Getting Started? - About a dozen amateur questions that need answering

[Max Sasune]

So I just made my nation. Great. Kinashia is a wonderful place with 2294 population per mile, which is apparently just a bit too crowded, and I have rioters about already. It's just glorious.

 

I also have about half a dozen options available, none of which I know what to do with. Should I get a lot of technology? It seems like I could get a lot more done with machinery than sticks and stones. But at the same time, I need a police force, so should I set up at least a small military? People need homes, so shouldn't I get some infrastructure? But I can't just build straight up, so I need land, right? But how much is all this gonna cost me? TOO MANY CHOICES! AGH! And what's a tech deal? How am I supposed to get a few million dollars for tech to sell when all I have right now is 50k, and my tax collection was pathetic (About $200)? Why can't I trade with my sister?

 

So I come to you in hopes of learning the ropes. And hopefully answering some basic questions along the way so another thread like this doesn't need to show up. Plenty of these threads have probably already appeared, I'd bet, and the answers I want probably are here somewhere, but I'm just not looking hard enough.

 

P.S. I've already learned a thing or two from my sister, as mentioned earlier, and I have chosen resources that I believe will help me grow faster when I actually start trying to. But I still have questions she can't answer.

 

TL;DR: Woe is me, too many choices, help.

[Rayan Thomas]

I'd say do these things-

 

1. Find a good alliance that suits you

2. Sell Tech. There are lots of people who want to buy Tech (such as myself :P)

3. You should buy 20% of your working population in soldiers

4. Purchase enough land so that your population density is 30 per square mile (or 50 if you have the Water resource)

5. Buy Infrastructure. But make sure that the total amount that you have ends with x9.99 or x99.99.

6. Find a Trade Circle. Usually in your alliance or in the Black Market forum.

7. Go from there

 

Now Tech Selling is important. What will happen is this-

 

1. The Buyer sends you $6 Million

2. You navigate to the "Technology" tab and purchase 100 (Simplest way is to purchase in blocks of ten)

3. Wait 10 days until the offer expires

4. Navigate to that nation's page and click "Aid"

5. Type in 100 in the Technology and "Submit Offer"

6. Repeat

 

You should make a profit of around $3.8 Mil depending on your resources

Edited December 26, 2013 by Rayan Thomas

[Max Sasune]

1. I think I can do that.

2. If you want tech and I can get it for you, I wouldn't mind setting up a deal as long as it's fair for both of us.

3. I knew I was onto something with the small military thing. I just didn't know how many soldiers I should get.

4. I'd assume I should do that AFTER getting infrastructure so I get enough land.

5. x9.99? What?

6. I had a trade in mind with my sister, but I can't trade with her. Is that what you mean? Just find people to trade with?

7. OK.

[Rayan Thomas]

1. I think I can do that.

2. If you want tech and I can get it for you, I wouldn't mind setting up a deal as long as it's fair for both of us.

3. I knew I was onto something with the small military thing. I just didn't know how many soldiers I should get.

4. I'd assume I should do that AFTER getting infrastructure so I get enough land.

5. x9.99? What?

6. I had a trade in mind with my sister, but I can't trade with her. Is that what you mean? Just find people to trade with?

7. OK.

1. Good, I'd recommend a big one to start of with (or medium at least)

2. Sure, I'll contact you via In-game Private Messaging

3.  

4. Yes, purchase land after buying Infra

5. x stands for a random number. Basically, it means that your total infra should be 59.99, 199.99 or 299.99 etc. 

6. Unless your sister lives in another place with a different IP, you shouldn't trade with her as it would break the game's rules. In CN there is a system called Trade Circles when 6 people all trade with one another and gain Team Colour bonuses and Bonus Resources. As said before, your Alliance should do this for you or you can organise one yourself on these Boards.

[Evangeline Anovilis]

Altough most things seem to already have been answered, here a few more tips.

 

First, with your military, during peacetime only keep around soldiers. Rest is a waste of precious money that can be bought as soon as you go to war. Soldiers are needed as police forces and you need 20% of your citizen count as soldiers, to avoid anarchy, as far as I remember. Personally, I suggest buying soldiers in small increments till you see you can dismiss some without hitting anarchy and then be a bit over the necessary amount. Makes it easier to stay save, when global radiation drops and population numbers increase. Don't buy too many soldiers, as they take away from your civilian numbers and soldiers don't pay taxes.

 

For every thousand citizens, you can get an improvement. Improvements are a good way to increase the pitiful collection amount and some are quite important. First one you should get is a harbour, as trade circles are groups of six people and without harbour you won't fit in. Then get a foreign ministry, for the extra aid slot, once you have 3,000 citizens, you can buy a bank or a stadium. I'd hope by that point you found an alliance. Most decent alliances have guides to help you with the rest.

 

Your collection will stay rather low for now and it is generally recommended to get an alliance and start tech dealing there. An alliance normaly is happy to have more tech sellers and you can normally find tech buyers way more easily. Tech selling is way more profitable than your tax collection and you should only get those 100 tech to ship off to buyers. Never get more, as tech cost rises exponentially and you could run losses if you buy more. Just serve your buyers one by one and rebuy everytime you are down to 0 again. Also, you need no tech yourself in this phase. You won't earn that much more money that would make it worthwhile.

 

For an alliance, I recommend finding one that suits your interests and which fits your playing style. I think for most people, the alliance aspect is the most important to keep them here. Currently, you still can do something on a daily basis, if you are in mid-to-late game stages, during peacetime you theoretically could log in every 20 days and not miss a thing. Alliances are a good way to fend off boredom, make some friends and maybe find people with similar interests. Size of the alliance doesn't matter too much, larger ones are normally more established and provide good services, while you can either just enjoy membership or try to work yourselves up along the structures, small alliances are often less established, have a more specific target group, but can provide more opportunities for ambitious people. Medium alliances are a good compromise too, where one still can keep some personal relation to most people, size is large enough to profit from economies of scale and to make an impact in inter-alliance politics, they normally do not run the risk of internal crisis as much as smaller alliances (though that can even happen to larger alliances). Generally, while it should not be overdone (alliance hoppers are seen as a bit unreliable), you can change your alliance also later in the game, so your choice needs not be definite. Just don't do it during wartime (deserters often are in for trouble) and be tactful about it, then you can leave on good terms and most likely friendships can be kept. Also, as a last tip here, don't value your pixels too much. Normally you'll notice that there are more important things in community and especially at your current stage, decent alliances can rebuild you after the war by dropping a few aid packages at you.

 

Good luck.

[Baldr]

Join an alliance.  You essentially can't play this game effectively without being part of an alliance.  And if you join any decent alliance, they will have forums and guides and people who will help you learn all of this stuff.