Part 14

Resource gatherers only need food. Retailers need food, clothing, cleaning, entertainment, and decorations.

Except for decorations, all needs diminish over time, requiring repeated purchases for a sustainable economy.

If a need is not met, settlers will display an icon above their heads: yellow means they are running low, red means they have none left. This is called a settler strike.

Striking settlers will not work until their needs are met. Any item from the lacking category can satisfy a need (e.g., cheese or bread for hunger).

An economy can collapse if striking settlers are also producers of the needed resource. To fix this, ensure raw materials exist, then delete and rebuild striking retailer buildings, which is costly.

Settler strikes indicate retailers lack finished goods, possibly due to raw material shortages, inefficient retailers, or insufficient retailer numbers.

Check the storehouse to assess raw material stock. If low, create another resource gatherer, ensuring all existing gatherers are fully upgraded first.

If stock is plentiful, retailers are not keeping up. Upgrade all retailers, and if demand issues persist with good supply, build another retailer of that type.

Food is crucial as both gatherers and retailers need it. Provide multiple food sources, though some maps may limit this to two.

A general rule is to have at least 2 of every retailer. With sufficient raw materials, this should produce excess supplies. Positive numbers on the top screen indicate sufficient product. Aim for 9+ of each item in stock.

Too many retailers can flood the market, reducing individual sales and tax income. Only exceed 2 retailers if stock falls below 9, especially for food on scarce maps.

The marketplace, located in front of the storehouse, is the settlement's center and features a fountain.

To start a festival, click the fountain in the marketplace when available. The cost, shown when mousing over the button, increases with city population.

During a festival, music changes, and villagers gather at the marketplace to dance and socialize. Retailers will not produce products during a festival. Avoid festivals when low on finished goods.

Festivals temporarily increase city reputation, boost entertainment goods stock (mead) to satisfy striking settlers, and inform you how many retailers found wives after completion.

Retailers meeting women at festivals may get married. The maximum number of wives equals twice the number of retail buildings: level 1 increases by 1, level 2 or 3 by 2. The closer you are to the maximum, the fewer wives are gained per festival.