Impressions-Style City Builders?--(Morphed into the "BANISHED" Thread)

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Got to year 5 last night on a rather spiffy setup. Stone, however, is a major issue.

Yeah, you need to travel far afield quickly to keep up with stone demands. Iron too, once you start building the more advanced buildings. Quarries and mines are pretty cool, but they take a lot of resources (and real estate) to build and really are only efficient once you get four or more workers into them.

It's been mentioned upthread, but plotting a small stockpile out in the boonies before you send your laborers out to clear forest/rocks/iron is a HUGE time saver. Instead of walking all the way back to town to drop off the goods, they'll just dump them nearby and go back to work. Once you're done, you can "destroy" the stockpile and your laborers will haul it all back to your central hub.

Also also, spreading out your resource stockpiles is a good plan in case of disaster, as my fire taught me.

[Coffee Warlord]

Of course, while I'm at work and thinking about the game, my OCD kicks in and I know I'm gonna start over tonight, under the guise of, "I can do better!"

[Buccaneer]

It does sound like trying to stay alive and grow are good short term goals, plus being able to mitigate negative events.

Got a week-long trip to CA very soon and when I get back, I'll jump in. But probably by then all of you will have been burned out and moved on to something else.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Another thing - laborers (and idle workers who don't have the resources or are capped by your production limits) will tackle jobs in the order you create them. So if you've plotted out a large resource gather, then planned some buildings, the buildings will remain just plans until that resource gather is finished. Keep jobs small and piecemeal or your laborers will be booked solid for seasons at a time.

This might be what's keeping your buildings from being built, Lathum.

[Coffee Warlord]

Yeah, I really wish there was a laborer action queue you could monkey with.

[mrtourette]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

It's been mentioned upthread, but plotting a small stockpile out in the boonies before you send your laborers out to clear forest/rocks/iron is a HUGE time saver. Instead of walking all the way back to town to drop off the goods, they'll just dump them nearby and go back to work. Once you're done, you can "destroy" the stockpile and your laborers will haul it all back to your central hub.

That's pretty awesome, although what do you mean by 'central hub'? Do they move it to another stockpile, and if so which one? And what if there isn't enough space?

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by mrtourette

That's pretty awesome, although what do you mean by 'central hub'? Do they move it to another stockpile, and if so which one? And what if there isn't enough space?

When I started, I plotted a pretty large stockpile near my first few buildings - that's the "central hub" area of my village. If you use stockpiles elsewhere, when you "destroy" them (same thing applies to the wagon your settlers start the game with), laborers will take all of the resources from it and move them to the next closest one with available space before destroying it.

Edit: I haven't tested it much, but if there's no place to stockpile goods I believe they just lie on the ground. Other workers won't e able to use them unless they go to the proper storage place though.

[chinaski]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Got to year 5 last night on a rather spiffy setup. Stone, however, is a major issue.

I just build a trading port and trade firewood for stone/iron. I try to avoid mines and quarries at all costs.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Firewood and a trading post is an awesome combination.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Another thing - laborers (and idle workers who don't have the resources or are capped by your production limits) will tackle jobs in the order you create them. So if you've plotted out a large resource gather, then planned some buildings, the buildings will remain just plans until that resource gather is finished. Keep jobs small and piecemeal or your laborers will be booked solid for seasons at a time.

This might be what's keeping your buildings from being built, Lathum.

I bet it is. I usually clear a huge swath of resources.

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by Lathum

I bet it is. I usually clear a huge swath of resources.

Yes, you have to keep the clearing jobs small. Otherwise the small clearing jobs for buildings take forever.

I'm not entirely certain things are done in queue. For example, there have been times where I've plopped the building and then tried to clear a wide swath. The big area gets cleared while the building area didn't. I've also had roads built before buildings, but I never build roads before plopping the buildings. I think the queue gets a bit wonky. So keeping jobs small keeps everything moving better.

[Peregrine]

Well I'll say I'm totally addicted to this game - still figuring things out but it's a lot of fun and I love the peaceful vibe it has.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Firewood and a trading post is an awesome combination.

This is how I keep up with demand for stone and iron. I have a quarry and mine going, but they still lag behind. I have a massive surplus of logs and firewood, so I use them to buy stone and iron. The only warning about that, though, is never make a massive purchase using firewood right before winter (or if you do, make sure you remember to set "0" for firewood at your trading post until spring comes.)

[Peregrine]

What's the best way to stock up on logs? I mean I've torn down a lot of forests but it's something of a limited resource. Is the idea just to have a bunch of well-staffed forester huts? They seem to produce fairly slowly.

Also second question - I have some chickens I bought in my market - but when I build a pasture it doesn't give me the option to choose chickens, it's all blacked out. What do I need to do to get this going?

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

What's the best way to stock up on logs? I mean I've torn down a lot of forests but it's something of a limited resource. Is the idea just to have a bunch of well-staffed forester huts? They seem to produce fairly slowly.

I read a tip somewhere to set the forester to plant only for the first couple years, then to change it to both cut and plant. Stone houses use only half the firewood that wooden houses do, so start using those as soon as possible. Also, an educated woodcutter generates 1 more firewood per log.

[ozias]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Question about builders.

Some times they lack urgency. I'll start a building and it will literally take seasons before they even touch it. Anyone know why?

I'm not 100% sure, but it seems they do the jobs in queue, so if you ask for trees to get cut, and then say stones to be mined, before you try to plop down a house, they will do all of that other stuff first.

The only reason I think that, is due to having the same thing happen to me, I plopped a house down, but they didn't go build right away, even though I had all the materials, and no trees have to be cut on the property.

[chinaski]

This thread is a gold mine...

Banished discoveries, data and tips : Banished

[cartman]

Originally Posted by chinaski

This thread is a gold mine...

Banished discoveries, data and tips : Banished

Good stuff in there. I was wondering on how to do this:

Hold shift to build diagonal roads. They take up twice the number of squares and therefore building time (and stone, for stone roads), and buildings cannot be built efficiently on them, but if workers need to travel on a diagonal anyway they provide 41% more efficient routes (square root of two) than going around in a square, if the workers weren't cutting the corner on the previous road.

[Peregrine]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Also second question - I have some chickens I bought in my market - but when I build a pasture it doesn't give me the option to choose chickens, it's all blacked out. What do I need to do to get this going?

Figured this one out - I thought I had bought chickens from the merchant when actually I had bought chicken the meat. Oh well.

[chinaski]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

What's the best way to stock up on logs? I mean I've torn down a lot of forests but it's something of a limited resource. Is the idea just to have a bunch of well-staffed forester huts? They seem to produce fairly slowly.

Also second question - I have some chickens I bought in my market - but when I build a pasture it doesn't give me the option to choose chickens, it's all blacked out. What do I need to do to get this going?

I run multiple foresters, all evenly spaced from each other and town, 4 workers per. Make sure there is nothing else inside the radius. I get around 280-330~ a season like this with both cut and seed selected. Heres a screenshot of an expansion town I just put up. Never ending wood supply, with 3 woodcutters going nonstop. Leave a little space inbetween forester radius' to have room for gatherers/herb as well. Also, first priority after placing the forester, is to clear all stone and iron inside the radius.

http://i.imgur.com/XOjsoHO.jpg

[Peregrine]

Originally Posted by ozias

I'm not 100% sure, but it seems they do the jobs in queue, so if you ask for trees to get cut, and then say stones to be mined, before you try to plop down a house, they will do all of that other stuff first.

The only reason I think that, is due to having the same thing happen to me, I plopped a house down, but they didn't go build right away, even though I had all the materials, and no trees have to be cut on the property.

One thing to keep in mind is that you can use the priority tool to bump something up in the queue if you need it immediately. Not sure if this applies to harvesting stuff though, believe it's only buildings.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Yup, what Chinaski says. I didn't bother to "plant only" because early on I had a ton of wood simply from clearing space to make buildings. It takes several seasons to ramp up, but once they get going you'll practically never want(wont?) for wood again.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Radii

I read a tip somewhere to set the forester to plant only for the first couple years, then to change it to both cut and plant. Stone houses use only half the firewood that wooden houses do, so start using those as soon as possible. Also, an educated woodcutter generates 1 more firewood per log.

Yes, this is exactly what I do. I turn cut off for the first 2-3 years while I also clear all of the stone and iron in its circle. I also only build stone houses. I don't bother with wooden houses even at the start.

[sabotai]

My set up is the exact opposite of chinaski's. I cluster a forester, gather and hunter together with 4 houses, a (smallish) stockpile and a storage barn. Yeah, it takes up a chunk of room, but my people spend very little time walking to and from the stockpile, storage barn and home, because it's all right there, so they spend more of their time working. My production is about the same.

[Abe Sargent]

I'm a bit frustrated by my Himalaya Dynasty idea. In about 5 years twice now I've lost everything. It's not easy. Let me try again.

[MrBug708]

How do you split herds of animals? The button stays grayed out

[Abe Sargent]

Third attempt is working so far for Himalaya Challenge! Strong at year 4 so far!

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

How do you split herds of animals? The button stays grayed out

I think you have to have at least 10 of them and an empty pasture to put half of them in.

[Coffee Warlord]

Digging this map I got.

[Buccaneer]

What makes that map good?

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by sabotai

I think you have to have at least 10 of them and an empty pasture to put half of them in.

D'oh. I had one of 9

[DaddyTorgo]

Okay - not that it's the point of this game, but I'm curious...how are the graphics? Like if you zoom in, do the houses look like houses? Do the people look like little sprites? Do the cows look like...well...cows?

[Abe Sargent]

DT the graphix are sufficient

[Scoobz0202]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Digging this map I got.

Put a fishing thing out on the point with maximum water coverage and report back how it does. Interested

[cartman]

Damn, just got hit by a tornado. That sucked.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

Put a fishing thing out on the point with maximum water coverage and report back how it does. Interested

Yeah, that's where my next one is going.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

What makes that map good?

I dunno if it's "good" or not, but I just like the layout, and there's access to good fishing area, and enough surrounding flatlands for quality production.

[Peregrine]

My first map I was surrounded by rivers and didn't have a great town, plus some major demographic problems. Second map is much more open and looking good.

[mrtourette]

Originally Posted by chinaski

This thread is a gold mine...

Banished discoveries, data and tips : Banished

That whole subreddit is pretty awesome

[Cap Ologist]

On my latest adventure (hard difficulty)

Year 1: Built foraging hut, boarding house and blacksmith

Year 2: Built woodcutter, storage barn and another foraging hut.

Year 3: Built forestry hut (plant only), storage barn and 2 stone houses.

Year 4: Built herbalist, 3 stone houses

Year 5: Built 2 stone houses and another storage barn

I had never built a boarding house to start, but decided to give it a shot. Made it through the first year without seeing any freezing/hungry warnings. Looks like a good idea because all resources are shared in a common inventory so you don't have the one house that has 400 food and one that has 0 food.

The downside of the boarding house is that it seems to delay family planning. But I don't think it's too big of a deal breaker because it does prevent feeding useless kids for a few years. It might bite me in the butt down the road, but we'll see.

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by Cap Ologist

On my latest adventure (hard difficulty)

Year 1: Built foraging hut, boarding house and blacksmith

Year 2: Built woodcutter, storage barn and another foraging hut.

Year 3: Built forestry hut (plant only), storage barn and 2 stone houses.

Year 4: Built herbalist, 3 stone houses

Year 5: Built 2 stone houses and another storage barn

I had never built a boarding house to start, but decided to give it a shot. Made it through the first year without seeing any freezing/hungry warnings. Looks like a good idea because all resources are shared in a common inventory so you don't have the one house that has 400 food and one that has 0 food.

The downside of the boarding house is that it seems to delay family planning. But I don't think it's too big of a deal breaker because it does prevent feeding useless kids for a few years. It might bite me in the butt down the road, but we'll see.

That's a decent progression. The boarding house is an entirely underrated building. It's great in times of fire, to house nomads or simply if you want to upgrade homes from wood to stone. You really don't want a mega-birth rate early in the game, but a few years down the road once the basic foundation of the village is set up and you've had time to build surpluses.

Stone houses are also another great idea. Given that they use only half the firewood of a wooden house, they pay for themselves in just a few years. If someone wants to get a firewood economy going, it's almost a requirement to get stone houses ASAP.

I'm not so sure about a couple of things though. I find it interesting that you don't have a fishing hut yet. Given the amount of food that can get cranked out of fishermen, that's almost always my first build. I also find it necessary to get a hunter going early to try to build up a supply of leather. I'm always out of leather in my games.

[Abe Sargent]

In my hard, mountainous, harsh small map I started (now in year 20), I didn't have enough stone for stuff. I've already harvested all iron and stone from the entire map. It's rough. Only have space for three Foresters, and all have places of open mountains in their range. Gathers aren;t as good either. Don't have room for seeds (plus harsh means winter always hits in late autumn, and often in mid or early autumn, so I'd get less yield anyway).

But fishing? Holy crap! I have four Huts making the vast majority of my food year in and year out. Two hunters. A bit of gathering fun for variety. And that's it.

First year I built - 4 wooden houses, storehouse, Fish Hut, Wood Cutter
2nd Year - Fish Hut, Forester, Gathering
3rd Year - Blacksmith (Ran out of tools quickly). Fish Hut

And then from there more houses, Tailor, Herbalist, and such. Herbalist sucks here, tried three places, none give more than 10ish Herbs a year with two people hunting.

Buying a lot of stone and iron from merchants, rather than the good stuff I want too. Had to build a ton of wooden houses early, with very low stone reserves, and slowly upgrading.

Still tight. Current pop is 28 adults and 9 children in year 20.

[Cap Ologist]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

That's a decent progression. The boarding house is an entirely underrated building. It's great in times of fire, to house nomads or simply if you want to upgrade homes from wood to stone. You really don't want a mega-birth rate early in the game, but a few years down the road once the basic foundation of the village is set up and you've had time to build surpluses.

Stone houses are also another great idea. Given that they use only half the firewood of a wooden house, they pay for themselves in just a few years. If someone wants to get a firewood economy going, it's almost a requirement to get stone houses ASAP.

I'm not so sure about a couple of things though. I find it interesting that you don't have a fishing hut yet. Given the amount of food that can get cranked out of fishermen, that's almost always my first build. I also find it necessary to get a hunter going early to try to build up a supply of leather. I'm always out of leather in my games.

I didn't have a good fishing spot close by or I would have, I had three natural valley forests surrounding my clearing with the river in front. The river opens into a lake, but it'll probably be a few expansions before I can build it and have workers close to homes. That was another good thing about the boarding house, it seemed to do a better job helping citizens find housing close to their work.

I forgot the hunting lodge, it was either a year 2 or year 3 build.

[Peregrine]

I have been building a schoolhouse early on - I didn't see it in those progressions, but it seems to me the earlier you build it the more you'll get a jump on having educated people - plus it's cheap to build and just needs one teacher.

[Buccaneer]

Reading all of these posts sounds like they took the best from other city building games. The intermediary stockpile reminds me of pharaoh'a storage yards - a place where traders can quickly drop off and pick up goods while offering a centralized and convenient location for buyers to get goods for local use. Training in schoolhouses remind me of the new version of colonization. And the placement of lodges and fishermen remind me of most of the impression games - the balance between access to resources and the delivery of products.

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Reading all of these posts sounds like they took the best from other city building games. The intermediary stockpile reminds me of pharaoh'a storage yards - a place where traders can quickly drop off and pick up goods while offering a centralized and convenient location for buyers to get goods for local use. Training in schoolhouses remind me of the new version of colonization. And the placement of lodges and fishermen remind me of most of the impression games - the balance between access to resources and the delivery of products.

Here's why I like Banished. YMMV.

I think people lament what Banished is not rather than enjoy what it is. It's not Pharoah. It's not Zeus. It's not SimCity, CotN, CivCity Rome, Caesar, Emperor, Anno, Cities XL or any other number of builders. It's not meant to be. Banished is a rather simple premise executed beautifully but without embellishment. It is simply about growing and sustaining a viable village. Not a town, a city, an empire or a dynasty. It's just about keeping a nondescript village going and in that it succeeds totally. I love the pace and game environment not because it is simple but because it is focused and it is challenging. My first village in Banished failed. It was the first time that I can remember ever losing a town in any city builder and I've been playing them since the original SimCity. I was delighted.

Now I didn't see in any previews that suggested anything different or more than what I got in the game. What it doesn't do is have talent/building trees or progression - but then again a small rural village in the 1700s or 1800s wouldn't expect to progress much from a technology standpoint. It doesn't have monuments, castles, combat or beautification projects. Are these limiting factors? Yes and they could have been included but they're not necessary for the core game to succeed. I wouldn't mind DLC or mods that include larger construction projects or the ability to create flower beds and other beautification projects. I think we'll see those things and I think that may make the game feel more "complete" for some people.

Personally, I like the game for what it is. I find it relaxing but challenging and I enjoy seeing my little hamlet survive and grow and perhaps even eventually thrive. It also reminds me of a different era of gaming, where resource limitations required games to stay focused on their subject matter without becoming bloated. To me, Banished has a soul unlike some modern city-builders (Cities XL I'm looking right at you) and that makes all the difference.

[Peregrine]

Just had my blacksmith die from being burned in the forge. I wonder can people randomly die in all professions? So far I've seen this and stonecutter.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Just had my blacksmith die from being burned in the forge. I wonder can people randomly die in all professions? So far I've seen this and stonecutter.

I've had a fisherman drown. And I've also seen in the log where a murder occurred.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Just had my blacksmith die from being burned in the forge. I wonder can people randomly die in all professions? So far I've seen this and stonecutter.

herbalist die from eating poison mushroom

[Buccaneer]

Thank you Blackie, your opinions have and still carries a lot of weight to me. I still owe you for getting me obsessed with Skyrim.