Newbie Q&A Thread

[WarBonnet]

Hey everyone

Since there doesn't seem to be a thread for this yet, thought I'd start one where newcomers can ask their beginner questions. Ideally not walls of text but quick, focused answers and replies that are easy for others to check as well.


Btw linking this fabulous spreadsheet here, it has helped me out a ton already - thank you to 'YD' who created it! Really hoping we'll eventually get a 'Grognerd's guide part 2' type of polished masterpiece for Kingdoms

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... id=0#gid=0


I'll start since there's sure a whole lot I'm still ignorant about


Castle buildings:

Are there any particular conditions for building these? Specifically I can't seem to trigger the 'Shell Keep', even though the region has 27 fort. points & 4 total mil buildings. Also the 1st and 2nd level permanent fortifications (3 & 10 points) were mutually exclusive. Is that equally true for the 4th level even though they are at different point amounts (26/28/30)?


Siege Workshop:

How can I recruit trebuchets etc., what are the other conditions besides having the building?


Unit Availability:

I had a stint playing as France, and what I really enjoyed were both light archers and peasants being very cost effective for what they provided (highest support value and outflanking/early siege capability respectively). However I've been sort of surprised to not have them available for other factions (Castilla/Bohemia etc.).

Not quite sure what my question is, but I guess basically how have people found ways to play successfully without those basic starting units, or how to get access to similar functioning units? For example playing as Castilla I felt completely lost without peasants and couldn't essentially siege even the least fortified settlements (Qasaba).


Court Expenses:

Does anyone have solid info on what affects it? In a playthrough my personal demesne size stayed basically the same, but this cost skyrocketed from ~ 50 in the start to over 300 gold.


Trading System:

What's the best approach for Kingdoms with the limited resource system? Coming from Empires, I'm accustomed to basically always satisfying a need with a resource within trading range. However already I can see that's not often possible here. For example with how the amount of tools/brass needed for certain buildings outstrips the ability to produce - or alternatively lacks vast amounts of the raw metal required. Is mostly compensating with high income commerce buildings the best strategy here?


Thank you in advance!

[Surt]

Hey everyone

Since there doesn't seem to be a thread for this yet, thought I'd start one where newcomers can ask their beginner questions. Ideally not walls of text but quick, focused answers and replies that are easy for others to check as well.


Btw linking this fabulous spreadsheet here, it has helped me out a ton already - thank you to 'YD' who created it! Really hoping we'll eventually get a 'Grognerd's guide part 2' type of polished masterpiece for Kingdoms

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... id=0#gid=0


I'll start since there's sure a whole lot I'm still ignorant about


Castle buildings:

Are there any particular conditions for building these? Specifically I can't seem to trigger the 'Shell Keep', even though the region has 27 fort. points & 4 total mil buildings. Also the 1st and 2nd level permanent fortifications (3 & 10 points) were mutually exclusive. Is that equally true for the 4th level even though they are at different point amounts (26/28/30)?

There can be only one! so you need to upgrade your wall/wall/castle structures to get access to the next.

Siege Workshop:

How can I recruit trebuchets etc., what are the other conditions besides having the building?

You can't you need to build a certain fortification to spawn one.

Unit Availability:

I had a stint playing as France, and what I really enjoyed were both light archers and peasants being very cost effective for what they provided (highest support value and outflanking/early siege capability respectively). However I've been sort of surprised to not have them available for other factions (Castilla/Bohemia etc.).

Not quite sure what my question is, but I guess basically how have people found ways to play successfully without those basic starting units, or how to get access to similar functioning units? For example playing as Castilla I felt completely lost without peasants and couldn't essentially siege even the least fortified settlements (Qasaba).

You can Draft to get peasants for other nations. And build bowyers/fletchers (I think for archers)

Court Expenses:

Does anyone have solid info on what affects it? In a playthrough my personal demesne size stayed basically the same, but this cost skyrocketed from ~ 50 in the start to over 300 gold.

The first turns it just goes up.
Some buildings reduce the expenses, some event spawn building for Byzant(-5%), a level 3 steward building, court something(-1%)
Ruler admin, nation status.

Trading System:

What's the best approach for Kingdoms with the limited resource system? Coming from Empires, I'm accustomed to basically always satisfying a need with a resource within trading range. However already I can see that's not often possible here. For example with how the amount of tools/brass needed for certain buildings outstrips the ability to produce - or alternatively lacks vast amounts of the raw metal required. Is mostly compensating with high income commerce buildings the best strategy here?

well the problem of tool/brass is not the building but the copper/iron, so you can decide to pay for missing tool, brass or copper, iron.
That is not the total truth as you can make some building that import copper, I nearly never get there but it is possible and I have annoyed the developer with this for a long time but there should be amble iron if you use all sources, surface, march, mines (which you could prospect for)

Thank you in advance!

There are 100s of variation of playing chose your style!

[WarBonnet]

Thank you for the answers!
Would you mind a clarification on some of them?

Castle buildings:
There can be only one! so you need to upgrade your wall/wall/castle structures to get access to the next.

As you can see in the attached screenshot, I currently have a 'Wallburg' in my settlement and the aforementioned 27 fortif. points. How can I build shellkeep which is next in line? It doesn't show up in the building queue

Mil buildings.PNG (149.07 KiB) Viewed 1415 times

Wallburg.PNG (488.35 KiB) Viewed 1415 times

Build queue.PNG (129.12 KiB) Viewed 1415 times

Siege Workshop:
You can't you need to build a certain fortification to spawn one.

Which fortification? As you can see by the pictures in the next post, I have this building but can't however construct any siege engines.

Court Expenses:
The first turns it just goes up.
Some buildings reduce the expenses, some event spawn building for Byzant(-5%), a level 3 steward building, court something(-1%)
Ruler admin, nation status.

Those costs keep going up constantly, 50 gold in the first turns, 130G by turn 30, 300G by turn 50. I appreciate the tips for how to reduce the cost, but why does it keep going up if you know - considering I have the same government type, same demesne size etc.?

Cheers

[WarBonnet]

Just for screenshots since there's apparently a 3 per post limit

Siege Workshop.PNG (462.11 KiB) Viewed 1413 times

Unit Recruit.PNG (94.65 KiB) Viewed 1413 times

[deadtorius]

Regarding castles, some fortification types will require a source of stone in the region. You can't Import it and build it that way. If its a matter of you don't see it in the build queue then try to edict and see if it is not there. I have had to do that sometimes to get first level fortification since for some reason it is not offered as a choice.
Also make certain you have enough fortification points to build the desired walls. Some wall types will give same protection but will require more fortification points than the other options at same level.

For siege engines you need to build a stone pile. This will give you a siege engine next turn in that location where the pile was built. You only get one per pile so if you want more you will have to build them in other locations.

The siege workshop gives you inherent siege engines as part of your local garrison. They will only appear and help if that city is being besieged.

Another bonus fortification type is arrow slits that will grant a free archer unit where the fortification is built. I have gotten both light archers and heavy archer units.

[Surt]

Some larger castles need stone, some even needs stone in its region.

stone.JPG (29.45 KiB) Viewed 1402 times

From document

Siege workshop only gives siege engines as defence.

From the document:
Boulder reserve - light siege
Fighting platform - heavy siege


Court expenses
I have had the same for several turns for Georgia, usually they go up when you get new lands, all other being equal.
Not anything other than what the manual says:
"11.2. Court Expenses
These are a major item of expenditure and reflect the size of your
realm and the efficiency of your administration.
The cost will increase if you have gold stored over 5,000 (unless
you have the Bank building) and will reflect the administrative
score of your ruler. Your realm will be much cheaper to run if they
are a 5 rather than a 1 in this respect.
There is not much you can do about this item as it is a direct
consequence of your ruler’s competence and attributes and your
overall realm size. Each courthouse will reduce these costs by 1%
and the specialist Byzantine building, the Pronoia, will help in
this regard as well."

[Surt]

Unit Availability:

I had a stint playing as France, and what I really enjoyed were both light archers and peasants being very cost effective for what they provided (highest support value and outflanking/early siege capability respectively). However I've been sort of surprised to not have them available for other factions (Castilla/Bohemia etc.).

Not quite sure what my question is, but I guess basically how have people found ways to play successfully without those basic starting units, or how to get access to similar functioning units? For example playing as Castilla I felt completely lost without peasants and couldn't essentially siege even the least fortified settlements (Qasaba).

It seems you need peasant roundup (you know that one you spray on peasants!!!) to be able to hire them, I just accidentally saw that. I had believed it was just a French think to hire peasants!

[deadtorius]

Doesn't an RGD also give you some peasants when you play it? I usually delete it as I don't recruit peasants myself.

[Surt]

Doesn't an RGD also give you some peasants when you play it? I usually delete it as I don't recruit peasants myself.

Draft I think, but at least some regions can build peasants after a peasant roundup is build.
Sometimes a peasant is useful if you need to play hire mercs or play restore order or something.

[WarBonnet]

It seems you need peasant roundup (you know that one you spray on peasants!!!) to be able to hire them, I just accidentally saw that. I had believed it was just a French think to hire peasants!

Yep through that 0-slot structure is how you get access to peasants. One of the first nations I played around with was France, so I learned that it's how it works. But then was confused after constructing that building as other nations, but no peasants appearing in the unit roster. Apparently that building has a chance to give you the levy rgd upon completion though, so that's a way to get access in a roundabout way.


Castle buildings:

I also realized that the reason I couldn't build a 'Shell Keep', is that it's apparently a T3 Fort and thus exclusive with Motte and Bailey/Wallburg which was already built. I'm guessing nobody has ever built a Shell Keep though , because once you reach 20 fortif. points, you get locked out of any temp fort buildings, until you build Motte and Bailey (or it's unique alternatives).


Siege Workshop:

I do still believe this building is the key to getting siege units. That's based on both the game files, according to which a lot of siege units are gated behind this building, e.g Trebuchets - as well as SuitedQueen's strat guide where he recommends prioritizing building it. Apparently it doesn't add units directly, but instead works on some type of spawn dynamic, which seems weird. But I guess gotta play the game more to figure it out


In the end got the answers to basically all of my questions, much appreciated gents!

[Pocus]

Oh my! The 26 for the Shell Keep is a typo (it should be 20). There's no chance to build one with such a number, thanks!

Do not hesitate to challenge and question buildings; with thousands of values to input, sometimes there is an error.

Peasants are also useful to reach a frontline of 18 and avoid being flanked. It will also ensure your archers are used as they should be and not as filler.

[Surt]

I seem to remember I have some peasant in one of my MP game armies! how could that possible go wrong?

[WarBonnet]

Oh my! The 26 for the Shell Keep is a typo (it should be 20). There's no chance to build one with such a number, thanks!

Do not hesitate to challenge and question buildings; with thousands of values to input, sometimes there is an error.

Peasants are also useful to reach a frontline of 18 and avoid being flanked. It will also ensure your archers are used as they should be and not as filler.

Good to get official confirmation. Now would be great to get the same for how the siege workshop works...fighting platform being the only way to get trebuchet type units at ~ 40 fortification points doesn't seem logical. I built the siege workshop, but it hasn't given me any units even from a passive spawn in circa 30 turns

[deadtorius]

Good to get official confirmation. Now would be great to get the same for how the siege workshop works...fighting platform being the only way to get trebuchet type units at ~ 40 fortification points doesn't seem logical. I built the siege workshop, but it hasn't given me any units even from a passive spawn in circa 30 turns

Siege workshop only provides siege engines to the city it is located in and only when the city is under siege. You probably won't see them unless the game spawns in the city garrison and you check the army composition and see its individual units.
Rock pile and fighting platform are the only way to get army type siege engines and it is a one shot deal when the structure is built. If you lose it in battle you can't get another unless you build the same structure elsewhere.
If you played Empires there was a similar structure that built army siege engines which might be causing your confusion.

[WarBonnet]

Good to get official confirmation. Now would be great to get the same for how the siege workshop works...fighting platform being the only way to get trebuchet type units at ~ 40 fortification points doesn't seem logical. I built the siege workshop, but it hasn't given me any units even from a passive spawn in circa 30 turns

Siege workshop only provides siege engines to the city it is located in and only when the city is under siege. You probably won't see them unless the game spawns in the city garrison and you check the army composition and see its individual units.
Rock pile and fighting platform are the only way to get army type siege engines and it is a one shot deal when the structure is built. If you lose it in battle you can't get another unless you build the same structure elsewhere.
If you played Empires there was a similar structure that built army siege engines which might be causing your confusion.

Ok thx maybe I'll finally accept this is how it is.
I think a dev diary featured a picture with an army of 3 trebuchets, that combined with the medieval time period + increased focus on fortifications - made me think you should be able to directly recruit them. I suppose things don't always work how we expect them to

[Surt]

Good to get official confirmation. Now would be great to get the same for how the siege workshop works...fighting platform being the only way to get trebuchet type units at ~ 40 fortification points doesn't seem logical. I built the siege workshop, but it hasn't given me any units even from a passive spawn in circa 30 turns

Siege workshop only provides siege engines to the city it is located in and only when the city is under siege. You probably won't see them unless the game spawns in the city garrison and you check the army composition and see its individual units.
Rock pile and fighting platform are the only way to get army type siege engines and it is a one shot deal when the structure is built. If you lose it in battle you can't get another unless you build the same structure elsewhere.
If you played Empires there was a similar structure that built army siege engines which might be causing your confusion.

Ok thx maybe I'll finally accept this is how it is.
I think a dev diary featured a picture with an army of 3 trebuchets, that combined with the medieval time period + increased focus on fortifications - made me think you should be able to directly recruit them. I suppose things don't always work how we expect them to

At least in earlier versions you could get (un-)lucky and get 2 spearmen and 5 trebuchet from non-standard RGD.

[deadtorius]

I think a dev diary featured a picture with an army of 3 trebuchets

I have had that many in my solo game armies before. I even had them all combined into a single siege specialist force. It can be done just takes a lot of investing into fortifications which seems to be a somewhat mixed result. It does force the enemy to storm your city but I recently had a level 5 fort fall in one turn. The enemy must have targeted the city as when they entered my region it went right to assault and my 100+ strength army and the garrison fell on round 2 of the battle.....

[WarBonnet]

At least in earlier versions you could get (un-)lucky and get 2 spearmen and 5 trebuchet from non-standard RGD.

Heh so we went from overabundance to complete scarcity in one fell swoop

I have had that many in my solo game armies before. I even had them all combined into a single siege specialist force. It can be done just takes a lot of investing into fortifications which seems to be a somewhat mixed result. It does force the enemy to storm your city but I recently had a level 5 fort fall in one turn. The enemy must have targeted the city as when they entered my region it went right to assault and my 100+ strength army and the garrison fell on round 2 of the battle.....

Woah, did you have a major garrison structure in the region? If you did, that seems like something that might need a little balancing Also I earlier thought temp fortif. buildings that provide extra garrison should be a priority and this defo confirms it

[deadtorius]

Woah, did you have a major garrison structure in the region?

Garrison strength is based on the level of fortifications you are at, I had 20 points and level 5 walls. You can get extra garrison units with certain buildings, not sure if I had any or not. I thought my field army plus garrison could hold out but apparently not....