Building a thriving civilization in Anno 117: Pax Romana is an exciting challenge, but it’s not just about plopping down houses. You see, my friend, it’s a delicate dance of needs, effects, and strategies. Let’s dive into the secrets of growing your population and workforce, shall we?
The Key to a Thriving Rome
Residential buildings are your first step towards a bustling island, but they’re just the beginning. You need to fulfill your citizens’ needs and leverage area effects to truly bring your city to life. Imagine building Rome without its citizens – it’d be an empty shell, wouldn’t it?
Here’s the deal: each residence has specific needs for food, public services, and fashion. Fulfill these, and you not only attract new citizens but also unlock the potential for population growth. It’s like a recipe for success, with each ingredient (or good, in this case) adding to your population count.
The Power of Goods and Services
Take sardines, for example. Produce these, and every residence with access to them gains an extra person. It’s a simple yet effective strategy. But here’s where it gets interesting: some goods have an island-wide effect, while others only boost residences within a certain range. It’s all about understanding these area effects and using them to your advantage.
Public services, like a market, work similarly. If you have 20 residences within the market’s range, you gain an extra 20 people. It’s like a magnet, drawing people to your island and boosting your population.
Upgrading Your Residences
Now, if you fulfill all the needs of a residence, you can upgrade it to a higher tier. These higher-tier residences often hold more people because they have more needs, and thus more opportunities for population buffs. It’s like a snowball effect – the more you fulfill, the more your population grows.
For instance, on the Latium map, Liberti (tier 1) can gain a maximum of 3 extra people per residence from food alone, while Plebeians (tier 2) can gain up to 5. It’s a clear incentive to strive for those higher tiers.
Fast Population Boosts
In Latium, porridge is an early game hero, offering a quick +2 population boost. But since it doesn’t produce anything else, sardines might be a better initial choice. Once you unlock population tier 2, producing bread is the way to go, granting a substantial +2 population bonus.
In Albion, every end product in population tier 1 provides a +1 population boost, so you have some flexibility in your early game choices. When you reach tier 2 (Smiths), producing cheese is the move, as it’s easy to make and provides a solid +2 population.
But wait, there’s more! You can also choose Ceres as your empire’s god, who will increase your population as you reach certain devotion thresholds. And keep an eye out for Specialists with population buffs – they can be game-changers!
Understanding the Workforce
Now, here’s a fun fact: the first workstations on a new island will operate just fine with zero population. That’s because there’s a difference between population and workforce in Anno 117. While most of your workforce comes from the population, some buildings have an inherent workforce, like the trading post, which always adds +25 (tier 1) to your island.
This is a handy feature, allowing you to set up a basic settlement before growing your population. But beware, you can’t rely on these alternative workforce sources forever. If you place multiple workstations without a solid population base, you’ll soon find yourself in a workforce deficit.
Workstations without enough workers will show a hammer and pickaxe icon, a clear sign that something needs attention. In such cases, consider placing buildings that provide population buffs, like the fishing hut, which offers +1 population and +1 income.
It’s important to note that only a portion of your population becomes part of the workforce within their respective tier. The higher the tier, the smaller the percentage of the population that joins the workforce. In tier 1, 50% become workforce, while in tier 2, it’s 30%, and in tier 3, only 20%.
To boost your workforce, focus on growing your population and consider researching workforce upgrades like “Albionic Loyalists” and “extra Horse Power.”
And there you have it, my friend! A comprehensive guide to growing your population and workforce in Anno 117: Pax Romana. Now go forth and build your empire, one citizen at a time.
P.S. What strategies have you found most effective in your Anno 117 journey? Share your thoughts and let’s discuss!