Iko
Pleb
posted 02-23-04 15:57
ET (US)
3 / 18
Hi,
I think there are three main factors that limit the maximum number of population in this game: space, money and food.
Normally, the space problem comes at the end. That's why it was very important for me to have maximum number of highest level houses (townhouses) on minimum space at the end.
I had money problem from the end of the first until the end of the second year. After that the taxes were enough to cover the expenses.
In my opinion, the most limiting factor for this game is the food. It is easy to calculate that all available (produced, imported or requested) food per year is not enough for the theoretical maximum population, especially in the last year of the game. I managed to solve this problem (partially) by building all farms at the very beginning of the game and to store the food in 7 granaries. In the last two years, I had to keep food by building first some slam houses that not require food. But, at the end, it was very tedious to distribute the food successfully to all my 6 housing blocks.
After I sent for Perseus, I deleted the Arbor of Athena and Hermes' Refuge, I built Aphrodite's Heaven to increase desirability and population.
I build rather large 6 housing blocks with townhouses only. In december AD 6 they were nearly full and I had room for about additional 1K people. Then I deleted all non-housing structures (except Aphrodite's Heaven, of course), I used all possible space to build more than 250 new houses and I increased desirability. Right after that, I prayed to Aphrodite, and she filled my houses with additional 1K people. I tried to use Aphrodite earlier too, but then my increased population had not enough food. So I decided to use her only once at the end of the game.
My population curve may not be so steep, but I managed to have no flats or dips. I finished with room for only 1.6K people. You should see my final save with no space at all.
Iko
Taelia
Pleb
posted 02-24-04 15:56
ET (US)
12 / 18
It wont be Iko's last either! I'm waiting to see his entry for any money competition and how far he blows the rest of us away.
Iko
Pleb
posted 02-24-04 19:27
ET (US)
15 / 18
I forgot to tell you something new I learned in this contest. When you load my map, you'll get messages some houses are blocked. That is not a mistake. I learned that when Aphrodite blesses the households, she fills with people even the houses in the areas cut off from the world!!!
Iko