Food supply...

[null_*pointer]

I'm new to this game and still trying to completely understand the different parts of the game. The one thing I'm still a bit confused about is food supply. I know some buildings give you food supply and other take it away.

Is there something in the game that shows you real time what is giving you food supply and taking it away? I think this would be helfpful to understand why I'm breaking even when I think I should have a positive food supply.

[Desmond]

Yes. then you have your curser on the buildings it says if it takes food or not (castles takes 1 food per uppgrade, and markets on takes 1 food per uppgrade(but the first market dont take any food) and there is 1 or 2 in the development tree that takes 1 food.

And farms gives you 1 food per uppgrade.

[null_*pointer]

I was taking more about one place that tells you everything and not really a mouse tip. Something that you can bring up that breaks down all the food supply information that makes it easy to read.

[R.I.P]

Are you playing Fall Of The Samurai? (I don't own it).

[null_*pointer]

Nope, playing just normal Shogun 2

[R.I.P]

Well,This may sound stupid but it's usually best not to make assumptions so I have to ask,have noticed the food supply icon?(little bag of rice with a scoop in it).

[Red Shift]

On the settlements tab, one of the columns shows the contribution or deficit to the overall surplus that each town provides, but thats probably still not what you're looking for.

For me, I just keeps tabs mentally. Majority of my towns stick at level 3, with a maxed temple, maxed sake den, but only a level 1 market (as they dont consume food). I know that with a level 4 farm, that gives me a surplus of 1, allowing me to develop a level 4 or 5 castle elsewhere to take advantage of a military resource, or I can use it to develop a market in my highest value regions.

[null_*pointer]

Ok, I found it at the Province leve which is what I think twobobrobertson is talking about. For example
Tosa
Production +2
Consumption -1
Province +1

Iyo
Production +2
Consumption -1
Province +1

However, I have +7 food supply. I think I got +5 for some mission?

Anyway, it would be nice if the game showed how the +7 food suppy is generated in one place.

Even showing you each province foood supply doesn't tell you everything, like in my case.

[Hachiroku]

I always hated the food supply system, if you don't like it download the radious food mod. It uses less food for the buildings.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=439932
choose the version carefully to suit your playing style.

[null_*pointer]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

[Red Shift]

be mindful of any rewards from missions. iirc, the food one has a time limit, so dont over expand on the basis of this temp total. (active temp bonuses are displayed in tiny boxes to the left of the minimap).

The food system isn't great, but is far simpler to work with than the old squalor system imo.

[null_*pointer]

Yep, I noticed that because it went from 7 to 2 and I wasn't sure why. Also, should you always complete missions? The game is asking me to take over a Province I'm at peace with? Not sure if I should if I'm at pease!

[Red Shift]

Your choice! Simply weigh up the reward or cost and make a decision. I think its usually the dilemas, but the effect of an action can often have a bonus/penalty applied that you're not warned of, but may be implied.
Sometimes the bonus wont even appear for several seasons and may leave you wondering 'where did that come from'!

[Taihon]

I think the +5 food is a random event. You make a choice to distribute it to the peasants for happiness or store it for extra food. Sound familiar? The extra food basically means you can start builds that cost food that you don't really have yet. As already stated, it (the extra food) goes away so you'll need to beef up farms if you build over your previous food limit. Giving it to the peasants may be the better option. With the extra clan-wide happines you might be able to raise taxes for awhile, stave off rebellion in unhappy areas, or lessen garrisons to make troops available for a miliatary objective.

[Taihon]

I just thought. It could be the one where the peasants work harder because the daimyo is in the province.

[Zidious G]

Just look at the food surplus in the right lower corner. Keep it on a few plus and you dont need to worry about it. Only way to get more food is to build better farms. I strongly recommend researching land consoliation in Mastery of the Arts asap. That way you can get more food, which means build better castles, which means more buildings, such as markets and rice exchanges (also consumes food) to get more money, or military buildings. Dont forget to look at how much each building consumes before building. You might want to have a few spare food points for those meagre harvest days.