Best profession/building to start with? (non rogue)

[Mavkiel]

So, what profession do you guys pick to start off with? And what building to start with. I specify non rogue, because frankly its hard to fail with a rogue start. On the other hand, I have a horrible time with craftsmen and patron.

For scholars, I have a heck of a time trying to make ends meet with banks or churchs. They seem to be the least profitable buildings. (everything else seems fairly easy)

[General Chaos]

I think there are viable ways to do well with all the professions in the start, though the actual business does matter.

For the patron, an orchard, croft, or fishery are good choices because you don't really have to buy raw resources to make a decent profit. Just check to see if there's a robber's nest near any of the buildings outside of town. If so, I would advise avoiding these businesses until later one when you're stronger/richer and can build guard towers and hire guards.

For scholars, the church actually is quite profitable, but not if there is another higher level church of the same denomination because they will likely be more attractive to customers. If a church is already for sale, buy that so you'll be the only one.

My craftsperson approach is typically to build a weaving mill and then produce purses and clothes. The purses I'll use to boost bargaining right before I sell, and the clothes I'll have my partner wear as she performs measures in public (like begging, pickpocketing, selling beer, etc.) so that I get favor bonuses from people who pass by. The same approach can be used with the fishery once you can make pearl necklaces and the alchemist when you can make perfume. It's WAY cheaper than buying these items in the market. Obviously you sell what you don't use and make a decent profit from that too.

Hope that helps!

[Mavkiel]

That does help, thanks!

[Zalzany]

Yeah the church is my fave for sholar I scout out maps that have towns with only one church and make notes of it. Some of the craftsman shops that need resources aren't bad either as long as the npcs are gettin git to the market, and you can get fancy cane from the carpenter shop I believe, and if you fancy to have a spouse later who is up to no good a smith greatly helps them get armor and weapons for kidnapings and cart hold ups.

I like scholar and patro or scholar and rogue. If go with shcolar patron I like to do a pub for the body and soul kind of feel its not perfect for money but its not bad either, yet again as long as the resources are making it to the market. With rogue combo I try to make the scholar get into poltics as fast as I can in small towns to help the rogue land positon with immunity, a scholar with a church is great for politicians since I never sell the hosts to the market I never bothered with bargining, but the poems, bonus to learning rehetoric, and abilty to libel or praise another politician at mass after an election is very very usefull.

[Stryderunknown]

Scholar:
The pawnbroker building (When invested in) can make a fair bit of money when you start minting your own coins. If you get your scholar working there you can have them producing coins non-stop and increase their experience at the same time. The right Tinctury upgrade will allow for perfume to be mass produced to aid with keeping your popularity.

Craftsman:
You can make alot of money once you've built a number of different craft buildings, but one of the main bonuses for being a craftsman is the ability to make your own weapons and armour that you would otherwise have to hope are sold to the market. This can be handy for both dynasty members you control and even those you don't.

Patrons:
Don't underestimate the Bakery, how else are rogues going to steal your sweetrolls (wrong game )

[Sandsandal]

Scholar:
Medicine house: Even though most of the towns already have one, if you place yours in a Central location closer to the market you are 100% sure to attract more costumers (This useually works in small towns) but be wary, most small towns politicans own those so if you want to take out the competition, be careful!

Church: Oh this is just plain overpowered. If you find a Town like Bergen in "The Hansa" map you can easily dominate the town with your church. you should start your ceremony at 09:15 and 21:00. Don't let your workers stay unactive so try to keep em working on making stuff.

Vault: This one is probably the easiest out of them all since you generate most of the materials needed by "Pure magic", keep your self working and keep your employs working. Just spam what ever you see with the highest profit. then expand as soon as you can.

Trink: This one is also a easy one in the smaller towns, find a suitable location and just plop it down. spam items with highest profit and expand into what ever you feel like.

Pawnbroker: If you consider your self to be a lucky person, invest into credit and eventually gain money. and meanwhile doing that i would recommend you to focus primarly your money on minting out coins/items from the shop.


Tips and tricks:
Money of God: This requires a level 2 church or being able to get your hands on the paper that converts people. Go to the church of the different religion and inside use the paper in the middle of their mass to convert as many people as possible. This will bring in more people to your faith and less people to theirs!

The pleague: this one is pretty hard actually. i don't know the details but it involves to have control over a medicine house, firebombs/bombs and posion :3 there is three steps, first step is to of firebomb/bomb the heck out of competetor medicine houses, second step is to posion everything and third step is to provide medicine and you will be able to gain major money.

[Syndicake ☠]

The vagabond camp is very good to start with. You can produce amulets which boost your reputation - they cost almost nothing and use a resource you can gather and make most of your money by begging in markets. (Send your people to different markets.)

When you upgrade you unlock tarot cards and crystal ball measures on all your employees and dynasty members. This gives lots of cash.

Church is also good income when giving sermons. The hospital is good when you sell quacksalve.

I have found the craftsman starts to be very difficult. I would recommend saving up the money to buy a mine as soon as possible, take a loan if you have to from the guild house. Sell your starting shop to get the remaining money to upgrade. Have all your employees mine gems and fill the stockpiles of the mine with gems until they are nearly full. Then sell the mine, you will get around 300,000 which is enough to get you into the highest office. This gives you a good income and lots of influence over the city.

I've heard that pickpockets are good for getting large sums of money from the populace. I don't know if this makes people hate you or not but when I do it my thieves get killed all the time. Kidnapping is extremely lucrative, use it on people who are knocked unconscious from fighting in towns or wander outside of town for example mine/farm owners. You can take them with no or little fighting.

[Chuseyng]

Patron, buy a fisher's hut since it is self sufficient. Then use your main Character to make fried Herring. But my personal favorite is buying a mine as a craftsman. Sure you lose all your money, but I find that I can easily get it all back in 1 (1 1/2 on games that seem to decide that the starting city should buy materials for low prices) year. Even with that I'd have bought 2 horse carts and even have escorts done with it on 75% difficulty. If someone decides to attack a cart in that time I usually hire a thug to spy and sue, or I get myself a cute little army with swords I crafted, and give them some basic chainmail or leather doublets to go attack the owner of the Robber's camp then destiry evidence. You don't get revenge by being legit. Sure you can get the robber executed but what fun is that if you don't smile as you rob them. Then slowly (slow down the game!) insert your longsword into your assailant's unconscious body. You will then laugh loudly as you destroy the evidence and no one will know.
Hope that helps!

[Mavkiel]

Mines were fairly painful. Managed to go from being an upstanding citizen to a walking nightmare defending a mine. Guess its because I'd kill robbers after they wanted protection money *mutters*

Is there a way of getting out of walking nightmare status?

[Sandsandal]

Originally posted by Mavkiel:

Mines were fairly painful. Managed to go from being an upstanding citizen to a walking nightmare defending a mine. Guess its because I'd kill robbers after they wanted protection money *mutters*

Is there a way of getting out of walking nightmare status?

Oh there is many ways to do that! I personally have not had that problem since i start with 5k so i don't really rush buying the mine :P

1. Place a turret next to it and just deny their request.
2. Get a rouge spous and place any of the combat orianted workhouses to attack the silly fools who try to force you to pay money!

[Senlassa Foxy Lassa]

Originally posted by Mavkiel:

Mines were fairly painful. Managed to go from being an upstanding citizen to a walking nightmare defending a mine. Guess its because I'd kill robbers after they wanted protection money *mutters*

Is there a way of getting out of walking nightmare status?

That aspect always irritated me a little, the only way you are able to stop a robbery or plundering is by outright attacking the person, yet you lose reputation when they inevitably die........to that idea, we need a map to be in Texas so we can save our reputation under the "stand your ground" rule!

[Chuseyng]

I never had a problem with that since I find it fun to watch as I lose rep from others and then I kill them all so I can climb the political ladder with no opposition. But those freaking guards... Everywhere! Watch your soup! They're hiding there, I just know it! Dinkelberg!