Questions on magic residences and non-boosted goods

[MagicPagan]

I have four small cities - Chapter 3 for each one. One of the things I've noticed when visiting the neighbors is that some of the ginormous (yes it's a word, I just made it up) cities tend to have all magic residences. Or mostly magic residences with a sprinkling of residences they've upgraded.

My thought about that was conservation of space for culture, especially population, goods or supplies producing culture, which helps out with space. Is there a reason I should be looking at that? I have three magic residences in each of my cities and have upgraded two of them in each city, but man, that gets expensive. I am not as a rule winning any diamonds. If that's a good idea, at what point are the diamonds going to come more cheaply than they are now? When will I start winning them?

Second question is about non-boosted goods. I love, love, love the tutorial on focusing resources and effort on only producing boosted goods, but more and more frequently, I need non-boosted goods to complete the tasks to get to the next chapter. (As an aside, it kind of frosts me to have to use 47 KP for advanced silk manufactory when silk isn't my boosted good.) I broke down the other day and bought one each of some of the more common manufactories of non-boosted goods. I'd rather be spending my coin and goods for upgrades, etc., than with the trader, and only one of my fellowships seems to be actively trading.

Yes, no, maybe? I'm interested in hearing some perspectives and reasoning for them.

 

[AtaguS]

In my city....magic houses and workshops make the most sense because I'm in a 10+ chest fellowship so I am recieving a blueprint in each tournament. But...I go to the top of the spire every week so these houses are just falling into my lap. By the time I'm ready to upgrade my magic houses I have more than enough blueprints and, since I'm winning these houses in the Spire, the whole things costs 0 diamonds. If I didn't have the blueprints and if being in the spire was too costly for my city...I probably would not place the magic houses at all.

On your second point, my opinion is that the bigger issue here is that you're not in a fellowship that actively trades. Are you in a neighborhood with active traders? Sticking to just your boosted (and ya...burning kp to unlock non-boosted sucks but in later chapters you will be building some of them because of sentient goods)...and trading 2 stars or better for the other goods is still the most efficient way to build resources. My offered perspective on this one is to look hard at how attached you are to your non-active-trading fellowships and perhaps seek out something which gives you the best chance at progressing in the game.

Great questions, I'm interested to hear others' perspectives on this too.

 

[crackie]

at what point are the diamonds going to come more cheaply than they are now? When will I start winning them?

Chapter 3 where you are because that’s when you have access to the Spire. You have good individual chances at winning diamonds at the gates, but even more if your fellowship is active and participating too. If they get the purple bar to Gateway, that’s 50 diamonds a week. Next bar is even more diamonds. You can even win magic buildings in the Spire! However, it is recommended you get Magic Academy to Level 5 with your diamonds first.

As to acquiring non-boosted goods, you need a fellowship preferably run by someone that knows what they are doing. Early chapter, the fellowship greatly extends your free trading network bc you likely haven’t scouted very wide yet to reach active neighbors. If your trades are sitting and your fellowship isn’t helping out, FIND A NEW ONE.

I have been helping a lot of the baby cities that popped up in the desert around me. One of the “false” beliefs they commonly hold is to want to be with other cities of their size and chapter. But a lot of cities of their size and chapter have not been guided properly to produce boosted goods. If you get your city in order, you will likely be more productive than some medium chapter cities because Spire and Tourneys are least expensive when you are at beginning chapters. Therefore, you will be the prodigy running laps around the other babies and by no way, shape, or form be growing at the same rate even if you all start together. I’ll follow up with them again and they will be a top 5 tourney placer in their tourney. Then it becomes easier to convince them that they need a new fellowship bc their cities are more functional than the mages and Archmage in Fairies that don’t know what they are doing and not guiding their baby cities along. It’s more important to find fellowship with same playing style than chapter/size. Don’t be intimidated by size bc you have a LOT to contribute as an early city. You can climb further on Spire usually and make more bracelets in Fellowship Adventures. In return, it’s easy for the medium and large cities to gobble your trades so they rarely sit in the trader collecting flies.

 

[Lelanya]

I have to agree with @crackie, was wondering about that as well.

 

[MagicPagan]

Good information, thanks very much. I learn so much in the forums.

 

[Gath Of Baal]

My thought about that was conservation of space for culture, especially population, goods or supplies producing culture, which helps out with space. Is there a reason I should be looking at that? I have three magic residences in each of my cities and have upgraded two of them in each city, but man, that gets expensive.

I'm assuming you spent 4200 diamonds to buy your Magic Residences and then 300 diamonds per each chapter for each residence to upgrade them?

In my opinion having Magic Residences so early in the game is kind of a diamond dump and a waste if you are not in a 10 chest fellowship and earning blueprints. Even then if you have a lot of Magic Residences you will never be able to keep up with the blueprints to upgrade them as the early chapters players tend to fly through each chapter. I would look to join a 10 chest fellowship and wait un till you are in a later chapter that takes longer to progress through to start massing Magical anything. When ever you purchase a Magic Residence or Magic Workshop it starts off the max for whatever chapter you are in so if you are in chapter 7 and buy one and place it, it starts off maxed for that chapter. The longer chapters will give you time to amass blueprints also to be able to upgrade everything when you hit the next chapter.

I know everyone wants the space and extra population at the start and the Magical Residences seem at first like a good thing to have right away, but you really do not need them in the beginning, unless you do not mind the diamond dump they will turn into as you fly through the first chapters of the game.

Just my 2 cents

 

[MagicPagan]

I'm assuming you spent 4200 diamonds to buy your Magic Residences and then 300 diamonds per each chapter for each residence to upgrade them?

In my opinion having Magic Residences so early in the game is kind of a diamond dump and a waste if you are not in a 10 chest fellowship and earning blueprints. Even then if you have a lot of Magic Residences you will never be able to keep up with the blueprints to upgrade them as the early chapters players tend to fly through each chapter. I would look to join a 10 chest fellowship and wait un till you are in a later chapter that takes longer to progress through to start massing Magical anything. When ever you purchase a Magic Residence or Magic Workshop it starts off the max for whatever chapter you are in so if you are in chapter 7 and buy one and place it, it starts off maxed for that chapter. The longer chapters will give you time to amass blueprints also to be able to upgrade everything when you hit the next chapter.

I know everyone wants the space and extra population at the start and the Magical Residences seem at first like a good thing to have right away, but you really do not need them in the beginning, unless you do not mind the diamond dump they will turn into as you fly through the first chapters of the game.

Just my 2 cents

No, no. 300 to buy X 12, then 300 to upgrade X 8. All in to date at 6K.

What you are saying makes a lot of sense. And I have on average a dozen residences in each city that are not magic residences - waiting to be able to upgrade them past L8.

 

[Gladiola]

My city is about halfway through chapter 3, so we are approximately the same size. First, it's important to be producing a sufficient quantity of your boosted goods to have them available for trade. I have what is probably close to the minimum of factories: eight max-leveled marbles (level 9), 3 crystal factories between level 8 and the max of 10, and one elixir factory level 3. I am going to max the crystal factories to level 10 and the elixir to level 4 in the next couple days. Having a good relics boost is also important, so hit the tournaments (Or have less of a boost and more factories. My boosts are between 241% and 433% depending on whether there's been a tournament for that good since I started as well as whether I've gotten them from crafting.)

So, once you've got production going of your boosted goods, then you need to start trading. Ideally you are in a fellowship with some larger players who can take all your trades, or else you have friendly neighbors who can do the same. If you are not, either encourage your fellows who have non-boosted goods to grow or find another fellowship.

I'm always "trading ahead" for my non-boosted goods. Don't trade for the goods you NEED. Trade for the goods you WILL need. I try to keep approximately the same amount of each tier of goods on hand, with the lowest amount being my boosted good (because I can always make more of it in 3 hours). Right now in chapter 3 I'm aiming for minimum stores of 10k t1, 5k t2, and 1k t3 goods. Sometimes I am lower if I am unlocking provinces for a tournament or went wild in the spire, but I try to bring it back to that quickly. With those amounts I never have to wait to complete a research or building upgrade.

Regarding magic residences, I'm hoping to get lucky and eventually win one in the Spire. If not, I might buy one or two with diamonds I win in the Spire after I finish upgrading my Magic Academy. I am in a 10-chest fellowship, so I get a blueprint every week and could afford to upgrade 2-3 magic residences on an ongoing basis assuming I ever get one.

 

[Sprite1313]

I agree with what others have said. If you keep going up the spire, you will win free magic houses and workshops. If you are patient, you can avoid spending to upgrade them. Also, as others have said, you need to be in a fellowship with mixed-level cities. The larger cities can help you grow, and you help the FS by climbing to the top of the spire pretty cheaply (compared to what it would cost a late-game city). If you are in a 10-chest FS, you will get blueprints to upgrade buildings, too. Right now, you are racing through chapters, but that will slow down once you hit guest races. Those are designed to take weeks for each chapter, so enough time to earn blueprints to upgrade.

Definitely stick with your boosted goods. The difference in what you can produce is tremendous. My boosted manus produce 10x the amount of materials that a non-boosted at the same level would. And AWs like the Mountain Halls only work on boosted manufactories, so that will compound the value of boosted manus as you progress.

Right now in chapter 3 I'm aiming for minimum stores of 10k t1, 5k t2, and 1k t3 goods.

I’d actually aim higher than that, if you can, though this is a great approach to moving forward. Very soon those amounts are going to leave you tech locked (which has some pros, for slowing down to upgrade buildings and AWs). You will also start to struggle in spire and/or tourney before you are really able to fight them.

Good luck.

 

[Darielle]

What everyone else said!

If you feel so strapped for goods that you have to build non boosts, then you're in the wrong fellowship. You need to find a better one. First, click on your score while in the game (at the upper left of the screen). Click on the "Fellowships" tab and then browse some fellowships that have openings. Aim for a little higher than what you are in now. Click on each fellowship and read their "overview." You can usually find out a lot about how the fellowship "feels" by reading the overview.

When you've found a few you like, write down the names of the fellowships and then go to elvenstats.com. Click on the "fellowships" tab and type in the search bar the names (one at a time). Check out each fellowship.

First, check to see if they need your boosted items. If they have a glut of your boosts and are looking for the same things you are, then they aren't the right fit.

Next, check to see if there are any black triangles next to members' names. If there are, that means those players are not active. Too many black triangles is a big red flag.

Next, check out the stats for the week ... see if they did the tourney, if they had a lot of growth, etc.

Finally, check out the Archmage of the group by clicking the "players" tab and typing in the name of the archmage. See if they have made a lot of progress that week or if they are just "meh." The best fellowships have terrific archmages who are VERY active.

Once you hone in on the fellowship you like, see if they have a join button and join. Or else, message the Archmage and tell them you'd like to join. If they need your boosts, they'll probably welcome you with open arms.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Darielle]

Oh one more thing ... you should check out the stats for a fellowship you're looking at by seeing how well they've done in the spire. At chapter three, you can start the spire and it's a FANTASTIC way to earn diamonds. Be warned, however, it isn't cheap. You'll need to get rid of those nonboosted factories in order to have enough boosted factories to play the spire. It takes a lot of goods, but it's definitely worth it.

If the fellowship you're looking at always makes "bronze" level in the spire, you know that you can make 50 diamonds a week by completing the first floor (four rooms, each with four chests). If they make it to the silver level, that's a guaranteed 125 diamonds a week IF you can make it through the first two levels. That's tough for a new player, but doable.

I play to the top of the spire every week, so I earn at least 275 diamonds per week (provided my team gets the purple bar to gold. The team rarely misses it.) In order to negotiate the spirits I have 6 T1 factories, 6T2 and 4 T3. All boosted, of course. It suits me well and I never run out of goods to get gold each week. It's like I'm trading a bunch of goods each week for diamonds, and that's fine by me.

 

[Gladiola]

@Sprite1313 what I am aiming for keeps changing. Last week it was more like 5k t1, 2k t2 and 1k t3 goods. I haven't run out of anything yet, although the Fellowship Adventure is going to be a challenge with all those one and two day productions that are so inefficient.

 

[Darielle]

@Sprite1313 what I am aiming for keeps changing. Last week it was more like 5k t1, 2k t2 and 1k t3 goods. I haven't run out of anything yet, although the Fellowship Adventure is going to be a challenge with all those one and two day productions that are so inefficient.

Make sure you build level 1 factories for those 2 day items. Don't waste your leveled up factories building the 2 day things. I'm sure you'll do well.

 

[Gladiola]

@Darielle my city is pretty compact, but I'm adding 4 factories. Fortunately I'm marble boosted, so I can get them to fit.

 

[samidodamage]

Fortunately I'm marble boosted, so I can get them to fit.

The badges for necklaces and statues don't need to be your boosted goods, nor do you have to have the same productions (all planks/all marble for example); any combination of three 24hr productions (necklaces) and two 48hr productions (statues) will work. Of course, using as many boosted as possible does add more goods to the bracelet badge at the same time. But, if there's a spot for a planks factory (ex: end of a road that's going the wrong way for marble) you can still make use of a planks factory there (if you're an elf; humans only have one lvl 1 factory that's only 2 squares and I think it's marble).

 

[Gladiola]

Thanks for the ideas! The major limiting factors in my city are both space and population. I do have six empty squares, but they are not adjacent to a road. I could teleport some factories, but I don't want to lose the production -- goods are still precious to me, and only have 5 teleport spells and would rather save them.

https://www.elvenarchitect.com/city/planner/bf4de430c1a646aa96caee475d4e36b7/

 

[crackie]

If you're not only reading the forums but also asking questions, you're already so far ahead of the game! You'll know things like why the 10th chest in tourney, royal restorations, boosted goods, and Spire are so important. You will no longer fit in well with a fellowship comprised of 24 solo artists that play as if the fellowship doesn't exist. Once you've realize this, you should find a better fellowship ASAP. Every week you linger with a bunch of underachievers, you're missing out on blueprints and diamonds! On top of what @Darielle already said about finding a new fellowship, I would also add if you're in like a 5-chest fellowship where half the players have a sub-500 score and the archmage is telling YOU to be patient and the FS will grow into a 10-chest fellowship in time...RUN! That Archmage doesn't know how to run a functional fellowship.

 

[crackie]

@Gladiola I would start by asking how gung ho or what level of commitment is your FS to the FA?

 

[Gladiola]

@crackie I joined partway through the last FA so I couldn't participate. They were going at it pretty hard and ended up I think number 21 on Arendyll. But this time they say they want to be more laid back. Maybe they will catch the fever.

I think with some careful planning I should be able to pull my own weight. I have 12 t1 factories now, and although I'm light on workshops I will at least be able to contribute lots of dwarven brewery badges. I also have been saving CCs to do crafting, and I outperform my fellowship mates in Spire usually so I can get ghost badges.

 

[crackie]

If I were to go all out, the 5 teleports will be used on the 3 crystal, 1 elixir, and 1 armory. The orc strategist will be sold off. In its place, I will be jamming in as many level 9 marbles. Whatever nook and crannies are left, I jam in level 1 planks for necklaces/statues. My army will be cranked out on granny gear this week so my tourney/spire will be catered. The orc strategist will be re-crafted for an arcane residue to be replaced after the FA. Since I am in a decent mix level FS, I will not be worrying about blacksmiths at all and be leaving that for the big boys and girls with more space. My big workshops will be on carpenters. I will sparkle my 15 or so level 9 marble manus each morning and every 3 hrs, this baby city will be a bracelet making machine! I will go up to my Chap 17 archmage and say, "Yo, wazzup?? How you like 3-4 bracelets every 3hrs!" (snap in a zigzag pattern, turn around, and walk away) I will then have a gigantic stash of marbles to trade, which I will then use to support my Spire gambling habit.