Small feedback from a new player

[Toursy]

Hello,

I'm quite new on the game but I could notice that the event buildings doesn't provide any extra ranking points, so I quite feel like the ranking doesn't really reflects the "power/strength" of the city. These buildings are quite powerful, so I got the whole trader set + some extra buildings and it gives me a lot more than someone who wouldn't have them but the ranking will be the same anyway...

What do you think about it ?

Another thing is about the technologies' tree, it's quite long (even at the beginning) to get from one chapter to another one, too many technologies are mandatory, for example, we have to develop the technologies for manufactures that we won't use (because the game itself push you to only produce the products with a boost and then exchange them for other needed resources). Wouldn't it makes more sense to give the choice to the player to develop them or not?


For yet that's the two things I've been a bit bothered by.

 

[Eryn Galen]

Event buildings never give ranking points. Your ranking comes from the things you do in the game, the actions you take, so (for instance) you and I would have different ranking, whether or not we had the same buildings. I'm not in a fellowship because I just don't care, so I never do FA. I don't do Tournaments, unless there's an Event quest that requires it, again, because I don't care. Someone who does care, who does do these things, is obviously going to have a vastly higher ranking than I ever will.

You must unlock those technologies, because you will need to have those unboosted goods manufactories in later chapters, when you need Sentient Goods. Also, in the past, Event quests required you to produce non-boosted goods.

Keep in mind that ultimately, we are playing a story, one that is evolving, so what seems unnecessary right now will be necessary later on.

 

[Lelanya]

Hi Toursy welcome to Elvenar
No, the event buildings are all culture awards and do not give ranking points. But your populace needs culture, lest they become unhappy and start keeping gold and supplies for themselves. The trick is to find the right balance of pure culture and hybrid culture to allow you to build factories and armories so you can increase quickly.
Hmm, I can tell you that research kickbacks are wildly unpopular, more so than researching all 3 factory types. Just think, would you want to get to chapter 12, only to go back and research again in chapter 1, and chapter 2, and then chapter 4, and then Dwarf, Woodelf and now Elementals? You would be livid. It will pass quickly enough, and you will grow.

 

[Julian]

But don't bother doing the optional unit upgrades. They actually hinder you.

 

[CrazyWizard]

Hello,

I'm quite new on the game but I could notice that the event buildings doesn't provide any extra ranking points, so I quite feel like the ranking doesn't really reflects the "power/strength" of the city. These buildings are quite powerful, so I got the whole trader set + some extra buildings and it gives me a lot more than someone who wouldn't have them but the ranking will be the same anyway...

What do you think about it ?

Another thing is about the technologies' tree, it's quite long (even at the beginning) to get from one chapter to another one, too many technologies are mandatory, for example, we have to develop the technologies for manufactures that we won't use (because the game itself push you to only produce the products with a boost and then exchange them for other needed resources). Wouldn't it makes more sense to give the choice to the player to develop them or not?


For yet that's the two things I've been a bit bothered by.

Welcome to elvenar,

You will need those factories way way way in the future, (you can ignore them for the comming 6 months or more)
Try to find a fellowship, listen, learn from your more exprienced peers and join the tournaments, before you know it, the tech tree goes faster than you can keep up with.

 

[Pauly7]

Welcome to the game.

I'm quite new on the game but I could notice that the event buildings doesn't provide any extra ranking points, so I quite feel like the ranking doesn't really reflects the "power/strength" of the city.

The best way to look at it is that event won buildings are free gifts. They give you nice bonuses, but they don't give ranking points because they're not part of the game's core buildings. People can choose to have them or not, based on their worth.

Another thing is about the technologies' tree, it's quite long (even at the beginning) to get from one chapter to another one, too many technologies are mandatory

A lot of people have said it. As the others have said you will often need some of the things later that you don't think you need now. Also, consider that it may all seem a bit slow right now, but should you stick with the game then a while down the line you may find yourself at the end of the storyline with no more progress to make, as so many others do. The game devs like to avoid people reaching that point and new chapters are often released, but in the long run it does not make sense to be able to race through the game faster.

 

[RainbowElvira]

Ranking doesn't necessarily reflect city strength. Since it has no impact on your game experience, you can just ignore it - your score will increase anyway as you progress.

The game designers have a notion about how fast you should progress through a chapter. They regulate this with the resources needed to complete researches. When they make a now mandatory research optional, they will have to increase the cost of the other researches to keep the balance. Chapter cost would remain the same - no gain for anyone.

I also agree with the others that you do not know what you'll need later on. Had the game allowed it, I would have made some really bad decisions early on.

 

[AstralSoul]

But don't bother doing the optional unit upgrades. They actually hinder you.

To be more clear, the Squad Size Upgrade... skip the optional ones until you reach Chapter X. There you will decide if to go back and research them or not: However, everybody reading this thread will most likely agree the same thing you will agree in Chapter X (don't we all?), which is, not researching them at all.

The optional city expansions, research them of course.

If you drag your mouse on top of your points, you will see this. This is obviously not an impressed score, but has all you need:
1- People working (marble manufactory, barracks, etc) gives you pts.
2- Buildings ask for an amount of culture, so lack of culture will not only mean unhappy people, but also not being able to build. The bigger the city, the bigger the cultural weight demand, the more points.
3- The more provinces you scout AND complete.
4- Total amount of knowledge invested in all your Ancient Wonders (runes levels don't give points.)
5- A specific Ancient Wonder that gives points based on other AWs.
6- Weekly tournament points.

I am unsure if folks in chapter XVI have an extra rank entry for those crystals that give rank in their AWs.

 

[Toursy]

Thank you all for your answers! It's great to read your reactions.

Even if the tech' for manufactures will be useful in the future (very far away future), I still consider it would be better to have them optional at first because while you start the game, you have quite few way to produce knowledge points and very few activities (even tournament only start by one province the first time you play, other fellowship adventure and dungeon seems not to be available yet for me). Getting back to develop them when you need it wouldn't be a big trouble, according to the fact it should be quite faster to get the knowledge points and resources.

I feel quite blocked at first (I know this will change in the future, but I know it because the game works a little bit like forge of empire), other new players may not know it and drop it. Not much to do in tournament at first, and only diamonds to make it faster, no other fellowship activities, the tech tree is a bit long in chapter II, which blocks me to progress on the world map.
I succeed to get the runes for an ancient wonder, but the amount of resources is quite enormous (if I wouldn't have the events building, I don't even know how possible would it be to get such amount of resources...).

This is why I consider first chapter will be good to be faster to pass so we can unlock more activities. I've been lucky to start during an event which made it very fun (and the prizes made it very helpful, or else...).

 

[Eryn Galen]

@Toursy I understand that you're frustrated, but the point is that this is a game of patience. The Fellowship Adventure is availavle to you only if you are in a Fellowship, and the Spire (if that is what you meant by "dungeon") is only available once you reach Chapter III. You will need to build your military up, if you intend to fight your way through. If you intend to do mainly negotiation, you'll need to build up your goods and supplies.

The first three chapters are supposed to be spent learning how the game works and how you want your city to work. If you speed through those chapters, you may wind up regretting it later on.

These links may be of some help to you. Cheers.

Elvenar Gems of Knowledge
Elvenar Wiki
Elven Architect

 

[AstralSoul]

You can research more provinces, most of the times it will show as "very hard", it does not matter, in fact, it will be better, as it means you are also skipping your optional SS, something excellent for your tourneys. And I am telling you that I had done a few (didn't know), I am in chapter X, and I have 9K average weekly tourney pts. Check elvenstats I only have one city, and a tiny one (like the actual village I live in) in BETA.

 

[Lelanya]

Hi again Toursy
You must have a great location on the world map if you only need your boosted. It sounds like you play Forge of Empires where advisors actually tell you to avoid building non boosted factories. Here in Elvenar some folks have such a poor map that they build all three types just to have some few of the resources. And we have some events and activities that ask for productions of all three but you can place level 1 and keep them small.
I want to congratulate you on finding room for Air Trader sets! And I plan on looking up your city

 

[CrazyWizard]

I am unsure if folks in chapter XVI have an extra rank entry for those crystals that give rank in their AWs.

Those are incorporated into Ancient wonder Ranking Effect

 

[Toursy]

Hi again Toursy
You must have a great location on the world map if you only need your boosted. It sounds like you play Forge of Empires where advisors actually tell you to avoid building non boosted factories. Here in Elvenar some folks have such a poor map that they build all three types just to have some few of the resources. And we have some events and activities that ask for productions of all three but you can place level 1 and keep them small.
I want to congratulate you on finding room for Air Trader sets! And I plan on looking up your city

I already have more than 200% boost on wood and scrolls, I think it's quite enough, I made quite a lot of factories (I've upped) so it's producing quite a lot now. The trader set also produce quite a lot of resources that I can exchange for basic resources. Thank you for the advice, I have a merchant I (should provide what I need I hope ).

I'll try to look up your city too

Thank you everyone for your advice.

 

[Pauly7]

No one should ever have to build non-boosted manufactories. Should you be placed in a really poor spot (and it looks like this doesn't apply to you) then it's all the more important to get into a good fellowship as soon as possible, allowing you to trade.

The only "non-boosted" factories that I may build, early-game, are the Travelling Merchants, if needed, when you're in the first 3 chapters or so.

Plus, you are right, the Air-Trader set is great to have if you are at an early stage. It saves valuable population and culture and if you've only just unlocked T2 goods, this saves building those manus for a while.

 

[Gargon667]

Hello,

I'm quite new on the game but I could notice that the event buildings doesn't provide any extra ranking points, so I quite feel like the ranking doesn't really reflects the "power/strength" of the city. These buildings are quite powerful, so I got the whole trader set + some extra buildings and it gives me a lot more than someone who wouldn't have them but the ranking will be the same anyway...

What do you think about it ?

Another thing is about the technologies' tree, it's quite long (even at the beginning) to get from one chapter to another one, too many technologies are mandatory, for example, we have to develop the technologies for manufactures that we won't use (because the game itself push you to only produce the products with a boost and then exchange them for other needed resources). Wouldn't it makes more sense to give the choice to the player to develop them or not?


For yet that's the two things I've been a bit bothered by.

1. Completely ignore ranking points! They are totally besides the point and have no value whatsoever. If you feel the need to get a comparison of "power" I would say look at the tourney average. That would be the easiest accessible measure.

2. The tech trees are horrible. Get used to it, it will not change. Most of the techs are completely useless, the only point is to advance and get the occasional good one on the way. But even this small number of good techs makes it worth it in the end. So just ignore the nonsense and have a beer every time you get an upgrade that makes you better

 

[Toursy]

1. Completely ignore ranking points! They are totally besides the point and have no value whatsoever. If you feel the need to get a comparison of "power" I would say look at the tourney average. That would be the easiest accessible measure.

2. The tech trees are horrible. Get used to it, it will not change. Most of the techs are completely useless, the only point is to advance and get the occasional good one on the way. But even this small number of good techs makes it worth it in the end. So just ignore the nonsense and have a beer every time you get an upgrade that makes you better

Hahaha, thank you the beer may make it less painful, you're right. I'm not against the fact that we need to research them because they will be useful one day, but I think that would be rather useful to make players have the possibility to do it later (when it gets useful for them), so at least they can get to the Chapter III faster to enjoy more activities.


By the way, I crafted an aureate phenix, and read quite later that this building cannot be evolved (unless I get a specific objects that can only be obtained during events...) and I got an enchantment to teleport buildings to inventory. But that specific building cannot be teleport... I think that the kind of things they should avoid to do, because for beginners it's quite a bad experience to feel like it's a waste of resources...
Edit : or maybe I couldn't put it back because that would minus too many citizens (but in that case why can I choose houses..?). Well still, I thought it would be possible to obtain or craft the evolution without waiting for an event.
edit2 : I just read that they removed them this week from the crafting. Well if they could allow us to teleport them to inventory that would be perfet :'(

 

[Hekata]

Yes, there are some a bit weird things in the game like being able to craft a building but not being able to evolve it. They have removed most of them now but they left the phoenixes because some of them can be useful even at lv1. For instance the fire phoenix has a special feeding effect that even at level 1 gives 20% boost to all your troops. It's not as god as a fully evolved bird but it can be helpful, especially now that we are getting new tournaments with random troops.
There are some things you can't teleport like evolving buildings (and your aureat phonenix is one of those), the main hall, barracks, ancient wonders... If you don't want to wast space on a lv1 phoenix your only solution is to sell it and then craft another for your inventory.

 

[Lelanya]

But then again, they are not offering level 1 Evolving buildings as Crafting recipes, and nope you cannot teleport those buildings back into inventory either.
There should be an alert, "hey are you sure you want to place that building?"

 

[Timneh]

Evolving buildings can not be teleported because if it was fully evolved all artifacts would be lost when it was teleported back to the inventory meaning that players would only have the base building left.