3x3 and 4x4 houses

[🖤omegamäään Ω]

hey how can i build the big estates or do they build itself when i place 4x4 squares?
i can only build those 1x1 blocks in my list of houses.

[Trixi]

well, you can put down the building spots up to 2 fields away from the nearest road. If you build 2x2 squares, they may get one building with 2x2 fields. If the house develop further at some point they need a 3x3 space or 4x4 and expand to it automatically.

i personally prefer the best 2x2 houses, as those are more stable in population. the luxury blocks eventually get downgraded, if a service dont reach them in a while.

[🖤omegamäään Ω]

ah ok i thought there is a button for building bigger houses like in Zeus/Poseidon where you can build those elite housing in high appeal areas. so I have to upgrade them by making them bigger. never made this oh no. thx for quick replay.

[Santyaga]

Luxury houses are good for:
1. Taxes.
2. Mission goals :).
But player should watch out for following when planning city:
1. When house upgrades there is no way to predict which way it will expand if there is more then one way left, so it's better to put some barriers (small statues, for example) to block undesired ways.
2. When it downgrades it can become too far from the road and eventually be lost.

I personally like housing and distributing systems in Zeus and Emperor more (especially in Emperor), although in Caesar III and Pharaoh it's more challenging (for example, the fact that building need houses in close proximity to work).

[🖤omegamäään Ω]

I still dont get it exactly.
When or how can the 2x2 become a 3x3?
I have to build the additional fields by myself or how?
and before there are 2x2 I have to build park around it?

[🖤omegamäään Ω]

space for 4x4 but only buld a 22 spot with space arond it or what?
can you make photos?

[Santyaga]

Originally posted by bauer-horst:

I still dont get it exactly.
When or how can the 2x2 become a 3x3?
I have to build the additional fields by myself or how?
and before there are 2x2 I have to build park around it?

For example:
You have some 2x2 houses almost ready to be 3x3. Each house will try to evolve when you fuldill all its needs as 2x2 house, but it will evolve only if there is enough space near it to evolve to 3x3 house (garden tiles considered free space). You needn't build additional fields.

[Santyaga]

Originally posted by bauer-horst:

space for 4x4 but only buld a 22 spot with space arond it or what?
can you make photos?

For now I can't. I need to install this game again :) (have it on CD). Replayed only recently :).
Example of tiles enough for 4x4 house (R - Road, H - house, F - free tile):
RRRR
FFHH
FFHH
FFFF
FFFF
Or:
RRRR
FHHF
FHHF
FFFF
FFFF

4x4 house can evolve even from one house (1x1) if house needs are met and there is enough free space around the house (but single house must still be close to the road).

[🖤omegamäään Ω]

Now I get it (.... I think...)
I thought I have to build more houses around my 2x2 to become 3x3 or 4x4
But the 2x2 takes the free space and graps the gardens to ints manor.
OK. I will test later but now I have a clue how it works.
Thats for your "picture" ^^

[Santyaga]

Originally posted by bauer-horst:

Now I get it (.... I think...)
I thought I have to build more houses around my 2x2 to become 3x3 or 4x4
But the 2x2 takes the free space and graps the gardens to ints manor.
OK. I will test later but now I have a clue how it works.
Thats for your "picture" ^^

You welcome :).
You also can build houses like that:
RRRRRRRR
HHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHH
RRRRRRRR
And they can together evolve to one or two 4x4 house (houses can evolve together to a big house).
But you can't guarantee that it will become two 4x4 houses and when it evolves you will lose much of workforce from all those houses (and then need for workers -> losing money and production-> losing luxury houses :) ). It's a common danger, I think.

[🖤omegamäään Ω]

Works now for me. I built 8x4 blocks and then I had 2 of the 4x4 next to each other.
I never had so much ressources like now I think lol

[Aelie]

Example build a string of homes thats 2x10 long. This string of homes will need access to fresh water, Bazar, and Health Care. The bazar will provide the home with food, beer, pottery, linens, luxury goods, etc. When you right click a home it tells you what it needs in order to upgrade further. Key is planning ahead ;) i always build a 2x along a road, line the back of this string with gardens so that it can expand into a 3xX. I also ALWAYS leave atleast an additional 2x2 or 3x3 space behind every home/garden for future statues. So a typical house space will be a 6xX long + whatever extra space is needed on the other side of that statue. The Less roads you have.. the better ;P will try to post a screenshot soon

[Aelie]

you also want to make sure you build everything in good order... if you plop down to much at once then you will have unemployment issues. Key here is to plan ahead for future buildings, only giving your current residents what they need to start and upgrade their homes. As the homes grow, these bigger homes will allow for more residents to move in! At which point you can start putting down pavillions for entertainment and more industrial buildings in the area for extra revenue.