout, but you won't build it until toward the end of Ch3 (Please correct me if I am wrong--I am a human, so I am not familiar with Elves research tech tree). I am not sure if setting aside space for it from as early as the beginning of Ch3 is a good idea. I am a newbie, but based on my short experience, you may have to rearrange your city by the time you have made enough progress to build Elixir Manufactories because you may have new event buildings, AWs, crafted buildings, buildings from FA rewards, etc.

I hope it helps.
 

Gladiola

Well-Known Member
Thanks @Kazaaar . I am trying to limit placement of expansions in order to minimize difficulty in Spire and tournaments. (And also just because I like the challenge of being hyper-efficient.) I like your layout a lot better, although I might forego one workshop upgrade and plop another workshop in that empty spot in order to meet my goal of having 7 workshops for events and FA. For elves the T3 production boost unlocks about halfway through the chapter 3 tech tree, but I tend to follow the bottom line (goods manufacturing) first and then do the top line (more military stuff) later. This keeps my squad sizes down and allows my more modest barracks production to keep up. I might end up convincing and negotiating a little more often due to this strategy, but I'm pretty good at convincing and I don't do much province exploration. I find I can fight in the tournament up to round 6.
 

Deleted User - 849402856

Guest
@Gladiola

Oh yeah if you are having the FA in mind, then having some lower-level production buildings makes sense. Also, it's surprising that you can fight up to round 6 in the tourney. I am also in Ch 3, and I usually have to begin catering around round 4. I guess I didn't make the optimal choices in terms of the research tech tree. Maybe I should read some posts on how the squad-size upgrade affects tourney difficulties.

Good luck on rearranging the city layout!
 

NightshadeCS

Well-Known Member
@Gladiola I don't think you need to worry about expansions where you are. Reading the Forum can sometimes have a detrimental effect because there are so many power players posting tips. If you are over-scouting far beyond the provinces required to start the next chapter, then you may want to slow down. But if you are close to what the game suggests, then you can place expansions with little (I think zero) negative effect. All regular research expansions and province expansions, and even a few diamond expansions.
 

Gladiola

Well-Known Member
@NightshadeCS I am not worried about expansions per se. Partly I am enjoying the challenge of fitting a lot in a small space. I also have in mind guest races starting in chapter 6, and if I have a few expansions I haven't placed it seems like it will make that easier. Of course, I could have much more production now in that space, but I'm taking a slow walk through Elvenar and therefore consume coins, supplies and goods at a slower pace. I'm finding that I'm able to build a nice cushion. It helps that I'm in a fellowship that wants all the marble I can produce and will trade pretty much anything for it.
 

Deleted User - 849402856

Guest
@SoggyShorts

Oh thanks for the info! I was just wondering how Gladiola could fight up to round 6 in the tourney, while we both seem to be at similar stages in the game and I could make it to only about round 3 - 4. He may fight manually, and I exclusively auto-fight when I have to fight.

Then what aspect of the game is affected by the SS upgrade? I guess the spire difficulty wouldn't be affected, either. Does the upgrade influence fighting against provinces on the world map?
 

SoggyShorts

Mathematician par Excellence
I was just wondering how Gladiola could fight up to round 6 in the tourney
Perhaps 5-day buildings crafted in the MA? I dunno.
Then what aspect of the game is affected by the SS upgrade?
Just the world map and a few wonders that give bonuses based on SS.
The world map encounters have a fixed number of enemy troops based on the cost in coins spent to scout that province.
So waiting for advanced scouts techs to reduce costs BEFORE scouting reduces the number of troops, researching that tech does nothing after you have scouted.
Researching SS techs increases how many troops you bring to the world map fights and the enemy does not scale off of it, so you can gain a very significant advantage there.
 
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