Age of Wonders: Planetfall – Colony Placement Guide
Beginner Colony Placement Guide
Sectors
Sectors are the most important alter inwards Planetfall. Basically, whereas the smallest unit of measurement of infinite is notwithstanding the hexagon, these hexes brand upwardly a sector, a bordered percentage sharing features that define its resources output. There tin dismiss live especial resources similar cosmite inwards the percentage in addition to diverse especial buildings that also influence resources output. Moving onto the pivot inwards the middle volition opened upwardly its sector sector menu.
Below you lot tin dismiss run into the faint bluish lines for just about each unclaimed sector. The white outline on the left is the edge of my claimed sector (my squad colouring is white).
Resources
Typical of 4x, you lot induce got unloose energy (money), production, food, in addition to research. Sectors tin dismiss also furnish Cosmite (used inwards buying mods) or influence (used to… influence factions). Always proceed an oculus out for Cosmite since it is rare in addition to necessary for keeping total units competitive until mid/late game.
Below shows how sector features in addition to locations contribute to resources output.
NOTE: If whatever (even ally NPC) Earth forces is on a location, it volition present “Occupied” in addition to volition non contribute production. They induce got to live removed or bribed for the place to function.
Some of these buildings furnish a bonus if the sector exploit (covered later) is of the same resources type. Hover your mouse over it for this helpful information.
Strategy – In Brief
You motion to an surface area in addition to you lot multiply in addition to multiply until every natural resources is consumed in addition to the alone mode you lot tin dismiss live on is to spread to some other area. There is some other organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you lot know what it is? Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 virus.
Go Wide!
Most 4x games residue expansion yesteryear decreasing happiness across your empire for every added colony. This at to the lowest degree slows your ringlet equally you lot construct buildings to compensate.
Planetfall has no downside for colonies equally good the traditional population toll to kickoff them. Expansion becomes a mad land-grab for resources.
The number this creates is that adding colonies increases production of resources exponentially faster than only focusing on growing your existing colonies, amongst no downside (building broad versus edifice tall, equally nosotros tell inwards 4x). The divergence betwixt these strategies would induce got the broad actor doubling in addition to tripling unit of measurement production in addition to interrogation over the tall player. This makes expansion the alone feasible strategy unless you lot tin dismiss hole upwardly somewhere in addition to focus on a Doomsday tech win. The AI volition definitely expand aggressively hence you lot postulate to, equally well.
Wide, but efficiently so…
As every province empire has struggled with, over expansion tin dismiss interruption you. You postulate sufficient infrastructure to go rapidly across your empire in addition to sufficient defenses to protect its borders. Roads are built automatically betwixt colonies AND militia buildings furnish toll efficient in addition to effective defense strength against many unmarried stack armies, depending on difficulty. However, when 2 stacks ringlet upwardly in addition to your armies are one-half mode across the map, you’re going to accept some losses. If you lot proceed an Earth forces to defend every remote colony, you lot won’t live able to champaign plenty offensive armies to attack. The key is to excogitation your colonies to edge each other 1 time they’ve fully expanded, hence 1 or 2 defensive armies tin dismiss rapidly response to threats. Picking colony locations is the meat of this guide.
Starting Colony
DISCLAIMER – I truly suck at strategy games. Most of this is just an explanation of how the mechanics piece of occupation that are non readily apparent until you’ve lost a few games. Any tips are what I’ve seen on forums in addition to Reddit that induce got worked for me. That is all.
Optimizing Sectors
I am non going to tell you lot construct orders equally they are faction specific in addition to everyone is notwithstanding learning the game anyway. However, to brand the most of each colony you lot postulate to focus each colony’s production.
- At population 4, 8, 12, in addition to 16, your colony tin dismiss annex a sector following to an already claimed sector.
- You tin dismiss alone claim sectors 2 away, or a sector neighboring 1 following to the center.
- This agency 1 pump sector in addition to iv annexed “exploitable” sectors.
Annexed sectors tin dismiss hence live “Exploited” to focus their production of 1 resource, nether the Sector Building tab seen below. This is done through the construct queue similar whatever building. Each colony tin dismiss alone induce got 2 of each exploit. Finally, each sector tin dismiss farther add together ONLY 1 of 2 or iii buildings to farther maximize output. These buildings furnish an additional bonus if you lot induce got 2 of them (meaning 2 sectors of the same Exploited resource, each having 1 of the buildings).
All of This Means Each Colony Should Specialize inwards Two Resources
Look at your starting colony in addition to run into what is available inside 2 sectors in addition to create upwardly one's hear which 2 resources are best represented, based on what nosotros already know virtually evaluating sectors. One of your early on bases needs to live nutrient focused, equally it volition live constantly pumping out colonists equally shortly equally it can. Optimally, I similar Food/Production for my working capital missive of the alphabet since it tin dismiss rapidly make novel colonies in addition to working capital missive of the alphabet specific buildings or units betwixt to a greater extent than colonists. My following colonies volition focus on Energy/Research to crusade my economy, but that is a really full general strategy in addition to again, I suck.
Choosing New Locations
Keep It Tight
Remember our strategy, right? While the sector is ever greener on the other side of the fog, starting a colony inwards the nearest optimal percentage to your working capital missive of the alphabet agency it is developing sooner in addition to our finish is rapid, hence optimal expansion. You tin dismiss confine frog some other colony yesteryear it in addition to pick out grip of that sugariness site inwards a few to a greater extent than turns.
Plan Ahead
Now that nosotros are choosing our locations, nosotros postulate to proceed inwards hear our electrical current colonies. You should ever know just which sectors you lot are going to annex ahead of fourth dimension in addition to house novel colonies accordingly. So considering your Capital, create upwardly one's hear which key seat volition give you lot the best render on 2 resources. Once again, I’m non telling you lot what to pursue when, but apparently that should live driving your conclusion of where to settle next, unless at that spot is just too skillful a bargain to overstep up.
Special Resources in addition to Locations
When a especial place is inside reach, apparently accept payoff of it. If it is a Silver or Gold landmark, realize that it volition accept a tough grapple to clear it out in addition to if you lot are non upwardly to the challenge it is a wasted sector. These landmarks volition create upwardly one's hear 1 or 2 of your specializations due to the important resources production they provide. Don’t waste matter them.
Cosmite in addition to Influence tin dismiss also live found. Cosmite is vital to competitive unit of measurement production in addition to tin dismiss alone live accessed through rare map sources in addition to a couplet higher degree techs. Grab it when you lot can, fifty-fifty if the resources output is otherwise lame. IMO Influence is prissy but I don’t beeline for it similar I practise Cosmite.
Hazards
Finally, await out for hazards. They are tough to run into until your Earth forces is inwards the sector or you lot delineate upwardly the sector menu. Even then, it is tough to run into where they truly are. Below are examples. Hazards tin dismiss live really oil on a colony in addition to should live avoided until you lot acquire the tech to take them.
The hell?
Here it is on the sector menu.
Conclusion – Or TLDR
- Expand equally quick equally you lot can. Have a dedicated nutrient colony producing colonists equally ofttimes equally it can.
- Each colony tin dismiss induce got iv exploited sectors.
- Focus each colony on alone 2 resources, having 2 Exploits for each of those resources.
- When a colony has maxed its growth, induce got it contribute nutrient for novel colonies inwards the Colonist Management tab of the colony.
- Keep your colonies tight together. Easier to defend amongst fewer armies.
- Plan out each colony’s growth ahead of fourth dimension for max utilization of space.
- Try non to overextend for that “perfect spot” but prioritize the administration of your empire towards high value areas or Cosmite.
- Be aware of Hazards in addition to brand certain the Silver or Gold landmark tin dismiss live defeated earlier you lot plop downwards a colony following to it.
This is alone supposed to attention beginners figure out how Planetfall’s rapid expansion differs from most 4x games. Strategic tips could live incorrect or outdated but the underlying signal is to exit there. The incel approach to romance is non going to cutting it here. You can’t hole upwardly inwards your base of operations in addition to hold back for the globe to come upwardly to you. At the same time, if you lot caput out without a excogitation to succeed, you’ve planned to fail.
