Beginner Economy Quick Wins

Economy Beginner Quickstart v1.0
Updated for v1.0.x | Last updated: 2025-01-15

Why Quick Wins Matter

Early economy is about staffed jobs, food/housing capacity, and trade capacity. Avoid idle or unfilled builds that stall growth. These quick wins help you establish a stable foundation before expanding into complex systems.

Five Quick Wins

1. Staff Before You Stack

Check employment and inputs before expanding. Expand buildings only after current jobs are filled and inputs secured. Idle manufactories drain maintenance without producing anything.

💡 Tip
Rule: If you see red "Unstaffed" warnings, fill those jobs first before building more structures.

2. Food and Housing First

Stability and growth come from meeting basic needs. Shortages trigger unrest and wasted labor. Prioritize food production and housing capacity before luxury goods or advanced manufactories.

💡 Tip
Rule: Check population satisfaction regularly. Red food/housing warnings mean you're losing efficiency.

3. Marketplaces Early

If your target market shows capacity pressure, build marketplaces to unlock trade income before fancy chains. Marketplaces expand trade capacity, which is the bottleneck for early trade income.

💡 Tip
Rule: Build one marketplace at your primary trade hub first. Then expand to adjacent markets as capacity fills.

4. Short, High-Margin Routes

Prefer short protected routes with good prices over long risky routes early on. Long routes require more infrastructure, protection, and maintenance. Short routes are easier to manage and protect.

💡 Tip
Rule: Export surplus goods to nearby markets first. Expand to distant markets only after you have fleet capacity and protection.

5. Maintenance Discipline

Keep peacetime maintenance low to free cash for infrastructure and flexibility. High maintenance drains your treasury during peace, leaving you unprepared for wars or opportunities.

💡 Tip
Rule: Lower army and navy maintenance during peace. Raise it only when war is imminent or you're actively protecting trade routes.

Common Traps

  • Overbuilding manufactories with no workers: Buildings cost maintenance even when unstaffed. Only build what you can staff immediately.
  • Splitting capacity across too many markets too early: Focus on one or two markets first. Expand to new markets only after your core markets are stable and profitable.
  • Ignoring food/housing warnings: These bottlenecks compound over time. Fix them early to avoid cascading problems.

30-Day Starter Plan

Here's a concrete checklist for your first 30 days:

  • Build one marketplace at your primary hub
  • Staff two profitable buildings (check employment and inputs first)
  • Set one short export route to a nearby market with good prices
  • Keep one ally to deter early aggression and provide diplomatic stability
  • Plan one short war for cash or strategic position, but wait until your economy is stable
📝 Note
Remember: Complete these basics before expanding into complex trade networks or multiple manufactory chains. Stability first, growth second.