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Starting Up Tips and Tricks (Easy, Normal, Hard)

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    • #3884
      JohnMegacycle
      Keymaster

      Imperialism can be quite intimidating with it’s myriad of controls and options. I wanted to write up something quick to give new players a bit of an idea of what they should aim for in the beginning. I do a fair tutorial in my YouTube series, so I’m assuming that you know the bare mechanics of the game. Also, there is the Introductory difficulty level, which is perfect for new players.

      Easy Difficulty: (Deployed City – Prebuilt industry – Many Starting Resources – $20k)
      This is the difficulty that I recommend for new players. If you are completely new to turn based strategy games, then Introductory may be more for you. With a generous amount of resources and a prebuilt industry, you have room to make mistakes and learn the game. For the first turn, my recommendation would be the following:
      – Hire 1 Engineer to start building more remote Depots/Ports
      – Hire 1 Miner to exploit metal resources (maybe another Prospector as well if there are a lot of hills/mountains)
      – Start training workers right away and as often as needed (anticipate needs a few turn ahead)
      – Spend the cash for 3 Consulates (Iron/Copper/Timber should be the specialty)
      – Give 5%/10% Subsidy to all major nations (and 5%/10% to your minor nation trade partners next turn)
      – Add a few trading ships to your fleet and buy/sell often (even trading 1 quantity improves relations)
      This will setup a good foundation for yourself and your trading partners. In addition to this, take your time building up a military as the AI will be pretty lax in spinning up any armed forces. This also will allow you to easily work on a diplomatic approach (via Colonies and Pacts) if you so wished.

      Normal Difficulty: (City to be Deployed – No Prebuilt Industry – Normal Starting Resources – $10k)
      With this difficulty level, you will be on an even footing with the AI. Be careful when selecting your beginning city site as you can easily starve yourself in either raw materials (if there is a mountain or hills blocking goodies) or food stuffs. Without a prebuilt industry you are going to have to be selective in what products you specialize in. The AI also begin to specialize in a specific product and will be territorial if you start selling it bulk and undercutting them. Start to build up your military earlier than in the Easy difficulty as this is what will determine how often you are picked on. For the first turn, my recommendation would be the following:
      – Hire 1 Engineer to start building more remote Depots/Ports
      – Hire 1 Miner to exploit metal resources
      – Train 2-4 additional workers, but be cautious of available food supplies
      – Spend the cash for 2 Consulates (grab whatever specialties you lack, but I still say Iron/Coal/Timber)
      – Give 5% Subsidy to all major nations (and 5%/10% to your minor nation trade partners next turn)
      – Add at least one trading ship to your fleet and buy/sell often (even trading 1 quantity improves relations)

      Whether you choose the Diplomatic or Military route for acquiring resources, be sure to get the plan into motion early. If you see other nations grabbing up territory, you better start doing the same. Pay attention to what other nations are up to and forging an Alliance may be a good way to stay out of trouble. Don’t forget, the Diplomacy screen will help out with how other nations are feeling about your empire.

      Hard Difficulty: (City to be Deployed – No Prebuilt Industry – Less Starting Resources – $5k)
      Okay, ready for the big times? This difficulty will really strain on your foresight and planning skills. With even less resources to work with, you are going to have to buy more raw materials and sell the processed goods to stay afloat. Also, don’t throw around Depots everywhere. Concentrate on key resources that don’t need a lot of rework (Timber/Cotton/Wool are good starting products).

      For the first turn, my recommendation would be the following:
      – Hire 1 Miner to exploit metal resources
      – Train 2 additional workers and sell remaining Furniture and Clothing for extra cash
      – Spend the cash for 2 Consulates (grab whatever specialties you lack, but I still say Iron/Coal/Timber)
      – Give 5% Subsidy to all major nations (and 5% to your minor nation trade partners next turn)
      – Add at least one trading ship to your fleet and buy/sell often (even trading 1 quantity improves relations)

      Your military should always be a high priority. This ensures that you don’t get picked on early and have an easier time forging an alliance and using your new found partner as a shield. If you can’t assemble an army, concentrate on a navy. Since ships don’t require personnel or take away from the labor pool, this is a great way to beef up your military quickly.

      I hope these start-up tips help out a bit and I’ll have another thread for generic tips/tricks. What are your optimal starting settings? My playthough is here on YouTube and I hope it gives your empire the edge in all its endeavors (JMegs Imperialism Playlist).
      – JMegs

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