Development Points

[J B Dryden]

This might be my only frustration with the game. The Development Point system thus far is way too modest. As it stands, there are two issues.

First, you get too few points based solely on village expansion and improvement. While I am fine with some amount of specialization of your village/town, only getting 6 points is a bit stifling.

Second, if you expand into a new territory, there's no shared knowledge. That, to me, seems a bit impractical and inefficient. Going back to the first, I get specializing, but these territories are right next to one another -- it seems more restrictive than necessary.

[tmoore4261]

I'm just mad that the last development point I had I used it on the food/fuel cart, which turned out to be a bust. Plus after reaching the Large Settlement, I keep getting an update on what I've achieved, and it asks if I want to continue playing either sandbox mode or finish the game. No matter what I choose, when I go back to the game, it keeps going back to that screen. So I have no choice but to start over again. I do like the game though.

[CatPerson]

Originally posted by tmoore4261:

I'm just mad that the last development point I had I used it on the food/fuel cart, which turned out to be a bust. Plus after reaching the Large Settlement, I keep getting an update on what I've achieved, and it asks if I want to continue playing either sandbox mode or finish the game. No matter what I choose, when I go back to the game, it keeps going back to that screen. So I have no choice but to start over again. I do like the game though.

Yeah, when I realized how it was going to be (I also restarted because of it, the first start I did), I've been saving before spending any points, try something for a bit. If I don't like it, I reload. Learning process etc. :)

[9erRed]

Greetings,

From the Game Wiki;

Each region has a Settlement Level, determined by the number and level of Burgage Plots. All regions start at settlement level 1: Small Village.

- Level 2 (Small Village) requires 5 Burgage Plots of level 1.
- Level 3 (Medium Village) requires 5 Burgage Plots of level 1 and 2 Burgage Plots of level 2.
- Level 4 (Large Village) requires 10 Burgage Plots of level 1 and 5 Burgage Plots of level 2.

Each region also has a Development.
- Each time its Settlement Level increases the region will gain a Development Point, which can be used to unlock new buildings or upgrades or make existing ones more efficient.
- There are 4 development trees, each one with 10 or 11 development branches.
(In the early access game not all are opened or fully developed yet.)

1 Farming development tree
2 Trade development tree
3 Industry development tree
4 Gathering development tree

[boohboomagoo]

Originally posted by Phalnax811:

I think 6 would be okay as long as knowledge carries over.

agree - or frankly lower 6; to 5 or 4, and then carry over to make growing a priority. I'm a bit annoyed that growing is a pretty big lift took me two days to learn the ropes and get an army big enough to face the "lord" and i got spanked like a child back home... awesome.

[Aphanvahrius]

Yeah, this system definitely needs a rework. In my opinion there are a few ways this could be fixed while maintaining the focus on specialization.
1. Keep the points separate between regions, but increase the number of points you can get. Maybe to 11 so you can fully unlock one of the subtrees?
2. Have the points be shared between regions, but keep the developement trees separate. That way you could use points earned in one region in a different one. This would open up a lot of potentially interesting strategies.

Also, I think there should definitely be an option to reset the spent points. Maybe only once per region once it reaches the max level or something?

[Eltoron]

Originally posted by Aphanvahrius:

Maybe to 11 so you can fully unlock one of the subtrees?

It's 7 nodes maximum in current subtrees. So in most cases 6 is enough to unlock the whole subtree.

[Magniankh]

Originally posted by J B Dryden:

This might be my only frustration with the game. The Development Point system thus far is way too modest. As it stands, there are two issues.

First, you get too few points based solely on village expansion and improvement. While I am fine with some amount of specialization of your village/town, only getting 6 points is a bit stifling.

Second, if you expand into a new territory, there's no shared knowledge. That, to me, seems a bit impractical and inefficient. Going back to the first, I get specializing, but these territories are right next to one another -- it seems more restrictive than necessary.

...Obviously 6 points is only the CURRENT limit. The max settlement is Large Town. Eventually I'm sure a province can move into the City categorization.

[Cuddle]

People here are so impatient the game is early access and more are still locked just wait for the next update just play the game the way it is for now and enjoy what you can.

[Reapo]

Originally posted by J B Dryden:

This might be my only frustration with the game. The Development Point system thus far is way too modest. As it stands, there are two issues.

First, you get too few points based solely on village expansion and improvement. While I am fine with some amount of specialization of your village/town, only getting 6 points is a bit stifling.

Second, if you expand into a new territory, there's no shared knowledge. That, to me, seems a bit impractical and inefficient. Going back to the first, I get specializing, but these territories are right next to one another -- it seems more restrictive than necessary.

1. They will increase once more content is added obviously. Currently you can only upgrade to a Large Town, but I imagine there will be further upgrades, such as a Walled Town or Castle Town.

2. I'm glad there is no shared knowledge. Each town should be unique in its progression. In the current game I am playing, I had a rich berry node. Took an obvious early point into doubling the amount of berries, but as that was my only unique resource, I spent the rest of my points into trading, charcoal kilns and sheep grazing.

On my second region, I had a rich animal node with a rich iron. I went heavy on animal development and I am still currently working on getting the deep mining and I plan to get armor smithing for my 6th point.

But with these vastly two different towns focusing on two different trees, this provides unique opportunities for trading between the two regions via the pack mule/pack station. Since my home region doesn't have a lot of meat, I can now get a lot of meat and send berries to the second region. So now in my home region, I have 3 fully sustained food income for my level 2 housing plots.

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In conclusion, I hope this doesn't change. I love that each region has its own identity and I can't wait to see how that identity evolves as the game grows.

[Brother Alpha]

Originally posted by Shambeh-Bambeh:

Originally posted by J B Dryden:

This might be my only frustration with the game. The Development Point system thus far is way too modest. As it stands, there are two issues.

First, you get too few points based solely on village expansion and improvement. While I am fine with some amount of specialization of your village/town, only getting 6 points is a bit stifling.

Second, if you expand into a new territory, there's no shared knowledge. That, to me, seems a bit impractical and inefficient. Going back to the first, I get specializing, but these territories are right next to one another -- it seems more restrictive than necessary.

Imo, it's a good thing each region has it's own tech tree points. That way, you can specialize each region. Some regions are better for farming than others and some are better as a mining/smithing village as an example.

Except you can't really specialise, because you can't get enough points to really make a difference.

[Brother Alpha]

We don't get nearly enough Development Points and having to spend them on each region means you don't have any room to experiment.

I think you should only NEED to spent a point once, but if a region spends a point there, they get a bonus.

For example:

You spend a point on cheaper trade routes, then that region only has to spend 25 gold maximum. Each other region that doesn't spend that point has to spend 50 gold maximum. Removing the tariffs drops prices by 10 in the region that spend the point, but only 5 in all other regions. Beekeeping allows 3 apiaries in the region that spent the point, but only 2 in all others. Sheep breed faster, apple trees mature faster, Armour and weapons sometimes produce an extra piece. Infinite mines cost a lot less, or nothing, to upgrade. Oxen and pens come standard on farms.

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Or at the very least, each region should start with a Development point and get a another one when you build your Manor.

[BunnyMann]

Originally posted by J B Dryden:

This might be my only frustration with the game. The Development Point system thus far is way too modest. As it stands, there are two issues.

First, you get too few points based solely on village expansion and improvement. While I am fine with some amount of specialization of your village/town, only getting 6 points is a bit stifling.

Second, if you expand into a new territory, there's no shared knowledge. That, to me, seems a bit impractical and inefficient. Going back to the first, I get specializing, but these territories are right next to one another -- it seems more restrictive than necessary.

I'd make it tech bonuses (production bonus and not item giving) and refundable. My issue is many of them are nice to have when starting a game, or starting a new region. But once it's up and running, especially your first, you might not want/need them anymore.

Like my main region I'm sure I'm going to switch to a production town, but then any food industry tech is kind of wasted (I'd like trade and weapon tech). But it's a waste to hold off tech points for years for later when you want to spend them on armor and trade. Like Rye tech or Hunting tech. Great for the initial food boost, but as you get bigger you'll be importing from a rich fert region and probably have pushed the game away anyway.

Be nice to just make them swappable, but as it's tied directly to physical things right now (like orchards etc.), how do you swap them out. So was thinking if they gave big production bonuses instead, at least you wouldn't have something weird like having things vanish when you swap.

[JakeURb8ty]

I think a system where you pay a lot of some resources - it will let you re-spec your settlement would feel a bit less rigid.

[Octaviarius]

The current development system is illogocal. Why in the new area all my achievements are gone? Maybe better use special development building, where local scientists are making knowledge? Or just make development point gathering harder depending on your curent level?